It would be hard to argue against that to be honest as some of the events over the last 15 or so years, under both Freddy Shepherd and Mike Ashley, have been somewhat cringe-worthy. From the managerial merry-go-round to player unrest to tabloid horror stories and court tribunals, Newcastle has had it all and has often been a source of rich pickings for the controversy hunting media.
Things have changed though, and Newcastle are starting to have the feel of a proper club about them again. There has still been flashpoints and throwbacks to the bad old days, such as the Taylor/Carroll incident and the unwarranted, in my opinion, sacking of Chris Hughton, but on the whole we haven’t been doing too bad when it comes to scandal.
The last 18 months or so have been pretty much smooth sailing in comparison to what it has been like. We have gone from being a laughing stock and from being the **** of many a joke to being a normal club. It doesn’t sound that impressive, but it’s progress and is indicative of how we are being run at the moment.
Chris Hughton is largely responsible for this, but everyone from the management down to the players deserves to take some form of credit for this recently found professionalism.
But to me, this feeling of being a proper club has elevated to a higher level just recently, but the only problem is that I can’t quite put my finger on the reason why. I’m pretty doubtful that I feel this way because of Alan Pardew, but there has to be a reason why I feel that the club is more organised now?
Maybe its because we aren’t doing too shabbily in the league? We were told at the start of the season that the squad only needed tweaking, and given what we have achieved so far it would appear to have been spot on. Could it be that the club actually does know what it is doing after all?
I’m sure that people will disagree with me, which is great as that is what ‘blogging is all about, in fact it’s what football is all about, so if you add the two together there should be a hell of a lot of opinions flying about. I just get the feeling that the club could, possibly, be hading in the right directon after all.
Does anyone else share this same feeling? A feeling that we are, slowly, being run like a club should be run? Or am I just being a nutter?
Your thoughts please.
Morning ya nutter 🙂
Mmmmm….the club is being well run, certainly alot better than it has been recently.The problem is, that it is being well run by a man/men who are completely morally bankrupt. They got rid of CH for no other reason than to put a “mate” in the job imo. I don’t blame Pardew for taking the job and so far he’s done ok and I hope he continues to do so. If he does then Ashley has just been lucky nowt more nowt less imo. Ashley is, has and always will be a tw@t.
richietoon(Quote)
everything seems good to me like and yeah, I think you’re right, we do seem to be going in the right directon.
Couple of players in the month I would be over the moon.
I Love Mike(Quote)
richietoon
Posted January 21, 2011 at 8:16 AM
“They got rid of CH for no other reason than to put a “mate” in the job”
hmm i’m not to sure it was for no reason other than that.
If anyone on here say they didn’t have their doubts about Hughton then they’re liars. He saw him as a coach doing a decent job as a manager and he didn’t think he could take us any further than what he did, so he changed it. Hughton wasn’t his man, it’s as simple as that in my opinion.
Ashley saw Hughton as a cheap stop gap before he would bring in someone with a bit more experience. The only problem with this is that 1. He wasn’t told this, and was lead to believe he would be getting a new contract, and 2. The manner in which he was sacked, which is more fishy than my lass’ knicks.
If it as a run of the mill business, you would say fair enough, that’s good management, being decisive and all that but being football, where emotions and relationships are involved, people see it as being morally bankrupt.
I think we have an unprecedented opportunity here to have this ‘period of stability’ we’ve been craving for so long. We’ve got, baring a couple, our best assets tied down on long contracts, our manager is here long term, and it looks like he will be backed by the owner for the right deal and not sacked in a reactionary way if results aren’t going our way. We’re promoting youth and scouting for the best young talent around, and probably the most important, we now have a strong group of professionals who care about what they do on the pitch; they care about this club and want to do good by it. They want to go out and give 100% for each other, and that mind set, even if you haven’t got the best players in the world, will win you games.
So yeah, we’ve got ever right to say we’re going in the right direction I feel.
