Now I’m not saying Scteve and his charges are the finished article. Far from it in fact. It will take a dogged determination and lay down and die attitude if we are going to fall to the depths of despair and boredom that John Carver and his truly dull football brought us last season, but credit where it’s due – this seasons squad is slowly but surely taking us there again. Marvellous.
Now Chelsea and Man Utd have played some damned fine anti-football this season too, but they have repeatedly let themselves down by scoring occasionally and accidentally gaining points. Thanks to to the fabulous 3 of McClaren, Cathro and Simpson though we have not had to worry about that happening to our wonderful club and we are now looking dead on for the Drop to the promised land of Championship football, having no hope of ever winning a Cup or playing in Europe again. Phew.
There was a time not so long ago when Pardew and his squad had (brace yourself, I’m about to use a dirty word) ambition. There I said it. Please accept my apologies but it had to be done. We have to face up to the truth of our past, no matter how painful. That ambit@@n saw us travel on the Continent and almost earnt us (two more dirty words. Sorry again…) respect and status. Thankfully though Parsed saw sense and ensured we bombed on and off until his time with us ended, having never repeated that ugly mistake again.
Ambi#$%n is for mugs. Aston Villa know what I’m talking about and they are doing a fine job of ensuring that filthy word is eradicated from the terraces of Villa Park forever.
Schteve pretty much thanked the Ref for getting us out of jail today by not rewarding the penalty, which would no doubt have seen us win the game. Forget the fact that the Baggies had 866% of the possession or 59 corners. They were that close to getting their proverbial behinds handed to them by Newcastle’s truly excellent style of play. Yes. Schteve makes a good point.
Before I sign off I just want to address this whole silly ‘Sack Schteve’ nonsense I’ve been hearing. Read my words and ask yourself if you have maybe been a bit harsh on him. I will summarise his time with us so far…
1) We play counter attacking football at home and always lose.
2) We play a big striker up front who loves crosses then field no wingers apart from 3 minutes at the end of a game when it’s already lost.
3) We don’t rotate our squad during a busy festive program.(Rotation is for wimps).
4) £50m later and we are firmly in the relegation zone with Arsenal up next.
5) Scteve extended King Colo’s contract and retained him as Captain. After all, having a leader as Captain would be suicide. We’d probably start winning games and we can’t have that.
So, have you been harsh on Schteve? Yes thought so. Send him an e-mail to apologise. I hear he likes emails.
Shambolic
Stuart79(Quote)
Well, we learned that we got 2 pieces of **** from Forest. I would normally give a player the benefit of the doubt on his debut because of nerves, but he was all over the place.
He should have stopped the goal but it was no less than they deserved. I thought that gravity would have taken over and pulled the 8 pounds of hair gel towards the ground quicker so he could make that stop.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
This is where I thought we would be points wise. I figured 14-19 and then a bit of desperation from the Fat Man. Hopefully that prediction will come true and we will buy a goalscorer.
Goalkeeping is about doing the simple stuff well and then hopefully pulling off a fantastic save now and again. The mistakes are magnified in goal because you are usually the last man. For the sake of the hairdressers in Newcastle, I hope Darlow turns it around but I doubt he will get another chance. I really thought he would have been replaced at half time no matter what condition Elliot was in. Protecting a ponce’s ego was much less important than winning the game.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Getting back to the Forest deals. It reminds me of Titus Bramble. He looked fantastic until his fatal error once every match or 2 that cost us the game. That is what Lascelles looks like and Darlow looks like the second coming of Jak Alnwick. I think that the sooner we forget about these 2 the better. That is not a knee-**** reaction, Darlow was so bad he should never put on a NUFC strip again and Lascelles has made more mistakes than he has played games and is simply not up to PL standard.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Change the fucking manager. Our only chance of changing this miserable record get Moyes in and actually back him. Liverpool and Spurs bought him time in some peoples eyes but it’s not enough, one shot on target in a 2 nil win over liverpool says it all. We’re just not good enough.
Newkie(Quote)
In the 2nd minute Coloccini cleared off the line. There were so many bad punches I can’t remember them all. He was out of his goal for almost every cross, corner and free kick. How we didn’t let in 7 with that clown I will never know. Dumb luck, I think. Dumb hairstyle as well. Jak Alnwick revisited.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The Club is sinking of that there is no doubt, as long as those in day to day power are involved it will go into deep water quicker than a stone wrapped in lead.
