PLENO1's footy thoughts

[pleno1]

ha nah, misclick by the reporter.

Was a really really wet and dirty Wednesday afternoon, the reporter had me sliding tackling my Dad in the park. Did like 20 sliding tackles, was so dirty.

Got a call the next day telling me he had lost the photos and if I could do them again.

Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Micko]

Pleno does the name Gareth Macklin ring a bell with you? He was at Newcastle for a few years as a kid was highly thought of back here in N Ireland but the pro football thing went to his head and he went out of control in Newcastle.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1341542/I-blew-career-birds-booze-says-Manchester-United-Newcastle-trainee-Gareth-Macklin.html

He was outstanding as a kid but attitude ruined him.

[pleno1]

Hey Micko,

I haven't heard that story before, but it looks like it was just before my time.

So sad to see talent go to waste, when I was told i wasn't getting a pro contract at Southampton I basically drank/chased girls/and caused quite alot of bother with friends. This is basically exactly why Newcastle wanted Joe and Stephen to live with us.

Although when my family went on holiday one of the Caldwell brothers slept with a girl in my bed at a house party.

sigh!

[pleno1]

We signed Pappis Cisse today for £10m proving again Ashley will spend £ if we can get the right player.

He plays upfront for Freidburg (sp) and in 17 games scored 9 goals and had 60 shots! He plays upfront for Senegal with Demba Ba so hopefully they come back from the ACN and we really push on.

[Micko]

Thoughts on Shane Ferguson as a player?

Enjoying the thread keep up the good work

[mondatoo]

Hey Micko,

I haven't heard that story before, but it looks like it was just before my time.

So sad to see talent go to waste, when I was told i wasn't getting a pro contract at Southampton I basically drank/chased girls/and caused quite alot of bother with friends. This is basically exactly why Newcastle wanted Joe and Stephen to live with us.

Although when my family went on holiday one of the Caldwell brothers slept with a girl in my bed at a house party.

sigh!

Not sure if this is meant to be a brag or not.

Suprised and pleased with the signing, wp Pardew 

[mulhuzz]

Thoughts on Shane Ferguson as a player?

Enjoying the thread keep up the good work

i like him - think he has a lot of potential to be a solid utility player for us - not sure where his best position is but looks to have a lot of raw talent. The fact that he's not out on loan this year suggests that he's in Pardew's thoughts as part of the group (Vuckic, Abeid, Gosling...) who are knocking on that door.

every time I've seen him when he's had the odd start or sub appearance he's gotten more aware and a better player. Defo one for the future imo.

[pleno1]

wow. Never have i seen so much optimism around newcastle united and believe me we have some optimistic fans.

Its the biggest signing from the current regime since bringing in captaih colo in fro  deportivo.

This season many on here predicted we would get relagated and there was little to no pressure on us. Although the guys have done fantastic the fans have repeatedly said, yeh but the fat bastard wont give any money to pardew to build on the team.

Now the fans are even turning around and backing ashley. Ive said from day 1 he is the right man for the job and will sort things out, ive had argument after argument with my dad. A lifelong season ticket holder who has vowed never to go to a game again, i even bought him a season ticket/ticket for match last month which he politely snubbed.

Demba ba has done brilliantly this season but hes had no pressure, hes played with a smile on his face and not been booed once. He hasnt had the jon dahl tomasson treatment. He hasnt had the andrea anderson trearment, he hasnt had the srephan guivarch treatment. He hasnt had the number 9 shirt.

We now bring in his international partner who has been given the number 9 shirt and expected to move this club up from an overachieving mid table side to a european side. If he doesnt start well it could end very very nasty.

Some may say im a deluded newcastle fan that is overly optimistic, i beg to differ whilst the rest of newcastle parties tonight, i worry that this great, great  expensive talent could end up being the party pooper.

[mondatoo]

wow. Never have i seen so much optimism around newcastle united and believe me we have some optimistic fans.

Its the biggest signing from the current regime since bringing in captaih colo in fro  deportivo.

This season many on here predicted we would get relagated and there was little to no pressure on us. Although the guys have done fantastic the fans have repeatedly said, yeh but the fat bastard wont give any money to pardew to build on the team.

Now the fans are even turning around and backing ashley. Ive said from day 1 he is the right man for the job and will sort things out, ive had argument after argument with my dad. A lifelong season ticket holder who has vowed never to go to a game again, i even bought him a season ticket/ticket for match last month which he politely snubbed.

Demba ba has done brilliantly this season but hes had no pressure, hes played with a smile on his face and not been booed once. He hasnt had the jon dahl tomasson treatment. He hasnt had the andrea anderson trearment, he hasnt had the srephan guivarch treatment. He hasnt had the number 9 shirt.

We now bring in his international partner who has been given the number 9 shirt and expected to move this club up from an overachieving mid table side to a european side. If he doesnt start well it could end very very nasty.

Some may say im a deluded newcastle fan that is overly optimistic, i beg to differ whilst the rest of newcastle parties tonight, i worry that this great, great  expensive talent could end up being the party pooper.

Your best ever post in this section ainec  

Not sure why you love Ashley so much but we've had that debate before.

[pleno1]

Thoughts on Shane Ferguson as a player?

Enjoying the thread keep up the good work

hey micko,

everytime i see him he just looks abit like a lost boy, he doesnt have that swag or attitude about him that ive seen on players coming through in recent years. He looks like he is in a 14 year olds body. He doesnt play like it though, he gives 100 per cent, has a great work rate and he is left footed.

