Can’t argue with what you’re saying, Mick. Clearly things aren’t right at St James’ at the moment, but history suggests we’ll probably never know exactly what’s gone on behind the scenes to bring us to this point.
I’m a huge Eddie Howe fan and have admired the way he’s conducted himself, often carrying the club almost single-handedly through some difficult periods. But, as painful as the timing is, I’m not getting too misty-eyed about losing him.
Let’s not forget Gordon, Tonali, Joelinton and others were all part of last season’s collapse. We capitulated in both cup defeats to Man City, equalled a Champions League record by conceding seven at Barcelona, were utterly pathetic in both derby games, flirted with relegation when we should have been comfortably pushing for Europe, and then there was Fulham away, where it looked like too many on the pitch simply couldn’t be bothered despite all the usual pre and post-match noises.
Obviously we can’t afford to lose Bruno—though we probably will—and Lewis Hall simply has to stay. But, in truth, a reset felt inevitable. Salvaging a draw at Gateshead through an own goal before getting hammered at Bristol City isn’t a good look however you try to dress it up.
The new bloke might make a complete mess of it. We might sign nobody of any quality. He could fail spectacularly and we could even go down. Right now, mid-table obscurity probably feels like the most realistic outcome. Then again, how many of us honestly expected a great season even before this latest dose of chaos arrived and the shit hit the fan with its usual impeccable timing & accuracy?
As the old song says: “Sometimes I have this crazy dream that I just take off in my car. Well, you can travel on ten thousand miles and still stay where you are.” That line has rarely summed up Newcastle United better.
Sensible, regular information and communication from Hopkinson is well and truly overdue. I can reluctantly cope with a target of finishing out of the bottom three as long as the Club make that target clear. On the other hand if the target is to reach the top (or somewhere close to it) by 2030 then please can we have details of the plan.
Good point about communication, Robert. Fwiw, I think this is the most coherent and systematic the club has been in pursuing a specific long-term plan, regardless of the chaos it's currently creating. But they really do need to articulate that plan openly and directly.
Howe is a decent bloke and certainly not a bad manager, but the team had gone more stale than a bag of chips left out overnight. If anything, we started tailing off after the cup win, got blindsided by the Isak saga and although he shouldn’t have really been put in the position in the first place, the botched transfer window last summer had Howe and his nephew’s fingerprints all over it. Speaking of, hopefully the nepo baby is the next one out the door. Don’t let it hit you on the arse and all that.
The owners do have to take some blame for the churn at executive level, but Howe didn’t exactly cover himself in glory either - and I suspect losing control of transfers is one of the reasons he’s chosen to hand in his notice. It seemed to go well with Dan Cashworth, sorry, Ashworth, in post (though obviously we were spending beyond our means) but him and Mitchell were at loggerheads from day one and ultimately I think Mitchell’s “not fit for purpose” comment has rung true to some degree. The jury is still out on Wilson and our Saul Goodman-lookalike CEO.
Some of our performances last season were utter crap and we appeared unmotivated for both derbies - the latter being a sackable offence in and of itself in my opinion. Although it’s only preseason and a lot of the usual starters weren’t playing, the nature of the performances against the Heed and Bristol Titty set all sorts of alarm bells ringing for me. I wasn’t one of the doylems calling him worse than muck but I think he should’ve been given the heave-ho after the home derby disgrace. He leaves as a club legend though I’m glad he went now, so as to avoid further tarnishing his legacy.
Jaissle could end up being a disaster, but we needed the reset and he needs time, backing and patience to impose his style. As always with NUFC, I’m hoping for the best and expecting the worst. It’s the only way to stop this bloody club from driving you insane.
Agree with every word of that 👏🏻. Let’s not shit the bed and I doubt we will go down but a change of direction was needed. Last season was total dross. Will be gutted if Pope starts in goal for us. Desperately need 2 full backs.
I think His Eddiness had gone a bit stale with regards tactics and motivation (and not just since February this year) - he needs a break as he has carried this basket-case of a club for 5 long years which must be draining, especially as he started it in quarantine and has had a least one period in hospital - the body/mind knows when to stop, even if the brain does not. We welcome the 'new broom', the changed faces in the dressing room and see if it leads to success or doom.
Let's set the record straight - Eddie Howe's football for the most part of last season was utter dogshit. He should have been sacked after the humiliating defeat at The Stadium Of Seagulls but our owner's detached apathy meant we had to endure far worse. But better late than never they have given us a young dynamic manager who will reignite the fire of our football. So let's have an end to the miserable comments about how great Howeball was and let's get behind our new boss as it won't be long before the chant of "Matty Jaissle's Black And White Army" will be echoing around the ground both home and away - especially when we destroy the Makems!
