There are two areas of contention. One of them, which I will look at later on in the article, is about the ambition of the club whilst the other one, which I will take a look at now, is about our wages. I’m assuming that those who are kicking up a fuss can’t really read though as they seem to be hinting at something entirely different to what Alan Pardew said.
Basically, the question Pardew was asked was about the ability to attract players over the likes of 5th placed Tottenham and 6th placed Liverpool. Here is what he said:
“I don’t think we’re anywhere near Spurs in terms of the wage bill. Theirs is double ours, so you can forget about Spurs.”
“That doesn’t mean to say we can’t compete with them on the playing pitch. On transfers, we can’t compete with their wages. We can’t compete with Liverpool’s wages. We’ve got to face that reality. We can’t.”
Now somehow this has translated into us having a wage cap that is half of what the likes of Tottenham and Liverpool pay their players. Now my eyes aren’t brilliant, but even I can’t see the words “wage cap” mentioned. I can see the words “wage bill” though, so the real story is that two teams that finished 5th and 6th have a higher wage bill than a team who is only in the second season of Premier League life. So where is the problem?
You look at the income that the two clubs in question and it far exceeds what we generate. Liverpool rake in more than double what we make each season, even without Champions League football, whilst Tottenham rake in a lot more than us – £130 million a year roughly. The best that we’ve ever done is £100 million in one season (£99.4 million back in 2008 in fact). although the last time we were in the Premier League our income was closer to £80 million.
So is it really any wonder those two clubs pay more wages than us? Also, can anyone give a credible reason why the likes of Hatem Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabaye signed for us, and why Cheik Tiote and Steven Taylor signed new deals if our wages are so derisory?
The second bone of contention seems to be regarding ambition. Once again, here is what Pardew had to say in that very same Sunday Sun article:
“Having said that about wages, we can get a top-10 finish, we can get a top-eight finish – we can, even, get a top-six finish maybe, if things went really, really well for us. That has been proven.”
“Then we need – at some point – to kick on. I think where Mike is at the moment, he wants the club to be stable. He wants to see that there’s some stability here.”
“He wants to see we can get a top ten finish next year and then, maybe, we can get him excited enough to attack the top level after that. That’s where we want to be.”
From that it has been gleaned that the club want to settle for top ten year after year, with no improvement. It’s not what Pardew himself says though is it? He is saying we can go higher. Does anybody really think that the club would bemoan the fact that we finished 8th instead of 10th? Please, have a word.
What is wrong with top ten for our second season back in the Premier League anyway? I think it’s a perfectly reasonable target and it would of course be an imporvement on last season. Isn’t that what we all want? Improvement?
I just think that sometimes people need to take a step back and realise where we are. I don’t think there is anything essentially wrong with what Alan Pardew is saying as it’s all pretty much common sense if you have the ability to look at things in a balanced way. I do question the wisdom of saying anything at all though, but then again, in black and white, the questions are there and Pardew is just responding to them.
Interestingly though, the same people that are kicking up about these comments are some of the same ones that hint that Alan Pardew talks shyte quite often, yet this time he isn’t.
When it suits eh? When it suits…..
what i get from that is spurs can offer better wages than us 😉
hitman(Quote)
All mike wants is the club to be stable imo.
he dosent give a shyte about competing with the big boys, although I may be wrong, and time will tell.
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
Toonsy if they can’t read the original they don’t seem to be able to read your article either. Can you do it in cartoon form?
Premandup(Quote)
Hitman – Correct.
Sorry but a club with £30m + burning a hole in their pocket should be aiming for higher than juat top ten. I would like us to attack the top 7 and try and replace Everton.
Still I’m a non believer in anything the club say – i don’t see us spending £30m this summer either.
Stuart79(Quote)
Jimbob on the previous thread hit the nail for me
“Jimbob
Posted June 12, 2011 at 12:36 PM
Also there is no need for pardew to have to say this in public, most realistic fans know where we stand, there is no need to tell everybody in a paper. I want to know about barton, nolan etc, not how he needs to motivate the owner.”
Exactly.
I don’t understand why he is advertising the fact that Spurs and Liverpool are bigger than us, we have similar transfer targets and they are interested in our players. I just don’t get it.
