If the papers tell the truth Bobby Robson attends a lot of games to watch players we might go after. Dont know how much other managers do stuff like this. I also remeber someone said he always never miss a reserve game. GW Bobby!

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

Answers

....that's his job, Sudden.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

It is his job Clarky, but the ast majority of managers don't go to many reserve games.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

That should be vast, not ast :)

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

Not so sure Paul - for instance, in addition to BR, Walter Smith was at the game on Monday.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

in spite of the old fella's energy & committment, he's still managed to sign a number of very average players and still refuses to promote any of the reserve team into the first eleven even if it means that g.speed, r. lee and w. barton are on the team sheet. perhaps he's so shagged from all the travelling that he naps thru all these games

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

He lives a batchelor life in Newcastle during the week - going home to his spouse only after the game at the weekend, and then travels back to Tyneside on Monday morning.

Screacher, Steph and and I were able to get to KP on a wet & windy Monday night, so why the hell shouldn't BR. He's handsomely paid, and got nowt else to do. He's hardly going to be chasing pizza waitresses on the Quayside is he?

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

Gullit went to all the reserve games and Dalglish continued attending until Paul was sold to Norwich.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

There's usually a couple or so EPL and/or 1st Div managers at many Resorve games. I've seen Joe Royle on a number of occasions plus a few others that slip my mind. However, Taggart has been conspicuous by his absence ;-)

Houlier was at the 'pool vs Toon res match last season. Nowt special.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

However, I think YBR also gets to a lot of other games, inc. continental ones. I dunno if other younger (well, there's hardly any older) ONES GET TO SO MANY.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

Tell me Tord Grip was seen at Croft Park tother neet,gnawing away.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

Ah but Bobby`s nivver been to see Spittal Rovers like wor Kev

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

so if the criteria for a good team was a function of the amount of obscure matches the manager attends multiplied by (100 minus the actual temperature), plus the cube of the nights rainfall we'd be in the CL. right?

bob is god - brilliant!

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

I'm probably wrong Clarky, I didn't realise it was the norm for managers to go to reserve games.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2001

I think most do Paul, but probably not every game.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2001

Shame senior players like Shearer don't turn up.

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2001

That would only lead to even more complacency Dougal: Kingston Park can only be used as a threat, not as a source of promise :-)

-- Anonymous, October 04, 2001

Shearer has been there a couple of times.

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2001

......you'll be dispelling yet another urban myth about Shearer if you're not careful, Steph!

Now let me see, he's - Mary Poppins, miserable, churlish, greedy, uncaring, lazy, has too much influence ....... oh yes, he's also cr@p. Nearly forgot that one.

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2001

Clarky, Shearer has been there twice, on both occasions to watch Leeds. He's our next manager, isn't he? Christ, Kieron Dyer has been there loads of times. Twice in the time he's been here is shameful if he has management aspirations. Also, in your eagerness to defend Shearer, you want to be careful you aren't inferring things that aren't being said: no one has made any comment about his Mary Poppins reputation.

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2001

Is somebody suggesting he likes Dick van Dyke?? Well, I guess one out of three is ok :-(

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2001

Dougal - 99% of the criticism of Alan Shearer is based on hearsay, jealousy, baloney and straightforward bunkum - but basically is because a lot of people simply don't like the man. I don't know the blerk, so I can't judge - so where I feel it is appropriate I try to defend him from unfair comment.

I didn't actually suggest that all the things said about him were made by people on here - but he certainly was called Mary Poppins, and by our two major shareholders, assuming they were able to remember it - so presumably they don't like him very much either.

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2001

I still don't understand how opposition fans of EVERY team hate Shearer so much. What has he done to deserve it? He is England's highest scoring player that is still playing today, yet he gets jeered everywhere he goes. Surely jealousy doesn't come into it when he plays for YOUR country?

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2001

It's an English thing Paul (or is it British??). We love to see people on a pedestal being put down. Shearer was England's most prolific scorer in recent times therefore he's fair game. Just like the journos did with KK.

I could understand it if it was only ManUre or SMB supporters - one lot because the turned them down and the other 'cos its in inbred (sic!) into them to hate your biggest rival's best player.

I'm sure the man is above it all. He's been there, done that and got the T-shirt (oh, sorry, that was Lee Clark). From what I've seen of him, he'll simply turn a blind eye and ignore it - and likely make him even more determined to succeed.

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2001

Ahh Buff. Spital Rovers - now there's a team. My father used to play for them!

-- Anonymous, October 06, 2001

Clarky, I appreciate what you're saying, but the reception he got when he came back against the Makems surely demonstrates that most Geordies love him: no one really begrudges him his money and no one begrudges him his fame, after all he has done it all through hard work. My question is whether he should still be our principal centre forward (possibly not fair to him or the team) and whether, given that he is apparently a shoe-in for next manager, he should be displaying some of that famous discipline and so on and doing the awful things that mould people into managers. He has said categorically that he has no plans to do his badges. Now, I know badges are no guarantee of being a good manager, but neither is being a good player, and getting your bits of papers at least shows a willingness to do the pain in the arse stuff. Some of the reserves will be his first teamers, I suppose so the odd showing at Kingston Park might not go amiss either. It is not a criticism of him that he is still playing or that he's in line for a management job: both are things the current manager and the club should be dealing with.

-- Anonymous, October 06, 2001

I reckon George Graham is being lined up to replace Robson.

He has publicly stated that he isn't interested in the Leicester job, and when asked about the possibility of being Rangers manager, he said that he isn't looking to get back into management AT THE PRESENT TIME.

Not ideally what I want, but he would probably be better than Shearer as a manager.

-- Anonymous, October 06, 2001

...... I think I better just pass on that that comment, Paul! ;o{)

-- Anonymous, October 06, 2001

Sorry, I meant to mention that the reason GG isn't interested in going back into management "at this time" is that it would affect the pay-off he is likely to get from Spurs.

This is, of course, entirely in character, and if that greedy unprincipled get were to take over from BR then I'd have to seriously consider my position as a supporter. Tosser.

-- Anonymous, October 06, 2001

I forgot about the "pay-off" Clarky, that's probably the reason behind it, although how would the pay off change if he was managing another club?

I would still support the toon, whoever the manager was, but GG isn't the man I really want to see as our boss. However, neither is Shearer, at this stage (although he had the right idea about the tactics at half time on Sky)

I really don't know who the ideal man to take over the reigns from BR is. The Troyes manager was an idea that sounded good, but his knowledge of the English game may not be as good as others. Although I wouldn't mind seeing a European manager, which might get us playing some good football instead of "l'anglais" as Laurent Robert calls it, the typical English long ball.

-- Anonymous, October 06, 2001

.... from what I've read Paul, GG's lawyers are arguing that in precipitiously sacking him Spurs denied him the opportunity to earn a living for a period of time. If, during the period this argument is being presented, he were to fall into another well paid job, that would substantially weaken his argument and reduce the amount of the settlement.

The fact that he been working as a TV analyst ever since he was fired, doesn't seem to figure for some reason.

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2001

I have a terrifying feeling that GG will be our next manager.

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2001

No, he's off to the SoL.

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2001

They'd love him at the SoL as he does look strangely gibbon like.

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2001

Nee chance. They're grooming SK as their next mismanager.

-- Anonymous, October 07, 2001