As many of you will no doubt be aware of, I used to work for a well known Japanese car manufacturer that started with the letter “T” and had the slogan of “the car in front…”, well you get the point.
Slightly worrying when that malarkey with the faulty brakes was going about a year or so ago but still… As long as it was in front!
Anyway, getting back on point, I learned some great stuff whilst I was there and was one of their Professors of Kaizen, which is a basically a process of continuously improving. They spend a fortune on that every year and I was one of the guys responsible for keeping it all organised and running.
It struck me earlier that this is something that we need to do at at NUFC. It sounds simple, but is it really going to be that straight-forward?
On the surface of it we have improved the squad from the one which finished last season. We’ve added players that will play in the first team and haven’t just been signed for cover meaning that we have a bit more quality in depth. Of course the window is still open so things could change on that front!
In terms of league position we have room for improvement. For me anything above 12th next season will be success. Ideally I’d like a top ten finish at least (in actual fact I want us to win the league but it just isn’t going to happen) but as long as we are progressing and improving where we finish then I’m not overly fussed whereabouts we end up in the league.
That’s the rather short-sighted view though. What about beyond next season? Alan Pardew touched on it earlier on when he blathered on about having to improve to keep hold of our better players. The new guys, like Yohan Cabaye for example, may have brought into the “project” to start with, but if they aren’t seeing many signs of that project coming to completion they won’t stick around.
This is why it’s important to keep continuously improving. The ambition of the club won’t be proven in just one transfer window. To some it will of course, but the real proof of the pudding is going to be in one, two, three years time and beyond. Success, or relative success for a team who is looking to establish itself in the Premier League again, will not be achieved overnight.
I guess that’s kind of my point. No matter how long it takes to get to where we want to be, we need to keep improving at every step of the way. Slip ups will happen, and they could be costly, but as long as we are showing signs of improving you’ll not hear me complaining. Well, not too much anyway.
Would you be happy with steady progression? Continuous improvement? Kaizen, even?
About toonsy
A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.
Kaizen? Na I’ve seen bits of him on YouTube but Jed overrated…
JJ(Quote)
JJ – Dig uot your post from the other day mate. I want to make it onto an article
toonsy(Quote)
In my opinion next summer will be even more interesting than this one. If we dont sell any players will money be made available for transfers?
Josh-NUFC(Quote)
Toonsy,
What must I do once I dug it out? Post it again? Lol
JJ(Quote)
Josh,
We will sell players. And we’ll probably pick up the next bunch of freebies and players with clauses in theory contracts… 😆
JJ(Quote)
JJ – Just either ping it through via contact, or point out which thread and which comment No it is and I’ll sort it. I had a look earlier and couldn’t find it, but I haven’t been around much over the weekend so couldn’t work out where to look.
toonsy(Quote)
Good articles to date Toonsy. I’ve enjoyed the reads…
Ameritoon (Sean)(Quote)
Anyway, on the matter of this blog
I was debating with Bobby yesterday.
You get the Fat Fred quickfix, which has massively high risks financially (Newcastle, Leeds, Portsmouth, Westham) all ended up with brief spells of success and then relegation…
Then on the other end of the scale you get the Fat Ash approach… Which concentrates on finance bit sees little progression (Everton, Fulham, Bolton, Newcastle)… This keeps the club secure but they never seem capable of taking the next step…
What you need is a happy medium. Bit it appears we will get one or the other…
As it stands, I’ll settle for Ashleys slow stabilization over FFS’ regime… Of hit and miss.
JJ(Quote)
Toonsy
“Bridge not a target, but Jose’s future still uncertain.”
Second comment…
JJ(Quote)
I also like Fat Ashs approach of buying young. Because it means aging players don’t need to be replaced. And once our squad numbers and quality is up…
We would only need to make 1 or two quality purchases a season, to steadily improve.
Right now we still need quality in depth So big sums can’t be wasted on one or two players.
