I’ll be totally honest here. I think £30m for Perez is good business and have felt for months now that he was always going to leave – whether Rafa stays or not.
There’s been claims that the fee could be £16m, but both Sky Sports, the Chronicle and BBC Radio Newcastle are saying £30m, so let’s go with that.
My issue isn’t Perez leaving for £30m – it’s a great offer and he always looked likely to leave. My issue is the fact I have ZERO faith in Mike Ashley’s ability to reinvest the money received.
He was our top scorer last season and has been one of our star men over the past few years, however, at £30m, he’s very much replaceable IF you reinvest.
The big issue here is the fact I have a good idea what Mike will do with that money received – and it won’t be to tell any new manager to go and get better with £30m.
Will it go in his piggy bank as he prepares to buy the latest high-street store on the decline? Will he sign a bargain basement replacement and keep the rest for himself? Or will he ‘reinvest’ but only give any new manager £30m provided it covers both transfer fee, agent costs and wages of Perez’s replacement?
Had Rafa stayed (and been promised £20-£30m to replace Perez) or had new owners arrived with a competent manager by their side, I’d be feeling fairly optimistic about our chances of replacing Ayoze – a player who’s supremely talented on his day, but also someone who’s shown real inconsistency in terms of his final product, involvement in games and goal return.
I’m not saying he’s not a good player and £30m is outrageous fee to be paying for him, but I think the real underlying issue here is how he’ll be replaced.
Just look at what Mike Ashley has done in the past. He sold Andy Carroll for £35m and replaced him with Shefki Kuqi. Mikel Merino left – a highly rated Spanish international with a huge future ahead of him – and he was replaced with a relegated Ki Sung-Yeung who’s career has been on the decline.
The timing of it also stinks given we’re still trying to get over Rafa’s exit, the takeover silence and the fact Rondon is now as good as gone. It comes after several bits of devastating news with not one positive in between, but the real issue here for me is my total lack of faith in a quality replacement arriving – and the same applies to Rafa and Rondon.
And that’s a HUGE worry when you consider we’d have been left on 21 points last season if you took away Rondon and Perez’s goals, not forgetting the fact Benitez gave us so much solidarity and organisation at the back.
Eric, Don’t think we’ll ever be shot of him, even if he died his son would likely take over and he’s a proper **** in all.
kimtoon(Quote)
Congrats USA Ladies, deserved winners and back to back too.
kimtoon(Quote)
http://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/991838844?-11058:809
Well that couldn’t sound less promising ??♂️
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy, it’s very confusing mate if true, can only think PL are vetoing BZG as suitable owners, if so someone needs to clarify it, preferably the PL or the club themselves.
kimtoon(Quote)
These guys are sounding less and less serious by the day. I hold no hoope for a takeover. I also hold no hope for the season.
Stuart79(Quote)
Kim – is it not just everything you expected the way this summer is going ??♂️
Sharpy17(Quote)
Yeah Sharpy, i thought BS from when story first broke. I firmly believe that if and when we get taken over it will simply be announced via club statement that we’ve been sold, deal done. None of this press released link to possible new owners.
Doesn’t that BZG statement read awfully like the Kenyon released letter last window, where it praises Mike for his part in negotiations as well.
No blame on mr Ashley’s part for either bids failing to materialize 😉
If you were cynical you’d say it was a massive set up, but who gains from it, certainly not the fans.
kimtoon(Quote)
This is maddening and boring at the same time. Each time we seemingly get news it is so cryptic that it takes us no further forward. This latest news seems to be setting up an excuse for no takeover as Kimtoon said from the start and has stuck to.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
And then there is Rafa. He knew from May 16th that he was leaving and kept us all hanging on. aybe he was gagged by his contractm but… he took the Chinese lucre and gets nothing but love, here and everywhere else. I thought he would take some time off and wait to see what developed at NUFC but the fact that he went to China points to nothing is happeneing at NUFC and it is Ashley SNAFU, which for those who may not know stands for Situation Normal All Fcked Up.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
During my time on Eds where to say I was not well received would be the understatement of the year I was able to figire out this avatar. It is Bamburgh from Seahouses that I took last time I was back.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I also have to admit I was wrong about Luke Edwards. I am not sure where I said it, here or on Eds but I thought he was full of sht when he said Rafa was holding out for more money from Fatty and otherwise would be off to China. I had just thought that Rafa didn’t really need the money and was too honourable to be playing both sides against the middle. Edwards was probably being fed by Ashley’s PR people but who cares now, he was right.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
So now what? Are we to believe that Charnley is in charge of everything now? We have a failed Leeds and Rotherham manager running the football side.
