It Was Like Eastenders

[Christmas Tree 4005]

George Caulkin

 

 

Newcastle, united. It will not be a familiar concept for those who recall the tantrums and the tears, the mismanagement, the vanity signings or fault lines of instability. But St James’ Park is no longer such fertile ground for easy jokes and crude stereotypes.

 

A year on from their traumatic relegation from the Barclays Premier League, Newcastle United are on the verge of returning, different and yet the same.

 

From the boardroom to the dugout to the dressing room, the names and faces are largely recognisable, but the mood has shifted. Should they win away to Peterborough United today and Nottingham Forest lose away to Bristol City, their promotion will be confirmed, with little accompanying sense of entitlement.

 

A long spell of decline has prompted realism. Supporters have reacquainted themselves with the simple thrill of victory, but most understand that this season represents a new era of graft. This is their story.

 

The elevator motivator

As a qualified lift engineer — he delayed signing as a full-time professional for Tottenham Hotspur to finish his apprenticeship — Chris Hughton knows all about going up. Aside from the recent altercation involving Andy Carroll and Steven Taylor — an exception, not the rule — he has overseen a remarkably serene elevation, a reflection of the manager’s character.

 

In public he is controlled, composed. He soaks up questions and dead-bats everything. At the training ground the formula is identical. “He’s exactly the same with us, but when he wants something, he gets it,” Kevin Nolan, the midfield player, said. After all the hysteria and controversy, he has given the club a platform and some respite.

 

Perhaps Alan Shearer would have done the same, but history cannot be rewritten and in deflecting the spotlight, Hughton, 51, has made the collective his focus. In his own way he has also been an agent of change. Some players call him “Obama”, although that has more to do with his looks.

 

With one year left on his contract, he will manage the team in the Premier League next season and deserves the opportunity. “Promotion would be a wonderful achievement,” he said. “It brings back memories of the summer and all the insecurities, the implications of relegation, the players and staff going. All those things we had to deal with would make it more special.”

 

As ever, he will take nothing for granted. At Newcastle it is a necessary precaution — if something can go wrong, it usually will — but it is also Hughton’s way. Celebrations, when they come, will be restrained.

 

The end of the beginning

Nolan: “I think people would say they quite like what they see now when they look at the club and certainly more than last year. In retrospect, if people want to say that we ‘needed’ to go down then fair enough. But listen . . . we haven’t done anything yet. This is only the beginning of Newcastle United and a new revolution, a new start for us.

 

“If you look back to when the club last went up, in 1993, some major mistakes were made from then until 2009, whether it was transfers or behind the scenes. Even players were saying it was like being in EastEnders. What we’ve tried to do is close ranks and bring it back to being a football club again. It’s got the fanbase, it’s got the stadium and it needed a team. It’s a slow building process.”

 

In safe hands

Newcastle have kept 20 clean sheets in the Coca-Cola Championship this season, a league record for the club. Others have made valuable contributions — José Enrique, Nolan, Carroll, Jonás Gutiérrez and Peter Lovenkrands among them — but whether in terms of brilliant consistency (he is an ever-present in the league) or consistent brilliance, Steve Harper is surely their player of the season.

 

Few know the goalkeeper better than Shearer. “Steve has had a fantastic season and that’s no surprise to anybody who has trained, played or worked with him,” he said. “He’s a top professional, a great lad and all he’s ever needed is a good run in the side. He should be very proud. Harps is a down to earth, laid-back lad, nothing can affect him and he’s at an age [35] when he should be in his prime. He’s been tremendously loyal.”

 

Board games

Since Kevin Keegan won his case against the club for constructive dismissal, since removing Newcastle from the market for the second time, since the stadium naming rights debacle, Mike Ashley has been silent. The owner’s misjudgments have been legion and a substantial price has been paid, whether in terms of money, prestige or redundancies. But he has supported Hughton and continued to fund the club’s operations.

 

“Mike came in for the right reasons and Newcastle gave him a brand name for his business abroad,” said Sir John Hall, the club’s former chairman, who sold out to Ashley in 2007. “But he took bad advice from his mates. He didn’t know the game, so he went to his friends.”

