Do those of you starting the new threads this morning think you are doing anybody a favour? "Laughing Mackems", "Eight Points" needed to avoid the drop, etc etc.

For God's sake pull youself together. Some of you would have hoyed in the towel at Dunkirk for sure. We got knocked out of the Cup. Our team was ravaged with injuries and suspensions, and to cap that we lost Speed, an absolute mainstay of the side at half time. We still gave them a match and lost to a single jammy miskick. The result at Palace has absolutely no bearing or relevance to this and there is no point in wallowing in that as well as our own disappointment.

There were several predictions before the game that we would lose, predictions made on the grounds that with reduced expectation the disappointment would be less. Hah! Do those of you who expected defeat feel better than those who remained positive? I doubt it. So you felt bad before the game and now you feel bad after it. When will you learn?

The best post of the morning - just about the only decent one - comes from Min on the "This just about sums up our lives" thread.

I'm amazed...surely the doom and gloom on here this morning is a bit OTT? ...We have had more than our fair share of injuries, more than our fair share of bad luck and been badly let down by players [contracts, AWOL etc]. Now lets get on with it. Heads down and dig in...yesterday was yesterday. We're 7th in the league and I fully expect that YBR knows what we've got to do, how to do it and who he can rely on...Whatever they can throw at us, let them try. Then let them try again. Sometimes you just have to take the shite that comes your way and keep your heads up and get through it. If gritting my teeth and singing my heart out week in, week out is what it takes, then i'll do it. I can't play so i do the next best thing. When it finally arrives, those victories will be all the sweeter for days like these.

Well said Min. This is the only attitude to adopt in times of adversity. Anything else is counter-productive and actually contributes to the problem by reducing the morale of fans which will translate into reduced morale of players. So STOP WALLOWING in grief - it doesn't help.

That is not to say that we should not engage in constructive criticism. Player purchases, team selection, substitions, player performances, tactics, formations etc, are all matters for debate, criticism etc, but slagging off club staff or simply wallowing in our own misfortune is pathetic and helps nobody.

Haway the Lads - New-cass-ell U-ni-ted will ne-ver be defeated - the indomitable Geordie spirit cannot be extinguished. Get a grip and let's lift the tone on here.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Answers

thanks jonno, you had the time to put into words what i was thinking

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Sorry, Jonno: I was there and I feel genuine grief. For the lovely lads who were playing their hearts out and wouldn't have won if we'd played all year and for the lovely fans who turned out on a miserable night and sang their hearts out. Sorry, but that touches me. Sorry of that offends you but grieving is part of being a fan in the same way as being overjoyed because we go first after three games is being a fan. And I'll support them ever more, too.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

From what I've seen on here this morning there certainly has been a great deal of criticism but I would add that the majority is constructive and attempts to offer solutions to the problems.

I don't see too many wallowing in self-pity, there's a bit more character on here than that.

It cannot be said that everything is rosy at the club and to hide ourselves in a cocoon until the Leeds match would leave this BBS dead and buried.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

And what's more, unless you've turned Makem, it's Howay the lads.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Thanks, DB. I couldn't agree more with you.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Dougal - read what I said.

I feel grief - I'd be surprised if anyone doesn't. What I won't do is wallow in that grief and lower the mood of others. I can't, for the life of me, see what the point is in a "Laughing Mackems" thread and I won't contribute to it as I want it sinking to the bottom ASAP. We're out the Cup. It's happened, sooner or later, in all of the last 40 FA Cups I've taken an interest in. Deal with it and move on. The next match is always more important.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

That's true, Jonno, but after three coming up at once, you can't help thinking that it'll be another long wait..:))

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Saw ya on the telly Dougal...picked ya out quite easily....well it wasn't hard was it?

:-)

Yer making me fel sorry for Bobby Robson now...he looked sad as hell last night.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

On the contrary I thought although Robson looked pissed off he looked in better health last night than he has for a while. Relishing the battle? He still has a long way to go before he can say he looks as haggered as the Imperial Lord Ferg.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

No way DB.....when Robson joined NUFC he looked fresh....now he looks like death warmed up. I don't wanna dog Robson by the way..I have a lot of time for the fella...I just think he's gone a bridge too far taking on you lot. You need a new start with a young man. Imagine what Martin O'Neil could have done with ya?

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Phew! for a moment I thought that the title of this thread referred to us trying to sign Sven-Goran's right-hand man.

But could a blerk called "Tord" survive in the Toon? Suppose he could always join that well-known firm of Newcastle solicitors - Hadaway & Cacky.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Bollocks!! I have to agree with LR. Watching the rerun now on Foxtel and Bobby does look a bit peaky!

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Actually Martin O'Neill was mooted at the time of Gullit's resignation.. LR, the problem is that Bobby is a supporter of the club and as well as feeling managerly disappointment, he feels every loss the same as we do. He also feels the delight when we do well, hence that leap onto Mick Wadsworth's back when we scored against you lot.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Good old Mick Wadswoth, always offering support for Bobby at the right time. Could Steve Clarke have handled that pressure?

Maybe that's why Bobby got rid of him. He took him into his office and jumped on hisback and Clarke collapsed, Bobby thought if you can't do it for me here, I'm not embarrassing myslef when we equalise against Newton Heath, I@m afraid I'm gonna have to let you go.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Actually it was John Carver's back he jumped on! ;-)

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Like I said Douggie...not doggin' the bloke....interesting line though, on being a "supporter"....I wonder how Sven would feel if (when) Sweden play us next in a match that matters.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

I saw Sven Goran Mobile Phone on the telly last night and thought he looked like Montgomery Burns!!! Anyone else!?