Ashley for whatever reason does not seem interested fully in his investment, Charnley well its all been said so many times but it makes no difference – remember he was going to start communicating. Carr is in the nether nether land, as for Bob Moncur he should be ashamed to say he is involved with this shower, then we have McLaren and his muppets (not going to waste words on them other to say he made a mess of it two seasons running at Derby, Simpson -Carlise at best and Cathro no experience but cannot imagine him upsetting the apple cart. They should all be gone, they would be anywhere else.
We have a Fans Forum, what are they up to these days,
The local paper says absolutely nothing negative with any force – protecting there seat in the press box – disgraceful.
We the fans, sit/stand take it all its been this way for years now, teams with half NUFC attendance flying way above us. Pav right ly so generated more noise than any support of the team has done.
Judge Rinder would not be able to sort this one out, but Ashley if he gets his fingers out and really wants to protect his investment can, I would suggest he looks carefully at League One and look at some of the teams in it, because they were one PL teams, and thats the direction we are heading.
Finally why not drop this guy a note [email protected] (that is his official E Mail address) and tell him what you think without been vulgar, he might listen.
ash1001(Quote)
No point blaming Darlow. It wasn’t his fault we have no attacking threat, give possession away all the time and can’t even have more possession than a Tony Pulis team. He’s probably not ready and will take time.
We need new players and a new manager who can choose the players he needs, not what offers value.
Stuart79(Quote)
mcclaren was probably embarrassed to see that he inherited darlow and lascelles in his toon squad, when he gave neither of them the light of day at Forest. Buying young, English…but obviously not very good. 6 million plus 2 squad numbers wasted .
Munich Mag(Quote)
ashhley and charnley gambled again, giving a desperate englishman the chance to resurrect his career again, unfortunately mcclaren is proven to be out of his depth. throw in a poor squad of slackers and a few injuries, and the club is in free fall and going down. ashley has to take action, but does anyone genuinely feel that the bloke has a clue ? he has made so many mistakes over the years its unbelievable, and mr charnley is one of the consistents running through the toon debacle.
Munich Mag(Quote)
MM – yes Darlow should have done better with their goal, but even Joe Hart makes mistakes like that – Darlow did OK and should have had his managers support at the end of the game.
Charnley has obviously told Steve his job is safe, coz you listen to his post match interviews and they aren’t of a bloke who’s team are bottom 3 and he feels at risk of the sack!!. LVG comes out and has to justify his worth in most interviews at the moment, Mc comes out smiling!!!.
Yes Mc may have inherited a mess, but Ashley & Charnley have been there and created the mess. We will buy foreign again in Jan, I have no doubt. They’ll be selling full season tickets for £25 next season, coz who wants to watch sideways football in the championship?!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Awful goalkeeping debut imo and most definitely not ready for PL, Stuart Pearce did warn us about Darlow and Lascelles did he not?. Feel for the lad he looked terrified all match and with good reason as it turns out.
We have wasted a lot of money on mediocrity and youngsters with ‘ promise’, well it won’t get you the stability and points required to survive in this league. There are 3 clubs with massive support in Toon, Villa and Sunderland all languishing in the bottom 3, all terribly let down by their respective boards with bad buys and management . That the likes of Watford, Palace and Leicester are doing so much better than us tells it’s own story, this is what years of neglect and penny pinching gets you. And before anyone mentions the £50m, that’s peanuts when you consider what we actually needed to spend in the summer.
kimtoon(Quote)
Stuart: Darlow was *****. He couldn’t do the basics. He was at fault for the goal – another Jak Alnwick. His positioning was wrong all game. Sure, he can make a decent save but that is not what you need from a good keeper, you need the basics right and then the spectacular.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Shamrock, meant to say thanks for the thread mate.
kimtoon(Quote)
Does anyone see anything from Arsenal, Man utd ( who will likely have a new coach by then) W.Ham and Watford? Dire situation and Ashley best get off his Christmas jolly asap and sort out this unholy mess now.
kimtoon(Quote)
just watched the west brom goal, and whereas darlow was at fault, you really must question where were our central defenders when the ball came in ? why didn’t we prevent the cross coming in ? mbemba is absolutely mint on the ground, but is out of his depth when the high balls keep flying in. watch janmaat waiving his hands around as usual. three defenders who can’t head a ball to save there lives, collocini, mbemba and janmaat, throw in there sissoko who is also useless in the air and you have a brittle team who can handle the muscle approach of teams.
Munich Mag(Quote)
So we’re getting a new badge… Club looking at simplifying the badge. I’m sure it will save money on production of merchandise.
