The Toon Army thread

[Ford Fairlane]

Reported that the Wesley Ngo Baheng (Le Havre) transfer has gone thru - playing reserves tonight.

Rumoured to be a bid for Diarra coming?

 

[ShearMagic9]

The club have now confirmed that a second youngster has joined Newcastle after pre -contract agreements were made last year.

18 year-old striker Wesley Ngo Baheng (pictured) follows in the path of Charles N'Zogbia in moving to Tyneside from French Division Two side Le Havre.

French-born of Cameroon parentage, Wesley originally appeared on Tyneside in pre-season, having had trials at Bolton during Allardyce's time at the Reebok.

However the French paper L'Equipe claimed at the time that the Trotters were unable to reach agreement with Le Havre over the player - a similar situation to that which had seen a potential move to Chelsea fail in 2006.

Enter Newcastle, who were unable to complete a deal in the last transfer window despite the player technically being a free agent.

Le Havre then went public in October to confirm that they had agreed compensation with United for the player who like N'Zogbia hadn't graduated to their first team.

Baheng is now officially a Newcastle player and has already gained some experience of training with his colleagues and featuring in a couple of behind closed doors training matches.

Sounds promising.

Good to see the club strengthening our youth prospects. It's been an area in the past that we've paid little or no attention to, and are now facing the consequences.

 

[tige19]

Sounds promising.

Good to see the club strengthening our youth prospects. It's been an area in the past that we've paid little or no attention to, and are now facing the consequences.

Dont know much about the kid but if he is anything like Zoggy I will be happy, Le Havre provide some cracking young talent.

 

[tige19]

Shack (Newcastle United fan)
"Surely Martin O'Neill and Sven Goran Erikson inherited much poorer squads of players, at Villa and City, than Mr Allardyce at St. James' Park yet they seem to be moving ahead at quite a pace. Why should our manager be constantly calling for time to re-build? The fans will grant him that - to reach the heights which Kevin Kegan achieved and Sir Bobby Robson but surely, a team like ours should be able to make mincemeat of Derby and Wigan. One point out of twelve over the Christmas period is simply not good enough, by anybody's standards. One would have more confidence in the manager if he spoke, dressed and conducted himself in a more dignified manner - such as by not chewing like an uneducated moron."

Pretty spot on this whole post, especially the last bit, the way SA conducts him self or I should say presents him self is not of a high standard at all.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Reports that Newcastle are on the verge of signing another highly credentialled young player - 17yo Hungarian Under-19 international defender Tamas Kadar.

Oh yeah, there was also something about a manager being sacked?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/7179847.stm

 

[wellsy]

I dont know how to take the sacking but it has been done now so it is time to move on.

I for one hope Shearer doesnt take the job, which i dont think he will as he said that he is happy with his stuff on Match of the Day. I hope we go hard for Jose Mourinho.... I can dream cant i?

 

[tige19]

Better off getting rid of him sooner rather than later, have heard from a mate in Newcastle that Lippi wants the job. Can he speak English??

 

[Tigerbob]

Really, really shocked by the sacking.

Yes our performances haven't been the greatest but a little more time was indeed needed. I think Allardyce never was the first choice in Mort and Ashleys eye's.

Lets just hope a world class manager is awaiting for us.

 

[tribey]

I think Allardyce never was the first choice in Mort and Ashleys eye's.

My word he wasn't - appointing Allardyce was Shepherd's last hurrah.

 

[ShearMagic9]

Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted Newcastle only have themselves to blame for almost four decades of chronic underachievement.

The Manchester United manager was expecting to meet up with Sam Allardyce at Old Trafford on Saturday, only for his old friend to get the sack on Wednesday, just 24 games into his St James' Park reign.

Ferguson has already spoken to Allardyce, who was as surprised as most of the football fraternity beyond Tyneside, unable to comprehend the need for such a knee-jerk reaction.

It means Newcastle have now got rid of 10 managers during Ferguson's 21 years with the Red Devils, including some of the biggest names in the game, none of whom have achieved any tangible success.

And the Scot - who took almost four years to win his first trophy at United - feels the Magpies' misery will only continue until they learn to stand by their men.

"The expectation levels at Newcastle are too great, a lot of people are saying that now," said Ferguson.

"When you analyse the situation up there, it is beyond belief.

"They have had two managers who have won World Cups - Jack Charlton and Ossie Ardiles - as players, four who have won the European Cups as players - Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish, Ruud Gullit and Graeme Souness - and Sir Bobby Robson, who took England to the World Cup semi-finals.

"You would think one of them would have won something given the right time.

"I don't know what you can say about the situation up there but it is a strange club."

Ferguson was at Stoke on Sunday to see Newcastle battle to an FA Cup third round draw which seemed to have kept Allardyce in a job but ultimately proved to be his last match in charge.

Although the United boss had heard all the speculation over Allardyce's position, he did not see a team at the Britannia Stadium that had given up on their manager. And he still cannot quite believe a man who was so successful in his previous job at Bolton was given so little time to have an impact in the north-east.

"I heard all the rumours but I still could not see it happening," he reflected.

"Sometimes, when a manager is under pressure it filters through to the team. You can see signs in players trying to do their best for their manager but they just cannot find it.

"I didn't see that on Sunday. I thought the spirit and response from Newcastle was good. You could not look at that and say those players are not playing for the manager, far from it.

