The man that took United backwards 14 years in less than one season. Newcastle were the perennial slow starters under Sir Bobby Robson, beginning a succession of campaigns with bad results that left them playing catch up in the Premier League. A slow start to the 2004/05 season proved to be one too many for Freddy Shepherd and The Magpies' board as they sacked the club legend after just four games of the new season following a 4-2 defeat away at Aston Villa. A large part of the reasoning behind Shepherd's decision was down to talk of dressing room unrest at St James' Park. It was alleged that Robson had lost control of certain members of the United squad, notably Craig Bellamy and Kieron Dyer, who were taking advantage of Bobby at his old age. Even if this was the case, the success the club achieved over the preceding five years proved that however Bobby was managing his players he was doing something right. Newcastle had finished fourth, third and fifth in the league, reached semi finals of both the domestic and European cups and played some of the best football ever seen at the club. This prompted Shepherd to appoint Graeme Souness, a man that had got Blackburn Rovers promoted to the big time and stabilised in the Premier League. The former Liverpool man was seen as the disciplinarian that Sir Bobby wasn't. It an uninspiring choice. Newcastle dropped from fifth to 14th in less than a season under Souness before he was sacked with the club just three points above the relegation zone the following campaign. Surely Newcastle's positioning in the European game could have attracted a far superior name than Souness'? As his 15 months in the job proved, United fans' concerns were spot on.
