Tales from the Toon. The ups and downs of an NUFC supporter....

[Marky147]

top half, on a budget nowhere near some other teams. Obviously done a great job under enormous and often unfair pressure

i know he's rubbed you up the wrong way, tactics and selections have you scratching your heads, but in the cold light of day it doesn't reflect well that he's leaving for a smaller club

Can't imagine who they're going to get as a replacement.

Real headscratcher, and I guess we'll have to wait for Pardiola's book...

My dough's on Colin Wanker in a deep level seven coup.

Who's that, Ralph?

Marky you must be one of the very few that's not familiar with footie's greatest anagram.

Sheltered existence

[George2Loose]

Collicini early fave according to sky

[DungBeetle]

I really must say I don't get the Pardew hate. 

I understand the guy can be a bit of a tit, but he is not alone.  Most managers are like that imo. 

But given what he has to work with he has done well imo.  The problem is Newcastle fans still think they are a big club, when they are not. 

They are a big club though by any definition of fanbase.  Feels like the owners hold them back.

[Kmac84]

I really must say I don't get the Pardew hate. 

I understand the guy can be a bit of a tit, but he is not alone.  Most managers are like that imo. 

But given what he has to work with he has done well imo.  The problem is Newcastle fans still think they are a big club, when they are not. 

They are a big club though by any definition of fanbase.  Feels like the owners hold them back.

Outside Newcastle they don't have a fan base.   They had a glimpse of success when John Hall was handing money hand over first to Keegan. 

[pleno1]

I really must say I don't get the Pardew hate. 

I understand the guy can be a bit of a tit, but he is not alone.  Most managers are like that imo. 

But given what he has to work with he has done well imo.  The problem is Newcastle fans still think they are a big club, when they are not. 

They are a big club though by any definition of fanbase.  Feels like the owners hold them back.

Outside Newcastle they don't have a fan base.   They had a glimpse of success when John Hall was handing money hand over first to Keegan. 

well thats bullshit.

[Kmac84]

I really must say I don't get the Pardew hate. 

I understand the guy can be a bit of a tit, but he is not alone.  Most managers are like that imo. 

But given what he has to work with he has done well imo.  The problem is Newcastle fans still think they are a big club, when they are not. 

They are a big club though by any definition of fanbase.  Feels like the owners hold them back.

Outside Newcastle they don't have a fan base.   They had a glimpse of success when John Hall was handing money hand over first to Keegan. 

well thats bullshit.

Is it?  You living in Budapest or whereever hardly counts as a fanbase outside Newcastle. 

If you travel anywhere in the world you see folk wearing Liverpool/Chelsea/Man U/Arsenal/Barca/Real Madrid/Celtic and even Rangers tops.  I could count on the one hand the number of times I have seen a non Geordie decked out in black and white stripes. 

Your a provincial club at best.  The fact that yous come from a one city club doesn't make you a "big" team. 

[toddswain]

Must not bite

[DropTheHammer]

Has someone been on the fighting juice (buckfast) for breakfast?

[pleno1]

We have a 52,000 seater stadium which sells out to 90% capacity every game

We have a world record transfer fee in the modern era

We've played multiple times in the champions league

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes'_list_of_the_most_valuable_football_clubs

In 2013 we were the 20th most valuable club in the world

Regarding fans outside of Newcastle.. Becuase of the attractive football that Keegan brought to the club in addition to having players like Shearer, Ginola, Asprilla, Ferdinand etc a lot of kids grew up in my generation as Newcastle fans (I think even Toddswain is from Rochdale???)  other notable examples was that Berbatov grew up in Bulgaria as a Newcastle fan etc etc

Click to see full-size image.

[Kmac84]

Oh dear.  52,000 all seater stadium that sells out 90% of the time is that really criteria for being a big club? 

Played numerous times in the champions league?  To what degree was there any success and when was the last time Newcastle made it to the Champions League. 

The £15 million paid for Shearer pales into insignificance now, and thatw as when 1996.  I'd hardly call that modern era now. 

I liked Newcastle under Keegan, I have been to St James a few times your fans are passionate but also very deluded as to where they are in the game and where they deserve to be. 

[Kmac84]

Has someone been on the fighting juice (buckfast) for breakfast?

Nah that's for the 1st of January.  Today it's only coffee. 

But the attitude of Newcastle fans riles me it's on a par with that of Celtic fans who think because we once won the European cup and we have similar issues to Newcastle in that we're a big fish in a small pond that we have a divine right to win everything and be the best at everything.  There is noting wrong with ambition but delusion is another thing all together. 

Newcastle are at best a top 8 side in the EPL.  They have consistently punched above their weight when you look at how Ashley runs the club.  Pardew has done a really good job imo and the fans are blind to that through their hatred of him. 

[pleno1]

Why at best a top 8 and not at best a top 7 or are you just plucking numbers out of your arse?

[DungBeetle]

"The £15 million paid for Shearer pales into insignificance now, and thatw as when 1996. "

£15m 20 years ago would be like buying a £50m player these days.

[Kmac84]

Chelsea
Man city
Man U
Arsenal
Liverpool
Spurs
Everton

All ahead of Newcastle in my book in terms of the way the clubs are run, players and management.    You could even fire in Southampton.  

The top 6 is pretty solid, year on year.  

Newcastle are in the mix with Stoke/Southampton/Everton/

West Ham would be a just shy along with teams like Swansea.  

I think this season the Europa League has taken its toll on Everton, just like it did with Newcastle a few years back.  

[DungBeetle]

"Oh dear.  52,000 all seater stadium that sells out 90% of the time is that really criteria for being a big club?  "

I think that makes it a big club.  

As soon as you post those numbers you are setup to challenge on a sustainable basis.   Having overseas fans can then come from subsequent success.

Newcastle are unquestionably a bigger club than Chelsea/Everton/Spurs imo.  There is no reason why Newcastle couldn't challenge for the top 4 in England on a regular basis with the correct management/ownership.