Season 2005-06 Result

	Newcastle United	1-1	Fulham
	C.N'Zogbia 78.  S.Parker,  A.Faye,  L.Bowyer,  L.Clark.  S.Parker.		B.McBride 13.  C.Bocanegra.
	Date: 10/09/2005  Venue: St.James' Park  Competition: Premiership
	Crowd: 52,208

	Match Report	Submitted on 11/09/2005 by Beat

"Souness is a fcuking idiot." So said Quite Lad several times last season when our hard-man manager introduced us to some terrible tactics, stupid signings and shocking man-management. Others - me included - thought differently. Souness had a difficult job to sort out our idiots, and that he should be given time. But Quiet Lad disagreed. He'd formed this opinion the day Souness arrived - and I still have the text message.

Then, with this season starting off with some difficult games, but some very decent signings (Parker and Emre), two spirited performances materialised at Highbury and at home to ManUre. (Both were games we would have looked to get something out of 3 seasons ago.) With deals for Owen and Nobby wrapped-up, and the popular sale of Jenas, the groundswell seemed to be that he's now got a team, so give him some head-room. The significant number of injuries on Saturday vs. Fulham even took some of the pressure off him. No one was really expecting us to pull up trees - apart from the odd Yorkshire optimist who had money on a Owen hat-trick. So what happens, Souness only goes and proves that Quiet Lad has been right all along. Our manager really is a fcuking idiot. What else can explain bringing back Bramble and slotting Steven Carr into midfield? I could have just about accepted the change around if it was to keep the 'black Carlton Palmer' out of the team, but Faye started! Some outstanding man management by Souness saw Lee Clark sitting it out as a sub when he must have been desperate to play, with something to prove, against his former team. How can Souness have justified that decision to Clarky? "Faye's playing because he's big…..and like Carlton Palmer". I sat in the Milburn centre paddock - on the half way line - three rows behind Souness, from where I witnessed the quality input from the manager. At one point he went in the technical zone and waved to Titus and Boumsong to push out after clearing an attack. Why the fcuk did he have to tell the pair of them? Frightening, really, if you need to spell it out. Even Carr has stopped talking or trying to sort the back line. And this 'Booouuum' shite is really pi$$ing me off now. Don't shout it - what's he done to deserve it? He might be quick on the bottom and can out-pace a few, but he has the physical presence of a fairy. The arms around Henri after Arsenal away showed he just doesn't get it. He will never boss anyone. At least Bramble will clatter a few, and Stevie Taylor can be a sly twad at times. Faye spent most of the game running alongside Fulham's midfield, and getting in Scott Parker's way. Fulham really should have beaten us by 2 or 3. But after getting into the game in the second half, the momentum we should have gained from the equalizer was lost almost immediately. Bowyer got booked straight after the restart for swearing and then walking away from the ref. Pointless waste of time. Then Parker walks, but he's the only player we have who sees things happening defensively, and he did the only thing he could to save us a point. Luque looks like he is fancying Christmas and New Year in Spain. Getting carried off for a hamstring looks like a sign of things to come. A potential poor signing only adding to view that Quiet Lad was right about our manager. I'm now convinced - Souness is Clueless.