I Love Mike(Quote)
Ilm…..well maybe one or two others reasons 😉 but if it all works out I think it is more thru luck than judgement. Most will agree it was a baffling decision to sack CH to bring in Pardew, if it had been a manager with a much better track record it would have made more sense. Would CH have been the man to take us to the next level, who knows? but he had earned the right to have a decent crack at it. Is Pardew the man to take us to the next level, again who knows? lets hope he gets the chance to try and prove it. We need stability, we need Ashley to stick with and financially back the manager, when the right players come along at a decent price, it’s looking good at the moment so don’t balls it up Ashley.
richietoon(Quote)
richietoon
Posted January 21, 2011 at 8:16 AM
The problem is, that it is being well run by a man/men who are completely morally bankrupt. They got rid of CH for no other reason than to put a “mate” in the job imo.
spot on with that like richietoon – me owld china.
roy cropper(Quote)
Roy….I work on the “post loads then sooner are later I’ll get something right” method 😉
richietoon(Quote)
dickie – i keep an eye on your posts & would suggest you get more reet than oot else mind.
roy cropper(Quote)
so pardew has to meet ashley again about transfers..what the fk is it with ashley we need players in but he fks aboot,fkin pr1ck 👿
hitman(Quote)
Hitman
What is not bringing players in got to do with Ashley f’king about? You obviously read the article about Pardew meeting with Ashley so you would have read what he said in the latter parts:
“It is important we try to bring someone in but it has to be right. The window is notorious…for making bad deals.
“A couple have gone through, that I won’t mention, but they don’t look good value to me. You have to make sure it’s good value and the right player.”
We haven’t signed anyone as the deals haven’t been good ones, and the decision has been Pardew’s. What would you rather us do, sign anyone for the sake of it? Come here with the wrong attitude and rape us for money (Bentley?) Or maybe we should just try and get Owen?
If the deal is right, no matter when, the money is there (Ben Arfa) So I don’t see anyone ‘f’king around’ I just see people being professional and trying to get the right player in for the right deal which is going to benefit us the most.
I Love Mike(Quote)
Agree. Ashley didn’t become a billionaire by making poor decisions constantly and not learning from mistakes.
Not only that, there are other clubs for the media to laugh at, at the minute, they can leave us alone! (not that the daily Mong will though)
Moreno(Quote)
ilm,pardew having to go back for a second time to ask ashley for transfers,thats a **** take,pardew having to go cap in hand twice in the space of a couple of weeks is a joke…. 😉 get ya heed oot of ashleys ar$e
hitman(Quote)
newcastle have always had to pay higher wages to try and attract the better players,coz of were we are located(which i dont agree with this is gods country up here) but ashley isnt willing to do that so thats why were struggling to get players in..
hitman(Quote)
Hitman
‘going back a second time’? Would you not want the manager and the owner to have meetings/communication? It’s a good thing they seem to be meeting often.
Maybe it’s the case that it is actually Ashley who is in the dark with transfers and wants to know what’s going on?
‘ask Ashley for transfers’ – What does Ashley have to do with transfers? He’s our bank, and if we can get a player for the right deal, the money is there, as has been the case in the past. I don’t see it as struggling to get players in; does it not make sense to wait to get the right player, with the right attitude, for the right deal?
My head isn’t anywhere near ‘Ashley’s ****’ (mature) however i’m not going to apologise for even attempting to be a bit reasoned and seeing a situation from a different perspective.
I Love Mike(Quote)
ilm,ashley has everything to do with transfers its his money that pardew is trying to get out of him,were down to owa bare bones players are dropping like flys,if ashley isnt willing to pay decent wages we will struggle to find decent players,we dont want make weights..
hitman(Quote)
Hitman –
”ilm,pardew having to go back for a second time to ask ashley for transfers,thats a **** take,pardew having to go cap in hand twice in the space of a couple of weeks is a joke….”
