[lokken]

Originally Posted by pig

Ah yes, I think the moment Kevin Keegan came out with the "We are everyones second team" I wanted to throw up.

To be honest, I think it was impossible to not be entertained by his death in the pursuit of glory method of management at Newcastle. The ability to get a team with ridiculous amounts of attacking flair to self-destruct in the most horrible way possible is probably the best you can get. I think a fairer point is that those times were great entertainment for everyone, but apart from this brief period of time, Newcastle haven't really done anything to be a club of any particular note that would get them called 'massive'

Don't worry. I don't think Newcastle are a big club. A club with an ego? Yes. A club who think they are better than they are? Yes. A club who live in the clouds? Yes. No one mention the 80s to Newcastle fans.

I think it's true with a lot of their 'premiership' fans - you know, after 1992 when football was invented. With some of their older fans, I think it might be different.

Sunderland. Now they are a big club. They don't shout about how great they are. They are humble. And in all honesty they have just as many supporters. Just because half of devon don't support them on Sky tv doesn't mean they are not a big club. (Of course I am baiting you, but there are some things that I have put down which is truthful.)

Sunderland are one of the best supported teams in recent years, home and away. Especially away, their away fans are a magnificent bunch.

Let me see Aston Villa (as many posters have pointed out) haven't finished anything higher than 6th in the last ten years. We were almost relegated last season. We have one of the smallest squads in the premiership. And for a large part of the season we have been playing with half of our youth squad.

At the start of the season we went 11 games unbeaten, end of the season we went xyz games unbeaten it was in the middle that let us down. If we would have sorted the middle part out, forget uefa cup, we would have been looking at Champions League. The failures in the middle part of the season (November to February, Villa didn't play a league game in March) was down to a lack of strikers.

We could say the same with Portsmouth and claim that the fact we have no goalscorers of note hurt us after we got to 40 points, but really we just weren't good enough to get Europe. You should just admit that too. We will struggle to get top half next season. You will probably struggle to get Europe.

We lost Luke Moore which was a big hit for us. We were playing 4-3-3, and had to switch 4-2-2. We lost speed and width. When we started losing, and drawing it hit many of the young lads hard. Very hard. We had a weak strike force. A mis firing Baros and Angel. Chris "I have an injury" Sutton and Our Academy graduate, gabby Agbonlahor. Incidentally Gabriel Agbonlahor played every minute of every game bar 2 I believe (Substituted at Reading, rested at another.)

Baros was sold in January, Carew was brought in. Young was brought in. But confidence was still low. We started to play well, but we just couldn't win. Newcastle was a prime example. We went up there and lost 3-1 even though we were a better team on the night. Bolton at home, we outplayed them for 89 minutes. We drew. We weren't playing bad football. Only a couple of games I can truly say we played badly, it was against Liverpool at home (0-0). We gave the big guns a run out. Chelsea didn't beat us in the league. Arsenal we held at the emirates and in the second half we certainly played better than them at home.

In fact we played well.

O'Neill is still putting his stamp on the team. He inherited a poor team and turned it from one which finished 16th to one which finished 11th (and not all to far off top 6 either).

So yes I am happy that we finished 11th. Especially if you look at the players Newcastle have. You also have the best support in the world right? If Carlsberg were a football team they would probably be Newcastle.

Playing devil's advocate, some of his selections, transfers and formations look all a bit disjointed/bizarre and I'll suggest that since when he was last in the prem, football has moved on. All he achieved was to make Villa a solid side and given the amount of self destruction this season in the prem (Portsmouth finished 9th and we're not that great), 11th is probably an adequate return

He brings in mercenaries, close to end of their tethar and pays them a shitload to play for him. Other than Anelka (who was still a bargain, which indicates he probably gave the young man a shitload a week) the Botlon squad was built up of players who were good for a couple of seasons but picked up a nice bumper wage before ****ing off to the MLS.

That's the one. Buy a 31 year old. He will have a good season or two in him. Really forward thinking stuff Newcastle.

Newcastle should stop looking at these one season wonders and build a team of young, hungry players. Barton, if he is managed, the arrogant little shit will be a wonder for Newcastle and will give you some much needed bite which you miss at the moment.

Ben Haim is a pretty sold defender. Decent in the air, fairly versatile, can chop down his man. Nothing special, but there are few special defenders in the game.

If you were going to sign a Central Defender, I would much rather sign Curtis Davies who is shit hot. You won't go wrong signing Villas Liam Ridgwell either, he is a good, young defender who has a head for goal.

To be fair Allardyce is at the mercy of one of the most fickle clubs in football. He needs results straight away, because as a Newcastle manager, you are never going to get time. His signings look astute from my point of view; he is going to make them solid, take advantage of their quite talented midfield and use Viduka and Owen for goals.

Long term doesn't really exist at Newcastle - you're either successful or you are shown the door, it's as simple as that.

Newcastle will suit him though. Am I reet? Dyer on £80,000 a week. Owen on £110,000 a week. Jesus Newcastle are a joke. Paying players like that, that kind of money.

No one goes to Newcastle for the stadium and fans. Wake up and smell the coffee. They go because they are being paid a shitload.

Yeah well foreigners only want to play in London or for United/Liverpool these days, so you want to get players elsewhere - you pay a premium or choose for players that aren't so good.