Howaythelads

And by playing John Beck-style long ball football we make sure the midfield doesn't get the ball too often... 82427[/snapback] What concerns me about that comment is that some people want Martin O'Neill as manager 82446[/snapback] He's hyped up by the media. 82471[/snapback] You're agreeing with me on something???? 82559[/snapback] I often agree with you, Craig. Tis you who goes out of your way to disagree with me at every opportunity.

That's exactly what I was doing, FS, laughing that you still don't see it. We had nowt on the left before Robert arrived and we've got nowt on the left now he's gone. Unlike you I have no favourite players, just a favourite club that I want to see packed with talented footballers. I've been aware of the limitations of Robert all along, I was frustrated by his lack of defensive ability just as much as anybody else, however, I believe he brought more than enough to the team in other ways to more than compensate for those areas in which he struggled. He makes goals and he scores goals and that's what wins matches. Nowadays, your hero does very little and I couldn't care less how much he tries, anything he does manage is because it's on a plate for him. I think you'd be shocked at his lack of mobility should you manage to get to a match next time you're in the country. Shearer 'needed to go' 18 months or so ago for the team to move forward, with a change in style and a change in emphasis. He's been great for us but I've no time for sentimentality, Bellamy and Robert were the main and most potent attacking threats in the team and it should have been built around those players, with a replacement for Shearer after we finished 3rd. That didn't happen, these very good players have been booted out without adequate replacements and we're now reaping the rewards. Dross and a relegation dogfight. But you have a hero to worship, so no doubt you're happy. Head in sand springs to mind, but then I do realise that some are happy with graft.

Glad you agree, at last.

Souness has already reduced the club to that of a laughing stock.

You don't need a contract. If it was verbally agreed that any comments would be confidential, that would enough in a libel case if he can prove it. I'm more concerned about the shite journalists we have in this country who, on the build up to a World Cup where we have some good players and might make a decent fist of it, go out of their way to undermine our chances. Wankers.

And by playing John Beck-style long ball football we make sure the midfield doesn't get the ball too often... 82427[/snapback] What concerns me about that comment is that some people want Martin O'Neill as manager 82446[/snapback] He's hyped up by the media.

Aye. Just like Solano is shit for us right now, but was player of the year for Villa. Aston Villa fans would say Solano is a good player, had he not previously played for Newcastle we'd all be thinking we got a right load of crap with that signing, wouldn't we? How Robert failed to perform for Portsmouth has absolutely nowt to do with what he produced for Newcastle during his time here, and it is a fact he hasn't been properly replaced. No good player should be discarded without adequate replacement. When a club allows good players to go without replacements, that club goes backward.

Which is one of the major things that's always worried me about Souness. He only wants 'proper' players who are hardworking and honest but when we've got a team of them out we look shite. I still haven't changed my mind about Robert needing to go, my mind was made up with him under the latter stages of Robson's reign, but to win things you need a bit of flair...and we've got diddly shit of it (except maybe Dyer, but even then, it's once in a blue moon when he does turn it on). 82409[/snapback] SLP - On the one hand you're worried about these 'proper' players churning out shit. You acknowledge a team needs flair but then you go on to say you haven't changed your mind that Robert 'needed to go' because of his performances during the latter stages of Robson's reign as manager. If you cast your mind back to the period you're talking about I think you might admit that there were some pretty poor performances from the whole team near the end of Robson's time. It's why he was sacked, man. FS could see he'd lost the players, not just Robert. Booting Robert out on this basis is using him as a scapegoat for the whole team under performing. It's why I wanted Robson out after we finished 3rd, I could see he was losing the players even then. Anyway, no doubt we'll disagree on the last paragrah. What I would like to say as well though is that it's only time for a good player to go when an adequate replacement is brought in. This means it should be painfully obvious to everybody by now that Robert in fact didn't 'need to go'.

They claim they're working against a predicted finishing position of 14th this season. Well, as far as I'm concerned there is a pretty good chance we'll finish lower than that, and of course, as I've said before, if we get relegated the club goes to the wall. Mind you, perhaps FS will support his manager once again by stumping up yet more cash for another get out of jail card for Souness. I think he might have to, since it seems he isn't prepared to sack the wanker.

It goes hand in hand, Alex. Having decided to discard so many players it would have made more sense to buy a few players rather than one. It's called a plan, mate. Souness doesn't have one either on or off the field it seems.

And I stand by it, because now we are fucked without him, which was always going to happen. Papering over massive cracks was all it was and it was only a matter of time for it all to go pear shaped. Surely you agree that money would and should have been much better spent elsewhere? 80181[/snapback] With hindsight perhaps but who could have known Owen would have such a serious injury? Fair enough, he's injury prone but in general he's just missed the odd games here and there with muscular problems during his career. In my view, Owen is exactly the type of player we should be buying, i.e. guarenteed class, rather than pissing £5millios here and there on the likes of Milner (who is an ok player to be fair). Since we signed Shearer we haven't gone for the world class players enough, it's been a case of too many players in the £5-10million bracket who are not good enough for what we want to achieve, i.e. silverware. 80191[/snapback] Alex - I think you'd be right under normal circumstances. However, Souness put the club in the position of needing too many players.

