31st May 2005
Q: With Kluivert, Milner, Carr and Butt brought in during
the Summer of 2004, what were your expectations at the start of the
season?
When we signed the four of them I was delighted. At the start of the
Summer I felt that we needed a right back, defensive midfielder, striker
and cover for the wings. I felt we had got what we needed in these
lads and that we could push on and qualify for the Champions League.
We were close in 2003/2004 and the signings, in my opinion, were enough
to cement that 4th place.
I always liked Carr prior to his injuries but I'd not seen him much
since, but I was hopeful that he'd perform in the way I had once seen.
He's certainly shown glimpses but injury problems have continued to
dog him. Kluivert used to be in the top bracket of world strikers
and it was this reputation that made me so happy to have signed him.
He had gone stale at Barcelona and his hunger was questioned by many,
but I was optimistic a new lease of life in Tyneside would kick-start
his career. Sadly it wasn't to be. He has shown glimpses of genius
but it has been overlooked by his constant injuries and his apparent
lack of interest on the field.
Nicky Butt is a player that I always liked at Man Utd and I was pleased
when we signed him too. The departure of Gary Speed left a void that
needed filling and Butt was available and seemed a good choice. Many
had reservations about the fact he was miles off Man Utd's first team
but I was always optimistic. He started brilliantly at Middlesbrough
but ever since he first got injured he's been dreadful. He's been
a huge disappointment and hasn't met my expectations at all.
The fact we had to sign Faye says a lot for the form of Butt. From
what I'd seen of Milner at Leeds he seemed a promising winger with
an eye for goal. He's only 19 and many fans expected a lot from him
straight away. My expectation was for him to provide cover to push
Robert to play consistently and I feel that he has. I never expected
a brilliant debut season but I think that we've got a good youngster
on our hands if we develop him properly.
Q: Many back then at the time were calling for Sir Bobby's
head - were you one of them?
At the end of the season I wouldn't have shed any tears if Robson
had gone. We'd had a disappointing season and the end of the season
seemed a suitable time for him to leave and for a new manager to come
in and re-build in the way Benitez and Mourinho did. We either had
to sack him or back him. We chose to back him which was fine, but
it seemed that the board was only willing to back him for a limited
time. To sack him at the start of the season was ridiculous and I
just feel that if Robson had gone at the end of 2003/2004 things would
have been very different.
Q: We had our usual great start to the season and the usual
happened - Sir Bobby was sacked a few games in; who was your preferred
choice of manager to replace him?
Personally, I'd have gone abroad and got a successful foreign manager
in the way Liverpool and Chelsea did. There weren't and still aren't
many British managers in the league who would make much of a difference
here and because of this Europe seemed the best option. Ottmar Hitzfeld
is a name that certainly grabbed my attention at the time and I'd
have been chuffed with his signature. Sadly, Shepherd's lack of interest
in foreign managers led us down the road of British ones. Out of the
ones that we were rumoured to be interested I'd have most liked Sam
Allardyce, but he turned us down and looking back I don't blame him!
Q: Your initial thoughts on Graeme Souness' appointment?
At the time I wasn't happy, but I wasn't really gutted. He always
came across to me as a decent manager, nothing else. He had won the
League Cup at Blackburn and led them to a top six position. The reasons
given for his appointment involve his discipline, but this was certainly
one area that didn't grab me. His public fallouts with Yorke, Cole
and Dunn hardly made me optimistic that he wouldn't fall out with
our big egos! I felt he deserved a chance at the job though.
Q: And now, 7 months into the job?
Seven months isn't long and there are still some, including himself
saying that he deserves a chance to buy his own players and all that.
However from what we've seen on and off the pitch this season, giving
Souness the chance to continue and sign his own players will harm
the club. Tactically he has done nothing to suggest that with good
players he'll make a success of it. The thing that gets me the most
is that in May 2004 we were just as good/bad as Liverpool were.
They sacked Houllier despite finishing 4th, we stuck with Robson.
They appointed Rafa Benitez, a proven top class coach who bought his
own players and has sent them to the Champions League final. We sacked
Bobby in August and replaced him with Graeme Souness, a man who has
a dodgy managerial record in comparison. The result? We finish 14th
with no trophies, they finish 5th and and win the Champions League.
The way we've fallen and they've risen just depresses me.
Q: Do you back him or do you want him out?
I want him out to be honest, but I really don't see it happening.
Surely Shepherd will have leant from his mistakes and won't sack him
in August so it looks like he'll be staying. I just feel that with
a top quality manager the club can go places, but with Souness we're
on the decline.
Q: United dipped back into the transfer market in January
and brought in Boumsong, Faye and Babayaro, how do you think each
has performed?