We are supposedly being turned bdown by Viera and Gerrard who should be jumping at the chance of managing NUFC. Although Nice is a nice place to live and I am not sure if I could take that voice – only shightly better than Carra who I have to mute everytime he is on TV, which is a pity since he says some good things.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
There is a line in that “BZG” statement that is alarming, that hints that if a takeover DOESN’T happen it will be nobody’s fault. Why build that in to a generally positive statement? It says not happening to me.
Eric I’m as surprised as you about the way Rafa’s behaved. Not that he didn’t want to work for Ashley anymore but the outrageous salary he wanted on a 1 year deal. £9.5m!!! Then the indecent haste he turned up in China while most of us were still reading the I’m leaving staement. C’mon Toons my ****.
georgio(Quote)
Eric, nice picture by the way.
kimtoon(Quote)
I am not going to trash Rafa because he did manage to keep us up on next to no money, not jut the transfer fees but also Ashley was slashing the wages, probaly in case we were relegated again.
But is it time to stop with the SAINT RAFA stuff now? The Chronicle comments, Eds, Wor Flags it is all Rafa the Great. All of the time.
I suppose we will find out soon enough whether there was a big element of self promotion in what Rafa was doing. If a new manager gets us relegated then roll out the Rafa flags, if we are mid table then don’t burn them but maybe put them in mothballs.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, I’m really not sure why anybody would want to jump at the chance of managing Mike Ashley’s NUFC. Why would they want to work under the constraints he puts on his managers and for a club that’s only ambition is to stay up. We are the modern day Wimbledon.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart: $4,000,000 salary?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – I was saying just that the day it broke he was moving to China.
He did brilliantly well for us, but was handsomely paid at the same time.
I have never slagged him off, and won’t ever. But I don’t see him as a saint and never did. He knew what to say and when to say it. Good luck to him.
But in a week where we need clarity and progression – this BZG statement offers neither.
I don’t see a takeover or new manager happening any time soon.
My money is now on Redfearn being manager and Gayle running our line again.
Sharpy17(Quote)
But Stuart: I have no idea what to think anymore. For all I know we might get Pardew, who I hated. Ashley has confused the hell out of me.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Got to ask if money is important for a manager who’s achieved a lot and has the money already. Would they want to put themselves through the pain of working for these morons.
Stuart79(Quote)
Money is obviously important to Rafa. Why else go to China? For the quality of football?
It like Kaka, Rooney and Pirlo coming to MLS. For the money. There is no other reason.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Anyone know who pays Rafa’s team – Paco, Mikel etc. Is it the club or him personally? If it’s him then he needs a whopping salary. If it’s the club then that’s a staggering amount.
The absence of a takeover and manager is seriously depressing. What on earth are they all waiting for? Could it be Saint Michael of Ashley?
georgio(Quote)
Chronicle getting pelters on twitter for not addressing the BZG statement
kimtoon(Quote)
Eric, Rafa wanted a job. Whether you believe him or not as to whether he’d have taken an Italian club over China who knows. But there’s only one top class manager not in work at the moment. The others are in jobs and when you look at it like that why on earth would a top manager already in a job want the hassle or coming into a club that’s about to implode?
Stuart79(Quote)
When you also consider just how far behind we are from teams who only finish 7/8/9th. Leicester have spent £70m on two players this week.
Stuart79(Quote)
Villa have only just come back up and are spending way more than us and we been back two seasons. How can that be ?
kimtoon(Quote)
Exclusive Charnley and Ashley meeting last week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohz8_IafGwE
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Why do the Chronicle keep on telling us Rafa, 59’s age? I swear I think his name is Benitez-59 now. I can see by looking at the photo roughly what age Rafa-59 is.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Has anybody on this blog, including Olly EVER written “Rafa-59″ did this or Benitez, 59” did that, or “the 59 year-old” who left for China said…
Eric Sykes(Quote)
As reported in the Chronicle:
Rafa Benitez, 59, claimed this morning that he had not gone to China for the money. The 59-year-old said the current owner Egg Fu Yung, 87 had given him a budget of 1,879,000,000,000 Yuan to buy Rondon, nearly 30, and 5 plates of curry with chips.
