Glory Lost - A Newcastle United Story

[cmbee]

My first FM story - be gentle please

Full Name: Newcastle United Football Club
Nickname: The Magpies, The Toon
Founded: 1892
Ground/Capacity: St. James' Park, 52,387

Following the clubs's relegation from the Premier League in the 2008/2009 season, Newcastle United were left leaderless, a club with no direction, no morale. Club legend Alan Shearer had been unable to save his beloved home-town club from the drop, and hated owner Mike Ashley had failed to act in appointing a new manager, leaving Newcastle fans wondering about the future of their once great club.

Then, in a surprise move, Ashley appointed local man Chris Beech as the club's new manager. Beech was a completely unknown quantity, he hadn't coached at the club before, nor had he even been a professional footballer. "What on Earth is Ashley up to now?!" thought the club's beleaguered fans.

Beech has assured them that he will bring glory back to the club - his club, as well as their club - and that the glory, lost under Ashley's ownership, would be restored...

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On my first day in charge, I knew what I wanted to do. So many of the players had let the club down, let themselves down, but most importantly, let the fans down. I wanted to start afresh.

"That might be a problem." I was told by club managing director Derek Llambias. "You see, the financial side of things isn't great, Chris. We can give you something to spend, but nothing like the amounts you would like, I should imagine." Derek was right, the transfer kitty stood at a meagre £1.5mn, far short of the amount I had envisioned for my transformation of the club.

So the challenge had been laid down, not only did I need to transform the team, but I would also have to raise funds to do it. I decided that those who had let us down last season would be the ones to help me achieve this, and big names, such as Coloccini, Nolan, Barton, Alan Smith, Jonas Gutierrez and Jose Enrique were shipped out, helping to bring in funds.

Derek had also told me that Mr Ashley favoured bringing in younger players, to develop into world beaters. "Well, I'm not sure about developing them into world beaters Derek, but I have a few in mind that I think will help to improve us straight away," before handing him a list of names.

"Yes, these look good, I will see what we can do"...

to be continued...
​

 

[toddzy]

Look into signing Yannick Djalo mate he's epic. Good luck though

 

[cmbee]

cheers mate, had a bid for him accepted already! update later, gotta go to work :S

 

[Jake89]

Should never have sold Enrique though, hes one of the most solid LB's on the game for his price range. Try getting Emil Johansson as a replacement though, costs around £1m and is solid enough for the Premier League.

 

[cmbee]

BEECH SEARCHES FOR NEW TALENT IN JULY/AUGUST

So, I had stated my intentions to start afresh with the Newcastle United squad. We had two big problems, however, which were preventing me from bringing in new players - first of all, our transfer budget was just £1.5m. Secondly, our wages being paid out were way over our budget of £600,000 a week. We had several BIG earners on the books, and quite simply, this was unsustainable. I put several of our big names on the transfer list, and offered them out to other clubs, with a number for the transfer fee I had in mind.

By the end of July, I had brought in £22.5m through selling off some of our big earners

Transfers out - July 2009

Joey Barton on loan to Olympique Lyonnais - initial fee of £1.1m, agreed fee of £6.5m
Fabricio Coloccini on loan to Olympique Lyonnais - initial fee of £1.5m, agreed fee of £7m
Alan Smith on loan to Olympique Marseilles - initial fee of £750k, agreed fee of £4.3m

With player sales complete, and some money in the bank, and a wage budget that had been freed up, I was able to go and search for players to bring in.

Transfers In - July/August 2009

In addition to these players brought in, I had bids accepted for Marco Veratti and Yannick Djalo. Unfortunately, Djalo decided to join Lyon, for £1.7m, while Veratti joined Udinese for £250k.

It may appear that I had made a lot of signings - that said, I felt the squad was lacking in depth, which was a major concern, while I did not feel that a lot of the players I had sold were truly committed to the cause. I wanted to bring in youngsters, who I felt were talented, and who I could trust.