And this is unequivocal fact is it? Nope, just some half arsed report you have picked up on Newsnow and taken as gospel…..get YOUR head out your **** pal !!!
Moreno(Quote)
moreno.
http://www.clubcall.com/newcastle-united/boss-asks-for-backing-as-ireland-hunt-intensifies-1152814.html
hitman(Quote)
ah right, didnt realise clubcall (whoever the f*ck they are) had reported it….must be fact then
Moreno(Quote)
theres quotes from pardew,now get YOUR head out your **** pal !!!
hitman(Quote)
“A couple have gone through, that I won’t mention, but they don’t look good value to me. You have to make sure it’s good value and the right player.
“I’m going to see Mike Ashley just to reinforce the point – that’s my job. And I am ready for those battles.
Was his ‘apparant’ quote which seems like the point ILM was making. Certainly doesnt imply what you are on about!
Moreno(Quote)
Coloccini -100k
Barton – 80k
Ben Arfa – 60k
Wages aren’t the problem, the money has always been there for the right deal. And there is no proof to say that all ‘decent’ players require a lot of money or high wages. Just as anyone could list players who are fantastic and cost a lot of money, you could also list players who cost a lot of money who have been hopeless.
I’ll say it again, the money is there for the right player and the right deal and I would rather us to wait to get the right person in, rather than pay a fortune for someone who doesn’t care about the club, plays for himself and can’t wait to pick up his pay packet.
After the mercenaries we’ve had in the past, and how the deals used to fund them nearly bankrupted the club, I can believe anyone would say we should be prepared to pay above the going rate for self absorbed prima donas, just for the sake of getting players in.
I Love Mike(Quote)
Why thankyou roy 🙂
richietoon(Quote)
RICHIE you need to re-tune your radio mate,nowts happening 😥
icedog(Quote)
Sh*t look who the unwashed are buying to replace Bent with their £24m…….. Ricardo Fuller for £3m!!!!!!1 lets all laugh at the scum! 😆 😆
pearceet(Quote)
PEARCEET,that will be a strange one, fuller has tryed to move on a couple times but has failed medicals (knee i think) in the past and returned to stoke
icedog(Quote)
Ice
Yeh agreed seems ridiculous but apparently Bruce is willing to “make a concession” to the fact that he won’t pass the medical!
pearceet(Quote)
Also Stoke are about to sign Carew on loan so it would kind of make sense if someone was going considering Carews wages
pearceet(Quote)
aye lets just chuck 3mil away,as they wont get insurance on him,he doesnt play every game now or only plays only part of the game
icedog(Quote)
ILM – where are you getting those figures from, everything I’ve seen reported on wages has Collo on 70k Barton on 65k and BenArfa on 55k
4411(Quote)
Reckon we’ll survive in prem with what we have, we should not panic buy, better to wait until summer
4411(Quote)
ILM, Colocini isn’t on 100k a week you numpty! Barton’s not on 80 either! Barton’s on around 60 and I’d say something similar for Colo. Man if you’re gonna state something as a fact at least look it up first…
DevonMag(Quote)
pearceet that’s the best part! He’d fail the medical and Brucey will take him anyway. Must say I enjoyed a good chortle when I read that on the bbc this morn!