Moreno(Quote)
this comment from pardew is a worry.
“He wants to see we can get a top ten finish next year and then, maybe, we can get him excited enough to attack the top level after that. That’s where we want to be.”
fk we wernt that far off this season,if pardew is having to go cap in hand to try and get ashley up for it,what does that say about ashley and his ambition for the club..
hitman(Quote)
the guy just likes to run off at the gob,i dont think he has any say on whats what,yes maybe he knows the players he wants to get or the ones to keep,he wanted to keep joey,nolan ect,the three amgios thought diff.on wages i think we would pay for the right player which showed with the likes of benny,tiote,cabaye,ect,he talks the right talk but can he walk the right walk,lets wait and see imo
icedog(Quote)
well for a team that has managed to finish 12th in the 1st season back in the prem ( when most were happy with 17th ) I dont really see a prob in aiming for a top 10 finish, and if we finish higher thats a bonus.
As for not being able to compete with Spuds and the bindippers etc it doesn’t really surprise me and to be honest I wouldn’t expect anything different, anyone can pay real big wages if I remember right even Portsmouth done it with sloppy chops but look what happened them. Yes it might be different now that he is with Spuds but it cant go on for ever , the bubble has to burst and the sooner the better.
But the Fatman and Lambsarse are still 2 tossers 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Toonsy. Just how much explaining’s needed before wage-cap brigade geddit?
You must feel as tho you’re pißing against the wind at times!
lesh(Quote)
Pardew seems to have diarrhea of the mouth.
That said, I tend to agree with Toonsy’s assessment of his comments. There’s nothing major here. It’s just that Pardew can’t keep his mouth from running.
He needs a better internal editor. Is there an app for that?
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
just seen on TeamTalk that Bayern Munich are supposed to be after Shane Long, who makes these stories up . 😕 why the **** would one of top teams in Europe want Shane Long ffs
Axel(Quote)
FSOTC – Pardew is only questions though is he not?
toonsy(Quote)
Am I late, just seen that PSG Have announced the signing of Kevin Gamerio.
Premandup(Quote)
I don’t think a cartoon will do it. Maybe an interpretive dance. Youtube it and post it, Toonsy!
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Yeah, I suppose he is answering the questions. But there’s answering and then there’s answering. And he doesn’t seem able to play his cards close to his vest/chest/nest (I never remember how that saying is supposed to go.) We’ve talked about this before, I think–I preferred Hughton’s non-answers. No expectations raised or crushed. Just did his talking in the market and on the field.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
I don’t see how those comments from AP can be interpretted badly? It actually makes a lot of sense to me. Slow news day for some, me thinks!
Shearers Receeding Hairline(Quote)
Toonsy’s right…
And the whole excite comment just means guving Ashley the confidence to invest to push a bit higher.
We already know that sending a shitload of money doesn’t guarantee you success. We got relegated with one of the highest wage bills in the league.
Ashley will look at that and not want to be there again.
Finish in the top ten, invest a little more and push for top 8.
Finish top 8 and invest alittle more to push for top 6 ect.
If we go all out for a top 5 finish this summer and fail, then we are back in debt and will need to stabilize once again. We’ll have less money and a lesser league position.
Ashley will need to be confident or “excited” that we are a top half club and then push for the euro spots.
He won’t make us top 6 spenders unless he feels confident that we are a top 6 club! You can’t blame him for that. It makes sense.
If spending bought you trophies then citeh should’ve won the league by a country mile last year, or Chelsea even!!!
JerseyGeordie(Quote)
Toonsy
I would like to know how good a driver you are,do you think you could park your Bus in Pardews gob?. 😆
Toonale(Quote)
@Fans, maybe Pardew was just answering a question he was asked mate…. do you think he just blurts all this info out on a whim?
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
piped me there Toonsy @12 🙄
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Stuart @ 4 if he came out and said he wanted a top 7 finish and didn’t get it it would be all doom and gloom, is it not better to publicly aim for top 10 and secretly aim for 7 ?