I think Wissa/Woltemade(less so) and Osula might click this season if the formation is right. We might surprise everyone and have a good season. Who knows.
What I do know is that Howe was in charge last season with a team most of us were hugely excited about at the start of the season (despite the sale of Isak) and we were dreadful. In almost every single game.
For some reason you blame Hopkinson and Wilson for ‘not getting our targets’. In almost every case it’s simply been a fact of life that those targets have gone to bigger clubs who’ve paid them more money.
Your attitude towards the board/PIF is perplexing. I remember you saying something along the lines of ‘you care only about Newcastle United’. Surely we are in a better place with this lot than the last bunch of tossers who literally took the piss out of the club and the supporters.
Surely you’re more optimistic, even during these shitty few weeks, with the direction of the club than when Ashley had it?
We’ve spent absolute fortunes, won a cup and the city is still buzzing. While the trajectory has flatlined a bit, I think you could be a bit less partisan about Howe (who every decent fan acknowledges is a decent bloke) and get off your high horse continually slagging the board.
I could easily be wrong and it might go belly up but I think most fans were not optimistic about Howe continuing to be in charge and felt he might not turn it around. The board gave him every chance - far more patient than I would’ve been. They deserve some loyalty too.
I think the board has to share this responsibility. Hoppy has been in place 12 months yet his commercial team missed the new shirt launch with a new sponsor, allegedly costing us millions. Money we can ill afford to miss out on - the consequence is potentially another player sale to balance the books. Other commercial opportunities remain open (training kit, etc.).
Previous boards failed to grasp the double bounce of cup win and ECL qualification to maximise revenue opportunity at that time. All the while finding more ways to increase ticket prices and piss off fans with ticket checks, seat moves, etc.
We have chased another player over multiple windows (Trafford) only to disappear when he becomes available.
Incoming transfers have been underwhelming - but may yet prove me wrong.
Anyone working under those conditions would rightly, in my opinion, question whether it is all worth it.
I agree. The board does need to share responsibility. But Mick only ever sees everything negative as the board’s fault and anything positive as Howe’s achievement.
The ticket price increase pissed me off - I was on the long term deal and it shot up from around £600 to almost £1,000. But if someone had asked me when I was watching us at home to Sheffield Utd in a covid restricted attendance if I’d pay £35pm more for the ride I’ve been on since, I’d have snapped their hands off.
Sick of the moaning.
As I’ve mentioned, I could be wrong and it might be the start of the end but I’m still currently much more enthused watching Newcastle than I was for the majority of the 14yrs before PIF/Amanda Staveley rocked up.
I still think good things can happen and I never felt that for years previously. So I’m prepared to give them a chance and not fucking knock them at every opportunity.
I'm with you on most points. There are not many who would argue that the previous regime was anything but a betrayal of NUFC. When Bruce was appointed, I walked, chucking my season ticket I'd held since 1980. I don't regret it, but really regret being put in a position where I even considered it. I will never forgive the FCB or Bruce for that.
I'm sad EH has left, but that chapter has now closed with many more good memories than bad.
Obviously, the current board/ownership is way better than what had gone on before and I suppose we can be “thankful” for that.
However, I cannot help but think that Hopkinson is, at best, overly optimistic, or, at worst, a deluded idiot.
His interview from last December in which he stated the club would be considered the as the leading club in the world is not ambition - it is hubristic nonsense. In that interview he did not explain in any detail how this would be achieved. He has since had eight months to offer further detail on how this can be achieved and any progress the club has made towards it. The clock is ticking on this one…..
By all means, have “stretch” targets, but let’s have some detail, if not you just set yourself up for ridicule.
I cannot see NUFC being considered as one of the top four clubs in England, let alone the best club in the world, for the foreseeable future - owing to current financial rules and the club’s relatively restricted ability to generate revenue (ground, location of the city, etc.). These two factors will see the club being forced to sell its better players on a consistent basis to those bigger clubs. Given this will happen, I question Hopkinson’s knowledge/credibility.
More communication is essential, especially after such a summer as this - but cut out the bullshit.
I also don’t trust Hopkinson on ticketing/pricing but that is a debate for another day and one which is not solely centred on NUFC.
Can’t argue with what you’re saying, Mick. Clearly things aren’t right at St James’ at the moment, but history suggests we’ll probably never know exactly what’s gone on behind the scenes to bring us to this point.
