Newcastle travel to Anfield tomorrow night for a game that few punters expect them to win. With that in mind wouldn’t it be prudent to give young Adam Armstrong a start? Let’s face it he can’t do any worse than the team of players that took to the field last week. He has said that he had a little one on one chat with Wayne Rooney when the first team were at St. Georges park on England duty.
Adam said, “Wayne came into one of our meetings and we were asking him questions and he was giving us advice…
“Afterwards I stayed behind and asked him what I could do to get better…
He told me to get on the ball more and do my stuff…The main thing he said was: ‘Don’t be afraid and show your talent…
“I’ve looked up to Wayne ever since he started at Everton.”
Adam certainly isn’t short on confidence and he’s not shot shy either. For me if you’re good enough age doesn’t matter a jot. What have we got to lose in starting him? If he looks to be struggling we just remove him for someone else, but right now he looks as good a bet as any of our available front men and remember plenty of front men have been first team regulars at his age.
As for the match itself I just hope they all put a good shift in after that excuse of a performance against Sunderland who, by the way, showed again yesterday that had we actually turned up on the day, were there for the taking.
Get out there, fight for the shirt, the fans and the right to call yourself a premier league player and coach is my message to John Carver and the lads tomorrow. Oh and John, how about giving youth a chance.
By Kimtoon
Kim thanks again for all your help in keeping us with something to talk about.
As we have both spoke about this before I agree 100% I really don’t see what we have to lose as he couldn’t be any worse than Rivi, and actually we could have a lot to gain as if he was started and had a cracking game that could be the makings of him.
I also noticed the club had pushed him out to talk to the media to try to keep the fans onside, which I think is a disgrace to use the kid for that, why dont they use our so called Captain as after all that is part of the captains job ( to try to rally the fans .
Big Dave(Quote)
Definitely worth giving him his chance.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Upfront, Armstrong and Sammy should get a chance ahead of Riviere Gouffran who showed nothing. We got to build around them Ayoze, Dummett, Aarons, de Jong, Lascelles Darlow , Colo, Raylor Jonas and bring Qpr’s Austin Phillips, Ben Pringle and another CB.
Cholo A. Sall(Quote)
Dave, spot on about Colo mate, it should be him speaking not Adam. It’s the gutless sort of thing I’m now coming to expect from the club though.
kimtoon(Quote)
I know it helps our cause but I do feel for QPR today, that’s a second good performance and they have little to show for them other than 1 point in the first one. Pity they played so poorly all season, all a bit late now.
kimtoon(Quote)
Vuckic has netted for Rangers again today, can we have him back please 🙂
kimtoon(Quote)
We might as well play the young kids as how can it possibly get any worse?
Stuart79(Quote)
Kim no he doesn’t want to come back 😀
Big Dave(Quote)
Dave, and who can blame him 🙁
kimtoon(Quote)
Kim I wouldn’t blame him, even if I don’t think he is a prem player.
For me he is a championship or SPL player like a fair few of our players
Big Dave(Quote)
give the lad a chance. Rivi is totally gash. Saying that we could have done with Mbiwa, santon, Barfa, Marv and even Shola would be getting a game.
club is a shambles
Gashley(Quote)
Looks like a good read Kim, unfortunately can’t read it because adverts keep popping up. 🙄
Shamrock(Quote)
Aye give the kids a chance,I bet they are looking on thinking they would at least give more effort plus if they came good jabba could sell them on quicker and make a few more quid
icedog(Quote)
Well done AGAIN KIM
icedog(Quote)
Good read Kim thanks oh and I totally agree.
I just can’t understand what giving the kid 4 – 5 mins at the death of a game is going to do for the Lad.
Give him 45 mins and see what he is made of, what’s to lose anyway.
But at the same time, we need to play to his strengths aswell.
Nee use sticking the wee lad up front on his own and punting the ball long to him in hope of a miracle. But that’s what I am expecting will be the master plan from the hopeless one.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
As for the accounts, apparently the club face a fine of £150 for posting the accounts up to 1 month late with companies house. 😕
And £1500 up to 6 months late.
Jabba’s not exactly quaking in his boots at that is he ?
So I’m not expecting to hear anything until the close season.
But I do wonder what they’ve got to hide.