He wont make it at newcastle united thougg, pardew could have and perhaps should have played him at left back when we were very short, instead he chose ryan taylor to play left back when we had jonas who is a right footed left winger infront of him meaning we were totally unbalanced.

Santon currently plays lefr back but could easily move to right back witth shane coming in at left back, it would definitely benefit the team and if pardew trusted him and believed in him. I guess this goes onto what i spoke about before about how managers are scared to trust in younger players incase they have a bad run and the fans boo and protest to get him the sack.

[pleno1]

Going to write a post about why or if Barcelona are better than Stoke city soon.

[pleno1]

Guest post from one of my Dads mates.

I have supported this club for over 50 years and in that time, I have seen some desperate situations and subsequently, some shocking abuse from the fans, some warranted and some not so warranted.

Whilst the initial mistakes made by Ashley culminating in relegation were borne from a clear set of circumstances where his ignorance of how a club should be run have resulted in a gigantic change of heart and a huge turnaround in the fortunes of the club to the present day. I dont think he is entitled to a vote of thanks but I do believe the constant personal abuse from many quarters should stop. It is clear to me that Newcastle United Football Club s being run in a very good business like manner.

If people on here, especially the older ones, hark back to the old days of Westwood, McKeag etc, they will understand that what has happened since Ashley took over is not an isolated incident to this club.

I remember the days in the 70s when we sold Pop Robson and Alan Suddick, our two best players at the time to West Ham and Blackpool. I remember the 80s when Beardsley, Waddle and Gascoigne were all sold to pay off debts and the 90s before the KK revival when all Ardiles could field was a team of kids and we were dive bombing out of existence.

I was one of the few on here, although upset with relegation at the time 3 years years ago, but quickly came to terms with it as a blessing in disguise. We had a squad of gutless, spineless, moneygrabbing under achievers on large contracts and the loss of these was a necessity just as immediate promotion was.

The Ashley business plan of buying young, cheap hungry players in starting to reap rewards. I remember KK cancelling the reserves and youth teams because he didnt want them playing at SJP. The total opposite is in place now and we are begiinning to see the fruits of our academy coming through. Ashley has poured millions into the academy development and with the lokes of Ab eid, Krul, Carroll, Ferguson, Ameobi, Tavernier, Forster and others coming through the ranks, we will be in a much better situation in the future. With the Fair Play rules coming in, we are better placved than many rdgarding home grown talent and living within our means than most other clubs.

The transfer dealings and the employment of Graham Carr, Alan Pardew and John Carver have also been master strokes. Our scouting network appears to be vast and rewarding. To get players of the quality of Tiote, Cabaye, Ba, Cisse, HBA, Marveaux etc etc etc for less than the 35 million we got for Carroll is outstanding and isnt it great to see the list of excellent players from abroad we have either signed or have been linked with now espedcially when you consider that not 12 months ago, we were being linked with the likes of Larsson, Gardner and Heskey.

Whilst some people may still be upset about the renaming of the ground, get over it. As Ashley and Pardew have said, it is purely a financial arrangement to bring more players to the club and supporters will always know it as SJP.

I cannot see an awful lot Ashley has done wrong since we were relegated to be honest. In fact, I believe he has moved the club along quicker than anyone could have expected. The facts are:

After relegation, he got rid of the crap from the club. He cut costsz accordingly swhich was a necessary fact.
He backed the manager at the time with resources, although limited but within the financial framework.
He continued in the winter transfer window bringing in 4 players which virtually guaranteed instant promotion
He added to the squad, once again, limited due to the financial constraints once back in the PL.
He sold Andy Carroll which I think everyone now agrees, was an offer too good to refuse. Look at AC now.
OK, He sacked Hughton and was ruthless but results at WBA and Bolton were nowhere near good enough.
Pardew has so far proven to be a very good replacement and is even being talked about as England manager.
Look at the players who have come in and who has left this season.
Are we not 10 points or thereabouts better offthan the samed time last season.
Is the squad significantly better than last season?
Brought Virgin is as a shirt sponsor, a world reknowned brand.

In my opinion, Ashley has learned his lesson big time and is supporting the club to the hilt. We dont owe the bank and we are not losing insane amounts of money in interest as Ashley has taken over all debts interest free. If he takers someof the mpney generated back, who could blame him.

So, guys, lets not get stuck in a time warp of circa 2009 and get off the blokes back. He is turning this club around in an exceptional manner and we have never been so better run.

[pleno1]

I have been reading quite a lot of articles this week trying to downgrade the spanish football league.

Yes barcelona are the best team in the world. Yes real madrid are fantastic, yes messi and ronaldo are the best two players in the world. Yes xavi and iniesta are the two more glorious players to watch in the world. Yes pique is better than any other defender in the spanish league. Yes casillas is the best gk in the league, yes both of these teams are way way way above anybody else in the league.

No this does not mean it is a shit league and all the rest of the teams in the league are terrible.

Did you know that over the last 10 years a spanish team has won the europa league/uefa cup 4 times? Not bad for a league which only has two teams huh?

[pleno1]

Interesting!

[pleno1]

Spurs without Ledley King: LDDDWDDLDLLLWWLWD.

Spurs with Ledley King: WWWWWWWWDWWWWWD