Is there anything else they can cut? Cheaper bog roll maybe?
Stuart79(Quote)
stuart79, be sure to get yourself to Bondai and do the coast walk at Koatzee, its absolutely brilliant. cruise the harbour, a trip out to Manley, and walk through the botanical gardens in sydney. lovely place … forget the slackers at the toon for a while 🙂
Munich Mag(Quote)
Sharpy said:
“Darlow did OK and should have had his managers support at the end of the game.”
What game were you watching? He was totally ***** and if West Brom had put their chances away from his missed punches and mis-positionings we would have lost by 3 or 4. A couple of reaction saves does not make up for being utterly tripe for the rest of the game.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
KARL DARLOW SHOULD NEVER PLAY FOR NUFC AGAIN.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I have watched enough NUFC football to know who is totally ***** – Lascelles is *****, Darlow is *****, Amdy Faye was worse than *****. Mick Quinn was 2nd division ***** and The Chronic call him a “Legend”.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Glad you’re given young players a chance to improve, Eric.
Stuart79(Quote)
Despite having 5 points more in the season we were relegated than we do now and being bossed by a team averaging the least possession in the top flight this season, steve, grinning as always suggests:
We have to continue with the attitude and character we are showing at the present moment.
“You are just hoping that fortune will turn around. If we keep working as hard as we have done over recent games that will turn around.
“I’ve no doubt about that. There’s enough ability and quality in there. So onward we go.”
Gashley(Quote)
Stuart: if he is ***** he is ***** !
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – totally out of character for you to over reaction 😆 shouting Darlow should never play for us again makes you automatically right 😯
I didn’t say he played well, I said he did OK. He looked like a kid thrown in at the last minute – and into a team who are dog **** at the moment.
Yes he should have saved there goal – and if he had he would have a clean sheet on his debut.
I didn’t hear anyone shouting Mitrovic should be dropped for missing that header against Everton last week. If Darlow should have saved yesterday, Mitrovic should have at least hit the target with that header.
Typical though, let’s jump all over a player that just needs a bit of support. McClaren was a disgrace for pointing the finger at him. How many chances did his forward players create.
Sharpy17(Quote)
aye eric, but hes cheap, and after his glorious debut won’t be losing sight of the fact that he is still our third chiice keeper. didnt lscelles and darlow both play for england sprogs regularly ? funny how careers of both players and managers can fizzle out at nufc.
Munich Mag(Quote)
Eric. A little harsh on darlow. He made some decent saves. Yes one big mistake but I’d blame dummett just as much for standing 2 metres off his man inviting a cross.
Gashley(Quote)
I am not sure which match Stuart and Sharpy watched? Darlow was so out of position on all set plays he could have been on Bondai Beach with MM.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Mitro has missed 4 glorious chances recently, 2 crosses which he failed to connect with and 2 headers, but what option do we have.. Toney..
Perez has also looked poor over the last few games
Gashley(Quote)
sharpy the grinning imbecile can pass the buck like no other.
darlow should hear it like it is, hes a big man in a big mans league, he’ll need to develop a thick skin and grow up pretty quickly…or we should move him on.
eric has him moved on already, a tad early i would say since the next in line is “academy starlet” woolston.
Munich Mag(Quote)
Thanks for the article Shams. The last article was consuming my tablet battery having to scroll for half an hr 😆
Gashley(Quote)
Eric – I believe Newcastle only played one game yesterday, so it must have been the same one as you. I think where you’re getting confused is that I’m applying a sense of perspective on a players performance, where you just want to toss the kid to the lions.
Sharpy17(Quote)
That we have other bad players does not exonerate Darlow.
Sharpy says 🙂 🙂 🙂
“I didn’t say he played well, I said he did OK. He looked like a kid thrown in at the last minute”
He is not a kid though Sharpy, he is 25.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
just a question on the side, is Sammy Ameobi really so much worse than Thauvin ? At least Sammy can put a cross in, and appreciates what the league is all about. he also has a canny shot on him, and puts in a defensive shift. at the moment our left side is absolutely pish both attacking wise and defensively.
Munich Mag(Quote)
Sharpy: I am not getting confused at all. Darlow played a shocker. A real bad pile of ***** game that my mother would have been ashamed of if I had played it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
gashley@31, this blog is like the toon, going down hill fast. articles every two weeks, good job us stalwarts keep things ticking over 🙂
Munich Mag(Quote)
SHARPY: DID YOU WATCH THE SAME GAME AS ME !!!! ?????
