Isegrim

We had a strip with uneven stripes for a while and the name came from that - from what i recall it has never been an insult and wouldn't bother me now This strip was an insult though. Horrible.

He doesn't seem to improve and that is the most disappointing to me. He's still making the same basic mistakes as he did when he broke into the first team and that is worrying.

Fat pigs seem to be breading fast...

So seeing your boss with his head in his hands sitting with the fans in his newcastle strip, on the front page of the news of the world football section will have a positive impact on the team??? dont think so Yes, that's exactly what I said What's the difference between him doing it there and in the Director's Box (where you reckon he should be)? He'd be equally (if not more) visible there, he'd still react the same way etc. It makes no more or less difference to team morale either way. Im not being funny but how often do you get pictures of club bosses sat in the directors box on the front page of football sections?? club owners who are sat in the away end with the fans will have cameras trained on them, just think its a stupid thing to do and no way to be taken seriously Have there been any negative pictures about our owner in the press yet? Anyway, cameras are as well trained on owners and chairmen when they sit in the director's box. The face of Fat Fred always seemed to be very telegenetic for some bizarre reasons...

Yes, everything would be totally different if he sat in the director boxes. The players and the manager are clearly affected by this as they don't want their owner to be stamped down during goal celebrations. You've convinced me.

As I said in another thread some days ago, I have more believe in Owen proving his worth (just as he is sort of doing at the moment) than in other players. But before offering him a new contract I'd rather like to see what he is capable of doing in a squad that is playing to his strengths.

Hence the mystery timing of the sacking. Fresh starts are better made in the summer. Really?The season was already over. Giving your new manager a head start of six months to have a look at the squad and the things he wants to change is much better than to try to do it with limited time in the summer. But it's not though, I might agree with you if we were sitting on 40-odd points but there's still games to win and I can't see us winning any at the minute. Of course it's not over in respect of the relegation battle, but it was in concern of any top half finish. Would we be in a different scenario if we had stuck with Allardyce? I doubt it. Of course we might have got a result in one of the recent games. Though looking at the form in the games preceding his sacking this is questionable. Of course, if the club gets relegated the "plan" went tits up. But at the moment we are on 28 points, having a couple of home games against other relegation candidates. Ending up on 37+ points should be enough to be safe in the end. From the two scenarios of sticking with Allardyce for the remainder of the season or hiring Keegan with the outlook for the next season, I'd always chose the latter. The development of events some might say points to the fact that the SA sacking wasn't planned. MA is on record as saying that Mort 'called him' to say that SA needed sacking/he had a problem with SA. Of course this doesn't support the theory many have cuddled upto cause they want to believe there was some grand plan (there might not have been). I am told...this was followed by a video conference (involving the three) with MA still in the far east where events took a turn for the worst and it was at this point MA sacked SA. (I'm guessing over transfer funds). Although they had doubts about SA and it seems some parties 'waiting in the wings' a lot of factors point to the idea that perhaps the sacking wasn't as planned as some believe. The consequent flirting with 'Arry (Rumoured Kemsley's idea) also tends to support this. Pixies and the voices in your head don't count tbh. Anyway, I didn't want to say that the sacking was "planned" as I just don't know. I was rather on about the hiring of Keegan. Well if it wasn't planned how can you say it was done at the right time? Because I think the "vision" that was put in place instead is the better option for the future - especially with a head start for the next season.

