Newcastle-Online.com reader and forum member ‘Andrew Flintoff’ writes in to assess Graeme Souness’ last few months at the club, citing his refusal to play with width and pace in particular, character traits Andrew believes to be what Newcastle is all about, as one of the major reasons for his downfall, before warning Freddy Shepherd he must get the next one right.

Souness’ dismissal at the Toon showed many things to me. Newcastle fans do not demand “the best”. We demand only an effort at it. If a player, manager or coach is not doing his best, he is always in a spot of bother.

But what we also demand is, if we’re going to fail, let’s do it in style. Let’s do it with a bit of passion and pride. We can handle being rubbish. We can’t handle playing rubbish.

When Souness strode into Town early in the 2004/05 season, he claimed he would rid the club of its “player power” and bring the good times back to the City.

Seventeen months later and the club is only just beginning to recover from the damage the fiery Scotsman left behind. But why was his time here such a disaster? Why did we lunge from one pathetic crisis to another? And why, despite claims to the contrary, was the football we played so rubbish?

As Sky and the BBC would like us all to remember into infinity, Newcastle United are the “Entertainers”. Under King Keegan, the football played by the Toon was phenomenal. Everyone wanted a part. Sky loved us, other club’s fans wanted us to succeed, we were the world’s second favourite club. And we did that with width, ball playing midfielders and… pace.

Souness waltzed in and it didn’t take him long to shift two thirds of those magical elements. Bellamy was ostracized, Robert was a work-shy mouthpiece and Jermaine Jenas was suddenly a Premiership quality right-sided midfielder.

We would start many a Premiership game with four central midfielders, four central defenders and two immobile centre forwards. The critical elements all but gone. And to think he claimed he was one of the most attack-minded gaffers we had ever had…

No shock to any of us, then, the success of the club since Souness buggered off and Roeder took over temporary control of the reigns. Roeder knew where we were going wrong, and he has reinstated width in Solano and N’Zogbia, and pace in Dyer (granted, it’s been a timely return to fitness for him and Roeder). But in doing this, the club has a new found confidence. We go out onto the pitch thinking we can beat anyone. And we go out knowing that if we do lose, we’re going to go down fighting. Restated: The Newcastle United way.

Why did Souness do it then? Was he blind to see where we were going wrong? Did he know the problem but not have the personnel to sort it? It was probably in that grey-area between all of that. Souness had, all along, the players to play with width. N’Zogbia and Solano have been fit during the Scot’s time here and he instructed them to play on the outside of a tight four midfield.

Solano was particularly frustrating, insisting on cutting inside when it seemed clear as day that our best bet was to swing the ball into the box from wide to use Shearer’s aerial ability. Add to that the unavailability of Michael Owen and the disturbing form of Albert Luque, the mixture for success was dreadfully far away.

Inevitably then, Souness was booted out in January, to the glee of the fifty thousand. In that pathetic 3-0 defeat at the City of Manchester Stadium, Souness had all but written his own resignation note. It took Shepherd, however, to shift him. It’s the fan’s refusal to accept the tripe football on offer that made the difference.

To Freddy Shepherd, indifference is as dangerous as anger. An angry fan will go to the game to vent his frustrations. An apathetic fan won’t turn up. Freddy Shepherd knows only one thing - money. And a non-attending fan means a drop in gate receipts. Shepherd knew he had to act, and act quickly.

When he did, I doubt he had a plan in mind. But in removing the former Rangers man from his position, he brought about a return to optimism and hope for the fans. Those who were thinking of packing it in are now more interested in the new gaffer (whoever he is, Martin O’Neill perchance - shameless plug) and hoping that times will now change for the better. Shepherd has got it right this time… he has to get his next big decision right, or it will be he, not the manager, who will get it in the neck.

Shepherd can no longer pass the buck, this one has to be right, or the shit truly will hit the fan…

By ‘Andrew Flintoff’