French International Laurent Robert was a big success on Tyneside, and he scored some great goals.
He was at the club from 2001 through 2006 and most of his time on Tyneside was spent with Sir Bobby Robson as the manager.
Laurent has questioned why Robson was suddenly fired in August 2004.
Newcastle had finished 5th, and the team had made only a so-so start to the next season why Sir Bobby was surprisingly fired by then Chairman Freddy Shepherd.
Newcastle had gone four games that season (2004-2005) and had only 2 points when Sir Bibby was fired after losing 4-2 at Aston Villa.
It seems Robson was sacked because we missed out on the Champions League.
It’s something that Shepherd has since admitted was a huge mistake, and he was right about that.
Laurent Robert – excellent winger for Newcastle
Ever since Bobby left the club on Monday, August 30, 2004, we have been mediocre at best except for one season when we equaled 5th place back in 2012 under Alan Pardew.
Since 2007 under Mike Ashley we have competed in Europe only once.
That was in the 2012-2013 season in the Europa League, and Newcastle were fighting relegation in the second half of the season.
This is what Laurent Robert has said in the Chronicle about his time at Newcastle and especially about Sir Bibby Robson as the manager:
“I was at Newcastle United for four years and when I signed they had one of the top managers in Europe in Sir Bobby Robson.”
“And they told me they wanted to be playing in the Champions League.”
“So it was the best club for me at the time to sign for.”
“To play for Newcastle in the Champions League was fantastic as you can imagine.”
“In my first season we finished fourth, then we followed that up with third the next year.”
“In both of those seasons we challenged strongly for the Premier League title itself and we were genuine contenders for most of each year.”
“When you play football the way we did under Sir Bobby Robson and you establish yourself as one of the big four it is brilliant for a player.”
“We not only had a very good manager but great players as well, world-class players like Alan Shearer, Nobby Solano, Shay Given, and Gary Speed.”
“This was a very good group.”
“We not only worked well on the pitch but had a great relationship off it which counts for a lot.”
“I still can’t understand why he was allowed to leave.” “We finished fifth!”
“That would be a great season now for Newcastle.”
“Bobby had the team playing very well and we finished fourth, third, and then fifth so to see him leave was very strange.”
“When he left it was a different club.”
“The style of football changed too, and we tried to do different things with different players.”
“It was the reason why I left Newcastle.” “Once Bobby Robson had gone I wanted to go to.”
Laurent played for Newcastle 172 times with 30 goals and 7 assists, and he is only one of several great French wingers we have had at the club.
He was signed for £9.5M in the summer of 2001 and finally joined Benfica – managed at the time by Ronald Koeman.
Things are definitely on the up again at Newcastle under Rafa Benitez.
The club hopes to emulate what Sir Bobby Robson achieved in his short five years as manager.
Comments welcome.
114 comments so far
Jail for Ashley
Jun 3, 2018 at 5:55 PM
Comment #41I’m still amazed that the Barcelona captain overheard a conversation, presumably in English of a Danish couple and Jib turning down various wines, then cracking a joke that the whole restaurant not only got but found hilarious as well.
DaveD1000
Jun 3, 2018 at 5:56 PM
Comment #42as a wine snob I will inform the hoi polloi. wine has to be red, £5 ish have a picture of a house OR some purple on the lable. Cant go wrong
DaveD1000
Jun 3, 2018 at 5:56 PM
Comment #43and Jib my lass says I am always a twat on Sunday
Bobbybee
Jun 3, 2018 at 5:57 PM
Comment #44https://youtu.be/YTi5vKtNGuE
Not a bad goal by someone still on our books – for now.
Pottsclock
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:05 PM
Comment #45Tsunki. Yes, could have been that one but the video of them all is amazing to watch. How many players currently in the PL can do that so consistently? None
We see a lot of great team goals these days but in those days – and it’s only 12 or so years ago – there were a lot more individual goals
Essex Geordie Bill
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:13 PM
Comment #46SBRs film just been shown on film review on BBC2.
Essex Geordie Bill
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:13 PM
Comment #47Anyone else think that Bairstow would be a fantastic GK.