Thanks for the insight mate, an interesting read, sspecially the bits about Babayaro and Luque. I'm not going to bang on about 'you know who', but I picked up on the mention of movement in your post. The lack of pace and MOVEMENT in our team has been the biggest problem since Souness decided to feed his ego. It was crystal clear in the match away to Sporting last season when Dyer was up front. We looked pretty good, we looked able to pass the ball about, midfielders looked dangerous because they were able to run into spaces created by Dyer stretching their defence. It helps the defenders too. Nobody can pass the ball well if nobody is making themselves available.

And I stand by it, because now we are fucked without him, which was always going to happen. Papering over massive cracks was all it was and it was only a matter of time for it all to go pear shaped. Surely you agree that money would and should have been much better spent elsewhere? 80181[/snapback] It's a good point, the money from both Owen and Luque could have brought in 5 or even 6 decent players instead of 2. One of whom hardly plays and the other looks disinterested. If the fool hadn't discarded good players as well he could be half a dozen PL standard players better off right now.

This has been suggested before. There's no evidence to believe it, neither is there any proof this is not the reason, I just don't believe it though because it's too risky. We are on the edge as it is, I don't think we're going to get 40 points so we're going to be relying on there being some really shit teams in the PL this season. What would it mean for Fred's investment if the club went to the wall through being relegated?

Has anyone considered the unthinkable? What if FS thought people like Bellamy and Robert to be cancers? What if Fred agreed with the decisions of Souness in his shite treatment of these players? What if Fred brought Souness here specifically to do what he's been doing in terms of getting more time from Shearer? If this is what Fred believes, then the only other thing Fred has to beleve in order to NOT sack the wanker at all, is that injuries are causing the problem. I'm off for a glass of brandy while I ponder these horrendous thoughts. 80075[/snapback] TBH I've thought for quite some time that Fatty brought Souness here knowing he was never going to be a success and with the only notion of getting rid of the likes of Bellamy and Robert. 80094[/snapback] Somehow I seriously doubt that. If he was that desperate to get rid of them, he could have done it himself. 80183[/snapback] Renton - What do you think the reaction would have been from supporters if FS had taken it upon himself to boot out Bellamy and Robert pre-Souness and his propaganda campaign? The flak from Bellamy and Robert that eventually turned some people against these players was engineered by Souness, prior to his arrival Bellamy wasn't much of a problem. Neither was Robert really, apart from to those who believe what he is reported to have said. I think Dyer was regarded by many as the biggest problem in the club until Souness arrived.

Has anyone considered the unthinkable? What if FS thought people like Bellamy and Robert to be cancers? What if Fred agreed with the decisions of Souness in his shite treatment of these players? What if Fred brought Souness here specifically to do what he's been doing in terms of getting more time from Shearer? If this is what Fred believes, then the only other thing Fred has to beleve in order to NOT sack the wanker at all, is that injuries are causing the problem. I'm off for a glass of brandy while I ponder these horrendous thoughts.

There's little doubt O'Neil would be better than Souness, but I'm not that convinced about him. I think he's overhyped by the media, and so may not be as good as he's made out to be.

Bloody hell! Gemmill admitting he made a mistake, quite unique. By the way, it's a shit website. Never believed it to be anything else. 80027[/snapback] Something's either unique or it isn't, it can't be quite unique 80039[/snapback] I stand corrected. Unique will do.

And Carr and Ramage anarl. And Shrek.

Sums him up though, doesn't it? 80029[/snapback] I think it's a typical Souness reaction, yes. Bullys can't stand criticism, in the same way that cowards can't face the music when they've ballsed up. Again. 80032[/snapback] I seriously am at the point of believing FS has lost his marbles given his failure so far to sack this joker. I can accept a mistake in making the initial appointment, as bad as it was. However, the evidence of incompetence has been so strong for so long, I can only conclude ( and hope ) that FS really must have someone lined up who is not available until summer. The problem with waiting that long is that we might be relegated by keeping Souness. I'd like to see a caretaker manager installed at this point, the entire Souness crew booted out immediately.

I'm not talking about how good or bad a player is regarding Luque, I'm talking about the reason Luque might receive certain treatment from fans during a match, a reason that is well within his capability to avoid and is related to your point. The reference to Robert did include the word 'ironic' and is again, related to the topic.

Sums him up though, doesn't it?

Bloody hell! Gemmill admitting he made a mistake, quite unique. By the way, it's a shit website. Never believed it to be anything else.

I never did link to it in my signature. Seems you're not quite as intelligent as you like to believe. Happy to send you the link if you think you're bright enough to have a go though. You'll have no problem with the HT flying around, being as how you're so intelligent, like. 80001[/snapback] You linked to it in your profile I believe. 80007[/snapback] That's correct, Alex.

You lost me on number 3.