43%. Quite pleased with that!

I don't think Saunders was there then. Or if he was he was just trying to get fit. (Derby are looking at Saunders not Sourmess- they don't have the money to waste on Sourpuss)

Unfortunately, as I pointed out earlier, this is NOT a possibility. The longest this combo can caretaker manage is to the end of April. By then they HAVE to have suitably qualified people in place. Shearer is still taking his badges, and I'm not sure Roeder has ever started. So unless they can fast-track one of them through- that's it and a new manager has to be in place by then

Except that, as neither Shearer nor Roeder have the necessary qualifications, the maximum time they're allowed to be caretaker managers is 12 weeks. (Frank Clarke from the LMA has just said this on Sky Sports News)

Correct me if I'm wrong. This IS a topic about Souness out????? So why shouldn't I discuss it here? MORON

Yes But we don't. Anyone who seriously does should be sectioned! It's wonderful to have a manager with ambition, man management skills, ambition and transfer nouse. Goes all the way back to Kenny (although done WITHOUT the cash). I'm just looking forward to the Chelsea match. I'm quite excited to see how we compare to them. I just hope we don't have any more aberrations ala Puke at home.............. or Everton

I'm watching Sky Sports news at the moment. I always took the P*ss about Sourmess' training methods, saying they trained at the pace of a 50+ year old with a heart condition, but it turns out I was right! They're showing a trainng session with Sourmess trying to injure his players with studs up challenges and them all standing around looking bored!! while the ball gently trundles between them. Now maybe that was set up for the cameras, but somehow I don't think so!

Marginally harsh, but not completely off the wall EDIT- from what I'm hearing from other Puke supporters EDIT- sorry that was what I meant to say. One of the staff on my current job is a Puke supporter. He's delighted Sourmess has gone, but wished he'd "done a Jock Stein" to save on compensation. Nice image there. I'm delighted for him personally that his lack of footballing - well anything really- has finally been found out. And I'm glad that the best that the Sourmess lovers on here can come up with is a weak defence ala "but with him in charge Puke weren't a threat" or " but he was really good for us for about 10 minutes". He was a disaster for us. I still believe (and always will) that any decent MANAGER could have got us out of the poo that kidd (a coach with no tactical nouse and no clue who to buy or what to pay) got us in. With the nucleus of the squad we had then and any clue about who to buy, I could have done it. However from the season after the cup onwards (and yes, we did finish 6th then) he increasingly made more and more bizarre decisions and should have gone then. He didn't, we didn't have to pay and Puke did. This can ONLY be cause for celebration. and for those worried about them stealing Sparky, I give you this......... Let's fade to the last time............................. Our board are having a meeting. They're discussing how we're going to be relegated if they don't do something, but that doing something will cost them in excess of £1m. (Still a drop in the ocean to what relegation would have cost, but a big sum for a club that's wasted millions on players who either turned out to be cr*p or left because they didn't get on with the manager) A secretary walks in and says "I have a Freddie Shepherd on the phone for you............ something about wanting to speak to you about the manager" Cue hysterical celebrations, opening of champagne bottles and the call being put through to Brockhall with such alacrity as to make your head spin. Now to the present The board are having a meeting. They're discussing how to raise enough funds for a reasonable (for once) assault on Europe next season given the manager's talent, competence and tactical nouse. A secretary walks in and says "I have a Freddie Shepherd on the phone for you............ something about wanting to speak to you about the manager" There's a unanimous "Tell him to **** off" from round the table. The board rushes to Brockhall, steals Sparky's mobile phone, and lock him in the academy with no access to any communications until a new manager is found for Puke. I don't think Hughes would be tempted anyway. That job is a poison chalice. He'll wait for the United job.

Brad parried Hartson's header to Larsson. Hartson had been waiting to come on when Sourmess did his ridiculous victory gesture to the fans (We sang Souness give us a wave and he stood up and shook his fists directly at the Celtic fans behind him so I don't think the gesture was to us). Hartson and O'Neill looked at Sourmess as if he was dogdirt and Hartson's first touch was the header above.

