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Eurosport - Mon, 06 Oct 23:58:00 2008

What is it about Newcastle managers and massive indecisiveness?

2008-2009 Newcastle United Joe Kinnear - 0

Just 32 short days ago Kevin Keegan sensationally quit the club following a day of pacing up and down the St James' Park boardroom going "I can't work with Dennis Wise, I must quit. Oh, but I love the fans, I must stay" (possibly).

Now The Guardian has revealed how potty-mouthed interim boss Joe Kinnear turned up to face the press following his team's 2-2 draw with Everton - 10 minutes after saying he would not be speaking to them again.

Following the match he said in a TV interview: "I want to make one thing clear to everybody, I am not interested in doing the press any more while I am at the club.

"I will do television, I will do radio and that way the stories that are going round will make me a lot happier. Anything I have got to say to you [TV] will be the truth."

However, press hacks expecting a sheepish Chris Hughton to be shoved into the Goodison press room to face them were stunned when the man himself waltzed in, with the baffling excuse for his actions: "What's wrong? Can't you take a joke?"

The former Wimbledon boss then made his feelings known - but kept it clean this time - by telling Fleet Street's finest: "What I could not understand with you lot is why, when I've only taken the job for 10 games, you are going at me with all this sarcasm. You've got to be realistic."

Perhaps Joe had been listening to the advice of former Toon boss Graeme Souness, a man famed for his restraint and diplomacy.

The fiery Scot, who once displayed these characteristics by planting a Galatasaray flag in the middle of the Fenerbahce pitch after his side won the Istanbul derby, said: "He's wrong. You can't group them all [the press] and say, 'You're all bad, I'm not speaking to you'. It is a difficult, difficult job up there but all the press are not bad.

"My advice to him would be to work out who the good ones are; the ones who are going to give you a fair crack of the whip, and go from there. I think to categorise them into the same group and say, 'That's it, blanket ban', I think he is making a big mistake."

From what GS can remember Kinnear did a very good job of picking out individual journalists who had particularly upset him, although his description for each one of them was the same choice four-letter word.

The Daily Express reports that outgoing Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has set tomorrow as the deadline for interested parties to table their bids for the club, with seven different consortia from almost every continent so far requesting to see the Toon books. At this rate there will be a bid form an Antarctica-based group before a potential British buyer can be found.

For all the coverage of Newcastle's internal problems, they are not the only ones where all is not rosy upstairs. Liverpool have had their fair share of problems this year, and the stuttering progress of their plans for a new stadium have been the least of them.

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has moved to deny reports that the club are mulling over a ground-share with neighbours Everton, although his reasons seemed to strengthen the argument for such a move rather than dispel them.

Parry said: "A ground share is not being considered. With the financial markets in turmoil, any major construction project at this time is difficult. It is risky.

"It is a case of a delay while things settle down. It is still a very, very good long-term project."

If GS was going to pussyfoot around the subject, it would say that Tottenham Hotspur are in a bit of a pickle at the moment. Rock-bottom and winless after seven matches, Spurs fans don't really need anyone else wading in to kick them while they are down.

Which is exactly what Andrei Arshavin's agent Dennis Lachter has done by saying: "Andrei would like to play in the Premier League but he will not accept an offer from clubs like Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Aston Villa.

"There are only four British clubs he would play for and they are in the Champions League. It's not about money, it's about a team and professional ambition."

The fact that Lachter does not even acknowledge Spurs, despite them leading the chase to sign him throughout the summer, shows just how far they have sunk in such a short space of time.

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola backed his goalkeeper Robert Green to bounce back following his nightmare match in the 3-1 defeat at home to Bolton.

Zola said: "Robert Green is a great goalkeeper. He has all my trust, all of the team's trust. Everyone believes in him.

"It has been a bad day, but I am sure next game he is going to save two penalties." No pressure then Rob.

What's that you say? You want a quick fix of transfer gossip? Well, all right then, seeing as you asked so kindly.

Chelsea are apparently eyeing up Napoli's Argentinian striker Ezeqiuel Lavezzi, he of Beijing gold medal-winning fame, and Birmingham City are preparing for next season's Premier League relegation as they close in on a loan deal for Nigel Quashie.

Eurosport

Comment 1 - 19 of 19

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  1. jonathan. Ronaldo is a "here today gone­ tomorrow" player. So yes, ManU seem not to mind­ such crop of players

    From Half A Brain, on Mon 6 Oct 11:37PM
  2. v2cdj,
    hee-hee, i bet you still go to school don't­ you, 'cause your dead funny aren't you - you­ naughty little schoolboy.
    Laugh Out Loud at that, you­ little, non-comedian you.

