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Souness insists players still back him


Scottish Mag
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Graeme Souness last night insisted he still has the backing of his players as doubts over his future as Newcastle manager increase.

 

Despite a dismal goalless draw against West Ham in their opening Premiership home game of the season, Souness maintained he is the man to get the best out of United's squad.

 

And the defiant Scot - who hopes to tie up the signing of Spanish striker Albert Luque by tomorrow - claimed not to have heard the angry fans' reaction following yesterday's final whistle.

 

Asked if he felt his side still has faith in him, Souness said: "The confidence in the squad is fine. I'm not concerned."

 

On his team being jeered off and the angry chanting among fans leaving the ground, he added: "I didn't hear that."

 

And Souness boldly declared: "I felt there were a lot of good things about my team today.

 

"What was clearly missing were door openers and players that can put the ball in the back of the net.

 

"We are trying to bring in those people before end of the transfer window.

 

"Obviously, you are looking to win your home games. But it's not totally unexpected because we have one proven goalscorer in our team today.

 

"West Ham have defended well and held on. On another day we'd have had a bit of luck.

 

"We've had chances and half chances that on another day might have gone in. It just wasn't to be."

 

On Deportivo La Coruna star Luque, Souness said: "We have agreed a deal with the player and are not far away from agreeing something with the club." Otherwise, Souness said: "What I'm focused on is Wednesday night."

 

But defeat that evening at Bolton would only add to the pressure on the United manager's shoulders.

 

Yesterday's game - and the reaction to it - was reminiscent of Newcastle's 0-0 draw against Charlton at the same stage of the 1998/99 season, which resulted in Kenny Dalglish's departure.

 

Even the dismissal of West Ham's Paul Konchesky failed to pay off for Souness' side yesterday.

 

But the Magpies manager insisted Konchesky's red card WAS fair - an opinion at odds with that of Hammers' boss Alan Pardew.

 

"The difference between this and last week (Jermaine Jenas' sending-off at Arsenal) was that the referee consulted the linesman and they both decided it was a sending off.

 

"My first reaction was that it was."

 

But Pardew countered: "I will be appealing. If you are a football person and you think that was a foul then I don't know . . .

 

"Konchesky won the ball cleanly. He didn't touch the player. I've seen it from a few angles and my opinion hasn't changed. I just hope Dermot Gallagher changes his, but he seems adamant. He feels it was a foul and, to be honest, I cannot fathom that.

 

"Even when it happened, a chuckle went round the Newcastle faithful because they couldn't believe he had been sent off."

 

Pardew added: "It's a shame, because when we had 11 people on the pitch we felt we could get something here."

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Julius Caesar thought the same

15773[/snapback]

 

Hopefully some of the players have heard of the bounty and think it isn't such a bad plan.

Worked for the Australian national team recently and look what happened there they got rid of a clueless no tactics manager and got Guus Hiddink!

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Guest Forlornhope

It seems to me that Graeme is terminally thick. WHy do we have to have an absolute spanner in charge of our beloved team? Their are monkeys in Africa who are better qualified having never seen a football than Mr SOuness. He is an absoltue disgrace....

 

"i did not hear that" You muppet, I could hear what was going on in st james park from haymarket, and could tell who was winning and that was a mile away...... its no use pretending, graeme, your days are (please god ) numbered and I hope the rest of tyneside joins me in taking out a bet to increase the odds, and give Freddie something to think about other than lining his pockets with a takeover.....

 

 

Death to graeme and bring back bobby.....

 

 

!!!

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(Thinks of Brent & Dawn in The Office)

 

GS - "Alan, do you think I'm a good manager?"

AS - "Whoa, yes, definitely"

GS - "Well I wish you'd tell that lot. Do you think I'm better than Bobby?"

AS - "Yes"

GS - "What stuff do you like?"

AS - "Oh, um, there's so much...um, what is there again?"

GS - "Do you like the 4-5-1 impersonation I do"

AS - "Yes, definitely"

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It seems to me that Graeme is terminally thick. WHy do we have to have an absolute spanner in charge of our beloved team? Their are monkeys in Africa who are better qualified having never seen a football than Mr SOuness. He is an absoltue disgrace....

 

"i did not hear that" You muppet, I could hear what was going on in st james park from haymarket, and could tell who was winning and that was a mile away...... its no use pretending, graeme, your days are (please god ) numbered and I hope the rest of tyneside joins me in taking out a bet to increase the odds, and give Freddie something to think about other than lining his pockets with a takeover.....

 

 

Death to graeme and bring back bobby.....

 

 

!!!

15781[/snapback]

Death's a bit harsh I guess, and Bobby's a bit old. I dount Bobby will be able to handle some of the players now.
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