The end of player power at NUFC?

Committee closed?
Crash! Bang! Wallop! These last few days have certainly been bumpy on the banks of the Tyne as the storm created by Joey Barton, NUFC, the media and the fans continues to rumble on.

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….

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.

184 thoughts on “The end of player power at NUFC?

  1. About time player power ended, a nonsense. The players complaining? Enrique, Barton, Routledge, Ranger, Nolan. Enrique already wanted off to Champions League football, could have committed. Barton, at the end of the day he can’t shut his trap, its not just his tweets but his abuse of players and Manager, remember he did the same to Shearer. Routledge, already knows he’s not wanted, sour grapes. Ranger, basically same as Routledge but is a **** himself. Nolan, maybe some dodgy business with his contract, but at the end of the day he thought he was worth more than he was, he basically wanted reward for what he’d done not what he could realistically offer.

    If all this bullshit had been kept in house we would be starting the season with a better starting 11 than last season, no bad press, and a good number of young players coming through, a great stadium and supportive fans.

    I supported the reforming Barton, now he can F–ck off the gobshite tw-t. Like Nolan he is not as good or as important as he thinks he is, that is not to say his ability won’t be missed but enough is enough.

    We’ve got a pretty good defence, although need a couple of additions especially when Enrique goes. The midfield is great, upfront we still need one. Plus a good few youngsters who know they can get playing time, which will keep our youth policy as a positive draw.

    There are clubs in far worse states than ours, we’ve just got wankers creating bad press for us. If Enrique and Barton had just shut up would things have looked worse than they are now? No.

    They have both been unprofessional and brought more negative press on the club, that they both claim to respect, than was necessary. Bollocks to them.

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  2. Dave,

    I would prefer not to have any of Mike Ashley’s mates that he can use as a shield to manage the club himself. Whether their name is Joe or Alan.

    At least Pardew seems to be a good coach which counts for something.

    Honesty is something I hold dear to my heart though and when I feel someone is a bullshitter, I can’t bring myself to like our respect them. White lies are one thing but a constant stream of utter ****, can’t deal with that. Just my personal stance.

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  3. moreno, totally agree! nothing worse than a liar, especially when it has been proven time and time again and it continues to happen.

    lets hope we have some leaders in the squad who have the patience of a saint and havent yet been beaten down by ashley et al….its hard to see who but we will flounder unless we have a couple of leaders shine through

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  4. About time player power ended, a nonsense. The players complaining? Enrique, Barton, Routledge, Ranger, Nolan. Enrique already wanted off to Champions League football, could have committed. Barton, at the end of the day he can’t shut his trap, its not just his tweets but his abuse of players and Manager, remember he did the same to Shearer. Routledge, already knows he’s not wanted, sour grapes. Ranger, basically same as Routledge but is a tw-t himself. Nolan, maybe some dodgy business with his contract, but at the end of the day he thought he was worth more than he was, he basically wanted reward for what he’d done not what he could realistically offer.

    If all this bullsh-t had been kept in house we would be starting the season with a better starting 11 than last season, no bad press, and a good number of young players coming through, a great stadium and supportive fans.

    I supported the reforming Barton, now he can F–ck off the gobshite tw-t. Like Nolan he is not as good or as important as he thinks he is, that is not to say his ability won’t be missed but enough is enough.
    We’ve got a pretty good defence, although need a couple of additions especially when Enrique goes. The midfield is great, upfront we still need one. Plus a good few youngsters who know they can get playing time, which will keep our youth policy as a positive draw.

    There are clubs in far worse states than ours, we’ve just got w-nkers creating bad press for us. If Enrique and Barton had just shut up would things have looked worse than they are now? No.

    They have both been unprofessional and brought more negative press on the club, that they both claim to respect, than was necessary. Boll-cks to them.

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  5. piersmorgan Piers Morgan
    I need a new bodyguard in Hollywood @Joey7Barton – interested?

    @Joey7Barton
    Joseph Barton
    @piersmorgan I’d love to come mate but unfortunately can’t get a work visa? Maybe next time…….

    piersmorgan Piers Morgan
    ps @Joey7Barton you’d have to wear a muzzle in public, obviously. #cantscarethechildren

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  6. Just over on a Lpool forum- they’re all praying the swap is Cole or Ngog. I started laughing until I realised they were probably right.

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  7. So there we have it then. Despite all of the spin about Jose maybe going to Arsenal etc it turns out his destination will indeed be Liverpool. Surprise, surprise 🙄

    This deal was arranged ages ago. Big nose said it and our management took about 4 days to respond. Hmm, something a bit fishy there. Knew it at the time, confirmed now.

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  8. One last post before I head over the channel to France for 3 weeks.

    It’s another prediction I said was nailed on.
    I also predicted in January that Nolan Barton and Jose would follow Carroll out the door.

    I got slated by the dreamers but after all I was right.

    Au revoir. 😛

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  9. bobby you make some great posts as well as some humorous ones….but rather than gloat about the fact that our club is on the brink….would you not make some more constructive points or add to the debate no?

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  10. Makes me laugh when people say things like,

    “Good! Player power needs to be knocked down a peg!”

    …Do you guys honestly believe Newcastle United are going to play a massive part in football history?! Are we going to win the crusade to tackle player power?!…Who even subscribes to the notion that we are taking part in such a crusade?!

