59 pies in 115 appearances.Micky Quinn has been trying to become the new Supermac by trying to spout rhetoric and his (often misguided) opinions – usually when things are going well. His words recently didn’t earn him any special consideration with fans but it did give us a chance to work off some fat jokes and that can never be a bad thing, can it?
Known for stating Newcastle “would get nowhere” under Kevin Keegan as his set up was “shambolic” in nature. That season saw promotion, and the following saw us finish third.
After his application was rejected from the vacant managerial post at Second Divison Burnley FC in ’96, he decided he didn’t actually know that much about football outside of scoring goals and instead went to look after horses. Good career move all things considered.
Speaking to the Evening Chronicle today, he said:
“From what I have seen, there is no-one ready to take on the shirt; maybe they can go with Shola Ameobi or one other. However, they need to sign at least one more striker, a No 9, to keep them in the league and help them progress.” (more…)
Tough acts to followOn arrival at Newcastle United Demba Ba was handed the number 19 shirt, leaving the number 9 shirt vacant. Does this indicate that there are plans to recruit another striker to fill it or is the shirt going to be retired for a while?
The Newcastle United number 9 shirt is of course sacred. Leaving it unfilled for a while – after Obafemi Martins moved to Wolfsburg – was a deliberate ploy by former manager Chris Hughton who said:
“It’s something I’ve done deliberately. We have a lot of strikers here and I’m quite sure that every single one of them would have wanted to wear the No 9 shirt. As soon as I came to this club I knew what it meant and it’s both my decision and a combination of a few things.
“It can be a heavy number to carry, a burden, and wearing it is an achievement which I want somebody to grow into. I want somebody to earn the right to be Newcastle’s No 9. I don’t want to suggest that the strikers here aren’t worthy of it because each of them has a real strong value.
“I don’t anticipate years going by without one, but I know what the number nine is and I don’t want it to be an issue. The only issue I want is the normal stuff of the team performing well or not performing well, winning games or not winning games, and that’s very much team based.” (more…)
Shearer (right)Former Newcastle United number 9 Alan Shearer is shocked that Madam Tussauds waxwork looks just like him.
Madame Tussauds’ sculptors have spent four months creating a carbon copy of Alan Shearer for their waxworks in Blackpool. The man himself went to unveil the waxwork and was suitably impressed, saying:
“I think they’ve done such a great job its scary.
“It’s weird looking at yourself and thinking how incredibly alike it is.
“The figure is so realistic and accurate, the sculpting team have done an amazing job and I hope the public like it too.
“They take a million different measurements of everything and then do the cast which takes a few hours but we did it all in a day in London.(more…)
Toon done better than he thoughtAlan Shearer comments on Newcastle United’s 2010/2011 season.
Alan Shearer has been passing judgement on Newcastle’s 2010/2011 season and the former number 9 seems fairly content with the way things have gone. Shearer said:
“If I’m honest they have done better than I thought.
“I think I was like everyone else, probably a little bit apprehensive.
“You’’e got to give them credit they’ve done really well – they’ve stayed away from the bottom six for the majority of the season.
“I think that was their target when they first set out and they’ve achieved that, really, with ease.
“It’s never really been panic stations, as it has been in other seasons.”
Yes indeed. At the beginning of the season I would have settled for merely staying up. As the season went on and we looked a bit better, my ambitions increased a bit and a top 10 finish is still within our grasp (albeit a bit unlikely).
But, all in all, I’m just happy we’ve avoided a relegation fight this season. (more…)
Every player has a price.If we were to listen to the naysayers and those in desperate need of a long course of anti-depressants, the starting XI will be gone come the summer transfer window.
We have always been a selling club, will always be a selling club and unless Ashley leaves, we will remain a selling club. After all, the proof is in the pudding and so far Ashley is just looking to line his pocket with gold. A nugget of truth that somehow ties into todays gutless performance – everybody is for sale. Or something.
The fact is, we aren’t. I know, it’s incredible to think that, but we aren’t a selling club. This season we have sold Andy Carroll.
No, that isn’t a pause for dramatic effect; that’s actually the only sale we’ve had this season. Yes, players have been sent on loan. Yes, players are ‘rumoured’ to be leaving, but if paper talk was 100% true then we’d have Messi and Ronaldo roaming the midfield with Podolski knocking in 80 goals a season and a bench made up of Gervhinho, Hulk, Robben and Shola Ameobi. (more…)
