After my initial reaction of anger I think I can declare that I’ve calmed down quite considerably and now have my objective head on as opposed to the reactionary one I had one just a couple of days ago.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still pretty pissed off that it’s come to this, but I also realise that it was perhaps inevitable given the frequency of outbursts from the Barton camp and the fractious nature of relations between the player and board. I also think it’s been inevitable since the sacking of Chris Hughton in fairness. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
I think it’s safe to say that player power as we know it is dead at St James’ Park. Whether that is a good or bad thing of course remains to be seen, but I believe what we’ve witnessed is a concerted effort to end the clique that formed and served us so well under Chris Hughton.
Much was made of the clique of senior players that formed under Hughton. The supposed players committee was instrumental in our rise from the Championship and our decent start to life back in the Premier League but it did attract it’s fair share of criticism along with accusations that the players held too much power. Whatever, it worked, and it was great to see.
However it’s not how everyone works. Different people have different ways of working and it seems that in our new way of working there is no room for player power at the club.
Three of the most vocal voices in our changing room have now been shown where the exit door is and one of them has actually used it, that one being Kevin Nolan with Joey Barton looking to be close behind whilst Alan Smith is clinging on with a firm grasp. Incidentally I think all three players are replaceable in terms of ability, but it isn’t that I worry about.
My concern is that we are trying to change the dynamic of the team far too quickly. I worry that there could be too much of a shock in the dressing room and that it could be hard to recover from. Mind you, that could be concerns brought about by the not too distant memory of a toxic atmosphere in the not too distant past…
I guess only time will tell, but my concern is not replacing the playing ability of the likes of Nolan (yes I know, 12 goals, but hopefully they will be spread about the team a bit more. Hopefully) or Barton. my concern is replacing the togetherness of the squad. It can happen but it generally takes time and with Arsenal less than two weeks away time is something that we don’t have a lot of.
It’s a massive risk, a gamble if you like, but by changing the dynamic away from player power to manager power once again so soon we are treading a fine line between growth and failure with many believing we are closer to the latter of the two.
Ultimately it’s a test of Alan Pardew and his credentials. It’s he who is going to be tasked with shaping things although it must be helpful having the likes of Fabricio Coloccini, Steven Taylor, Steve Harper and even Alan Smith knocking about.
I was heartened earlier when I read comments from ex-Charlton player Matt Holland who had nothing but praise (which is interesting as a lot of Newcastle fans seem to use Charlton as a stick to beat Pardew with) for our current manager. It was ultimately a commendation of Pardew’s strength and character which ultimately means more when it’s coming from one of his former charges as opposed to from people on a ‘blog somewhere who realistically know very little about the situation they were in at the time.
Can Pardew rescue it though? I’d like to hope so although that may just be my blind optimism making an appearance again. It will be his biggest test in his tenure to date and whilst I think he did well bringing about a sense of continuity after the sacking of Hughton this will be a whole different kettle of fish.
He won’t have the players committee to lean on for a start….
AndrewT
1 min ago
Twitter saying that Pardew was booed at the end of the game. Very poor form if u ask me as any manager at NUFC has no control on what is done with players from above. I think Pardew needs to actually be treated with more positive feelings as I’m sure he is having second thoughts. He is also the best person for the job at this time in our history
AndrewT(Quote)
I was pretty upset with the Pardew hiring at the time as I thought we could attract a bigger name. But I don’t think he has really put a foot wrong in his management of the squad. It is clear the players respond to him, the youngters like him, and he actually seems to be playing them.
MDS(Quote)
Pardew has hardly put a foot wrong, because it’s usually in his gob.
bowburnmag(Quote)
I agree it;s poor form booing him. Like I keep saying, he’ll have had the rug pulled from under him like Keegan, Shearer, Hughton etc etc. What would he be any different? Judge him on results which he does have a hand in, not the stuff he doesn’t control.
toonsy(Quote)
@BBM. How so? Becuase he was telling us what he had been told re: transfers?
MDS(Quote)
T – on a serious note, as an objective fella would you not take the comments from the fans of West Ham etc just as seriously? Holland has no axe to grind and is unlikely to speak ill of a former colleague. I’ve heard a number of supporters from his former clubs who claimed he’d talked the talk, far too often.