The knuckle-draggers on Ed’s blog are saying Ireland’s a done deal now loan-view to perm through end of season. From that twitter chap… few sources running with it now but we’ll see…
DevonMag(Quote)
Stephen Ireland …. NOOooooooooooooooooooooooooo
4411(Quote)
reported to be on loan until end of season, not my cup of tea to be honest – was sh!te at villa
4411(Quote)
if ireland can get back to his man shitty form were laughing..good loan move
hitman(Quote)
aye he was sh*te at Villa BUT he was unbelievable for two seasons at city… my main aversion toward him is the fact that he’s a tacky, glamour-loving bling wannabee and I can’t imagine that kind of attitude sitting well with our senior players a la Barton, Nolan & Harper et al. But if he gets his head down and proves he wants to play a bit of football again he could turn out to be a bit of a coup… if someone had offered me Ireland two seasons ago I would have probably shat myself with excitement, he’s still only 23/24 so let’s see what he’s got (if he is coming that is)
and LOL some ***** on ed’s blog has just referenced a link saying Ireland will be going to Bolton to join up with fellow IRISHMAN Owen Coyle… I dunno 🙄
DevonMag(Quote)
“On #NUFC front, Pardew had 2nd meeting inside a week with Ashley y’day & is still fighting for ‘experienced’ signing. In this case Ireland”
that’s from George Caulkin’s twitter feed which means it’s basically fact that we’re at the very least in for Ireland
DevonMag(Quote)
As has been said, if he can regain his early Citeh form then on loans ok……still don’t know where he’ll fit into the team tho 😕
richietoon(Quote)
DevonMag
Posted January 21, 2011 at 11:45 AM
ILM, Colocini isn’t on 100k a week you numpty! Barton’s not on 80 either! Barton’s on around 60 and I’d say something similar for Colo. Man if you’re gonna state something as a fact at least look it up first…..
devon he’s a typical fat ash ring licker – painting the fat c@nt into summit he aint & never will be.
f’ck knaa’s why he want’s to swoon over him like ?? – a fetish perhaps.
roy cropper(Quote)
DevonMag
the figures i’ve been told are from my uncle who works for the club. Fact? I’ve got no idea if i’m honest, my point still stands though.
Canny amusing how you state figures which you have no idea if they are accurate or not after telling me not to do so.
If you can point me towards a site which details players personal details and how much they are paid, please feel free
I Love Mike(Quote)
Roy 😆
You’re a sweety
I Love Mike(Quote)
mikey – you obviously take after your uncle.
😆
roy cropper(Quote)
I didn’t state mine as fact pal! The only ‘fact’ is that colo and barton aren’t on 100 and 80k respectively!
DevonMag(Quote)
http://www.playerspersonaldetails&exactwages.com 😆
richietoon(Quote)
I actually clicked the link 🙄 😆
toonsy(Quote)
incidentally, here’s a website with salary quotations for PL
http://www.trophy4toon.co.uk/salaries.html
it’s got Barton on 3mil a year which works out to roughly 57k a week, as has been regularly reported in the press over the last few years or so. It also has Colo at 2.5mil…
that is officially the last time I get drawn into an online argument
DevonMag(Quote)
I Love Mike
Posted January 21, 2011 at 10:47 AM
Could you enlighten us, as you obviously know something we don’t. Where is the evidence that the money is there for the right player?
The likes of Colo, Barton and others on big wages were funded by selling other players, so we didn’t actually spend the money for the right price.
Stuart79(Quote)
(please feel free to ignore the littered spelling mistake and questionable authenticity of above link)
DevonMag(Quote)
dickie – that link’s not working for me either m8 😳
roy cropper(Quote)
Stu
Have we not just signed someone this month?
I Love Mike(Quote)
My god. Just been on Ed’s. Alan Smith is better that Momo Sissoko apparently 😯 😯
toonsy(Quote)
Royston – it’s because Richard was being a little tinker and was being funny 😉
toonsy(Quote)
haha toonsy I saw that too… give ’em credit though, I think it was Momo Sissoko is ‘no better than Alan Smith’, so technically he rates them as equals 😉
DevonMag(Quote)
toonsy – well i never 😉
roy cropper(Quote)
Hellow lads
the Tw*t i work with is a Spuds season ticket holder and he reckons theyre going to sh*t all over us the morrer like.
i hope that i can ram it down his throat on Sunday – i hope to f*ck we turn up this time. Some of my best memories at the Toon are of us giving them a good hiding
tattyheed(Quote)
I Love Mike
Posted January 21, 2011 at 12:49 PM
For £5m. Hardly pushing the boat out is it? I’m not complaining as I rate the kid and think he’s probably worth £10m but would we still have signed him if his asking price was £10m?