Bobbybee
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:13 PM
Comment #48I see the Rumour of this Besiktas deal has been pretty well destroyed. It ain’t for real. Now there’s a surprise. 🙂 Next!
Tsunki
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:14 PM
Comment #49Jail – they all had Star Trek Universal Translators back in the day or it was actually a UN interpreters canteen. The entire restaurant could hear and understand Danish, English and Spanish. And whatever jib speaks.
I wouldnt be surprised if Yoda, Chewbacca, The Gorn and a couple of Vogons weren’t on hand to explain the punchline.
Jib
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:16 PM
Comment #50Jail for Ashley
Comment #41
I’m still amazed
Nothing new there then.
Tsunki
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:17 PM
Comment #51DaveD – I do a quick scan of the label and if it hasn’t got any of those Hazardous Warning labels, pics of hands melting or machines crushing people in gears then it’s good to go.
Bobbybee
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:17 PM
Comment #52Tsunki, I’m still waiting for someone to explain the punchline to me – not speaking Spanish.
Bobbybee
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:18 PM
Comment #53Ah, Jib, there you are. Can you translate the punchline for me please?
Tsunki
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:18 PM
Comment #54Oh sorry Bobby he basically asked the waiter if he was sure the grapes in his wine were picked on a Wednesday.
Everyone knows Thursdays are better ho ho
Ron Knee
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:20 PM
Comment #55Nice compilation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfluxtKh2t0
Jib
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:27 PM
Comment #56Costa Rica vs N.Ireland on BBC red button
Bobbybee
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:27 PM
Comment #57Cheers Tsunki, quite amusing as a piss take.
I quit drinking when I was 25. Always, maintained if you can’t handle something, leave it alone.
I could drink like a fish, but its effect on me was unpleasant. Made me nasty, like it does to so many others. Stopped drinking, stopped brawling. Coincidence?
Don’t have a problem with anyone else drinking like, each to their own. Much sooner have a spliff and chill out. Like I say, each to their own.
I respect my family and friends far too much to put them through seeing me drunk! 🙂
Wish I was one of those who gets drunk and just giggles. Strange how it effects different people innit?
Munster Mag
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:27 PM
Comment #58Jail check the pic in last thread of the French maid that Betty (I think) put up following my guess that jib was an au pair to this wealthy couple. Jib, were sexual favours involved too? Come on man we’re all mates here…
Jib
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:34 PM
Comment #59Munster
We imported 2.6 meter Satellite dishes from
Mexico into Spain (made for the US market)
at that time it was the only way expat Scandy’s
could get telly from home.
Mallorca in the 90’s was knee deep in expat
hurdy-gurdies (think of the muppet chef)
Tsunki
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:37 PM
Comment #60It is weird how alcohol affects different folk. As I said I’ve had a pretty good go at being an alcoholic but no joy so far, others can take to it far too easily, maybe it’s a genetic thing? And yes there’s the odd phenomenon of how it affect personality. With me I just find stuff funnier than usual. And then there’s the likes of jib who.. just stay the same. 😉
Bobbybee
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:38 PM
Comment #61Fascinating interview with Mark Clattenburg on Talksport. No punches pulled here!! Well worth a listen.
Bobbybee
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:44 PM
Comment #62I’m totally Jekyll and Hyde. Problem is, you don’t see it coming. It might happen on five pints, or it might happen on ten. You don’t get a warning. Just change. Weird.
Naturally when you’re younger you tend to blame other people for your shortcomings, but the older you get you more you start to realise the connection. Never looked back. Would like to think that maybe now it would be different, but I’m not prepared to take that risk. It just doesn’t suit me so I did the best thing imo.
Bobbybee
Jun 3, 2018 at 6:55 PM
Comment #63If you’re near a radio switch on this interview with Clattenburg on Talksport for a fascinating insight to the refereering situation.
Bobbybee
Jun 3, 2018 at 7:02 PM
Comment #64Too late, it’s finished. Sure it must be available on a podcast though. We’ll worth listening to.
Imo he was the best ref in the country by a distance, but he, wasn’t allowed to ref our games. Don’t think he was allowed to ref mackem games either. I always get Taylor and Jones mixed up for some reason, but one of them is from Greater Manchester and they have no problem giving him City and United games to ref.
