On this day...

Yeah first home game. It was well over two weeks after he had been appointed. Remember the Chelsea game as he went and sat in the wrong dugout.

Makes the story even better, really. He plays his mind games on all the players for two weeks and they go and win 8-0.

Sir Bobby turned us around quickly, aided by the additions of Bellamy and Robert in the main who totally transformed us. That and we started the 4th place season fitter and sharper due to the InterToto Cup which gave us momentum from the start. Drawing 1-1 with Chelsea who had spent a fortune and quickly followed by thrashing Boro and then Man Utd.

It helped he had Shay, Dabizas, Speed and Shearer all top pros as his spine when fit mind. Bobby energised those players, fans and through the likes of Bellamy and Robert the team as a whole and probably himself. Great days where I thought we could just as easily thrash whoever we were playing or get thrashed. We could be absolutely brilliant one moment and absolutely shocking the next.

We were never genuine contenders though and as much as I loved Sir Bobby, it would have taken someone a bit more younger and more modern to turn that team into a genuine challenger.

Someone like Benítez maybe... We will never know, but you can look at Liverpool and see how he turned them into challengers and wonder what might have been had he replaced Bobby and not Souness who stands as the biggest managerial mistake we have ever made in modern times because it set us back to square one and made it so that we were always on the catch up after that.

A missed opportunity like when Sir Bobby rejected the job after KK left and we got Dalglish instead. I believe KK’s team would have, post his departure, been much closer to the team Bobby actually ended up building had he replaced KK. Moore than enough to have kept us challenging after him and maybe even going one further.

That 8-0 was surreal, we didn’t batter them from memory despite the scoreline and didn’t exactly play vintage stuff either. They just folded like a pack of cards and we were ruthless in capitalising on the mood swing on the stands and their calamity at the back, complete surrender in midfield and toothless threat up front against a Toon side happy to see the back of Gullit.

I was there that day, it was fantastic.  4-0 half time and me and my dad were joking about betting on 8-0 full time.  Never did though, bugger

I was lucky to be at that match as well. Did a 10 month Europe trip, and managed several games at St. James Park. I saw the 5-0 against Southampton as well.

That Mark Douglas' Rafa book?

That Mark Douglas' Rafa book?

17 years? jesus, feels like yesterday.

That was amazing, he must have taken about 20 that game, the mental strength, man, last minute saver. One of the few times I've lost it watching football in a good way - Michael Thomas and Craig Bellamy spring to mind.

22 years ago........”well if the rest was the cake, there is the icing”

 

We'll never have another night like that while fat mike is in charge

i sat in the Gallowgate that night in disbelief, that through ball by Rob Lee to Tino for the pen, when did we last see a player do that , a winger who runs at a fullback like that 

never again, never again  :'(

It was Tomasson that played the through ball.

With the exception of maybe Jesus Navas, I can't think of any out and out wingers that have played at the top level in recent years. Valencia at Man United a few seasons back maybe.

What even is an out-and-out winger? Do they have to be pacey and favour the foot which is closest to the touchline? I'd probably define it at someone who just plays exclusively on the wing, meaning there's hundreds of them out there, at all levels?

It was Tomasson that played the through ball.

 

With the exception of maybe Jesus Navas, I can't think of any out and out wingers that have played at the top level in recent years. Valencia at Man United a few seasons back maybe.

oh aye      one of the few things he ever did 

What even is an out-and-out winger? Do they have to be pacey and favour the foot which is closest to the touchline? I'd probably define it at someone who just plays exclusively on the wing, meaning there's hundreds of them out there, at all levels?

plays on the wing, crosses the ball into the box, runs down the line at a fullback most of the game?

What even is an out-and-out winger? Do they have to be pacey and favour the foot which is closest to the touchline? I'd probably define it at someone who just plays exclusively on the wing, meaning there's hundreds of them out there, at all levels?

I'd say they're generally the same foot as the side they're playing, generally hug the touchline, and concentrate on either beating their full back to cross the ball in, or cross from deep.

Players on the wings now are generally either wing forwards that concentrate on more than just the things above, or they're attacking fullbacks/wing backs. Bournemouth play with out and out wingers in a 442, but they still tend to play with a style similar to having wing forwards.

What even is an out-and-out winger? Do they have to be pacey and favour the foot which is closest to the touchline? I'd probably define it at someone who just plays exclusively on the wing, meaning there's hundreds of them out there, at all levels?

 

I'd say they're generally the same foot as the side they're playing, generally hug the touchline, and concentrate on either beating their full back to cross the ball in, or cross from deep.

 

Players on the wings now are generally either wing forwards that concentrate on more than just the things above, or they're attacking fullbacks/wing backs. Bournemouth play with out and out wingers in a 442, but they still tend to play with a style similar to having wing forwards.

Keith Gillespie gets two assists in that vid - both perfect winger's creations, but both very different. No one really plays like he did anymore - the wide forward has indeed largely replaced the winger (who replaced the outside right or left before that)

Remember  that  like it was yesterday .... mad it was 16 years ago... fucking loved that  kit too deffo one of our most underrated ones

Was there, Juve had a black sub ready to come on (Zalayeta) and bloke next to me said "why the fuck are we bringing Shola on", forgetting we weren't in black and white.

Who was that with the assist?

Robert.

Would be given as an own goal now.

23 years ago 

Unreal performance and one of Ginola's finest! It's a shame that shot didn't go in when he drifted inside! I recall that bellend Lou Macari slating him after the game for "getting" their full back sent off!

It was mental outside the ground too - absolute hell on!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoFVA7CcfJ8