Tar-Mairon

A hefty sentence in jail and a permanent ban from any kind of football with recall to jail if he so much as goes beyond a kickaround in his garden. Definitely attempted murder with the sheer force he kicked him in the head. Total scumbag.

Bruce needs Newcastle more than Rafa ever did. I'm not debating Rafa's commitment to Newcastle but Rafa would have always had a relatively decent job eventually. If Bruce gets sacked, he's not going to get near another Prem job. He might not even get near another Championship job. Chris Wilder and Eddie Howe are much better managers than Bruce and are struggling. Bruce is therefore not going to rock the boat like Rafa would. Bruce has a lot of mates in the media, who talk him up. I don't rate Solskjaer at all but before he came in at United, a lot of Bruce's mates in the media were talking him up for that. His biggest connection throughout his career in football is with United - inventing a connection to Newcastle is like suggesting Carragher is a true Evertonian because he supported them as a bid or Bergkamp is a Spur because he liked us a kid. Irrelevant. The likes of Keys, Redknapp, Merson etc talk him up into being a manager he isn't. Most of them don't even pretend to analyse him properly. They just blindly support no matter how bad it gets and then try and convince Newcastle fans who don't rate him that up is down, squares are triangles, the sky is the ocean and they're just a bunch of "way ay man, howay the lads" buffoons who want to both win the Champions League every season (and demand it) and also would take losing 6-5 every game over ever winning 1-0. They also loathe Benitez, likely because he never bothered with the media charm offensive when he was at Liverpool so they make these ridiculous comparisons with him and Bruce. Bruce, rather than actually prove their misguided support right by trying to be a better manager and achieve all the things they say he can, actually does the same and acts like a total mark for himself by making embarrassing, bitchy and ridiculous jibes at Benitez, thinking that getting a guffaw out of Richard Keys is more important than building a relationship with his club. He's a mediocre man and a mediocre manager in a job he is blatantly out of his depth in.

There are reports of a long history of low-level sexual offending, including indecent exposure. He had been planning to abduct and rape a woman for at least a month. People like him can be attracted to jobs with authority as it gives them the chance to abuse it and a chance to lord that authority over people, knowing they can't fight back.

It does not appear that Kane has any kind of binding agreement nor clause in his contract that would allow him to leave how he wants. The ball is still in the club's court. He could, of course, throw his toys out of the pram and down tools but that would both destroy his bond with the club and not impress other clubs. He's contracted until 2024 so the offer would have to be satisfactory to the club. Knowing Levy, I see this being 150 mil or 120 mil and a couple of players.

We have the makings of a good team that can challenge. We need a top new manager and maybe three signings.

I'd much prefer Flick (if that is true - big if), Rodgers (if he wanted it - chances are, he does not) and one of the top Italian managers but I don't think Rafa would be a joke. He's done a good job whenever he's been in the PL and would be a good, solid appointment. I get that we are technically the bigger club, I just think Leicester are a much better place to be right now. He's loved there, just won a trophy, CL football (probably), great relationship with owner. Rumours about Kane swirling yesterday but according to Gold, he hasn't asked to leave so suspect a lot of stories being rehashed today!

I highly doubt it. Why would he? Obviously, as a Spurs fan I will be biased but if you were a neutral, why would you want to leave a club massively on the up, just won a major trophy, about to qualify for the CL for a rebuilding job with a chairman notorious for being tight? We certainly can get back in the top 4 and win something with the right manager, signings etc but Leicester are the fare more attractive club right now. Rafa allegedly wants the role and Levy has been interested before. I expect it will be him unless someone out of the blue appears.

