are vehemently condemned as an effective outlet in response to the clubs transfer dealings so far.

Honestly, the majority of people on here are a few spots short on grey matter!!! Come on, have faith, the fact is, at one point last season we were top six!!!! Injuries happen and can quickly devestate a side if they mount up.

I honestly believe that our starting lineup is as good as any in the country. If Shola comes along, as well as Bassedas and the Caldwell boys we are going to be strong and deep!

Now I'd love to see a MAJOR signing, and if it happens GREAT, but believe me... if it doesn't , you can bet yer sweet arses I'm not going go off about it.

I said before, we are not a club that can spend £50m at the drop of a hat (anymore). Some believe that is the only way to be competitive, I say look at Ipswich, for example and take heart in the fact that it can be done!!!

Let the club take care of the business. Get behind the lads....say yer friggin prayers, whatever, but be done with this ridiculous "WE'RE DOOMED" bag of SHITE!!!!

Nuff said!

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2001

Answers

Well said bonny lad! if shola and the caldwell boys do the buisness but we need strenght now to get back into europe now and be able to spend again, it all creates money in the long run and gets the fans off the teams back.I agree if we stay healthy we have a good starting line up but it is a big if and i could not handle finishing below the mackems again

keeping the faith York Mag

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2001

Yeah, we were top after we beat Coventry away. Imagine if Bellamy had scored against us, though, we'd have to have settled for second. Tell us again how Keegan was a failure because we never ended up winning anything sparxx. I think I know who has been at the old wacky baccy tonight ;-)

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2001

We're shite and we may go down. Robson out.

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2001

Keeping a fit starting line up? Is there any chance, I dont think so.

Shearer, Dyer, Lee, Cort& Griffin - even Given and Harper join in, though thankfully at different times. Maybe Marcy felt he would feel more of a first team "regular" if he joined the other lads on the injury list.

However I dont believe - despite the smallness of our club crest - that we will finish outside the top 12 (sweet smell of success).

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2001

my thoughts on Keegan are shared by plenty oh Soft one, but unfortunately not everyone has the cajones to sit up and admit it. Hey... if the people on this BBS decide to blackball me because I dislike Keegan that's fine, but no one can EVER question my love for this team.

Anyway, the deal is this, just because we aren't out there spending the dosh a la Manure, Arse and the lot does not mean for a second we will not be competitive or successfull. Sure we are the second biggest club in England and I do believe one day our glory will come. I hope its this year. If it's not then that's got to be fine as well. Managers come and go, players come and go but the toon army passion will always remain, win lose or draw.

Those who are saying we are shite should turn their season ticket in and go support the mackems. Fairweather support is no support.

We will NEVER be shite....

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2001

I have already posted this on another thread, but what the hell!!!

Fer crying out loud!!!!!! At least let's let the season start before we doom and gloom ourselves to death. So what,no superstars have signed. All of us on this board have over the years taken great delight in slagging off the so called superstars from abroad. Bobby may be wrong in buying British, and buying young, but let's see what they can do. Oh..... OK then let's not. Let's fire Bobby and start all over again. Would you like a Dutchman, a Scotsman or perhaps a Swede or a Spaniard for a coach. Now I am not saying we have bought the best, or even paid a fair price for them, but let's judge them on the field, in Black and White before we sack everyone and become...............mackems or smogs. Fire away lads and lasses, no blindfold required

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2001

You aren't being black-balled for not worshipping Keegan, but your logic utterly escapes me when you slag off a manager who had us finish the season in the top 6 three times and laid the foundations for coming second again and yet now tell us we should be happy because we were in a top 6 position in the league briefly during the first half of last season and yet ended it in the bottom half. If I'm ever on death row and need someone to lodge an appeal on my behalf, don't bother waiting by the phone.

While we are on about only positive posters apparently being worthy of supporting the team, in what way is being deeply upset by the quality of players being brought into the club not caring about NUFC? Two sides of the same coin. I tried that optimism sh*t and still have nightmares about the amount of rope we gave Dalglish.

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Obviously that's just my slant.

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

sat in your camp john

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

You see Softie, that's what everyone thinks!!!! The PROBLEM with KEEGAN was that he QUIT!!! COMPOUNDED with that was the state he left us in TWICE!!!!!

I NEVER complained about how we played under Keegan, only that he QUIT, and didn't see through what he started!!!