In my opinoin, he’s effectively irrelevant in terms of the big decisions being made. It would appear that’s what he signed up to, so fair fux if he’s happy to be dealt a hand and make the most of it.
bowburnmag(Quote)
How’s ya bedsheet coming on Bowburn?
Will it be ready in time for Arsenal? 😉
Toon Chicken(Quote)
MDS – yeah, it’s the biggest criticism I’ve had of him so far. And yet when everything kicks off, he’s not said a peep. Which actually speaks volumes for the way things operate up there at the moment.
bowburnmag(Quote)
Yeah I think this is all down to the board and Barton. I actually think it would be a massively great gesture to get behind Pardew against Arsenal.
I know he might be a “puppet”, but if he speaks out he’ll be sacked and we’ll be left with a different puppet/
Also he has a better record than Hughton with a weaker team, no Carroll, Barton/Enrique/Nolan injured for spells and Tiote banned for quite a few games.
Come on Pards, get Gosling, Sameobi and Vuckic performing and we’ll forget all about the Three Musketeers!
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
TC – don’t worry. I’m up in Edinburgh, kicking off about Jim Jeffries being sacked. Mcfoaming…
bowburnmag(Quote)
Bowburn – But there is also a large percentage of West Ham fans, Reading fans and so on that speak positively about him.
I just prefer to get behind people all the time until they stop earning that backing. Nowt wrong with it IMO as it;s not like I can influence the decision so I just roll with it.
toonsy(Quote)
Wait until Enrique and Tiote get shifted on by the end of August and there won’t be enough bedsheets to go around.
bowburnmag(Quote)
Marseilles 8 – 2 man u.
Proves pre-season means fu’ck all.
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
Specner – Has it really taken that result to prove to you that pre-season means **** all? 😆
toonsy(Quote)
I don’t think we should get on anyone’s back but I wouldn’t say I’m behind him. More to the side and casting a critical eye.
bowburnmag(Quote)
My bed sheet is sorted, got my dog to do a **** on it, then got some paint out, painted a arrow to the **** and wrote mike ashley. Its canny smelly but it will be alreet.
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
Toonsy- I thought it for ages, it just gives more back up 🙂
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
Nice place is Edinburgh, Bowburn.
Different class of scot round those parts.
They normally wait until at least midday to crack open the Buckfast! 😀
Toon Chicken(Quote)
MDS – yeah, it’s the biggest criticism I’ve had of him so far. And yet when everything kicks off, he’s not said a peep.
——————–
I would imagine that he ws told not to comment. I like the way he communicates with the media. It’s not his fault he’s lied to/misinformed. Give the guy a break- it’s not an easy job.
MDS(Quote)
I think barton has done us a great service by saying the things he has.he has confirmed what the majority of us knew which is that fatash and lambiarse know absolutley nothing about running a football club and are a pair of liars to boot. I sincerely hope that this is the beginning of the end for fatash and his cockney cronies.
marshy(Quote)
I totally agree! The fans need to really get behind Pardew to show him some support. He’s been shat on like the rest of us. And yeah bbm, he might have signed up knowing that some decisions would be made above his head, but I’m sure he wasn’t told that he would be blatantly lied to about any of those decisions
AndrewT(Quote)
Can any Barton supporters actually say what he was complaining about?
If it is the fact we havent bought enough players, despite us all agreeing, then it is still unacceptable. Any other player at any other club would be treated the same. Fact.
Also I worry that people dont really understand this transitional period. We have players on European wages. We are attempting to be a top 10 team. This means unfortunately we are probably going to have the same disagreements with Colo and Jonas
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Specner – Has it really taken that result to prove to you that pre-season means **** all?
—————————
The preseason only matters when Newcastle loses. I thought that was sorted the other say 😉
MDS(Quote)
Wondering what people think, and sorry if I missed this being chatted about earlier
What do we think our front six will be vs Arsenal-I know Fiorentina will help but Im wondering!
Tiote Cabaye
Marevux Jonas
Vuckic
Ba
Or maybe Vuckic out for Gosling with Jonas off Ba, who plays wide then though?
