2007/2008 European football thread

[Raderick]

[Raderick]

Newcastle was on the bad side of a beatdown. No clue why they bothered to show up.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by Raderick

Newcastle was on the bad side of a beatdown. No clue why they bothered to show up.

I'd show up every week for a beating if I was getting around $70,000

[LFC1892]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

I'd show up every week for a beating if I was getting around $70,000

I'd be happy to play for the Toon for 5% of that.

[Rossi]

i still can't get over Alan Smith playing in centre midfield, but it seems we have no-one else (apart from Emre).

If we had a good slightly attacking minded midfielder in the middle of the park today, we couldve pulled it back to 6-1

Awful performance and disappointed to see us give up at 3-0, which often turns into 6-0 against great sides.

[Cooleyvol]

Originally Posted by Raderick

Is there something Cristiano Ronaldo cannot do?

edit: 2-0 United after a very poor clearing by Given. Looks like United is back where they belong.

Walking on water comes to mind, but maybe I've just not seen him do it yet. Amazing second half for United, Manchester that is. A couple of those late goals reminded me of the Globetrotters/Generals relationship.

[Tony M]

I can't believe Newcastle are hiring Kev again as manager. And I tell you honestly, I'd love it if they keep losing. Love it.

[Rossi]

I'm very disappointed that we've went back to Keegan, i have to question his knowledge of modern day football. His record as Man City manager wasent great, and he's been out of work for a couple of years now. I'd of preferred Deschamps or even Shearer.

The fans don't really want Kevin Keegan, they want to be 2nd in the league again.

[Tony M]

Originally Posted by Rossi

I'm very disappointed that we've went back to Keegan, i have to question his knowledge of modern day football. His record as Man City manager wasent great, and he's been out of work for a couple of years now. I'd of preferred Deschamps or even Shearer.

The fans don't really want Kevin Keegan, they want to be 2nd in the league again.

They had a debate on Radio 5 at the weekend about potential managers for Newcastle and they were talking about Harry before he pulled out, and some Toon fan called in saying there's no point in taking Harry as he's not won anything.

I sent a text in saying if that's the case they'd make a great pair as neither had Newcastle.

[Rossi]

I think they like letting our moronic fans on the radio and TV.

Some fan on Setanta said minimum for Allardyce this season was 6th in the league and a domestic final.

[The Professor]

Originally Posted by Rossi

I'm very disappointed that we've went back to Keegan, i have to question his knowledge of modern day football. His record as Man City manager wasent great, and he's been out of work for a couple of years now. I'd of preferred Deschamps or even Shearer.

The fans don't really want Kevin Keegan, they want to be 2nd in the league again.

I agree that King Kev might not be the right choice, or is even a bad choice. That said, I think it might be an almost necessary choice - because, while I think you nailed it: "they want to be 2nd again..." - in a lot of minds, Kev, the "Entertainers", and 2nd place are part and parcel of the same mystique.

If Keegan does as well or better than the first time around, unlikely as that is, and the Toon are competing for top four spots, playing exciting football, and even if cup wins don't fall in their lap, I think it will be a mostly contented atmosphere.

More likely, however, Keegan doesn't perform miracles and, maybe at last, Newcastle fans (not all, but many that I know) will cut or deemphasize their nostalgic ties to the first Keegan Era and embrace more broad possibilities for the future.

[The Funk]

Sod that rational attitude you boring bastards. A fairly long piece I wrote for a Toon forum:

You know, I was firmly in the looking for an experienced manager camp. Probably foreign, one to install a good technical style of play. Build us up and add the odd skillful player to the mix. I didn't want a Hughes or a Redknapp, I was bricking it over McClaren for a bit. I just wanted someone to get a bit excited by. Even a new up-and-coming guy I'd never heard of. Someone to symbolise a new era. I didn't want a newbie Alan Shearer in charge, although I do think he could make a very good manager some day, and I didn't even think about the old guard.

