A win for Sunderland on Wednesday against an unpredictable Everton side will confirm Newcastle’s relegation from the top flight and leave the club in turmoil and in need of a drastic overhaul.
The only circumstance in which the Magpies can stay up is if Sunderland hit self-destruct and lose their final two games of the season and Newcastle manage to beat a Tottenham side who seem to have imploded. In a Premier League season which has seen 5000/1 long shot Leicester City win the title, it still remains a possibility but more than likely, Newcastle will be facing Burton Albion next year.
It will be a sorry end to a dreadful season which has seen some of the most utterly pathetic football from a Newcastle side since our promotion to the top flight over 20 years ago.
Since Kevin Keegan’s Entertainers got promoted, along with Leicester, funnily enough, Newcastle have only been out of the top flight for one season. They bounced back straight away last time; strolling the Championship with over 100 points. Something tells me this time it won’t be so easy to return.
And where there is a glimmer of hope, still in United fans that Sunderland will choke and give us a sniff of survival on the final day, most of us are preparing for life in the second tier of English football for the second time in Mike Ashley’s ownership.
If Rafa Benitez does manage Newcastle to a famous win and Premier League survival on the final weekend, it will most probably follow him feeding the capacity of St. James’ Park with a couple fish after crossing the Tyne via foot.
The question on most fan’s lips is ‘Will Rafa stay should we go down?’ The answer, as unpopular as it may be, is probably not. For one; why would he want to exactly? He will have no problem at all getting another top flight job.
The prospect of building something from scratch with Newcastle may have a certain appeal, but can we really expect a man who was in charge of Real Madrid six months ago to lead us out in the Championship? Secondly; Newcastle can’t afford to keep him. A manager of Benitez’s calibre commands a Premier League wage.
Newcastle will have a colossal job trimming their huge wage bill as it is, to offer Benitez a deal to keep him would be way out of character for a Newcastle board who has tried to run the club on the cheap for years. Only recently has money been thrown at the club in a desperate bid to survive. The trouble was, they were so massively out of practice, that they did finally spend millions, they managed to squander most of it.
But we will leave talk of next season for another day. For now, Newcastle are still in the Premiership and still have a chance, no matter how small, of staying there. Yes they need a miracle, yes the odds are stacked against them, but one thing we can learn from Leicester is that miracles can happen. Allow yourselves one final bit of hope because all we actually need is for Sunderland to lose twice and Newcastle to win once. That, my friends, is possible.
Yikes. This place is royally dead these days.
funkyjesus(Quote)
FJ: I don’t see why we couldn’t get 10 mil for Wijnaldum. An attacking midfielder who was Captain of PSV and Dutch player of the year. Scored 9 goals in the PL but got a bit burnt out by the pace of the PL in his first year in a team with a losing attitude that had an unbalanced squad. It wouldn’t be a hard sell for an Agent I don’t think.
I don’t think Krul, Shelvey, Townsend, Janmaat or Sissoko would be hard sells either. They all have qualities that would be appealing to some teams.
The transfer policy was daft because it seems to have been drafted according to Carr’s whims rather than NUFCs needs. However, I do not think it was fatal because the players do have sell-on value for the most part.
If NUFC take a hit of 25% on average on the players we bought last year that means we could recoup 60 of the 80 mil spent. Considering there was a profit of 30 million in the previous year that would not be fatal.
Obviously we would like to keep some of our 2015/16 transfers but the hole could be filled by selling Krul, Janmaat, Cisse, Tiote, and Sissoko.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I think I would sell Krul because we have decent cover. He is a very good keeper with terrible distribution. That could be fixed, but maybe would even fix itself if he had better players to pass to – not Steven Taylor and Willo for example 🙂
I am happy to see my initial assessment of Darlow was wrong. I said it could have been nerves. I am still not sold but willing to give him more time.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I just don’t see why teams would bid £10m + on these plebs. Maybe someone like Wijnaldum who showed some form at least but the others? I doubt it. Krul has a year left on his deal so no team will bid a lot for a keeper with only a year left. No one bid a lot for a proven goal scorer with a year left nevermind a keeper.