Moreno maybe he is just trying to lower the already very high expectations from the fans. As some of the stuff I have heard from fans really do make us sound deluded, and as a team that has secured our 2 nd season in the prem I do think we need to get the perspectives right as IMO we do not have a god given right to be in the top 10
Big Dave(Quote)
Yes to both, Aussie. I think he’d blurt that out to a bus-mumbler sitting next to him on the M60 to Laguardia airport. But, as it happens, he burted it out to a scumbag from the Sun who asked the question, so now it’s in print.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
yes he may have, but what did he really give away? The information he gave is not top secret.. More like common knowledge.
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
well we couldn’t get top 10 last season, with the squad we have, so if he wants to finish next season in top 10 he surely needs to improve the squad. ie spend some money and buy better players.
He obviously doesn’t have as much faith in his manager as we do .
😯
pffft
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Dave @21 – I agree with that all pretty much.
SRH @ 16 – Slow news day? Not really. Just reacting to a lot of comments we had on here earlier about this very article…..
toonsy(Quote)
Dave,
A newspaper interview to the Sunday Sun isn’t really going to change the expectations of fans who have been following their clubs their entire lives.
Plus, if they really think that’s what Newcastle fans believe they are more out of touch with us than I thought.
The majority of fans I speak to are realistic, fair enough you get nutjobs commenting on the chronicle but the majority are realistic that a top 10 finish would be a success.
That interview is a double edged sword and can on be judged on personal opinion. You say it’s maybe to lower fans expectations. I say it sends out the wrong message to prospective players.
Someone like Izaguirre for example is interesting us, Liverpool and Spurs. By Pardew’s omission we can’t compete with them in what they offer.
Just doesn’t need to be said.
A decent supporters club who communicate with the board would be welcome but unfortunately there are 2 problems there
1) The previous supporters clubs have got it all wrong in their approach
2) The club don’t seem interested in that happening
Moreno(Quote)
Not you Toonsy, the tin foil hat comment brigade, sorry I wasn’t particularly clear!
Shearers Receeding Hairline(Quote)
Go on Toonsy…you ******* tell em! 😉
Some people are never ******* happy & after what appears to be an exciting transfer in Cabaye the glass half full brigade are determined by bring us down again…I sometimes wonder why sine people support the Toon 🙄
witters(Quote)
It’s true, aussie, that he hasn’t said anything substantively new or controversial. Yet it seems to have stirred up controversy. I guess that’s my point–his statements tend to get ballooned out of all context and meaning. It’s not intentional and I’m sure he means well, but his shoe and Toonsy’s bus might fit comfortably withe the USS Intrepid and the Staten Island Ferry fleet. (I’m on a roll with New York landmarks, here.)
Either that or it’s just a slow news day as was suggested earlier.
Right, I’m off to do the laundry. While I’m away, it would be great if all this morning’s readers can collectively focus their mental energies and telepathically generate some powerful transfer activity so that by the next time I check in, we’ll have signed Xavi, Messi and, oh, I don’t know, a one legged blond Chinese hooker as our new center forward.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Pardew is clearly talking about competing with Spurs and Liverpool in the transfer market.
Answer me this – why would it make a difference to us what Spurs or Liverpool’s wage bill is?
If Spurs or Liverpool had a wage bill that was £100m and ours was £50m wouldn’t that put us in a stronger position than them? Why would them having a higher wage bill than us make it harder for us to compete?
I think he’s clearly talking about what them clubs will pay in wages – he’s just not quite got the words right. If he has got his words right, it just doesn’t make sense.
Stuart79(Quote)
surely the wage bill Pardew is talking about is the collective of the team, not an individual player.
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
SRH @ 27 – Ahhh, gotcha 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
See, before I go, that’s what I mean re what’s Stu’s written and Aussi’s respons–Pardew’s ambiguous comments have generated a batch of unnecessary tension. Not intentional, sure, but not necessary or helpful. Hence a blog article to clarify and ongoing argument over it.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
Hey Fans, I thought you were out chasing one legged Chinese hookers 😀 …..
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
finish top 10 next season,so why has nolans new contract got a clause in it that we must finish top 7 to get his bonus(well thats what shithoose worky is saying)
hitman(Quote)
Stuart79
Posted June 12, 2011 at 3:18 PM
“If Spurs or Liverpool had a wage bill that was £100m and ours was £50m wouldn’t that put us in a stronger position than them?”
