O/T: Can Life Get Any Worse for a Newcastle Fan?

[Carbo]

Yes.

From the Telegraph:

"Terry Venables is considering the chance to make a dramatic return to football management at crisis-torn Newcastle United. Glenn Hoddle has also been lined up to take the helm should Venables say no."

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oo.....

I haven't seen a single game this season, living as I do in Moscow under the thumb of a Russian girl and in fear for my job, but I suspect that a group of players that weren't very good to begin with are now rudderless and trapped in a motivation-free malaise. It wouldn't surprise me if we were currently The Worst Team in the League. Say what you will about Keegan, but he had them playing well at the end of last season, and took 4 points from the first three games, including playing both Man Yoo and Arsenal away.

And who will come and manage us as things stand? A new manager wouldn't be able to sign any players because the transfer window is shut; even if he could, there will be no money anyway; he doesn't know what if happening to the club ownership, or whether he will be able to work with the new owners; and he has to become a colleague of Dennis Wise, who nobody would want to work with, because nobody likes working with a c**t.

It's a royal mess that makes the chaos in the financial markets look like a German car factory of organization.

Ashley has clearly had an ad-hoc, rough, roundabout idea of what he wanted for the club -- figurehead coach, continental system for running the footballing side -- but he hasn't implemented it with any cohesion, savvy or, seemingly, communication with those affected.

Keegan would talk of hardly seeing Ashley at all, and it seemed the club was being ran by the various chief executives he had brought in along with Wise. A patently absurd situation, and a recipe for disaster.

I'm not a great fan of the 'head coach-director of football' system. I beleive that nobody knows better than the manager what kind of players he wants, and it's up to him, in consultation with his network of scouts, to buy the men he wants most. Of course, a CEO or whoever can take the lead in the negotiation of fees and wages ect -- a la David Dein when at Arsenal -- but it should be the manager who draws up a shortlist of targets and has the final say. If not, who carries the can when things go wrong? It seems to me that it is usually the coach, and that the director of football is usually bulletproof.

But worse was the selection of Wise. I fail to see what he brings to the role. It is surely a role for a man steeped in football culture, a man of intelligence, with a large network of scouts and contacts, a proven track record in the position, an ability to spot talent, and, most of all, a man who can work with others, forming a bridge between the coach and the owner. How many of those boxes does Wise tick?

The situation with Keegan on the last day of the transfer window was case in point. Whatever you think of Keegan, he has a good record for buying players, and knows how to pick players that he can improve and integrate into the system he wants to play. Granted, that may not be the best system in the world, but with such a background it is folly to take it out of his hands. Further, even Keegan's worst critics would agree that he had identified the key areas of need within the club (left back being the one everybody talks about) and was right to look for players who could bring premier league experience and instantly improve the team. Then, the director of football ignores all this and brings in the men he wants. It was bound to cause trouble, especially seeing as Keegan is an emotional character who likes to deal wtih straighforward men of honor, and Wise is a c**t who has the people skills of Mike Tyson on crystalmeth.

It's like not consulting the captain of a cricket team before the bowlers are selected: the selectors might believe they know better, but if they pick a bowler the captain has no confidence in, you might as well play with ten men. Well, it's like doing that when your captain is Ian Botham and giving the job of breaking the news to Geoff Boycott.

The whole situation terrifies me, and I see no light at the end of the tunnel. We're going to get Tango Man (well, some orange-skinned cockney joker, anyway) whose reputation is, as Boris Johnson would say, a pyramid of piffle. He has had no success as a coach, and worse, many of his former clubs have been left as rusting financially ruined hulks or in divisions far below their station or both. Perhaps Barcelona and Middlesbrough can say they bucked the trend, but that's about it. I'm sure El Tel would get a marvelous reception at Portsmouth if he went as Newcastle coach, or at Crystal Palace or Leeds if we play them in the cup.

It seems bizarre to me, and is indicative of the risible snog-a-thon the media still engages in with Terry, that his success at saving Middlesbrough from the dour, watching-paint-dry ineptitude of Bryan Robson is touted as reason for Newcastle courting his services, yet his abject failure with Leeds -- with a much better team made of Champions League semi-finalists for most of his reign -- is somehow forgotten. the media created lie that he was shorn of his best players is, well, a lie.

Sorry this post being a rambling, angry mess, I'm sure you can imagine my current level of despair, and that needed to get it off my chest.

[Wales]

Not much worse, although venables coming is preferable to O'Learey or Daglish! Thats if venables comes in. At the moment we just need someone to steady us. Win a few lsoe a few draw a few get to 40 points. Keegan was taking us nowhere. He complains about the signings, all that was wrong was there wasnt enough of them. Guttirez looked class, Coloccini has looked good and Gutherie is decent (for 21).

Michael Owen can fornicate off as far as im concerned. Speaking last night about the fans and this and that, if he signs a new contract I'll eat my keyboard. Keep his current form going then bye bye mugs.

Lots of injuries, no confidence, tactically inept, square pegs in round holes and an owner that (rightfuly after the treatment he's received) doesnt give a fornicate.

just another season of struggle, used to it now.

[Carbo]

Not much worse, although venables coming is preferable to O'Learey or Daglish! Thats if venables comes in. At the moment we just need someone to steady us.

And you think El Terrible can do that? I think he would take us down faster than a 20$ hooker.

