Souness Out!

[robbojohnno]

tahts coz you came up with Paul Sturrock as a replacement you little oik

lol paul sturrock legend

[Eddie]

Good grief - do you not think this is starting to get a bit silly now?  I wanted Souness to go as much as anyone but this constant slagging of him is getting a little tedious now.

Did you? That's not the impression I got from reading your posts (I might be wrong, so please correct me) but when I dared to suggest Souness deserved the chop, it was only the usual suspects concurring. The rest of you went for a pound of my flesh.

Plus...principle just tells me to disagree with you.

[USABlue]

I too thought Souness was a good manager for us and defended him to the end, however with his buggaring off (and I do think he had something to do with manufacturing that move) I had to re-review my blinkered opinions. I won't go and dog the man now but I will and do wish very very strongly that we finish above Newcastle, it would make my season.

[Eddie]

Mine as well, and I know that many were in the same boat as me. I defender him until the day he left, but I wasn't sad when he was gone, it's just I didn't think there was need for him to be fired.

[AndyR]

Sorry, have to add this

Souness is believed to want to change the club motto to improve team spirit at the club along the lines of the great musketeers

All 4 - 1 and won flip all

[Scotty]

Good grief - do you not think this is starting to get a bit silly now?  I wanted Souness to go as much as anyone but this constant slagging of him is getting a little tedious now.

Did you? That's not the impression I got from reading your posts (I might be wrong, so please correct me) but when I dared to suggest Souness deserved the chop, it was only the usual suspects concurring. The rest of you went for a pound of my flesh.

Argue with your numpty mates - I can't be arsed.

[Eddie]

Good grief - do you not think this is starting to get a bit silly now?  I wanted Souness to go as much as anyone but this constant slagging of him is getting a little tedious now.

Did you? That's not the impression I got from reading your posts (I might be wrong, so please correct me) but when I dared to suggest Souness deserved the chop, it was only the usual suspects concurring. The rest of you went for a pound of my flesh.

Argue with your numpty mates - I can't be arsed.

Does that make me a numpty?

[1864roverite]

I will tell you this.

I left Cardiff extremely proud to be a Rovers supporter.

Although perplexed (probably because it was 2hrs minus alcohol ) I was proud to be there, proud to be dressed in blue and white and although we got beaten 3-0 I was proud as punch marching around Cardiff with my shirt on as were thousands of others.

You cant say that of many Arsenal supporters although the ones we were with were good lads/lasses.

We all wanted a shock result but I am sure that 98% of us accepted that it would be a win against all odds.

The way Rovers supporters and the team conducted themselves is a credit.

As for Sourness ? well

WHO ARE YA ? WHO ARE YA ?

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Good grief - do you not think this is starting to get a bit silly now?

Apologies to Scotty, Tris and any others who may feel I've been overdoing the slagging of Souness a bit recently.

My criticisms haven't just been of Souey, but of Newcastle United as a whole and the way the club has been run by Freddy Shepherd.

It was a dark day for football when the arrogant Shepherd was allowed back in charge to run the club, after previously boasting about how he liked to charge high prices and rip off Toon supporters. After resigning in disgrace, he should never have been allowed back through the door at St James' Park.

Speaking at a conference in Dubai last year, Shepherd said that he had "no sympathy" for smaller clubs who were struggling. He boasted of the fantastic support Newcastle gets - 52,000 at home games.

Freddy keeps telling us what a massive club Newcastle are - but rather like Man City, they continually underachieve. Newcastle haven't won the League since the 1920's or any major trophy since 1969.

There are 12 teams in the Premiership who have won major trophies since 1970 - and the "mighty" Newcastle are not one of them.

Although Bobby Robson did finish 4th, 3rd and 5th in the Premiership in his last three seasons, Shepherd described the club's 5th place finish in 2004, when they missed out on a Champions League place as "unacceptable".

If 5th place is unacceptable, how does he describe 13th place now?

Under Shepherd's leadership, the club have become a comedy soap opera. He warns the players that they'll be thrown out of the club if they misbehave - and then he lets Bowyer off with a fine after having a punch-up on the pitch.

