RIK

WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOUT???

"STICK WITH SHEARER, CORT ETC."

IT'S TIME TO FACE FACTS LADS, SHEARER MUST BE DROPPED. HOW IS IT THAT HE SEEMS GO GET SOME DIVINE RIGHT TO BE IN THE TEAM NO MATTER HOW BAD HE IS PLAYING. SHEARER JUST DOESN'T LOOK INTERESTED AND I KNOW THAT YOU LOT WILL SAY "GIVE HIM CHANCES, HE'S OUR BEST PLAYER BLAR BLAR BLAR" BUT LETS FACE IT, THE MAN HAS LOST IT!. ANOTHER THING THAT PISSES ME OFF IS THE FACT THAT WHEN SAY GRIFFIN LOST THE BALL TODAY, THE FANS WENT BALLISTIC AND STARTED SHOUTING AT HIM BUT WHEN SHEARER HOPELESSLY KICKED THE BALL OUT OF PLAY THE FANS APPLAUDED HIM?!. YES, THE MAN IS A GOD, DON'T GET ME WRONG I LOVE HIM TO BITS BUT IF HE ISN'T PERFORMING LIKE ANY OTHER PLAYER, HE SHOULD BE DROPPED.I KNOW HE WASN'T THE ONLY ONE THAT UNDER PERFORMED TODAY BUT HE'S BEEN PLAYING LIKE THIS FOR WEEKS.

I'D REALLY LIKE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS AND I KNOW I'M USING CAPITALS BUT I REALLY FEEL SO STRONGLY ABOUT THIS.

KARL

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2000

Answers

If we had not have sold 38000 tickets for the frank worthington cup game YBR may have rested some of the first team players and they would have been on fire today. We sold the ticks and that made for an unbelievable sluggish start to the game.

That was why we lost. Charlton did what most teams hoping to stay in the premier do !!! Put out a load of shit in the midweek game (which they lost to Stoke by the way) and come to St James with a plan. This is what Sheff Weds and Soton did last season and we sent them home humiliated.

Leeds have lost at home to Ipswich and Man City , Liverpool cant beat the Mackems and Man U's defense resembles the KK one that almost won the league. TRUST HIM!!!

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2000

It's something I think everyone at NUFC are scared of thinking, but I agree it's going to have to happen some time, as with Rush at Liverpool for example. However, although he's not playing well at the moment he still did more today in terms of creating than any other midfielder. The question has to be, if Shearer is left out, can we trust Cort +1 to do any better? Based on only 25 minutes of Lua Lua, maybe, but Gallagher, Cordone or one of the kids isn't going to improve things.

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2000

Karl, if I read Rik correctly he did not state "Stick with Shearer, Cort etc", he asked the question, do we, he inserted a ? so I guess it was up for discussion. I started a thread "No 9 shirt, The Myth"- thought there may have been a debates on that one but some you win etc. I will add this though and this agrees with yourself, and remember I like/ed Shearer, for over a year now I would say the majority of the country football supporters have voiced thatAl is a spent force, we have largely resisted this and as supporters this is highly commendable, I ask can they be right and we letting the heart rule the head be wrong, followed the Toon for a long time now and I repeat the No 9 Shirt can be a millstone, we should be looking further forward as a club, folk lore aint gonna do that.

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2000

Am I reading this correctly, Cos they played on Wednesday they were sluggish and made an unbelievable start to the game.!!!! 3 races in a week by Pinsent and co did not affect them did it, in a more demanding sport, footballers in most cases are the worlds worst fitness trainers, and in Newcastle`s case I feel they are in running for the title, a tour of the States and 2 hours at the River- Side does not in my view constitute a professional outlook and it is a well known fact that Shearer is a bad trainer, catches up with you in the end, when your at a age you should be peaking, instead you are puking. Steph goes to the Riverside, I would be interested if she would do a breakdown of a typical training session she has attended where there was no mid week game to consider -: time arrive,time initial warm up and stretching, time spent on sprints, shuttles etc, stamina training, time spent on group work with ball, length of session, warm down, shower and depart, bookies or golf course? 50,000 at game, nah I cannot accept that they should be sluggish, hand on heart big no 9 can you? btw welcome to the forum

-- Anonymous, September 23, 2000

I know know one likes to mention Fowler but as he's back to fitness he will not fancy playing second fiddle to Owen & Hesky (that said, Hesky is injured again), if we could get the money for Shearer & get Fowler, I'd be more than happy. However, I suspect Lua Lua was persuaded by the fact he'd be learning from the main man.

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2000

RIK WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOUT???

"STICK WITH SHEARER, CORT ETC."

As Buff said,I think you read it wrong, I was asking, "what do you do with the team?

Everyone knows that we were poor against a fairly good Charlton team, but how would you change things?

This is what I would do

First of all the defence isn't that bad. ( I bet that goes down well). All defences let in goals, Look how many other defences have let in in recent weeks. Now that we are down to the last four fit ones Robson has the choice, He can panic buy, play the Caldwells or stick with what we have. We can hardly go out and buy Japp Stam, Gareth Southgate, Rio Ferdinand and Tony Adams now can we? So who would Robson buy? I don't know of any players that could be brought in that are available and better than what we have. As for the young Caldwells, If they are given a chance and make a cock up, as has been stated, It will ruin them, Remember David Beharall?

I would stick with what we have, for now, work with them, encourage them and wait for Barton and Goma to regain fitness. When all are fit I would play, Harper, Barton (left back) Hughes, Goma and Griffin (right back) with Domi and Charvet in reserve. In the meantime look for a promising centre back for the future, Perhaps this 6'7" Trinadadian could be brought into the squad, but players from that part of the world would surely need a work permit. So he isn't an instance option.

Midfield, We must have ten midfielders with first team expieriance, I don't think we need any more. What we do need is one of them to get hold of the left midfield position and make it his own. Things are always one sided in the middle. If this Lua Lua or LULU as we are reported to have nicknamed him, used to be a left winger, then get Wadsworth to convert him back to one. All our midfielders seem to want to play in the middle. Spread them out a bit. With the Orient game coming up I would use this chance to experiment. Stick Lee in the middle for stability, Put Lua Lua on the left, Try Gavilan on the right and give Gallacher the other midfield birth. That would certainly shake up Speed, Solano and Dyer, who run around in circles wondering who to pass to.

Up front is a massive problem. Shearer is going through a bad spell, he looks awfull at the moment. I would give him a few weeks off. Announce that he has an injury, then send him off on a holiday to recharge his batteries. Cort hasn't looked brilliant, but he's still young and was very expensive, he has to be given a chance. Next to him I would play Cordone, who looks really threatening when playing up front, but poor in midfield. He's a striker not a midfielder and if Robson plays Cordone, Shearer and Cort, then we suffer in midfield. Ameobi and Coppinger also have a few tricks up their sleaves and goals in their boots, get them on the bench and give them another chance.

Ok Lads, your turn.

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2000

You are cordially invited to see and respond tomy comments on the above.....see 'listen to yourselves!...

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2000

You are cordially invited to see and respond to my comments on the above.....see 'listen to yourselves!...

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2000

>>>Steph goes to the Riverside, I would be interested if she would do a breakdown .......length of session, warm down, shower and depart,.......

Sorry Buff, they won't let me in the showers! ;-)

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2000

How do you know, Steph? Can I take it you've tried??? If so, just how long is it?

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2000

Depends which player you're looking at!! ;-)

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2000

Loo, how bad a player do you think he has become since May? Hold your horses - he'll score a load soon.

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2000