 

After relegation, he followed the model of his Sports Direct business, hacking at costs. His intentions remain opaque (it is not a healthy climate for would-be benefactors) and the Newcastle United Supporters Trust continues to campaign for fan representation, but things could have been worse.

 

“When you think about the likes of Portsmouth and the situation we’ve been in, what Mike has done has been important,” Nolan said. “He has been open and honest with us as players. We knew what he wanted, we demanded what we wanted and we said, ‘If you give us it, we’ll give you what you want.’ ”

 

It has been some trek. Newcastle United, but not as you know them.

 

It all adds up to promotion at St James’ Park

 

42,523 The highest average attendance in the Coca-Cola Championship by more than 13,000. Only Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool have higher average gates in the Barclays Premier League. Last season’s average at St James’ Park was 48,750.

 

20 Newcastle United have kept a club-record number of clean sheets in the league. Last season, when they were relegated, they mustered seven.

 

14 Andy Carroll is top league goalscorer, followed by Kevin Nolan on 12. Obafemi Martins and Michael Owen were joint top last season with eight each.

 

4 Managers that Newcastle employed last season (Kevin Keegan, Joe Kinnear, Chris Hughton and Alan Shearer). There has been only one this time (Hughton, whose appointment was made permanent in October).

 

0 League games lost at St James’ Park, the only senior English club unbeaten at home. Seven games were lost at St James’ Park last season.

[OTF 6464]

Forgot Lovenkrands in the goal scoring stakes, but no doubt he's already been told.

[Deano 0]

Good...Caulkin knows what he is talking about tbf.

[LeazesMag 0]

glorious glorious promotion.

 

Nowt like sinking like a stone and building up lowered expectations.

 

I think we should wait a bit longer and see if they can match the european qualifications of the club that was "like Eastenders".

 

What a load of shite.

[peasepud 59]

If you look back to when the club last went up, in 1993, some major mistakes were made from then until 2009

 

Hadaway and shite, maybe if he'd said something like "from 2004 to 2009" but to make out that it was a joke of a club during times, he as a player could only dream of is a bit rich.

[TheMoog 0]

Since Kevin Keegan won his case against the club for constructive dismissal, since removing Newcastle from the market for the second time, since the stadium naming rights debacle, Mike Ashley has been silent. The owner’s misjudgments have been legion and a substantial price has been paid, whether in terms of money, prestige or redundancies. But he has supported Hughton and continued to fund the club’s operations.

 

Ashley may not have said much but his puppet Llambias has said more than enough for him. And this shite about him 'funding' the club, he hasn't had any choice if he wants to get any of his original investment back. Pish article.

[Asprilla 96]

Whether by luck or judgement we are in a better position to succeed than we have been since Robson "left" IMO.

[peasepud 59]

Whether by luck or judgement we are in a better position to succeed than we have been since Robson "left" IMO.

 

Im not sure how you get that conclusion tbh, without turning this into a Leazes post, under the previous regime you knew that whoever was in charge could go out and spend if/when they needed to. Not a chance in this one.

 

If we're talking about the squad then

 

In direct comparison we have

 

2004 Now

Given Harper or more importantly in reserve keeper we had Harper and now have Krul

Shearer Shola

Bellamy Carroll (although there are some off-field similarities )

Robert Jonas (I like Jonas but hes no Laurent).

Milner Routledge

Speed Butt

 

I could go on.

[LeazesMag 0]

Whether by luck or judgement we are in a better position to succeed than we have been since Robson "left" IMO.

 

what a load of shite.

[Monkeys Fist 39366]

Whether by luck or judgement we are in a better position to succeed than we have been since Robson "left" IMO.

Like comparing a shit sandwich to a jizz pasty.

[Asprilla 96]

Whether by luck or judgement we are in a better position to succeed than we have been since Robson "left" IMO.

 

what a load of shite.

 

 

It's not and the facts bear it out.

 

 

After Robson, your mate Shepherd appointed wrong manager after wrong manager. Recruited wrong player after wrong player (read Robson's autobiography) on credit that eventually ran out.