No, because relatively speaking they can offer more as they earn more as businesses. £50 million of £100 million is 50%. £100 million of £200 million is…… 50%
We’re are a smaller scale to those two clubs, in terms of everything. The sooner people can get their head around that the better.
We are paying now for years of mediocrity under Shepherd and him making the wrong choices time after time. Whilst we were fucking about getting managers in and out and in and out, all the other teams were improving – on and off the pitch – which meant that we got left behind when we should have been doing the same! It’s going to take a long while to catch up, but realistically there is the top seven clubs, eight maybe, then the rest. We are in the rest. The only thing we have is big crowds and a big ground, yet even then we are getting out-earned by clubs with smaller gates.
Gate money is fook all these days. It’s a mere bonus.
toonsy(Quote)
Well for me, his words were clear…it’s just those with an agenda decide to interpret in a way that conforms to that agenda & hey presto…negative city
witters(Quote)
It’s cool, Aussie. You can give them a BIIIIIIIIIIIIIG lead and still catch ’em.
Now I’m off.
Fans Should Own The Club(Quote)
The concerning thing for me is the fact he says he wants to get mike ashley excited, to attack the higher reaches of the prem. Now there is no need to say this, mike ashley should be the one motivating pardew to go and attack the league, and indicating to him, that mid-table is not enough. Of course the posistion we are in, we need to try and get stability, from mid-table, then top 8, then top 6, and this will take time, but it just seems like ashley may just settle happily with mid-table. I personally dont think ashley will be here in 5 years time, providing we are still in the prem, I think if an offer came in for the club, he will take it, but if he is still here, I just cant see us competing with the top 6.
Jimbob(Quote)
Hitman – Because as Pardew said:
“Having said that about wages, we can get a top-10 finish, we can get a top-eight finish – we can, even, get a top-six finish maybe, if things went really, really well for us. That has been proven.”
Selective reading again.
toonsy(Quote)
Hitman…cos 7th is an incentive & also 7th is in the top 10
witters(Quote)
so our club captain dosnt think we can finish top7,if he did he would of signed new contract..
hitman(Quote)
Hitman…I suppose that’s one way of looking at it?!? 🙄
witters(Quote)
TOONSY thanks for being the voice of reason as always, mate. There are some on this blog who are absolutely drolsome and sifting through their nonstop barrage of negative comments every day wears me the **** out. Gotta go on a soapbox for a moment. Sorry.
Certain bloggers on here (you know who you are, no need to mention names) do nowt but wear the rest of us out. You think you’re being “realistic” but your “realism” is simply an excuse to shove your tiresome negative hopeless views down everybody’s throat. Today is a perfect example. Pardew comes out and tells it like it is. Speaks the truth. And you’s can’t handle it. You take his words and twist them into something that means doom for Newcastle United, whether it’s MA’s lack of ambition or our inability to compete with bigger clubs on wage structure. First off, I don’t WHERE some of you get off criticizing MA’s ambition. What has happened since MA took over? We’ve gone from being utterly unsustainable with players who didn’t care about anything to being completely sustainable with players who graft harder than ever. In the transfer market we’ve uit buying the likes the Michael Owen and Albert Luque and instead replaced them with Tiote and Cabaye. We immediately bounced back from relegation and finished first in the CCC and BROKE 100 POINTS in the process. That alone is an amazing accomplishment!! Our first season back in the Prem we finish a STRONG 12th, and coulee easily have finished higher. Now it seems that some of you think we should be aiming for the fookin league cup next season. At every name we’re linked to, you’s say there’s no chance but totally forget the fact that WE’RE ACTUALLY TRYING. It’s not a matter of opinion here- we need to grow in phases and competing with Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool is NOT the next phase, no matter what some of you may think. FFS people, just be over the feckin moon that we are where we feckin are. We ARE on the up and up. Those of you who refuse to see that need to ****** off and save the rest of us a huge headache.
OHurley(Quote)
What we need is a little Jozy Altidore in our lives. I know he’s only scored 3 goals the last 3 years but the lad is young, pacey, and has one of the most powerful shots I’ve ever witnessed. He’d open up the American market to us and bring in some extra cash and best of all he’s from JERZEEE
Besides it’s my birthday and I can wish for whatever I want 😈
http://m.youtube.com/index?client=mv-google&xl=xl_tsp&desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=_9YSM6lUiMY
http://m.youtube.com/index?client=mv-google&xl=xl_tsp&desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=X6HBBxpRPnM
JerseyGeordie(Quote)
JG- Happy Birthday mate.
