Bombadil

Agree. I'd like him to come here simply because he's a good player and we've got no-one who can score goals, but the hypocrisy from Souness (and certain message board users defies belief! If Bellamy was a disruptive cancer, what the hell does that make Anelka? I don't think he could be further from Souness' image of proper players, warriors and obedient yes-men. 80530[/snapback] Is that a bad thing? The way I look at it whether Souness is a hypocrite or not is totally irrelevant. Nicholas Anelka wants to come here, and Souness wants to sign him - to me that's a good thing. To you and Renton it's something to be frowned upon. Weird. 80537[/snapback] See my other posts - I do want him to join...

Agree. I'd like him to come here simply because he's a good player and we've got no-one who can score goals, but the hypocrisy from Souness (and certain message board users defies belief! If Bellamy was a disruptive cancer, what the hell does that make Anelka? I don't think he could be further from Souness' image of proper players, warriors and obedient yes-men. 80530[/snapback] I don't understand the Anelka:Bellamy comparison. I'm glad a player of his calibre wants to join us, in the state we're in, we need him. 80531[/snapback] See my post above - I do want him to join because he's a good player. It's pretty obvious to me that his attitude and commitment makes Bellamy look like a model professional though, thus making Souness a hypocrite for wanting Bellamy out.

That's slightly unfair on him. It may sound like a cliché, but I think all he loves and wants is football. This role with the FAI sounds ideal for him and it would have been great if he could have done something similar with us. It would have been perfect for both parties. Unfortunately, the Fat One's incompetence put paid to that.

Agree. I'd like him to come here simply because he's a good player and we've got no-one who can score goals, but the hypocrisy from Souness (and certain message board users defies belief! If Bellamy was a disruptive cancer, what the hell does that make Anelka? I don't think he could be further from Souness' image of proper players, warriors and obedient yes-men.

Did he really say that?? 80441[/snapback] He did and Jimbo is right when he says that he came across as a right tit. Wanker.

I want Souness gone as soon as possible and someone to take charge until the end of the season, but if the Fat One reckons he's got more of a chance to get a good replacement in the summer, I can just about accept his logic (it's still not what I'd do). What will be the last straw for me as far as Shepherd is concerned though will be if he waits until the summer to sack Souness and then still complains about there being no "suitable candidates"!! So if he absolutely has to wait until the end of the season before sacking him, he'd better get his finger out and start looking at potential managers now. That should automatically exclude the same clique of British has-beens and never-weres from which Souness was chosen in the first place. The excuse that there are no suitable candidates just won't wash.

If got the feeling Anal O. got a bit silenced (that's why I don't think Fat Fred is instigating a sacking of the tosser). After the tosser appeared on SSN an said where Anal O. could stick his help I was expecting a full blast of stories about the poor journalist getting attacked by some imcompetent member of Newcastle United yet again. I am also puzzled that there was no revenge live on TV. 80019[/snapback] I was thinking the same thing. Oliver was probably told to shut up by the Fat One, which is a shame - for the first time ever, I actually enjoyed his rants!

I realise you're all taking the piss and everyone knew he wasn't good enough for where we wanted to be, but selling Hughes was still a stupid move. We lost a good squad player who was never injured and who didn't complain when he wasn't in the team. I'd take him over Robbie Elliott (and Babayaro when he has one of his stinkers) anytime.

I can understand people hating him. I've been against him from the first day and it's ridiculous the way things have turned out. It was so predictable that he would fall out with players because the concept of man-management is completely beyond him and he soon made it clear that his emphasis was firmly on "fight" and "battle" instead of football. I wouldn't say I hate him though - I think he's a shit manager, but probably a nice bloke if you know him personally (unless he's your manager...).

Depends what motivates you.... We all need money, and in varying amounts, but as a goal in itself it seems to be a bit like cocaine. It promises much but delivers very little. 79842[/snapback] The fact he has loads of money doesn't mean he isn't staying for the money though. 79844[/snapback] No, it probably doesn't. I still think it's a question of pride rather than money though.

BBC Newcastle falls into the same category. The match commentary is crap, they're up Souness' arse and their interviews are pathetic, they virtually hand him his excuses on a plate. Hansen and Lawrenson are the worst though. The Blackburn fans who came on the forum the day Souness was appointed were spot on, they predicted this would happen and they were pissed off about the protection he's always getting from his mates in the media.

You should read the bible. Especially the one about the 7 deadly sins. 79551[/snapback] Sorry, I didn't get that. I'm not a Souness supporter either BTW.

Souness looked like a broken man in yesterday's interviews. He seemed a lot fitter and healthier back in August and the situation is clearly getting to him. I don't think he's staying because he wants to be paid off - surely he's made more than enough money in his career. It seems to be a question of pride and in a way I think that's admirable - and even though all he comes out with in his interviews is shit and excuses, I feel sorry listening to him and watching him. Having said that, it's so obvious that the best thing for all parties would be for him to resign now.

I've just had a look at the NOTW website and seen the video and the pictures and read the quotes and to be fair, it does paint him in a very bad light.

79335[/snapback] I really don't want to know how much we're paying him. Considering the outrageous amount of money involved, the fact that he's always out injured, not interested in playing for us and likely to leave as soon as possible, it has to be one of the club's worst financial moves.

I felt it was hard on my players, who are the most honest group of players I've ever had. I'd go to war with them, they are proper men. Fulham were like a wounded animal, but we were the better side in the second half, it was a proper battle out there. Lady Luck wasn't shining on us today, on another day we would have won this, but we were missing our door-openers. We know the state we are in, we know there is pressure, but that's the price on the ticket here. With a bit more luck and a little help from the referee, the fans wouldn't have been singing those songs. But that's the price on the ticket here, it's a proper challenge and I have never shirked a fight in my whole life.

Is he Souness' ghostwriter?

Hitzfeld lives half an hour from where I live. Do you reckon he could be persuaded if confronted by yours truly and a large kitchen knife?

Full time. Please, please fuck off.

Can we all chip in for Souness' compensation? I'm sick to death of him.

Malbranque scores.

Boro losing 6-0 says a lot about our failure to beat them though - I don't want to know what the score would be if it was us playing at Highbury today...

From Radio Newcastle. Remind again me how much Fullham's squad cost compared to ours? 79148[/snapback] From todays post match interview... 79153[/snapback] You seem to have forgotten that there are no post-match interviews any more because we never win any games. Having said that, the referee was to blame and Lady Luck was obviously not on our side today.

I thought it looks fairly genuine, but I went on a Chewsee forum at the time and most of them seemed to think it was fake.

Taken from BBC Sport Online: Very interesting article which sums up a lot of the problems we have with foreign players. Does anyone seriously think that the likes of Viana, Luque and Emre (who doesn't speak English) were or are being looked after properly? It may be relatively easy for foreign players to settle in London, but it seems to be more difficult in other places. People expect foreign players to come here and perform from day one - how many English players have done that abroad? Not many. Instead the Vianas and Luques are labelled mercenaries and disinterested wasters (and worse if they're French ) if they don't fly into crunching tackles the first minute they're on the pitch. And that's just the footballing side of things - having players who feel settled off the pitch is probably even more important if you want to get the best out of them. I think we're probably light years behind the likes of Arsenal when it comes to integrating players from abroad and giving them what they need to fulfill their potential, and that (not the weather or them being greedy wasters who can't be arsed...) is the reason why a lot of them fail to live up to expectations here.