    Make no mistake, this is about MONEY. MA isn’t interested in doing what’s right for football, so please stop with the positive spin on all of his selfish acts. There comes a time when you just have to accept things for what they are. These men have consistently lied to us and they will continue to do so until we make their positions untenable. One problem though, MA doesn’t seem to care about bad publicity…Kind of leaves us in a bit of a pickle as it’s generally the fans’ biggest and most useful weapon against dictator-like owners…

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  11. Buddy @ 161 Bobby is all about Bobby. Always has been. That train of his is just an extension of his ego.

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  12. Toonsy 120

    He doesn’t have player power though does he? If he has no say in who comes and who goes he doesn’t have control over the players. They can effectively do as they please as it is not his decision what happens.

    Can you imagine any top manager trying to control a dressing room of players who have the knowledge he is powerless?

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  13. Watch Jose go to Liverpool and Barton end up playing at Villa. Would totally pisss me off and show them for the greedy feckers they are. Don’t talk to me about “loving” this club. These two have seriously hurt it in the last couple weeks

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  14. @buddy

    Seriously, I find no pleasure in being right for NUFC’s sake but to see Brisvegas squirm and wriggle like a set of frogs legs which have just been severed by some French chef, gives me great pleasure.

    So brisvegas, everytime I order frogs legs I will chewing them before spitting them out like I’ve been doing with you for months. 😛 😆

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  15. Heh heh, Bobby. Incorporation. Yet another expression of ego. You are a psychiatrist’s dream.

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  16. Don’t give a **** about player power. I just want NUFC to be run well and for the team to be feeling positive going into a new and vital season.

    Get outta here Jose and Joey. Mike and Dekka, please follow at your earliest sign of escape

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  17. If we only managebto get 5 mil for Jose, I’ll be livid. That’s nowhere near enough to help Ashley payback all of his loan! Sucks

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  18. Well, lets all be positive.
    I’m sure we’ll bounce straight back up from the Championship in the 2012/13 season.
    If we don’t sell anymore players.
    Probably.

    Could we get a striker in on a YTS maybe?

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  19. Collo the captain and Pards very quiet during all of this. Pards just Ashley muppet but get the impression likewise with Collo, chosen because he won`t cause any waves, unlike Nolan and Barton.

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  20. Freddie Shepherd…so you think pardew, Collo & the club should make some Barton statement over & above banning him from training & fining him?

    Yes let’s get into *** for tat comments that only fuel more negative headlines, undermine the club, players who to be at Newcastle & the fans…good idea 🙄

    Say nothing is the best approach in this one…

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  21. Quote, Unquote!
    “I saw an interview with Alan Pardew where he said he hoped to get some of the £35 million and I thought ‘Alan, you ain’t going to get any of that’,”
    Kevin Keegan, February 2011

    “…. you will never get stability when you have Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias running the club.

    Ashley has made no secret he wants to sell Newcastle, and the best day will come when someone buys it from him and runs Newcastle like that club should be run. The club can never go anywhere under Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias.

    When a man buys a club like Mike Ashley did, and he knows as little about football as he does, he is likely to make these sort of mistakes and these sort of judgments, and still think he is doing OK,”

    “When you get the fans saying it is the wrong decision, when you get the players saying it is wrong and the press saying it is wrong, it tells you, unsurprisingly, that the decision is the wrong one.”

    Kevin Keegan, December 2010

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  22. Michael Laudrup – Ok. Think of it like this. Alan Pardew is a team leader, like you get a team leader in a warehouse. They aren’t responsible for hiring/firing but may have an input in what staff are needed, like a fork-lift driver (or left-back, striker whatever).

    He has to work with what he is given basically, like Hughton had to work with what he was given at the time.

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  23. I think Pardew is being made a mug of just like the rest of us with this regime, as has been said he is head coach nowt more. Incidentally are the people slating him for saying nowt about Barton(don’t really know what he is expected to say) the same ones who’ve complained about him saying too much and the same ones who wished he was more like CH who also wouldn’t be saying anything if he was still here I suspect?….just wondering 😉

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  24. What has happened in the last two days is we have lost two good footballers and the likelihood is they will be replaced by players of inferior ability. They might be better characters but that can only take tou so far it is ability that counts.
    I also wish people would be consistent in their posts some criticise Barton for being injured and saying he done **** all for his money during some of his time here. Does that put Benny in the the same catregory?

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  25. Also people saying Barton shouldn’t be slagging off his employers because they pay his wages. Hello. We are not slaves. He said they knew nothing about football. Is he not correct. It is like Spencer buying Marks and Spencer and one of his senior employers saying Spencer knews nothing about retailing. Is it true?

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  26. Toby…it’s one thing flagging them off & another doing it in public. Slaves…stop being so dramatic 🙄

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  27. Toonsy 177 – I still don’t get what makes you think he is even a team leader?

    He’s got the job title of manager and picks the team, but so did Hughton. I’ve seen no evidence yet in his press conferences (And there have been enough) of this ‘I am the man; attitude you think he has.

    He’s a puppet, and because the players know he is a puppet and just says what he is told to say, how on earth can he have any power and influence? You need to have respect for your boss, not just notice that he has an ‘I am a manager’ style badge.

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  28. Michael L…you make a key point re respect for boss, Pardew has a boss & sometimes he has to do what he’s told like all managers in the PL, it’s just pardew has more numpty players to deal with than most & hardly the best bosses in the world.

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