Get anything intresting?
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
I agree with Ohurleys last comment…
witters(Quote)
JG – He could have a shot like rocket launcher but it doesn’t matter if the ball gets blasted high and wide everytime.
Three goals in three years 😕 😕
toonsy(Quote)
And if were going all American, as there is a lot of you guys on here now, we should go for Landon Donovan 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Joey7Barton Joseph Barton
…….slight problem is, they dont want to spend any money or pay any wages. Its genius really ha ha
29 May
hitman(Quote)
😉 😆
hitman(Quote)
Thanks witters;)
Btw- Spot on, Stu. 🙂
OHurley(Quote)
Hitman…you’re right, you win! 🙄
Player who doesn’t get his own way spits his dummy out shock horror…
witters(Quote)
Cheers for the birthday wishes 🙂
Toonsy his probis not hitting the target, he actualy hits too much of the target meaning straight at the keeper lol. The lad still scores plenty for the national team just hasn’t scored in club football since he moved from new York.
But he has all the skill set and would probably be cheap.
In fact I’m going to start a twatter rumor 😈
JerseyGeordie(Quote)
JG – Check you e mails first though yeah? 😉
toonsy(Quote)
well said! there is an issue here where a section of supporters will only be happy when we fail. while th ecurrent regieme is in place they will never be happy. i agree it seems some cant even read the facts without a grossly predjudiced view.
one signing in 2 more decent signings reported close.then maybe a striker and zogbia. how much do soemfolk want.
top 10 as you say would be a reasonable finish and then kick on again the next season.
lets remember where we have been in the recent past!
look at whats happening elsewhere, west ham birmingham villa, and lets be happy with what we have got. its going to take time, but so far we seem to eventually be going in the right direction. how much we spend isnt the issue its who we bring in.
when all is said and done its in mike ashleys best interest to make the club successful, any who cant see this should maybe give up and go elsewhere!
davvruss(Quote)
Landon would be too expensive and is getting old and believe it or he’s a headcase. I think he would have serious problems dealing with the pressure of SJP
JerseyGeordie(Quote)
any1 know when the 2011 /12 season fixtures are out?
Army69(Quote)
Spot on OHurley – well said mate.
I can’t understand people having a go and saying we will never get such and such a player so why are we bothering – it’s all a smoke screen etc. Then they complain if we are linked with a lesser player and say we are shopping in the bargain basement and showing no ambition. Well which is it FFS?
The club are showing ambition by going after players like Cabaye and Gervinho – we might not get them all but at least we are having a go.
3hourswasted(Quote)
witters,why have 3 of owa top players turned down new contracts,theres somthing not reet m8,and id believe JB owa any internet gossip
hitman(Quote)
toonsy
Posted June 12, 2011 at 3:26 PM
But toonsy, that’s my point. He saying that Spurs and Liverpool pay higher salaries and we cannot compete. Why didn’t he just say that? If Spurs pay a maximum of £70k per week it would pretty much say we pay only half – otherwise they wouldn’t have double our wage bill.
Stuart79(Quote)
DAVVRUSS spot on, mate! I really just wish the doommongers would **** off. There’s a difference between realism and constantly expecting mediocrity. Realism states that our club is on the up and up and is showing some ambition. Fact is, ya can’t MAKE a player join. Case and point, Kevin Gameiro. We had a bid accepted for him ffs, and people tell us to “get real”. WE HAD A BID ACCEPTED, he just chose not to come to us. All credit to the club for attempting to splash the cash where it was needed. NOT their fault that they lost on that one, but some people fail to see it that way. Gets on my tits every time I think about it!
OHurley(Quote)
and for people saying im being negative,im not ive just lernt to expect fk all from ashley 😆
hitman(Quote)
@toonsy
Proper hissy fit you’ve had. 😆
I don’t know why you get het up. Every club has a wage cap. They have to. Some are obviously higher than others .
Ours is clearly lower than all the top 6 and I suspect below Villas.