He won't. If and when Simeone comes to England, it'll be to City, Liverpool or United. We have no chance of getting him. Looking at the first 23 on SkyBet. Interesting stuff. I'd back whoever becomes the manager but pretty interesting: Maurizio Sarri - 5/2 I don't dislike the guy but his style of play is non-negotiable, you have to do it completely his way, we don't have the players for it and the rebuild would be even more painful than Poch suggested initially. I really don't think we should. Brendan Rodgers - 5/1 Although irritating sometimes, I would take him despite him seeming to fall short at the last hurdle (might change this season). Wouldn't blame Leicester if they told us to stick our offer up our arses after the SPL fiasco and I don't think Rodgers would agitate to leave if they are in the CL (doubly if they win the FA Cup) unless he really is driven by other things. Would take him but would not blame him or Leicester for not allowing it to happen in a million years. Julian Nagelsmann - 5/1 Would love it to happen but would be amazed if he didn't go to Bayern. Nuno - 6/1 Possible. Wolves are allegedly planning in case he does leave and maybe with this season, he might think it's gotten stale and want to try one of the so-called "Big Six". Not the most exciting pick but might be a good fit. Graham Potter - 10/1 He might do better with much better strikes - be interesting to see what his style does with Kane, Son and maybe Bale but I really don't know if he can make the step up yet to a team that wants to challenge for trophies. A gamble. He needs new defenders though, you'd have to be Harry Potter to win things with that back lot right now. Scott Parker - 10/1 Absolutely not. I don't know why some of our fans on our Facebook group are wistful for this. He's proven nothing, far less than Potter in terms of being able to manage in the Prem. I'm not interested in whether our next manager played for us or not, just the right appointment. Ryan Mason - 12/1 No. Far too soon. I'd like to see him perhaps take a lower league job after this run. Erik ten Hag - 14/1 I would love to see this. Would be a great choice. Rafa Benitez - 14/1 Yes. Proven in the Premier League, experienced, won trophies, a top manager, available. I don't see why he's not higher. Eddie Howe - 16/1 Again, can he step up? He was fantastic at Bourenmouth and is a legend there but it did burn out in the last season. I do like him but I think it might be a bit much for him right now. Christophe Galtier - 20/1 Eh...don't have a strong view either way. Max Allegri - 20/1 A definite in terms of achievement but not sure he'd want to come to us and the lack of English might put the club off. Mind you, it didn't with Poch who was speaking through an interpreter before he came. Claude Makelele - 25/1 I don't think so. Hansi Flick - 25/1 Won't happen. Jurgen Klinsmann - 25/1 Apparently wants it and is a legend with us but I don't think he has shown enough to deserve it. Marcelino - 25/1 Might be a decent choice if he wants it. Ralph Hasenhuttl - 25/1 Would have been one of the favourites six months ago but his star has massively fallen so I don't think we will go for him. I think he could do well though. Roberto Martinez - 25/1 Doesn't convince me at club level. I wouldn't, personally. Jesse Marsch - 28/1 Not overly familiar with him but hear he's good. Ledley King - 28/1 No. The romantic in all Spurs fans would love to see it but the pragmatist says "not in a million years". Don't dump on it like Lampard did and even he was more experienced. Steven Gerrard - 28/1 I would absolutely take him, I think he's done a brilliant job for Rangers and can't understand fans who wouldn't. I don't think he'd take it though, I think he is waiting for Liverpool. Frank Lampard - 33/1 Absolutely not. We wouldn't want him and he wouldn't want us. Gareth Southgate - 33/1 I hope not. Some people are just suited for international management, not club.

I do not feel sorry for Bruce if these reports are true. Yes, the biggest issue is the owner and his lackeys. The toxicity around the club won't evaporate until they've gone. Fighting with the players is bad enough. When they've all turned on you, only a one way trip to the exit door beckons and it looks like that has happened. Particularly as it seems to have turned physical and Bruce is the one who allegedly initiated the physicality. However, it is being stated in the reports that many of the leaks from within the club have come from Bruce and that he has watched the players and staff turn on and blame each other for them, staying quiet while doing so. If this is true (and I know it's just alleged right now), this is a new low for a manager and he deserves to be immediately sacked and never to be hired again. This is the very definition of cowardice and the Ritchie's allegation is completely true if this is the case, albeit not in the way he meant it. I think Bruce's odd behaviour such as his obsession with Benitez (nobody sees Hassenhutl going on about Hughes or Potter going on about Hughton so it's not natural at all) and his easily offended nature is pretty obvious, in fact. Bruce is a mediocre at best manager with modest career achievements (getting Hull promoted and in the cup final was good) and a mass of failure behind him. He clearly has many friends in the punditry business and media who will defend him no matter what and are flat out fantasist about his managerial career and ability. It's not just one or two. Richard Keys, Mark Lawrenson, Jamie Redknapp, Tim Sherwood, Paul Merson, Danny Mills, Robbie Savage and Chris Sutton are names I've heard make a sycophantic defense of him off the top of my head and, in some cases, even mock Newcastle's fans for having a different view. They all seem to loathe Benitez. Bruce just seems to have bought into the hype and fantasy, has allowed his ego to be constantly stroked by his mates and thus spends more time with a chip on his shoulder, boosting his own ego and being ultra sensitive to anyone that doesn't mindlessly stroke his sense of narcissism than anything else. He has the same obsession with Benitez they do. Now, he appears to have lost control of it because the players, probably seeing the damaging effect it's having on their careers, have gotten sick of him and his constant need for positive reinforcement from his mates has come back to bite him. Newcastle fans have no control of their club - the pundit media do. Even Gary Neville, who is usually good, is on board the Bruce train and Shearer won't go as far as he can either. The only one who's even slightly criticized Bruce is Carragher. Their main trouble is that Fulham aren't losing right now. Obviously, I hope that changes tonight! I think they are in massive trouble and it might be too late to save them.

I mean, that football is a non emotional sport. Owners do not usually do sentiment. If they do not finish in the top 4 and start next season badly, the question will be raised. This is obviously dependent on that actually happening. They're more than a good enough team to get it together and go on a run.

Condolences to Jurgen Klopp on his loss. Football is notoriously brutal and I suspect the writing may be on the wall if they don't finish in the top 4 which is very possible now. Their injuries obviously haven't helped but it appears to be deeper than that.

Bruce appears to be behaving like the world's youngest 60 year old at the moment. Saw some interview he did where he was just banging on about Benitez non stop with sarcastic "the mighty Rafa" comments. If he spent more time working on his management abilities and less time trying to make the likes of Richard Keys guffaw, Newcastle might be in a better situation. Benitez says he left the job in China due to Covid issues. I guess we'll see what his next move is.