 

 

You can argue all you like but just like the families who kept buying new cars and going on holiday by remortgaging their houses, the "future glory on tick let's hope it pays off" strategy went down with the credit crunch.

 

 

I don't like Ashley any more than you do but we don't owe anyone (except him....just like Chelsea and Abramovich) and we don't have a load of mercenaries on our books taking home money for nothing. And chicks for free.

 

 

Players won't get the stupid money they were used to, we're ahead of the curve.

 

As I said, it's very probably more luck than judgement but do you really think the way forward for us right now would be to borrow even more money to buy more overpaid players and run the whole club on a wing and a prayer.

 

Really, the boom is over and we're very lucky not to have gone under.

[Asprilla 96]

Whether by luck or judgement we are in a better position to succeed than we have been since Robson "left" IMO.

 

Im not sure how you get that conclusion tbh, without turning this into a Leazes post, under the previous regime you knew that whoever was in charge could go out and spend if/when they needed to. Not a chance in this one.

 

If we're talking about the squad then

 

In direct comparison we have

 

2004 Now

Given Harper or more importantly in reserve keeper we had Harper and now have Krul

Shearer Shola

Bellamy Carroll (although there are some off-field similarities )

Robert Jonas (I like Jonas but hes no Laurent).

Milner Routledge

Speed Butt

 

I could go on.

 

If it wasn't true we wouldn't have imploded. I'm speaking with the benefit of hindsight but anyone can see that what we had back then we threw away.

 

I'm not saying that spending money on the RIGHT players isn't a good idea but we weren't getting them. The system was wrong for us to succeed.

 

Ashley used to rattle on about the Arsenal model but that isn't just based on not spending much money, it's based on having probably the world's best global scouting network.

 

Similarly, spending huge amounts of money only works if you have the right people making the judgements and clearly we didn't.

 

We ended up throwing good money after bad.

 

Again, this is all hindsight and I was no different to anyone else wanting to see the big names....but I'm also not getting paid to make those judgements either, so I can offer an opinion after the fact. I genuinely think we have a better chance of doing well now with a lot of the deadwood pruned and a stable squad under a quietly confident manager.

 

If I'm wrong then time will prove me so, again, I'm just a punter offering an opinion which may differ to yours....but none of us have any more or less right to our views being taken seriously.

 

 

Apart from maybe accadacca.

[peasepud 59]

Thats the thing kidda,

 

I look at our 500k per week losses and thank my lucky stars we arent Man U, Liverpool or Arsenal. With their big name players and outlays on Europe and the likes.

[Asprilla 96]

Thats the thing kidda,

 

I look at our 500k per week losses and thank my lucky stars we arent Man U, Liverpool or Arsenal. With their big name players and outlays on Europe and the likes.

Well for one thing, the wheels could come off the Liverpool wagon very easily but anyway....

 

As I said, my point is that it only makes sense to spend money if you are in a position to do so and use it in the right way. We weren't and didn't (post Robson).

 

I do understand the concept of borrowing believe it or not(!) but just borrowing in itself is no guarantee of success. There are times when a business needs to cut back in order to weather the storm and come back stronger when things pick up.

 

That's where I think we are.

[LeazesMag 0]

Whether by luck or judgement we are in a better position to succeed than we have been since Robson "left" IMO.

 

what a load of shite.

 

 

It's not and the facts bear it out.

 

 

After Robson, your mate Shepherd appointed wrong manager after wrong manager. Recruited wrong player after wrong player (read Robson's autobiography) on credit that eventually ran out.

 

 

You can argue all you like but just like the families who kept buying new cars and going on holiday by remortgaging their houses, the "future glory on tick let's hope it pays off" strategy went down with the credit crunch.

 

 

I don't like Ashley any more than you do but we don't owe anyone (except him....just like Chelsea and Abramovich) and we don't have a load of mercenaries on our books taking home money for nothing. And chicks for free.

 

 

Players won't get the stupid money they were used to, we're ahead of the curve.

 

As I said, it's very probably more luck than judgement but do you really think the way forward for us right now would be to borrow even more money to buy more overpaid players and run the whole club on a wing and a prayer.

