Neville Neville Neville

"Money leaves Newcastle" - the Ashley regime summed up in 3 words.... Anyway, will be interested to see if we try and poach someone well renowned as a youth coach. That will cost money, and we know what we're like at the moment about spending it, but then again Ashley's grand plan was to follow the Arsenal/Villa model... and we'll need a director of the academy for that. Plus, I'm not sure if there's anyone left to promote from within, maybe Llambias Would love to see Glenn Roeder back, as he was doing really well before he got the main job. Would be a bit of a comedown for him (including salary) but if he's not doing anything else

As an OOT and non-regular match-goer, I think its clear that a Geoff is not going to happen until things get much worse. I don't think its fair for people who have spent money on tickets etc to be told not to go, plus i think as a club we're so close enough to the precipice without putting the team under more pressure by playing in front of fans baying for ashley blood/no fans/fans more interested in protesting. What I think strikes a good balance would be to pick a televised game in advance, and orchestrate/organise a campaign that picks a home game with a "ban" on replica shirts. Make the press aware that the theme is e.g. St James' Park gives Ashley the red card, and everyone (and I mean close to everyone) turns up wearing plain red shirts. I know thats the colour of them down the road (and have just remembered what my forum name is ), but I think the visual effect of St James' as a sea of red, and the fact that we'd rather wear red than wear stuff associated with ashley would be a pretty powerful statement. But, the rest of the day goes on as normal, cheering on the team, etc, having a good day out with your mates watching the footy. No cockney mafia rubbish Obviously if red is too much for some people, then it could be a different colour, but if all the stadium was in one colour it would be pretty damning. Now thats not going to send him running to the hills, but nothing realistic is.

CT should just stick it in his sig, tbh

Stevie often reminds me of this gem courtesy of http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33426

there's this jamaican lad who can run a bit, and would be on a free transfer. think his name is bolt or something like that

RIP Sir Bobby Will be watching 02/03 Flying High DVD which I haven't watched for a while as it makes the current situation so depressing. But I will be enjoying and revelling in the memories tonight. There will never be another person like him

Could've claimed for it on expenses. Chris Mort MP 1st home - near his law company 2nd home - St James' Park Daily Telegraph this time next year: So Chris, how do you justify claiming £2 million on Ameobi expenses this past year Chris:

boring New plan. barca is owned by circa 156,000 according to that article. there's more than 156,000 newcastle fans, so why don't we take over barca and rename them to FC Newcastle, the Camp Nou to Park St James, and Etoo to Shola Ameobi, and lets all decamp to Spain. Come on NUSC, there's a manifesto

New plan. barca is owned by circa 156,000 according to that article. there's more than 156,000 newcastle fans, so why don't we take over barca and rename them to FC Newcastle, the Camp Nou to Park St James, and Etoo to Shola Ameobi, and lets all decamp to Spain. Come on NUSC, there's a manifesto

I concur with the above sentiments. I don't think MA bought us to make money or some fiendish plot to destroy a club. I think we was probably a bit bored with life as it was, and realised that owning a big ( ) club would give him the chance to be in the public spotlight for a bit. He probably thought that for 1/10 of his fortune he could become famous and earn the adoration of all the toon army, and also have the fun of being a bigwig in an organisation completely different to his own. He probably thought that he would only have to spend £20 million each year to really get Newcastle going, and then within 5 years have the club self-sufficient by playing and selling those coming through the academies and cheap foreign players. Its obviously all gone horribly wrong, and nearly all the blame can be put at the door of Ashley (either directly or through the men he appointed), but he just wanted to have a bit of fun

I like it. Feel free to take my business plan to NUSC Step 1: Buy Newcastle United Step 2: ??????? Step 3: PROFIT p.s. Mike Ashley, please don't sue me for stealing your business plan