Say what you will, Bobby Robson hasn't quit.

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Were you left by your father as a small boy? there must be a reason for you to be this scarred because he quit...

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

You know something Gav??? It was Softie brought up Keegan as a cheap shot attack at me because I am sick and tired of listening to him and others cry over the fact we haven't signed Rivaldo or whoever....

I will defend my honor to the end. The fact remains, if all you can do is whinge, especially without just cause then I suggest you need to take up tiddley winks. Losing is as m uch a part of sport as winning, and it's great to win, we all want to win, but to say we are going to be relegated, or going to be SHITE without just cause, is bliddy nonsense.....

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Apologies for the cheap shot on my part, I actually kinda like you (even i totally disagree with you about KK)...But I'd hardly say that we've no grounds for complaining after what we were served up last season...

I'm definitely worried about this coming season...even with our players fully fit early last season we looked poor although results hid that, I want to see players added that can address that, i'm not convinced that the ones we're adding are up to that although I'd agree that it's unrealistic of us to expect BIG stars....

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

I'm only going to say that I still thank KK for giving us brilliant football (2ce), and that I do get a little tired from time to time of the gloomy outlook echoed around these pages, especially as we've not even kicked a ball for 2001/02.

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Sparxx I've never once cried about not signing Rivaldo, I have been reduced to tears over spending 6.5mil on Bellamy with no other club showing the faintest interest in him. Is it right that we carry the cost for our disappointments in the transfer market and yet bail Coventry out? I don't think so.

Sorry you think it a cheap shot about Keegan, but in your words the man was a "loser". This when the argument had been put forward that finishing in the top 6 consistently was pretty successful in some people's eyes. For the man who considers that sort of performance to be that of a loser to then tell us that last season was pretty good because we were breiefly in the top 6 is somewhat contradictory, no?

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

If this side fails, then we have a right to complain. Last season we were without Cort/Dyer/Shearer for the majority of the year. We had players playing for us that had no right being on the pitch (Lua2 Cordone etc)but that is no longer the case. These players had to step up to the plate and to their credit, they didn't get us relegated. In fact they can only IMPROVE, by playing in the big time.

We can look forward to better things this season I believe because of 2 things, first YKD will score more, he has too, plain and simple. Secondly Alan and Carl will score more, simply by the fact that THEY HAVE TOO. If anyone believes for a minute that Alan won't score more than 7 goals this season is mad. Same for Dyer, Bobby wants him to get his shots, and he will, Bellamy can only help matters.

Secondly the midfield will be better. Speed Solano Bassedas Acuna and Lee all had to carry the load last season, and although I'm not a big Speed fan, they all did well. This is a definite plus!!!!

Lastly the defense. Dabs is back, Elliot too, Hughes Griffin hell even Wozza played well at times all bright stars for the future.

All that and the bairns Chopra and Offiong too... bet against us??? You'd be mad!!!!

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

I'd like to agree with you sparxx but unfortunately I had to watch that lot playing last season. Offiong and Chopra are at least 2 years from being worth a punt, trust me, I've seen them. If you go into next season blindly hoping that we won't have the usual catalogue of injuries then you are a fool to yourself. This hasn't been entirely down to bad luck as the suggestion that we might even advertise for a new medical staff tends to confirm. Last season was shockingly and unforgiveably poor. Injuries to players were taken as an excuse to lose. They didn't even get out of second gear. Management failed utterly to come up with a team formation the players were either capable of playing in or felt comfortable enough to trust, and seemed to lack the fundamental ability to inspire the team to do their best.

You say that Luax2 and Cordone should never have been called on and were only used because of injury. Sorry, but 2+mil for Lua Lua was daylight robbery if he is that far off the finished article and Cordone was borrowed specifically to fill in up front. The fact that Robson avoided playing the pair of them in favour of using others out of position says a lot about his faith in his own signings.

The carping and squabbling and downright insubordination at the training ground, not to mention the completely baffling training techniques, leave me with a cold feeling about the coming season. I say again that if somebody doesn't step right up and lend their backing to the Bellamy signing then you can expect fireworks by September.

