How do you solve a problem like NUFC???

How do you catch a (black) cloud and pin it down? Well, quite!
Don't ask me what is going on at my beloved Newcastle United as I, together with my fellow fans; the players, the media, and indeed the management, have little clue. Personally, in summary, I DON'T think that:
1) Kevin Keegan ever was, or is, the 'Messiah'. He's not a very naughty boy either but he is a good motivator.
2) Dennis Wise is the devil incarnate although the description of him as a poisoned dwarf does appeal. I would love to know though (just love it!) what exactly he does do to warrant a place on our payroll and what exactly his role entails.
3) Mike Ashley is an evil 'cockney'. I think he's a football fan who has arguably bitten off more than he can chew and who has made some rather glaring mistakes in a) not communicating with the fans or his team fully b) not conducting due diligence c) being rather rash and prone to knee - jerk reactions and short term business solutions.
4) The Toon Army en masse hate Mike Ashley and would inflict harm on him or his kids if we were to see him. Yes a lot of people are understandably very annoyed with him and feel that we were misled about the direction and ambitions of the club. See point above about communication. A lot of people also want to see Mike Ashley sell Newcastle Utd because of those very reasons. We also do not understand the management structure but how can we, when no one within management appears to understand it either?
However, we don't all hate 'cockneys', we don't all scrawl on bedsheets, or go to marches or think that we are the 'The special ones' or that Kevin Keegan is the only manager who can manage Newcastle Utd. We do however passionately love our club as it is a very part of our soul and our identity, especially given that we are a one club city.
5) The vast majority of the Toon Army enjoy any of this media attention or repeated guesses and supposition as to what we will do next. Trust me, we don't want your pie in the sky media theories and we (excepting a few with spare bedsheets and aerosols who love to get on TV) are also rather tired of the whole circus, so please, journalists, give it a rest. We won't miss the coverage, honest!

What I DO think is that:
1) Ashley's 'Arsenal Model' in the face of it, made a lot of sense. Long term planning, going for younger, less well known players with talent. Unfortunately the detail of the Ashley model did not reflect the actual Arsenal Model and hence, the mess we're in now.
2) That if you invest large sums of money in anything you really, really must conduct due diligence!
3) That Newcastle can be a great club and that it does have great support.
4) That we need an organised, experienced owner with a long term vision and the courage and the tenacity to see it through.
5) We need a long term manager, someone who will drive and direct the club. I know we all get sick of hearing it but Wenger and Ferguson are the prime examples of success.
6) That a mega bucks buy-out is not necessarily the way to go. I still want to be able to afford to support my team and I'd like to think that the owner kind of understood the Toon Army. They don;t need to be a Geordie, just to understand our passion.
7) I don't want big name signings at the expense of: a) team stability b) ramped up ticket prices c) a 'my bank account is bigger than your bank account' competition d) the development and maintenance of a youth team and structure.
8) That for once, we get an owner who doesn't treat Newcastle Utd as a personal status symbol, plaything, or means to a supposed quick buck. Someone with a bit of professional kudos please, an understanding of the beautiful game and a skill at effectively running an organisation will suffice!

Is all this too much to ask?

Eeey Aye, Eey Aye, Eey Aye Oh.....

... up the Premier League we go (and not before time!)
I don't know how or why things have just clicked in place with Newcastle United since my last blog entry about them (despite my friend, a Fulham fan, claiming lucky charm status after seeing Birmingham City v NUFC) , but we are now playing some good, solid, attractive football which has been a pleasure to watch. Obafemi Martins has been so fast, composed, and threatening; Michael Owen has been back to his old form and Viduka has made some great contributions. One of my most impressive players this season though has been Habib Beye, a very solid, pacy defender who can pass a ball very well and isn't scared to have a pop. I never thought I'd say this, but thank you, Sam Allardyce.
Long may our current good form continue, especially against the great Unwashed in Sunday's derby game.
Howay the Lads!

Long time, no blog!

Sorry everyone / World,
It's been ages since I last blogged and time just speeds past at the moment. So much has happened too; I've got some more work done on my dissertation, Newcastle United are on a winning streak, Glastonbury didn't sell out and I've discovered Tai Chi. Phew!

Designing interview schedules and questionnaires - great resources

Many of my fellow students and I are starting to prepare for the 'hands on' elements of our research where we will be conducting interviews and / or questionnaires with a wide range of people.

Designing a good interview schedule and questionnaire is a fine art, and I found this fantastic website from Professor T.D . Wilson on this very subject. Here, Professor Wilson outlines the benefits and pitfalls of various types and approaches to interviews and techniques, and there are some really practical tips too. I have found this a most useful resource.

In the meantime, it's a while since I wrote about Newcastle United. What can you say? We continue to walk a relegation tight rope and we don't instil a great degree of belief in the fact that we can turn this around.
My top tip is that 4-5-1 just doesn't work; stop it right now! If Chelsea couldn't effectively play with Drogba in this formation we certainly can't, especially with one of the shortest teams in the premiership.
I'm off to see the Lads on Monday, v Birmingham City and as usual they will receive great support from our travelling fans. I just hope that the potential absence of James Milner won't impact too heavily on the team as I view him as a key player. Player 4.4.2 though, perhaps bringing in Shola to complement Owen and / or Martins, and we could do this you know. Now is the time to turn it around Lads.
Howay, you can do it!