Shepherd should do the decent thing and resign. But with the Geordie natives getting restless though, I wouldn't be surprised if Freddy decides to wield the knife on Souness next season and appoints Shearer as boss - which would be a popular choice among Newcastle fans, thereby saving Shepherd's skin from more flak.

There was an interesting article in the Telegraph on Monday, suggesting that Shearer should walk away from the shambles at St James' Park, rather than subject himself to more grief.

A link to that piece below:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtm...18/ixfooty.html

[Scotty]

I completely agree with you AESF about the way the club is run. It's rotten to the core. I just thought it was harsh to blame Souness at this stage.

Of course, you could argue that a manager with better man-management skills could have knitted the St. James' Park dressing room together and stopped all the in-fighting. However, we all know Souness doesn't possess those skills and, even if he did, he'd have his work cut out at Newcastle. There are just too many players who are clearly taking the pi55.

All Souness can do is wait until the summer and get rid of all those he feels are causing the disharmony. Who he replaces them with will, ultimately, decide whether Souness succeeds or fails in the job.

As a side note though, there was speculation in the paper today that Butt isn't happy at Newcastle - hence his poor displays recently. I can't say I'm surprised. Coming from a top-class training regime full of top-class coaches at Man U to Souness and his merry band of helpers must be enough to make anyone question what they're doing.

I still rate Butt as a player though and maybe he'd enjoy life more back in the North West!

[Jan]

I was in the car on Sunday afternoon, so had the joy of listening to 5 live's commentary of Puke v Manuer (for the first time in my life I was TRULY and wholeheartedly supporting United in something- a most strange feeling). According to the commentary team the Newcastle team "didn't look fit" and "had 5 players playing out of position". I think they also mentioned not seeming to want to play as a team, but by that time I was laughing so hard I had to concentrate on the road so's not to crash.

P*kar*ehole and Sourness- MADE for each other. Just a pity it's too late for them to be relegated- never mind- that will happen when he gets HIS team around him ("proper" players- aka Nicky Butt -according to Sourness- the man who walked off after the semi without acknowledging his own fans and; making them even MORE unfit)

When you think where WE were when he left and where Puke were when he joined and the relative positions now, does it give the 3 of us who wanted him out, shivers up our spine? You BET it does.

[RevidgeBlue]

Good grief - do you not think this is starting to get a bit silly now? I wanted Souness to go as much as anyone but this constant slagging of him is getting a little tedious now.

Like any manager Souness needs time to rebuild the squad and turn Newcastle into "his" team. Only then will we be able to judge if he's been successful there or not.

Do I think he'll be a success? Couldn't care less to be honest.

Fair point, but the more clubs there are performing desperately poorly the better it is for us!

The fact it is a "big" club makes it frankly even more satisfying. The fact it is Souness who took us on exactly the same downward spiral makes it "priceless" as they say in the ads.

[thenodrog]

I still rate Butt as a player though and maybe he'd enjoy life more back in the North West!

I doooont believe it!

I have never been a fan of Nickey Butts. He is lucky to have been at Man Utd given his abilities.

As for coming to the North West!?! What you on mate? We have more getters and givers than you can shake a stick at! I wouldn't swap Butt for Mokoena, Reid, Sav or even old war horse himself flitty! We need creativety not an overpriced, overpaid, overage water carrier like Nicky Butt.

[Nayef]

Well, there's a side of me that wants to wish him well. The same side that remembers it was he who put us back into the top flight (albeit with a few mistakes but we had a great day out in Caerdydd in 2002) and two UEFA Cup qualifications. The same side that remembers how we did the double over the then champions Arsenal. And he brought Stead and MGP to the club.

Then the side of me that wants to see him fail miserably for joining a "bigger" club comes out and drowns the other side. I'm so selfish but I can't help it...

[thenodrog]

Well, there's a side of me that wants to wish him well. The same side that remembers it was he who put us back into the top flight (albeit with a few mistakes but we had a great day out in Caerdydd in 2002) and two UEFA Cup qualifications. The same side that remembers how we did the double over the then champions Arsenal. And he brought Stead and MGP to the club.

Then the side of me that wants to see him fail miserably for joining a "bigger" club comes out and drowns the other side. I'm so selfish but I can't help it...