Can’t believe you can’t see it. 😕
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
re Joey Barton’s comments – Cabaye signed reported £50k a week and a steal at £4.5 million bids tabled of around £10 million for Gameiro and Gervinho – possible £11 million bid for N’Zogbia and an 8 figure bid for a top striker next week rumoured. The club are having a go and Joey’s comments are sour grapes IMO.
3hourswasted(Quote)
When I look at Everton, they always seem to be hanging onto the coat tails of Liverpool and Spurs every season and they don’t have much money at all, less than what we have this summer. If we can invest the money sensibly in 4-5 players we should at least be looking to keep up with them next season, (and not them pulling off like a steam train into the distance like they always do somehow) ❗
DJG(Quote)
davvruss,
You can’t blame people to be honest. They see the same thing every year. Gone of the days of being optimistic for some people as they have been let down so many times so I can empathise with the negative attitude.
At the end of the day, some people are more forgiving than others and Mike Ashley screwing Keegan then selling Carroll means he has to do something special to redeem himself.
In Ashley’s case, doing something special will take years of planning and building which is fine, but then is he trusted to stick around and not cash in in a couple of years after selling our best assets?
There is no evidence on offer to trust the man.
OH ~ “What has happened since MA took over?”
Well, a lot like you mentioned, but a hell of a lot more you failed to mention. Like screwing Keegan, legendary player and manager. Selling our greatest home grown talent since Shearer was another. For some people who grew up watching Keegan play and manage, it was unforgivable.
So whilst there are people ready to jump on others backs for not singing from the rooftops, have a think about why that is.
Moreno(Quote)
OHurley
Posted June 12, 2011 at 3:35 PM
If we’re going to be a self sustainable club we don’t need Ashley -why own a football club if you’re not going to invest in the playong side (with your own money) and improve the team?
I maintain that Ashley is happy for us to just spend what we earn – which will be fck all and just try and stay in the PL and he’s hoping someone will come along and buy it.
Unfortunately for us that means not competing at the top end and hoping we find s Tiote everytime we buy someone.
Wish it was that easy like.
Stuart79(Quote)
NUFC is saving ourself to disaster due to Fat Mikes unwillingnes to invest in players (he has made a huge profit in every transfer window). The only way to increase our income is to be a top team again and to make that possible he needs to do some upfront investment in player competing with these teams on wages and transfers fees. Relegation is far more expensive. Probably is a new rich owner who is interested in trophies the only way we can be able to compete for CL again. The sooner Fat Mike sells the better…
Expert(Quote)
3hourswasted- exactly! People ***** when we go for top players because they could never be drawn to SJP with our wage structure and then ***** more when we go after less expensive players because then we’re not showing ambition. Jesus H Christ, people!! Lmao, sometimes I just wanna beat my head against a wall like! Notice that some of those bloggers have been very silent on this thread… haha
OHurley(Quote)
Hitman.
Barton was very close to signing a new contract in January, his own agent said so.
Barton is bitter about the contract being pulled. hence the comments on twitter.
Paul(Quote)
Those who call me a doom monger i find you lot head in the sand dreamers. 🙄
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
I can`t remember Freddie Shepherd getting us relegated. I can remember Ashley making an **** of things and getting us relegated. I can remember freddie Shepherd appointing bobby roson as manager, who the hell has Ashley appointed of any conseqence. Go canny on Freddie I had a lot of pleasure watching the Toon during his years at the club
Freddie Shepherd(Quote)
Good comments Toonsy – so many people are so good at reading between the lines they dont read the words
One point though – “What is wrong with top ten for our second season back in the Premier League anyway?”
We actually finished just a few minutes away from 8th or 9th (?) this season. So wouldn’t they want to improve on that? We lost so many late points and goals it was like vintage Toon.
Archie Brand(Quote)
Hitman…I think Barton & Nolans contract issues are down to the length of the contract. Basically, they want a longer contract than the club are prepared to give. I’m not sure I’d believe Internet gossip or Barton tbh…I think Barton is spinning the situation & taking the anti-Ashley route so that he looks better in the fans eyes.
I think Enrique is slightly different & I think he thinks his time at Newcastle is done at it’s time to move on…this sometimes happens
witters(Quote)