Then we hear some quotes about how Mike Ashley wants good, attacking football. He wants his team to entertain, to go about the country and try and give everyone a battering. Great I thought, Chairman's got his head in the sky, the game's different now. Don't get me wrong, there are many worse types of chairman to have than an attack-minded idealist. I mean, every Toon fan would love to relive the Keegan days as well, but seriously man, Keegan's gone.

Only Mike Ashley isn't like me. For a start he had tons of cash and he also owns Newcastle Football Club, and apparently, if he wants to go back to the Keegan years, he bloody well can and will. I was shocked when I saw the news. An hour or two earlier it had been Deschamps being touted. Suddenly, out of the blue King Kev is back. The recent interviews I'd read he'd seemed so bitter about the loss of 'the game' and it's replacement with 'the industry'. I then thought Shearer will blatantly get a piece of this action, and when Keegan buggers off in a huff in a little while he'll take over, hopefully having learnt a bit on the way. If that's our long term plan then, to be honest, I can think of worse.

But you know what, after that I stopped thinking about all that long-term ****, because I was too busy smiling. Keegan is back! I know why many won't like it; football's moved on, can't turn back the clock, he's been out of the game, need a new era. I understand all that and probably largely agree with it. But right now to be honest I don't give a **** because Keegan is back and I'm too busy smiling to care. This appointment just pushes all the primal sporting buttons; passion, hope, idealism, sentimentality. Everything that makes football and sport what it is, and Keegan, though he has his faults, epitomises all of these things, and even more so at Newcastle.

I love what he stands for in the game: he just wants it to be fun for everyone. Idealistic? Yes. Naive. Yes. The way it damn well should be? Definitely. The only way Keegan could have a chance of succeeding is if he had a chairman who shared his idealism, and I think in Mike Ashley he does, and furthermore I think the only club where even that combination could be successful for him is at Newcastle.

To be honest, right now I don't care about trophies. I'm just sick of boring football. I'm sick of watching dour rubbish, of watching us toothlessly and statically attack waiting for the inevitable headed clearance and counter attack that follows. I'm sick of thinking and acting like we're the underdog, even when we do have some good players. I can't even the remember the last time before a game that I genuinely thought, you know we're gonna put a few past these guys today, and I think our players have felt the same way since Sir Bobby left. Our supporters have been labelled fickle and impatient over the last few years, but in truth we'd just lost hope. Any fans would have with the last few repeated cycles of crap we've been served. If anyone represents hope for Newcastle fans it's Keegan. That's why as a Toon fan I ****ing love the guy and love this appointment.

There isn't another manager like Kevin Keegan and there isn't any other club for him. The next day I still can't stop smiling. That's the effect Keegan has. That's the effect football should have! Keegan and Newcastle is one of the great football stories of recent memory. If you're a Toon fan it is THE great story. It may well all end in tears again, but it's a story that badly needed another chapter and pretty much whatever the outcome I think it would have been a sadder thing if it had never had the chance to be written. This is an appointment from the heart not the head, but you know what? Being a football fan is an emotional thing, and in the modern professional game there is far too little done from the heart. I'm sure loads of other fans will scoff at our deluded fans trying to relive the glory years, but they're wrong completely wrong to do so, because it's stories like this that make football the ****ing great game it is, and if our idealism means we have to play the role of the tragic hero again, that's fine by me, because that's a pretty exciting, juicy role, and I'd take it over a steady supporting character any day.

This has got quite long-winded so to sum up:

Keegan is back at Newcastle, where he damn well belongs, and as a passionate, sentimental, idealistic, football-loving fan (like all good fans), even though it goes against almost all common sense I ****ing love it!

[LFC1892]

From the mailbag at Football365 re Keegan.

Keegan Is A Failure
This is probably the umpteenth email you've had regarding the situation up the road at St James. I'm sorry, I'm going to add to the tide of opinion because I just cannot sit and read F365 without waxing lyrical on the current status of the whole debacle. Lets get the basic underlying problem on the table straight away, Newcastle have appointed a failure, pure and simple. This was a man who could not cope with pressure and collapsed like a house of cards at the first sign things weren't going well for him. Sure he had a good record at Newcastle, last time, but the game has fundamentally changed since then. If he were to revert to type and go more gung ho than an American Marine in Vietnam then his reign will be a short one and end in tears.