Stuart79(Quote)
Roy – 😉 😉 😉 😆
toonsy(Quote)
Tattyheed – I hope we beat them as well. The ****** you work with sounds like a **** 🙂
A couple of Spurs fans I know are worried about Saturday. They say Newcastle is a hard place to go and they never do well at SJP. They have to say or else I will sack them 😀
toonsy(Quote)
Toonsy….put clicking the link down to being on nights and just getting up………oh and not being the sharpest tool in the box 😉 😀
richietoon(Quote)
😆
toonsy(Quote)
Stuart if we had £10 million to spend on him why wouldnt we of? If we didnt have £10million then no we wouldnt of. Simples. And before you say we d never spend £10 million on a player did we not sign Colo for £10.3 million?
Dont think we will beat the spuds. As much as i hate them ( n i dont know why i do but i do ) they have a good team
Johno Toon(Quote)
Johno Toon
Posted January 21, 2011 at 1:07 PM
Think you’re missing my point. ILM said there is money available for the right player, but how much money? I rate HBA at £10m, if Marseille rated him the same would we have paid it? My question to ILM is more less how much money is there for the ‘right player’?
As for Collocini I covered that in my first comment, we had to sell a few players to buy him. We sold the likes of Faye, Milner, Emre etc…
Stuart79(Quote)
Didn’t Milner get sold after Colo arrived?
On that note, I still say we got cracking money for him at the time.
toonsy(Quote)
true about collo we sold before we bought but we still bought.
I dont think anybody on here would know how much money we have available for players all we can do is speculate but taking your valuation of ben afra of £10 mil and we got him for £5 mil you have to take your hat off to the club for getting a bargain. I think we would of paid more for him if we had to but i dont know how much more.
My point is we have to live within our means and if we dont have the money to buy we dont buy , simples. Without been the bearer of bad news and boring the pants off people but we havent seen the last of the finicial crissis that gripped the western world and the worst has not hit yet so us getting our house in order could save the club.
Johno Toon(Quote)
Toonsy – Would it matter if they knew they were selling Milner so could buy Collocini? That particular window we didn’t spend anything really. The incoming transfers were funded by outgoing transfers. One of the reasons KK quit.
Stuart79(Quote)
Keegan was always going to find a way to quit. He had done it to us before, and it was going to happen again, and did, much like it has happened wherever Keegan has been.
Anyway, to your point, you need to take into consideration the full facts.
In that window we actually spent a net of about £6 million after all sales and buys are taken into consideration. It was only in January that it levelled out after Given and N’Zogbia (risible ****) handed in transfer requests. Until that point though we had actually spent.
toonsy(Quote)
Where will Ireland fit into the team?
pearceet(Quote)
toonsy howay man divent start on aboot king kev, he was undermined by the gimp , just the same asyou were on org and you walked kidda 😉
batty(Quote)
aye batts – kk & toonsy 2 of a kind m8 😉
roy cropper(Quote)
Batty – I’m not having a go at KK. I’d have him back here tomorrow, but he has walked from every job to be fair. That is why it was always going to end in tears when he come back.
Ashley just speeded up the process. ****** 😡
toonsy(Quote)
Ashley is a ******, not you batty, just to clarify 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
And Cropper, stop being nice. It’s weird 😕
toonsy(Quote)
Reet, off to walk the dog. Back soon.
toonsy(Quote)
toonsy do you think were playing better footy under pardew than we were under ch ❓
batty(Quote)
Batty – not sure about that yet mate. We played some good stuff under Hughton at times, and we are doing much the same under Pardew in my opinion.
I do think we look a little more organised though. Whether that is Pardew or the players who are responsible though? Who knows
toonsy(Quote)