Sissoko is a ****.
Janmaat has been exposed a few times now as a guy who purposefully fakes injury and gets sent off when he can’t be bothered and that moron Carver had the nerve to accuse Willo of doing that of all people.
Not to mention the wages will put people off. Our players will firmly be “fourth or fifth” on most teams transfer lists. No one is desperate for these scumbags.
funkyjesus(Quote)
I see Ryder is saying Carr might be kept on and Charnley almost certainly will be sacked. I don’t understand that one at all as Charnley is the one doing the negotiations with Rafa. So far, I think that Ashley has stayed out of it and if Rafa accepts a deal will Fat Man then turn around and sack Charnley? Maybe, but I think this is Charnley’s last roll of the dice and if he gets Rafa to stay he might get a reprieve at the expense of Carr. Carr should go anyway.
Also, I know I go on about Ryder, but he is on today saying that McClaren failed because he wasn’t backed in the transfer market. He slips that little nugget in everytime he talks about McClaren. He rightly sticks the boot into everybody else but is sticking with McClaren as he did with Ugly John.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It may be if Charnley can keep Rafa then he keeps his job but that then renders Carr useless unless he is happy to become a scout in Rafa’s team and not the main man. Either way, someone is losing their power – if Rafa stays. If Rafa goes then I honestly don’t see Ashley getting rid of either.
Also, you can try and argue McClaren wasn’t backed because Carr went and bought all the guys he is attracted to and not those the team needed to help McClaren. It’s a weak argument (McClaren not backed I mean, Carr clearly scouts and buys based on the firmness of his erection over these guys) but it has some merit to it I feel.
I’ve ragged on Carr for years now and I still feel I haven’t done it enough. I cannot put into words how much I feel this guy is to blame. The Carroll sale and Cabaye purchase have somehow put this guy on an untouchable place to Ashley and he is *****.
funkyjesus(Quote)
If we start following what Ryder says we may as well give up Eric mate. He’s a category 5 pillock. I’ve read loads of his stuff and it’s pathetic. He should find a new job. He’s definitely useless at what he does.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
It’s the big picture that matters. Ashley has been a disaster over 9 years. The facts support that. Others have come and gone but he is the constant factor. He used to speak about his plans for the club including how much he admired Arsenal’s methods. I guess we just had 9 years of Ashley showing us how good he is at implementing an overall plan for club success. How is everyone enjoying it so far?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
The Chronicle made a Change.org petition to get Rafa to stay, lol.
https://www.change.org/p/newcastle-united-keep-rafa-benitez-at-newcastle-united?recruiter=540205259&utm_source=share_for_starters&utm_medium=copyLink
funkyjesus(Quote)
A quote from NUFC.com. Words of sense at last:
“Make no mistake: this has been all of our own work; from Carver to McClaren, from Berahino to Doumbia, from Coloccini’s new deal to a ridiculous pre-season schedule. We did it all to ourselves. Again.”
GeordieTwo(Quote)
The clown has finally run out of tricks. Ashley is, was, and always will be a buffoon.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
FJ: I agree on Krul’s contract reducing his value. However, I do think there is value in some of our other players and their contracts are not outrageous by today’s PL standards (apart from Colo).
I saw Uncle Ed’s assessment the other day of transfer values and thought he was about 20% too high and some of his bloggers may be influenced by that.
My guesses for some of our players would be:
Krul 5m
Sissoko, Winaldum, Shelvey, Townsend all 8-10m
Thauvin 5m
Janmaat 5m
Perez 7m
Cisse 3m
Tiote 3m
That is about 60 million although I would like to keep Perez, Townsend and possibly Shelvey but getting their wages off the books might be a priority. The rest of the squad are more valuable to us than selling them would be. I mean the likes of Elliot, Lascelles, Mitro, Dummett and MBemba. We have to keep a core of our young players and can add a bit of grit and experience to that.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Shelvey is apparently on £80,000 a week with no relegation clause and he has about 5 years to go. I cannot see any team taking a punt on him with his indifferent form with us and going missing at Liverpool and Swansea before leaving those teams. He needs us to rehab his reputation.