 

Really, the boom is over and we're very lucky not to have gone under.

 

straight away, you lose credibility for making such stupid remarks. I'll do you a favour on this occasion and continue reading.........

 

Mike Ashley -- note this is the owner and NOT the manager --- sold 7 , yes SEVEN, premiership players, and we were relegated. The only player we have on the books right now who would get into Bobby Robsons team is Enrique, and that to replace a good player in his own right ie Bernard.

 

Simple fact is, if you want to run a football club and make a profit, stand by to NEVER get anywhere near those european qualification league positions. You choose what you want to support. A football team or a balance sheet.

[LeazesMag 0]

Thats the thing kidda,

 

I look at our 500k per week losses and thank my lucky stars we arent Man U, Liverpool or Arsenal. With their big name players and outlays on Europe and the likes.

Well for one thing, the wheels could come off the Liverpool wagon very easily but anyway....

 

As I said, my point is that it only makes sense to spend money if you are in a position to do so and use it in the right way. We weren't and didn't (post Robson).

 

I do understand the concept of borrowing believe it or not(!) but just borrowing in itself is no guarantee of success. There are times when a business needs to cut back in order to weather the storm and come back stronger when things pick up.

 

That's where I think we are.

 

aye sure. Go back to 2000 and we shouldn't have bought Bellamy, Robert, Jenas, Woodgate attempting to get back into europe and hung around in mid table until we eventually got relegated.

 

Just like Manu, Liverpool etc do, who obviously have the wrong idea completely.

[Asprilla 96]

Whether by luck or judgement we are in a better position to succeed than we have been since Robson "left" IMO.

 

what a load of shite.

 

 

It's not and the facts bear it out.

 

 

After Robson, your mate Shepherd appointed wrong manager after wrong manager. Recruited wrong player after wrong player (read Robson's autobiography) on credit that eventually ran out.

 

 

You can argue all you like but just like the families who kept buying new cars and going on holiday by remortgaging their houses, the "future glory on tick let's hope it pays off" strategy went down with the credit crunch.

 

 

I don't like Ashley any more than you do but we don't owe anyone (except him....just like Chelsea and Abramovich) and we don't have a load of mercenaries on our books taking home money for nothing. And chicks for free.

 

 

Players won't get the stupid money they were used to, we're ahead of the curve.

 

As I said, it's very probably more luck than judgement but do you really think the way forward for us right now would be to borrow even more money to buy more overpaid players and run the whole club on a wing and a prayer.

 

Really, the boom is over and we're very lucky not to have gone under.

 

straight away, you lose credibility for making such stupid remarks. I'll do you a favour on this occasion and continue reading.........

 

Mike Ashley -- note this is the owner and NOT the manager --- sold 7 , yes SEVEN, premiership players, and we were relegated. The only player we have on the books right now who would get into Bobby Robsons team is Enrique, and that to replace a good player in his own right ie Bernard.

 

Simple fact is, if you want to run a football club and make a profit, stand by to NEVER get anywhere near those european qualification league positions. You choose what you want to support. A football team or a balance sheet.

 

 

Thats the thing kidda,

 

I look at our 500k per week losses and thank my lucky stars we arent Man U, Liverpool or Arsenal. With their big name players and outlays on Europe and the likes.

Well for one thing, the wheels could come off the Liverpool wagon very easily but anyway....

 

As I said, my point is that it only makes sense to spend money if you are in a position to do so and use it in the right way. We weren't and didn't (post Robson).

 

I do understand the concept of borrowing believe it or not(!) but just borrowing in itself is no guarantee of success. There are times when a business needs to cut back in order to weather the storm and come back stronger when things pick up.

 

That's where I think we are.

 

aye sure. Go back to 2000 and we shouldn't have bought Bellamy, Robert, Jenas, Woodgate attempting to get back into europe and hung around in mid table until we eventually got relegated.

 

Just like Manu, Liverpool etc do, who obviously have the wrong idea completely.

 

 

The trouble is Leazes, that we will never know where we would have ended up under Shepherd but it's my belief that we'd blown it.