Jail for Ashley
Jun 3, 2018 at 7:13 PM
Comment #65Jiblets,
Did you import them directly from Joaquin Guzman or were you with the Gulf Cartel?
geordiesteve520
Jun 3, 2018 at 7:17 PM
Comment #66One of my favourite players, a wand of a left foot but one of many in that team. What could have been if they’d stayed together under the right guidance and not under the shower that proceeded Bobby. They’d be worth fortunes these days, that said, it’s a sad state of affairs because I reckon wor Nobby would’ve been overlooked for his lack of athleticism but boy oh boy could he play.
jane
Jun 3, 2018 at 7:36 PM
Comment #67“Costa Rica vs N.Ireland on BBC red button”
601 on freeview Northern Ireland struggling 3-0 now
Costa Rica ..
“one of only a few sovereign nations without a standing army”
“plans to become a carbon-neutral country by 2021.”
“By 2016, 98.1% of its electricity was generated from green sources”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Rica
Jail for Ashley
Jun 3, 2018 at 7:40 PM
Comment #68Where’s that salted porridge or solvite?
Bobbybee
Jun 3, 2018 at 7:42 PM
Comment #69My lad just had a bit of good news. He did a course for engineering but turns out the qualification is not what employers are looking for. Not many jobs in Northumberland so he bit the bullet and applied for a job in McDonald’s. Turns out he got it.
Like I explained to him, if you’re working already, you have a better chance of getting a job than whilst on the dole.
After over a thousand job applications – most of which they didn’t even reply – I’m buzzing for him. It’s so hard for young lads to find work up here, regardless of what job it is. Maccy Dee’s today, who knows what tomorrow holds?
Jail for Ashley
Jun 3, 2018 at 7:44 PM
Comment #70Bobby,
I’m a great believer in that it’s better to be in work looking for work than looking for it sitting at home.
Bobbybee
Jun 3, 2018 at 7:51 PM
Comment #71Jail, absolutely mate. He was getting really frustrated with applying and them not even have the courtesy to reply. He doesn’t want to work there really, but it gets him on the ladder. He can keep applying for other work whilst he’s there.
Pottsclock
Jun 3, 2018 at 7:55 PM
Comment #72Does anyone know how to get someone banned from YouTube or how to complain?
Some really distasteful comments about Sir Bobby from a moron called Martin L in a reply to a post by a
CAM3RoN11 on this documentary by Gary L on Sir Bobby.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3edUwo8vXU&t=4s
Completely unacceptable.
Jail for Ashley
Jun 3, 2018 at 7:57 PM
Comment #73Pottsclock,
It’s the internet, there’ll always be dickheads.
Bobbybee
Jun 3, 2018 at 7:59 PM
Comment #74Right, gonna watch this Spain match. Later.
Bobbybee
Jun 3, 2018 at 8:02 PM
Comment #75Potts, probably some SMB. No wonder we have nowt to do with them. SBR was a gentleman wherever he went and no normal human could possibly have anything against him. Has to be some bitter twisted fickwut and where do you find, plenty of those?
geordiesteve520
Jun 3, 2018 at 8:06 PM
Comment #76Bobby, I totally agree and McDonalds has a great pathway for dynamic and hard working staff. My next door neighbour got in on the ground floor about 20 years ago and now he’s a regional manager.
hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard – Kevin Durant.
Geordie-john
Jun 3, 2018 at 8:07 PM
Comment #77It’s a great shame that we didn’t have the likes of Freddy in charge now instead of you know who. At least he knew what was what at SJP
cyprus
Jun 3, 2018 at 8:10 PM
Comment #78Did shearer hate Robert, as someone above said?!
Maybe because he used to take a lot of shots, the most in the PL.
But, man, when they went in, what a sight.
AncientC
Jun 3, 2018 at 8:22 PM
Comment #79Pottsclock, hover your mouse over the comment in question, then three dots should appear to the right of the comment, click on those three dots and hit ‘report’
Pottsclock
Jun 3, 2018 at 8:24 PM
Comment #80Thanks Ancient !!!