Perez recently re-signed a long deal but has been awful this year. Some team in Spain may have a pop or maybe an Everton type but again, his performances and goal ratio does not justify a major fee.
The others you list I could see possible though, especially Cisse and Tiote to China. We’ve lost our “fleece China” ability with relegation so we’d have to settle for modest fees.
funkyjesus(Quote)
I see a lot of people saying we will not realise what players are worth because we will have to have a fire sale. I sort of disagree as the parachute payments mitigate that to an extent. We might have to sell for less than we paid but that is because we overpaid. The value is what the value is as long as we are not desperate.
Here’s an example. Suppose I paid 10k for a used Audi last week. I then lose my job and have to sell it. It is not automatically worth 5k because I lost my job, it is still worth close to my cost. I might take 9k for a quick sale and because of my situation, but there will still be buyers out there.
If I had overpaid for the car in the first place and it was really worth 8k, then I would still probably get 7k for it and not 5k. It would be painful, and I would realise how stupid I was to pay the original price, but I would have to accept the reality of the situation. At least I would get most of the car loan payments off my budget.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I just work off history in football. Relegated teams do not have a history of making huge sales.
Charlie Austin was globally heralded for his form in the Premiership with QPR and QPR held firm on getting £15m for him. They never did and ended up selling for £4m in January when they turned down £12m in the summer because they wanted the magic £15m.
We have no player even remotely near the public opinion Austin had last year. No clubs will look at our mob and want to spend so they’ll do what we “allegedly” did with Austin ourselves and poke about with low ball offers at best. Our best hope for a “decent” bid is likely Wijnaldum going somewhere or Tiote / Cisse to China.
I think, anyway.
funkyjesus(Quote)
I would like the club to come out before the next game and let us know the Rafa situation once and for all. It would be a so much more enjoyable day if we knew he was staying.
Kimtoon(Quote)
FJ: you just said it yourself that QPR were offered 12 mil, so there was value there. At the start of the season they thought he might get them promoted as well. Our lot will want away and except for Krul will not be free Agents. Every situation is unique.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
FJ: 12 mil for Austin given his contract was not “low ball”. You know who offered it? Leicester 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Shelvey is the only one I think we might have trouble with. The rest I think we will get decent offers for and can take or leave. Might have to settle for a 50% haircut on Jonjo if we don’t want him.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I think it was low ball. If Wijnaldum was £14m then I’d say Austin is worth more than £15m and if QPR hadn’t been so set in “big sell” then accept £12m and another team would outbid and they’d likely have topped the £15m they initially wanted.
The point being – Austin was very highly regarded and in demand. None of our scum will be and shouldn’t be. They should be left to rot in the second division.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Some attempts at player valuations:
Perez: 3-5M based on previous seasons. Not great this season. Not enough playing time. Signed a long term contract with us and possibly relaxed a bit too much.
Cisse: 3M. This man is the definition of the word flake. He has taken some of the wildest swings at the ball I’ve ever seen. Looks a bit short in the brain department as well unfortunately. Might have a few goals left in him.
Shelvey: has pretty much destroyed his value to other clubs. If he really is on 80K a week we had better find a way to get him to perform. No sale value right now with that contract.
Krul: 5M. Keepers always seem to be undervalued. Good shot stopper but terribly distributor of the ball. Skinny feet are his downfall.
Wijnaldum: 5-7M but it won’t be offered by any Prem teams who have watched him all season.
Sissoko: 5M but again not from a Prem team.
Total sale value of this bunch? 21-25M pounds.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Oh and that 21-25M pound valuation would depend on having a proper MD in place, not Charnley. Charnley would probably get about 12M for the whole bunch. And be very pleased with himself.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I think the Ashley supporters are gathering tonight in a rundown shack on the edge of the Toon to discuss the many triumphs of the season. No lights allowed and the cheering must be kept to a minimum in case it’s heard by passing Newcastle supporters.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Let me be the first to congratulate Ashley properly.
