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Article: The major turning point - Football, Newcastle United

Discussion in 'Newcastle United' started by I Sit Next To A Badger-Leazes Corner, Jul 19, 2011.

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  1. I Sit Next To A Badger-Leazes Corner

    I Sit Next To A Badger-Leazes Corner Well-Known Member

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    Pretty sure every Newcastle fan has had this discussion a million times, well time to make it 1,000,001.

    Watching Premier League Years last week, showed us the glorious seasons of 01/02, with results like 4-3 against Man Utd, 3-1 away at Arsenal and the amazing comeback at Leeds to win 4-3. We finished 4th and looked forward to a season in the champions league.

    We then progressed the season after, and whilst there weren't too many stand out results, we got beat 5-3 away and 6-2 at home against Man Utd, but still finished 3rd.

    This was an amazing achievement. We were once again looking forward to a second champions league season in as many years, but then what went wrong?

    We were knocked out on penalties and the qualifying stage of the CL, and were put into the Uefa Cup. That summer, we only signed one player, in the form of Lee Bowyer. Many had expected us to sign quite a few stars and to keep pushing on.

    No one could blame Robson for the CL defeat imo, we were leading from the first leg, we had a strong team out in the second and they couldn't deliver, Robson never really changed anything.

    We had a fantastic season in the Uefa Cup, but were knocked out at the Semi Final stage to Didier Drogba, sorry, Marseille. We finished 5th that season.

    Robson then brought in Kluivert, Stephen Carr, Milner, N'Zogbia and Nicky Butt. Only two would ever make an impact. I have to criticise Robson here as they were poor signings in the form of Carr and Kluivert, Butt started well but his form only lasted 3/4 of a season, and then disgraced this club with his performance against(or should I say for) Manchester United in the FA Cup Semi Final.

    People might have a go at me for criticising Robson, all I am criticising is a few signings, not the man himself.

    We then started the season poorly. Tempers flared between Dyer and Robson on the eve of the first game of the season away at Middlesbrough. We were cheated as Hasselbaink scored with his hand to equalise in the last minute. Dyer had refused to play on the right hand side where Robson had asked him to play, and at the time Robson was being criticised by people in the media for not being tough enough with his players.

    Robson was sacked, shockingly, 4 games into the season. We knew he would turn it round as we always started poorly, but Shephard never gave him the chance.

    At the time, we all expected a top top manager to come in. Ottmar Hitzfeld was favourite, but who did we hire? A bloke who was 7th choice, had just finished in the bottom half with Blackburn, Graeme Souness. What did Shephard see? The fact that Souness had just won the League Cup with Blackburn was enough, clearly. What a joke.

    Many saw this as the turning point. And whilst I do believe in some ways that it was, I have to look back to the season we failed to qualify for the Champions League, by getting knocked out by Partizan Belgrade. I have to blame the players, because had we got in the Champions League, I believe it would have raised our profile even more, and when the day came that Robson had to leave, we would have a top successor to replace him.

    Souness failed, I hate the man, that's all I am going to say on the matter.

    Roeder got the job, he did well and got us up into 7th and into an intertoto cup spot. This was the time he had to leave. He wasn't a manager, we had to replace him there and then. And this was to be proved, as the following season we finished 14th. Allardyce got the job, and then Keegan, and then Hughton, and then Kinnear, and then Hughton, and then Shearer, and then Hughton, and now Pardew.

    Shephard is a clear reason for our downfall in terms of running the football club, Mike Ashley has helped quite a bit mind, but I really do think it harks back to that night in August when we failed to qualify for the Champions League.

    'If' 'If' 'If'...the biggest word in football.

    We just threw it away, we lost our European status, and whilst we are still well known and would be seen as a big draw to most clubs if we were to return to Europe, we did manage to keep one key factor of this fantastic football club...THE FANS.

    So, I have given my major turning point, what was yours?
     
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  2. Vilsmeier-Haack Reaction

    Vilsmeier-Haack Reaction Well-Known Member

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    Not really the turning point, situatuion was still retrievable. Turning point was definitely the sacking of Robson for me
     
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  3. GeoMax

    GeoMax Member

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    TBH I'm not sure Wor Bob had much say in who Newcastle signed that summer, Butt certainly was not Robson's choice, he wanted to keep Speed but Shepherd was the one in chanrge doing the buying and selling. So yes, it was defo started by Shepherd, it's such a pitty that our current bafoon did not learn from Shepherds mistakes. Let our ****ing managers manage without interference!!!!!!
     
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  4. Tiggyrimana

    Tiggyrimana Active Member

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    Till the day I die I will never forget the sheer dissapointment I had for the appointment of Souness.
     
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  5. Tiggyrimana

    Tiggyrimana Active Member

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    Bobby also wanted Carrick instead of Butt!
     
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  6. simonbh7

    simonbh7 Active Member

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    For me, the turning point was the minute FFS announced that he was not going to offer Sir Bobby a new contract. This totally undermined the manager's position and certain players switched off. (The same thing happened a few years ago when Alex ferguson said that he would be leaving Man utd at the end of the season, they were ****e until he announced that he had changed his mind.)