On BBC they've already got a number of Magpies repeating that exact thing. Personally I think (being Scottish) it sounds like a FINE idea!!

However, thn you have to add in: Souness- spent £50m Hughes- spent £7m And you get the REAL picture. He's not even a very good chequebook manager any more! And the gulf in points is only widening in Hughesy's favour. It's all good

You do all realise that you ARE all talking about the most successful England manager EVER in terms of results. (Success rate in excess of 85% compared to the enxt best of less than 75%- heard that on 5 live the other day) If the guy was English this would never have have happened add you'd be praising him to the hilt.

Having actually BEEN to Villareal I'd echo that. They have a ground smaller than ours with fewer fans, yet they repeatedly get into the Champion's League or UEFA cup. If they can, why can't we?

I don't know about you, but all of this gives me a warm glow. In some ways I kinda don't want the inevitable to happen - at least it would be good if it didn't until they ARE relegated- I'd like Sourmess to suffer even more! However I suspect that £5m will make up for the fact that he's an abject failure. It's not as if he cares about Newcastle any more than he ever did for us!

Actually, to be exact, our attendance would have to be 4 times as large as it currently is to offset the loss of Sky earnings. Sky earnings in 2004 were £21m, ticket income £7m. You do the maths

The man's a fool. If he forces him out, Sourmess will go for constructive dismissal and get his dues anyway.

It's not us, 'cos even if allegedly some believe our ex-manager would, the powers that be iin out club and the current manager wouldn't.

I really enjoyed watching the game on Prem plus. Especially the loook on Sourmess' (thanks to the Geordies for an even better name for him) face. Isn't Mark Hughes just WONDERFUL!!!!

Not yet

I don't. I couldn't be happier- unless the report on the Newcastle board was true of course. I - to quote someone else- would love it, really love it, if we caused him to be sacked.

Spencey really IS becoming Vinjay number 2. This topic is "Steven Reid can't shoot". The idiot has already started a topic about Todd, yet he posts about him in here as well. Todd has been in no trouble at our club aside from on the park stuff*. For anyone to bring up his past is disingenuous at best, prejudiced at worst. He's a centre half who, for the past two games, has been the best one on the park (including Rio- I'm not a drug cheat- ferdinand. His passing has been accurate and incisive and his temperament good. Maybe he isn't in the mould of Viera, Gerrard or Keane (although I'd argue he is MUCH less of a thug than Keane is) but we as a club are not in the mould of Manure, Arsenal or Liverpool. We've never had captains that everyone has thought are role models. Tim Sherwood was an unpleasant mockney wide-boy and Barry Ferguson a moaning wee ninny (let's not forget Flitty's off-park incidents!). Compared to them, Toddy stands up very well. Hughesy picks his teams on merit. At the moment, that includes Todd. Enough for me. * anything done in the Amoruso incident is, of course, forgiven and totally understandable

Fine but can you wait till AFTER the game to do it? Whenever we sing that DURING an away game, we lose!

Neil You have finally returned from the dark side (ie Sourpussland) as Darth Vader did just before he died.

All that proves is that there are TWO morons in this world!!! And I don't think Toddy's the dirtiest player in the Premiership by a long shout. Statistics may say he is, but the second red card wasn't one (although the first one was).

He's just about recovered from the knee injury that kept him out of all of last season and some of this, and his back still plays him up a bit, but basically he's fine. He's doing quite well there- something of prodigal son. (although on the bench this weekend) And as for the finer points, I simply stated to each of them at the time "but surely it would be against Matt's contract to have ridden a motorbike" And each of them said "well it was prohibited in mine, so it would have been in his".(or a slight variation). However then two of them went on to tell me of the other things their contract didn't allow (ie skiing) and the sneaky weekends they'd managed while playing!!)