Dear Mike:
Thank you for that wonderful season. After the statement you made last summer we all knew we were in for something special. We certainly got it. A$$ licking cowards clinging to the club. A seven year old could have done a better job than Charnley. McTosser was perfect for us. A failed Championship manager. And then you couldn’t even decide to sack him with us in the bottom three. Well done old chap! Another feather in your bonnet. What’s next? I suppose we’re going to have to wait for the annual summer statement. That will certainly be worthwhile I’m sure.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Rafa is asking for Rafa United. He is asking for Clough and Fergie-like power. Nobody has that anymore. Maybe Wenger comes close but not even Pep at City or Klopp at Liverpool.
We are so desperate and Charnley is so desperate to keep his job that he might just get it. Ashley had washed his hands of NUFC but is still a gambler. He has no friends in football left to trust. They have all failed and let him down.
I am clutching at straws maybe, but I would take it if I was Rafa. It is almost unique in modern football and he has done everything else. He was just at Real Madrid and was fired for being 2nd top of La Liga, 2 points behind Barca with 4 wins and 1 draw in the CL. He might be sick of “interference”. It wouldn’t damage his CV either, he has done everything and we are a basket case and everybody knows it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Who is to say it cannot work? By logic, it creates a unified vision throughout the club if it is a dictator-type ruler.
People said 4-4-2 was dead and Leicester just burned the “best league in the world” by playing it with mostly lower league players.
Old becomes new again.
funkyjesus(Quote)
trouble is Rafa doesn’t play 4-4-2
The villa game was crying out for it. But no, not Rafa.
My biggest disappointment of his tenure. The bastards were ripe for the picking, all we had to do was get stuck into them and they would have crumbled, but Rafa wanted the tippy tappy possession ****, which we are soooo good at. not.
oh well.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Well it’s promising Sky is reporting Rafa has opened negotiations to stay and has set out his demands. If he wants total control then great. It’s not like the current set up has ever worked. 2 relegations in 7 years. Pathetic. I hope the club realises how monumentally bad the fans will take this is they allow him to walk away.
Shamrock(Quote)
You can argue that everywhere he has been since his end days of Liverpool have had silly interference from above. His time when left alone won Liverpool the Champions League.
If he gets “Rafa United” as named above, he has a job that potentially has large resources (if promoted), the fan base loyalty he loves and a chance of fail or win by his own terms.
Except this time, no need to win Europe or the league, the League Cup puts him in immortality here.
It’s his dream situation….just a pesky promotion to do first.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Mourinho, de Boer, Martinez, Rodgers, Monk, Worthington, Moyes, (Rafa), there are a bunch of “big Name” Managers out there looking for a job, would you trust the knackers running the toon to get this one right.
Regarding Rafa, I suppose he is ours to lose so to speak. I reckon Chumpley and dumb and dumber will be bending over in all directions to try and get Rafa, I suppose he knows already what he has let himself in for. Maybe he wants to put the relegation with the toon bit on his resume to rights.
Obviously the other managers on that list are just waiting on the right Job, though maybe there aren’t too many big jobs around this close season?
Munich Mag(Quote)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=tXQJXzGpfKc
Stuart79(Quote)
Seems like Rafa is prepared to stay if the club meet his demands. Half the battle won already then. Over to you, Mike.
Stuart79(Quote)
Did we have the players to play 442? id rather we started Perez/Cisse & Mitro upfront but I know jack when it comes to real football.
We have to trust rafa. We were close due to his tactics and defensive work so im not going to point at his preferred system. After all, it was the players that missed 4 good chances to win the game.
Gashley(Quote)
not sure I trust sky reports as much as I used to but if it was true, I reckon a few of the players we’d expect to leave might stay also, Mbemba, Mitro etc perhaps townsend…
Gashley(Quote)
Heard something yesterday from my well placed source. Apparently the new training ground is going to go ahead (in fact that’s one of Rafa’s demands) and it will be paid for and sponsored by Sports Direct. Everyone would be pleased with that wouldn’t they? They’ve been wanting SD to contribute something. 😯
Stuart79(Quote)
When does Wonga sponsorship end?