ToonTom(Quote)
People don’t like Pardew because of who he replaced and becuase he’s seen as friends with management. That’s not fair to him IMO. I think he has done a good job under difficult circumstances. I support him.
MDS(Quote)
Haha format error
Jonas Tiote Cabaye Marveux
Vuckic
Ba
ToonTom(Quote)
@26. I’d like to see that. He could go with 2 strikers though and play 4-4-2
MDS(Quote)
If he was booed then its a disgrace! simple as that, and it makes me sick to the stomach that the fans once regarded as the country’s finest are now spouting poison and going into meltdown once the going gets rough… I am not holdning anymore love for MA than the next man, but in my opinion, one of 2 things can happen.
1: He uses the income to pay off the money he has loaned the club asap, making it easier to sell, and thereby changing owner.
2: He wants this club to be successfull, but wont be held to ransom, so he tries to get us a rep as a hard bargainer and small spender, getting value for money and not being asked crazy money.
Any of the two are good, but if we go into selfdestruct then neither will happen and we will be off even worse.
Valle(Quote)
MDS –
“The Newcastle fans should know I will be strong enough to knock on the (owners) door. That is the most important thing upstairs. That is something I will guarantee I will do.” – Pardew at his first press conference.
I don’t think I need to mention some of the other things he comes and says.
Better to say nowt when it’s all conjecture in my opinion. Just winds us lot up.
Of course the alternative view is that he knows this stuff all along. After all he’s had prior warning, and even if he hadn’t, surely we’d see evidence that he would start following through on his original threat?
bowburnmag(Quote)
Booing Pardew isnt on, you cant give him grief for something the club ownership seem to have done and before the season has even started!
ToonTom(Quote)
Ref the booing. I’ve asked Lee Ryder and Miles Starforth about it. Just waiting to see what they say as they were at the game.
toonsy(Quote)
The inevitable departure of Barton leaves our squad paper thin. A first eleven and nothing else. We need two or three loan deals and a couple of frees to boost our squad
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
Pardew is a symptom, not a cause. Fans are just taking the first opportunity to vent their frustration.
bowburnmag(Quote)
Bowburn – Do we know he hasn’t been knocking on the door?
toonsy(Quote)
In a strange mad way for those with a disruptive intention booing Pardew makes sense. The Fat Man and Lambsarse are immune but making Pardews life uncomfortable might work for their twisted minds.
The danger is he walks and we get Joke Inhere mark 2
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
I think it’s more to do with seeing the end of anyone earning more than £40k a week to be honest. It’s more than obvious that the policy is to shift the bigger earners on – however good.
It does beg the question though, what is Ashley going to do when the club is running itself and making a profit? We’ll be the the richest mid table side in the word. Not sure what that will achieve like.
Stuart79(Quote)
Player power and a clique is one way of looking at it but I would say a more positive view is senior players taking responsibility to clear up their mess from the season before.Also,whats wrong with a close knit group holding a dressing room together – isnt it called team spirit .Surely Ashley doesnt expect a bunch of strangers to turn up on a Saturday and perform?
How many times did we hear about the players socialising together and how much it helped the foreign lads bed in?
LeedsMag(Quote)
Stuart79 – don’t you think he will reinvest, make club more successful etc so that he makes himself richer? or will you decide at that point that he wants to be poor rather than rich and not invest?
TOONPIPES(Quote)
I am concerned that this barton episode will severely damage our hopes of transfers. Apparently we wanted them in before arsenal whoever they were
Liam southern toon(Quote)
PIPES – I think he has a number on a paper bit of paper at home. Once he hits that target he’ll cut us loose, whatever the state of the squad. Despite old trustworthy Derek’s empty promises about promising to leave us in good nick.
bowburnmag(Quote)
I honestly can’t believe people are backing booing pardew. The best fans in the world are at it again 😆 🙄
The double standards are hilarious at times. Banging on about the owner lying and previous managers being lied to whilst completely disregarding the fact that it could very well be happening to pardew aswell. I mean they do have form for it don’t they?
shiloh(Quote)
Toonpipes – Well the club have pocketed £42m in the last six months and if that doesn’t make the club self sufficient nothing fcking will, yet has he reinvested it where it matters?