DARLOW WAS TERRIBLE. The other players might have been almost as bad, but Darlow was fCKN terrible.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
@mm 😆
Gashley(Quote)
Dalows 25 😯 well I thought he was OK, some decent saves.
Just goes to show what tw**s the board are for giving Elliott the cold shoulder and trying to get rid of him. What a mistake that could of been
Why the he’ll is Abeid not in the middle spraying balls about instead of Colback? What does colback actually do ? OK Abeid was never Cabaye quality but he was improving and was a different option 👿
Gashley(Quote)
MM – I have no doubt Darlow himself will know he could have done better. I’m sure the lad is kicking himself & gutted that he let that one get passed him. I agree it’s a highly critical sport & non more so than goalkeeper. But it was his first game and he would have prepared as if he was on the bench. If Elliott wasn’t well then Darlow should have been in long before pre match warm ups!!.
I think to single the lad out was disgraceful, especially as we may well need him against Arsenal as well. I hope Elliott put his arm round him the way the manager should have.
We want to bring youth through, but if they are faultless immediately well then **** them, they never will be so shift them. It’s nuts man.
Sharpy17(Quote)
MM – I said yesterday that if Mc is determined to stick with this 4-4-2 type formation then we should bring Sammy back and play him on the left. Get Townsend on the right and move Gini & Sissoko into the middle.
Gashley – Darlow did do ok. I’ve seen Joe Hart have games like that before. Just a shame it was Darlows first game and that’s all some have to judge him on.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy: how is it disgraceful to point out a disgraceful performance? He is 25 years old and had prepared for this for his whole life. He was groomed at Forest for this, his big chance. And he totally fCked it up. He was away from the net on 3 occasions that I counted and didn’t make a simple save. He was unbelievably bad and you want to defend him?
If you want us to have **** players then go ahead and talk with Charley and get some more of the calibre of Darlow and Lascelles.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy: DARLOW DID NOT DO OK, HE PLAYED FCIN ****.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – why are you shouting?, I thought I cleared up at 32 that there was only one game yesterday, so I must have been watching the same game.
If your mother showed you such a lack of support, then that certainly explains your overreacted criticism of the lad.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Eric. He let one goal in, a direct header which he should of prevented but where were the centerhalves or full backs stopping the cross?? 18 corners and numerous 1 on 1s he conceded 1 goal.
He did well 😛
Gashley(Quote)
Every time the ball went near Darlow I thought West Brom would score. It is only because they have bad players that it didn’t happen. Not because of Darlow, because he was off on bloody walkabout away from his net.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
@eric
Did you honestly watch the toon yesterday??
Gashley(Quote)
Alreet then Sharpy. Darlow played a blinder. He wasn’t a total pile of sh!te. The times he was off out of his 6 yard box on the wrong side never happened.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Gashley: I did watch and I thought Darlow had a terrible game.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Gashley – BBC Sports stats show that WBA had 22 shots to go with those 18 corners. We had 7 shots and 6 corners, but we lost the game coz Darlow conceded 1 goal.
Eric – Lascelles wasn’t playing yesterday, why is he now in your line of fire as well?.
Sharpy17(Quote)
ASH1001
Do you think Mike reads his own emails or has a **** deflector secretary who instantly bins toon fans emails?
I very much doubt he reads them himself, worth a try tho
Gashley(Quote)
Sharpy: did YOU watch the game yesterday? It was much more luck than design that Darlow did not concede more. I will say it again – he is not a kid, he is 25.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Lascelles is clearly not ready for what I’ve seen. But he’s Young and could improve. Shame we rely on inexperienced players, doing nothing for their confidence.
Anyway. Titus was a world beater on his day. We’ll always vividly remember his howlers but forget the amount of games he owned the pitch
Gashley(Quote)
Eric @48 – when have I said he had a blinder?! 😆 You make yourself look stupid because perspective completely escapes you.
Just coz I’m not agreeing he was ***** doesn’t mean I think he was outstanding. I’ve said he should have done better with the goal, he ****** up with a back pass & he cocked up a punch. But he also made some canny saves and collected quite a few corners. Not brilliant, but not *****.
But I am certain the lad will be more critical of himself than I will be. He’ll know he could and should have done better for the goal.
I think McClaren should have supported him better than he did. Goalkeepers need confidence. Speak to him in the dressing room & on the training ground, but in front of the camera you support your players.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Did anyone watch the same match as me ???? We played counter-attacking football but could have lost about 5 nil if West Brom weren’t so ****. The goalie was about as bad as I have ever seen and was only saved by West Brom being so ****.