Kimtoon(Quote)
http://www.themag.co.uk/2016/05/rangers-fans-celebrate-newcastles-relegation-mixed-feelings-newcastle-united/
Kimtoon(Quote)
No Ben Arfa is France Euro squad.
Shamrock(Quote)
What cover is that then?
You want us to sell Krul
Woodman has not signed a new contract and will leave in June
Elliott is out injured until the year end
That means we go into the new season with Darlow and probably Pearson on the bench.
It also means if Darlow gets injured or suspended we will be up a certain creek without a paddle.
sidekick(Quote)
Kim I think we’re stuck with wonga until the end of 16/17 season.
As for Rafa I have said all along that I couldn’t see the point in some of the changes he made at the club if he wasn’t intending to be here next season.
Big Dave(Quote)
Ben Arfa is quality, but he has burned his bridges with pretty much anyone involved with the French national side 😆
Don’t think he’ll be bothered!
Newkie(Quote)
Lee Charnley has failed in previous attempts to execute the grand plans and we have been relegated. He looks to Carr who shakes his head & shrugs his shoulders.
Charnley is stood at the end of the plank as far as I can see and he has only one out – put his faith in the man the fans believe can do the job.
He has to ditch previous blueprints and go back to the drawing board. The only credit he gets is bringing Rafa to the club. If he doesn’t keep him then he knows the fans are gone. Season ticket sales & attendances at games fall like a stone. Players leave in their droves and the club languish in the Championship for years to come (IMO).
I don’t believe Rafa is a mercenary, and I don’t believe he will make ridiculous & selfish demands.
I think any demands he makes will be purely football motivated & with a view of getting us straight back into the PL.
If Rafa does stay, then I also think players like Shelvey & Townsend could decide to give us a season to get us back up as well – that will be working with Rafa despite dropping down. I still think we will loose some of the foreign lads – but I can live with that to be honest.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Dave, Cheers, I was hoping it was finished now 🙁 They better not renew, fed up with not being able to buy a shirt tbh.
Kimtoon(Quote)
I can see two things happening here. One, Rafa stays after assurances but walks out when they start playing silly buggers in the transfer window as in not getting in who he wants.
Two, they can’t reach agreement on his demands so he walks away and we are fed some PR **** via Bishop about fundamental footballing differences or salary issues.
In short I don’t trust our lot to organise a **** up in a brewery let alone keep the services of a quality coach.
Kimtoon(Quote)
I really couldn’t give a **** right now about Newcastle United. What a bunch of fucking loser’s. Poor fan’s have to put up with ****, **** and more fucking ****. **** you Mike Ashley!
Terry(Quote)
The club has the financial clout to keep any of them regardless of foot stamping & agent **** stirring.
I personally would keep Darlow, Elliot, Woodman, Mbabu, Mbemba, Lascelles, Dummett, Haidara, Shelvey, Colback, Saivet, Townsend, Aarons, Gini (he wouldn’t like it but **** him) De Jong, Perez, Armstrong & Mitro. I could see Colo hanging on for his final year, Sammy, Bigi, Vuckic & Good coming back to make up the numbers.
I’d Sell Krul, Janmaat, Tiote, Sissoko, Cabella, Thauvin & Cisse, Release Taylor, Loan Gouffran out & just pay off Rivière the ridiculous ****.
Get Charnley out of this club asap, Retire Carr, Appoint someone who knows how to run a club IE John Williams who did a sound Job at Blackburn for so long to run the business side & give Rafa full control of the football side
P.S Get Shearer mentoring these young strikers & replace everyone coaching from U21 to U15 level at NUFC
CC(Quote)
Sidekick: we could get a backup keeper on loan for 6 months until Elliot recovers.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Krul’s contract is up in 2017 so we either have to extend it or sell him.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I’d cash in on Krul as well. Brilliant shot stopper, but he can’t claim a cross, corner or set piece to save his life. Not ideal for the championship..