Intrepid Chronicle reporter Chris Waugh, 12, has flown out to interview the 59 year old Spaniard as he prepares his crack troops to play an invitational against the Shanghai ladies pensioners 11 who are thought to be in the running for the title this year along with Rafa’s, 59, team.
The 59 year old said. Yes, they might have slowed down a bit but they are mean. I bumped into one of them Madge, 67, in the Chinese version of Tescos and she gave me a right bruising with her shopping trolley.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
When confronted by airline staff as to how he was flying to China as an unaccompanied minor, Chis Waugh, 12 said he was meeting up with a colleague later, Lee Ryder, mental age 6, who was delayed at Newcastle airport as he had to finish his latest 200 page article and was definitely not shagging me mam, age 26. “Uncle” Lee would be meeting him in the Shanghai Empress Hotel where the Chronicle had booked the penthouse suite for this important mission. Chris, 12, said in his yet unbroken voice. Aye, Wor Lee telt is to order the crispy duck mu shu with extra sauce for when he gets in. And 5 plates of curry chips as he will be famished. Oh, and a wonton for meself like.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
*200 WORD article.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
When told that they don’t serve curry with chips in China, little Chrissy, 12 said OK that’s me done for then. Uncle Lee, 50, will give me another spanking. He, Lee, 50, said he doesn’t like to do it but it for my own good. Not sure why he videos it like?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Isn’t the transfer deadline like a month away?
Lee Charnley, 43 spoke to nobody today but is was leaked to the press that he, Lee, 43, had been to Europe to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel, 67.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Jimmy Nail, 53, said this is fcked like, this is.
Keith Downey, 42 said, yes Jimmy we all on behalf of Sky agree with you there. This is even more fcked than the last times and that got us Pardew, Kinnear, Carver and Schteve.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
When asked for comment, John Carver, 107, said you what?!! You looking at me girlfriend like.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
AND: Rowan Atkinson should stick to comedy.
They have imported Maigret into the US and it is one of the most boring shows I have ever seen. I watched about 35 minutes of an episode last night and couldn’t take it anymore and switched it off even though it showed some nice showgirls’ asses.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
We’re so desperate for a takeover the major sources that are getting fans excited are a dentist based in Dubai, a radio presenter based in Dubai and barber in Newcastle FFS!
Stuart79(Quote)
Right, the club simply have to put a stop to this nonsense now. If they come out and admit now that the takeover is dead in the water then it will be easier to get a new manager to join. No one is gonna want to sign up when they have no idea if they will still have a job shortly after.
We should be making signings to the playing staff, this situation is hopeless, we have lost our two top scorers with zero replacements ffs. This is nothing more than self destruction now it’s starting to look vindictive even. What is he thinking, does he want relegation, cause we are odds on right now.
So bloody angry right now.
kimtoon(Quote)
Stuart79
July 8, 2019 at 22:18
We’re so desperate for a takeover the major sources that are getting fans excited are a dentist based in Dubai, a radio presenter based in Dubai and barber in Newcastle FFS!
(Quote)
And that’s another thing Stu, i’m sick to death of folk looking for their 5 minutes of fame on the back of fellow fans hopes. Why do it, utterly pointless and bloody spiteful and all to get a few hundred more followers, fecking saddo’s the lot of em.
kimtoon(Quote)
Dentist and a barber ffs, what next, baker and candlestick maker 🙄
effin circus we are, sick of it.
World class manager, the makings of a good forward unit, decent defense, tidy mid and all ripped apart, for what. Cause a manchild got jealous the manager was feeling the love, t wat.
KK, Shearer, Hoots now Rafa, anyone we love he ruins, but anyone we hate he hires, JFK, Parps, Carver, Steve Mac.
Great big manchild, bully boy, takes his ball home when he doesn’t feel the love bless him.
just **** off. 👿
kimtoon(Quote)
Kimtoon and Stuart: you should (SHOULDN’T!!!!) check out Eds. I was on there for a few days and managed to p!ss them all off even though I didn’t try to.
There are a lot of people who have supposed contacts and make definitive statements about NUFC and takeovers that turn out to be totally wrong.
One said his uncle was high up in Sports Direct and claimed the takeover was happening, definitely a week last Thursday. His uncle had a high up meeting, he said.
Then, there is Dubai Micky who pretends he is some sort of executive with many contacts and has been saying a takeover was close to done for 6 months now. Over and over again.