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Having had time to digest the responses laid out by Softie, it comes as no surprise that we are at different ends of the spectrum. I could argue with the world about Keegan, fine he brought beautiful footie to St. James, but guess what he's now brought beautiful footie to Maine Road. If the contributors of this BBS miss him so much go down and watch him "rejeuvenate" City. He is history here and I for one am damn proud to see the back of him, but let that not take away that "GLORY" he brought us... I think I'll go and drool over all the championships.....

Second, the here and now. We have struggled for the last three years. Ask yourself why. Why aren't we bringing in BIG NAMES? Why aren't we spending £50m to keep up with Manure and Arse? Why aren't we in Europe....look in the mirror Keegan fans, you may not like what you see......

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

It's like listening to the Tories blaming the Labour government of 16 years before for the state of the nation :-D

I blame Moses.

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2001

Change the record man!! as Softie quite rightly said....what makes you think that we won't have the same injuries as last season or the season before that.....

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2001

Softie,

I hold your opinions in high regard but I'm not sure you are best suited to criticising the training methods used by the Management team.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2001

I remember when Cordone had just joined and he looked the part, he was elevated to superstar and the headlines read "You aint seen nothing yet" promising to set the world alight he fizzed and popped and looked all of the bargain basement buy that he was.

In simple terms you rarely pick up stars on the cheap, Beardsley being the obvious exception. I think Robson has managed as well as can be expected, he is bringing youngsters in to add to our own and although I doubt it's the quick fix a lot of contributors crave I belive we will benefit in the not too distant future. However I think there may be something in the Gallic whines about the training regime.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2001

DeB, I had the misfortune to attend the last training session. Complete bloody shambles.

Gentle jog and stretching routines, so far so good, followed by a kickabout during which Gavilan hit the ball right over the fence on 4 occasions, even getting the ball lodged behind the sattelite dish at the Riverside. Glass was played as a central midfielder and the only person who received any vocal instructions was Hidalgo on trial down the wing, and that was from the coaches: Bobby and Wadsworth keeping schtumm on the other side. Nothing much to worry about, business as usual except for the surreal use of Glass out of position.

The real problem came in the skills training. You might have thought that facing Villa with wide players and Dublin in the middle that we should perhaps just maybe have worked on defending corners and free kicks? No? Of course not, we worked on 1-on-1s against the keeper. Presumably this was our recognition of the fact that our entire midfield and defence evaporates when the opposition have the ball, so it was useful for the keepers. This system usually involves 3 players passing the ball down the pitch and one of them crossing for the other 2 to run in on. Not that day though. The wing backs and Solano and Glass each stood in a corner with Harper and Given each in a goal. Robson then told the reamaining outfield players to form 4 queues, 2 to the side of each goal, and take turns dribbling the ball from one end to the other, passing it out wide to the stationary wide players who hoofed it in for them to attack.

Unfortunately, the way that these instructions were given made virtually no sense at all. Nobody other than the keepers had a clue what was expected of them and general milling about ensued. By the time any rhythm was found and they had shaken themselves into some semblance of order, the flaws in the system became more and more apparent. Nobody was sure when it was their turn to try going up against the keeper. 2 of them were setting off but they got bollocked when they both went for it. The stationary crossers were receiving a ball with no accuracy, despite being aimed at a static player, and so the runners were holding up their attack on goal until the wide receiver had retrieved it from the shrubbery or brought it under control.

A simple example of the problems this created was when Shola found himself (through a series of shrugs and nods with his partner) to be the one bearing down on goal. The ball out to the flank was poor and Shola only had a 40 yards to slow his run and wait for the cross. When it came in it was played behind him. Shola crooked his leg behind him to try to flick it forwards and have a stab at it. At this point Robson and Wadsworth started screaming and shouting at him demanding to know if that’s what he intended to do in the match. Shola was visibly upset and shocked by this “encouragement” and retreated muttering. He soon had Gary Speed over patting his shoulders and reassuring him that the silly old bugger didn’t have a clue.

After 20mins of this garbage during which our assembled “stars” managed a single goal from the 50 odd chances, Robson announced himself well pleased and dismissed everyone but those due to practice free kicks. There was the usual mixture of those who wandered straight off and the Bartons etc who warm down of their own voilition. Robson had meanwhile settled down at the far end from us and realised that he hadn’t got a keeper. Harper and Given were down at our end practising with a coach. Bobby started shouting for Shay to come over, but he kept his face turned away and pretended he couldn’t hear him. We were a full 30 feet further away and we could hear him. The coach (who shall remain nameless) looked away in embarrassment as Given muttered away to himself. This resulted in an outfield player standing in goal.

