Official Premiership 2008/09 thread

[King Ellis]

I imagine Martins will already be on a big wage that they probably wont be able to afford to keep around. Not sure who will buy him though, no one in England at least.

[Matt]

I also think you'll find that Joey Barton's wages are far too much for the Championship. Anyone on excess of 30k are out of the door immediately.

[MGW]

Watching Sky Sports now, Alan Shearer is true class

[Matt]

Is he crying? Tell me he's crying.

[Walker]

Feel sorry for Shearer. He really has nothing to be ashamed about. He has never managed a team before, and NO ONE could have turned that team around, it was impossible. Obviously, he is a Newcastle fan, he is hurt by this, shouldn't take any of the blame though.

[MGW]

Is he crying? Tell me he's crying.

He was close. But the way he handled himself was superb, he was brutally honest, Newcastle just havnt been good enough, and as it was put, they need a total overhaul

[Baddar]

So this is what relegation feels like.

At least we actually have a chance of winning something next season. As long as we get rid of the financial blackholes in our squad. Mike Ashley fuck off, Michael Owen fuck off, Mark Viduka fuck off, Damien Duff fuck off, Jonas Gutierrez fuck off, Caçapa fuck off, Alan Smith fuck off, Shola Ameobi fuck off, Geremi fuck off. That leaves us with a decent team (Harper, Taylor, Edgar, Nolan, Barton, Butt, Lovenkrands, Martins) to build around.

So fucking pissed off at the lack of anything today. If Shearer wasn't the manager there would have been full scale riots and probably a lynch mob. How they could clap at the end is beyond me.

Barton will leave.

Nolan may leave.

Martins may leave.

Lovenkrands may leave.

You'll need to pay big money and make big promises to keep these guys happy playing in the Championship against Peterborough and Scunthorpe.

Even Butt may go cos I'm sure someone like Birmingham will offer him a return to the Premiership.

Yeah, I think it's gonna be one of those things next season where SSN show us the team that lined up against Utd on the first day of this season, then the team that lines up in their first Championship game. I think it'll be pretty much completely different.

[The Kraig]

Nolan back to Bolton maybe? Martins could easily go back to Italy. Lovenkrands...I can't really see anyone else wanting him (not even Rangers). Barton as well, who actually wants him in their team?

I just think if we manage to keep key players even if it's just a one season deal, we have a genuine chance of going straight back up. If not, then we could go the way of Leeds. And Norwich. And Leicester. And Bradford. Down, down, deeper and down.

And Shearer was very emotional. I know he didn't look it, but he was talking a LOT. He's clearly fuming and upset inside. He must be so angry.

Edited May 24, 2009 by The Kraig

[Matt]

Fact is, you can't afford to keep Barton, he's on like 60k a week, isn't he? He'll be earning double what anyone else in the Championship is earning. Someone shit will take Barton on a free. I can see one of the promoted teams or Hull taking Lovenkrands. Oh and don't expect any decent money from these sales either, half of them will be frees or at cut down prices.

Oh and you missed Charlton and Southampton and Forest and Wimbledon.

Edit: LOL Newcastle fans. I don't get all this Ashley hate, alright he hasn't been brilliant, but he brought in a director of football type role (Wise) to scout for players because the manager (Keegan) admittedly hadn't watched football for 2 years or something dumb. He signed countless cheques for players (yes, they were shit, but he wasn't in charge of deciding whether they were good or not). He sold Milner who was desparate to leave for good money. In terms of managers he pretty much got everyone the fans asked for barring Kinnear who he only got temporarily because no other experienced manager would take the job, but the fans asked for him to stay after he "impressed" early on, they asked to get rid of Big Sam because he wasn't playing attractive football, they asked to bring Keegan back and they asked for Shearer.

Also the fan on 606 who said he was the worst chairman/owner ever... lol no. Not even close.

Edited May 24, 2009 by --Matt--

[Walker]

Current favourites to take the Sunderland job include Martin Jol and Steve McClaren.

On this subject, and football history nerds want to tell me the last time Sunderland finished above Newcastle, let alone an entire division above?

[Matt]

1999/2000. Sunderland came 7th, Newcastle came 11th.

Edit: And 1990/91, Sunderland were in Division 1, Newcastle weren't.

