Most wanted - North East football's blame XI

May 24 2009 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

1. The Players

COME in Coloccini, Owen, Viduka, Martins, Nolan, Ryan Taylor, Jones, Cisse, Ferdinand, Alves, Aliadiere, Mido and many, many more . . . your time on the North East gravy train is up.

2. Mike Ashley

THERE’S one thing to be said for the man: relegation will cost him dear. Otherwise, for choosing Dennis Wise over Kevin Keegan – and a lot more besides, not least the incredible but oft-overlooked charade of sticking by Joe Kinnear on his sickbed – he can go take his mid-life crisis elsewhere. Stay put, and God help him if he doesn’t play right by Alan Shearer on Tuesday.

3. Wise and Jimenez

THANKS for Xisco and Nacho. Thanks for staying put while KK shipped out. Thanks for next to nowt.

4. Derek Llambias

WELL, at least he found reason to smile . . .

5. Ricky Sbragia

HIS painful safety-first mentality has left Sunderland anything but safe.

6. Roy Keane

IT was his ball – and he took it home with him.

7. Gareth Southgate

FOR Afonso Alves. For not playing Adam Johnson more often. For having a pop at paying punters.

8. Joe Kinnear

JOEPETTO was entertaining while he lasted, but that wasn’t long. Not as long as his nose, anyway.

9. Niall Quinn

SAINT Niall? Afraid so, after whittling his “breath- taking” managerial shortlist down to, er, Ricky Sbragia.

10. Referees

HOWARD WEBB. Mike Dean. Mark Halsey. They, and others, have cost our sides.

11. Kevin Keegan

AM I serious? Sadly, yes. Swapped Abdoulaye Faye and roughly £9 million for Fabricio Coloccini. Oh dear . . .