From a playing point of view, I preferred Beattie. I also preferred Beattie to Kluivert even if he had cost the club 6m, I personally would have paid the money, and I said so at the time.

However if you consider the fact that Beattie was going to cost 6m quid whereas kluivert was on a free [although higher wages probably] the board/chairman feel they have to impose financial restrictions on any signing, because they have budget. If we couldn't afford the money to buy Beattie, then there isn't really an argument about it I would say, ANY manager has to accept this. It's not sticking your nose in if you don't have the money, its running the club. !!! Look at Leeds and their reckless signings under Ridsdale, and their loaning money to buy players.

Managers want certain players, but the board decides if they can afford someone or not. If they can't they have to take an alternative. this is how it has to work, it can't work any other way. If anything happened re-Kluivert and Beattie, that is what happened. All clubs do this. Why do you think Liverpool didn't buy Owen before we did ? Why do you think Arsenal sold Overmaars, Petit and Anelka ? In those cases, it is simply a case of too much money to turn down. Those players made Arsenal a huge profit. Did Wenger want to sell them ? I would say the board wanted that profit, and Wenger being a genius found great replacements, but I am guessing, just like those who guess about what happens at Newcastle.

I think you should read it again mate. I have never said a chairman should interfere with his managers decisions as to who he wants to keep or move out of the football club. This is why clubs appoint managers, to make these professional decisions, right or wrong.

Its a simple fact that people were happy with Kluivert rather than Beattie at the time. [except me, which HTT will confirm if he is still around somewhere]. A lot of people even pointed out how good a deal it was "to save the club a 6m quid transfer fee". To say otherwise is simply re-writing history, but that is becoming a regular occurence on here. Especially with regard to the appointing of managers who were trophy winners, yet the club "can't attract or appoint big name trophy winning managers".

I think its amazing how people are, as I have said, re writing history to suit themselves. He obviously has absolutely NO idea how many people were ecstatic with the signing of Kluivert on football grounds, both on these message boards and the man on the street. And the amount of people who simply were not interested in signing Beattie either.

He's class, simple as. And he still gets the 306 back to Jesmond from the Toon!

I don't hate anyone but JJ is a ****.  Firstly I'll say right away I took the day off work and went on the drink to celebrate the fact we'd robbed Spurs of £7m, because that's what it was, day light robbery.  He was absolutely shite in 95% of his toon career, couldn't finish, passing normally pish, no skill, no vision, "ah but he had a good engine" so's Thomas the fuckin Tank Engine but he wouldn't get a game for the toon!  To think we paid less for Parker than they paid for him is hysterical as far as am concerned.

What gets me is his official reason for leaving.  I wanted to better myself.  Better himself by joining a far smaller club?  Edgar Davids must laugh when he plays alongside him compared to the players he's been used to.  Everyone knows there are far more huckles in London, and that is the be all and end all for him wanting away as far as I'm concerned.

 

As an England fan i'd rather he didn't go to the World Cup, that's all the injury thing meant Fenners.

Are you kidding? Most people recognised he was shite for ages. Only a select few defended him throughout IIRC.

Cheeky stubbon little rat, to be honest doesn't deserve a topic on him, lock it/delete.

I don't recall seeing him much for them (which is NOT the mark of a good defensive midfielder, as per Viera and Parker), all i can comment on is what i've seen for us, home and away. And thats a big steaming pile of african crap, in every premiership game.

I thought the keeper could only jump off his line after the ball is kicked. Before the kick, he's allowed to move, but he has to stay on the line.

Reina jumped off his line just before the kick. I don't particularly blame him, because they all do it.

Is there a ref in the house?

If Sven played to his strengths instead of playing him deep you would see his Liverpool form for England. Saying that you won't see that unless Lumpard gets injured.