I've been impressed with Boumsong. He's strong, pacy, a good tackler
and an organiser. He's brought the best out of Bramble and together
they've looked an excellent partnership. We paid over the odds, but
we were desperate for a bit of class in defence and we've got it.
Babayaro looks a decent player, but no better than Bernard. His attitude
is certainly questionable and his injuries are frustrating. It seems
as if we bought him just because he was a left back, without any research
into his injury history or attitude. We need a better player on the
left flank in my opinion.
Faye came with a reputation as a solid defensive midfielder who would
do a steady and dependable job. I'd never seen him play before and
he started pretty well. He keeps his position well and does a good
job covering the defence – notice the results of games when he plays.
His passing is poor though and something that needs working on. One
thing though, if we play Faye we can't play Butt alongside him.
Q: Who is your player of the season?
No one has really stood out, but Shay Given probably gets it due to
a process of elimination. He's not had a great season but he's been
better than anyone else – says a lot for the outfield players!
Q: And who in your opinion, has been the worst?
Nicky Butt has been dreadful and I'm disappointed that his career
didn't take off here. He had the pedigree to be successful here, he
just doesn't really seem interested and his performance against Man
Utd just showed that – he wishes he was back there. Let him go in
the summer and buy a quality replacement.
Q: With the likes of Taylor, Ramage, Milner, Jenas, Ambrose,
N'Zogbia and Chopra, many believe we have a good crop of youngsters
there, do you expect them to make it at Newcastle?
I'd love it to happen. Taylor looks an outstanding talent and stands
out from the others in the list. For someone so young he's really
composed and if we work with him properly we should have a future
England player on our hands. The worrying fact is that NUFC has a
tendency to stall young players careers. Jenas came here as a great
talent and looked the part, but he's stalled and looks very average
now. N'Zogbia looks a good player and is one worth keeping. I've not
really seen enough of Peter Ramage to comment so with him it is more
a case of hope, rather than expect. If we can train and develop them
properly in the way that other clubs have done we've got a good future
in the making, if we don't then we've wasted money and time on them.
Q: What was the most disappointing aspect of the season for
you?
Losing to Sporting Lisbon. Despite all the on and off field problems
we had this season we were still in a great position to win a major
trophy. 1-0 up from the first leg, and with Dyer making it 2-0 we
seemed comfortable. The building I was in had a fire alarm at this
point but I left the building confident that not even Newcastle would
throw this one away. Half an hour later I returned to the room to
find we were 3-1, and then shortly after, 4-1 down. The FA Cup was
disappointing but I never thought we'd win that, losing in the UEFA
was a big blow.
Q: And the best?
Beating Chelsea in the FA Cup has to be one of the highlights. They
were on a high and we had a full strength team out on the field and
for a change I was confident! Kluivert's goal was great but the way
we held on and defended well was nice to watch. I know we were lucky
that they ended up with about 7 players but it was still satisfying.
After we beat them I foolishly started to think to myself, 'maybe
this year' – never mind!
Q: What in your opinion are our strengths and weaknesses?
Despite the negativity of this season we do have some strengths. If
we can keep him, Shay Given is an excellent goalkeeper and I bet Ferguson
and Wenger would both love him in their teams. Boumsong and Bramble
seemed to have formed a solid partnership in defence which is something
to build on, along with the emergence of Taylor. In midfield we lack
quality, but I feel that if he is played on the right, Kieron Dyer
is a great asset to the club with his pace and skill. Shearer is still
an asset to the club but he's an ageing one.
Our weaknesses spread out all over the team. We lack quality in depth
in defence with the likes of O'Brien and Elliott being used as cover.
The lack of a truly creative player in the midfield hinders our progress.
We need the kind of player who can create something out of nothing,
and with Robert out of favour we lack this. Up front, now Bellamy
is gone we lack pace and movement which leads to our forward play
being very predictable and one-dimensional.
Q: Freddy Shepherd, how do you rate his management of the
club this season in particular?
Financially I think he's done a good job. The funds have always been
available for transfers and he's managed to keep the club performing
well in economic figures despite heavy spending. It has been pointed
out that we've only spent what we've received in selling players recently
but I still think he's done a good job.
Apart from that I think the man is a complete embarrassment. He seems
obsessed with putting himself in the limelight with his daft comments
like 'you don't sack Sir Bobby', 'I'll only sell Woodgate for £50m'
and 'most fans want Shearer as manager'. The Rooney deal last summer
was a complete joke too and humiliated the club in my view. If he
learns to keep his mouth shut and keep out of the limelight he'll
be alright.
Q: Do you back him or do you want him out?
As I said, if he keeps a low profile like other chairmen do then I've
no problem with him staying. Hopefully he's learnt that sacking managers
in the first month of the season is stupid and he'll be sensible when
appointing Souness' eventual replacement, in other words someone experienced,
not Alan Shearer.