I’m a huge Eddie Howe fan and have admired the way he’s conducted himself, often carrying the club almost single-handedly through some difficult periods. But, as painful as the timing is, I’m not getting too misty-eyed about losing him.
Let’s not forget Gordon, Tonali, Joelinton and others were all part of last season’s collapse. We capitulated in both cup defeats to Man City, equalled a Champions League record by conceding seven at Barcelona, were utterly pathetic in both derby games, flirted with relegation when we should have been comfortably pushing for Europe, and then there was Fulham away, where it looked like too many on the pitch simply couldn’t be bothered despite all the usual pre and post-match noises.
Obviously we can’t afford to lose Bruno—though we probably will—and Lewis Hall simply has to stay. But, in truth, a reset felt inevitable. Salvaging a draw at Gateshead through an own goal before getting hammered at Bristol City isn’t a good look however you try to dress it up.
The new bloke might make a complete mess of it. We might sign nobody of any quality. He could fail spectacularly and we could even go down. Right now, mid-table obscurity probably feels like the most realistic outcome. Then again, how many of us honestly expected a great season even before this latest dose of chaos arrived and the shit hit the fan with its usual impeccable timing & accuracy?
As the old song says: “Sometimes I have this crazy dream that I just take off in my car. Well, you can travel on ten thousand miles and still stay where you are.” That line has rarely summed up Newcastle United better.
As you say the shit has hit the fan and as ever with NUFC the shit has hit the fans
Spot on, Phil
Sensible, regular information and communication from Hopkinson is well and truly overdue. I can reluctantly cope with a target of finishing out of the bottom three as long as the Club make that target clear. On the other hand if the target is to reach the top (or somewhere close to it) by 2030 then please can we have details of the plan.
Good point about communication, Robert. Fwiw, I think this is the most coherent and systematic the club has been in pursuing a specific long-term plan, regardless of the chaos it's currently creating. But they really do need to articulate that plan openly and directly.
Howe is a decent bloke and certainly not a bad manager, but the team had gone more stale than a bag of chips left out overnight. If anything, we started tailing off after the cup win, got blindsided by the Isak saga and although he shouldn’t have really been put in the position in the first place, the botched transfer window last summer had Howe and his nephew’s fingerprints all over it. Speaking of, hopefully the nepo baby is the next one out the door. Don’t let it hit you on the arse and all that.
The owners do have to take some blame for the churn at executive level, but Howe didn’t exactly cover himself in glory either - and I suspect losing control of transfers is one of the reasons he’s chosen to hand in his notice. It seemed to go well with Dan Cashworth, sorry, Ashworth, in post (though obviously we were spending beyond our means) but him and Mitchell were at loggerheads from day one and ultimately I think Mitchell’s “not fit for purpose” comment has rung true to some degree. The jury is still out on Wilson and our Saul Goodman-lookalike CEO.
Some of our performances last season were utter crap and we appeared unmotivated for both derbies - the latter being a sackable offence in and of itself in my opinion. Although it’s only preseason and a lot of the usual starters weren’t playing, the nature of the performances against the Heed and Bristol Titty set all sorts of alarm bells ringing for me. I wasn’t one of the doylems calling him worse than muck but I think he should’ve been given the heave-ho after the home derby disgrace. He leaves as a club legend though I’m glad he went now, so as to avoid further tarnishing his legacy.
Jaissle could end up being a disaster, but we needed the reset and he needs time, backing and patience to impose his style. As always with NUFC, I’m hoping for the best and expecting the worst. It’s the only way to stop this bloody club from driving you insane.
Agree with every word of that 👏🏻. Let’s not shit the bed and I doubt we will go down but a change of direction was needed. Last season was total dross. Will be gutted if Pope starts in goal for us. Desperately need 2 full backs.
I think His Eddiness had gone a bit stale with regards tactics and motivation (and not just since February this year) - he needs a break as he has carried this basket-case of a club for 5 long years which must be draining, especially as he started it in quarantine and has had a least one period in hospital - the body/mind knows when to stop, even if the brain does not. We welcome the 'new broom', the changed faces in the dressing room and see if it leads to success or doom.
Here's a thought. Could the new boss bring Toney with him? Even on a season-long loan or swap for Joelinton?
Let's set the record straight - Eddie Howe's football for the most part of last season was utter dogshit. He should have been sacked after the humiliating defeat at The Stadium Of Seagulls but our owner's detached apathy meant we had to endure far worse. But better late than never they have given us a young dynamic manager who will reignite the fire of our football. So let's have an end to the miserable comments about how great Howeball was and let's get behind our new boss as it won't be long before the chant of "Matty Jaissle's Black And White Army" will be echoing around the ground both home and away - especially when we destroy the Makems!
