[Archived] Congratulations To Newcastle United

[jim mk2]

Thanks for the answer Phil. I know the rationale for how we played, when you're compelled to play your centre half up front it's going to lead one style of play. I'm not knocking Sam or the club for this, we basically had no choice. Nobody was more relieved than me when we got our noses over the line against Portsmouth

However I'm not fooling myself that what we played most of the time was in any way attractive football, it certainly wasn't football I'd care to pay to watch again, even at give away prices. Indeed Liverpool away was a real low point in my 50 years of watching the club

Give it 6 - 12 months and Allardyce has had the chance to mould his own team with his own players.

If we are still playing the same way you would have cause to complain but at present in view of our predicament when Allardyce took over your criticism is unjustified.

[tony gale's mic]

Not at all, merely pointing out that descending to the "we're better fans than you" level makes us very similar to the Newcastle fans themselves. Let's just support our club, enjoy the fact that such a "big" team has gone down, but generally not get into a slanging match. If you read this thread as a non-Rovers supporting you would think we were just like them.

To finish up my point as well, with the amount Allardyce spent and the players that he inherited, having them in 11th was still a poor league position. He should have been given more time as that simply wasn't enough for a manager and almost any side can have a poor 6 months, but they were playing terrible football, he made some terrible signings and I can understand why fans were against him.

You can play decent football and still pick up just as many points as we have, even as a smaller side (see Fulham and West Ham)

Newcastle were 13th and 5 points from relegation the season before. There were clearly multiple problems at the club, in terms of playing staff, structure, attitude etc that he had to come in and fix. Being 11th and 8 points from relegation in January was hardly a brilliant return and they had some poor performances, but overall it was an OK job. At least it was an improvement from the previous season and the fans shouldve at least held their judgement rather than being against him.

And I maintain that saying we "hounded" Ince out as a comparison to what Newcastle did with Sam is erroneous in the extreme.

Hodgson is a better manager than Allardyce though and has managed in multiple leagues. West Ham have a considerably better squad to work with than ours. All we can ask is that our manager plays to his strengths - if Allardyce tried to get us to play outside his natural style it would probably lead to a decline in results, but then I think if Hodgson and Zola tried to get their teams to play a more direct approach it would lead to a decline in theirs too.

[brfc4ever]

Were you happy with the quality of football on offer this season ? - Yes or no will do fine.

Yes !

Don't care one bit about the quality of football since Sam came. Only mission was to keep us up. And he did. Thank you Sam !

Now he gets a real oppotunity, with a transfer window and a fresh start.

So now we'll see what he is all about. First job done. Bring on next season in the PREMIER LEAGUE.

[tony gale's mic]

Can we stop the half-season points expansion formula...it just isn't an accurate way of assessing things.

Rubbish. It just doesn't suit your argument. If you look at the half season tables they tell their own story. Hull have been awful in the second half so are at the bottom. Zola's done a fantastic job with West Ham so they're much higher. Most of the teams who've been stable this season stay in similar positions.

[broadsword]

compared with when the unspeakable was here at the start of the season.

The unspeakable doing the unfathomable in pursuit of the unacceptable.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Give it 6 - 12 months and Allardyce has had the chance to mould his own team with his own players.

If we are still playing the same way you would have cause to complain but at present in view of our predicament when Allardyce took over your criticism is unjustified.

Jim , If you read what I said carefully it's not a crticism of Sam or his style of play- in those circumstances I would have played the same way myself. However I don't have to like it and I don't have to pretend it's entertainment.

[jim mk2]

Jim , If you read what I said carefully it's not a crticism of Sam or his style of play- in those circumstances I would have played the same way myself. However I don't have to like it and I don't have to pretend it's entertainment.

I'm not entirely happy; for instance I was appalled by the quality of football on offer in the Tottenham match but ecstatic with the result. I went home on a high, so it must have counted as entertainment.

Let's see the type and quality of player Allardyce brings in during the summer.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I'm not entirely happy; for instance I was appalled by the quality of football on offer in the Tottenham match but ecstatic with the result. I went home on a high, so it must have counted as entertainment.