It all went titsup for souness in the last two years after the loss of Dunn Duff and Berg and we were damned lucky to get rid of him and his staff as easily as we did. But I still maintain that after (and in successive seasons) succeeding in promotion, the Worthy Cup final and Euro qualification twice some other club had come and poached him from us (and there was talk of Spurs doing so) that GS would be widely revered in this town as second only to King Kenny in a vote for most popular post war manager.

[Scotty]

I have never been a fan of Nickey Butts. He is lucky to have been at Man Utd given his abilities.

As for coming to the North West!?! What you on mate? We have more getters and givers than you can shake a stick at! I wouldn't swap Butt for Mokoena, Reid, Sav or even old war horse himself flitty! We need creativety not an overpriced, overpaid, overage water carrier like Nicky Butt.

The fact that you don't rate him just adds weight to my argument.

It was only a semi-serious suggestion, I appreciate we have higher priorities in the summer, however, if you'd replaced Flitcroft with Butt on Saturday then I think you'd have a stronger team - as much as I feel Flitcroft is underrated by many on here.

We also don't really have cover for Mokoena if he gets injured / suspended. Flitcroft isn't as good a passer as Mokoena and both Savage and Reid are more box-to-box types.

[rover6]

Well if we're going to embark on a Souey-bashing fest - we may as well do it properly.

Souness finds teenage scapegoats.

[RovertheHill]

Well if we're going to embark on a Souey-bashing fest - we may as well do it properly.

Souness finds teenage scapegoats.

Great article by Souey! Clearly it's the age of the players that's been found out, not the great gaping holes in coaching and tactical ability

[Nayef]

Well if we're going to embark on a Souey-bashing fest - we may as well do it properly.

Souness finds teenage scapegoats.

That is a quality!

[Jan]

And to all of those who're still in love with Souness and can't bear anyone telling the truth (you know who you are), don't read the topic- or at least don't respond.

And it's just so especially poignant that it's Puke that he's destroying. It couldn't happen to a nicer shower!!

[Grabbi Graeme]

More problems for Souey, according to SSN police are investigating the Bowyer- Dyer fight and are preparing a file for the C.P.S.

[speeeeeeedie]

Souness and his merry band of helpers must be enough to make anyone question what they're doing.

we were damned lucky to get rid of him and his staff as easily as we did.

Sorry for the ignorance, but what was wrong with his backroom staff? Where does the information come from? I know from watching us play and the comments Hughes made when he came on board that the players were not fit, but where do the stories come from? They were ridiculed on here long before Souness left. Just asking.

As far as hating Souness, I can't. He got us promoted, won us a cup, got us into Europe (granted it was only a weekend get away) and kept us up last year. He did lose it toward the end and I wonder how he will be remembered in time.

[Jan]

One season, our strikers stopped scoring- that's the season Dean Saunders became striking coach.

The following season we were almost relegated- Dean Saunders became first team coach that season.

We didn't have a defensive coach- or at least if we did, he deserved shooting.

[Blue blood]

I think it's because of what Souness did for us in the first few years of his reign that makes fans so bitter about his tenature. He created an exciting top 6 side and then destroyed it.

Hodgeson for example didn't do badly with us at first, but the decline wasn't as severe as it was under Souness. Very few managers can boast that they transformed a club from first division to sixth place in the prem and then to relegation candidates. The fact Souness had the ability to get us to sixth and then threw away all the hard work makes it all the more galling. He put his ego before the club, clearly a case cutting off your nose to spite the face, which has had huge reprecussions for the team. A player putting themselves first would be slated - why not a manager? Add in his lady luck excuses and the shameful way he left Rovers (although it was a blessing in disguise and we didn't know Hughes would be so good) is the reason many on the board overall don't have a high oppinion of Souness.

"I feel Flitcroft is underrated by many on here."

Totally agree. The man has been immense for us. Have a sneaky suspicion Hughes might go for Butt if the price is low, especially with the age of Tugs and Flitty.

[Jan]

I think it's because Souness was left with the nucleus of a great squad which he destroyed, whereas Hodgson's squad was destroyed by one player.