Super negative even for you, Mick.
I think Wissa/Woltemade(less so) and Osula might click this season if the formation is right. We might surprise everyone and have a good season. Who knows.
What I do know is that Howe was in charge last season with a team most of us were hugely excited about at the start of the season (despite the sale of Isak) and we were dreadful. In almost every single game.
For some reason you blame Hopkinson and Wilson for ‘not getting our targets’. In almost every case it’s simply been a fact of life that those targets have gone to bigger clubs who’ve paid them more money.
Your attitude towards the board/PIF is perplexing. I remember you saying something along the lines of ‘you care only about Newcastle United’. Surely we are in a better place with this lot than the last bunch of tossers who literally took the piss out of the club and the supporters.
Surely you’re more optimistic, even during these shitty few weeks, with the direction of the club than when Ashley had it?
We’ve spent absolute fortunes, won a cup and the city is still buzzing. While the trajectory has flatlined a bit, I think you could be a bit less partisan about Howe (who every decent fan acknowledges is a decent bloke) and get off your high horse continually slagging the board.
I could easily be wrong and it might go belly up but I think most fans were not optimistic about Howe continuing to be in charge and felt he might not turn it around. The board gave him every chance - far more patient than I would’ve been. They deserve some loyalty too.
I think the board has to share this responsibility. Hoppy has been in place 12 months yet his commercial team missed the new shirt launch with a new sponsor, allegedly costing us millions. Money we can ill afford to miss out on - the consequence is potentially another player sale to balance the books. Other commercial opportunities remain open (training kit, etc.).
Previous boards failed to grasp the double bounce of cup win and ECL qualification to maximise revenue opportunity at that time. All the while finding more ways to increase ticket prices and piss off fans with ticket checks, seat moves, etc.
We have chased another player over multiple windows (Trafford) only to disappear when he becomes available.
Incoming transfers have been underwhelming - but may yet prove me wrong.
Anyone working under those conditions would rightly, in my opinion, question whether it is all worth it.
I agree. The board does need to share responsibility. But Mick only ever sees everything negative as the board’s fault and anything positive as Howe’s achievement.
The ticket price increase pissed me off - I was on the long term deal and it shot up from around £600 to almost £1,000. But if someone had asked me when I was watching us at home to Sheffield Utd in a covid restricted attendance if I’d pay £35pm more for the ride I’ve been on since, I’d have snapped their hands off.
Sick of the moaning.
As I’ve mentioned, I could be wrong and it might be the start of the end but I’m still currently much more enthused watching Newcastle than I was for the majority of the 14yrs before PIF/Amanda Staveley rocked up.
I still think good things can happen and I never felt that for years previously. So I’m prepared to give them a chance and not fucking knock them at every opportunity.
I'm with you on most points. There are not many who would argue that the previous regime was anything but a betrayal of NUFC. When Bruce was appointed, I walked, chucking my season ticket I'd held since 1980. I don't regret it, but really regret being put in a position where I even considered it. I will never forgive the FCB or Bruce for that.
I'm sad EH has left, but that chapter has now closed with many more good memories than bad.
Onwards and upwards.
HTL
Obviously, the current board/ownership is way better than what had gone on before and I suppose we can be “thankful” for that.
However, I cannot help but think that Hopkinson is, at best, overly optimistic, or, at worst, a deluded idiot.
His interview from last December in which he stated the club would be considered the as the leading club in the world is not ambition - it is hubristic nonsense. In that interview he did not explain in any detail how this would be achieved. He has since had eight months to offer further detail on how this can be achieved and any progress the club has made towards it. The clock is ticking on this one…..
By all means, have “stretch” targets, but let’s have some detail, if not you just set yourself up for ridicule.
I cannot see NUFC being considered as one of the top four clubs in England, let alone the best club in the world, for the foreseeable future - owing to current financial rules and the club’s relatively restricted ability to generate revenue (ground, location of the city, etc.). These two factors will see the club being forced to sell its better players on a consistent basis to those bigger clubs. Given this will happen, I question Hopkinson’s knowledge/credibility.
More communication is essential, especially after such a summer as this - but cut out the bullshit.
I also don’t trust Hopkinson on ticketing/pricing but that is a debate for another day and one which is not solely centred on NUFC.
On a separate issue, I also don’t trust
Wait a sec. I'll just grab some popcorn. 🤣
😉We all love the club, Mik. The opinions of us all are generally civil and borne of frustration.
Absolutely. With you on that, mate 🤘🏼
🤝