Newcastle have bought the remainder of his contract, pruning more of the periphalry. He was a strange signing in the first place, I could never work out why we would need someone who could not get into an average Spurs 1st side. How many of Kenny's heroes are left now?

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

Answers

Interesting article in the Journal, defending Carl Serrant. It basically says that he has been injured for the duration of his time here and he shouldn't be classed in the same league as misfits Brady and Hamilton.

On the times I've seen him he has looked very average and there was THAT Everton game!!

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

I'm surprised at all the negative press with regards to Serrant ( I have never seen him play and by the sounds of it I wouldn't want to). But when we signed him he was raved about in the press as a future left back for England. And wasn't he included in an England squad soon after we signed him. Perhaps if he'd not suffered from the curse of St James he may have had a chance.

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

>>>>>How many of Kenny's heroes are left now?

Surprisingly, quite a few of Kenny's heroes came good after he left, some of them because they started to be selected in their best positions

The list includes stalwarts like Speed, Nobby, Given, Dabizas, Griffin and hopefuls like Coppinger. On the down side there is still Hamilton. I'll leave Serrant in the "undecided" category in light of the injury stories mentioned above. I think the signing of the Caldwells may have been down to Kenny as well. There may be others lurking away in the nether reaches of the payroll that I have forgotten about. Selective amnesia can be a great way of relieving stress.

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

I suppose it could be generally said that Dalglish bought good players who had a terrific attitude to the game, whereas Gullit bought excellent players with the wrong attitude, with the exception of Dyer!

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

Perez, Tommasson, Andersson, [Ketsbaia], Guivarch.

Great attitude and application all....

;)

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

Interesting comment at the training ground last week from a guy who works for the club....not in any form of management capacity I should add! He said Andrea was actually excellent in training, but seemed to always bottle it on match days. He never could understand that.

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

it was that floppy hair & head band - put him off balance.

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

To be honest, Bobby Robson's signings to date have been as bad as Dalglish's. Acuna is canny

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

Goodness me - Min - let's not have Ketsbaia (my Lord) mentioned in the same sentence as these other ne'er-do-wells. Kets did a great job for us and scored some priceless goals - including the one that got us the Barca fixture. I was sorry to see him go but the time had come. And we did make some money on the deal.

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

..hence the [............]

I always felt that he did some good things and his kicking the advertising boards signalled his heart was in the right place...but i've got me doubts when you think of the players TSM released to bring Kets in...

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

I was reading Rob Lee's book & he defended Kenny. He said he did well to re-introduce the reserves, he had to really, otherwise there was nowhere for his signings to play.

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

So if Dalglish didn't have to spend the time re-building the reserve side would he have made a better job of the first team. We'll never know!

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

There was also Didi Hamann. - Great player but prize tosser. At least we made 2Mill out of the wastrel.

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

Much of the criticism of Cerrant is unfair and misguided, and I've never really understood it. Surely, giving way one penalty is hardly grounds for such vehement criticism - and if I remember correctly, he was actually playing OK in that game before that.
He came here lauded as one the most talented young players in the country, and hasn't really had a fair chance.
I bumped into him on one of the Wembley visits and he seeemd a real nice lad. I'd love to see this guy finally get over his injury problems, and make a lot of people eat crow.

Guivarc'h is another one who IMO is ridiculed unfairly - what possible chance at SJP did he have to show what he could do? I've always felt he was damned before he even came here for his failings in the World Cup, and then for being one of TSM later signings. Having said that, he was French I suppose! ;-{) and Guivarc'h

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

I've heard the bairns really like him, too. I know that Liverpool were gutted not to sign him when we signed him...

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

It almost as though someone at SJP has to be "it" at any point in time, Dougal. If Dessie Hamilton finally departs, Cerrant will be the only "it" left. At least Dessie earned his 'title' on the playing field.

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

Guivarch v Coventry. One of his few starts. The one that we won 5-1. With him and Gillespie in the team, we scored 5 goals with 9 players. Never seen two players look less interested or willing to play.

Hamilton v Reading pre season. Hamilton - totally clueless. Positioning sense nil, passing ability nil. For a midfielder, i could've done a better job. Serrant wasn't much better either.

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

Completely agree. I was at the Reading match. Hamilton was playing in the center of midfield. I watched him very closely. He passed the ball to someone then inexplicably jogged to the right touchline. The ball broke and he was totaly out of position. They scored from it. He had no reason to wander out of position. He wasn't lured out to mark a player or chase the ball. Strangest thing I've ever seem a professional footballer do. What a clown.

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

frightening that first half wasn't it Nick? Shouldn't really be surprised at what followed after that. I remember Gullit getting to the edge of the area and us lot shouting: "SHOOT, forchrissake, SHOOT!"

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2001

If I remember correctly, Serrant was also playing in that pre-season friendly, and looked quite classy in comparison to what else there was on show.

-- Anonymous, January 16, 2001

Gullit played Serrant almost as a winger against Celtic and he was the only one of our players who seemed to be able to trap a ball less than 5 yards or wanted to pass to someone on the same side. YBR has only brought him on after we were 2-0 and a player down at Birmingham last season, if memory serves me correctly.

It is also undeniably true that Stuart Pearce used to call him "Knobhead" when he wanted his attention in the reserves...

-- Anonymous, January 16, 2001

I remember seeing Hamilton scoring a goal for the first team. League cup against Hull City a few years ago. I think Rush scored as well. Good players them two.

I have to admit though that toon fans like to have a first teamer to critisize, along with a reserve player to take the piss out of. Not sure why this is the case but at the moment we have Marthelino as the "it". If he goes he'll probably tag "Barton" who's been an "it" on a few occasions, then again Given or Cort sould be tagged. As for the reserves, If Serrant should go then who will be next? Gavilan? Karelse? or An Other?

-- Anonymous, January 16, 2001

I'd hate to see people getting on Wozza's back (which a number in the Leazes were on Saturday). Actually, I'm not sure that being "it" is any worse than the blind indifference that characterises our treatment of most players other than Alan Shearer.

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2001