The Poolie Bunker

Former Newcastle boss Graeme Souness would welcome a second chance at St James' Park.



Harry Redknapp turned down the Magpies vacancy on Saturday following Sam Allardyce's brief tenure, with the St James' Park side searching for their seventh manager in 10 years.


Souness endured a difficult spell from 2004-06 as Toon boss under Freddy Shepherd, but would be happy to return to Tyneside under new owner Mike Ashley and chairman Chris Mort.


Asked on Sky Sports 1 if he would be interested in going back, Souness said: "With [there now being] a different chairman, most certainly."


When pressed on whether he would take the job if it was offered to him, he added: "In a heartbeat. It is a big club, one of the big clubs out there.


"It has got the potential to be one of the best. But it's not a quick fix, and whoever goes in there is going to need certainly a minimum of three or four years."


Newcastle spent vast sums on transfers during Souness' tenure - including the signing of Michael Owen from Real Madrid - but the Scot refuted the suggestion he was fully backed by then-chairman Shepherd.


"I would argue that point because at the end of the day my first choice was (Nicolas) Anelka and (Luis) Boa Morte.


"I was told, when I spoke to the people in Turkey, when Anelka was for sale at that time, that he could be bought. But I was told he wasn't for sale and couldn't be bought.


"So instead of us spending the £12million there, we bought Albert Luque for £10million and Michael Owen for £16million."


Asked whether those were his decisions, Souness said: "No. I was told Albert Luque would cost £2million."

Cannot see it happening beefy and if Shearer took the job it will be as big mistake than not joining Man Utd all those years ago.

My favourite phrase is in there. 'A big club.'

What is a big club?? Lots of supporters?? Undoubtedly Newcastle have them. Big transfer fees?? Obviously. Big wages?? They pay 'em. Famous players?? Yep!! Roll of honour?? Hmmm.....Theirs over the last fifty years makes a gnats cock look like the CNN Tower.

So what makes a big club. I would have said success. Reputations count for fook all. The threat of doing OK in the next three or four years means nowt to me.

Talking of which, why three or four years?? You take eleven players and some reserves, you make them play good and you win games. Why does that take four years?? I mean all you have to do in this game is boot or head the ball into the net, obviously in a reasonably good standard way and that, but it's not brain surgery is it??

Oh aye, and personally I wouldn't let Graeme Souness loose in a high security prison.

For me PoolieKev the barcodes will never be a big club till they start buying big players and and start finishing in the top 3 not that i give a Donald Duck like.

Well me neither but do they come any bigger than Michael Owen??

And still they did fook all.

They have the uncanny ability to buy just before the sell by date.

Souness is also in the frame for the Scotland job although he'd probably earn more at Newcatle.

Only reason Michael Owen is there is they offered the most wages FACT only them would sign a crock on top notch wages

I can't agree that success is what makes a big club. Prolonged success *maybe*. But surely it's size that makes a big club: a big stadium, always well filled, a following that extends well beyond the town and even country boundaries.

Newcastle are a big club, as are Tottenham, Aston Villa, West Ham, Everton, even Leeds... but none of them can be accused of winning much can they.
The question is is there any merit in just being big? Of course there isn't. So if the likes of Newcastle want to say "yes but we're big" that's fine. It means as much as our saying "yes but Pools are really cool".

Of course Newcastle are a 'big' club but as Mr Head points out it counts for nothing in reality, all the 'big' tag does really make expectations more unrealistic the Premiership has a boring predictability about it because of mainly money and 'The Toon' aren't part of that genuine 'big four'.

A lot of the Geordies are fooking deluded though on '606' the suggestions for the new manager included Mourinho and Lippi

I've said before and I'll say it again we are very lucky that we support a smaller club.

Id rather support a smaller club, to be honest some people probably would love going to the football every week knowing that they were more than likely going to win the game, were is the fun in that?

If you ever make that argument Newcastle fans always deny it. Have you got any proof? I wanna use it!

they are more fickle than poolies