Next time Gashley and Sharpy you will see that he is a bad keeper. Hopefully for Northampton or Shotley Bridge and not for NUFC.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, I haven’t commented on how well Darlow played, I just said he’s young (in keeper terms) and isn’t PL experienced. I think he deserves more than one game to prove himself.
The fact McClaren blamed him for the loss was a disgrace and actually stinks of a coach only confident enough to take on a young kid rather than have a go at the more experienced players that consistently been responsible for us being in the bottom three.
Another reason he must go and a manager must be brought in. Players will laugh at McClaren as he has absolutely no authority and it bloody well shows.
Stuart79(Quote)
Sharpy: he should never play for NUFC again. His positioning was atrocious. He was worse than Jak Alnwick. He should never, ever, ever, play for NUFC again.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart: he is 25.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – well it will come as no great surprise that I disagree with you, and will never turn my back on any toon player in such a way after only one game.
Colo has been at fault for far more goals this season (and last) and his positioning at times is shocking for a player of his experience. Has McClaren been half as critical of him? – has he ****!!. He made him captain & started him every game.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Darlow looked like a rabbit in the headlights yesterday and conceding the goal will knock his confidence further, god help him if he has to face Arsenal. Far too many errant punches and wayward kicks, he made me very nervous, the basics seemingly out of his comfort zone. Goalkeeping coach needs to put a bit more one on one work with him. Having said all that, the way Steve threw him under the bus was disgusting.
kimtoon(Quote)
Stuart: I am not defending McClaren, I am wondering why Darlow was so so so bad.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy: come down from your high horse and don’t be accusing me of throwing a Toon player under a bus. Darlow was so **** that I think he needs to be called on it. He should take the first train out of Newcastle and never come back.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Kimtoon: I think you watched the same game as me 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy: I agree with you most of the time man. Just not this time.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – 😆 you’re fucking priceless. So you want Darlow called out for his performance, but how dare I call you out for throwing him under a bus when you are shouting at anyone who will listen that ‘DARLOW SHOULD NEVER PLAY FOR NUFC AGAIN!!’. 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
YEP: I think Darlow should never play for NUFC again after that “performance”. I think he did not have a clue about where he should be in terms of position in the goalmouth, flapped and flopped at every ball that came his way and was more concerned about his hair than the game. In summary, he was totally *****.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
So he didn’t flap around? 🙂 He didn’t get out of position? 🙂 He didn’t let their goal in. But he is only a kid, 25 year old kid 🙂 😉 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sometimes you have to call a spade a spade.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
eric, reading between the lines you dont rate darlow?
wonder what the goalie coach made of his performance or has burb moncur been outsourced that task too ? 👿
Munich Mag(Quote)
MM: did you think that Darlow played well? Just a kid at 25 though. I think you don’t have to read between the lines – he should NEVER, EVER play for NUFC again.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
And I don’t really care if Darlow goes on to have a good career somewhere else. Good luck, but don’t have another game for us like did on Saturday. We can find better.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Darlow was incredibly nervous from the start. I’ve been wanting to see him, see what he’s like. Now I have. He’s poor.
Having said that he’s not the only one and they don’t have a debut as an excuse. Dummett is a **** full back. Janmaat’s not much better. Sissoko and Gini are not wingers and should not be played there. One leg Colback creates zero, game after game. Anita’s all heart but again not creative. Tiote is a total liability. Mitrovic is too heavy, too slow. Compare him to Anichebe yesterday, and he’s not great.
If this lot haven’t deals done for at least 3 players already they need locking up. Our engine room doesn’t fire and without it nothing works.
georgio(Quote)
I’ve also been clutching at straws all season thinking we’ll scrape through but after 3 seasons of pure struggle I’m sick as a parrot and even he’s looking for a new shoulder to **** on.
georgio(Quote)
eric i didnt see the game mate, but of all the punters on here i hold your opinion in highest regard, even when you are being all loud.
Munich Mag(Quote)
Darlow had a nightmare, but many good keepers have on their debuts. Maybe he won’t make it, but he’s only 3rd choice. We can’t expect fireworks. My big issue the fact we let a Pulis team absolutely pepper us with shots, possession and corners. Darlow had no chance and questions have to be asked of our style of play. We always look better and more likely of scoring when we go on the attack, but Schteve only lets us do that for half an hour when we are already losing. Why? This counter attack stuff is clearly not working.
Shamrock(Quote)