Newkie(Quote)
Oh, and his passing is awful, Elliot has been one of our best buys in recent years, he can at least throw the ball with decent accuracy/distance.
Newkie(Quote)
Newkie: the problem with Timmie-the-hoof is that so many teams in the PL were playing the high press so he didn’t have any time on the ball and that was compounded by us playing one up front. It exposed his shortcomings, just like it did Willo and Taylor who the game had passed by. Unless you have a couple of whippets up front like Leicester you can’t afford those type of players anymore.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Newkie – bit harsh on Krul there mate. He’s the best we’ve got I think. It’s true he’s had problems with crosses and his distribution is poor but he’s also won us many games with stand out performances. Even in the Championship his second half at WBA when Harper was injured was stellar. I like Darlow too.
Another issue I have is about this myth of the championship. I’ve watched a fair few games and it’s not a great deal different to the Prem. A tad slower and a little more physical maybe but only a little. It is generally still won by teams playing the best football. Big hoofing cloggies is not what we’ll need. The team as it stands would win it.
Georgio(Quote)
I posted the other day that Ross McCormick, Britt Assombalonga and Nathan Redmond would be my top 3 transfer targets with the logic we’ve never been a defensive team so we need to score more.
However, a part of most promoted teams in recent years or at least perennial play-offs types has been the full back position. We don’t even have any to begin with nevermind Championship types – namely decent attackers but good DEFENDERS in the first place.
Danny Simpson is the best example. A decent attacker but as a full back, he realised his job was a DEFENDER and that’s what he did. He got considered not good enough for us (*****) then went and become on QPR’s best players and has now been a bed rock in Leicester’s Premiership winning side.
We need to find a left and right footed Danny Simpson.
funkyjesus(Quote)
I posted this once before but I am doing it again because it shows how arrogant Charnley was and how desperate he is now:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/lee-charnley-ripping-heart-out-5035737
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I am more confused now after Ashley’s letter. I can’t figure out if it is a kiss off to Rafa or a “we will give you what you need to succeed”.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
If we can get good money for Krul then sell him. We didn’t go down coz we were playing our 3rd choice keeper in the end. We went down because for a large part of the season our defence was awful.
The 4 we are playing at the moment are doing a decent job, but our defence desperately needs strengthening – and to do that we need money.
If selling Krul helps strengthen our defence, well I’m all for that personally coz I think Elliott & Darlow (& Woodman if called upon) can do the job – especially if they have a stronger defence in front of them.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I think we will have plenty to change without worrying about selling a goalie too. No need. Two seasons in a row we have had goalkeeping problems due to injuries. Keep all 3 so have competition and cover When not if the keeper injury crisis strikes again.
Shamrock(Quote)
Darlow and Lascelles were vital players at Forest when we signed them. They only stopped playing regular when we loaned them back because Forest were dicks with them. They’re more mature and experienced now so they’ll walk next season.
If we sign a left and right footed Danny Simpson then we can utilise Dummett as cover for full and centre back. Signing full backs are the defensive priority as Dummett’s flexibility gives us leeway in that regard.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Maybe I am too old for the BBC 3 demographic but is there any reason why the BBC are making fun of Rafa being relegated with us like this? Where are the animations mocking Alex Neil and Villa as a whole too?
It’s one thing if Sunderland and other football fans in general do it, it’s part of the game but why are the BBC getting in on it?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/item/caa171af-d363-4e6b-94ad-be9bbe6572f8?intc_type=singletheme&intc_location=threeonline&intc_campaign=threeonline&intc_linkname=vidclip_rafatakesatumble_contentcard21
funkyjesus(Quote)
Would they have done it if Big Sam got relegated? No, he’s one step below royalty to the BBC.
