A surprise today as former Newcastle Chairman, Freddy Shepherd, holds a contrarian view to the sacking of Chris Hughton.
Freddy Shepherd – contrarian view to Hughton firing
Shepherd told the Daily Mail today:
“I may be the last guy to tell anyone how to run as football club but no-one should be surprised.”“The signs were there, no contract, no transfer funds and no replacement for assistant Colin Calderwood.”
“I’m surprised anyone is surprised. The writing was on the wall – remember, nice guys don’t win.” “If I had been Mike Ashley I’d have been worried as well.”
“I like Chris Hughton, he’s a great guy, in fact I’ve not met anyone as decent as him but it was heading one way in my opinion.”
“A lot of people won’t agree with me but I think [Ashley’s] done the right thing. I would have done the same.”
Nice guys don’t win – what a load of rubbish – was that handed down in stone eons ago – and is that why people are so nasty these days?
But it’s interesting to note that Freddy thought the same things as Mike Ashley, and maybe there was something missing in the management of Chris Hughton.
But if that was the case, and the Journal is reporting today that one of them was Chris’ perceived lack of skill in the transfer market, why couldn’t Ashley have hired an executive to oversee the recruitment of players.
While that certainly didn’t work with Kevin Keegan and Dennis Wise, Hughton doesn’t have an ego like Kevin had, and would not have minded the arrangement.
And he could have done the job of a Continental coach and simply coached the side – something he was very very good at.
Comments welcome.
266 comments so far
archaeomag
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:16 PM
Comment #1“Decent” !
That stupid greedy, slimly, halfwitted old fool would not know decency if it bit him on his huge flabby backside.
Club has soiled itself again.
Toon Sweden77
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:19 PM
Comment #2“I may be the last guy to tell anyone how to run as football club ”
Hehe, well at least he got something right..
partizanovec
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:20 PM
Comment #3Idiot agrees with idiot, of course. Not surprised by this quote at all.
ginkoh
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:22 PM
Comment #4Stupid Freddy but at least he will not choose Pardew.
chadas
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:24 PM
Comment #5From wiki (West Ham United)
In the 2006–07 season Pardew was criticised after seeing West Ham through their worst run of defeats in over 70 years which included a League Cup defeat to Chesterfield. Although West Ham’s new owners stated their support for Pardew, on 11 December 2006, following a 4–0 defeat away at Bolton Wanderers the previous weekend, it was announced that Pardew had been sacked by West Ham. The club statement read “The chairman Mr Eggert Magnússon and the board have been concerned by the performances of recent weeks and feel that it is the right time to make a change in the best interests of the club.”
chadas
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:25 PM
Comment #6From wiki (Charlton Athletic)
Many expected Charlton to bounce back from relegation into the Premier League with signings such as Chris Iwelumo and Luke Varney in the 2007/08 season. But Charlton failed to mount a serious promotion challenge and finished the season in 11th. This put Pardew under pressure going into the 08/09 season but Charlton started the season off well with victories over Reading and Swansea. However, Charlton’s form very quickly deteriorated and they were near the foot of the table and after 8 games without a win and a 5-2 home defeat to Sheffield United on 22 November 2008, Pardew parted company with Charlton by mutual consent.
chadas
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:25 PM
Comment #7From wiki (Southampton)
“Following a review of the current status in and around the First Team, the Club has decided that, to achieve its well known targets, it is essential to make changes to the First Team management and coaching. These targets for sustained and significant progress embrace both the First Team and the Football Development & Support Centre as integrated, co-operative units. Consequently, the First Team Manager, Alan Pardew; First Team Coach, Wally Downes; and Goalkeeping Coach, Stuart Murdoch have been relieved of their duties with immediate effect. The Club wishes them well for the future.”
chadas
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:26 PM
Comment #8Good choice!
fergie
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:27 PM
Comment #9I’d rather have Alan Partridge.
What the board statement SHOULD have said:
http://toonbarmy.wordpress.com/2010/12/08/alternative-nufc-board-statement/
MacToon
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:32 PM
Comment #10What a joke….. cba.
boater
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:36 PM
Comment #11Of course he does, he passed on the same weird mental illness to Ashley: hit a sticky patch, claim to be able to see into the future and predict that failure is inevitable, replace with an inferior appointment; continue ad nauseam, whilst supporters shake their heads in disbelief, and the rest of the country falls about laughing.
Moreno
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:38 PM
Comment #12Hope this is true…
http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2010/12/08/2251264/tottenham-everton-newcastle-united-head-shortlist-as-mega#cmd=loadSLTs
lesh
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:39 PM
Comment #13Erm, mmm, excuse me Freddy but weren’t you the one that sacked Bobby Robson and wasn’t that the time the rot really began to set in?
lesh
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:40 PM
Comment #14Moreno,
the Qataris want to get into a Premiership club so unless Ashley can pull something out of the bag quickish, then it aint gonna happen is it?
Toon XI
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:42 PM
Comment #15Obviously this is speculation, but depressing nevertheless….
