Souness Out!

[T4E]

They've fined him another 2 weeks wages now, this time for claiming that Jermaine Jenas wants to leave Newcastle.

What a joke.

[rover6]

There's only one Laurent Robert!

I cannot see Souness lasting beyond Christmas next season. He's made the big money signings and more are to come, so if it doesn't start well - bye bye Graeme, hello Alan.

[Nayef]

Another 2 weeks?!

Graeme Souness

You can imagine Souness as a child. Non-forgiving, brooding, plotting revenge, sulking, pouting. Never really grew up I guess.

And yet now he's in charge of a "big" club.

However, this is the same guy who got us promoted and gave us these results in the league:

Arsenal (then champions) 1 Rovers 2

Rovers 2 Arsenal (encore les champions) 0

Blackburn 1 Man U 0

Blackburn 1 Man U 0

Chelsea 1 Blackburn 2

Blackburn 5 Banana boys 0

Monkeys 0 Blackburn 2

As well as

Blackburn 2 Tottenham 1

As NUFC manager, so far he knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup and in my opinion did fairly well in the UEFA cup. You can't say he is the crappest manager around (even with his tendencies to play players out of position!) but he is probably the best at shooting himself in the foot over and over and NEVER learning.

[roversWASmylife]

Robert's comments about Souness made me laugh.

Newcastle are going down the pan.

I reckon Souey will have left Newcastle by December.

[USABlue]

I know, and have put some money on the Arizona Diamondbacks - its defiantely their year this year

324870[/snapback]

my team flopsy!!

324877[/snapback]

Who's team Abbey? and not with our current Bullpen Flopsy.

[modes98]

They've fined him another 2 weeks wages now, this time for claiming that Jermaine Jenas wants to leave Newcastle.

What a joke.

328031[/snapback]

Have got to say that robert has to be the most funny footballer ever. Not only does he make 1 comment he knows he will get fined for he makes 2. Just giving the 2 fingers up! Seeing as he only has a week left on his contract, how will they get the 2 weeks on top of that back from a rebel.

This really is the end of souness and newcastle as a force and a power!

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

In May, Souness gave a bizarre interview to the Newcastle Evening Chronicle in which he said: "Who are all these players I'm supposed to have fallen out with?"

"Andy Cole? I rest my case. David Dunn? I rest my case. Craig Bellamy? I rest my case. Andy Todd? I rest my case. Dwight Yorke? We only fell out once during a training session."

"I've managed hundreds of players in my 19 years as a manager. So I have fallen out with five of them? I rest my case."

Well, there's another one to add to the list now Graeme....

In fact, I don't think Souey was being entirely frank and honest when he mentioned only five names. At Liverpool, he reportedly fell out with senior players like John Barnes and Ian Rush.

And if you go back to his days at Glasgow Rangers, I remember him having a huge bust-up with defender Graham Roberts - throwing him on the transfer list.

But we'll give Souey the benefit of the doubt - and say that the five names he mentioned have now been increased to six this week.

Laurent Robert said after his latest fine: "It's getting personal now. My argument is with Souness not with Newcastle."

Robert claims that other players are unhappy with Souey's managerial style and that Jermaine Jenas will be the next player to leave St James' Park.

The Frenchman said: "I've seen Jermaine growing up at Newcastle and he'll be a brilliant player in the future. But I know how badly he felt at being left on the bench by Souness last season. He's at a turning point in his career and I think he'll leave."

Robert reiterated that Souness is wrecking Newcastle and that he deserves to get the sack next season.

[philipl]

According to this morning's papers, the queue is forming to sign Jenas with Spurs likely to be trumped by Liverpool.

Meanwhilst, Parker is collecting his weekly wage, Emre not yet signed and peace love and eternal happiness, Bowyer cannot move anywhere in the UK.

[greggyk]

MOYES CONFIRMS MATTEO INTEREST!!!?

got ya

Edited June 30, 2005 by greggyk

[philipl]

...and that has what link to Souness????

Anyway Souness seems to think Torre Andre Flo is just the man to partner Shearer at Newcastle according to a story which has just been reported on Sky Sports.

Edited June 30, 2005 by philipl

[brfcshabba]

If thats the case the Sunderland fans wil be laughing after Flo's time at the Stadium Of Light

[Shevchenko]

...and that has what link to Souness????

Anyway Souness seems to think Torre Andre Flo is just the man to partner Shearer at Newcastle according to a story which has just been reported on Sky Sports.

328282[/snapback]

According to a national paper here, Flo is in talks with QPR at the moment but has not yet decided where he wants to play. He is basing his decision on where he wants to live. Apparently his family really enjoyed their time in London and have already moved back there. Flo is still in Siena and although they want him to stay another year, he'll probably leave. There was also some interest from Malaga.