These cunts are raising the TV licence too. **** off, BBC.
funkyjesus(Quote)
Maybe they should stick to hiding and defending child abusers. Fucking ******.
funkyjesus(Quote)
They are acting like Allardyce is Gof for finishing 4th bottom. I even saw someone today say he should be given a crack as England Manager FFS. Maybe he should – the same idiots hired McClaren FFS 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
* God
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Where are all the pundits, ex-players and Chronicle journalists who said McClaren was a great coach now? Only Lee Ryder defends him, by saying he wasn’t given the players he wanted. Ryder has a history of being wrong on everything though until he then has a massive venting of what everybody else thought and makes it like he also thought it all along – when, in fact, he had said the opposite all along.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I know I rant about Ryder and Blackie. It is because they are fakes. (no, not Blackie again 🙂 ).
Eric Sykes(Quote)
This should be interesting though if Ashley cannot see the mutiny that would occur if he didn’t offer Rafa full control.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sick of the Fat Sam hype tbh. If he was that good they wouldn’t of been in the scrap in the first place. He came in because they were sinking, bought in a couple of players and they were still sinking until the Everton result. If Rafa had come in earlier or had the luxury of getting his players in like Sam had it would be them down now not us. We blew £80m on lot of players that never played or played 1 game or got shipped back to France.
Kimtoon(Quote)
Funky, I can’t believe the BBC laying into us and Rafa and not Villa or Norwich, must be cause we are a BIG club 😉
Kimtoon(Quote)
Let him manage England, it would be worth it to see the inbreds crying all the way to relegation and double worth it to watch the fat slug fail and have the whole country on his back for his boring ***** football.
Kimtoon(Quote)
Kimtoon: it is always the same with Pardew and Fat Sam, they have a couple of good results and their friends in the media promote them to be England manager. They play awful, boring football.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Honestly, Ryder is still defending McClaren in The Chronicle. He is having a go at all of the rest of the NUFC management, but is saying that McClaren and Ugly John failed because they were let down, not because they were ***** and serial failures. Is he worried that they will “un-friend” him on facebook, do they have some strip-club Ryder stories or summink?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Let’s face it. We have played awful football for 2 years straight. We spent loads of money this season and only Townsend and Mbemba (20 million out of 80) were any good. Our owner is a proven liar and has tried to control what the press is allowed to say about the club. He also is ethically questionable/ reprehensible his business models and treatment of staff and the club endorses sponsors that prey on desperate and vulnerable people.
Is it any wonder we get laughed at as a club? Sunderland might play sh%% football and Big Sam might be n unbearable personality, but they played far more effective football than us when it mattered, spent way less money buying the right areas on the right players and they are a PL club whilst we are not. And Big Sam did what the press believed he would do – keep them up. Job done.
Let’s get over it. We are where we are and the press think what they think. Less being frustrated at the reaction to our demise and more asking questions of Ashley and his board. It’s time he got his act together in a meaningful way otherwise he either needs to sell up or we the fans need to take a meaningful stand instead of the half hearted rubbish of recent years.
Shamrock(Quote)
I totally agree but I really don’t get why the BBC find it comedy source material. No other club has had BBC 3 comedy skits about relegation yet we’re fodder. It can’t be because of “inflated ego” either because the BBC are one of the places that say we’re a big club constantly.
I guess I can understand BBC not having a pop at Sunderland though. They probably made a deal that Sunderland release Adam Johnson for prison so they’ll hire him as a pundit in a few years. He seems the type they like to hire.
funkyjesus(Quote)
An empty statement from the blob at the top. Just what I expected. Ashley is a completely hopeless knob. That isn’t going to change. If he retains Charnley and Carr I would think we won’t get back up. Not next season and not in the near future.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
When you think about it what could Ashley actually say that would help? He could start with “I now realize I’m a completely hopeless knob who knows nothing about football. And to make matters worse I’ve always hired other completely hopeless knobs to work at the club until we were forced to take on Rafa. As it stands I’m too stupid to admit past mistakes and so I will continue on in the same direction until the club is in Division Two. Then I will continue on in the same direction.”
GeordieTwo(Quote)