And many more.
And that’s before they start quoting fcking dentists who is supposedly the ex-chair of NUST.
Seriously, Ed should just ban them all. They are all babies. And I haven’t said the half of it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
what a load of Tony Baloney 😳 😳 😳 😛 😛 😛
Aussie Magpie(Quote)
I find it funny that fans think that Ashley is out to screw them over at every possible opportunity.
I think it is quite the opposite. I don’t think he thinks about the fans at all. If a deal to sell the club gets held up, it is more than likely because he is not getting what he wants from the deal. It’s as simple as that. It is not some elaborate scheme to f*ck over fans.
Also I don’t buy the whole fake over thing, Ashley runs a billion dollar empire, why would he mess about with that nonsense. Does it mean it’s fake because some one shows an interest and they can’t meet Ashleys’ t&c’s. If you have sold a car or a house during the social media era, you will know that there are an abundance of time wasters.
Any way I hope this take over happens sooner rather than later….
Aussie Magpie(Quote)
Aussie Magpie: if Ashley is not trying to screw over NUFC fans then he is plainly incompetent as far as football is concerned . He even admitted it when he put Carr and Charnley in charge. He said that he didn’t know what he was doing FFS and then said he was putting people in place that did know what they were doing. He was wrong. I have 2 more words for you – Pardew. Kinnear.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Thanks for agreeing with me Eric. It’s not some evil scheme, more like a reckless disassociation..
Loved your work on Eds blog by the way. The last time I saw someone have such an epic fall out with all the locals there, was the one and only Troy Stavers
Aussie Magpie(Quote)
Aussie: I am not banned on Eds and can go back if I want. There are some really mental and delusional people on there.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Ashley’s not interested in the fans or the club. So he’s lying when he says he wants the best for the club and will only sell to someone who can move it forward. He’s interested in himself.
Anybody ever wondered why after 10 years of trying to sell the football club that at every attempt it’s been the buyer who’s not been capable? Doesn’t that tell you something? It says he will only sell if he gets absolutely everything he wants. That’s not realistic.
Only supporters can make it relentless and uncomfortable enough for him to lower his demands.
Stuart79(Quote)
Aussie, if he really wanted to sell the club we’d be long sold. He is likely asking for signs and Merchandise at silly rate as part of the deal ( see Rangers plight ). He does not in any way have the interest of the fans at heart, if he did he wouldn’t make so many inept footballing decisions .
Two relegations and a few near misses tells us he hasn’t a clue what he is doing.
kimtoon(Quote)
Eric, i’m amazed how they fall hook line and sinker for any bit of itk information over there. These are adults mostly, but they act like children, so easily duped it’s alarming really. I don’t read often but did catch your induction into fight club. 😆
They were positively steaming, best bit, you are a S/land fan and don’t even live in the states 😆
Deluded most of em. 🙄
kimtoon(Quote)
The optimistic side of me still hopes the takeover is happening. If it’s not then Ashley’s playing the ultimate brinkmanship game. Time is really running out and as yet they’ve made no moves to get a new manager or players in. They must have known Rafa was definitely leaving for at least a month now. Ample time to source a manager.
The only reason I can think of for them not to have done this is a takeover. Even negligence doesn’t stretch this far.
georgio(Quote)
I was thinking along similar lines this morning. Why hasn’t Jabba pulled the plug on these takeovers? He has in the past. In the last 18 months he’s pulled the plug on two. The chances of us getting relegated are pretty high now considering we haven’t got a manager we haven’t signed anybody and we have lost 4 players from last season, two of which were our top two goal scorers. Add to that the atmosphere will be toxic within the stadium and I don’t think that will help the players. The new manager has a hell of a job on.
It begs the question – what the hell is he playing at? Does he genuinely believe a sale is imminent and therefore doesn’t believe any of these problems will be his or is he just gambling again…
Stuart79(Quote)
It’s too big a gamble even for him. That said he’s just bought Game for £52m.
georgio(Quote)
clusterf uck this club is.
kimtoon(Quote)
https://twitter.com/GallowgateShots/status/1148499763274440704
😆
kimtoon(Quote)
If you believe the Chronicle that Lee and Steve’s (Nixon) European Vacation last week was to suss out a Manager with PL experience then I can only think of 2 = Martinez (relegated with Wigan) and Sanchez Florez (sacked by Watford).
