Time for a change?

Many people are starting to question Roeder's appointment. I think this is wrong.

If I was Roeder, I'd feel I deserved the chance to manage the team full time after my run as caretaker manager. I don't think the manager and the players (most of them) are the problem. Its just the overall running of the club.

The way the club conducts its business is a cause for concern. Is Freddy Shepherd really a positive force?

Perhaps we need a Director of Football to replace the involvement of Shepherd in the clubs transfer and football (mis)planning.

A deep analysis may not be necessary, maybe our chairman is too high profile and prone to sounding stupid to make people believe in our club. Look at Charlton, they are going nowhere fast but noone criticizes them and most of the fans are happy as larry, they are such a well-run club. Look at the situation at West Ham, if Tevez and Mascherano came to Newcastle in such circumstances, everyone would be suspicious - but they are such a well run club, with a low profile board, that everyone is simply pleased for them. Chairmen such as Bruce Buck (Chelsea), Peter Hill-Wood (Arsenal), Daniel Levy (Spurs) and Terence Brown (West Ham) are relatively unheard of and keep themselves to themselves. They don't brag about the amount of money they've spent on a particular player and they keep themselves out the public eye. They never come out and say "and once again we have signed a massive player for the fans because we are such a big club". Which it seems is all that matters to Freddy Shepherd. Where is the stability to match our (rapidly decreasing) status as a top premiership club? Maybe Freddy's problem is that he is too passionate and loves having all the big names at his club rather taking the time to see where it is really going wrong. He throws money at the club and lets the manager get on with it, leaving the manager to get all the stick when it goes wrong.

The £10million spent on Albert Luque could have gone to improving our scout situation. We are relying too much on bringing in proven players because our scouting network is so poor. Look at some of the players Spurs and Bolton bring in, they aren't stars but they all turn out good because they have been well found by their scouts. Why don't we sign players like Rob Lee and Andy Cole anymore? We need players who are hungry for success, not world class stars who have nothing to prove. Hunger for success is behind the impressive resurgence of Spurs and West Ham.

Although I do feel sorry for Roeder and the players, their progress is being hindered by things beyond their control.