[T4E]

How did he do for Siena?

[Radagast]

Very well initially - he was even linked with Milan at one point. No idea he's done since his first season.

[Alan75]

Today's Sun.........

BOSS Graeme Souness and Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd are at loggerheads over Toon’s transfer policy.

Souness has had meetings with Real Madrid’s Luis Figo and Inter Milan’s Emre, and wants Shepherd to give the thumbs up to at least one.

But Shepherd has been dragging his heels, concerned at spiralling costs.

He has even started canvassing opinion about whether it would be possible to accommodate Craig Bellamy back into the first-team picture.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

A poll in the current edition of Newcastle fanzine "The Mag", found that 71 per cent of fans believe Graeme Souness isn't the man to bring success to the club.

The article below is in the anti-Rovers tabloid, the Mirror, but it's still a fairly interesting read.

"SOUNESS IRON FIST SQUEEZING THE LIFE OUT OF NEWCASTLE"

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Graeme Souness has been heavily backed by punters to be the first Premiership manager sacked next season - becoming the 5/1 favourite to go first.

Souness' odds were first cut from 12/1 to 7/1 by William Hills, and have now been slashed for a second time to 5/1.

LATEST WILLIAM HILLS "SACK RACE" ODDS 2005/06

5/1 Graeme Souness

8/1 Chris Coleman, Alan Pardew, Alain Perrin, Alan Curbishley

12/1 Paul Jewell, Mick McCarthy, Bryan Robson

14/1 Sir Alex Ferguson, David O'Leary

16/1 Raphael Benitez.

20/1 BAR

Souness claimed in an interview today that he could have stayed with Blackburn for another four years if he had turned down Newcastle.

"At Blackburn, the aspirations at the start of each season are just to stay in the Premiership. But at St James' Park there's always pressure to qualify for Europe and to be challenging for a trophy."

Souey admitted in the interview that if he lasts another 12 months at St James' Park, he'll have done well. "It's a massive challenge for me. I would think that I've only got about 50/50 support with the Newcastle fans," he said.

Souness says that the pivotal moment of last season was the Bowyer/Dyer punch-up. "Any chance we had of success was destroyed that day. The whole League season blew up there and then. I've never been so down as when Bowyer and Dyer fought each other," he said.

Links below:

SOUNESS BECOMES BOOKIES FAVOURITE TO GO FIRST

"BOWYER FIGHT SICKENED ME" SAYS SOUNESS

Looks as if poor old Souness needs all the support he can get these days....

Where's Tris when you need someone to defend him? Our biggest Souness supporter seems to have gone a bit quiet recently....

[philipl]

I doubt that the attitude of the Rovers' board on Premiership status and desire for success has changed at all over the past five years- however, the current management speak is very different to Souness'

Funny that Rovers did qualify for Europe and win things whereas Newcastle under Souness....

As for staying at Ewood for another four years, he might have lasted another four games and he might not. Elsewhere in the interview there's a telling comment from Souness about the need to buy a new team at Newcastle.

[FourLaneBlue]

I fear the chop - Souey

Souness seems to be getting his excuses in early and making sure he dampens any expectations around the Toon, thereby attempting to make his job easier. No doubt a slight (and long overdue) increase in fortunes for the Barcodes will be heralded as a success by our former manager, recalling days when survival was the priority...this after finishing sixth and receiving 20million+ on transfer fees. Souness seems to have taken on a huge challenge and is now setting about reducing expectation. Not good enough for the Geordies that Graeme, may have worked here but...

"If I last another 12 months in this job I will have done well,"

It's kind of bizarre watching a guy in his fifties refusing to learn from his mistakes. Souness has some of the qualities needed to be a great manager; desire, tenacity, spirit, pig-headedness. Yet he is his own worst enemy and seems to destroy whatever team spirit and drive he instills. Without someone to measure himself up to (be it a player, referee etc) he seems lost. Probably why he has assure himself that he has "got to be strong and be my own man"...the daft old fiftysomething still thinks he is in the playground.

Still have mixed feelings about Souness, he got us automatically promoted to the top flight which not even Kenny could manage despite throwing Jack's money around. When are we next to have a day to compare to Cardiff 2002? A decade? Two? Shame the guy totally lost it sometime along the way...

EDIT - Actually there is another interesting article on the football365 website, this time by Andy Gray, in which the subject of reacting to supporter expectation. Gray suggests that David O'Leary should talk up his side a bit more rather than just waffling on about safety. About fans, Gray says

"They want to be told that the club has ambition. They do not want to be told that the manager thinks that staying up or finishing in mid-table will be a successful season. They want to hear upbeat noises and positive energy, not negative vibes designed to keep expectations in check."