Where’s the missing £28M gone ❓
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
BB, that’s not much of a fine to big companies, what idiot set that fine levy 🙄
kimtoon(Quote)
I bet Pardew is kicking himself for taking the Palace job, now that it looks like the Man City job will be up for grabs. Since Pep Guardiola is stitched up at FC Bayern it would have been a two horse race between him and Sam Allardyce, and my money would have been on Pardew. Faaany owl game innit 🙂 ….
Munich Mag(Quote)
Young Armstrong seems like a young lad brimming with confidence. Give him a run until the end of the season, I’m sure it won’t set the lad back at all…
Munich Mag(Quote)
MM,I agree,I don’t think being subbed or a below par game would effect him either, I think he has good self belief .
kimtoon(Quote)
KT@20, dead right mate… the lad knows he can do the business, he’s scored a hatful of fantastic goals for England, when he sees what young Ayoze Perez can do then he’ll be thinking give me some of that. We need to find some decent senior pros to help the bairns along if you ask me, THEY are the ones who should be embarasses to pick up there money at the end of the day…..the kids are all right…
Munich Mag(Quote)
We should recall Vuckic an put him straight into first team in orther to challenge Cabella and de Jong, one thing is sure with Vuckic, he is one our most talented players.
Cholo A. Sall(Quote)
The ONLY way the Ashley Out Campaign will work……
Is if it isn’t about Mike Ashley at all.
Now you are all going to be thinking that’s a stupid statement, so let me explain. This is something I have previously written about and I feel even more strongly about it now. My opinion and suggestions also involve not boycotting games, or at least for those that do attend, to protest in a different way to what is planned.
Mike Ashley does not care what any Newcastle fan, Rangers fan, member of the public, employee or MP thinks of him on a personal basis, not one little bit. You can call him all the names under the sun, write articles about his life and everything else but he simply does not talk back to media outlets or react by giving statements so what is the point?
If anything, you are more likely to make him dig his heels in further. I actually think he is probably happy for the abuse to be directed personally at him, the simple reason for this is because this detracts bad press and investigation in to the business practices of his various companies and focusses solely on him. What Mike Ashley cares about most is Sports Direct, it’s profits and its major shareholders. He has few very close allies he relies on, but I am not sure if he actually ‘cares’ about even these people in anything other than a business relationship.
However, although Ashley and his allies have yet to show it in the press, the one thing that I think slightly riles him (or his cronies) is informed, well written criticism of his beloved Sports Direct (SD). There have been little incidents which have shown this, such as the journalists who became SD shareholders so they could attend the Sports Direct AGM to ask questions about SD’s involvement at Newcastle United, this stunt did not go down well and the journalists were banned,
We have seen many other Newspapers and Journalists banned over the past couple of years for daring to question how the regime at SJP currently run our club. Indeed the Chronicle and Journal have only just been allowed back and you can make your own judgement as to what the conditions were for them being allowed back, when you read the ‘line’ they now take when reporting events at the club.
Ashley was recently ‘invited’ to appear before a group of Scottish MP’s over the way fashion retailer USC went into administration and the way the staff were treated. Of course Ashley was too busy to attend (perhaps stuck in the queue at Greggs?) so he sent Sports Direct’s chairman Keith Hellawell, an odious, slimy man, similar to Derek Llambias and Lee Charnley. The following exchange between Hellawell and MP’s at the hearing sums up how they treat people;
Hellawell said that in fashion retail, unlike in supermarkets, the suppliers hold the power, which led to Sports Direct using tactics Conservative MP Simon Revell said belonged to a ‘backstreet outfit’.
‘We withheld a bill from Diesel,’ admitted Hellawell, before an uncomfortable exchange with Revell. ‘We used it as a bargaining chip.’
Revell wasn’t impressed. ‘Were you in breach of contract by withholding payment?’
‘I haven’t seen that specific contract.’
Revell pushed. ‘When you, as chairman of a FTSE 100 company, make a decision to withhold monies you owe to a supplier, presumably you go to someone and ask are we legally entitled to do this?’
‘Yes.’
‘Were you?’
Some heavy breathing from Hellawell now. ‘No.’
‘So you were in breach of contract?’
‘Yes.’
‘So you acted in breach of contract with Diesel in order to bring them to the negotiating table?’