Let's see the type and quality of player Allardyce brings in during the summer.

We can argue about that but I think we're all agreed on your last sentence. Obvoiusly I wish him and our club all the best. I'm certainly more confident with Sam at the helm that ever I was with Paul Ince.

[Eddie]

Rubbish. It just doesn't suit your argument. If you look at the half season tables they tell their own story. Hull have been awful in the second half so are at the bottom. Zola's done a fantastic job with West Ham so they're much higher. Most of the teams who've been stable this season stay in similar positions.

Very few teams have been stable this season. A large portion of the league have had drastically different halves and so it makes it difficult to really compare one half to the other. I'm sure every side would love to have been able to hit copy and paste on a certain run of 18/19 games, but you can't do it. Obviously our own upturn is more interesting and perhaps more relevant because of the change of manager, but there are also other factors involved and so to say "we would have finished 7th" is a stretch. I am absolutely sure that had we played the way that we have under Allardyce all season long then we would be higher up the table, but there is no way that we would have been in the top half, we simply aren't/weren't playing well enough.

We're now at the point when we'll get to see what happens. The key will be this summer and the first 6 months of next season, we'll see what happens.

[Manc Rover]

The Intertoto cup they won 3 years ago probably feels like the champions league at the moment. Just deserts!

[FourLaneBlue]

Yeah, but they do the same with their managers, that is all I'm saying. Some of them complained yesterday (although it appeared to be the minority), but they had just been relegated.

Ince was the first manager for nine years to be sacked by Rovers. Ince was sacked after our worst run for decades and leaving the club five points away from safety with half a season gone after the club had three top half finishes in a row. Since we sacked Kidd the club of Newcastle - not necessarily the fans always - has hounded out Robson, Souness, Roeder, Allardyce, Keegan and put Kinnear in hospital with all the stress...although that one could be seen coming. None of them were even close to having taken the club to the position that Ince took Rovers.

Comparing Rovers to Newcastle in any way when it comes to backing managers or not would be a stupid thing to do.

So I would give it a rest if I was you unless the goal of this is to make yourself look ridiculous.

[champions1995]

Ince was the first manager for nine years to be sacked by Rovers. Ince was sacked after our worst run for decades and leaving the club five points away from safety with half a season gone after the club had three top half finishes in a row. Since we sacked Kidd the club of Newcastle - not necessarily the fans always - has hounded out Robson, Souness, Roeder, Allardyce, Keegan and put Kinnear in hospital with all the stress...although that one could be seen coming. None of them were even close to having taken the club to the position that Ince took Rovers.

Comparing Rovers to Newcastle in any way when it comes to backing managers or not would be a stupid thing to do.

So I would give it a rest if I was you unless the goal of this is to make yourself look ridiculous.

Good point.

Robson was sacked after just four games of the 2004-05 season, as last season's 5th (FIFTH) place was not good enough. Allardyce was sacked with Newcastle 11th, with 30 points from 24 games. Ince was different as we were heading to the Championship and something had to be done.

[T4E]

No, it's a premiership football game and there was essentially 1.5 million up for grabs. We should have won today against a very poor West Brom game, but we just weren't good enough. Allardyce has a lot of work to do.

Oh Eddie, you're being a right (Please don't use that word again)er just now.

[Eddie]

Ince was the first manager for nine years to be sacked by Rovers. Ince was sacked after our worst run for decades and leaving the club five points away from safety with half a season gone after the club had three top half finishes in a row. Since we sacked Kidd the club of Newcastle - not necessarily the fans always - has hounded out Robson, Souness, Roeder, Allardyce, Keegan and put Kinnear in hospital with all the stress...although that one could be seen coming. None of them were even close to having taken the club to the position that Ince took Rovers.

Comparing Rovers to Newcastle in any way when it comes to backing managers or not would be a stupid thing to do.

So I would give it a rest if I was you unless the goal of this is to make yourself look ridiculous.

Let me break this down...

1) I didn't like the boasting that was going on about our club.

2) I said that they supported their side really well yesterday. They are an annoying bunch of fans, but they were great yesterday.