[Chambers2]

When Newcastle playing the Mackems (rhetoric)

[DavidPayne]

The club needed Martin O'Neil when it got Sam Allardyce but once it had big Sam. It should have stuck with him.

Wouldn't have been pretty, but would have been pretty effective.

Right now,

I'd go for someone like the fella at Bristol City.

[Old bones Ian]

For me one of the funniest things is getting sponsored from 'Northern Rock'.
Were Newcastle getting free financial advice from them?

[Carbo]

For me one of the funniest things is getting sponsored from 'Northern Rock'.
Were Newcastle getting free financial advice from them?

Please, no more. I'll weep.

[stujones]

Heard it will be a temporary thing untill to see if the perspective owners will tempt Keegan back.

[Carbo]

Apparently, Ashley is willing to go to extraordinary lengths to tempt wealthy Arabs to buy the club.

[Wales]

Not much worse, although venables coming is preferable to O'Learey or Daglish! Thats if venables comes in. At the moment we just need someone to steady us.

And you think El Terrible can do that? I think he would take us down faster than a 20$ hooker.

In the short term I have no problem with it. Cant carry on the way we are and no bugger wants the job full time with potential changes to happen if the club is sold.

A better manager than Keegan imo

[Old bones Ian]

Wasn't it reported that a Nigerian consortium is offering the asking price?

[Chambers2]

Wasn't it reported that a Nigerian consortium is offering the asking price?

They were 100m short last I heard ( a few days ago)

[mark thompson]

For me one of the funniest things is getting sponsored from 'Northern Rock'.
Were Newcastle getting free financial advice from them?

Please, no more. I'll weep.

You want to try being a Leicester City fan !!!!

[Carbo]

Not much worse, although venables coming is preferable to O'Learey or Daglish! Thats if venables comes in. At the moment we just need someone to steady us.

And you think El Terrible can do that? I think he would take us down faster than a 20$ hooker.

A better manager than Keegan imo

I assume that's a joke. I'm going home now, where I have no internet, but I sincerely hope that by the time I return tomorrow morning you have retracted that statement and provided us all with a full and frank apology.

[Wax On]

Am I the only person who feels a bit sorry for Ashley?? I think he tried to bring a bit off business sense to the club and make things more sustainable, but because of the unrealistic expectations of the fans (and Keegan) his long term strategy didn't even get a chance.

His biggest mistake was getting rid of Allardyce, because he would have been ideal to carry out the vision he set out.......the best scouting, sustainable growth based on shrewd signings and the development of a first class youth system and back room team.

Sadly Geordie fans will never have the patience to see this type of strategy come to fruition!! Relegation might be a good thing for them in this sense.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008 ... mierleague

[mark thompson]

Keegan or special 'K' was a mistake from the start, he hadn't watched a game had he for 3 years or something, and wanted to sign Beckham, Henry and some other superstar, guess you will have to make do with xisco at least he sang that good song about THONGS. (THAT THONG THONG THONG THONG THONG)

[Poncey]

More importantly, is there a club he hasn't managed now?!

More lives than a cat!

[REAL_DEAL]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx7X4cgh3qI

[Captain Hook]

Keegan is a good manager if you give him the cash to spend. I've never rated him and I hate the worthy aura around him.

You should go for Johnson or Shearer - at least the fans would give Shearer their backing. You couldn't do any worse.

Venables would be ok for a couple of months then leave you by next summer with a wad in his back pocket.

PS You guys should stop moaning, being a Wrexham fan would have you in tears

[mark thompson]

Keegan is a good manager if you give him the cash to spend. I've never rated him and I hate the worthy aura around him.

You should go for Johnson or Shearer - at least the fans would give Shearer their backing. You couldn't do any worse.

Venables would be ok for a couple of months then leave you by next summer with a wad in his back pocket.

PS You guys should stop moaning, being a Wrexham fan would have you in tears

Have they still got a team ???

[Captain Hook]

Fair play Mark you've quickly become the biggest arsehole on this site, and that takes some doing

I support where I'm from......

[mark thompson]

Fair play Mark you've quickly become the biggest arsehole on this site, and that takes some doing

I support where I'm from......

Relax !!!!!
it was a joke buddy, i support Leicester City so i'm hardly a glory supporter myself . Jesus !!!!!!!

[Captain Hook]

I still hate you, remember that.......

...you're not that bloody bad, I thought you had loadsamoney?

[mark thompson]

I still hate you, remember that.......

...you're not that bloody bad, I thought you had loadsamoney?

Remembered !!!

I don't think Mandaric has got as much money as people think he has !!! Still at least we are winning for once even if it is in league 1 :(

[jameswilson]

A good line I heard last night on the ITV highlights show was

'Its often been the case in the last few years that we think it cant get any worse for Newcastle but they go and prove us wrong time and again.'


Mike Ashley is having a laugh, I dont know which school of business he went to but he seems to think he can buy a club, decrease its debts by 110mill but still have it in a lot of debt. fornicate the club up by buying players willy nilly who your manager doesnt want, sell players or attempt to sell players when the manager doesnt want you to. And then when the fans rebel say ok Ill sell the club, but demand a price thats something like 200mill more than you bought the club for. If he gets what he is asking for then to be honest he is a genius, I dont think anyone could screw a club as much as he has and still make a profit.

Im wondering tho. Have these Nigerians said to him they will buy the club provided he gives them a safe bank account for the inheritance of a dead Nigerian billionaire, and will give Ashley 20% of the money if he does this?