Out of the players I brought in, those that I was happiest with were:

Hedwiges Maduro DC, DM, M C

Maduro - 12 senior caps for Holland

Vaclav Kadlec ST

Kadlec - just 17 years old, we see a bright future for the Czech striker

Nicolas Otamendi DC

Otamendi is a future star for Argentina and Newcastle United

James Rodriguez AMLC

The Colombian Cristiano Ronaldo (apparently)
​

---------- Post added at 09:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:29 PM ----------

FORMATION

I have decided that I will be playing with a 4-1-2-3 formation.

The tactics we will be using will see us playing a 'control' game, as I expect us to dominate possession. I would like us to remain fairly 'rigid' as well, to make sure players don't get pulled out of position.

The fullbacks will be 'attacking' making sure they get down the flanks to put crosses in. We will be starting with Danny Simpson and Andreas Rossi at each fullback position.

Our centre back pairing will be Nicolas Otamendi and Steven Taylor - Taylor will be a 'stopper' using his pace and aerial ability to stop attacks before they happen, while Otamendi will be a 'cover' defender, mopping up anything that Taylor doesn't.

Maduro will start as our defensive midfielder - he is to be a 'deep lying playmaker'. He will help break play up deep, before looking for a pass to a more advanced team mate.

Rodriguez and Bernardo will play as 'advanced playmakers' and will hopefully use their passing skills and vision to create chances for the strikers, as well as scoring a few themselves.

Fleck, Carroll and Kadlec will start up front. Carroll is the 'target man', creating space for the other two 'advanced forwards' to score goals.

PRE-SEASON REPORT 2009/10

Altay (away) - 2-1 Carroll, Inman
Sariyer (away) - 7-2 Lovenkrands, Kadlec (3), Carroll, Donaldson, Ameobi
Kasimpasa (away) - 1-1 Lovenkrands
Orduspor (away) - 3-0 Kadlec, Best, Maduro
Morecambe (away) - 0-0
Stockport (away) - 2-0 Lovenkrands, Kadlec

A mixed bag for the pre-season, disappointing 1-1 and 0-0 draws at Kasimpasa and Morecambe, but some good wins at Sariyer and Orduspor.

 

[Chris]

Good luck mate.

 

[cmbee]

INTRODUCING - NEWCASTLE UNITED'S KEY SQUAD MEMBERS - 6 of the best!

STEVE HARPER - Goalkeeper

We will be relying on Steve to be solid at the back for us this season. The goalkeeper is always a key foundation for a strong defence, as the defenders can feel more confident if the goalkeeper is solid. Steve is a veteran, at 32 years old, but I feel he has a lot to contribute toward the team.

STEVEN TAYLOR - Defender

The newly appointed team captain - a local lad who can play a huge role for the club. He is great in the air, and pretty quick too. A leader of men, we will be looking to young Steven for inspiration in times of desperation. If Steven can play up to his potential, then the sky is the limit.

ANDY CARROLL - Striker

Another local lad that we will be hoping can reach his potential, and quickly. Andy has the attributes to be a classic center forward - he is very strong, and great in the air. He should be able to hold the ball up for us, and allow others greater freedom in and around the penalty area. I am hoping that he can chip in with goals as well, particularly as he is so good in the air.

JAMES RODRIGUEZ - Midfielder

Young James (pronounced with an 'H' at the start) looks to be a very promising midfielder indeed. Has the potential to be a true football star. He is quick, and possesses a lethal long shot with his deadly left foot. He will bring both flair and creativity to the midfield, in a team which had been sorely lacking both of these qualities. I will be looking for James to help unlock defences, and I hope the weight of expectation isn't too much for him.

HEDWIGES MADURO - Defensive Midfielder

A product of the vaunted Ajax youth academy, Hedwiges was on the transfer-list at Valencia, which came as a surprise to me, though it gave me the opportunity to sign one of the most talented young defensive midfielders in the world. Hedwiges is a ball-playing defensive minded midfielder. He will win the ball back, and his positioning is excellent, making it tough on opponents trying to break down our defence. However, he is also excellent coming forward, and though often it is just a simple ball to find an advanced midfield player, he is more than capable of splitting the defence with a through ball.