I may not be a qualified coach, but I know enough about human nature to recognise unhappy campers when I see them. It didn’t escape our attention that Wadsworth came down to stand by the fence near us whilst the players were warming up but didn’t exchange so much as a smile with us. He spent the training session stuck to Robson like a shadow and only opened his mouth to agree with everything the main man said. The other coaches all stood on the opposite flank.

The business with Shola was ridiculous. Speaking as a fan I was delighted to see someone trying to make the best of a bad ball rather than just standing there with hands on hips gobbing off at the crosser. Sadly, we seem to think that screaming abuse at a youngster with loads to learn is going to help his development. The fact that I know sod all about training a football team is perhaps best borne out by the fact that we had our biggest win of the year following this nonsense. I can only put this down to the fact that Villa were even more disorganised and strife-torn than we were. Qualifications I don’t have, but 2 eyes and 33 years of social interaction can tell you an awful lot. Sorry to be the bearer of sad tidings, shoot the messenger if it makes you feel any better.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2001

Well as long as you enjoyed yourself Softie. On the few occasions I've seen the lads train I thought that it didn't look structured or particularly strenuous but I'm not there often enough to call this typical. My concerns stem from the departees who have said point blank that the training isn't what their used to.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2001

your report of our last training session is outstanding Softie.... and guess what we won the bliddy game to boot, so if that's what it takes to produce that kind of result I'll take it every time.

Seriously though, I have had my say on Keegan, you won't change my mind as much as I will change yours, let it be. Now, you see a lot more of the lads than I could ever possibly dream of, and for that I would give my right arm (yes I am right handed). You are so uninspired at even being in the presence of these people that you can slag them off for their seemingly lackadaisical approach to a completely insignificant game.

My life I dream of being able to get out there and give the lads my best, supporting them no matter how poorly they may play. No one takes a loss harder than I do...hell the wife won't speak to me until Thursday after a loss on Saturday. She knows how much it means.

So I can not and will not take "supporters" saying we're shite. We are not shite, as I said we take the good with the bad. I am not saying you can't query tactics, or signings, or whatever....but don't write us off before we have even touched a ball.

Finally, No I can't say we won't have injuries, and certainly we will lose players at inopportune times. To win a championship you need to do two things consistently...win and stay healthy. So we haven't proven we can do either as of yet, but I have to believe we will. I only hope it's sooner rather than later.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2001

sparxx, you won't get many better supporters than me as long as they give it their all. You shouldn't even have to question that after the amount of crap I take for standing up for Barton on the basis that he tries. The problem last season was that they simply weren't putting any effort in. Every injury was taken as an excuse to not bother trying. Every time we conceded a goal it seemed to be game over. They put more effort in under Dalglish with 9 left backs, a keeper and John Barnes up front on his own.

The reason for writing a full report of that training session is to give you some idea of why they weren't putting the effort in. They simply don't know what Robson is trying to make them do. There was precious little respect on display and he did nothing to warrant it. I went home with the most awful sense of emptiness which was then locked out by the tragic death of ITK.

To give you an idea of what kind of a supporter I am, I found myself waiting behind after the match cheering myself hoarse and clapping the team round the pitch. Only after they had gone past did I realise that I had just given them a standing ovation during a lap of honor that they should have been too ashamed to even contemplate making.

I do appreciate how ung-ho you are with getting behind the lads. It's something that every Englishman living abroad goes through when they find themselves becoming dangerously patriotic and likely to shed manly tears at the first note of a piece of Elgar. I found it unbearable supporting the Mags when I was down in Kent and everything seemed to be going wrong. Surrounded by the "enemy", or even just the apathetic, your own support becomes paramount to you. The thing is though, when the Englishman goes back to Blighty he finds it full of small-minded mean-spiritedness, caked in dog sh*t and full of petty laws and dangerous drivers. Likewise the Toon fan who goes every week becomes aware that the Emperor is stark bollock naked.

That said, when you tune into the webcast and hear folk going potty in the stands, that's me you're listening to.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2001

"........the Emperor is stark, bollock naked!"