Newcastle need to make up their mind whether they want entertainment or success as I feel with the current crop of players this cannot be achieved in tandem. The game is quicker, you even see the likes of Middlesbrough and Wigan using counter attacking football in a game these days, pace is a vitally important and where Newcastle do possess pace in areas but they are sorely lacking in midfield and at the back in my opinion. This means that if they go for all out attack and fail to find some sort of end product they will be on their heels quicker than Owen gets injured and in trouble more often than not. The birdbrains up the road fail to see that. They think the messiah is going to right all the wrongs and that they will be a force once again. To facilitate a quick turn around in their fortunes they would need a partial new midfield and a full new defence. They may be able to raise themselves to a level with the likes of Citeh and Everton but they will never catch the big 3/4. The world class players needed to challenge these teams exist, but the downside is they often play for these teams. This is part of the massive delusion they live under and it seems the Chairman is subscribing to it.

It will be interesting to see how long the honeymoon lasts, the way Ashley and Mort have started has placed them dangerously close to the old Shepherd regime of hiring and firing and dodgy appointments. Keegan could be the man but I fear that the game has progressed drastically from when he was involved and that it will be a step too far. Do the board then admit that first choice Keegan (never on the original Allardyce replacement list) was a mistake and get rid, dashing the fans hopes yet again and falling from the silver charger, or do they persist and risk becoming an even bigger laughing stock languishing at the wrong end of the table where they believe they don't belong. If that happened how much longer would Ashley be welcomed into the bare chested circles of the Geordie faithful? Will the fans finally see through his nauseous shirt wearing and drink buying antics to realise he was the fat kid at school who never got picked for the team and now wants to be a part of a "big" club?

It's going to be an interesting season, it will be interesting to see what the Board have to say if they get their attacking football and if (when) it doesn't succeed and they concede goals faster than a Spurs defence with Kaboul in it.

There is still the spectre of Shearer hanging over the club. Sure Keegan is the Messiah but is Shearer not the God of Newcastle? When will the fans start calling for his appointment again, make no mistake it will happen, all supporters are a fickle bunch, the Geordies more than others, and Shearer is still a revered hero in those parts.

There is one small consolation, at least if Keegan goes for all out attack he isn't going to have to worry about Titus Bramble being the last line of defence against the inevitable counter attacks. That would have been deeply worrying for the Newcastle faithful.

War and Peace II is now finished.
Ian, Carrickfergus.


Keegan Is Not A Failure
Perhaps the hoards of miserable pessimists lining up to mock Newcastles appointment of Kevin Keegan should give the guy a break.

He took Newcastle from a team who were worse than Grimsby, Tranmere, Southend and Cambridge United to a team that won the 1st division and then came 3rd, 6th, 2nd and 2nd in the Premier League.

He then helped Fulham win the 2nd Division in the following season before becoming England manager.

Having failed to win anything with the perenial underachievers of the national side he then became Man City boss and took a side relegated from the Premier League straight back up as Champions. They then finished mid-table, followed by a poor season in which they finished in the bottom half of the table. In his last season at City they finished mid-table again.

As far as I can see, Keegan's been nothing short of sensational at club level and has left every team he's managed in a far better situation than when he took over. His team's also play attacking, attractive football.
At least I can enjoy watching Newcastle again now that Fat Sam the long ball merchant has been ditched.
Dan Whittle, Liverpool FC


They're Just Jealous
So then, for the past week Newcastle United have been massively in ther spotlight. Everybody has passed comment on the situation, even people like Ian Wright who have absolutely nothing to do with us. Some of the opinions offered have just quite simply been dreadfully ill informed and plain wrong. Fans of other clubs have commented and protested that 'Newcastle aren't even a big club they just have a big stadium and lots of fans.'