3) To this someone responded that there had been some fans who had been calling for Ashley's head, blah blah blah.

4) My point was, regardless of their history with turning on managers, they are somewhat justified to be looking at the owner/board room/management seeing as they were just unexpectedly relegated and that it is no different to what any group of fans would do (just as we turned on Ince when things were going so badly).

I'm not comparing the clubs, I'm simply saying that some of what is being said on here makes us look bad and that what makes our club special is that the club is dignified, professional and like a family, something that runs from the very top down through the supporters and that some of the comments on here were more what you would expect to come out of the mouths of Newcastle fans than those of Blackburn Rovers. I dislike Newcastle, Liverpool, Spurs, etc. because of their attitude and whilst I have enjoyed their fall from grace, I don't think we should sink too low in how we react to it as it makes us no better than them.

[philipl]

Can we stop the half-season points expansion formula...it just isn't an accurate way of assessing things.

Sorry eddie, it only kept us up with 7 points to spare.

Out of interest, what is an accurate way of assessing things? Ince with no Reid and no Dunn taking us down or Allardyce with no Reid, no Dunn, no Emerton, no RSC gaining 13 points in 20 games over 18th spot- a rate expanded to 38 games becomes 25 points and 59 for the season.

[berkshireblue]

Back to Topic

Only fitting the villa result got the 2nd biggest cheer after Tugay yesterday

Laughed, oh I laughed to see the club that since 1995 raided us for players and managers relegated...As Jim Royle would say Big Club my ars*!!!!!!!!!!

[1864roverite]

....Cheer up alan shearer, oh what can it mean???????

[Baz]

Comedy gold from the Villa fans

Click Here

[1864roverite]

Bi Al and the barcodes are even getting it in the darts !

Anyone else listening to the chanting whilst the final is on ?

[RevidgeBlue]

New beer out on the market today............... Newcastle Down Ale.

Alan Shearer - the worst caretaker since Ian Huntley.

Feel free to add any more..........

[Steve Moss]

I've never understood these comments about people wanting pretty football. In my mind, its a lot like admiring a sports car for its shiny frame, but never mind the weak engine. Its the points that matter, not the style.

[TimmyJimmy]

so Newcastle - from rivals to figures of derision and Burnley - from figures of derision to rivals - but reassuringly still figures of derision. They have that certain je ne sais quoi that Newcastle lacked. The geordies were always up themselves whilst Burnley have always been up their nearest relatives.

[thenodrog]

so Newcastle - from rivals to figures of derision and Burnley - from figures of derision to rivals - but reassuringly still figures of derision. They have that certain je ne sais quoi that Newcastle lacked. The geordies were always up themselves whilst Burnley have always been up their nearest relatives.

Very perceptive.

[The Prof.]

Were you happy with the quality of football on offer this season ? - Yes or no will do fine.

Considering the the circumstances I am utterly delirious! Premiership football next season TSL!

i heard that, i was trying to guess who they would be i guessed the likely ones and got up to about 8 players martins,viduka,owen,butt,duff,barton,colocinni,smith.............then that means that 7 real real poor players like nolan and taylor ang gerimi must be on mega money.

they are so screwed and its ridiculously funny

You've got 10 - for the life of me I can't think of anyone else who comes close.

Would you rather we played attractive football and lost more games, or didnt play pretty and won more games?

If we start putting quality of football above results we'll end up going the way of Newcastle United.

There is no better feeling and nothing more enjoyable than seeing your team win. Those who put a huge value on us playing samba football with the resources we have are both unrealistic and are pandering to the media since us winning with Sam's brand of football is hardly going to win us friends with the neutrals. But screw them.

I thought we were playing Samba football the last few weeks!

I actually think we've tried to play football but Samba has given us a priceless out ball which takes the pressure off when needed. It has been mixed up more rather than just hoofball.

[joey_big_nose]

Comedy gold from the Villa fans

Click Here

Awesome.

Apparently Shearer wants thirty million transfer budget?! In the Championship? When they need to slash 30 million from their wage budget to break even!?

Delusion is not just in the realm of the fans it would seem.....