According to Team squawk BR is ready to announce a new addition to his coaching staff this week. The timing is interesting - surely it can't be Wadsworth? Speculation that it could be Colin Lee or Fazackerly. I would be suprised if it was Faz, a little birdy told me he was settled at Barnsley and not keen to uproot himself again.

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

Answers

Please god.....NO....

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

It's way too early in the morning for scary stories! :-o

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

Is that NO to all of them or just MW then?

Wde need somone to stand up to the old bugger and say 'your tactics are crap, shall we try something else?'. Who fits this category?

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

I have just pnoned Go-Gateshead and they know nothing of you getting a coach from them.

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

SK - without turning this into a slanging match, it did cross my mind that you've been missing from this board recently. Ever since we beat bolton I think. However we lost a game and so you feel chipper enough to come back on here. Oh well each to their own......

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

This might sound like blasphemy, but can someone enlighten me as to why Mick Wadsworth took such stick when he was at Newcastle? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he was a good coach, but as someone who hasn't been around the training ground over the last few seasons, and who hasn't got any inside info on the club, I couldn't say if he's a bad coach or not. Any thought? Would welcome an opinion from those who thought he was rubbish.

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

I'd like to here the reasons as well Al. If he is being blamed for the way the side was playing then surely this is unfair.

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

Apart from his boss, who else but the Head Coach would you blame for the way the team play?

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

.....or for his player recommendations - the legendary Fumaca, Bassedas, and Luax2. Fortunately, we got just rid of him before he secured the signing of Paul 'Magic' Murray.

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

Well what is wrong with blaming his boss?? I think there's (again, speaking from a position of very limited knowledge of what Wadsworth actually did) there has been a certain amount of scapegoating going on - nobody wants dear old Uncle Bobby to take the stick so we've all laid into Wadsworth. I'm struggling to think of another number 2 anywhere who has been given so much blame for a club's lack of progress. Not saying he was doing a good job, but he wasn't the manager and shouldn't have been treated as though he was. As for the signings, LuaLua may yet turn out to be a gem. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that Bassedas may turn out to be a decent player - I'm hoping he'll get a run in the team in view of the Rob Lee situation and you never know. The lad obviously has some quality. But aside from that, surely Robson has the final say in transfers? I can't believe that as manager he sanctioned the purchase of a 6million pound South American without seeing him play.

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

... who is saying we shouldn't blame his boss, Al?

The point about Bassedas was that MW, as Head Coach, made several trips to S/America to watch Bassedas in action and was signed for £4.5 million exclusively on his recommendation - as were Luax2 and the Brazilian legend, Fumaca.

Wadsworth's judgement of players was obviously utterly useless - surely a major flaw for a Head Coach?

Now, as you correctly point out, whether he chose to personally make the effort to watch these players himself, or just accept the judgement of others, the final decision lay with Bobby Robson, and he must be held equally culpable. No question.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2001

Hang on: we have made one or two decent signings even with Wadsworth. Who clocked Andy O'Brien for example? Utter snip at £1 million.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2001

Acuna's been a decent signing for the price. Had MW gone by the time we signed Bellamy and Robert? I don't recall - we're so isolated out here in the colonies.....

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2001

Bellamy was watched by the MW before he signed for Coventry, but BR has admired something about him for a while.

Bassedas was apparently a mint player in South America, although I reckon the Italian league would suit him better as it is slower paced.

Lua Lua is someone who could yet turn out to be a good signing. He's still very raw and young, (Bassedas is nearly 30 and obviously past his best).

Could be Fazackerly now that he is out of a job - sacked at Barnsley just today. So we are after two coaches that nobody else will take on, we must really be an attractive club to come to.

-- Anonymous, October 25, 2001