 

Nobody is denying that for a while it worked and like you I loved those years.... but it is COMPLETELY dependent on having the right people in place making the big decisions, not just the money spent. We stopped putting the right people in the right positions and no amount of money thrown at the problem resolved it. I'm sure even you would accept that just spending money in itself is no guarantee of success.

 

 

We could go round and round all day but only time will tell where we are in the next couple of seasons. I believe we will be mid table but with far less money going out on the wrong players. Then will be the time to spend and we'll see what Ashley's intentions are. We're a big club and I think your view of where we should be and my view of where we should be is the same, we just don't agree on how you go about it.

 

It will be a very different challenge next year but I'd like to see Hughton ride the storm when we don't win every game.... if only for the fact that success is built on stability, again something that's been in short supply. Since the success of Keegan and Robson, our club has been steered from left to right like a learner driver on crack.

[LeazesMag 0]

Whether by luck or judgement we are in a better position to succeed than we have been since Robson "left" IMO.

 

what a load of shite.

 

 

It's not and the facts bear it out.

 

 

After Robson, your mate Shepherd appointed wrong manager after wrong manager. Recruited wrong player after wrong player (read Robson's autobiography) on credit that eventually ran out.

 

 

You can argue all you like but just like the families who kept buying new cars and going on holiday by remortgaging their houses, the "future glory on tick let's hope it pays off" strategy went down with the credit crunch.

 

 

I don't like Ashley any more than you do but we don't owe anyone (except him....just like Chelsea and Abramovich) and we don't have a load of mercenaries on our books taking home money for nothing. And chicks for free.

 

 

Players won't get the stupid money they were used to, we're ahead of the curve.

 

As I said, it's very probably more luck than judgement but do you really think the way forward for us right now would be to borrow even more money to buy more overpaid players and run the whole club on a wing and a prayer.

 

Really, the boom is over and we're very lucky not to have gone under.

 

straight away, you lose credibility for making such stupid remarks. I'll do you a favour on this occasion and continue reading.........

 

Mike Ashley -- note this is the owner and NOT the manager --- sold 7 , yes SEVEN, premiership players, and we were relegated. The only player we have on the books right now who would get into Bobby Robsons team is Enrique, and that to replace a good player in his own right ie Bernard.

 

Simple fact is, if you want to run a football club and make a profit, stand by to NEVER get anywhere near those european qualification league positions. You choose what you want to support. A football team or a balance sheet.

 

 

Thats the thing kidda,

 

I look at our 500k per week losses and thank my lucky stars we arent Man U, Liverpool or Arsenal. With their big name players and outlays on Europe and the likes.

Well for one thing, the wheels could come off the Liverpool wagon very easily but anyway....

 

As I said, my point is that it only makes sense to spend money if you are in a position to do so and use it in the right way. We weren't and didn't (post Robson).

 

I do understand the concept of borrowing believe it or not(!) but just borrowing in itself is no guarantee of success. There are times when a business needs to cut back in order to weather the storm and come back stronger when things pick up.

 

That's where I think we are.

 

aye sure. Go back to 2000 and we shouldn't have bought Bellamy, Robert, Jenas, Woodgate attempting to get back into europe and hung around in mid table until we eventually got relegated.

 

Just like Manu, Liverpool etc do, who obviously have the wrong idea completely.

 

 

The trouble is Leazes, that we will never know where we would have ended up under Shepherd but it's my belief that we'd blown it.

 

Nobody is denying that for a while it worked and like you I loved those years.... but it is COMPLETELY dependent on having the right people in place making the big decisions, not just the money spent. We stopped putting the right people in the right positions and no amount of money thrown at the problem resolved it. I'm sure even you would accept that just spending money in itself is no guarantee of success.

 

 

We could go round and round all day but only time will tell where we are in the next couple of seasons. I believe we will be mid table but with far less money going out on the wrong players. Then will be the time to spend and we'll see what Ashley's intentions are. We're a big club and I think your view of where we should be and my view of where we should be is the same, we just don't agree on how you go about it.

