Scottish Mag

I`m sure he does when its dinner time...

Any sign of Bennie, Tyne or Adidas yet?

Someone better tell him hes not allowed to bring white chocolate though..

He`ll be gone by then..

By George Caulkin Newcastle United 0 Blackburn Rovers 1 GRAEME SOUNESS WAS IN THE media hall at St James’ Park, talking about priorities; family first, then work. He was facing darkened windows, which prevent curious supporters from gazing in, but do not deflect noise. As he spoke to journalists composing obituaries for his career, vowing to battle on “until someone tells me different”, chants of “Souness out” threatened to suffocate his words. While several hundred Newcastle United fans mutinied outside, Souness accepted a cuppa from Kath Cassidy, the stadium’s long-serving tea lady. He embraced her, inquired about her health and, when his press conference petered out, chatted to her in private about illness and medication. In the circumstances — a decent man flailing in untenable conditions — it is a gesture worth noting. After Saturday’s defeat by Blackburn Rovers, Tyneside delivered its judgment. At a club where instability is ingrained, where there are more trophy signings than trophies, where misfortune has ripped apart a small squad, where foundations have been laid in quicksand and self-preservation is the culture, scapegoats are not obvious, but a culprit has been found. The perception is that Souness is finished at Newcastle, a perception that has become entrenched since they went out of the Carling Cup with a whimper against Wigan Athletic in November. Afterwards, a local newspaper with close ties to the chairman, Freddy Shepherd, ran a story headlined “Souness on the brink”. The Scot was furious, but there could be only political consequences to his fractured relationship with the Evening Chronicle. With Michael Owen, Scott Parker, Steven Taylor, Stephen Carr, Shola Ameobi, Emre Belözoglu, Craig Moore and Kieron Dyer injured, Souness has, understandably, made repeated reference to his limited resources. On Thursday, Shepherd appeared on the club’s website demanding less negativity. Names were not mentioned, but it was a dig at his manager; the two men are sparring, albeit in code. Here is the context. Since the match against Wigan, Shepherd has concluded that Souness should leave, but having stretched the club’s finances to sign Owen, Newcastle can barely afford the £5 million it would take to dismiss the coaching staff. Resignation would solve that problem, but as Souness is at pains to reiterate, “that can never happen”. So Shepherd, who appointed Souness 16 months ago, is in a quandary. Having won two of their past ten league fixtures, Newcastle are drifting. When does he pull the trigger? From a skinny field, is Sam Allardyce, apparently restless at Bolton Wanderers, the best replacement? Some of Shepherd’s colleagues believe so. It is understood that Shepherd’s opinion has hardened and, in the meantime, the team are seeping confidence and the crowd has grown tired of mediocrity and excuses. If the Wigan match was not the tipping point, was the game against Blackburn? Is it this weekend’s FA Cup tie away to Cheltenham Town? Is it the closure of the transfer window, when there is a ready-made excuse to deny funds to a new appointment? Or is it the end of the season? Players read newspapers, gossip and sense vibes. “As far as I’m concerned, everyone is behind the manager, even if it may not look like it in terms of results,” Lee Clark, the midfield player, said. That, of course, is the salient issue. Blackburn were fit, bullish and had the benefit of luck when a handball by Morten Gamst Pedersen propelled an ugly effort from Shefki Kuqi across the line. “We have to get some points or we’ll be in a dogfight,” Alan Shearer said, and the Newcastle captain will have a role to play in the coming days. In Glenn Roeder and Peter Beardsley, Shepherd employs caretaker-management material. There was no meeting between Shepherd and Souness yesterday, but the manager is effectively out; everything else concerns timing, dignity and priorities.

As much as i want rid of Souness, i hate the idea of having Venables anywhere near our club. People are already worried about NOTW stories as it is without Arthur Daley running the club.

For me that sums up the majority of the team...

Did anyone else at the piss up yesterday notice the "snack" Cath brought for Gemmill at half time? A f*ckin holdall full of chocolate. And tbh we are not just talking a lil bag that the likes of me or Papa could fit into, we are talking a big f*ck off bag that even Geordie Fatty Fish could squeeze into! Greedy bar steward..

Former Newcastle striker Faustino Asprilla is hoping to make his name in politics in his homeland, Colombia. The 36-year-old has announced his candidacy for the election as Deputy of the Valle del Cauca department in Cali. Asprilla will be part of a political union with the Rocio Arias party, who support the peace process between the Colombia government and paramilitary organisations. There has been practically been a civil war going on in the country for years. "Asprilla is a man who wants to work for Colombia," said Arias. Asprilla, who played 57 times for his country, made his professional debut for Atletico Nacional in his homeland, he then moved on to Parma in Italy before joining Newcastle in 1996. He left St James' Park in 1998 and - after spells with Palmeiras, Al Nasr from Saudi Arabia and Mexico's Atlante - he was set to return to England and play for Darlington but the deal fell through at the last minute. He returned to Colombia and joined Tulua, before playing for Universidad de Chile and Estudiantes from La Plata.

"one Bobby Robson.........."

Just seen it at the theatre for my other halfs birthday! Though i suspect the wine at the meal and in the theatre helped... Canny show!

Dunno i`ll be on a train home...

Without taking anything away from Mourinho and how good a manager he is, but surely it is still the millions that are buying the league as without that money he would not have been in the job in the first place.

A large-breasted, dumb bird from LA? 82093[/snapback] Well some would argue that "Tit" describes him well...

You are all hypocrites! Now you know what AF feels like..

I think the predictions that this game won't happen are correct..

From nufc.com Couldn`t score in the SPL and didnt even look SPL standard, not much chance of him scoring the goals we need to keep us up..

If the reports were true that we were trying desperately to get him on loan on the last day of the August transfer window, i cannot understand why we were not interested now?

Worse than Medina tbh...

Yes 81457[/snapback] Thought as much but couldnt be sure. Bit of a shit situation where the only team you can go to to 'better yourself' (meaning whichever of the two is on top at the time) in the same league is a potential sectarian disaster waiting to happen. Terminally shit league tho to be fair. 81460[/snapback] I dont support any team up here, however i have actually found it more interesting this year than i have the premiership. The Premiership is no more a contest what with Chelseas money and in the SPL both Edinburgh teams have been involved at the top of league and the league is still a long way from being decided...