VACLAV KADLEC - Striker

At 17 years old, Vaclav is easily the youngest member of the first team. However, I feel he is talented enough that he warrants a starting spot straight from the start. He is quick, and a decent finisher. I am sure Vaclav will evolve into a world class goal-poacher, and the Championship will be a good level to introduce him into the team - challenging, but with enough easy games to help build confidence.

​

---------- Post added at 09:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:28 PM ----------

AUGUST

Saturday 8th August 2009
@ West Brom
1-0
Rasmus Lindgren
New signing Rasmus Lindgren scores on his debut to give Newcastle the best possible start to the season in a tough opening encounter against a promotion rival.

Saturday 15th August 2009
v Reading
1-0
Andy Carroll
Another close game, with Andy Carroll opening his account for the season to make sure its maximum points from the opening two fixtures.

Wednesday 19th August 2009
v Sheffield Wednesday
1-1
Vaclav Kadlec
Kadlec scores his first goal for the club, but we fail to capitalise, and let slip what should have been a fairly straightforward win.

Saturday 22nd August 2009
@ Crystal Palace
1-1
John Fleck
Fleck saves a point with a late goal. Palace went up early and despite bombarding their goal, we couldn't find the finish until late on in the game. A point gained rather than two points lost in the end.

Monday 31st August 2009
v Leicester City
2-0
Vaclav Kadlec, John Fleck
Straightforward home win. Could have been more but for some profligate finishing from Carroll.

2nd round
Wednesday 26th August 2009
v Morecambe
2-0
Hedwiges Maduro, Peter Lovenkrands
Disappointing result really, should have been at least 4 or 5 for the Toon, but poor finishing from Lovenkrands, Ameobi and Best for the most part meant that we only scored 2. Still, through to the next round.

Manager's Player of the Month

John Fleck 5 apps, 2 goals
In a month where we didn't score too many goals, on-loan striker John Fleck put in some excellent performances, bagging two goals.

​

 

[Chris]

Good start mate.

Great signings.

 

[cmbee]

SEPTEMBER

Sunday 13th September 2009
@ Cardiff
4-2
Vaclav Kadlec, Andy Carroll (2), Bernardo
Finally, we were able to get more than one goal in a game. A strong performance away to Cardiff will give the team confidence going forward.

Wednesday 16th September 2009
@ Blackpool
0-1
All the forward momentum from the Cardiff game wasted, as the team put in a dismal performance to lose at relegation candidates Blackpool.

Saturday 19th September 2009
v Plymouth
2-0
Anthony McNamee (OG), Tomas Necid
With a positive response to the Blackpool loss required, the team didn't play well. However, the own goal by McNamee helped matters, and Necid scored his first goal for the team in the absence of Andy Carroll.
Saturday 26th September 2009
@ Ipswich
3-0
Peter Lovenkrands, Mike Williamson, Andy Carroll
A much better performance, coming away from home yet again, though Ipswich were rather lacklustre on the day. Lovenkrands opened the scoring, with Williamson scoring his first for the team via a header, powered home from a corner.

Wednesday 30th September 2009
v QPR
0-1
A pretty good performance from the Toon. We just couldn't seem to find the net, and QPR played reasonably well. A great long range goal from Akos Buzsaky giving the R's their win.

3rd round
Wednesday 23rd September 2009
v Walsall
3-1 after extra time
Leon Best, Bernardo, Peter Lovenkrands
Walsall went ahead in the first half with a goal from Darren Byfield. We struggled in the second half to make anything, before Leon Best eventually broke Walsall's resistance with a late goal. We dominated a tired Walsall side in extra time, Bernardo and Lovenkrands sealing our passage to the 4th round.

MANAGER'S PLAYER OF THE MONTH

Bernardo 5 apps, 2 goals, 2 assists
The on-loan Brazilian has been in sparkling form this month, and has been key to our success.

​

---------- Post added at 09:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:55 PM ----------

Good start mate.

Great signings.

cheers mate, I actually did quite a lot last night/this morning. working from home ftw

plenty more to come, if I can be bothered to write it up, almost at the end of the season!