 

It will be a very different challenge next year but I'd like to see Hughton ride the storm when we don't win every game.... if only for the fact that success is built on stability, again something that's been in short supply. Since the success of Keegan and Robson, our club has been steered from left to right like a learner driver on crack.

 

 

As Liverpool are not going to qualify for the Champions League, what course of action do you advocate they take to get back in, or do you think they should get rid of the high earners and put the books right.

 

And, while you're thinking about it, who do you think is the nailed on guaranteed successful manager they should appoint, to get them there ? Do you also think they have gone massively backwards since winning the european cup by the way, and do you also blame the board for Benitez poor buys and their slide in the league this season ?

[Asprilla 96]

Whether by luck or judgement we are in a better position to succeed than we have been since Robson "left" IMO.

 

what a load of shite.

 

 

It's not and the facts bear it out.

 

 

After Robson, your mate Shepherd appointed wrong manager after wrong manager. Recruited wrong player after wrong player (read Robson's autobiography) on credit that eventually ran out.

 

 

You can argue all you like but just like the families who kept buying new cars and going on holiday by remortgaging their houses, the "future glory on tick let's hope it pays off" strategy went down with the credit crunch.

 

 

I don't like Ashley any more than you do but we don't owe anyone (except him....just like Chelsea and Abramovich) and we don't have a load of mercenaries on our books taking home money for nothing. And chicks for free.

 

 

Players won't get the stupid money they were used to, we're ahead of the curve.

 

As I said, it's very probably more luck than judgement but do you really think the way forward for us right now would be to borrow even more money to buy more overpaid players and run the whole club on a wing and a prayer.

 

Really, the boom is over and we're very lucky not to have gone under.

 

straight away, you lose credibility for making such stupid remarks. I'll do you a favour on this occasion and continue reading.........

 

Mike Ashley -- note this is the owner and NOT the manager --- sold 7 , yes SEVEN, premiership players, and we were relegated. The only player we have on the books right now who would get into Bobby Robsons team is Enrique, and that to replace a good player in his own right ie Bernard.

 

Simple fact is, if you want to run a football club and make a profit, stand by to NEVER get anywhere near those european qualification league positions. You choose what you want to support. A football team or a balance sheet.

 

 

Thats the thing kidda,

 

I look at our 500k per week losses and thank my lucky stars we arent Man U, Liverpool or Arsenal. With their big name players and outlays on Europe and the likes.

Well for one thing, the wheels could come off the Liverpool wagon very easily but anyway....

 

As I said, my point is that it only makes sense to spend money if you are in a position to do so and use it in the right way. We weren't and didn't (post Robson).

 

I do understand the concept of borrowing believe it or not(!) but just borrowing in itself is no guarantee of success. There are times when a business needs to cut back in order to weather the storm and come back stronger when things pick up.

 

That's where I think we are.

 

aye sure. Go back to 2000 and we shouldn't have bought Bellamy, Robert, Jenas, Woodgate attempting to get back into europe and hung around in mid table until we eventually got relegated.

 

Just like Manu, Liverpool etc do, who obviously have the wrong idea completely.

 

 

The trouble is Leazes, that we will never know where we would have ended up under Shepherd but it's my belief that we'd blown it.

 

Nobody is denying that for a while it worked and like you I loved those years.... but it is COMPLETELY dependent on having the right people in place making the big decisions, not just the money spent. We stopped putting the right people in the right positions and no amount of money thrown at the problem resolved it. I'm sure even you would accept that just spending money in itself is no guarantee of success.

 

 

We could go round and round all day but only time will tell where we are in the next couple of seasons. I believe we will be mid table but with far less money going out on the wrong players. Then will be the time to spend and we'll see what Ashley's intentions are. We're a big club and I think your view of where we should be and my view of where we should be is the same, we just don't agree on how you go about it.

 

It will be a very different challenge next year but I'd like to see Hughton ride the storm when we don't win every game.... if only for the fact that success is built on stability, again something that's been in short supply. Since the success of Keegan and Robson, our club has been steered from left to right like a learner driver on crack.

