Baby steps

kimtoon

perez celebratingWell that was tense wasn’t it? We all as one wished for one thing today, spirit, and I think by and large we got it, especially in the second half.

The fans played there part turning up in numbers to back the team and for the most part the players responded. Tim Krul was in good form saving us on more than one occasion, Coloccini was getting stuck in much more than previously as did little Vernon which was good to see and Dummett had a good game too. Jonas was putting some smart runs together and most important of all, the heads didn’t drop when we went one goal down. Thankfully Perez had his shooting boots on to level the game.

The big worry for me is our sheer inability to defend set pieces, we cleared off the line and conceded from a free kick again today. I suggest our next signings need to be a couple of strapping ball winning defenders before we even think about a forward. Our defence as been weak as a baby for far too long but they did well today considering they were up against some big lads.

I think we had them rattled second half and truth be told we could of taken the game with a full strength team, and maybe even with what we had out on the pitch.

Big downside today was the Sunderland result, their win takes them above us on goal difference and frankly they can consider themselves mighty lucky. Winning by two deflected goals, the second of which was offside and off Defoe’s hand . Still them’s the breaks and it’s still in our hands, as they say.

Next up, QPR who may well be relegated by the time we play them. It should be an easy game but often relegated teams play without pressure and turn an easy game into hard work. We need to despatch them and then we can enjoy the last game of the season which is the very least our devoted fans deserve. HWTL

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551 thoughts on “Baby steps”

  1. Other things Ashley dislikes:
    1. Prospective managers/head coaches who ask for a say in the incoming players.
    2. Knobs who don’t buy tickets and show up at the ground and cheer loudly but positively.
    3. Journo’s.
    4. Scots who won’t let him buy their football clubs.

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  2. Latest ad in all of Europe’s newpapers
    Wanted
    Armageddon surviving cockroach head coach to lead Newcastle United. Must have no scruples. Are you willing to lie to the press? Do you like kissing fat behinds? Can you handle yourself in a fist fight with the supporters? Then you might be the man for us! Please send resume to:
    Lee Charnley
    Managing Director and Club Genius
    St. James Park
    Newcastle Upon Tyne.

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  3. Big A-league grand final happening this weekend:

    Final
    Bazza’s Bunch v Newbriscastle Roar

    Caaarn me Roary lads, make it two in a row.

    As for the blog h2h league cup quarter finals … still tonight’s match to play. As it stands:

    Newbriscastle Roar 90 – 64 Newkie’s Ale Stars (snigger)
    Solano’s Trumpet 73 – 55 Niknak Utd
    Stripes and no stars 28 – 66 WHY SO SERIOUS ?
    Haven’t Got a Kalou81 – 75 Inter Yasista

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  4. So, banter boy @372 do you need Stuart to help you out or can you make a total fool of yourself all by yourself? Carver never had a managerial job before now 🙂 and couldn’t be judged before now – Toronto. Comedy gold Jerry, comedy gold.

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  5. Just read this on nufc.com:-
    Only once in 20 seasons of Premier League football have Newcastle won their final away game – but that solitary success was at QPR back in May 2013, a 2-1 victory.
    No pressure then 😛

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  6. So the toon are not going to USA preseason now changed their mind,what’s wrong now jabba have they put the fares up then ffs

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  7. And again: Here is to show the naivety of the blog trollsta, he says to me about the player meeting that was without Carver and coaches:

    “How do you know what was said? It could be that they all agreed that they have let Carver down and his coaches and wanted to say their piece without the coaches being there. Sometimes you might want to tell your team mate that they are not pulling their weight without grassing on them in front of Carver.”

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  11. Big D: I will have to go back and take another look. Do you care though 🙂 If you do it will be sad and you should join the Triysta in his trolling.

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  12. Carver left Toronto because he disagreed with the direction the club was going. So, yes, he was dismissed, except in his own mind. Troysta thinks he wasn’t manager there either, although Carvs had say in all things day to day and coaching (I will post the stuff from the Toronto newspaper and fanzine again if anyone is interested). Much more than he has at NUFC, but the Toronto job was not “managerial” experience that he can be judged on 🙂 No, only now can he be judged and after the 8 straight losses we can all make up our minds as Troysta says as if there wasn’t any evidence before. Do you have a clue Troy, or should I send you one?

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  13. Eric i’m not that fussed it’s just that you seem to like asking question and expect people to answer, so I presumed you would answer.
    But to save you scrolling through I pasted them at 365

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  14. And Big D: if we stay up, should we keep Carver as manager? NOT WILL WE, but should we? I know the answer.