Taking the job is all an evil ploy to rid England of a football team so he can use the funds to build a nuclear power plan at Wembley, have you seen the project has been delayed again, no wonder!!

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

"but slagging off club staff or simply wallowing in our own misfortune is pathetic and helps nobody"

I disagree - your memory may be shorter than mine, but during the Dalglish era it was for many of us all we had to cling on to.

I do agree, however, that dragging Sunderland into the equation is not particularly relevant. We shalln't be playing Sunderland in any later round - so what does it matter.

So does Tor have a brother who you feel can help us then? :-)

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

I don't believe it's losing an FAC tie to Villa that's hurting and depressing everyone Jonno - we're all far to used to that particular scenario.

Maybe I should speak purely for myself here, but what is really brassing me off, not to say worrying me, is the thought of a 67 year-old Geordie fanatic, called Bobby Robson, constantly rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic, while our Board perform their Nero impression.

It's been perfectly clear for weeks to everyone prepared to open their eyes that we need to get a couple of players in to sustain our season - to assist in another FA Cup run, to sustain achallenge for a UEFA Cup position, and ensure we avoid the worst case scenario of getting dragged into a relgation scrap

These same people understand the Club's difficult financial position, and fully respect FS's difficulties with regard to the future of the transfer system. However, they also believe management's job is to manage, and as our situation has continued to deteriorate they are becoming increasingly perplexed by management's continuing apparent inactivity in addressing very obvious problems. IMO the fans are bordering on real anger.

We've watched in frustration as numerous players who could have materially helped us out in the short term change Clubs for not huge amounts of money - players like Colin Hendry moved on a FT, Dean Sturridge has been made available for £300k, etc. etc.

There are times when management must consider non-ideal actions purely to safeguard the short-term, and ensure there is a viable long-term worth protecting - ours seem to be sitting on their hands simply hoping and praying BR can get us through the present situation.

Frankly, that isn't good enough, and the peeps are becoming increasingly worried and frustrated. That's what is going on.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Humble pie eaten over negative threads - but an isolated Geordie, faced by two mackems, EVERY day and no support dont help.

Lost my original posting re Jonno's thread - but still feel a tad down. Need another night a WHL. Despite the result, left feeling proud again.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

yes people get a grip.

it's not as if this was unexpected. sure we could have got lucky in the draw -some soft home games against NW opposition- but injuries have dictated that this is not our year.

best thing that can happen now is 8 quick points to give bobby to latitude to play a few more kids, and allow some of the new players to settle in a bit.

buying journeyman strikers from wimbledon is a crap idea - who cares if we finish 8th instead of 12th- because it will limit the kids chances and we'll still have them on our books next season along with their 500k wages. and the all the other journeymen much adored on this bbs.

i know its frustrating, but that's life, roll on august -from a footie perpective that is.-

also, get off the backs of the legions of underachieving foriegners, they'll get better when they settle into the PL and when injuries afford NUFC a consistent way of playing.

thoughts?

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Gibbo & Clarky

I don't think we disagree in this respect.

Gibbo, Dalglish was the subject of constructive criticism not meaningless slagging off - it was blatantly obvious to all that he had to go and that he had destroyed a dream. Some of us woke up later than others (like me for example).

Clarky, again what you offer is constructive criticism. That's fine. I happen to disagree with you slightly on the nature of that criticism but that's what makes for an interesting debate. IMHO we lost last night not because we had failed to buy a striker, but more because on top of an already disastrous injury list, we lost 2 absolutely key midfielders just before the match (how many goals AND assists for Nobby and Dyer in recent games?) and a third VITAL midfielder during the game. Very few clubs have the resources to cope with that level of misfortune.

I happen to think that management is probably right to exercise financial caution at the present time. (Transfer uncertainty and heavy debt). YBR has already spent £15m and we have little to show for that as yet. That's no criticism of Bobby - just that some of his buys are not yet ready and some are injured. Other teams get buy on a shoestring (notably Ipswich, Leicester) and I see no reason why this squad can't give an excellent account of itself in the remaining weeks of the season, providing the injury jinx doesn't bite even deeper.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

I disagree, Jonno: I used to agree but the parsimony will be shown up for stupidity when we can't sell all our tickets next season and if we face a relegation battle. If you had to get to work and your car broke down, would you stay off work until the price of repairs got cheaper?

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

>>when we can't sell all our tickets next season

Personally I'd rather sit in SJP surrounded by 40,000 Geordies who love their club unconditionally, than in a capacity crowd which includes 10,000 stiffs who will feck off as soon as results take a turn for the worse. Let 'em walk

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

That's fine Loony - but we happen to need to revenue from the "stiffs" to be able to make the debt repayments on the stadium extension - that's the real point of Dougal's concern.

Jonno,

I do understand and appreciate FS's problems, and I'm not suggesting throwing multi-millions of pounds at it. I'm talking of bringing in a couple of players like Colin Hendry and Dean Sturridge or Marcus Gayle for not a not of money as a temporary expedient to support the existing squad, and enable us to rest players like Aaron Hughes occasionally, to ensure we don't get dragged into a relegation scrap, and more hopefully sustain a drive for UEFA Cup place.

Call it a cheap insurance policy, and believe me without it we are taking extraordinary risks. What I'm talking about is prudent management as opposed to 'crossed fingers' a management that is relying exclusively on a wing and a prayer.

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2001

seems to me that buying players like CH, DS or MG is like buying cheap second-hand parts to fix your car for a few more miles, with no guarantee of how far you're going to get. At least with the young uns you get a better idea of where you'll be in six months time.

You don't buy mediocrity and expect to do well. The quality players that are out there are too expensive or won't join. Answer: play the youngsters and sod the journeymen money-grabbers.

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2001