 

 

As Liverpool are not going to qualify for the Champions League, what course of action do you advocate they take to get back in, or do you think they should get rid of the high earners and put the books right.

 

And, while you're thinking about it, who do you think is the nailed on guaranteed successful manager they should appoint, to get them there ? Do you also think they have gone massively backwards since winning the european cup by the way, and do you also blame the board for Benitez poor buys and their slide in the league this season ?

 

 

I think they should tie some unproven players into ridiculously lucrative long term contracts and then fire the manager every 18 months. I wouldn't trust Souness or Shepherd with a tenner to get be some beer.

 

Please re-read my post. I said that spending money only works if you have the right people doing the spending.

[Rob W 0]

But I LIKE the soap opera's at SJP.....................

[peasepud 59]

I think they should tie some unproven players into ridiculously lucrative long term contracts and then fire the manager every 18 months. I wouldn't trust Souness or Shepherd with a tenner to get be some beer.

 

Please re-read my post. I said that spending money only works if you have the right people doing the spending.

 

phew!

 

At least now we've got the wrong people not doing the spending, win win

[LeazesMag 0]

Whether by luck or judgement we are in a better position to succeed than we have been since Robson "left" IMO.

 

what a load of shite.

 

 

It's not and the facts bear it out.

 

 

After Robson, your mate Shepherd appointed wrong manager after wrong manager. Recruited wrong player after wrong player (read Robson's autobiography) on credit that eventually ran out.

 

 

You can argue all you like but just like the families who kept buying new cars and going on holiday by remortgaging their houses, the "future glory on tick let's hope it pays off" strategy went down with the credit crunch.

 

 

I don't like Ashley any more than you do but we don't owe anyone (except him....just like Chelsea and Abramovich) and we don't have a load of mercenaries on our books taking home money for nothing. And chicks for free.

 

 

Players won't get the stupid money they were used to, we're ahead of the curve.

 

As I said, it's very probably more luck than judgement but do you really think the way forward for us right now would be to borrow even more money to buy more overpaid players and run the whole club on a wing and a prayer.

 

Really, the boom is over and we're very lucky not to have gone under.

 

straight away, you lose credibility for making such stupid remarks. I'll do you a favour on this occasion and continue reading.........

 

Mike Ashley -- note this is the owner and NOT the manager --- sold 7 , yes SEVEN, premiership players, and we were relegated. The only player we have on the books right now who would get into Bobby Robsons team is Enrique, and that to replace a good player in his own right ie Bernard.

 

Simple fact is, if you want to run a football club and make a profit, stand by to NEVER get anywhere near those european qualification league positions. You choose what you want to support. A football team or a balance sheet.

 

 

Thats the thing kidda,

 

I look at our 500k per week losses and thank my lucky stars we arent Man U, Liverpool or Arsenal. With their big name players and outlays on Europe and the likes.

Well for one thing, the wheels could come off the Liverpool wagon very easily but anyway....

 

As I said, my point is that it only makes sense to spend money if you are in a position to do so and use it in the right way. We weren't and didn't (post Robson).

 

I do understand the concept of borrowing believe it or not(!) but just borrowing in itself is no guarantee of success. There are times when a business needs to cut back in order to weather the storm and come back stronger when things pick up.

 

That's where I think we are.

 

aye sure. Go back to 2000 and we shouldn't have bought Bellamy, Robert, Jenas, Woodgate attempting to get back into europe and hung around in mid table until we eventually got relegated.

 

Just like Manu, Liverpool etc do, who obviously have the wrong idea completely.

 

 

The trouble is Leazes, that we will never know where we would have ended up under Shepherd but it's my belief that we'd blown it.

 

Nobody is denying that for a while it worked and like you I loved those years.... but it is COMPLETELY dependent on having the right people in place making the big decisions, not just the money spent. We stopped putting the right people in the right positions and no amount of money thrown at the problem resolved it. I'm sure even you would accept that just spending money in itself is no guarantee of success.

 

 

We could go round and round all day but only time will tell where we are in the next couple of seasons. I believe we will be mid table but with far less money going out on the wrong players. Then will be the time to spend and we'll see what Ashley's intentions are. We're a big club and I think your view of where we should be and my view of where we should be is the same, we just don't agree on how you go about it.