‘Yes.’ By this point Hellawell sounded like he really didn’t want to be there anymore, and it was only 10 minutes in…
It also emerged that Sports Direct had used the same tactic on the landlord of the warehouse that closed in Dundonald. It didn’t work in either case. Diesel refused to change its mind, while the warehouse owner ‘blockaded’ Sports Direct from taking out its products. The result of these actions was that Sports Direct called in the administrators.
‘That sounds like a backstreet outfit,’ Revell said. ‘We struggle to understand why a reputational matter like this was completely unknown to you as chairman.’
There are quite a lot of further interesting comments that were made by Mr Hellawell, mainly around events he was ‘Not aware of….’ (really?), you can read them here; http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/1340399/how-mike-ashleys-sports-direct-run/
Sports Direct employs nearly 15,000 staff on zero hours contracts, that’s 75% of it’s own workforce and this means Sports Direct are responsible for a fifth of all zero hour contracts in the retail sector.
Figures and comments can be read here; http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/sports-direct-under-fresh-pressure-on-job-contracts-10142494.html
Tino(Quote)
The recently released ‘partial’ accounts from NUFC have highlighted some unexplained dips in revenue and the debt to Ashley remaining unchanged at £129 million, so there are further questions and answers that need to be sought out by fans and journalists here.
In light of all of this, my opinion and my suggestion is to attend the games if you wish, don’t boycott purely because you think it will dent Ashley’s pockets or the reputation of the regime, because it won’t, gate receipts are not a major revenue source now for Premier League clubs, but if you want to boycott out of principal (as I do) then go ahead.
My main suggestion is around the current plans for protesting about Mike Ashley, inside and outside the ground with the hope of persuading him to sell up. My opinion is that all protests should be directed at Sports Direct, their working practices and their involvement with the club. No personal attacks or banners about Mike Ashley, just simple banners and songs regarding SD.
The reason for this is simple, the massive TV and Radio appeal the Premier League has. Let’s face it, this is why Ashley wants to keep the club, to promote his beloved SD in countries throughout the world, every home game and all for free! So lets turn that massive TV and Radio coverage against Ashley by using it to highlight the shocking business practices of Sports Direct and also use it to highlight questions we have over the club accounts.
The method of doing this is simple; banners, statements and interviews stating the same points over and over again, even if it takes months and months and becomes repetitive and boring.
An example of a simple banner/statement saying;
“Sports Direct sells the cheapest merchandise and employs 75% of its already low paid staff on zero hours contracts, we as fans do not want such a company associated with OUR CLUB.”
Other statements around the finances at our club can also be carried out, in a factual, non-threatening way, which simply asks questions of the board and creates uncomfortable issues for them to answer and bad press beamed around the world.
That’s it, a simple non-threatening, sustained protest which highlights the poor practices of Sports Direct and the current NUFC board. These messages are then seen and heard all around the world, instead of just shouts of ‘Ashley Out’ or ‘Fat B@stard’ this and that.
There are those that have said they can’t get involved in this type of protest because they could be accused of being slanderous and this could affect their websites or forums, well I have to say that is a bit of cop out because all of what I have written has already been written and proven as fact by other media outlets, none of those have been sued! As for the public, you are allowed to say things far more defamatory and not be arrested or sued, saying someone is a ‘Murderer and War Criminal’ is a pretty strong statement, but one which is perfectly allowed in this country of free speech.
Inside the ground, there is the issue of not allowing stewards to take banners and leaflets away from you, know your rights and take a copy of the stadium rules and fire certs with you. This is something the sackpardew movement didn’t do properly or give enough advice on.
The first link below is our own clubs Stadium Rules, nothing in there about taking banners in, although ‘Promotional’ material is banned, they may say you are ‘promoting’ your website if you have ashleyout.com, so you may have to cover the ‘.com’ part.
The other links are from other club sites and supporters groups, some useful information stating what Stewards and Police, can and cannot do. For example a Steward cannot use force of any means unless violence or a crime is happening or is about to happen.
It may be worth printing out the Clubs Stadium rules and some of the other stuff on Stewards, highlighting the relevant parts and everyone taking a copy. Everyone taking part can then challenge the Stewards if they get heavy handed.
http://www.nufc.co.uk/page/Club/GroundRegulations
Finally, Are our fans any less passionate than Liverpool fans?