uh-em..cough cough http://www.toontastic.net/board/index.php?...c=22240&hl=

Am I the only person genuinely excited about Championship football. It probably helps that I've been out of the country for the last 2 months (and won't be back till beginning of June) and next season I'll be in Sheffield, surrounded by away games within easy reach, but I'm genuinely looking forward much more than I would have been to another season of same-old in the premiership. I don't know about you guys but unless we were going to have a really good summer clear-out and very serious squad investment and a complete sort out of the club from top to bottom, I wasn't that enamoured with the thought of another season of dross. I don't think that will/would have happened, so for me I'd rather be in a league where I will go into every game thinking we have a proper chance of competing rather than this season where I've expected nothing and rarely been proven wrong. Ok, so the club loses a lot of TV money, and prestige, and with that our team will (as difficult as it is for me to imagine) be weakened. But as fans, what do we lose from dropping out of the premiership. Whatever shambles of a squad may remain by August, it will be much much closer in ability to the majority of the league than this season. With this, we may have games that are genuinely exciting for the on-pitch tussles rather than the off-pitch relegation implications. I can't remember the last time Newcastle were involved in a series of exciting even football matches, and there is definitely the possibility that this will happen reasonably often come August. So, its likely that we'll be watching a lot more football where we're involved in the actual match. So, Old Trafford and Anfield may be swapped for the Keepmoat or Glanford Park. Do we lose out? Its been a long time since a trip to one of the big club's big stadiums has regularly brought a competitive match rather than an onslaught where we've got 10 men defending pretty badly behind the ball. And, I'm looking forward to getting reacquainted with a number of stadiums that we've not been to for a long time, and hopefully atmospheres better than the Boltons, Blackburn, and Wigans of this world. Fair enough, it will be a while before Gerrard, Rooney, Ronaldo, Fabregas, Essien, grace our hallowed turf again. But, how much joy do we get watching our hopeless team ripped apart by the creme de la creme of world football. Its not like watching Gerrard against Makelele, where you're watching 2 players at the top of the game trying to get the edge over the other. Its watching Gerrard against Nicky ****ing Butt, where its probably an insult to Gerrard to call it even a contest. And, paired with the lack of star players, there is a perceived lack of quality football in the championship. I'm looking forward to finding out whether this is really the case. I think the championship has a good few tidy teams (having watched them regularly I can definitely say that Doncaster play cracking football), as well as its fair share of hoofball teams.... but is the premiership these days that different. I will be surprised to see teams as geared up to "ugly football" as Bolton, Stoke, Blackburn, etc, although I'm sure a few will give it their best shot. I honestly believe that if we kept together our entire team, that we would be in the bottom half of quality of football in the championship. I've expected relegation since Boxing Day, and for me the main bad thing about being relegated, is that we've not been relegated due to any teams finding form in the last few games, or an obscene points total, or due to a really strong premiership bottom half. We're just really shit..... and I'm just glad that we'll be closer to our peers come August. You never know, we may even experience back to back victories and pipe dreams like that. I for one, as a fan of Newcastle United, am looking forward to life in the Championship... although it would be nice in a few years to escape it through the roof rather than the trapdoor. And thats why I spent a couple of hours moping, and now can't wait for August (regardless of what happens to Ashley and his cronies, and our shite squad, and whether Shearer stays) and hopefully enjoying watching football matches involving Newcastle United again (btw I'm not drunk, as I'm teetotal) (btw 2 I'm actually a pretty pessimistic chap, so this isn't an insane message from the likes of GeordieLad based on us wiping the slate clean and coming back soon and stronger... its about enjoying next season)

But I like the sentiments Stevie. A shade dramatic comparing the championship with a post-apocalyptic land, and probably not the best comparison as it is decades before people can safely return to the site of a nuclear detonation...... and we'd probably die anyway. I don't think relegation will upset me till the beginning of August, and only based on how the people who are responsible for relegation react to it. And even if its an utter farce, I'll still be watching first day of next season, glad of the football season kicking off a week earlier and the 8 extra games

No... but isn't this all a bit knee-jerky Fish?

No. I have been expecting relegation more than survival since the transfer window shut (and to be honest before the window even opened), and am just surprised we even have a chance going into the last game of the season. BTW, this incisive article provides manifest undeniable evidence as to why Newcastle are better than Spurs even if relegated Newcastle vs Spurs - the end of the big club debate

Its a slightly different topic, but is there a reason why sentences are usually halved/thirded for "good behaviour" (which itself seems to be not killing anyone whilst inside). Why not give shorter sentences that have to be completely served, and are prolonged if bad behaviour/rejected at parole hearings..... is it human rights??? Anyway, on topic, the judicial system is a poor deterrent these days. Haven't been inside or known anyone who has, but the picture painted by the media of the "cosy" life inside won't put anyone off who is thinking about breaking the law. This sort of story just makes it an even worse deterrent. Can't help but feel that the country would be a better place with those Russian jails they were showing before the champs league final..... Maybe reserve that style of jail for people whose crimes involve physically/mentally harming other people, and for other crimes have more of a rehabilitation themed jail. And when the first group near say a year to their earliest release date then they can move to a softer place. But I'm not an expert on every topic (unlike Fop )

damn, my theory that geordie lad was actually chris hughton may have taken a knock today. the realisation that we're a bit shit shows that even GL's incessant optimism/blinkers can't match that of chrissy h. still, come wednesday it'll be a confident 3-1 prediction, eh GL? welcome to the dark side