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=850464&sec=england&cc=5901
Moreno
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:44 PM
Comment #16lesh,
true, we can only hope though
baz65
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:45 PM
Comment #17@lesh Yes spot on. He is the man who can take all the credit for the pulling the first row of bricks from the bottom of our crumbling club then pass it on to Ashley and watch it all fall down around us. His pockets were full of money while the fans were passed like lambs to the slaughter
Moreno
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:49 PM
Comment #18Apparantly Martin O’Niell wanted 20million to spend to join.
I dont agree with needing a vast sum of money, the squad is currently good enough to do well with the right management.
Magpietillidie22
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:52 PM
Comment #19Pardew’s highlight was saying rape on MOTD2 and his appointment will be anything but consensual!
lewman
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:53 PM
Comment #20nice guys finish last is just a term that makes business men feel a sense of achievement when shitting on the world.
lewman
Dec 8, 2010 at 1:59 PM
Comment #21moreno maybe o’neil wanted to be able to call the squad his own, albrighton on the wing would be nice but would prob cost about 5 mil plus we need a good rb, a fast agile decent striker and a creative cm to provide cover for barton as guthrie has been a bit shaky. sounds like about 20 millions worth to me
Moreno
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:00 PM
Comment #22lewman, sounds like 20 million to you?
I wouldn’t put you in charge of my finances!!!
Let me remind you that Tiote was less than 4 million!
Magpietillidie22
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:02 PM
Comment #23Now what I can’t understand is Alan Pardew. Now let’s all assume that the bookmakers (wankers) and the media (tossers) are right and he is in talks. The guy MUST see his name everywhere being bashed by fans. Polls putting him behind Dave Basset England Manager, why on earth would he take the job?
If he has a family, how could he put them through what will be hell in the North East? He is going to get absolutely battered verbally, everyone says its a goldfish bowl so he wont get away from it!
I just can’t see why the guy would do it. Unless he’s going to commute from London on match days only perhaps?
fergie
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:03 PM
Comment #24Pardew lost the dressing room at Saints.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/southampton/7971476/Southampton-sack-Alan-Pardew-due-to-concern-over-staff-morale-at-St-Marys.html
nden85
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:05 PM
Comment #25appointing anal partjew would be the worst decision made in footballing history.
toonbrother
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:06 PM
Comment #26If im not mistaken this is the same blathering idiot who fired Bobby Robson. The question is why are you even covering him
Magpietillidie22
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:07 PM
Comment #27What I can’t understand is Pardew himself. If bookmakers and the media are right and he’s about to take over, surely hes seen his name being slated? Seen the fan polls putting him behind Dave Basset England Manager?!
Plus im assuming he has a family, how could a man take his family to a place where he is going to be verbally bashed 24 hours of the day everyday?! He will be permanently labelled as Mike Ashleys right hand man, the only way he could possibly change that is by getting us european football but lets be honest thats a pie in the sky right now!
He will not get a moments peace, he will be public enemy no.1 from day one whilst Ashley stays well away ignoring us as usual. The only way I could see Pardew (a sane pardew) taking this kind of job is if he were to commute from london on match days only along with Ashley!
Whitecap
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:08 PM
Comment #28It’s true, to a degree. Nice guys don’t win. In the business world, as an entrepreneur that is. Of course that’s the only thing Shepherd and Ashley know about. They have proven that they don’t know anything about football a million times over.
kentonmags
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:09 PM
Comment #29its been confirmed protest on saturday 4pm outside the milburn entrance
john_cena163
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:14 PM
Comment #30Will v buy arfa. With new manager in?
Toon Sweden77
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:15 PM
Comment #31There must be something we can do!!!
e-mail the NUFC Office with the polls from all papers and ask Ashley to listen, we dont want Pardew!!
Magpietillidie22
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:16 PM
Comment #32I’ll be there Kenton, might put together a banner myself!
GeordieGerman
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:16 PM
Comment #33kentonmags, just hope the protests remain outside. don’t fancy another Hull. I think the players will be pretty upset to and need all the support that they can get.
hitman
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:18 PM
Comment #34news conference the morra..SSN
kentonmags
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:19 PM
Comment #35last time we had players who did not care ie duff martins owen this time i think the players would wish they we out there protesting with us
Smithy
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:19 PM
Comment #36Wished the players had power to say what they feel and refuse to play on saturday.
Magpietillidie22
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:22 PM
Comment #37Hitman – so theyve made their decision? Did they give a time?
Smithy
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:22 PM
Comment #38With any luck the game will be snowed off and the players will have a chance to clear their heads.
Magpietillidie22
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:23 PM
Comment #39Smithy – Enrique and Sol already have made feelings clear mate, but the players we have like Nolan and Smith won’t be doing things like that
Smithy
Dec 8, 2010 at 2:28 PM
Comment #40Was looking forward to saturday Toon v liverpool then watch the boxing. Its all went tits up and liverpool just started to hit form typical.