---------- Post added at 10:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:57 PM ----------

OCTOBER

Saturday 3rd October 2009
v Bristol City
0-0
Not a great start to October. We were hoping to rebound to the disappointing loss to QPR with a win over Bristol City, but our problems at home continue. We just can't seem to score.

Saturday 17th October 2009
@ Nottingham Forest
2-0
Graeme Dorrans, Vaclav Kadlec
We don't seem to have any problems scoring away from home. Dorrans opens his account, and Kadlec adds to his in a straightforward win.

Tuesday 20th October 2009
@ Scunthorpe
0-0
Scunthorpe defended resolutely, and we just couldn't break them down.

Saturday 24th October 2009
v Doncaster Rovers
2-0
Vaclav Kadlec (2)
We firmly expected to win this one, and the team duly deliver, with a Kadlec brace securing the 3 points.

4th Round
Wednesday 28th October 2009
v Wolverhampton Wanderers
2-1
Vaclav Kadlec, John Fleck
A tough fixture against a Premiership side to end the month. Kadlec and Fleck both strike in the first half. Wolves bombard us in the second half, with Stephen Hunt scoring, but we held on to go into the hat for the 5th round!

MANAGER'S PLAYER OF THE MONTH

Vaclav Kadlec 5 apps, 4 goals
Young Kadlec has really hit form this month, and has been deadly in front of goal.

​

 

[NUFC_Tony]

Nice story mate! Loving the quick updates.

 

[hellroker]

You overpayed for Otamendi.

 

[cmbee]

You overpayed for Otamendi.

Yeah, true. Although I only actually payed £500,000 up front, the rest was over 48 months, so I'm not too upset.

---------- Post added at 11:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:52 PM ----------

NOVEMBER

Monday 2nd November 2009
@ Sheffield United
0-1
A comedown after the win over Wolves. However, this was always going to be a tough game. What is more concerning was the poor performance that the team put in.

Saturday 7th November 2009
v Peterborough United
2-0
Andy Carroll (2)
A comfortable win for us, Andy Carroll rediscovers his scoring boots and hits a brace to give us the win.

Monday 23rd November 2009
@ Preston North End
2-1
Steven Taylor, Vaclav Kadlec
Taylor opens the scoring with a stunning drive from outside of the penalty area. Quite unexpected from the captain there! PNE equalised against the run of play, but Kadlec made sure justice was done, the home fans leaving unhappy.

Saturday 28th November 2009
v Swansea
5-1
Andy Carroll, Peter Lovenkrands (2), Vaclav Kadlec (2)
A stunning victory over Swansea. Lovenkrands, in for Fleck, proving to be inspirational, setting up two goals as well as scoring twice.

MANAGER'S PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Vaclav Kadlec
4 apps, 3 goals
Kadlec has continued his fine goalscoring form, netting another three goals. It must be said that this was a close call between Kadlec and Carroll, with both really putting in some excellent performances over the last month.

​

---------- Post added at 12:13 AM ---------- Previous post was yesterday at 11:06 PM ----------

DECEMBER

Quarter-Final
Tuesday 1st December 2009
v Sunderland
2-1
Andy Carroll, Hedwiges Maduro
A grudge match against our hated rivals Sunderland, this was a match which would test the team's confidence. Andy Carroll opened the scoring for us, the local lad living every Geordie's dream of putting one past the Black Cats keeper. Darren Bent, however, scored to put the tie on a knife edge. Hedwiges Maduro popped up with a rare, but invaluable goal to take Newcastle into the semi-finals of the league cup!

Saturday 5th December 2009
v Watford
2-0
Andy Carroll, Danny Guthrie
Another straightforward win for the lads. It seems that we are now in the habit of winning games. It hasn't been spectacular, but 3 points is the goal, and 3 points is what we've got.

Tuesday 8th December 2009
@ Coventry
2-0
Andy Carroll, Shola Ameobi
Consistency is the name of the game, and the entire side is showing it. Carroll got us going, and Shola Ameobi came off the bench to bag the second and the points.