Oh yeah – NO! Unless you count a bit of plumbing and some boards round the training pitch.
Stuart79(Quote)
Bowburn, I dont think MA is the sort of guy that has limits .. if we end up with a profitable business, with his debt being cleared, i recks hes up for some big signings
TOONPIPES(Quote)
Stuart, the club hasnt pocketed £42million, it has huge debt .. you cant ‘pocket’ when there is a debt
TOONPIPES(Quote)
If sold now we’d be in better nick than when Ashley bought it…
witters(Quote)
Pipes – Tell me, how many football clubs do you know that make a profit big enough to sufficiently pay for big signings?
If we’re not going to spend any money when we receive £42m cash I don’t think we’ll splash the cash on a profit of a couple of million.
He just wants his money back and the only way to do it is to sell our better players and use that money to pay for the everyday running costs and use the TV money to pay his loans back. The club won’t go very far while that’s happening.
Stuart79(Quote)
PIPES – if that were true and let’s assume going on recent years, if Ashley is going to make a profit year on year and lump it all on his loan(s), then it’s not going to make pretty viewing for us in the meantime.
bowburnmag(Quote)
Pipes – You’re making yourself look stupid!
If you won £10k but had a mortgage of £500,000 would that mean you would pay it all off your mortgage?
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart79- I need to know somthing 😛
The club apparently broke even last season, correct?
That means Ashley is know longer losing money on the club, correct?
Therefore its only the money Ashley is owed, roughly 80-100million I believe?
How long will it take him to get that back with sponsorship and co do you think? You seem to have better understand than me 🙂
The reason I want to know is because as soon as he makes his money back, I think he will fu’ck off.
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
Stuart you can hardly call anyone stupid none of us have a clue of the finances and where the money is going or what he is planning to do with it
Liam southern toon(Quote)
Stuart79
you’re wasting your time trying to explain the facts.
The fella’s that say when we are better positioned financially we will sign big players are the dreamers Bobby refers to
Toby le Rhone(Quote)
That seems like a genuinely fair article Toonsy, weel balanced and ‘non-partisan’.
I can understand people’s frustration bubbling over and some will blame Pardew for not asserting his beliefs with our owner more.
Ultimately i feel a bit sorry for him – he clearly has no power at all above coaching. I sincerely believe he found out about the Carroll transfer only shortly before we did. He does shoot himself in the foot a bit sometimes by trying to act like he’s has more responsibility than he has.
Ultimately though, aiming at Pardew is like shooting Nookie Bear instead of Roger DeCourcey.
Pootle(Quote)
Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t profit measured over the duration of one financial year not a transfer window & takes into account many factors other than transfers…factors that we know nothing about 🙄
witters(Quote)
Spencer – He could do it over 3 years if we kept selling players for big money. We have Tiote that will fetch big money and there may be a coupld of other jewels coming through.
I honestly believe that was the single biggest reason Ashley sold carroll, it gave him an opportunity to pay himself back a little.
He must be the only single owner of a football club who is actually taking his money back and makes a mockery of claims that he’s only ever put money into the club.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart, if i won 10k, i would pay for you to have some maths lessons. We would need every single one we could afford for 10k .. so in answer to your question, no i wouldnt use 10k to pay off a 500k mortgage.
TOONPIPES(Quote)
PIPES – technically we don’t have debt if I remember rightly. They were quite happy to state the loans were paid off and good old Mike was propping us up financially, and that money from the club wouldn’t be used to pay back loans. Of course we’re all capable of reading between the lines, including your good self.
bowburnmag(Quote)
Like what,, Witters? The expenditure won’t have altered from last year – apart from the payments to ashley that is.
Liam – I am calling Pipes stupid for his rationale behind us not ‘pocketing’ £42m just because we have debt. It was just stupid. By that reasoning if you have debt when you get paid you shouldn’t get it, it should go straight to your debts and you should just die of starvation.
