When Ruud Gullit illuminated our trip to Reading!
So the Championship bandwagon rolls up at Reading.
I have to say memories of going to the Madejski Stadium aren't good for me.
Losing to the Royals in almost pitiful fashion under Sam Allardyce was bad enough and the 1-0 loss earlier in 2007 when Michael Owen's comeback after his horrific World Cup injury the year before was equally as disappointing.
Dig deep into memory bank and you will find a rare happy moment for Ruud Gullit - and you can't say there are too many of those - even if he did lead Newcastle down Wembley way once.
Way back in 1999 Gullit decided to don his boots and show Newcastle's players just how it was done which he done in superb fashion during a 2-2 draw.
Playing as sweeper against the Royals handed Toon fans a glimpse of a world class player in a black and white shirt.
And while there were serious doubts that he could cut it as a manager, the ability of the European Cup and European Championship winner with Holland could never be in question.
Gullit could certainly do his stuff on the field but off it he was a walking disaster when it came to people skills.
You'd only have to ask Alan Shearer, Duncan Ferguson, Steve Harper, Paul Dalglish, Shay Given, Stuart Pearce that question!
In a recent interview Dalglish revealed that Gullit had told him he wouldn't play him because Kenny Dalglish was still friendly with his players and he felt he was undermining him,
Gullit may have led Newcastle to Wembley and had the Geordie faithful singing his name beneath the twin towers but lost the plot in the end and the dressing room.
Amazing what memories come flooding back when you think of a trip to Reading!
Hopefully better memories can result from our latest clash with the Royals.
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Lee Ryder - Proudly born and bred on Tyneside, the Chronicle's chief sports writer has followed the fortunes of the club over the last three decades as a Toon fan and football writer.
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To be fair I have no problems with Ruud Gullit yeah it may not have worked out for him as Manager of Newcastle but he didn't take a penny when he left the club its more than could be said for big fat Sam.
Sexy football....
I've met a few of dutch people over the yrs and i've been mostly left thinking 'No-the- wonder they made drugs legal in holland'. Gullit was just too big of an ego, still wanted to be the star and didn't like it that he wasn't. he sums up the type of poor manager that shepard and Co brought in that really eventually left us fighting just above the drop zone season after season until we eventually dropped (ok under MA but the writing was on the wall). lets hope that series of events (type of managers) is all in the past.
I think Gullit got a raw deal. We got the manager after KK all wrong. Gullit should have inherited KK's team - then things would have been different. Instead that Dullard Dalglish got it and dismantled it - and brought in (particularly) that scandanavian dross.
Gullit's sexy footy would have neen far better suited to the KK built squad.
Gullit turned managing Newcastle into a battle of wills between himself and the established players. He seemed almost paranoid at the 'power' wielded by Shearer, Lee, etc. Funny that Bobby Robson never seemed to find that problem a few days after Gullit left. 8-1 against Sheffield Wednesday anyone, following a narrow defeat to Chelsea if I recall. His treatment of Rob Lee alone was a disgrace in the truest sense. I recall Lee telling the story of a speech Gullit gave at an end of the season dinner, where, in front of the squad, he claimed he'd single-handedly guided Newcastle to the Cup Final despite the players not being good enough! You can just imagine the players reaction to that... Gullit as a player was incredible (that AC Milan side, with Gullit, Van Basten, etc were what Barcelona are today). But as a Football Manager, he was only 50% there. The 'Football' brain was ok, but the 'Manager' bit seemed sadly lacking.
Geogaddi; well put... and another great win on the road this eve, hope we can win as many or as draw as many away from home next season, well done lads and very wel done nolan..
I love Gullit :)
Where did Rijkaard go?
I agree with kingstoon.
If he'd inherited Keegan's team he would have been a big sucess.
I can remember at least 4 excellent away trips with Gullit in charge before it turned wrong the following season.
But with no support from the board and Shearer under-mining him, he never stood a chance.