Saturday 12th December 2009
@ Barnsley
2-0
Andy Carroll, John Fleck
Carroll's remarkable run continues as he gave us the lead at Oakwell. Barnsley were spirited, but Fleck was ultimately able to put the tie to bed with a calm placed finish.

Saturday 19th December 2009
v Middlesbrough
4-0
Andy Carroll (2), Vaclav Kadlec, Danny Simpson
A great result against our rivals from down the road. Carroll has been on the tear in terms of his goalscoring form, and bags a brace, scoring in his fourth game in a row.

Saturday 26th December 2009
@ Sheffield Wednesday
2-1
John Fleck, Shola Ameobi
A close affair at Hillsborough. Ameobi performing heroics off the bench. The tight Christmas/New Year schedule is taking a toll on the squad though, and there is a real danger fatigue could prevent us taking the maximum haul over December.

Monday 28th December 2009
v Derby County
3-0
Tomas Necid, Dean Moxey (OG), Leon Best
Success! Maximum points over the busy Christmas period. A somewhat rag-tag Newcastle turn out to face Derby County, with loanee Tomas Necid netting only his second goal for the side. Moxey then turned it further in the Toon's favour with an unfortunate mistake, turning the ball past Bywater. Best, replacing Kadlec who is suffering from the tough schedule, scored the third to put the tie beyond all doubt.


MANAGER'S PLAYER OF THE MONTH

Andy Carroll
4 apps, 5 goals
Andy has been in phenomenal form over December. I'm really hoping fatigue doesn't get the better of him, and I've got to hope that with January just around the corner, bigger clubs don't come a-sniffing.

​

---------- Post added at 12:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:13 AM ----------

JANUARY

Transfer update - we've had quite an influx of funds over the last few months, largely from transfers made before I took over, such as Bassong's move to Spurs, Given's move to Manchester City and Kieron Dyer's move to West Ham.

Instead of looking outside of the club, however, I decided to strengthen the squad by making some of the loan signings permanent. We can now officially welcome Hedwiges Maduro, Andreas Rossi and John Fleck as members of the Newcastle United squad.

Andreas Rossi - signed from Siena
​

In addition, we can welcome Jimmy Briand to the team. Briand was a promising talent in France, though his career has been derailed by injuries. We were able to secure his signature for a cut price 600k. We also brought in Darron Gibson from Manchester United, to add some depth to the midfield.

Jimmy Briand with the French U21 team

Darron Gibson - will add depth to the midfield
​

We've had to fight off interest from AC Milan for James Rodriguez as well. "Ham" has he is now known as around the changing room, due to the unusual pronunciation of 'James' or 'Hames', has been in top form for us, and has kept Bernardo on the bench. Milan came in with an offer, and I had thought that Ham would jump at the chance to join such a high profile club.

Ham Rodriguez - The Colombian Cristiano Ronaldo
​

In fact, after meeting with him, he told me that he was committed to the Newcastle cause, and that he felt that under my management, he would develop into a better player than he could while benchwarming at AC Milan. A fantastic endorsement for me, I must say. I was so pleased with Ham's loyalty, that I spoke with MD Derek Llambias, and persuaded him to offer Ham an improved, long-term contract, which would keep him at the club until 2014.

In other news, I was disappointed to discover that Andy Carroll has declared for Scotland over England, at least for the time being. Andy now has 2 Scottish-U21 caps to his name. The new FIFA rules still allow Andy to play for England at senior level though, but if I were Craig Levein, I would be calling Andy into the full Scotland squad asap to make sure of that eligibility!
​

3rd Round
Saturday 2nd January 2010
@ Tranmere Rovers
4-1
Shola Ameobi, John Fleck, Mike Williamson, Haris Vuckic
A chance for some younger players to get some experience in the FA Cup, which is not a priority for us this season. 16-year old Vuckic rounding off a sound beating for Tranmere.

