Big TRon

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.

I would agree with that. Appy Arry just doesn't have that kind of persona which points to champions league contender. Unless Ashley throws so much money at him it would be impossible to fail. Look at Avram Grant at Chelsea...if he never turned up for work for a year they'd still be in the top 4 with that squad.

Would you expect a team like Portsmouth to have a big win ratio though? Souness has managed mostly top clubs which is why his record is so pathetic.

This tbh. I bet this isn't what the Allardyce Out Brigade had in mind. My view is that whatever he achieved at Bolton, that style of play has an upper ceiling as SBR said. At least Redknapp will look to get in players who can play rather than Nolan and his ilk.

I voted yes but that's because he's ours now by the looks of it.

What he said. I will give the man a chance and time to change my opinion but at present, I fail to see how this is a step forward from Allardyce. There's a good chance he won't play 4 defensive midfielders across the middle....that's a step forward in my book.

He was on my list of managers I don't want but I'm looking forward now, not back. Ashley obviously wanted him and if he backs him with enough money he has every chance. The way I look at it, Mourinho was the only one I really wanted, the other names mentioned didn't fill me with excitement anyway.

He was the Spuds vice president. Instrumental in getting rid of Jol. He didn't approach his bum chum Redknapp for them though, a top european manager was what he wanted for his club. I think he pushed quite hard for Arry but the rest of the board weren't convinced.

Apparently the Chronicle are preparing a back page announcing Redknapp's going to be the next manager. Mind yesterday they were running the story that it's going to be Hughes so you pays your money and takes yer choice.

I could've done without seeing that.

Where exactly is the feelgood factor with Redknapp? you have to look at it in relative terms. We won't have to watch our team go to Derby and the like making sure we don't lose.

Arry smacks of a Keegan type appointment to bring back the feelgood factor. That's ok, but at the top level it will only get you so far. It will be interesting to see how he does now he's getting his big chance. Allardyce fucked up royally when he was given it, but you never know, Arry just might have the right personality for the toon.

Hughes is still in the picture according to some.

Will Amdy Faye be one of them? You can bet he'll sign some stinkers along with a few jewels. That's Arry's way isn't it?

Well, it looks like it's going to happen now so I'm going to try and look on the bright side. 1) the transformation should be pretty quick, because unlike Allardyce he won't try and fit the players to the system, he'll probably do what most sensible folk would - look at the players and make an effective unit based on their abilities. 2) the short transfer window won't bother him, he'll sign 15 players within a week of putting his name on a contract. 3) ...erm...that's it so far but I'll think of something more I'm sure.

Am I the only one who is slightly underwhelmed by talk of a £20m 'war chest'? Granted, 'arry will probably buy around 25 players with that in this transfer window alone, but I was thinking around twice that for the manager that Ashley truly backed. Like others are saying, the bar seems to have been set lower than expected in more ways than one.

If he can wave goodbye to £40m to get rid of Allardyce's army of experts after 6 months do you doubt it? That figure always makes me laugh. We had Lee Clark out and Round in and a goalkeeping coach replaced too. To my knowledge he brought in a few others including that sports science guy who would be on ok wages but the rest were just Masseurs etc who I honestly do not believe will be on that great a wage, they even advertised the positions on nufc.co.uk. Good point. Not to mention, not all of them will be sacked. some of them might be pretty good masseurs!

Well he gave us £2m for Lua Lua, the original flippin', somersaulting headless chicken with more speed than sense. That must be why you're a fan is it?

If he can wave goodbye to £40m to get rid of Allardyce's army of experts after 6 months do you doubt it?

think about it... he blew Fat bastard Fred out of the water without pausing to blink in the take-over. he bitch-slapped West Ham over a remark overheard in a casino over getting Dyer on the cheap...and it worked. Now he sacks Allardyce and you would imagine all his backroom staff costing a reported £40m, when he could have hung on till at least the summer and saved a few bob. How much money has this bloke got??!

Keegan's a great short-term appointment. If Ashley could get him to come in till the end of the season to do a rescue job, then bring in a top manager in the summer we'd get the best of both worlds. Except it would look stupider than an Eastenders plot.

Redknapp always struck me as someone who spun the wheel with his transfer dealings and sometimes struck lucky. The only thing in his favour is he'll get more out our present squad than Allardye ever would. But then so would Terry Mac.

The bit in bold is what matters.

Of all clubs in the Premiership, NUFC is the least at risk of a fan revolt (in terms of staying away rather than turning up and booing). Look at the 'cup winners' boro for a start. Good businessmen don't take their customers for granted either. That's another reason.