I just find all this quite funny. If we aren't a big club then why do so many people talk about us and feel the need to pass comment? Maybe it's jealousy that nobody ever talks about their club or cares about what happens there? Or maybe it's to try and deflect the attention from what is currently happening at their club (Liverpool). Either way think that all of the media hype and reaction shows exactly what size of club we are.

And as for Keegan, well I don't think anybody really knows how it'll work. It could be genius or it could be insane but right now I don't care because I know that now I'm going to have a team and manager I can be proud of for the first time since Uncle Bobby and I'm going to be entertained. Allardyce epitomised all that was wrong with modern results driven football I think and here comes the exact opposite and I'm excited. Keegan is just a great man and with the financial backing of Ashley what's to stop us gradually building a team ready to challenge again? If this is blind optimism then so be it but at least we have something to get excited about now. Now bring on Bolton!
Jack Stanley (proud to be a Geordie again)


We Were Laughing Our Arses Off
I wish the media would be a bit more honest. Instead of talking about the 'thrilling news' of Keegan's return, could they not tell us that they laughed till they fell off their chairs, and are now rubbing their hands at the prospect of upcoming car-crash?

Whilst Geordies change their tune form, 'We are a big club,' to, 'We just wanna have fun,' (missing the point that this was the man that had them sobbing openly 'Time after time') any pundit worth his salt knows that Keegan's previous failures were the last hurrah for clueless management.

With the money clubs spend on players, the prevalence of pro-zone, and the increasing presence of top (foreign) management in the Premier League, Newcastle's decision shows that their board-room is as inept as ever. When I stop laughing, I will be sad for my Geordie mates.
Darren Baker


Success Is Here
Haway man, the good times are back at Newcastle! I cannae wait to see us lift the African Cup of Nations next month followed by the League , FA Cup and then round of the season with the Euro's in Austria & Switzerland although it will pain us to leave our beloved Newcastle! It doesn't matter if the likes of Man U score 6 now as our Kev's toon army will score seven cuz we play beautiful, attacking, flowing football. We'll make those southern softies Arsenal look like Bolton. When Kee'an first took over like we woz not even in the top flight and he took us to 2nd now he's starting from mid-table it's more of a certainty than pulling some lass in a short skirt in New'astle town centre and getting your end away in an alleyway on a Friday night!

Oh to be a daft Geordie!!!
Sean 'Still not stopped laughing since 4pm yesterday' Duffy


Let's Look At The Evidence
Haha. Adam Ant reckons Newcastle put up 'a decent challenge' to Arsenal during the Keegan days? How about 'absolutely dominated them in the league.' Lets compare the facts:

93/94. Arsenal 4th, 6 points behind 3rd place Newcastle.
94/95. Arsenal 12th, 21 points behind 6th place Newcastle.
95/96. Arsenal 5th, 15 points behind 2nd place Newcastle.
96/97. Arsenal 3rd, level on points but behind on goal difference to 2nd place Newcastle.

Imagine that! With Seaman at his best, the classic defence intact, Wright banging them in and Bergkamp and Viera having injury free seasons, Newcastle had a superior goal difference, even with their rubbish/comedy/non-existent defence.

Of course, the teams went in opposite directions, and Newcastle are now rubbish whilst Arsenal are up there with the very best in Europe. But lets not pretend he fluked it, or that he had a lucky season or two against the big boys. Newcastle were seriously good, never finishing below Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs or Villa, and getting the better of Liverpool three times out of four under Keegan.

Can he do it again? Almost certainly not. But can Newcastle get any worse? No. It'll be enjoyable to watch, he'll sign a million strikers, we'll lose a few close games but score a lot and now and then hammer a few sides through simple massive attacking pressure. The pressure's off to win anything, so I for one will be sitting back and enjoying it.
Dave Amos. Leeds.


Bitchy
Just a quick response to Pete (can't wait for Saturday) Lockey. Yes the whole country is laughing at your club. You are the laughing stock of European football, not just the Premiership but saying the Toon Army "don't care" is absolute rubbish! You're only kidding yourself. If you didn't care Fat Sam would still be in the job as we speak! Let's see you care if/when "King" Kev guides you to The Championship. At least if you were there you might have a slim chance of winning a trophy!!
Sam Keefe


Sensible? Two Fingers Sir
I would just like to say b£$%£x to all those who have criticised the madness in Appointing Kevin Keegan. Stephen Scott got it spot on.