4th Round
Saturday 23rd January 2010
v Everton
2-0
Shola Ameobi (2)
A surprise win over Premiership Everton to take us through to the 5th round. Unexpected, but welcome - we will take a bit more cash from making it this far.

Semi-Final First Leg
Wednesday 6th January 2010
@ Aston Villa
2-0
Andy Carroll, Leon Best
Well, we've made it this far, we might as well give it a go. Aston Villa played distinctly below par, and we managed to take a convincing two goal lead to defend at St James' Park.

Semi-Final Second Leg
Wednesday 20th January 2010
v Aston Villa
2-3
James Rodriguez, Leon Best
Aston Villa really turned the heat on us here. 2-0 down after half an hour, James Rodriguez rescued our chances with a long range piledriver. Leon Best came on to score, helping us to secure our spot in the final! Ashley Young's late free kick worried me, but we held on, although the heart attack wasn't too far away I can tell you!

Saturday 9th January 2010
@ Reading
0-0
A good result against a strong team. We defended well, but perhaps missed chances we should have put away. That said, coming off a big Carling Cup victory, this game was always going to difficult, particularly with the players still tired from their Villa Park exploits.

Saturday 16 January 2010
v West Bromwich Albion
2-0
Steven Taylor, Vaclav Kadlec
Another excellent result against West Brom, and back to winning ways in the league in front of our home fans.

Wednesday 27th January 2010
v Crystal Palace
2-0
Leon Best, Graeme Dorrans
The fixture congestion is mounting up for sure. Tough games at home to Villa, then against Everton have drained the team. Fortunately, Best appears to be in solid form, despite not starting too many games, and Dorrans chipped in with a rare goal to give us a win over a Palace team that had given us trouble earlier in the year.

Saturday 30th January 2010
@ Leicester City
5-1
Shola Ameobi (3), Rasmus Lindgren, John Fleck
The travelling Toon Army were well rewarded for their journey at the Walkers Stadium. A stunning hattrick from Shola Ameobi saw us take all three points, on the back of a very pleasing performance.

MANAGER'S PLAYER OF THE MONTH

Shola Ameobi
4 apps, 6 goals
Shola has been, quite frankly, in unbelievable goalscoring form in the last month. The hat-trick against Leicester was the icing on the cake for big man, and he is actively keeping Andy Carroll out of the team, no mean feat, considering Carroll's earlier form.

​

 

[Chris]

Keep up the good work.

Maybe a league screenie at the end of each update?

 

[cmbee]

Keep up the good work.

Maybe a league screenie at the end of each update?

ah... I've played on a bit, didn't think to do league screenies :O
is there a way i can go back the the league by month or anything?

---------- Post added at 03:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:09 AM ----------

FEBRUARY

Saturday 6th February 2010
v Cardiff City
5-1
James Rodriguez (2), Andy Carroll (2), Shola Ameobi

Tuesday 9th February 2010
@ Derby County
2-1
James Rodriguez, John Fleck

Wednesday 17th February 2010
v Coventry city
1-1
Peter Lovenkrands

Saturday 20th February 2010
v Preston North End
3-0
Shola Ameobi (2), Mike Williamson

Wednesday 24th February 2010
@ Watford
3-0
Graeme Dorrans, Leon Best (2)

5th Round
Saturday 13th February 2010
@ Tottenham Hotspurs
0-2
Nothing much to be said about this. We were quite thoroughly outclassed throughout, and the result did not flatter Spurs at all. That said, as we did not consider the cups a priority, I'm not too disappointed in going out of the competition, though it is slightly concerning how poorly we played up against this Premiership side.

Final
Sunday 28th February 2010
v Chelsea
1-0
Hedwiges Maduro
An absolutely stunning result here. Not only did the team prove its Premiership credentials, but they also secured a place in the Europa League for the following season. A penalty after 45 minutes gave us the lead at half time, but Chelsea absolutely bombarded us in the second half. Steve Harper, Steven Taylor and Nicolas Otamendi performed miracles to keep Drogba and co out. An unbelievable win for the Toon, and Chris Beech's first ever piece of silverware.