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  15. Thanks Big D. If you are not fussed then why did you go back and look at what you posted and reference it again 🙂

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  18. Win % at Toronto = about 30% in a **** league,

    % of ***** out of his mouth = 100%

    % of long free kicks to Willo = 100%

    % of goals scored by NUFC from corners in last 2 1/2 years (Carver’s job to oversee) = 000000.0001%

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  19. Not a wind up Big D @392. I know your real view but sometimes you agree with the stuff Troysta spouts.

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  20. Correct me if I’m wrong but wiki states this about Carvers time at Toronto;On 1 February 2008, he became head coach of the Major League Soccer side Toronto FC, with previous coach, Mo Johnston, remaining as manager and Director of Soccer.
    He was thereby reunited with an old friend from Newcastle United, since Paul Winsper had been hired in January as Strength and Conditioning Coach.

    Does that not make him head coach with MJ as manager?

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  21. From CBC sports:

    “CBCSports.ca attempted to reach Carver by phone, but the former Toronto coach did not answer.

    “””””””Carver, who was hired as coach prior to the start of the 2008 Major League Soccer season, thanked club general manager Mo Johnston and Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment, the team’s owners, in his final farewell.””””””””

    A “general manager” in North American sports is widely accepted as being a Director of Operations, not manager. Carver’s title as coach is what they call managers in North America. Do you want me to post more from the Toronto Newspapers Troy, or is this enough?

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  22. It is like saying Damien Comoli was manager of Liverpool when Dalglish was there. I hope I got the spelling rigjt.

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  23. Eric @ 394 😯 so you knew my real view but thought you would as incase I agreed with Troy.
    😕 😆
    You would need to ask Troy himself but I would be pretty sure that Troy like me would want a proper quality manager, and not a puppet for the Regime.

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  24. From Carver after he quit Toronto, quoted fromn the Toronto Star newspaper:

    “In a lengthy telephone conversation, Carver, 44, detailed a litany of what he deemed bad officiating and MLS mistreatment directed at him during his tenure in Toronto, which began Feb. 1, 2008.
    “I’ve had restraints on me ever since I got here,” the native of Newcastle, England, said of the league and its officials. “If ever you do anything or say anything out of order, they’re straight on the phone complaining to the owners and that’s how they work because, in my opinion, it’s all about image. Obviously I wasn’t the right image for the league.”

    Sound like the hothead we have seen over the last 3 months? Big Dave, I am not lumping you in with Troy. It is all down to blogspeak.

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  25. Psychs
    It’s not clear about Carvers full role at Toronto but I’m willing to accept he was in charge of selection and tactics. However, the circs of his time are not clear in terms of the quality of squad. Do you know if he had a good squad? I know nothing about the league of competition he was facing and the players he had to coach. Do you?

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  27. Troysta: here is a quote from the website NUFCStats:

    “Following spells with Leeds, Toronto FC (manager; an unsuccessful 14 months) & Sheffield United then manager Alan Pardew brought Carver back to NUFC in 2011. Fast forward 4 years and Alan has now left and the club is in disarray. Mike Ashley in all his wisdom has chosen John of all people to save our failing season. Clearly his knowledgeable, calm, measured approach and bountiful experience of management in the most competitive league in the world was going to bode well for Newcastle United.

    A Geordie? Yes. Worked under one of the greatest English managers of all time? Yes. That’s about as far as his CV goes. He must’ve forgot to mention that he only lasted 14 months in the MLS, never mind failing to possess the ability to oversee one of England’s great Premier League sides. His record speaks for itself.

    NUFC (caretaker, 2004) – P1 W1 D0 L0 GD+3
    Leeds (caretaker, 2006) – P5, W1 D0 L4 GD-10
    Toronto (manager, 2008-09) – P40 W12 D12 L16 GD-10
    Sheffield Utd (caretaker, 2010) – P3 W1 D0 L2 GD-12

    After being appointed NUFC interim ‘Head Coach’ on January 1st 2015 John has overseen the worst string of results in our Premier League history”

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  29. Troysta: the quality of MLS at the time Carver managed was pretty ****. He could have done well if he had anything about him, I think. Instead, he managed to fall out with everybody and talk absolute shyte. Ring a bell? And I am not talking about you speaking *****, I am saying Carver was talkng his ***** back then as well. Do you want more quotes? I have google 🙂

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  31. Big D: I don’t have a big opinion of Chris Hughton but he did get us promoted with the highest points tally in the Championship history after all our saleable assets were sold. Is that the “clueless Chris” of whom you speak?

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  33. ****: 100+ points in the Championship when a lot of people had us “doing a Leeds” or gets fired from Toronto. You decide 🙂

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  35. Eric @ 408 the big difference was that Nolan and Barton had one of the best teams ever in the CCC
    But poor Carver has no leaders in the team

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  36. Troysta: if you want me to google what a failure Carver was at Toronto as well I will do it for you. Little pathetic remarks like @407 do not make me want to do it though. He has been shyte at NUFC and was shyte at Toronto. Do I have to say any fucking more?