Hence the mystery timing of the sacking. Fresh starts are better made in the summer. Really?The season was already over. Giving your new manager a head start of six months to have a look at the squad and the things he wants to change is much better than to try to do it with limited time in the summer. But it's not though, I might agree with you if we were sitting on 40-odd points but there's still games to win and I can't see us winning any at the minute. Of course it's not over in respect of the relegation battle, but it was in concern of any top half finish. Would we be in a different scenario if we had stuck with Allardyce? I doubt it. Of course we might have got a result in one of the recent games. Though looking at the form in the games preceding his sacking this is questionable. Of course, if the club gets relegated the "plan" went tits up. But at the moment we are on 28 points, having a couple of home games against other relegation candidates. Ending up on 37+ points should be enough to be safe in the end. From the two scenarios of sticking with Allardyce for the remainder of the season or hiring Keegan with the outlook for the next season, I'd always chose the latter. The development of events some might say points to the fact that the SA sacking wasn't planned. MA is on record as saying that Mort 'called him' to say that SA needed sacking/he had a problem with SA. Of course this doesn't support the theory many have cuddled upto cause they want to believe there was some grand plan (there might not have been). I am told...this was followed by a video conference (involving the three) with MA still in the far east where events took a turn for the worst and it was at this point MA sacked SA. (I'm guessing over transfer funds). Although they had doubts about SA and it seems some parties 'waiting in the wings' a lot of factors point to the idea that perhaps the sacking wasn't as planned as some believe. The consequent flirting with 'Arry (Rumoured Kemsley's idea) also tends to support this. Pixies and the voices in your head don't count tbh. Anyway, I didn't want to say that the sacking was "planned" as I just don't know. I was rather on about the hiring of Keegan.

Really don't understand how it would be Allardyce's fault if we were relegated. We were mid-table when Keegan took over, if we go down it's squarely on his head. Mainly down to a favourable fixture list Allardyce beat better teams than Boro and Bolton at home. We certainly wouldn't have conceded as many goals if he was still in charge. Can't actually believe some people are removing blame from Keegan's door should he take us down. Well, Keegan wasn't in charge for the ManU game. Under Allardyce we conceded three against Man City away and two at home, four against Pompey at home, three against Blackburn away etc. So I don't know how you can say that the defence actually really got worse and would have performed better under Big Sam. We also saw some shocking home results under him. One against a team trying to beat Sunderland's negative record. Of course Keegan is (also) to blame if we go down. But I'll make this kind of judgement at the end of the season and not now.

Pay them enough and they'll come With the obscene wages players are getting anyway in modern football other factors are becoming more important nowadays imho. This doesn't meant that a move can't be "sold" to these players, it's just becoming more difficult. As for the original question: What were people expecting? Keegan to be infallible and turning water into wine ... or the likes of Smith, Butt, Carr into decent footballers? Keegan wept. Of course the results against Bolton and Boro were disappointing. But the team is currently just a huge mess, imbalanced and totally out of confidence. Also looking at the repeating second half collapsing it raises concerns about the fitness level. Though, I think nothing of all this comes unexpected at club being in constant turmoil for about three years now. I'd hoped Keegan to have an immidiate effect in putting believe into the players and make them perform better and a result against Bolton would probably have had this effect. So all I hope for now is that we will successfully see the season off by getting some much needed results against the bottom half teams and then will see what Keegan can do next season with players who suit his philosophy and whose morale isn't rock bottom. Good post. Overall the new owner is lacking vision. Is he? I think this is utter nonsense. You can't get any more vision than sacking a manager whose ego made it impossible to adapt to the club and hiring someone who suits the club. Also I wouldn't call the attempt to give the club a more professional setup "lacking vision". The lack of vision is the smallest problem of the club at the moment if you ask me.

Hence the mystery timing of the sacking. Fresh starts are better made in the summer. Really?The season was already over. Giving your new manager a head start of six months to have a look at the squad and the things he wants to change is much better than to try to do it with limited time in the summer. But it's not though, I might agree with you if we were sitting on 40-odd points but there's still games to win and I can't see us winning any at the minute. Of course it's not over in respect of the relegation battle, but it was in concern of any top half finish. Would we be in a different scenario if we had stuck with Allardyce? I doubt it. Of course we might have got a result in one of the recent games. Though looking at the form in the games preceding his sacking this is questionable. Of course, if the club gets relegated the "plan" went tits up. But at the moment we are on 28 points, having a couple of home games against other relegation candidates. Ending up on 37+ points should be enough to be safe in the end. From the two scenarios of sticking with Allardyce for the remainder of the season or hiring Keegan with the outlook for the next season, I'd always chose the latter.