JJ(Quote)
We are starting to run out of up front targets. Either other clubs sign them or they rule themselves out of our new project, a bit like Camerons Big Society nobody understands it. Our intentions are as clear as mud as is our transfer strategy. Muddle through tick off the list those who we don`t sign and move on to the next one. Get your **** into gear ashley release the purse strings and make a big play for Sturridge before somebody else signs him.
Freddie Shepherd(Quote)
Zogs – people are banging on about him being a great player but theres a notable lack of interest from any of the top 6, same goes for Sturridge
Maybe it’s because they are sh!te
stevep(Quote)
I disagree with that argument stevep , Take Man Utd for example , just becasue Bebe plays for them does that make him a good player? Or becasue no top 6 club were in for Tiote makes him a bad player?
Johno Toon(Quote)
ffs not Sturridge.
however back to the post. The current strategy only works if you exceed the players expectations, otherwise they dissapear, eg what pardeau said yesterday and arsenal are now witnessing. similarly you only keep young local talant if you are successful. So success is a necessity.
Premandup(Quote)
JJ at 8. That’s about how i see it as well. we went form relgation to a Tier 2 club with the clubs you mention. i think that is an accomplishment worth noting.
I can see us staying at that level for a couple of years while the club becomes “self sustaining” and a bit of the debt to Ashley is repaid. For me the question is what’s next? Does he invest and push onto the top 5-6, or will he be satisfied to remain 7-12 with the annual possibility of europa qualifcation? Or does he gets our fiannces completely sorted and look to sell?
MDS(Quote)
We have the third largest stadium in England and are not far off the top 20 financially in europe. Clubs feed off sucess the way liverpool have. We have to raise our income, which is wahat LLambias is there for. No reason long term we cannot become a champions league side, however will setlle fo any european tournaments and domestic silverware to make the players want to stay. Was writing a series of blogs on how to take the club forward looking at each aspect of the club and alternate models that exist, but not been approved from on high.
Premandup(Quote)
Premandup. Agree that once the fiances are sorted we will be in a better position than the likes of Everton, Fulham, AV, etc. Financial fair play rules should help reign in the spending of a few of the clubs above us. I guess the ultimate question is whether we can be a self sustaining club and still break into the top 6 at some point? Smart player purchases/signings and a good academy are a good start.
MDS(Quote)
Glad Rooney’s horrid face is gone 😀 😀 😀
Lobacka(Quote)
Toyota Six Sigma and Lean manufacturing principles eh? The strangest place I’ve seen that pop up is Lloyds Bank!
Shearers Receeding Hairline(Quote)
@JJ
So you agree with me? 😆
Mind, I must point out that FFS could have been so successful if he had spent big money on getting the right manager, for instance, if we had made Morinho the best paid manager and gave him the budget he provided Dalglish, Gullit, Souness, Allerdyce and the rest, then maybe now, the big spending would have made us successful and self sufficient.
It’s bad managers who buy bad players.
Bad chairmen buy bad managers.
🙁
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
unfortunately good managers go to successful clubs.
Premandup(Quote)
@premandup
However we were a good club when KK departed in 97.
The money we spent on **** managers who wasted vast amounts of money on **** players was a shambles.
I’m not suggesting we can do it now. It’s just when I hear people criticise the club for wasting huge transfer fees on **** players.
That is down to **** managers. If we had paid a bit more to get the right manager then FFS transfer policy of providing big funds could have made him a hero.
He didn’t because he was clueless at appointing managers but not clueless for speculating.
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
Few more little changes for you guys. Let me know what you think 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
@toonsy
I’m still waiting for the numbers on the posts on the mobile site.
Is it going to happen?
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
Agree BSN9 however, good managers tend to be determinded in hindsight.
Premandup(Quote)
@premandup
In 1997 we were considered one of the major clubs in the premier and also well known in Europe .
Managers in those days didn’t get great contracts and not comparable with players.
There were plenty of great managers who were always going to achieve success at that time if provided a great contract.
We should have went for the very best.
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
I obviously agree with the post. We need to be constantly improving. You can tell that Pardew is really hoping for a great cup run. He is going to be focusing very sternly on the League Cup and FA Cup I think.