"The unfortunate thing for Sam was that (owner) Mike Ashley did not appoint him. That was probably the most dangerous situation Sam found himself in.

"I still find it amazing though. The people who picked him did so on the back of an outstanding CV given the work he did at Bolton, plus the experience and presence he had.

"And yet, after 24 games, he has gone. That tells you everything about the modern-day game."

The latest managerial upheaval has not helped Ferguson's planning for tomorrow's encounter, when United will be looking for their 11th straight home win since the opening-day draw with Reading.

Ferguson admitted he had "no idea" whether interim manager Nigel Pearson, whose team have not won at Old Trafford since 1972, was planning any changes, although he does expect old boys Nicky Butt and Alan Smith to be patrolling the visitors' midfield.

Owen Hargreaves is a major doubt after suffering a rib injury in training, while Danny Simpson or, more likely, John O'Shea will replace suspended defender Wes Brown.

With Paul Scholes now due back "in two or three weeks" after returning from a long-standing knee problem and Park Ji-sung earning high praise from his manager for his performance at Aston Villa last weekend just three games into a comeback from cruciate surgery, United's squad strength is starting to show through.

"Our form has been decent and after the Christmas period, I felt we were starting to look strong again in the last 20 minutes at Aston Villa," said Ferguson.

"Our record against Newcastle is outstanding but I can't carry that into the game. We have to produce the same performance level as we have done in the past and the same energy and hopefully get the job done."

For once I agree with SAF

We only have ourselves to blame for our mediocrity.

Long may it continue

 

[apollo_creed]

For once I agree with SAF

We only have ourselves to blame for our mediocrity.

Long may it continue

So you're admitting that buying Alan Smith from Manchester United for some ridiculous price, continually playing him and even letting him captain the sinking ship is to blame?

That's part of blaming one's self for their ridiculous mediocrity?

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Apparently it's being reported on Sky that Redknapp's knocked Newcastle back - interview with Harry.

 

[apollo_creed]

Good news for your lot.

Get someone non-boring and decent.

JOL IN!

 

[Ford Fairlane]

I have to admit I'm more than a bit surprised that this new executive team at Newcastle didn't have someone lined up before they sacked Sam. Seems Newcastle is just a beacon for cowboys, no matter how professional they try to appear to be (well Mort tries anyway).

Here's the article from Sky about Harry saying no

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_3041327,00.html

 

[EnglishWarrior]

Shearer/Keegan dreaqm ticket. get the Geordies creaming their kex

Or as Nip says, get Jol in. Would be a good alternative. Get you playing the attractive football you crave, but uunlikely to break the trophy drought if his Spurs record is anything to go by

 

[moomba]

I have to admit I'm more than a bit surprised that this new executive team at Newcastle didn't have someone lined up before they sacked Sam. Seems Newcastle is just a beacon for cowboys, no matter how professional they try to appear to be (well Mort tries anyway).

Here's the article from Sky about Harry saying no

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_3041327,00.html

Oh dear. Shambles if this is true.

 

[tribey]

Oh dear. Shambles if this is true.

Pleased. A 60-year old commuting to training and home games from the south coast each week, private jet or not?

Recipe for an early grave - for manager and team - rather than a period of prolonged success.

I bang on about it a lot, but f#cking Freddie and his 1) Geordie 2) British 3) No third dividend policy when it comes to hiring managers (inspired by the calamity that was Ruud Gullit and his flippancy regarding the importance of things like Shearer and the mackems derby).

Had 'Greenock' Mort'n'Ashley been in charge that little bit earlier I'm almost certain Sven would be in the middle of the first phase of planning for long term success with us as he is now with your lot.

 

[Boro]

Steve McLaren come on down

 

[tribey]

I mean really.

A genuinely world class manager with wounded pride who was burning to rebuild his reputation at a club of precisely our size and situation - massive resources, starved of success - and happened to be uncontracted at a time when we were without a manager.

What do we do?

Hire a comparative donkey whose only CV highlight is "I turned Bolton from a yo-yo club into one that now sits safely in upper midtable after 7 1/2 years using tactics that were last considered popular in the sixties" and "I'm considered to be one of the best English managers amongst a field that includes Steve McClaren, Steve Bruce and Stuart Pearce!"

We may as well have hired Graham Taylor.

 

[Lowie01]

We may as well have hired Graham Taylor.

I believe he is available.

 

[tribey]

I believe he is available.

I am deathly afraid of us panicking and making precisely that type of appointment.

A Venables or an O'Leary.

 

[ShearMagic9]

Mark Hughes would be my preferred appointment.

Failing that we wait until the end of the season and try to nab Hitzfeld.

 

[Gun Barrel Straight]

Mark Hughes would be my preferred appointment.

Failing that we wait until the end of the season and try to nab Hitzfeld.

Hitzfeld is taking the Swiss job i believe.

But he would be a good appointment if newcastle could nab him.

 

[tribey]

Notice how we couldn't so much as complete a pass in our final third tonight?

Sam's longball tactics have absolutely crippled every attacking instinct our players had - players looked surprised to have the ball played into their feet.

We are in big big trouble.

 

[CarterS]

Well that wasn't good ...

In the first 15 or 20 mins we were stringing a few passes together in the midfield and our defence looked quite comfortable ... I'm really struggling to get a positive out of this.

Zog looked great, as did Enrique !