Relegation

What because I can't name every player in Europe that maybe available or was sold? Bollocks.

You've got no spine to your team. Your central defence is woeful, your central midfield almost as bad, your strikers can't buy a goal. Keegan had at least 15 days to get someone in and got no one. Even a loan signing could of done the trick.

Kimbo wrote:

Parks lives wrote:

Kimbo wrote:

Parks lives wrote:He returned on the 16th January. I know its a hard month to get signings in but he could of got someone to help your situation.

Like who? Who was available? Nobody wants to sell good players at that time.

Probably better players than Smith or Taylor if you tried hard enough.

Such as... ?

Leo Fortune-West was there for the taking. he'd have scored more than Smith

Parks lives wrote:What because I can't name every player in Europe that maybe available or was sold? Bollocks.

You've got no spine to your team. Your central defence is woeful, your central midfield almost as bad, your strikers can't buy a goal. Keegan had at least 15 days to get someone in and got no one. Even a loan signing could of done the trick.

You've said something with no substance. I'm sure Keegan tried to buy players, there was the reported bid for Pandev, but the simple fact is that clubs don't want to sell good players in the January window.

Keegan did try to bring in several players in January - we were close with Woodgate, we made a bid for Barnes, the Pandev rumours seemed to have something to them - but it was hard for several reasons. In a two week period from the day he signed until the end of January, we had four games to play. Keegan had to establish himself as the manager, look at his backroom staff, implement his own training methods, and he had to evaluate the players already at the club - whilst he seemed to look at strengthening in more obvious areas, it's difficult to hurry into new signings before you have a full, personal knowledge of the quality already available to you - if you do rush things, you not only risk ending up with players not worth anything, but you also risk alienating the players already at the club. And at this same time, we had some of our key players away, until the end of the window, at the African Nations.

We also had a few players - Duff, Owen, Emre - just back from injury, and Smith and Butt were banned for Keegan's first few games. It wasn't easy to evaluate the squad at all in this period.

Way too early to judge Keegan's return. He doesn't have the squad he wants, or possibility to get it. Alardyce was foolish to go to Newcastle as his style of football doesn't fit there. He was never going to get time playing that way. He had to deliver fast if he wanted to play that style. He didn't and paid for it. Same sort of thing happened when Dalglish went there. Changed the style, but didn't deliver and was sacked for it. Capello changed the style won the league and still got the boot. Nobody can deliver less attrative football on clubs whose philosophy is to play attractive attacking football without getting results as well and expect anything but the boot. Alardyce got what he deserved. Keegan deserves time, but he should have waited until end of season and had chance to bring in players he wanted. A caretaker might have been better until then. I hope both Necastle and Sunderland survive.

@Parks/Kimbo - your argument is just going round and round in circles. Parks, it'd help if you even named one player to back up your initial argument...though no doubt Kimbo would shoot it down saying the player is not a good signing

Here, I'll help you out: Lassana Diarra.

kas wrote: @Parks/Kimbo - your argument is just going round and round in circles. Parks, it'd help if you even named one player to back up your initial argument...though no doubt Kimbo would shoot it down saying the player is not a good signing

Here, I'll help you out: Lassana Diarra.

He was signed on the 17th, Keegan joined on the 16th. Talks were probably already in an advanced stage so no way would that happen.

I don't see why I should have to name a player. Clubs are more privy to information regarding available players than we are.

Both Keegan & Allardyce have made exactly the same errors though - thinking that PGD in Smith & Barton, then Golden Child Owen will solve everything.

I'm sorry but looking at the Toon squad they shouldn't be in so much deep $h!t.

What's that wrong with an attacking quartet of N'Zogshit, Milner, Viduka & Martins ?

Faye isn't half-bad at CB either.

Keegan has played N'Zogbia and Milner on the wings, and it led to reasonable performances. His only mistake is not starting Martins now that he's back from the ACN and fit. Viduka is never fit anyway.

kas wrote:Keegan has played N'Zogbia and Milner on the wings, and it led to reasonable performances. His only mistake is not starting Martins now that he's back from the ACN and fit. Viduka is never fit anyway.

if he's not fit, why is he being named as a sub ?

An unused one as that.

Then you get c**ts like Lawro blaming him, even though he's been left on the Bench !

I think he only recently got fit.

the problem is that keegan is trying to play with allardyce's signings, and allardyce signed some real $h!t

I would also much rather see sunderland, bolton, birmingham, wigan etc go down, newcastle at least provide entertainment, can play nice football, and have the potential to compete for a UEFA spot. The other clubs will just be fighting for relegation next season anyway.

For example the match against blackburn they played very well, and you can hardly say that about any of the other clubs around them. Most of them are just scrapping for a draw.

Looking increasingly settled...

2 from Fulham, Bolton and Birmingham...