ThePickards
standards, accessibility, and ranting and general stuff by the web chemist

Well, in neither case could I phrase it better than Freddie did himself:
They say you should only say good things about people, so I’ll say this: he’s gone - good!Freddie Shepherd

Read: Shepherd gone, Dyer to go? »

I’ve been thinking about doing this post for some time, and now that Laura — sorry, Mike — Ashley has got his hands on more than 90% of the club’s shares and Big Sam has signed his fourth player, it seemed about time.
Firstly, I have to admit to a certain disappointment about the Mike Ashley [...]

Read: Big Sam Meets Laura Ashley »

With many, many apologies to whoever wrote “Big John”.
Big SamBig Sam
Every morning at the ground, you could see him arrive.
He palyed 4-3-3, he played 3-2-5.
Kind of broad at the shoulders, broader the hip.
And everybody knew you didn’t give no lip to Big Sam
Big Sam
Big Sam
Big Bad Sam
Big Sam
Nobody seemed to know where Sam called home
He [...]

Read: Big Bad Sam »

Just over a year ago, and exactly one manager ago, I considered the Toon managership candidates. At the time, I wanted O’Neill or Ottmar Hitzfeld. As we all know, O’Neill went to Aston Villa, where with a large pot of money to spend, he’s been a resounding mediocrity, so I think that was a useful [...]

Read: Toon: The Candidates (2) »

It is with a certain amount of sadness that I wave goodbye to Glenn Roeder as Newcastle manager. Glenn has always struck me as a nice man, an honourable man, a man with a great deal of dignity, who afforded opponents and referees respect that they didn’t always deserve. The game is a poorer place [...]

Read: Bye Bye Glenn »

Well, the transfer window is due to close at midnight tonight. So far, it looks as though we’ll have signed the grand total of possibly one American central defender on loan from Standard Liege, called Ogu… Oguchi… Goochy.
I must admit to being a little concerned at signing someone in defence who has the nickname “Goochy”. [...]

Read: The Transfer Window »

Newcastle United’s injury list is now at the level of being catastrophically silly. To be fair, Glenn Roeder new at the end of last season that he needed more bodies to arrive in the squad, he said he wanted six new players because the squad simply wasn’t big enough, and our chairman backed him to [...]

Read: Newcastle’s Other Squad »

I’d just like to publicly put on record my thanks to Newcastle’s revelation of the season: Mr Nicky Butt. In his first year at Newcastle, Nicky wasn’t firing on all cylinders and it seemed to a lot of fans he just didn’t seem to care enough. He looked disinterested, like a mercenary who had won [...]

Read: No ifs or Butts »

The more astute among you will have noticed that back in September I had a post entitled Antoine Sibierski, referring to the Frenchman we’d just signed on transfer deadline day. You might have guessed that I wasn’t overly impressed with this signing, particularly as the post started with:
I’m sorry, who?My original posting
Obviously, now that he’s [...]

Read: Sorry, Antoine »

Several thousand angry Newcastle fans congregated outside the main reception at St James’ Park to chant “We want Freddy Shepherd out” last night after Sheffield United’s first away win of the season left Glenn Roeder’s side second bottom of the Premiership.
…While the Toon Army largely admire Roeder for the attractive, slick passing, brand of football [...]

Read: You heard it here first… »