There’s always the possibility for magic in the cup, look at Birminghma ffs. But by winning a cup, we can get European football without hoping to get in at 7th place without anybody outside of those clubs winning any of the cups.
AndrewT(Quote)
@24…mind your own business 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Totally agree. who was the best available? Dalgliesh had had success at Liverpool & Blackburn, other managers a case could be made at the time. I am in agreement that we should never have appointed Allerdyce or KK the second time round and you no doubt would point to others. It’s judgement that chairment make and regret.
Premandup(Quote)
Toonsy – it just keep gettin better. I still can see the recient comments tho.
Utah-Mag(Quote)
A manager that will put up with MA’s blueprint for the club is the problem, even a low cost manager with high potential wouldn’t put up with it I wish we had 2 things an experienced chairman from a football background and the money back that MA has wasted on managers he’s got rid of because he doesn’t have the first
Shearclass(Quote)
*can’t
Utah-Mag(Quote)
Ashley has a five year plan.
He could never imagined when he devised that plan that we would get £35m for one player.
So how much would he have allocated for transfer funds if we hadn’t got that money?
Worrying. 😕
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
Good point Bobby…
witters(Quote)
Does anybody else think that a decision for Jose REALLY SHOULD be voiced by the end of this week, especially since the man should be in to work tomorrow!
Just tell us that you’re leaving Jose!
AndrewT(Quote)
I don’t think we’d have Cabaye, Ba & Marveux…maybe one or two of them. Definitely two given Nolan’s…hopefully
witters(Quote)
Given Nolans gone…
witters(Quote)
Is it now a 3 or 4 yr plan now? Should be. 😕
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
Site looks class Toonsy!
Lobacka(Quote)
“I can assure everyone that not a single penny of the £35 million has left the club and neither will it. It is all going back in.
“We have acted early and we have got the players we wanted, but none of them have been cheap. We have paid good prices for them. They certainly weren’t free transfers, there are fees and wages to consider.
“It is our responsibility to make sure we look after the club responsibly. If we spent all the money on players this summer, what are we going to do in January if we need to bring somebody else in? We are using the money sensibly.”….
so does this mean thats it this window
hitman(Quote)
I did a presentation on Toyota’s Corporate social responsibility for business today, weird 😆
Jobey07(Quote)
HITMAN the mans a fk knob,of coarse the money is in the club,in there back pockets tw@ts,will wait till end of window to see whats what 😕
icedog(Quote)
Hitman, I’m guessing we’ll only know for sure on sept 1
AndrewT(Quote)
@hitman
Would you not prefer to spend good money on an exciting striker?
I would and like every good club, good strikers should get paid more than any other player.
Don’t give me this Luque, Jon Dahl Thomason, Michael Owen **** that is churned up over this subject. A good manager or a good scout should be able to identify a good striker that if given a good wage would come to the Toon.
It won’t happen though under this regime.,
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
Demba ba?
afan(Quote)
Bobby – Why don’t you think we’ll get a good striker? he doesn’t have to cost the earth.
Jobey07(Quote)
@jobey
Good strikers are a rarety. They cost money.
Full stop.
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
Feckin Dogleash replaced Sir Les and Wor Daveed with Rush and Barnes 👿 👿 👿 👿 👿
TonyGreenSupreme(Quote)
Not if you have good enough scouts and find them before they’re big.
Jobey07(Quote)
TGS didvt worry give him time he will stuff them up m8,clarke is his saveing grace imo
icedog(Quote)
aye bobby we need another striker thats a must..
aye ice,we will see whats what come the close of the window,my bet is we will be left pi$$ed off,but thats nowt new with these 2 numptys..
hitman(Quote)
The worst thing is that people on here believed we had a chance of getting Gervinho.
I told them they were dreaming as we don’t pay the wages to compete for good strikers.
We then had Gameiro on the radar and again I said it was pie in the sky .
To rub everyone’s nose in it, Erding who was a second choice target having had his nose pushed out by the signing of Gameiro has clearly snubbed the Toon and for me says everything about the Toons **** transfer policy.