MANAGER'S PLAYER OF THE MONTH

JAMES "HAM" RODRIGUEZ
6 apps, 3 goals, 2 assists

​

---------- Post added at 05:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:22 AM ----------

FourFourTwo.com managed to catch up with rising Newcastle United stars James Rodriguez and Andy Carroll, to find out their views on the Toon's promotion chances, AC Milan, Scotland and the Premiership.

Carroll and Rodriguez celebrate a goal together

FourFourTwo.com: Andy, James, its great to catch up with you. First question, and an obvious one - how do you feel the season has gone for you so far?

Andy Carroll: Its been really great for me personally. I've felt as if I've been in good form, and I've managed to score a few goals along the way, which is always nice!

James Rodriguez: I agree with Andy, I think we have had a great season so far. I'm pleased with my current form, but of course, we will have to work hard to maintain that form and keep winning games.

FourFourTwo.com: Andy, at the start of the season, the club was in turmoil. Alan Shearer was widely expected to be appointed as manager, but was not. What did you expect when a complete unknown was given control?

AC: To be honest, I, and I think most of the other players at the time, were quite used to being put through the mill regarding new managers. I mean, last season we started with Kevin Keegan, then went to Chris Hughton, then Joe Kinnear, then Alan Shearer. So it wasn't all that new to us. We just didn't know what we would get from him, but the gaffer has done a great job so far.

FFT: Surely, with the squad at his disposal, its fair to say that Beech should be expected to top the league?

AC: I don't think that's necessarily right. The team had a lot of talent, but it was the same team that was relegated. Some were even tipping us to go down again!

FFT: Certainly. We at FFT think he has done a good job. Were you concerned about the transfers out at the start of the season?

AC: A bit. To lose quality players like that seemed a bit risky. But the gaffer had a plan in place, and obviously, its come together nicely.

FFT: James, you were one of those brought in, what was it that attracted you to Newcastle?

JR: The fans, the history, the manager's passion for the club. All of these things. I think Newcastle can go back to being one of the best in England.

FFT: James, you've been nicknamed 'Ham' by your teammates and manager! How on earth did this come about?!

AC: (laughs) Actually, its was Steven Taylor's fault. The gaffer was reading out the teams in training, and read Ham's name wrong, saying James...

JR: Yes, he had not realised it was pronounced 'Hames'... Steve was confused and thought he said ham. It all went from there. But I like it, it shows I am part of the team.

FFT: Did you have any troubles adapting to life in England, and coping with the famous English sense of humour?

JR: The humour yes! It takes some getting used to, but I think I am doing better now. Andy and the other young players help me. As my English improves I understand it more. But it was not too hard to adapt really, I was lucky that some of my teammates speak Spanish, like Hedwiges Maduro and Nicolas Otamendi.

FFT: Andy, you decided to declare for Scotland. What was the logic behind that move?

AC: No logic really. Scotland came calling, England didn't. Simple as that.

FFT: Would you still consider playing for England?

AC: Yes, of course. I am a Geordie after all, so I am English! I qualified for Scotland through my mum. At the end of the day, we all want to play international football, it just depends what the circumstances are at the time you are called up.

FFT: James, you recently turned down a move to AC Milan? Why did you decide to stay in England?

JR: I did not turn the move down, as their bid was rejected by the club. I did not want to move anyway, I have only just come to Newcastle, and I feel Chris Beech can help me develop. I am still very young, there is plenty of time in future to play for clubs like AC Milan, if I continue to work hard.

FFT: Newcastle look set for automatic promotion, should you achieve it, can the club survive in the Premiership?

JR: I think so. We are young and have much to learn, but the talent is there. We are also a confident group, so I feel this is possible.

AC: I don't see why not. Like Ham says, we are young and talented, I'd like to say that anything is possible!
​

 

[burkeyoa]

Great story mate you have a follower!

 

[toddzy]

Great mate love the layout, only advice so far is make sure you sign Bernardo, trust me!

 

[Shay Given]

great story so far KIU
:wub: the layout particularity the interview

 

[jugzy]

Good luck mate..