Rather have him than hughton (and a healthy Kinnear).......... You get the feeling that chrissy is actually physically unable to raise his voice. Brown is perma-tanned and pretty ridiculous and BSA's biatch, but you get the feeling there's a football brain there which I don't get from Chrissy H upwards at NUFC

Fair enough, don't want to argue about it either. I've seen Butt et al. be shit for greater than 30 games this year, so if we're going to get battered, why not get a chance to learn about players we're not going to learn anything about in the reserves. They may sink, they may swim, they may let the game completely pass them by, but its a damn sight better than seeing cacapa playing centre mid I'm not advocating getting 5 or 6 of them in the team. Just IMO that I'd rather see a couple of them filling gaps than not very good players who aren't really fit playing out of position. However, its not worth arguing about Can't see it happening. We don't have the players to stick to the gameplan required to suffocate arsenal. Especially the way that (it comes off on motd anyway) Arshavin seems to be pulling the strings. Him and RVP will make mincemeat of our CB's. Solid teams always have a chance against Arsenal, we don't. Plus, I think that approaching the game from 11 fully fit players in their positions with a sprinkling of hungry youngsters has considerably more chance of fluking a point that butt, stroller, etc al (if they're what passes for fit at newcastle on the morning of a game) Don't really want to argue about it but the call of 'play the youngsters' is just rubbish man. Presumably you're on about starting people who 1) you haven't seen / have barely seen play and 2) have barely even made the bench despite our struggles with injuries and so on this year.

Can't see it happening. We don't have the players to stick to the gameplan required to suffocate arsenal. Especially the way that (it comes off on motd anyway) Arshavin seems to be pulling the strings. Him and RVP will make mincemeat of our CB's. Solid teams always have a chance against Arsenal, we don't. Plus, I think that approaching the game from 11 fully fit players in their positions with a sprinkling of hungry youngsters has considerably more chance of fluking a point that butt, stroller, etc al (if they're what passes for fit at newcastle on the morning of a game)

I hate the way he moans after games (see the ridiculous complaints after the chelsea game... esp the "foul" on melchiot for bramble's goal). I hate the fact that he was such an unloyal manager for the first halfish of his career. And I really can't stand his nose (although the disgust has lessened over the years, either due to increased tolerance or maybe he's in the middle of a 50 stage resetting procedure). I don't care that he played for man u, or that he may/may not be a geordie. I also don't care that he snubbed us in the past. I don't think he's the best manager in the world..... and tbh I don't think he would come here. However, I think that appointing him or a similar character would be a good way of wiping the slate clean, because he seems to be capable of doing a sensible job. Thus I think 2-3 seasons of him steadying the ship and turning us back into a respectable football club, before bringing a more long term solution would be ideal..... mind you i probably would say the same of Allardyce if you asked me during the Roeder years

The official match report sums it up nicely in one sentence: 7min - Steve Harper pumps a long ball into the opposition penalty area but Shola's header, looking for strike partner Martins, lacks direction and runs away for a goal kick. The kids must be so shit in training as we've had so many injury crises and shit half-injured players being played out of position esp centre-mid, and the only player who has actually started (or had a half to impress) a proper game since the roeder man u game was carroll (i'm sure there were others but I'm struggling). The management only see them fit for the last 10 mins of a game we're not going to recover, or for filling up the numbers on the sub bench. I say we sacrifice the games against man u, chelsea, arsenal, and only play (relatively decent) players who are fully fit in their proper position, players who need match fitness, and give the youngsters a chance. Almost use those games as preseason so we are in tiptop shape for the games we may stand a chance in. Who knows one of the youngsters might actually be better than the rest of the shit currently out there

Butt is a total liability. Lucky not to get sent off today. But what can you do? Nolan sent off, Gutherie out and Barton moving into the semi/perma-crock top 10. The lack of tactical interventions or any kind of gameplan is very scary, I don't think you even need to worry about Bolton if you get your tactics right at kick off. Assemble a squad during transfer windo......... No there's nothing that anyone can do

Am feeling particularly "knee-jerky" today. If we get thumped against united, arsenal and chelsea, and don't do better than an undeserved draw against Hull (which is what I would probably bet on) then I think our confidence could be completely shot by the time we get to potentially winnable games. I've said since december it would be hull, stoke, and west brom, with us just scraping through, but I think we could be the team to throw a spanner into those works. Anyone not worried yet?