Pay them enough and they'll come With the obscene wages players are getting anyway in modern football other factors are becoming more important nowadays imho. This doesn't meant that a move can't be "sold" to these players, it's just becoming more difficult. As for the original question: What were people expecting? Keegan to be infallible and turning water into wine ... or the likes of Smith, Butt, Carr into decent footballers? Keegan wept. Of course the results against Bolton and Boro were disappointing. But the team is currently just a huge mess, imbalanced and totally out of confidence. Also looking at the repeating second half collapsing it raises concerns about the fitness level. Though, I think nothing of all this comes unexpected at club being in constant turmoil for about three years now. I'd hoped Keegan to have an immidiate effect in putting believe into the players and make them perform better and a result against Bolton would probably have had this effect. So all I hope for now is that we will successfully see the season off by getting some much needed results against the bottom half teams and then will see what Keegan can do next season with players who suit his philosophy and whose morale isn't rock bottom.

Hence the mystery timing of the sacking. Fresh starts are better made in the summer. Really? The season was already over. Giving your new manager a head start of six months to have a look at the squad and the things he wants to change is much better than to try to do it with limited time in the summer.

This post for me sums up why signing KK was a mistake. We dont have aspirations or hope anymore its merely blind faith in a man who once, many years ago took us up there. Nothing based on concrete reasoning just the whole nostalgiatastic scenario of the messiah. Thats not knocking you AP or even KK its merely the worry I had from the start, we will blindly follow the man like lemmings regardless of what he does, refusing to give criticism because hes the messiah. I see your point of view PP, but KK will get criticism sometimes. Yesterday he made a mistake not playing Faye [but I'm sure he's learned now]. The only thing that matters now is staying up, and making the board understand that the way forward in football doesn't come cheap. I really don't think they will spend that much. I'll be happily surprised if we spend more than £30m net. Knowing that your predictions are mostly wide of the mark, we'll probably see a new spending record now.

Keegan out.

I don't think we will either, but with Pompey, both Dippers, Spurs and Liverpool all to come away from home, and the likes of Blackburn, Manchester United and Chelsea to come to SJP, i'm struggling to see many winnable games left. As well as Blackburn are doing, I still think this should be considered a winnable game. Mackems, Fulham and Reading are must win games at home. At least 9 points out of these games are essential with picking up the odd point in the other games as at Birmingham and Pompey.

Did you show her a picture of your cock by any chance?

He's only been back a couple of days and he's out for 3 months He was talking about the players for the future though, that's why he mentioned Fraser and the new Swedish guy.

Doesn't mention Krul as one of the keepers. Unbelievable.

Thanks for the reminder, totally forgot about it.

He is on my "Players I don't want to get not injured" wishlist.

Battenberg is close to where I come from, never knew about the cake stuff. Originally the Battenbergs died out in the 14th century, the name was only reused early in the 19th century. Anyway, I support Poland... ... just in their group game against Austria. Battenburg is a type of cake you get over here. The 'exceedingly good' bit is pinched from a Mr. Kipling advert (cake manufacturer). It's even more hilarious now I've explained it, don't you think? As any German will tell you, a joke can only be funnier once it's been dissected and analysed in order to conclusively establish that "zis is ticking your laughbone, yes?". Vorsprung durch Technik.

Geremi £2m??? Apparently he is doing ok at the ANC Geremi goal v Tunesia Doing really well for Cameroon. His set pieces have been surprisingly good throughout the whole tournament. As for players: For centre half I would like us to go for Mertesacker. Imbo (the b stands for biased before anyone is asking) the probably most underrated centre half in Europe at the moment. Tall, good reading of the game and always tries do build up the game from the back.