 

It will be a very different challenge next year but I'd like to see Hughton ride the storm when we don't win every game.... if only for the fact that success is built on stability, again something that's been in short supply. Since the success of Keegan and Robson, our club has been steered from left to right like a learner driver on crack.

 

 

As Liverpool are not going to qualify for the Champions League, what course of action do you advocate they take to get back in, or do you think they should get rid of the high earners and put the books right.

 

And, while you're thinking about it, who do you think is the nailed on guaranteed successful manager they should appoint, to get them there ? Do you also think they have gone massively backwards since winning the european cup by the way, and do you also blame the board for Benitez poor buys and their slide in the league this season ?

 

 

I think they should tie some unproven players into ridiculously lucrative long term contracts and then fire the manager every 18 months. I wouldn't trust Souness or Shepherd with a tenner to get be some beer.

 

Please re-read my post. I said that spending money only works if you have the right people doing the spending.

 

so you think that Benitez has been the right man to spend their money since this time last season, and who do you think will be nailed on guaranteed to spend it better than him and get them back into the Champs League if they sack him ?

 

Of course, its all piss easy isn't it, choosing football managers, shame those other pesky clubs are all trying to do it too

[Asprilla 96]

phew!

 

At least now we've got the wrong people not doing the spending, win win

 

Did you think we'd go straight back up? I didn't. What did we do that Middlesbrough didn't?

 

As much as we are in this mess because of Ashley, we're also back up because of him. You can't have it both ways.

 

At least I'm giving credit to Shepherd for the good times although as many here would agree, Keegan and Robson weren't exactly difficult choices to make.

 

so you think that Benitez has been the right man to spend their money since this time last season, and who do you think will be nailed on guaranteed to spend it better than him and get them back into the Champs League if they sack him ?

 

Of course, its all piss easy isn't it, choosing football managers, shame those other pesky clubs are all trying to do it too

 

Benitez has won more as a manager in 5 years than we have as a club for nearly 50.

 

Do you think Liverpool will sack him after 4 games of the new season, then appoint someone who a mid table club are on the verge of sacking? Or do you think the Liverpool board might be looking ahead to see who might be available?

[LeazesMag 0]

phew!

 

At least now we've got the wrong people not doing the spending, win win

 

Did you think we'd go straight back up? I didn't. What did we do that Middlesbrough didn't?

 

As much as we are in this mess because of Ashley, we're also back up because of him. You can't have it both ways.

 

At least I'm giving credit to Shepherd for the good times although as many here would agree, Keegan and Robson weren't exactly difficult choices to make.

 

so you think that Benitez has been the right man to spend their money since this time last season, and who do you think will be nailed on guaranteed to spend it better than him and get them back into the Champs League if they sack him ?

 

Of course, its all piss easy isn't it, choosing football managers, shame those other pesky clubs are all trying to do it too

 

Benitez has won more as a manager in 5 years than we have as a club for nearly 50.

 

Do you think Liverpool will sack him after 4 games of the new season, then appoint someone who a mid table club are on the verge of sacking? Or do you think the Liverpool board might be looking ahead to see who might be available?

 

I don;t know. They may appoint a double act again ie Evans/Houillier, or promote someone from within ie Moran. They will back their man though whoever it is, to try and get back into the top 4. Don't you agree ?

 

I've said this before. Newcastle had a replacement lined up to replace Sir Bob but he changed his mind after telling his chairman he was leaving his club.

 

Such things are sometimes out of your control, I don't know why people like you keep harping on about it.

 

Do you therefore think that we should have kept Gullit on longer instead of replacing him with Sir Bob, as it was also barely into the new season ?

[JawD 48]

glorious glorious promotion.

 

Nowt like sinking like a stone and building up lowered expectations.

 

I think we should wait a bit longer and see if they can match the european qualifications of the club that was "like Eastenders".

 

What a load of shite.

 

To be fair LM, a load of shite went under the Tyne Bridge since we were last in Europe and before MA took the club (down).