I have to apologise in advance. Each time I come on here I appear to be the harbinger of doom. Living so far away it's difficult not to become pessimistic about the way the club is being run. But, at the moment, I get the impression that the management's primary goal is to shape the fans' perceptions of the club, its management and its future. It's as if they realise they have got us into a position from which it's difficult to move forward, so their energies are directed towards convincing us to think otherwise.

It seems the primary management skills in running NUFC is that of containing revolt. Players unhappy with the lack of ambition, and with poor training and medical facilities, look around to get away. When they do go they make their feelings known, but rather than attend to the problem the management settle instead for shooting the messenger, declaring abruptly that if anyone doesn't want to play for Newcastle they can just sod off.

But at the same time management have to deal with the other potential revolt, this time amongst the fans. Over the past few weeks we appear to have been the targets of a similar strategy: don't deal with the problems, just reshape the perceptions. Then, the problem will just go away. After a season in which the management admitted they were content to aim just for mid-table mediocrity we are told that next season all will be different. Douglas Hall declares that he will come in from the cold and invest 100 million. BR assures us that no player is beyond us, because as a footballing giant we can still attract the best. Even the NTL site appears to have got in on the act with proud boasts, like "The future's bright, the future's black and white." And just to keep them onboard the fans are offered the blandishments of frozen season ticket prices.

But, tell me, why should top-class players come to NUFC? We hear talk about Guardiola coming, but his agent says this is very unlikely: he says, "This player has already had a lot of approaches from teams in England and Italy - teams who play in Europe… But it is very, very difficult for (Newcastle) to get this player…because of money, because of their location and because of their position in football." TeamTalk report that Arsenal, who will almost certainly be in the Champions League next season, are understood to be Guardiola's preferred destination.

Any top-class player of his age wouldn't give us a thought. He has say four or five years left at the top, so he wants to win trophies in the top European competitions. We are not in Europe and at the end of next season won't have been for two seasons. Last November, when we were out of the Worthington Cup, facing a difficult tie in the FA Cup, and slipping down the league table, the board knew with our injuries and no depth of cover, we would not get into Europe without signing new players. But, as David Stonehouse, Newcastle's chief executive, said in February, this wasn't our intention anyway: "We do not have to get into the Champions League, mid-table stability is more important and we will cut our cloth accordingly." We were aiming just at mid-table mediocrity. So, for each of the players we have in mind it is far better for them to go to those clubs who are in European competitions, which means there are about 30 to 40 clubs ahead of us.

Add to that the fact that even in the Premier League, as we have marked time over the last three to four seasons with no plan or ambition, beyond bare survival, other clubs have moved ahead. We are now probably five years behind Liverpool, Arsenal and Leeds, not to mention Man. Utd. In other words, players like Guardiola would have to accept that over the next five years at least he cannot expect to win anything: he's there just to lend a hand in building a decent side again. It's all too easy to assume that sides are built by the chequebook alone, that all we have to do is go out and buy a few good players and we will be there again next season, challenging for honours. Look at Liverpool - it's taken about four to five years to rebuild the side. The same is true of Arsenal. Indeed the same was true of us under KK.

I hope I'm wrong about this. But when it was decided in November not to go into the transfer market to improve the side and give us cover up front, it was accepted that we would have to abandon our ambitions to get into Europe. With that we have to accept that it will be very difficult indeed to attract players of real quality to a side that is not good enough to get into Europe, that is languishing at the bottom of the Premier League, and has been fighting for its survival for the last four seasons. We have very little to offer beyond the most loyal and committed fans in Europe, a good, though average sized stadium for Europe, and a well-respected manager - although even this is not a real draw, given the fact that BR will retire in two years and will be gone back to Portugal and retirement. So any player will be coming knowing that the club will be managed by someone else other than BR for most of their contract with the club.

No, what we're seeing at the moment from those in charge is revolt management: a chimera of hope is being offered to reshape our perceptions of a future that is not likely to be a lot different than it has been for the last four years. As one City analyst said: "The club is treading water and it needs somebody to come and put in money to take it forward."

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2001

Answers

Some interesting points I am sure there are those here who will answer at length.

I would like to add a couple of points.

I do not want anyone who does not want to play for us. If they cannot see the potential or want to be part of forming a great team so be it. I see no difference in the mercenary attitude of the ones we have just got shot of and the statements coming from Guardiola and some of the others mentioned.

We and the press are the ones naming names of players. I have not seen nor heard of the club saying we are after X. All the transfer speculation is just that. Therefore in answer to your original question is yes they are pipe dreams. As was mentioned earlier the statements made by the club revolved around us being able to attract players "such as Guardiola Rivaldo etc"

The press have reported the club as saying we have X amount available over the next whatever period it was. The concept of some tasty targets is worth holding onto though.

Where are U in OZ Bryan?

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2001

I like the term revolt management, man the corporate hostility suites, we got a siege on our hands. Couple of points Brian, if a player comes to Newcastle I would suggest that his character has been vetted, we know he will be payed well, he and his family will have had a tour of the locality and schools, will have seen the training and medical facilities, the stadium , will have been pictured holding the shirt and clutching his heart and in pre talks with the manager be aware of the clubs ambitions. If he walks out a year later and brings to light issues listed above I do not expect the Board to react to his points, academy`s and training venues should be listed as part of 3/5 year plan. We cannot help the weather either but if a ex-player has a gripe (Goma)? about the training methods I would be worried.