Q: Bellamy - would you like to see him back at the club, thoughts
please?
For the good of Newcastle United in a footballing sense I'd love to
see Bellamy back. He's a terrific player who makes us a different
team when he plays – we lack pace and movement due to his sale. Personally,
if Bellamy was to apologise (and mean it) I'd have him back. The problem
is on this situation is that both Bellamy and Souness think they're
right and are too stubborn to compromise. I couldn't care if he's
a disruption at times, surely it no coincidence that when he was upfront
for the team we finished 4th, 3rd and 5th?
Q: Bowyer - should he stay or go, thoughts please?
At the time of the fight with Dyer I would have happily driven him
away from Newcastle United. He embarrassed himself, the fans and the
club in public and arguably put an end to any hope of silverware.
Unlike Bellamy he's not a brilliant player who makes the team tick,
but I do think he's a good player who in my eyes was getting back
to his best form last season.
In that game against Villa he was the best player on the pitch and
had been on many occasions this season. I'd keep him, everyone knows
he isn't an angel but he's a good footballer and it would cost a fair
bit to get a midfielder to replace him. However, the way that he fought
a fellow player on the pitch and got a massive fine plus a very final
warning puzzles me when Robert and Bellamy are treated like they were
for something much less.
Q: Butt - should he stay or go, thoughts please?
He should definitely leave this summer. He's not been a success and
at his age he isn't going to develop. It seems pretty clear to me
that he doesn't have the passion at NUFC and this is reflected in
his sloppy displays. I'm disappointed at the way it has turned out,
but he surely must be on his way. The likes of Birmingham will probably
snap him up.
Q: The enigma of Robert - how do you assess that whole saga?
In his time at Newcastle he's been one of my favourite players. I
think he's great and the midfield is so much more creative when he
is playing and on form. The problem is that he is so inconsistent.
Robson seemed willing to stick by him in the hope that he'd score
with a free kick even if he'd been awful for 89 minutes. Souness obviously
would rather have someone working hard for 90 minutes. Robert's form
this season has been no different to his other 3 seasons here – one
game brilliant, the next frustrating. I'd keep him in my team though
as he's simply better than anything we've got and a replacement will
cost a lot of money.
To be dropped and seemingly isolated for simply saying that we aren't
as good as last year was ridiculous and petty on Souness' behalf.
It was bad timing from Robert, but to axe him from the biggest game
of the season was the wrong decision. Souness' hard-line style has
been detrimental to the team in this case and the case of Bellamy.
Q: Dyer's refusal to play on the right wing and snub of the
Captain's armband upset many with calls that he should never play
for United again. Since then he has knuckled down and put in some
fine performances. Has he won you over, thoughts please?
He has indeed put in some excellent performances since the New Year.
Regardless of the incident at the Riverside, I thought that he was
massively overrated and that he didn't deserve a place in our team.
The situation just made me feel that his time was up both in a footballing
and non-footballing sense. To his credit, he's put his head down,
changed his ways and got back to playing football.
Now he'd be my first choice on the right wing and has proved to be
good cover upfront with him actually scoring goals! He's made mistakes
but he's done well since. The fight with Bowyer was a result of a
frustrating afternoon but the only blame he gets off me there was
for turning his back on the game to argue with Bowyer. He has won
me over through his football – if he'd continued to run around and
do nothing he'd be on list of departures this summer but he's proved
he still has what it takes.
Q: Kluivert - would you have liked the club to have kept him
on?
Kluivert has been a disappointment. He has shown his class on many
occasions this season but his outnumbered this with uninterested displays
and a lot of injuries. At £67,000 a week he was a massive drain on
the wage bill – if he backed this up with 20 goals it would be acceptable,
but the fact is we've paid him a lot of money to do not a lot. It's
a shame it hasn't worked out, but I think for the money he was on
we can sign more consistent and hungrier strikers.
Q: Which 5 players would you like to see signed in the close-season?
Realistically please.
Firstly, Luis Boa Morte is a player I'd like to see
here. We missed out on him in January but he showed a desire to come
here and so long as Liverpool don't follow up their supposed interest
I think we could get him. He's a good player and has created a lot
of goals in a poor Fulham side this season.
I'd also like to see us go for Mikael Forssell from
Chelsea. He's had injury problems but he's proved to be a good player
at every club he's played for. He wouldn't cost the earth and I think
he could score 15-20 goals next season in our team. I rate him highly,
but so do others so if he's on our list we need to act quickly so
we don't miss out on him.
A third player I'd like at St. James's is Scott Parker.
