Big TRon

Rubbish man. "Arry Redknapp is a fuckin' God compared to who we may eventually get. Those that are misguided think/hope/expect we'll get a world-class manager. Bollocks to that. We won't. Van Gaal, Hitzfield, Mourinho are only names that the deluded can think of. We get anyone other than an average British manager than I'll eat my arse. Fuckin' welcome to reality... Even if they don't come, I'll be massively encouraged that we are going for managers of this calibre. Arry bottling it might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

I see these as the words of a great man.

The key to Shearer's appointment is Ashley needs to be convinced enough to allow him to blow his wad. I don't think he is, no matter what the fans might think.

Seeing as he's the new favourite (for what it's worth) I'm going to hypocritically post this positive article from the wicked witch Louise Taylor to try and look for a good side

££££ That's the only reason as far as I can see. Even Redknapp said Newcastle was a fantastic job for someone. You don't get 52,000 at Bournemouth do you?

He won't come. This is a fantastic job for a manager with an ounce of ambition It's not like, it's a managerial graveyard on a bigger scale than England. Dalglish Gullit Robson Souness Roeder Allardyce They all went with their stock lower than any other point in their career. and they all came because they thought they were the one's who would get it right. Which manager doesn't?

He won't come. Can't say I'd be too bothered. Blackburn look a bit functional to me, but I think he will come. This is a fantastic job for a manager with an ounce of ambition and love for the game. Redknapp is an old fart and didn't need the upheaval.

He's the new favourite and was touted as being Plan B. Any thoughts?

He also said he never spoke to the owner. He obviously got the jist of what Ashley was offering though. He's an unambitious prick tbh. He'd have been slaughtered if he got the England job.

Can't really argue with that. Morshley has engineered a situation where he's been made to look a fool. It shouldn't have happened. FYP Mashley, Mortley, whatever...it still shouldn't have happened! Absoloutley, just that Mort seems to be avoiding any culpability from the media or the fans. I think he's Ashley's administrator rather than the guy who makes the big decisions. Redknapp was Ashley's choice due to his big friendship with Kelmsy (sic).

Even though he's said otherwise, I'm pretty sure Hughes would love the job.

Can't really argue with that. Morshley has engineered a situation where he's been made to look a fool. It shouldn't have happened. FYP Mashley, Mortley, whatever...it still shouldn't have happened!

Ruled himself out already hasn't he? Poor management. Should have kept his fans and players on tenderhooks. watch him backtrack though...he'd come here like a shot.

Can't really argue with that. Ashley has engineered a situation where he's been made to look a fool. It shouldn't have happened.

That means it's going to be Hughes now. Shit

Whether Mourinho would have come or not is a moot point now, but I got the impression he already has a job lined up after turning down England. What concerns me slightly is the players Harry is reported to want to bring if he comes. Defoe, Chimbonda and Campbell are good players and will improve the first team but they aren't top 4 signings. Maybe they are just transfer window buys to get us through to the summer? I think Harry will do ok tbh. Considering the shite we've had to endure under Allardyce with his 5 year plan to become Bolton Redknapp should be a breath of fresh air. I just hope if he decides against coming we don't fall back on Hughes who seems to me to be a slightly less dour version of Big Sam.

Match of the Day?

That bit I happen to agree with. For me Shearer needs to come out and issue a statement via the club that he does not want the position. It would take very very little effort on his part to do this, yet the inaction of not doing it causes imeasurable problems. The media have peddled this shit for ages now but for me I don't have a gripe with them because I live in the real world. The media will run whichever is the most sensational story-that is their only agenda-they have no interest in giving a balanced take on feelings amongst supporters. My issue is with Shearer himself because it's his inaction that allows the media to speculate about this shit. This makes it so fucking easy to de stabilise the club and undermine whoever is manager it is untrue. He needs to come out and say categorically he is not interested in the post. It does not even have to be true, he can have a fucking gentlemens agreement with Laura if he wants, it's the public line that is important. If we had a statement from him saying this then the media would have to shut the fuck up, the team wouldnt be distracted and the manager wouldn't be undermined. It's an odd thing to say that there is a moral obligation on anyone to perform a positive act regarding something that is totally extraneous to them, but for me now with Shearer, that is the case if he's the 'local hero' he's cracked up to be. It needs to be a very public, very clear statement via the club that he is not interested. It can be a lie that's ok. But anything short of this and for me he's guilty of putting his own interests before the club and massaging his ego. That's okay and again it's not a serious accusation to lay at the average person's door, but for a 'local hero', for me, it means revocation of that particular title. Shearer's too media savvy and image conscious to come out with that sort of stuff. Despite what people might wish to believe, he's no Keegan who wore his heart on his sleeve. He can't give a straight opinion on MOTD for fucks sake.

This is the same Ashley who looks like he's sacked on mediocre manager and paid off his contract just to bring in another mediocre manager. Rule nothing o ut Well whoever Ashley brings in, it will be because he rates him. Not because he might as well have a go, or because he's a canny lad.

This idea that "we might as well give Shearer a go and get it out of the way" might appeal to the fans but if you were Ashley preparing to back your man with hard-earned money you' might want more than that to go on.

Well, I'm not convinced. Shearer might well turn out to be the bees knees, but I don't like taking blind punts and it could just as easily go wrong. Great players don't necessarily make great managers and right now we don't need to be Shearer's guinea pig club. At least with Arry, I know what sort of players he'll bring, with Shearer it's all guesswork. For all we know the rest of the players might think he's a plank.

The problem is not so much what he can (or even cannot) do. The problem is whether he'll be given the time to actually try. Seeing as how it's Ashley's man he'll be given every opportunity I'd imagine. Unless he does an Allardyce and makes a complete balls up of it. But Allerdyce hasn't "made a complete balls up of it". Although he's hardly done well, he's still at a level most everyone said was "acceptable" when he was appointed. Yes maybe Ashley will be more likely to retain his own man, but if the fans are baying for blood (which is to some degree the norm now), then maybe not too. IMO Allardyce made a complete balls up of it. No one expected him to be challenging for the Chamions League, all he really needed to do was beat the shit sides with the better playes at his disposal. At least some of the time. Aye, but pointswise he was still there or there about "acceptable". It'd be nice if Rednapp was likely to get us to 6th or 7th this season, but I wouldn't be surprised to see us 11th or below at the end of it. Being sacked for being 11th isn't as bad as the Robson affair, but it's still pretty.... impressive I guess. considering most of the easy fixtures have been squandered, 11th from here in would be a fair achievement I'd say.

Sums it up perfectly. Leazes was right! Hasn't Ashley put £250m into the club though, reducing the debt etc?

The problem is not so much what he can (or even cannot) do. The problem is whether he'll be given the time to actually try. Seeing as how it's Ashley's man he'll be given every opportunity I'd imagine. Unless he does an Allardyce and makes a complete balls up of it. But Allerdyce hasn't "made a complete balls up of it". Although he's hardly done well, he's still at a level most everyone said was "acceptable" when he was appointed. Yes maybe Ashley will be more likely to retain his own man, but if the fans are baying for blood (which is to some degree the norm now), then maybe not too. IMO Allardyce made a complete balls up of it. No one expected him to be challenging for the Chamions League, all he really needed to do was beat the shit sides with the better playes at his disposal. At least some of the time.

Likewise although I think I'd rather Shearer got a crack at the whip instead of Harry. Not me. Too much of a step into the unknown, at least with Arry you know what you will get, and hopefully it will be a souped up version backed by CAshley.