Scottish Mag

Do you think its going to left to the toss of a coin now? Heads - David O'Leary Tails - Steve McClaren....

Playing Devils Advocate here... If reports are to be believed in recent years we have been knocked back by the likes of Jol, Bruce, Big Sam, Redknapp, MON etc People reckon, myself included, that we can surely employ a half decent manager but can we. Whilst there will be arguments that Dalglish, Gullit, Robson etc came with great pedigree the fact is every one of them was out of employment at the time and was it just a case of being the right time for them. The same could be said of Big Sam, Roeder was an internal appointment so that leaves Souness, who was a dead man walking anyway, as the only manager who we have actually managed to attract away from their club. As I say I know all the factors that should attract people to take over the club, but does it appear that perhaps we are not that attractive as we would hope?

Portsmouth tell Harry Redknapp to give answer by lunchtime

But a bloody successful one...

http://www.toontastic.net/board/index.php?...0&start=340

Come on mate yes he has no relevant experience but so fuckin what! He is gonna play the correct team week in week out, and he will DEFINATLY play attacking football with two wingers. He is everything we want, plus a geordie and a positive surrounding. Though there will be the fuckin idiotic minority which you'll no doubt be a part of whinging and moaning whoever we appoint. Fact is and someone said it earlier, we arent going to move on until he has had his go. But i do think he would do well for us.

Alan Smith had not expected to return to Manchester United today without Sam Allardyce. He thought it would be another opportunity to fight for the man who needed just an hour to persuade him to leave Old Trafford for Newcastle. 'He needs time,' said Smith in midweek, just hours before Allardyce's shock departure. But the former manager's absence will only slightly tarnish Smith's re-appearance at United, where he is looking forward to 'rattling a few cages' and saying the farewells he did not have time for in the summer. He did not even say goodbye to manager Sir Alex Ferguson. 'The bid came in on the Tuesday morning and I signed on the Tuesday night,' said Smith, who turned down Middlesbrough and Everton to move to Tyneside. 'The gaffer said it was the quickest transfer ever done.' Smith could have stayed within the comfort zone of the United squad, playing around 20 games a season, travelling across Europe to top up his Champions League appearances and no doubt picking a medal or two along the way. But the former Leeds striker wanted more, coming to the conclusion he just wanted to play regularly at a time when he was at his lowest ebb and staring premature retirement in the face. Smith was out for more than a year after breaking his leg and dislocating his ankle. Although he had the best treatment and rehabilitation on offer at United, he knew he would have to quit the club to be truly satisfied. He said: 'This time last year it was still in the balance whether I'd play again, so to be going back as Newcastle captain is something I'd dared not dream about. 'It would have been easier to stay there as I had two-and-ahalf years left on my contract and I was getting good money. But this career doesn't last forever. I don't know how much satisfaction I would have got from that. 'The challenge of playing week in, week out and testing yourself is what this life's all about. 'When I broke my leg I thought to myself that, if I ever did get back fit, I wanted to be playing regularly. I missed 13 months and when you're not playing you realise what you're missing. As soon as I did it, deep down, I knew I needed to be playing.' Smith was ostracised by Leeds fans for crossing the Pennine divide to join United in May 2004, but he insists he has no regrets about his time there. If any player can handle criticism from Newcastle fans, it is Smith, the man handed the captain's armband before Allardyce's departure. Asked if it was worth the stick from Leeds fans, Smith was typically forthright. 'Yes,' he said. 'I've got a Premiership winner's medal. I had an experience you wouldn't get at any other club. When the chance arises to go there it's difficult to turn it down. I enjoyed every minute, other than the moment at Anfield when I broke my leg. 'I was fortunate at Leeds. I was there when we were in Europe and also when we were relegated, so I've been at both ends of the scale and for a young lad, as I was then, that keeps you in good stead. ' Everyone knows how passionate the fans are here. When you drive down the street, everyone's got a Newcastle shirt on. That's what it's all about and I wouldn't change that for the world. 'People might be having a go when you're not playing well but there's no better place to be than on a football field when they're all behind you. Would I rather have unpleasantness than boredom? Of course. Nobody wants boredom, do they? I'd rather have 52,000 people having a go at you than having empty seats.'

David Craig back on SKY saying that within the last half hour he has spoken to someone at the club and that they are claiming that we are still searching for an "experienced" manager..

We don't want Shearer, but we'd prefer him to the saggy-faced wide boy. I get what you are saying but there but for me there is a huge difference between prefer and being happy and excited about it...

I really can't believe we are going from bitching and whining about not getting the likes of Mourinho and Lippi to getting excited about someone with no experience of coaching (with the exception of standing in a dug out on match days in Roeders run) and managing. SSN should be on here interviewing. "Why aye! We want Sheeeeeeeeeeera....."

Not exactly a big shock to be fair. Unlike us they have a canny team. Disagree tbh. The state of the German national team was shocking when he took over (and had been for years), only few players of real international class. Anyway, Klinsmann's biggest achievement wasn't to reach 3rd place, but to totally revolutionise the set up of the national team and introducing a new culture - with a lasting effect. That's something Bayern now hope that he will also do there. Can you see Shearer doing the same? Still had better players at their disposal than we do surely? And as for Shearer doing the same I doubt it very much. Was his favourite managers not Dalglish and Souness, masters of the old school style of management. I fear Shearer would be the same...

As I posted last week when we were discussing Shearer injecting passion as our manager... No one could question his own passion and commitment on the park but IMO he wasn't a great captain on the park. I also think (if there is truth in this or we even considered employing him) that he still has this club eating out of his hands. If he was keen to manage why hasn't he taken a job elsewhere to get the experience that surely would help him when an opportunity came up for him.

Why would you love it mate?

You have geordienationitis...

Fucking joke if we go for him. If it was any other person with no coaching or managerial experience Tyneside would be up in arms but no its "Sheeeeeeeera!!!" so somehow its acceptable.... Madness...

Not exactly a big shock to be fair. Unlike us they have a canny team.

Its not as funny after seeing it posted for the 3rd time today tbh...

Its made Breaking News on SSN now...

Exactly. Yeah lets slag off a guy who just bought our club and through his own money (which he most probably will not see again) written off a mountain of debt for us. What a prick..

Akabusi says its a done deal so it must be true....

Older than Robw

.....and Akabusi