    This announcement and then getting rid of Sir Bobby must rank amongst the worst decisions ever made at this football club. We did not have a good start to that season, but then we never seemed to start well under Robson, and I am certain that we would have ended up having another good season. Instead, Souness came in and ripped a very good team apart.

    Since then, we all know the catalogue of disasters that have plagued our club. I just hope that the club has now turned that corner.

    edit.
    As far as I am aware, Sir Bobby knew nothing about the Kliuvert signing until he arrived at the club.
     
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  7. MrToontastic

    MrToontastic Well-Known Member

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    It's a difficult question but I'd say the day Craig Bellamy got his big injury towards the end of the season (not quite sure which season it was). It was the season when Fergie said that we'd have won the league if Bellamy wasn'tt injured.

    IF we'd won the league that year like Fergie said we would have done. This would have been huge for us and we then could have pushed on.
     
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  8. GeoMax

    GeoMax Member

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    I remember walking out of SJP the Saturday after Bobby was sacked, we had just humped Blackburn 3-0 I think it was, but despite a good scoreline there was no buzz in the air, no atmosphere. My mate says to me on the way out "a good result?" to which I replied "Yes, Robsons team have just hammered Souness' team, and we've swapped managers??????" Depressing as **** it was.
     
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  9. Sanchin0

    Sanchin0 Active Member

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    Oh yes.. Tom, nostalgia at it's finest. 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 seasons were clearly one of the best seasons we've ever had. So much excitment, drama and passion! We had a cracking defence in the form of Hughes(solid/reliable/consistent), Dabizas(Oh that derby winner.. what a moment), O'Brien(these were the days when he was actually GOOD) and Bernard(on par with Jose in terms of best LB's of the decade?). A excellent midfield in the form of Laurent Robert(on his day he was a class act), Gary Speed(experienced head), Dyer(Oh wow.. these were the days when he could actually play a full season..) and of course Solano(brilliant crosser of the ball and a very good team player) and WHO could forget that terrific partnership of Al and Bellamy?

    Ah those WERE the days. <ok>
     
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  10. I Sit Next To A Badger-Leazes Corner

    I Sit Next To A Badger-Leazes Corner Well-Known Member

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    Fantastic point at the end there.
     
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  11. The Armband

    The Armband Active Member

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    As far as turning points go, I think we're all in agreement that you've summed it up well, after Robson it all started to go downhill. I mean it was Souness who began our foolish transfer policies (transfer policies were up to Shepherd but you know what I mean).

    To be fair, I really enjoyed Roeder's time here, he brought stability back into the squad and got us on a really good run in the league finishing the end of the season strong in 7th place, followed by a decent UEFA cup campaign- was so frustrated at the way we went out to AZ Alkmaar on aggregate considering we were 3-0 inside 25 minutes in the first leg, but alas! Overall, glad with the job Roeder did and it was a good time for him to leave with his head held high!
     
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  12. Tiggyrimana

    Tiggyrimana Active Member

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    Like a funeral!
    Shepherd made some clangers but that was utterly ****e!
     
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  13. overseasTOON

    overseasTOON Active Member

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    I'd say it wasn't actually the sacking of Robson that was the turning point; it was the hiring of the next manager so the credit for the beginning of the downfall is solely on Shepherds shoulders.

    Had a better man-manager and someone with a more astute policy of attacking football (as that team was) taken over then things may have been very different.
     
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  14. I Sit Next To A Badger-Leazes Corner

    I Sit Next To A Badger-Leazes Corner Well-Known Member

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    Why do people think Souness wasn't sacked quicker than what he was?

    He was sacked in January I think(or Feb) but had already been given a year in the job. I personally think Shephard was trying to learn from the Robson mistakes and give him a chance, but losing 3-0 at Man City, such a dire performance, had to be the end and thankfully it was done with enough time for us to push on, and push on we did through Roeder(beating Sunderland 4-1 along the way).
     
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  15. overseasTOON

    overseasTOON Active Member

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    More than likely it came down to the pay off if he was sacked. Also don't forget that Shepherd had backed him hugely in the transfer market:

    Boumsong
    Parker
    Luque
    Owen

    Just those 4 amounted to £41 million
     
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  16. GeoMax

    GeoMax Member

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    "Theres no such thing as wingers in the modern game" was a quote from Souness while manager of Newcastle. As stupid comments go, that one takes some beating even today. I would have sacked the useless twat there and then!
     
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  17. steviemac14

    steviemac14 Active Member

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    Fat Fred > Fat Mike.
     
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  18. The Armband

    The Armband Active Member

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    I prefer the direction in which the club is heading now as opposed to where it was under Shepherd
     
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  19. P.T.N

    P.T.N Active Member

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    For me, the a turning point came when we lost against Bolton. Because up and till then we hadnt done too bad with Souness. However, after that, we were ****e! But, obviously the major point did come with Sir Bob getting sacked. I geniunely do feel if he stayed on for that season, we woudlnt be where we are now.
     
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  20. GeoMax

    GeoMax Member

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    The only difference between the two is that Shepherd was actually a Toon fan & showed ambition. Both useless baffoon like creatures though!
     
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