    From cameron w, on Mon 6 Oct 10:14PM
  3. No Guidance - Said by a Tottenham fan, the funniest­ thing ive heard in ages!!

    up the gooners!!

    From scott b, on Mon 6 Oct 9:57PM
  4. Theres only one Sol Campbell,

    Up the Gooners

    Down The­ Spuds!

    concentrate on your footy instead of opposition­ players and youll be doing much better than you are at­ the moment

    From scott b, on Mon 6 Oct 9:57PM
  5. If Arshavin wants 2 play for a Champions League side­ then we know he will not be going to Tottenham

    From justinbowie1, on Mon 6 Oct 9:31PM
  6. Another @#$% weekend - Pompey had another fluky win.­ Bunch of has beens. No finesse and no guidance

    From Braveheart, on Mon 6 Oct 7:36PM
  7. I honestly think it is about time we just sat back and­ watched the Newcastle thing for a while. Like all good­ soaps there will be several endings possible. Joe did­ not look comfortable on the BBC last night but the boys­ in the studio did take the mick a little more than they­ would for other managers. Easy when you are sitting­ there and Lauro is getting more and more arrogant and­ know it all each week. Perhaps he should take on­ something like this but it is far too comfortable where­ he is.

    From taff, on Mon 6 Oct 7:30PM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    NEWCASTLE TO BE BOUGHT BY A BUNCH OF NIGERIANS­ LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, THEY WILL BE BANKRUPT AND­ UNDER INVESTIGATION WITHIN 6 MONTHS, HAS ANYONE BEEN ON­ EBAY RECENTLY, ALL ADS SAY NO NIGERIAN BIDDERS !, MAYBE­ ASHLEY SHOULD DO THE SAME, HAVING SAID THAT HE'S­ KINDA PUT THE CLUB ON EBAY ANYWAY.

    ALSO JOE KINEAR­ LOOOOOOOOOOL THOUGHT HE HAD DIED

    From v2cdj, on Mon 6 Oct 5:02PM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK MR RAMOS FOR THE FINE START­ TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE CAMPAIGNE FOR SPURS, COULDNT­ HAPPEN TO A NICER BUNCH, ALL WE NEED NOW IS FOR THE MAN­ U AND CHELSKI RENT BOYS TO DO THE SAME.
    CMON­ ARSENAL

    P.S ESSIEN OWS UR LEG LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

    From v2cdj, on Mon 6 Oct 4:58PM
  10. Arshavin to go to a top 4 club? Chelsea are overloaded­ with midfielders; he's not Spannish enough for­ Liverpool or French enough for Arsenal and do Utd want­ a "here today gone tomorrow" football­ mercenary?

    From jonathan g, on Mon 6 Oct 4:24PM
  11. swore at the press no surprise

    From dalekcool, on Mon 6 Oct 3:23PM
  12. newcastle are having a laugh
    i think theyre all jo­ kin' 'ere

    From geordieprince1, on Mon 6 Oct 2:49PM
  13. Where on earth would Man Utd play Arshavin even if they­ wanted to buy him? Possibly moneybags City will bid for­ him but until they win some "real" silverware­ I cannot see many top class footballers going to­ Eastlands. If Spurs don't get themselves sorted out­ soon then their form will become a self fullfiling­ prophecy - doom gloom and relegation!

    From jonathan g, on Mon 6 Oct 2:39PM
  14. Hi, "not_blonde_really", Not up to your usual­ standard, I'd say.

    From kezike, on Mon 6 Oct 2:22PM
  15. While i do agree that Liverpool and Everton fans get on­ better than most "rivals" i still­ couldn't see them ground sharing.

    From JOHNNY, on Mon 6 Oct 1:57PM
  16. What's the betting Man U sign Arshavin just to rub­ salt into the Spurs wound?

    From not_blonde_really, on Mon 6 Oct 1:43PM
  17. To be honest guys this column is very dull and boring,­ you've had a full weekend fixture list and this­ what you come up with?
    I was waiting for it to reach a­ climax with something interesting.....zzZZ

    From john m, on Mon 6 Oct 1:10PM
  18. Why dont liverpool and everton ground share??!! they­ cant claim they dont like each other as year in year­ out they all sit together at mersyside­ "derbies"!! Its not like the good old, old­ firm or a north east derby where its blind hatred that­ fuels it!!

    From andy5powell, on Mon 6 Oct 1:04PM
  19. Sod off. Spamming c***

    From JONATHAN, on Mon 6 Oct 12:52PM
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