Football is so dull nowadays it's really refreshing to see a decision made with the heart. It's been ages since we've had any genuine surprises in football. It's all so dull and predictable. So businesslike and all planned out like surprises and unpredictability are terrible things that should be left in the past.

Those are the things that used to make football so much fun. Ringing your mates in disbelief the day your heard Andy Cole was going to Man U. Wondering will Newcastle and Liverpool not even bother with defenders next time they meet. Norwich embarrassing Bayern in their own back yard.

Yes there are plenty of sensible reasons why Keegan might not be the man to solve Newcastle's problems but sod it. He's a decent bloke, likes to play entertaining football and fills a void left by Mourinho for great headlines and genuine passion.

Good luck to him and Newcastle and two fingers to the sensible option.

I thought Robbie Fowler coming back to Anfield was special but I wonder if King Kenny would be interested!!!
Mikey Foley - Hertfordshire


Great News
Can I point out that Keegan's return is great news for every neutral football fan. Let's face it, it'll go one of two ways:

1) Newcastle start playing good, attacking football a la 1995, the Premiership becomes more interesting and we all get to hear a few more "I would love it" rants.

or

2) It all goes tits up, Keegan reverts to Man City type and spends millions on sh*t players (John Macken, etc), Newcastle are even more of a laughing stock than before with an even worse defence, the Premiership still becomes more interesting and we all get to hear even more "I would love it" rants.

Win-win. Odds on Keith Gillespie being the first signing anyone?
Phil, Italy


A Different World
I'm glad that Andy Gray picked up on Kevin Keegan's interview from Inside Sport where he said that he hadnt watched a live football match since he left Man City, around 3 years ago.

Three bloody years! And these disillusioned Geordies think that he's going to bring them success. At the start of the 2004/05, the season that Keegan left, Portsmouth were being managed by Velimir Zajec, Boumsong was judged to be worth £8million and Jermain Defoe was the 4th highest scorer in the league! The game, Mr Keegan, has changed a lot since then, but i for one look forward to watching Newcastle bring in a string of strikers when their new defensive signings are clearly not up to standard.
Adam (Can't wait for Watford to be above Newcastle next season) Franklin

Some good stuff in there!

[LFC1892]

> Emmanuel Adebayor puts Arsenal ahead against Newcastle Photo Getty




Emmanuel Adebayor has scored his 19th goal of the season to help Arsenal claim a 3-0 victory over Newcastle which propelled them to the top of the Premier League.

The result was a repeat of the FA Cup fourth-round tie and Newcastle have now gone three games without scoring since Kevin Keegan returned to the club as manager.

Arsene Wenger's side move on to 57 points, three clear of Manchester United who face Portsmouth on Wednesday night (Thursday morning AEDT), having played a game extra.

The Togo international broke the deadlock at the Emirates Stadium in the 40th minute with a trademark header.

Mathieu Flamini rode a challenge from Nicky Butt and burst into space before he delivered a perfectly-weighted cross towards the far post which Adebayor headed past Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given.

Flamini doubled the advantage in the 72nd minute with a superb 30-yard strike which flew past Given and into the top-right corner of the net.

Cesc Fabregas added a third goal in the 80th minute when he fired into the top-left corner from just inside the penalty area.


Scoreless in 3 games....great times in Newcastle!

[bababui]

Well, two of those games have been against Arsenal and The African Travesty of Nations has depleted their talent pool.