Stuart79(Quote)
Barton has taken fat mike for a complete mug during the 3 years he has been at the toon and in the last few months he has taken all the fans for mugs too. All this crack about loving the toon etc only came out after he stalled on signing the contract he was offered in January. Even to this day, it seems that only him in the entire world thinks it was bad business to sell andy ‘one night out away from prison’ Carroll for 35m! Ffs man, give it up and **** off. He is a clever bloke like because once he knew he had made a mistake not signing the contract, he started the written word version of ‘badge kissing’ via tv, radio, newspapers and social media and everyone forgot all his indiscretions and lapped it up feverishly. The yob is a cretin and if I was paid 60k a week to play football I wouldnt give a flying **** or not whether I liked the owner, I would just keep my mouth shut!
Mikesbestmate(Quote)
Pipes – Correct me if I’m wrong but £42m doesn’t pay off a £100m debt does it? I’ll meet you at the bike sheds before lessons.
Stuart79(Quote)
Witters – you’re correct.
I think it’s a fair assumption that estimates showed we just about breakeven last year, give or take, perhaps even show a small profit.
Given the injection of money from sales, it’s just simple maths to be honest.
bowburnmag(Quote)
But wasn’t the money due to Ashley around £12m based on tv revenue or merchandise not transfer money…but again no-one will ever actually know the monetary ins & outs.
witters(Quote)
Alas you are all taking irrelevance ashley will not reinvest we know this yet we constantly harp on about it.
Ashley will aim to make this club self sufficient which indicates a need for selling top players to rebuild and grow much like carroll.
It’s sad but look at Liverpool and tottenham they have to sell to buy likewise
Liam southern toon(Quote)
Cheers stuart, I really do think he will pass by with staying up, and when he has made his money back he will fu’ck off.
On a good note, if we don’t get relegated, and this is what Ashley is doing, we will be a debt free club, with the stadium and fan base we have, in the prem.
Anyone rich looking to buy a football club would surely look into buying us?
To be honest, if this is what he is doing, I wish he would just come out and tell us, so we know what to expect.
SpencerTheToon(Quote)
Liverpool have to what?
bowburnmag(Quote)
Alright Bowburn, i’ve done that argument a million times cant be bovered tonight .. im having a discussion with Stuart who is educating me on the ins and outs of mortgages and the clubs finances
TOONPIPES(Quote)
Stuart, you are correct (one less lesson required), 42m does not pay off a 100m debt. What is your next question?
TOONPIPES(Quote)
Just seen shiloh’s post @ 41. Bang on for me mate 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
You know I was just thinking the same thing PIPES.
Back to my original point, I think his ‘number’ is close or just over what he paid for us and if he can reach that magic number, he’ll pass the whole sorry episode off as a bad job, but he won’t cut his losses, not now he’s seen the opportunity.
Pfffffttt.
bowburnmag(Quote)
How come every conversation on here comes back to this same bl00dy discussion about club finances, the 35million every time!!! Once again,. as per every transfer window since MA has ran the club, it doesn’t look good. No reason to be optomistic, the track record speaks for itself. However we need to wait and see and the idle speculation of ‘will he won’t he’ is now VERY tiresome. MA will sell us short in the transfer window as he has done in every other one most likely. The team look particularly weak right now, but then again we were saying that this time last year and we were pleasantly surprised with how we performed. Let’s support the team, irrespective of our feelings about MA and Pardew, and remember that this vile atmosphere 2 years ago helped take us down – bring on the season!!!!
kevk(Quote)
gan on KEVK – im up for that quite the moaning and groaning and lets just support the team .. BELTA
TOONPIPES(Quote)
Exactly SHILOH. Althought I don’t think I’m about to make the same point perhaps…
Anyone walking into a management role at the club since Keegan, and who was not aware what the board are like was just not paying attention or wasn’t concerned about not having any say in the things that matter.
For that, Pardew doesn’t really have my respect and never has. I don’t think I’ve ever booed anyone at our club, other than perhaps that big fella in the oversized white shirt.
bowburnmag(Quote)
“There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home”
*turns around 3 times and clicks heels*
bowburnmag(Quote)
how many did sammi score tonight?
TOONPIPES(Quote)
I’m away to get some Buckfast and obliterate my mind.
bowburnmag(Quote)
a bit harsh BBM, Toonsy got that shirt for xmas 😉 😆
richietoon(Quote)