The answer is no, but they put aside differences for coordinated protest to remove Gillett and Hicks, who actually had far more money tied up in their club than Ashley has in ours, something our fans have so far not managed to achieve.
So fans need to unite, in a non-threatening, non-abusive campaign to intelligently protest against Sports Direct and the board, this will ultimately have the desired affect of Ashley being ousted.
Tino(Quote)
Tino it’s a very valid point you make about rubbishing SD visibly at the ground. SD get out of our club banners would be better than Ashley out.
SD is **** banners would look great.
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Tino, good stuff mate and I have long thought that personal slurs are water off a ducks back to Jabba. You are right in that slagging off his baby SD is far more effective in the long term, the shareholders would be proper narked off if it was kept up, especially the zero contract stuff.
kimtoon(Quote)
Absolutely agree with Tino but I think a joint approach would be better. Half empty stadia with banners slagging off SD would be great.
Stuart79(Quote)
Agree 100% Tino
slagging off the bloated maggot wont make a jot of difference
slag off his baby and he wont like it.
continue to do it and he might just get the message
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
So Carver is changing the team and tactics for Liverpool. Colback is back in midfield and certain players are being dropped. I know we are short-handed but is this an admittal by Carver that HE was wrong in the set-up for the Mackem game? The Chronicle are reporting that he berated the team and certain players in a team meeting. I think he should also have held up a mirror when doing this. He is just like Pardew in that he takes no responsibility. He says he does, but he is full of ***** and lays into the players when everyone and their dog knows he is too negative, plays players out of position and offers no support to our strikers. To be sure, a lot of our players had off days but that does not deny the fact that Carver set them up to fail.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
As regards Stewards confiscating banners, I am pretty sure they would do it anyway even if shown a copy of the stadium rules, regardless of the right to free speech and all that. As Tino says, they don’t have that right but I bet they would do it and not in a nice way. I also bet that mobile phones would be confiscated if anybody videod this. This is just my opinion, but the types that apply to be stewards are jumped up authority freaks “only following orders”.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Carver is talking more and more ***** as the days go on. The club are rattled by the prospect of the boycott.
Stuart79(Quote)
I just saw a stat that Sunderland have won only 3 of their last 22 games and 2 of them were against us. I am assuming that if we hadn’t gifted them 6 points they would be odds on for relegation with the worst recent form of anyone in the league (including us, I think we have 3 wins in 18 covering Pardew and Carver).
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart, they have reason to be rattled mate. More and more national press guys are now saying what us fans have known for yonks about the regime and the killing of a once proud club by apathy . We are no longer referred to as deluded Geordie fans, they now, at last, realise we don’t have unrealistic expectations, and all we want is a club that competes which clearly doesn’t exist anymore.
kimtoon(Quote)
Kim I was just thinking about all the media attention about the Spurs game, and could help thinking how weak it will make the fans look if the boycott isnt a success .
Big Dave(Quote)
Carver now says there is something in the DNA of our players that made them surrender 5 derby defeats. The same players that Pardew said were the best he had had, the same ones that Carver said needn’t be added to in January.
I think the PL is about 35% British now and Carver is making excuses that us at NUFC cannot properly assess foreign players’ personalities. What about the other 19 clubs, they are in the same boat. I have always thought that Carver is all mouth and trousers and less than a full shilling. Now every time he opens his mouth he proves it. I didn’t think any manager could be any more contradictory or willing to pass the buck than Pardew, but, step up John Carver! Please let his 15 minutes be up very soon.
Saying that, we will beat Liverpool now 🙂 Howay the Lads.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Carver’s full of excuses Eric. His always trying to divert the blame from himself. He is trying to hide the fact that his a very poor manager. Yes we don’t have many good players at the club but we should be doing better result wise, no excuses.
Stem(Quote)
Tino – I’ve been saying this for years so well done for articulating it! How the fans haven’t gone after SD is hard to fathom. He has a giant shop on Northumberland Street. A bucket of slurry would travel a long way in there if thrown in!
Eric – Carver’s definitely not the full shilling. 80s dinosaur makes Pardew look a genius.