Another one from Chelsea but I doubt Mourinho would notice if either
of them weren't there in August. He's barely played but he's always
looked a quality player and is highly rated by many. A price of around
£3-4m is quoted in the papers and for this price we should be in for
him. He's better than Jenas and would be good next to Faye (who I
can't see us replacing)
Robbie Keane would be another I'd go for and if rumours
are to believed Souness is on the same wavelength. He's quick and
a good finisher and I think he'd fit in well. He's a bit of a 'journeyman'
and that could worry some fans but Spurs is the only club he's fallen
out with, the rest of his transfers have arguably been out of his
hands.
I'm a bit stuck for a fifth player to sign. I think either a right
sided midfielder or a left back should make up the fifth one but I
honestly can't think of any quality, available and reasonably prices
ones out there.
Q: Your season 2004-05 Toon XI?
Given, Carr, Boumsong, Bramble, Bernard, Dyer, Faye, Bowyer, Robert,
Shearer, Bellamy.
Q: Has Shearer, in your opinion, made the right decision to
not retire as he had first planned or the correct one?
At the time I was in favour of him retiring. I'd have rather him retired
on a high rather than watch his career whimper away. Personally, I
reckon if he hadn't have announced his decision to stay on before
the two cup games we'd have had a better chance to progress. Up until
then there was always the feeling of, 'come on its Shearer's last
year lets win something'. As soon as he signed a new contract we went
down the pan as team, and his performances did the same, as if there
was a 'there's always next year' feel to the side.
He is still an asset to the club on the pitch, but we need to use
him less next year. Everton have got it right with Ferguson in the
way they bring him on for the last half hour of games, or on the opposite
side like Arsenal do with Bergkamp where he comes off after about
an hour each week. Playing him for 90 minutes every week is no use
to us or him. He's still a good player but we need to make him last
the season, not burn out in February.
Q: Shepherd has claimed he'd like Big Al to take over from
Souness one day, your thoughts?
I'd love Alan Shearer to be manager of Newcastle one day, but not
for a while yet. It would be great for a playing legend to become
a successful manager of the club in the way that Keegan was, but there
are no guarantees. Plenty of great players haven't become good managers,
Malcolm McDonald stands out specifically. He should go and manage
a smaller team first and prove himself whilst gaining valuable experience.
Even if he did what Stuart Pearce has done at Man City it would be
alright, in other words working as an assistant for a couple of years
and learning it that way. Also, I think the club could do with a break
from Shearer. He's a great player and will always go down as a Newcastle
legend, but he is such a big character and ego that perhaps the club
would be better off without him for a few years in order to freshen
up. He's been arguably the major influence in our dressing room for
about 9 years now and I just think its time for a change.
Q: Shearer - is he a good or bad Captain?
In a similar way to what I said above, having been at the club for
so long there's the possibility that the players are tired of hearing
the same voice every week. I don't necessarily think he's a bad captain
as he's someone who has the respect of everyone and will always fight
the cause for the team – remember him arguing with the referee after
the Bowyer-Dyer fight?
He must have known it was a red card but for the good of the club
he tried to argue it. Centre forward is a difficult position to be
captain in anyway. Ideally a central midfielder should be captain
as he covers both ends of the field. Shearer is too far away from
the defence to give them encouragement, which incidentally is something
you don't really see enough of Shearer doing on the pitch.
Q: What should be his role next season?
Ideally he should be third choice striker, with two youthful goalscorers
ahead of him and Shearer on the bench to come on. He will of course
start many games, but he can't start them all. We seemed a more fluid
passing team when Shearer isn't playing and perhaps its something
we need to get used to sooner rather than later.
Q: Aaron Hughes' sale - your thoughts?
Good luck to him. He's been a good professional at the club and has
never moaned when played out of position. He's never been a top class
player but he was always dependable and certainly better than O'Brien
and Elliott. Quite how they both managed contract extensions but an
experienced, versatile defender got sold I don't know.
He wasn't good enough for the first team but his departure leaves
us very short in cover for the left back and centre back positions.
Its another step towards Souness ripping up Sir Bobby's Champions
League team which is a big shame. Bernard and Hughes have gone and
Robert and Bellamy are certain to leave this summer, add to that the
summer departures of Speed and Woodgate and the team looks completely
different.
Q: Finally, what are your expectations for next season, in this moment
in time?
At this moment in time I'm not confident whatsoever and it threatens
to be a depressing pre-season. Recent newspaper stories link us with
Lucas Neill, Dado Prso and Michael Ball – hardly the players to push
us back into the top six are they? I may be being cynical but I can
imagine players like this signing for us and while they are 'Souness'
type players, they aren't the kind of players that we need.
We've got to trust Shepherd and Souness to deliver the goods this
summer, and if they don't they'll be soon to realise their mistakes.
Poor signings in the summer and the departure of some of our best
players (Robert, Bellamy, Given?) will leave us in the bottom half
facing relegation in my opinion. We can't afford to continue with
the likes of Shola Ameobi as one of our first team players. With the
right players though the club can progress again so fingers crossed!
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