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Then The Chronic say that Charnley wants a coach with PL experience. Let’s do the Ashley specials first. Coaches/Managers who have tried and mostly failed:
Big Fat Sam
Pardew
Warnock
Please not Schteve
Hughton
They have to be long shots, right?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Moyes ticks most of their boxes and that only leaves Arteta.
Others that have surely been ruled out are Jose and Wenger. f we believe the Chronic (and I don’t) then Terry and Gerrard are not in the running (YET) as the have no PL experience.
And I forgot Mark Hughes on the failures list.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I forgot Garry Monk as well, but they can’t be serious about him, can they?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sky Sports News saying we are considering Steve Bruce ?
Sorry but I’ve passed the angry stage and just find all this absolutely hilarious now.
To those who have renewed their season tickets … enjoy ?
Sharpy17(Quote)
So that gives us Moyes or Arteta.
Or, a completely out of the blue Ashley pick. Would help if he was friends with Wise.
Retreads and Failures.
And finally, either Gibson or Readfearn as interim Managers until January.
IT’S GOING TO REQUIRE A MIRACLE BOYS AND GIRLS.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy: I know I would forget someone. There’s also ‘Arry but he would never move up North. Could live in a hotel for 3 years like Jose!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – my money was going on Moyes all day long – mainly coz he’s out of work as well so costs nowt.
But Bruce has always been the nearly man, and it would not surprise me one little bit if he gets his boyhood dream and manages NUFC – he’s perfect for Ashley – who also granted John Carver his dream too don’t forget.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Can anybody let me know what Steve Bruce has achieved in football to warrant the job at NUFC? Or David Moyes for that matter recently?
They’re so deluded that they will think Bruce will be popular because he’s a Geordie.
Stuart79(Quote)
Eric -I love that picture mate!!.
Seahouses to Bamburgh?
Sharpy17(Quote)
Stu – I think it’s more likely the fact both have managed the scum that they are being considered, over a popularity appointment ?.
Bruce had Lazaar and Aaron’s on loan last season as well don’t forget, so by appointing Bruce he saves having to buy a LB and LW ???
Sharpy17(Quote)
I would take Moyes over Bruce who has a win % of 28. With the possible exceptions of Bobby Robson and Alex Ferguson nobody could have kept the Sunderland teams they managed up.
Are there any fckin Managers who relegated Middlesboro we could look at? Oh yes, Southgate who I thought was a bad appointment to start with and will seriously underachieve with the talent he has with England. Getting to the semi-final of a tournament where we only had to play the international equivalent of Accrington Stanley before crashing out is not an achievement.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy: was walking back to The Seahouses Hotel on the coast road and it was just a perfect night. Taken with a crappy Motorola cell phone but I had it framed anyway. Frame people were asking where in Hawaii it was. The rocks and reflecting rock pools make it look like lava when it is blown up to 13 by 19.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Bruce is not too bright either. A geordie sounds perfect to MA though. He won’t remember he managed Sunderland. It’s a dreadful situation but I’d prefer Bruce to Pulis, Hughes, Moyes, Monk etc.
georgio(Quote)
Can I extend some of the blame to Rafa for this dire situation we are in? He was p!ssing and moaning for 18 months about his contract. Did he tell Charnley in Charge that he was leaving after that meeting on May 16? A blind Monkey with Manager’s names on a dart board could have acted quicker than Lee seems to have.
His latest criteria for a Manager seems to be that they had a team relegated from the PL or were sacked on the way to their team being relegated.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
georgio: have you ever seen excerpts from the detective novel that Bruce wrote? Pretty hilarious. From what I remember it is about a football coach who solves major crimes in his spare time. Possibly and ex-coach, no matter. I have read some of it and it really funny whilst not meaning to be funny.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – it’s stunning mate. I love Bamburgh castle. I have a flight booked next Tuesday from Eshott airfield to fly the coastline for an hour. Can’t wait!!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Review of Steve Bruce novel(s):
https://thesetpieces.com/features/sweeper-steve-bruce-review/
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Hope the weather is good for your flight Sharpy. I did my own “tour of the North” with me Mam and an Aunt when I was back a couple of years ago. Amazingly the weather was perfect the whole time.
Started in Corbridge – the home of Steve Bruce. It’s actually a really nice place.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The Steve Bruce book review above is hilarious. He should not be hired as NUFC manager for his incredibly bad writing alone.
Eric Sykes(Quote)