Kim – I agree – throw Arma on for a full game. They played him up front in the LC against City. He hardly touched the ball but ran their defence ragged for an hour.
georgio(Quote)
Eric – The reason the players have no desire or show any commitment is because we are a stepping stone toa better salary and a more ambitious club. They’re already looking at their next move when they arrive here. it’s a joke! The whole policy is completely flawed. We don’t buy experienced players and don’t keep hold of players long enough for them to be experienced so it’s no wonder, when the chips are down we struggle!
Stuart79(Quote)
Sorry but I don’t buy that, They showed more than a bit of commitment when we played against Chelsea, Spurs, West Brom, Liverpool, Palace with Ten men in the cup, Man city in the cup
I think it’s that the club have thrown the rest of the season by appointing Carver and have given them carte blanch to cruise through to the summer
CC(Quote)
Dave@34, sorry for late reply, have had a right morning of it. Started pulling off wallpaper in lews room only to have half the render and 0plaster come off too 👿 Builder calling in later to decide if the whole lot needs pulling off 🙄 Poor Lew has to sleep in there and it’s dust city at the mo 🙁
Yeah mate, good point, but have a feeling there will be more boycott this time for some reason. A thumping tonight will defo help too.
kimtoon(Quote)
CC, you could argue that seeing no ambition from the regime other than top 10 from jan onwards has trickled down to the players.
kimtoon(Quote)
CC – During them games you mentioned we were still looking at achieving something in the league. As soon as the manager left, no new manager was appointed and they knew no new players were coming in they stopped. It’s human nature. If the club aren’t bothered, why should we attitude. Players who are committed to the club for the long term wouldn’t stop doing that, but players who are looking for a way out will just go on holiday in their minds.
Stuart79(Quote)
Exactly that was the problem last season they had achieved the target by the end of December, Cabayes departure hit us hard but the rot was already setting in
CC(Quote)
I would like to see Callum Roberts on the bench. This lad has a bright future if encouraged.
Groucho(Quote)
Reckon due to Liverpool’s poor form of late we might get away with a 4-0 beating tonight.
Stuart79(Quote)
Great idea from Tino. This is the only way to really get under that fat encrusted skin.
Nervous about tonight. Could be a hammering… Reminds me a few seasons ago (or was it last season?) I think we got beat by the Mackems one week and right after got 6-0 by the poo. De ja vu? I hope not.
Dubai-Toon(Quote)
Unusual for you to be so optimistic Stuart. Frankly it could be a worse score.
Groucho(Quote)
Chronicle reporting Janmaat a strong doubt for tonight due to his calf tear. Who the hell is going to go CD now 😕
kimtoon(Quote)
Looks like Satka is gonna get a baptism of fire
kimtoon(Quote)
Gouffran and Williamson will help liverpool tonight.
Terry(Quote)
Janmatt doesn’t want another beating. It’s damaging his dutch career
Terry(Quote)
http://sportwitness.ning.com/forum/topics/swansea-look-to-hijack-newcastle-deal-after-concrete-offer-for-st
kimtoon(Quote)
Terry, I don’t blame him he is not a CD he’s a RB and shouldn’t be put in this position in the first place. If he is carrying an injury he must NOT be risked, especially in a position he’s not happy in. He said a couple of weeks ago that he’ll play there to help but isn’t happy there as it isn’t his best position and he can’t give of his best there. This thinning of the squad mid season has gone way too far now and cannot go on.
kimtoon(Quote)
Something Kim said earlier about the press saying about a once great club a giant being destroyed, even some Sunderland fans are saying the same. Listened to radio Newcastle last week and a few phoning in saying upset to see the rivals a once big club being destroyed. When you get the local rivals saying that, says it all to me
Simon(Quote)
was just reading a bit from the rangers manager about Vuckic and couldn’t help think how he has stayed fit for them but with us like so many was always injuried 😕 there really must be a problem with our fitness/medical team
Big Dave(Quote)
Big Dave, the toon are a mickey mouse club mate from top to bottom.
Munich Mag(Quote)
Dave, Yep that crossed my mind too mate, the players that leave us don’t seem to pick up bad injuries anymore either, Debuchy did but can’t think of any others.
Simon@54, Everyone is seeing what’s happening now mate, as I said they don’t call us deluded anymore.
kimtoon(Quote)