    LLLLLLLLD.

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  37. Munich – any idea what has went on with Kevin Prince Boetang and Sidney Sam at Shalke?. Decent players but if Shalke are prepare to release them they must have done something pretty bad like.

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  38. BigD: Nolan and Barton were summarily dismissed by the Fat Man for having too much control. Then Fatty fired Hughton for listening to them. You remember that?

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  40. Barton was even let go for free and his contract written off because Fatty didn’t want player power. Now the players exclude Carver from their meetings. I wonder how the Fat Man will deal with that? OH. TROY KNOWS, HE SAID THIS ABOUT THE RECENT PLAYER MEETING:

    “How do you know what was said? It could be that they all agreed that they have let Carver down and his coaches and wanted to say their piece without the coaches being there. Sometimes you might want to tell your team mate that they are not pulling their weight without grassing on them in front of Carver.”

    ******’ idiot!!!!

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  41. Big D @414: it doesn’t prove your point at all. We were promoted when we were expected to go into freefall. We lost most of our better players. We had 100+ points total from a manger in his first year in the job. What point do you have??????????????????? FFS.

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  43. Big D: and if you want to ban me for having a different view then go ahead. I think you are better than that though.

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  45. Chris H was the real manager. The committee did not run the team, that was Ashley paranoia. Barton and Nolan are not running their teams now (one relegated, the other on the bench). If there is player power now then who is the leader? Coloccini FFS, people were complaining last week that he never gave a press conference until he wrote his letter in Spanish that Ugly John said was the 3rd draft. It could have said “UGLY JOHN IS A ****” in lines a 100 times like we had to do in school for all Ugly John knew about it.

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  46. Troysta: rebutt anything I say and I will listen to you. Until then I will ignore you for 2 or 7 minutes 🙂

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  48. LLLLLLLLD: Ugly pickled walnut with hair. Wot am I saying here? That he is useless and doesn’t deserve the job?

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  49. Thanks Stuart; I always thought you were the calming influence of the caped one.

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  50. Here we go, paraphrased quotes:

    1. Williamson got himself sent off on purpose. I told the fans that I had previously asked outside that he just hoofs it and I tell him to stop it in training. The training that always is brilliant, by the way, it just doesn’t translate onto the pitch when there is another manager against me.

    2. I am the bestest manager in the premier league until I backtrack and say I never said that even when it is on tape. Tongue in cheek means something entirely different to me than it does to the rest of the world.

    3. LLLLLLLLD. I am great me like man though, I just crack jokes all the time in me press conferences that nobody else understands. I am great like me like though.

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  52. Eric @ 416 you say we lost most of our better players ?? who would they be

    As for @ 418 😯 🙄 as you said you think i’m better than that, but I just don’t know why you would suggest it 😆 😆

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  53. 🙄 🙄 🙄 ah it looks like Eric has went for a lie down 😀 god love him he must be tired as he has been busy today 😆 or maybe he is trying to find the names of all the best players we lost when we went down 😉

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  59. I see Arsenal lost to Swansea tonight. Those automatic CL spots are still up for grabs – which is good news for us.
    I’m sure the gunners play Scum in these final games and Man Utd have Hull last game of the season – so could still be playing for that 3rd spot to avoid that qualifying game.

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  64. oh well we had kindness and harmony for a few days… rest in peace Hughie!! 😆

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  65. Sorry Stuart and sorry Troy. I got a bit carried away. There is absolutely no excuse for me calling Troy names like I did. I actually think he is a lot smarter than he acts and take back what I said at 435.

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  67. Troysta: maybe I am the John Carver of this blog? I blurted out something in haste and took it back 🙂 LLLLLLLLD. Actually he never took anything back, he just tries to explain (badly) what he said previously.

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  68. Just did the relegation predictor and unfortunately we got relegated on 37 points, same points as hull, but our GD did for us 🙁
    I don’t think we can beat QPR on Saturday.
    The west Ham match is going to be massive

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  69. BB: I just played NUFC against QPR and then West Ham on subuteo and we stayed up.

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  70. It’s no coincidence that the 2 teams with the worst GD are already relegated.
    NUFC has the 3rd worst GD
    Our GD has been shocking for the last 3 seasons, and it could finally be our undoing this year.
    The regime can blame the fans all they want, but we are not to blame for the shocking lack of investment in a solid defence since promotion 5 years ago.

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  71. Aussie

    I met Begas for a pint on Sunday whilst he was over in the toon. I had the wrong perception of him. I now give you the benefit of the doubt. 😆

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  73. Nice one Troy..it can’t have been easy for Vegas to dumb down the conversation so much but I am glad you got along! 😛

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  74. I don’t mind the fizzy pop league even if we do go down. We will be forced to give our english players a chance.

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