Edited May 24, 2009 by --Matt--

[The Future]

I found it awesome that De La Et who couldn't get a game at Wrexham or Stoke was starting for Manchester United and putting in a good performance

Very pleased with the youngsters, Gibson's goal was great and it was good to see Wes Brown back in the thick of things who knows we might need him in the Champions League final if something happens to Evans.

I am happy Newcastle would go down and I loved the cheeky smile on Fergie's face once it was announced at Hull's stadium that they have gone down, should be fun going into class and see how many of the annoying Newcastle fans from here react

[Darloboy]

What a fantastic day for football.

[Crybaby Bunting]

Coloccini = gone

Enrique = gone

Nolan = likely gone

Cacapa = gone

Barton = gone

Guthrie = most likely gone

Martins = gone

Owen = gone

Duff = gone

Bassong = most likely gone

Harper = will probably stay

Taylor = most likely gone

Smith = gone

Gutierrez = gone

Xisco = gone

Gerami = gone

Beye = gone

Butt = ?

Ameobi = ?

Lovenkrands = ?

Taylor = most likely gone

Kadar = ?

Edgar = ?

Forster = ?

Krul = most likely gone

LuaLua = ?

Tozer = ?

Viduka = gone

Caroll = ?

That's a brief breakdown of what I think will happen considering the Newcastle United wikipedia page. We're left with reserve and youth players pretty much... and even then, most of the promising ones will probably go to a bigger club. I think Krul was pissed this season that he wasn't starting, considering he felt he was good enough to take over and NEEDS experience if he wants to be in competition for the Dutch goalkeeping post.

Even the most die-hard Geordies won't want to stay at a club that's so rotten. Milner and I think Smith LOVED Leeds but had to go because the club couldn't keep them, we don't stand a chance at keeping Taylor or Ameobi if anyone comes in with a decent bid.

The funny thing is that this squad was so small to allow Newcastle to maximise revenue, only the bare bones of the club was left at the end of January so they'd be able to save for the coming season's transfer market. How that's backfired.

I think I might have a trip to Kenya

[Baddar]

I found it awesome that De La Et who couldn't get a game at Wrexham or Stoke was starting for Manchester United and putting in a good performance

I thought he played well, yeah. If anyone had a bad day today, it was Gary Neville. He seemed so indecisive at the back at times and put the blame on Kuzzy when it really wasn't his fault. Not on the two occasions Neville moaned at him, anyway.

Some of Welbeck's bursts through were good to see, but he reminded me of Nani when the two times he managed to get us into a good position, took an impossible shot on instead of giving the ball to someone else. There was a time when Martin (I think it was) was wide right of him in acres of space but he chose to shoot from outside the box, slipped, and the ball rolled into a Hull defender about five yards in front of him.

Whilst on the subject of Nani, I said it at the end of last season (when I was giving him the benefit of the doubt) and I'm saying it this...I really hope they give him a good talking to during the pre-season and he comes back a better player. He's so greedy at the moment and with Fergie playing Rooney out wide a lot, he's not going to be in the side unless we have a lot of injuries or play Newcastle...in a cup competition.

And I know Nani has scored goals for us. Wonderful goals, in fact. The trouble is, he finds himself in great positions all the time, but he always goes for the spectacular effort instead of spreading it out wide. It comes off once every hundred times.

[therockbox]

Bye Sami

Some bigger pics:

Spoiler: Click here to view

Spoiler: Click here to view

[GA!]

At least Newcastle can be a big club now. In the wrong league.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Well the Spurs/Liverpool game is being shown now so I'm up late (after 4am) to watch it. 13 minutes to go, 2-0 down and then the beautiful Robbie Keane finishes beautifully in front of the Spurs fans to bring a smile to my face. I Robbie.

[Gazz]

Fuck.

In terms of the NUFC squad, the only ones I would actually want to see stay are Bassong (but it's not going to happen) and Beye (due to my unnatural man-love for him) everyone else I am 'meh' too or it would be unrealistic to expect them to stay or financial suicide to keep them.

Looking on the brightside, at least next season Shola Ameobi might actually look like scoring (Y)

[METALMAN]

I'm worried that I am going to be raped by a sad Newcastle fan tomorrow.