Fergie backtracks

Taken from nufcblog.com

You know... I can't quite work out old Baconface sometimes....


After the game in which Newcastle went down 4-3 at Manchester United on Boxing Day, in a game we actually turned up for, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson insulted the Tyneside club after the game, by calling the team “that wee club from the North East.”

And quite honestly, in any other real job, that kind of ridiculous and vicious statement would not have gone unpunished – but this is football – and not of the real world.

But it’s also true that in the last two months the Newcastle brand has taken an awful lot of hits to its great image, and that was just one of them – and it’s all been very painful.

And we think Ferguson can be a piece of work when he’s angry, and he’s annoyed quite a lot both during and after games - especially when his team do not play well – or heaven forbid – lose.

But Alex has made a point of apologizing to Newcastle fans, and said his comments were aimed at those who run the club – and not at the fans – who are the best in the business.

This is what 71 year-old Alex said today:

“‘Among the criticism there were also messages from people who feel they have been let down by the club and that it has not matched their own ambitions for success.” ”It was never my intention to belittle Newcastle fans.” “I want to clear up any misunderstanding that may have arisen over what I said.”

I have nothing but the highest regard for Newcastle fans and I always have had. They are up there with the best supporters in the game. Their passion, commitment and fervour have never wavered, even though they have had little to celebrate.”

“They have turned up in numbers to get behind their team wherever and whenever the games have been played. When I take a team to St James’ Park, I have stressed to the players that not only have they got to beat the opposition on the field, just as important is coping with the atmosphere created by the fans.”

“Sadly, results have not matched their loyalty. If Newcastle’s achievements had matched the support of the people who pay to watch them play, the club would be among the game’s giants. It’s tragic that they haven’t been able to win a league title for over eighty years.”

“The whole country would like to see a Newcastle team that matched the one in the Keegan era when they took us to the wire.”

Never mind the whole country – we the faithful fans would love to see Newcastle back up there – and we thought a new era was dawning last season when we shocked everybody and finished 5th in the league – but in truth I don’t expect us to repeat the fantastic Keegan era anytime soon, and certainly not in my lifetime.

But this season is almost a polar opposite of what we did last season, and we are now in a relegation fight, and we could be fighting for our Premier League lives through the end of the season in May.

We hope Mike Ashley will pay the money to bring four good players in during January – and we already have one excellent acquisition this month – French star Mathieu Debuchy – but we have lost our top scorer Demba Ba, who amazingly seems to be bad mouthing Newcastle at every opportunity - since he moved to Chelsea last Friday.

We’ll have to survive and maybe even prosper without mercenary Demba Ba – but we need some good new players in urgently to carry that out.

Over to you Mike Ashley.

 

Well, you can't say fairer than that. I have to admit that reading this article has left me feeling a little bereft, why, because Fergie is spot on. So much loyalty, so much passion, turning out both home and away in numbers other clubs could only dream of, and this has been rewarded by very little to be proud of both on and off the pitch.
We have been woeful this season, which is all the harder to stomach when you consider how much it promised. I guess we all knew that it would start to unravel when we failed to strengthen properly in the summer, but hoped that somehow with a bit of luck we would be okay, looks like the luck ran out.
Add to that our glorious owners antics, renaming our iconic stadium, leaving Virgin to be sponsored by Wonga.com, and all the ethical questions that poses. Leaving Pardew to carry the can and look a fool when promises are made and then not kept. Failure on the pitch is one thing, but being made a laughing stock is quite another. Our loyalty means we will never turn our backs on our club, and Ashley knows that and l fear has no qualms about exploiting that.
We are almost at rock bottom and the reality is that relegation and the dismantling of a team that was capable of such promise, is a glaring reality. The next few weeks will show us the future we can expect. Will Ashley back the club and it's manager and it's loyal support, by releasing those funds needed for our survival ? I wish it was as simple as saying, of course he will, but as always, l cannot fathom the man or his logic.
Time will tell and this is the very same time that feels as though it is quickly running out. I hope that just for once he does the right thing by us.

 

That's fair enough.

He's saying basically that the fan base is better than the club itself, and he's right. This fanbase deserves success, but the goons that run the club don't.

 

He's always previously made a point of saying how much he admires us, so I always suspected last weeks comments were a wind up aimed at Pardew - nothing more.

 

Fergie only ever says whats good for Fergie and the the Man Utd Global Division Inc.

 

He makes a fair point - about a week too late!
Lame attempt at an apology - we know EXACTLY what he meant/said.
He's trying to eep on the right side of his own 'fans' who follow him blindly.

 

Whether or not you believe in Fergies sincerity, what he says is absolutely true - everything is in place at this club for Newcastle United to be a major challenger for honours. Last season demonstrated that.

The fact is, as we all know by now, is that Ashley et al let us down by not boosting the player numbers in sufficient quality.

We qualified for Europa League and promptly released eleven players and brought in nowhere near enough replacements.

Like i've said before, Ashley has no interest in bettering this club, just sustaining the level we're at currently - he's gambled by not investing and is losing heavily now.

It's sad, but we all saw it coming - why couldn't they?

 

They're idiots. that's what it is

 

Still cannot stand the man.