 

[Chris]

Very good mate.

 

[cmbee]

thanks guys, been away for the last few days so sorry about the lack of updates. i have managed to get some FM in on my netbook, but its a bit odd transferring games between a high powered PC and a **** netbook lol. still, better than no FM, expect another BIG update tonight!

---------- Post added at 09:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:16 PM ----------

MARCH

So we head into March as League Cup Champions! I'm astounded that we've been able to win the competition. The lads have been absolutely magnificent throughout the cup run. It is easily our biggest achievement to date. Promotion is imminent, but we want the league title. We're a way ahead of second placed West Brom, who in turn are some way ahead of Sheffield United in third. I think that promotion is a near certainty now, and I'm thrilled that we will have Europa League football at St James' Park to go with our return to the Premiership. But now to the task in hand, can we gain promotion? We certainly gave it a good go in March.

Saturday 6th March 2010
v Barnsley
3-0
Peter Lovenkrands, Mike Williamson, Hedwiges Maduro
Another dominating performance. The team is playing with real confidence and its nice to see that even if the strikers don't get on the scoresheet, there are goals to come from elsewhere in the team. The result also means that Newcastle have earned a playoff spot

Wednesday 10th March 2010
@ Swansea
3-0
Jimmy Briand, Shola Ameobi (2)
Briand scored his first for us in this tie. I'm delighted that the lad has finally been able to break his duck, as fans were starting to question him.

Saturday 13th March 2010
@ Middlesbrough
2-4
John Fleck, Andy Carroll
Over confidence getting the better of the team? Frankly, we were outplayed, and were lucky to score our second. Fleck had actually put us ahead, but Boro simply stepped it up and we didn't match them. Disappointed with this result and I let the lads know it. This could endanger our Championship campaign, and I desperately want us to be Champions.

Wednesday 17th March 2010
v Scunthorpe
4-0
Peter Lovenkrands, Vaclav Kadlec, Steven Taylor (2)
Back to good form in front of the home fans. We had to set the record right after the Middlesbrough game, and this certainly proved the lads to be a quality outfit.

Saturday 20th March 2010
@ Bristol City
0-1
Another loss. We just could not put the ball in the net again. I'm going to write this off as 'one of those days'.

Tuesday 23rd March 2010
@ Doncaster Rovers
6-0
Andy Carroll (2), Rasmus Lindgren, Mike Williamson, Steven Taylor, Vaclav Kadlec
Certainly the best response to a loss. We absolutely blew Doncaster away and were 4-0 up at the break. Carroll was magnificent today, scoring twice and setting up Kadlec with a knock down. Not only was this a cracking win, but it has guaranteed promotion for the Toon!

Saturday 27th March 2010
v Nottingham Forest
3-0
Andy Carroll, Mike Williamson, Vaclav Kadlec

MANAGER'S PLAYER OF THE MONTH

MIKE WILLIAMSON
5 apps, 3 goals

Mike has played supremely well this month, in place of Nicolas Otamendi, who had picked up a suspension in the early part of the month, before also being injured on his return from suspension. However, Mike made sure we didn't miss Nicolas too much, contributing at both ends of the pitch.

APRIL/MAY

Saturday 3rd April 2010
@ Peterborough
2-1
Andy Carroll, Jimmy Briand
It's all over - Newcastle have been crowed champions of the Coca Cola Championship!

Monday 5th April 2010
v Sheffield United
1-0
Shola Ameobi

Saturday 10th April 2010
v Blackpool
1-0
Jimmy Briand

Saturday 17th April 2010
@ Plymouth
0-2

Saturday 24th April 2010
v Ipswich Town
1-0
Vaclav Kadlec

Sunday 2nd May 2010
@ QPR
4-2
Andy Carroll (2), Jimmy Briand (2)

MANAGER'S PLAYER OF THE MONTH

JIMMY BRIAND
6 apps, 4 goals

Jimmy has been solid this month. In honesty, with the title wrapped up, I had allowed some of the younger players more playing time, so Jimmy did well to play as well as he did without the support of his more experienced teammates.
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