Sounds good to me, although Villa fans may have slightly higher expectations than ours have as they really do think they are a 'BIG' club. Problem is...if you build up expectations then maybe you just damn well deliver. Still, I would rather have heard that than comments from Souness' preference for eating out on a Thursday night rather than having Rovers play in the Uefa Cup.

'Be A Bit More Like Jose, Mr O'Leary'

Edited July 4, 2005 by FourLaneBlue

[1864roverite]

A raging battle is going on between Sourness and Bellamy and I just wonder who is going to come out better off in the scenario.

NUFC cannot attract a high profile centre forward due to Shearers capacity in having a say so on matter regarding incoming signings, they have been turned down by the likes of Smith, Vieri and the like but still have a class forward who is now told to take another week off and find another club.

I cant see the bar code cupporters putting up with this. No high profile signings, bitterness in the papers/media, sourness laying down the law and bellamy being told to ferk off and find another club.

Bellamy has priced himself out of moves to Celtic, Villa, Everton and Blackburn, he has turned down a move to Birmingham and he is told to leave Newcastle.

I think if anyone wants to earn a quick buck then get your money on sourness leaving the club by November.

Bellamy or Sourness ?

it aint over till fat freddie sings

[thenodrog]

Bellamy has priced himself out of moves to Celtic, Villa, Everton and Blackburn, he has turned down a move to Birmingham and he is told to leave Newcastle.

I think if anyone wants to earn a quick buck then get your money on sourness leaving the club by November.

Bellamy or Sourness ?

it aint over till fat freddie sings

329001[/snapback]

Yeah right BUT never mind GS according to reports Bellamy has seriously p1ssed Shearer off too! And up there AS is above God. Without that fact Souness may have had to eat humble pie, but I cannot see AS sanctioning his return.

An all round very unhealthy way to distribute power and run a club. Sad really....... Oh well never mind eh?.

[Jan]

The hilariousness of the barcodes' situation cannot be overestimated. Four more years at Ewood? I'd have shot the b**t**d myself before then.

[Flopsy]

excellent, murder over a game of football, great idea

[Blue blood]

Still have mixed feelings about Souness, he got us automatically promoted to the top flight which not even Kenny could manage despite throwing Jack's money around. When are we next to have a day to compare to Cardiff 2002? A decade? Two? Shame the guy totally lost it sometime along the way...

The guy did give us some great times, the promotion season and season winning the worthington cup were the best years of supporting Rovers, (was too nervous for the final third of the season when winning the Prem to enjoy it). I suppose that's why Souness really infuriates me because he promised so much, almost delievered, and then let us down big time. From getting us from a top six team playing exciting football he made us into relegation certs. That's what makes it so disheartening and his decisions all the more bizare.

I still cannot see how Douglas is worth a four year contract, when Johnson who was playing regularly as a squad player two years before Douglas was anywhere near the first team picture was allowed to go for peanuts.

I'm still not entirely sure how Bent wasn't given a proper chance with Jansen given how successful he was in the first division and how dire/unlucky Grabbi was.

I still cannot see how you can forget to fill a position on the pitch with a player who is used to playing there. To do it one season is careless, to do it two seasons running is beyond belief.

I'm not sure what logic meant that de Pedro was not worth a two year contract in January but six months later in the following summer he was worth a two year deal.

I'm still wondering why when we needed a left midfielder Gresko wasn't given a chance yet in the first game of the following season with a fully fit squad Gresko played in midfield. Speeking o which I'm not sure what rational Souness was using when creating the formations in the first two games of last season.

Nor how he could fall out with two players heavily committed to the club in Dunn and Flitty.

I've a feeling that a few of these 'interesting' tactical decisions may be working their way into the Newcastle fold. Already they've let a few defenders go without bringing in any replacements, and up front they are beginning to look very weak. A few match winning formations with Shearer at left back and Bramble as a winger may be imminent.

With Shearer taking a managerial role at Newcastle in the nextyear or two, I reckon if Newcastle do sack Souness who would want the job for just a year or so? What they need is an old experienced manager nearing retirement who could groom Shearer to replace him...

[joey_big_nose]

With forcing bellers out of the club it looks like Souness has given back a fraction of what he wasted on Grabbi, maybe he felt a pang of guilt.

NB. Some caution is in order to, both bellamy and savage are here because Hughes is in charge much like Ferguson and Souness, if he is poached off us then we could well lose these players.

All in all though, as much as I dislike Craig, he is a cracking player and the in terms of talent the best striker we have had since Shearer (Cole and Sutton not quite at the same level in my opinion).