Chilling assessment: one that none of us wants to even contemplate.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2001

I admire your honesty Softie, and believe me I'd change boots with you in a heartbeat. As I await the time my son becomes old enough (he's only 4) to understand why we support NUFC, I see myself sitting alongside him and teaching him how to sing Blaydon Races, along with 52000 mad toon... this is what I live for.

If you can imagine it's been over 30 years since I sat in the stands at SJP with my own dad, who knew very little about soccer but wanted me to experience what it was like. I never forget that time, and never will either. It's that ....feeling...goosebumps...kinda makes you short on words.

So as you sit in the stands, with the lads thumping the mackems 5-0...remember what a priveledge it is to be sitting in the greatest stadium, along with the greatest fans, supporting the greatest team in the world. Never lose that feeling.

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2001

Softie, you're posting about the last training session may explain the unexplainable uneasy feeling I've had about Wadsworth for some time. Though, I have seen training sessions where he's actively coached, most of the ones I've been to have been similar to your description...stuck next to Bobby with either Bobby or Carver doing most of the 'coaching'. I guess it's that I've never been able to figure out quite what it is that Wadsworth is supposed to be doing. Not being very familiar with the training side of football, I really don't have a lot to go on. I've mostly only seen us train, with the addition of a few brief MLS sessions and my stint with Team Mexico last summer. The most organized session I've seen, in terms of teams apparently working efficiently in their allotted time, are probably MLS, Mexico, and the Toon's preseason visit to the States last summer.

It's sad to hear the disharmony in that last training session. While the fact that it was the 'last day of school' before a relatively meaningless match(IMO, no league or cup match is meaningless) could lead to folks being a bit lax, I still can't buy it as an excuse to not remain professional and work as hard as at any other time. Of course without good leadership, the players can't be blamed for feeling a bit disgruntled. :-(

-- Anonymous, June 28, 2001

On the plus side, they were doing what they were told (once they had grasped what was being asked of them) even if it was with ill grace....except Given. The bit that worried me the most was that the coach in question didn't kick his arse and send him over to Bobby. That suggests a split far deeper than just a couple of disgruntled bods.

-- Anonymous, June 29, 2001

Softie,

Thanks for that posting. You mentioned something like this shortly after that session and we never did get the full story but I knew we'd get it out of you in the end, although it is probably best that it comes out now rather than in the middle of the season.

One point to note regarding the Shola situation. If Shearer takes over would he have shouted at Shola? Well given the number of times he bollocks wingers I would expect him to do exactly the same as Robson and Wadsworth. The best thing is that Solano will probably respect Shola that bit more for trying to make his cross look half decent.

-- Anonymous, June 29, 2001

What you describe isn't actually as bad as I feared when you first posted that there was unrest within training. Shouting at Shola...not condoning it but I'm sure he's used to it. If he's gone to come over all sensitive to a bit of verbal abuse, he'll never make a decent striker ;-)
As regards Given, I assume this was after he had re-signed? In itself it doesn't look good, but on the plus side he actually had an excellent season. A bit of bullshiness is no bad thing if it gets things out in the open (we've no way of knowing whether Bobby had quiet words with him afterwards) but shouldn't be left to fester. So Softie, you've a duty to be at the next training session with one of the Big Brother psychoanalysists to properly assess the situation and spot any worrying trends. If Shearer is to become the next manager, how much respect does he command in training, or is he just one of the lads?

-- Anonymous, June 29, 2001

Why is that whenever there is any, even mild, criticism of Bobby Robson on here someone inevitably has an entirely uncalled for dig at Alan Shearer? It's almost like any criticism of Bobby is utterly verbotin, "and anyway AS would be far worse, so there!". Give the guy a break.

-- Anonymous, June 29, 2001

Clarky,

In contrast to the many qualities of Alan Shearer one of his constant failings in my eyes is his reaction to play which is not quite how he liked it. A shrug of the shoulders followed by a verbal attack on the culprit.

Most of the time he'd be better served getting on with the game and making an effort to contribute on the field, instead of wandering back to the centre circle. It's not as if, for example Solano does it on purpose amd does Shearer think his verbals would help, really?

I'm a Shearer fan but when he does this I cringe.

-- Anonymous, June 29, 2001

It was actually a genuine question rather than an intended dig..

-- Anonymous, June 29, 2001

Windy,
My comment wasn't directed at your reference to AS, which was clearly a genuine enquiry.