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
Clarke will do dogleashes job for him like Roy Evans did at liverpool first time and Ray Harford did at blackburn, Kenny was found out here because he kept Terry mac as his no2 and when telling jokes and playing in 5 a sides failed they couldnt find there arses in the dark… 🙄
CC(Quote)
watch this space..we will get 1 more in(hopefully a striker)and that will be on loan..
hitman(Quote)
bobby
didnt you tell us Kinnear was coming back and hughton was joining chelsea as ancelottis assistant… 😉
CC(Quote)
see zog 8/13 to join toon! batty been throwing his money aboot again 😀 😀
icedog(Quote)
Interestingly we have been “linked” with so many players over the last months, but obviously something isn’t just quite right to convince the players in question to sign for the toon. Either they are holding out waiting on further incoming offers, or we haven’t offered them enough wedge. At the end of the day a certain degree of cat and mose play is to be expected, from the financial aspect we are probably going about it the right way, but it will be frustrating when we miss out on much need reinforcement cos we won’t pay the wedge…. 🙁
Munich Mag(Quote)
@CC
those were the days when I did wind ups but Toonsy barred me 3 times! 😆
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
MM aye m8 cannot get a rolls royce if you will only pay enough for a ford escort 🙁
icedog(Quote)
funny we bid 12 mill for the zog in january..you would of thought we would of been straight back in for him once the window opened…its more BS..its lies after lies..me i feel sorry for the season ticket holders,there being asked to put there money up while this fka takes the utter pish.its a fkin disgrace.
hitman(Quote)
@CC
sorry if you lost your house when you put your mortgage on Kinnear coming back. 😆
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
@hitman
Agree.
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
Just been looking at some of the Endric stuff on Ed’s and Twitter. If he did end up signing, wonder how people will feel. The last bloke to say he didn’t want to come got slated and everyone then pleased we didn’t get him coz of that. He has now said he wants to stay at PSG, but if we bid and he’s forced out, will people feel the same or just be glad to get him?
I really don’t care either way, just want a forward who can put the ball in the back of the net.
Simon(Quote)
You guys still think that M’bengue is our first choice to replace jose with? There seem to be a few decent left backs that fit our current model
AndrewT(Quote)
Bobby –
“So how much would he have allocated for transfer funds if we hadn’t got that money?
Worrying.”
I keep wondering that too….
Moreno(Quote)
Utah Mag – Try deleting your cookies mate. Hopefully the side comments should come back then as they were fixed earlier 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
I can’t believe there are so many fans buying into this ‘absorbed into the club’ nonsense.
I have been hearing that selling our local born number 9 Andy Carroll was all for undersoil heating and everyone seems to be delighted with it.
Moreno(Quote)
ice,
was up at the cottages up near Prudhoe yesterday mate, showing the Mrs where I used to spend me summers 😀
Moreno(Quote)
Jobey @ 41 – Aye their academy is in Nottingham. Was it there?
toonsy(Quote)
@AndrewT
I have got no doubt we will get Neil Taylor.
Forget about M’Bengue .
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
Toonsy,
Is the Kaizen thing all about service improvement and WOW? A girl at work has just been doing that and it was something done by a certain car company, she has us all sorting stuff out at work along those lines now. I’ve taken 2 weeks off so the rest can just do it and me not knack it up lol
Simon(Quote)
might be my evil mind,but i think at times we bid for players that they know they wont follow up on it,it looks good to the fans but is it all a act?after-all any club can bid for a player means nowt till you stump the cash up 😐
icedog(Quote)
Let’s not forget we have got Ba for a free to replace Carroll who is England’s number 9 and was sold for £35m.
Astonishing really. 😕
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
MORENO what did she think of it m8,had a good day for it like,did you whip her doon to sandy beach wylan/overt rd?
icedog(Quote)
ice spot on m8,its all BS they have the excuse “are well we tried”..
ashley has not lernt from his fk ups,hes taking every newcastle supporter for a ride..
hitman(Quote)