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2001

I have it from a very good inside source at the club that sadly we won't now be signing Sami Hyppia from the Scousers. Apparently he was keen to join, but was wanting an apology for being turned down by NUFC the first time around when he was with us on trial.

The good news however is that our biggest signing is expected to be another Scandinavian, the cultured forward Frank Pingel, returning for a second spell at the club.

Fans are reminded that a limited number of prime-view seats are still available each matchday.

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2001

Each time I come on here I appear to be the harbinger of doom. Don't worry about it, Bryan, you harbinge away. Sometimes I think I'm the lone voice of pessimism in a bbs of hopeless positivity! Guardiola - apparently agreeing to go to Parma, on the proviso he can change his mind if Parma fail to qualify for CL. Somehow I don't think he's coming here.
Transfers: It's funny how the public mood seems to change. Gullit and Dalglish supposedly wasted all the club's cash (I say supposedly as some people want to pin Marcelino on Gullit but forget he signed Dyer, or hang Guivarc'h et al around KD's neck and forget about Solano...yes, I'm still defending them!). So the punters were sick of big-money foreign wasters by the time YBR arrived and were ready for the long-term, bring the local lads through, might be three years before we're back in Europe approach. A few months on and it's back to the please splash the cash approach. And the worst thing is, the board seem complicit in this. Douglas Hall's comments the other week depressed the hell out of me. He went on about how we can sign anyone in the world having criticised other clubs for spending 'crazy money'. He mocked Sunderland for failing to sign Koller and then said 'could we sign him if we wanted him? Or course we could'. Grow up you prick. Is it any wonder the City has no confidence in NUFC plc with unsophisticated rubbish like that in the boardroom? I'm in the minority that thinks football clubs SHOULD be run by businessmen, not fans. Would the board ever bring in a manager like Wenger or Houllier? Of course not, cos they've never heard of them. They're not in Freddie's Panini sticker book of big-name football managers. That's why we get KD and RG, and probably Peter Beardsley next. Primitive thinking.
And YBR, I'm afraid, may come into the same category. Imagine, say, Souness had been appointed instead of Robson. Imagine he'd appointed the same staff, bought the same players and got the same results. They'd be baying for his blood by now. Hands tied in the transfer market? You've spent about £15m, Bob - how much have George Burley or Alan Curbishley spent?


-- Anonymous, April 19, 2001

Bit unfair on YBR Re: £15M spent Dan....remember he's brought in over £20M while selling some dross into the bargain. Other points raised on this thread however are alarmingly accurate; there are too many clubs with too much money chasing a seemingly ever decreasing pool of quality players. For Newcastle read Villa, Spurs and Boro, not to mention all the largish European Clubs who are vying for anyone half decent. Look at the abuse old monkey-heed is getting from the great unwashed for not strenghthening when the mackems were in 2nd place; I actually applaud Peyter for his stance, he won't sign players just for the sake of it - they've got to be right for the team. Trouble is, the big stars will always gravitate to the big clubs, and if we're totally honest we don't really fit into that category any longer.

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2001

I don't expect us to make any notable 'world class' signings in the pre-season. Most of our signings will come from the Nationwide league.

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2001

As long as we have training facilities where you have to dodge the Dog sh1t we are never going to attract the better players. Some must come look at the facilities and p*** themsleves laughing. So what do we do , we invest in youngsters whats happening with the youth setup by the way?????

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2001

Don't think I'm being too harsh on Bobby. If he could start again do you think he'd sign Cordone? Lua Lua (time will tell,but...)? Bassedas even?

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2001

"...... I think I'm the lone voice of pessimism in a bbs of hopeless positivity ........"

Strikes me you should a few more threads Dan if you really believe that statement. This is a fan bulletin board, and fans by nature wish to accentuate the positive surrounding their Club.
However, there are also a number of older f@rts on here like moi who try to provide balance to the discussions to ensure some semblance of realism. The great thing about this bbs is that the inveterate optimists happily debate issues with what I would prefer to call the realists.

If you really think everything has been sunshine & light and on here recently regarding everything to do with NUFC, then I can only assume you've been reading a board in a parallel universe.

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2001

Why does this site now always require two attempts to close html tags?

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2001

Why are some of you concerned about signings from the Nationwide League? That's where Dyer came from. That's where most of the current Ipswich team came from. I'm all in favour of getting the best the Nationwide has to offer rather than foreigners who don't understand.

If you want the best young striker in the Nationwide get Dean Ashton from Crewe - only 17 and a huge talent - but get in quick because Liverpool are sniffing. And how about Neil Harris from Millwall? He'll score from anywhere.

If you want a midfielder (apart from Lee Clark) get David Dunn from Blackburn. Central defender? Darren Purse is good at Birmingham but he's got a bit of a temper. There are plenty of very good players in the First and even the Second Divisions. With the uncertainty remaining over the transfer system still, they might even come at a reasonable price.

I WANT Bobby to buy UK players rather than comparable foreign players and I want a proper youth development structure so that Shola Ameobi and his like are the norm, not the exception.

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2001

clarky-
just exaggerating to make a point, mate. Certainly a couple of months ago, after the win at Leeds I think (ha ha - how suspect does that form line look now?!)I was roundly booed for suggesting all in the garden was not rosy. Jonno called my thinking 'perverse'. Granted, he was also referring to my dogged defence of Dalglish, but he also spoke for the bbs majority when he said 'we're good and getting better'. I fear he may have been wrong on both counts. I'm pessimistic about the board, the manager and the players. However, I also love the club which I've followed for over 20 years and want us to win things. Frenz, we all on the same side!

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2001