-- Anonymous, June 29, 2001

I think you're exaggerating DeB.
Alan Shearer has been villified a million times for one look cast towards Nobby Solano, who had just made a complete b****x of a cross, almost two seasons ago. Solano is a seasoned international, and should surely be able to take such a mild admonishment in his stride. He is not a bairn for crying out loud.
AS is Captain of a professional team playing at the highest level: he is a winner - or at least he was until he came back here - his job is to encourage, cajole, and if necessary bully his team mates to perform at a high level.
Do you see Roy Keane bawling out teammates who are sloppy, did Tommy Smith or Billy Bremner do likewise, did Dave Mackay, Bryan Robson or any other skipper worth their salt that you may have seen? Of course they do, that's their job, and the recipients fully understand that.
Do you see general signs that Alan is anything other than highly respected by his colleagues?
While people conveniently and continually dredge up this incident with Solano - which imo was a nothing incident anyway - on a regular basis, I prefer to recall the countless times I've seen him encouraging his team mates.
He's certainly not the best captain I've seen, but I certainly feel he does his best, and this is yet another area where the bloke receives unfair and uncalled for criticism. I simply don't understand the clamour to run him down at any and every opportunity.

-- Anonymous, June 29, 2001

I'm 100% behind you Clarky. There are too many people jumping on the anti-Shearer bandwagon now, although I thought it would have stopped after he retired from internationals.

Although he does shrug and shout from time to time, there are also a fair number of times when he applauds a cross or pass and acknowledges it. This is only right. You take criticism for mistakes and praise for doing things right. Shearer himself said after he missed the penalty against Sunderland that he deserved criticism for the miss and that if you accept all the praise then you should be able to take criticism.

I find that when I play with my mates in the mini 5-a-side leagues, when we make mistakes we get shouted at at times and it helps, it spurs you on to do it right next time. Although there is much more pressure playing in the PL, it's the same idea. If the players respect AS then they should have no problems at all with taking criticism, as long as it is contructive.

One thing Shearer never does is criticise specific players in interviews and the like. He may say "we all performed badly" but he never blames one player - although it may be different in the dressing room.

This is a contrast to Kevin Phillips, who, two seasons back, in an interview for SkySports' Soccer AM, claimed that Niall Quinn was receiving too much praise for Phillips' goal tally as he wasn't the one putting the ball in the back of the net. Great for team spirit that comment was I bet. Strange how their season - and Phillips' SAFC career - went downhill after those comments.

-- Anonymous, June 29, 2001

Bugger me! I've just noticed what you said! You reckon I should turn in my S.T. and go and support the Mackems because I said we are shite! You cheeky get!

I've argued with people with black and white eyes for years. You people will never learn will you? You must be the sort of bloke who threatens those who criticise, with violence. Look bonny lad, if people didn't criticise, then the club would today be owned and run by the sons of Westwood, McKeag, Seymour et al. Oh why am I bothering? Get your head out of the sand and try to understand that it's the people who care most, who criticise most.

One more thing - we are most certainly NOT the second biggest club in this country. Wake up!

-- Anonymous, June 29, 2001

Softie, if the training session was that bad when we won 3-0, I hate to imagine what it was like before we got beaten by Man City at home.

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2001

I don't mind you or anyone else sending me an e-mail but why didn't you answer me on here? I mean it didn't take MI5 to find this thread.

Anyway, I know your heart's in the right place but really Sparxx, do you honestly believe that if we start the season with the squad we have, that we are going to be much better than last time? How many of that lot would you or anyone want to keep? Not many. The trouble is, we can't seem to attract "big name" players because we aren't in the European Cup and the only way to get into the European Cup is to vastly improve the team. I know it seems like a vicious circle but we have to try to get some truly class players. Now does it seem to you, that the signings we've made so far will be enough to get us into the top three? Of course not and we are all hoping for better signings before the season starts but the signs are not good.

The fact is that the really big clubs will, for the most part, spend a fortune on some tremendous players this summer. Meanwhile Newcastle United, who tell anyone who'll listen that they are as big as Barcelona, have so far spent £6m on a player Coventry City fans couldn't wait to see the back of.

There you have it then; I stand by what I said - we are shite and until Robson and the board do something drastic, we'll remain shite. Meanwhile the BIG clubs get further and further out of sight.

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2001