[LFC1892]

Celtic win their sixth consecutive away gameBlue Square NorthSat, 26th JanuaryBarrow13Stalybridge CelticThompson 90(p) Meechan 19
Dean 73
Barlow 88Attendance: 1047 Mike Brierley Celtic recorded their eighth win in nine games to give their Nationwide North ambitions a huge boost with an emphatic victory at Holker Street, home of Barrow AFC.
Steve Burr made two changes to the side that lost midweek to Burscough. Simon Garner, replacing the suspended Ashley Winn in midfield and Kettering hero James Dean, was given a start in place of Lee Ellington.
Despite the comfortable score line in the end, it was Barrow who started the game in the more positive fashion and caught the Celtic back line sleeping on a number of occasions. After less than ten minutes, Ryan Elderton had to be replaced, and Matty Barlow bandaged up after a clash of heads.
Celtic sides are made of stern stuff these days though and gradually forced their way back into the game, making Barrow pay for their lack of profligacy when Alex Meechan steered the Celts into a 1-0 lead, latching onto a poor throw in, and guiding the ball past Deasy.
Barrow were not to be undone though and were awarded a cast iron penalty moments later, when Thompson was tripped in the box. Gamble was equal to the task and made his first penalty save, shootouts apart, of the season, when McNulty shot straight down the middle, and Gamble punched the ball away.
As the game wore on, James Dean, who caused problems for the home defence all afternoon, spurned a couple of chances to put Celtic further ahead, including a glorious chance when Hall provided the lobbed pass, and Dean skied the ball over the gaping goal, and a second when Deasy was forced into an excellent reaction block. Dean was then the provider for Hall, but another good save from Deasy kept Barrow in the hunt.
It was that man Dean who, midway through the second half did put Celtic into a 2-0 lead, when he reacted quickest to a scrambled corner, latching onto Ellington’s link up play, to force the ball home. His delight at scoring as he rushed to celebrate with the travelling fans captivated the feeling of players and fans in the joy and meaning of the moment.
An Ellington free kick forced Deasy into yet another save, before Matty Barlow, who had played all afternoon with a bandaged head, made the points safe shortly before time when he delicately hit a cross shot across goal that went in at the far post.
Barrow earned a consolation goal to deny Celtic an eight clean sheet, when Thompson was tripped in the box, and took the penalty himself, blasting into the roof of the net, and giving Gamble no chance. Late as it was, the penalty could not detract from the outstanding result against an in form Barrow.
It is well over twenty years since Celtic achieved a better result at Holker Street than the one they did on this showing; and it's probably even longer since a Celtic side held such a lofty position, especially if league tables were based on away results alone. The correlation between the two is a combination of manager and players who clearly have quality. It just remains to be seen if they have the stamina to secure Celtic a place in the big league yet again. On this and their previous eight game winning run showing, they certainly do.
Celtic line-up: Paddy Gamble; Ashley Woolliscroft; Andrew Smart; Garry Burke; Simon Garner; Paul Sykes; James Dean; Terry Barwick; Matty Barlow; Chris Hall; Alex Meechan (Lee Ellington 72 mins)Unused Subs: Carlos Roca; Mark Haran; Martin Pearson

[bababui]

The Simpsons are apparently making a football/soccer episode with Homer training with Man U.

[Big Hugg]

Massive win for Fulham today.

Jimmy Bullard with the free kick winner.

[theasfl]

Originally Posted by bababui

The Simpsons are apparently making a football/soccer episode with Homer training with Man U.

they did one a long time ago, nice to hear theyre doing it again

[bababui]

Time to end Bundesliga hibernation

Hesse-Lichtenberger
Archive


I'm fully aware the next sentence is going to sound awfully coquettish, but we journalists are so committed to the naked truth that there's nothing I can do about it.



GettyImages
There might have been a snowman at the Nuremberg game, but despite the snow there was a game.





The other day I met a terribly famous footballer who happens to be from Germany in a hotel in South London. Seeing that he was carrying a copy not of, say, 'The Financial Times' or 'Forbes' but the Thursday edition our own veritable football-in-print institution, 'kicker' magazine, I struck up a conversation about a think-piece penned by Hans Meyer.

In said issue of 'kicker', Meyer, the iconic Nuremberg coach, calls for an abolition of the Bundesliga's traditional winter break.

Obviously, he doesn't think that those five to six weeks of rest in December and January give you time to prepare for the second half of the season: 'Lik