A stepping stone to “greater” things?

toonsy

Are we being used as a stepping stone?
Are we a selling club? To me, no we’re not. We are a club that only sells on our terms, which happens to have worked out although whether it be by luck or judgement is something that will carry on being argued about for a while yet I’d imagine.

Generally speaking players only go if they are causing a nuisance, want a deal the club thinks is beyond benefit, want to move on for better wages, or if the money on offer is at a level which allows the club to improve the squad.

A lot of our players have been linked with moves away over the last week or so. We’ve had Tim Krul, Davide Santon, Fabricio Coloccini, Mike Williamson, Danny Simpson, Yohan Cabaye, Cheik Tiote, Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse all linked with one club or another in recent times. They aren’t all going to move on though are they? Not in one hit anyway…

However some of the replies from the players regarding the speculation has led me to thinking about whether they are in it for the long haul or whether our club is being used as a stepping stone for a move to a club higher up the league or perhaps with more financial muscle than we have.

I’ll take Yohan Cabaye as an example of this. By his own admission he is aware of rumours about him and Manchester United but he insists it is up to his agent to deal with. Now granted he also said he is just focussing on Newcastle at the moment, but what if the speculation came to fruition and Manchester United firmed up any supposed interest? Does anyone think we’d stand a chance of keeping him? I don’t…

Realistically it’s no different for players at most clubs in the league. Time and again we’ve seen players poached from clubs who don’t fight for the title each year only to end up at one of the so-called big hitters. Joleon Lescott, James Milner, Ashley Young, Gary Cahill. The list goes on and on.

Now I’m fully aware that players move on and never really stay at one club for more than a few years. Those that do are either not good enough to ***** any interest or are a special case like an Alan Shearer The rest though will change their colours numerous times and will be looking to get the best for themselves at the end of it. I can’t say I blame them either.

On the face of it being a stepping stone is a bad thing. How can you build a team if your best performers are interesting clubs that, realistically, they are unlikely to turn down?

Scratch a bit deeper though and you may well end up thinking that it’s not a bad thing after all. Players come to the club keen to showcase themselves, we get one or two good seasons from them and a huge gratuity payment at the end, which will then be used to do the same thing again until we get to a point where we no longer need to do such a thing and can resist bids entirely.

It’s how Tottenham got to where they are today…

So a stepping stone to greater things? Time will tell on that one. If we are to be though, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing!

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.

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101 thoughts on “A stepping stone to “greater” things?”

  1. Chris Hughton is set to take charge of Norwich after the Barclays Premier League club agreed a compensation package with Birmingham.

    Congrats to him. 😉

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  2. I think Cabaye kight have bigger dreams atm. Outside of that, I think the others are either content (Collo, Krul, Tiote, Ba, Cisse), not good enough for bigger things (Willo, Simpson) or have already been there (Santon). That being said, another season or two without CL football and I think a few on that “content” list may look to go elsewhere and we will cash in when they do to finance the next generation.

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  3. And looks like bluebird is no more! 😯

    The troll owner and board of cardiff change the entire stuff of cardiff. 😐

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  4. Toonsy ,nice article good subject matter too. All this talk of our players leaving for ‘bigger clubs ‘ gets right on my nerves.Why should the written press assume every decent player would want to leave us and more to the point why are we suddenly classed as a selling club. Most of our top guys are now on long term contracts so they will have big price tags aside from Ba ,so realisticly it’s only Chelsea and Citeh that have the funds and CL to offer too. I’m sure Manure would love Cabs and Tiote but are they prepared to fork out loadsa money,I think not according to Sir Alex recent comments and no way will MA let our top guys leave on the cheap especially when it makes our competition better. That only leaves the Dippers who I’m sure won’t be splashing cash like they did and Spuds who may pinch Ba but again don’t think they can activate his £7m clause as not in CL. I will disregard Arsenal due to the fact they just got Poldolski and are a bit too tight to spend lots on our players. When you break it all down like this the constant stories start to look like lazy journolism at work but that’s just my humble opinion. I’m looking forward to the Euros so the press can all have something of substance to actually write about for a change. 😉

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  5. On Cabaye ,I think he is content at present but I do agree we may lose him if we arn’t top 4 next year as he’s a winner and will want to stay in a top flight side.

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  6. I think the club sells us as a stepping stone when trying to convince players to come to us. I think that is where we are as a club. We do not offer a kings ransom in wages and up to now we couldnt really offer challenging for a European spot. Last summer the club set out an aim to finish top 10 and players like Cabaye came here on those terms. I cant see why he would come to us other than to put himself in a shop window.

    Now I dont think that is really a bad thing under the circumstances. I also believe the club are hoping if we get enough quality in , we have a chance to compete at a level where some of these players will want to stay and we build from there.

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  7. Toonsy – good article in terms of what the papers are writing at the moment.

    Are we a stepping stone – yes. While there are clubs like Man Utd, City, Real Madrid, Barca to name but afew of Europes top clubs we will always be seen as a stepping stone because a player (if he’s good enough) could go on to better things.

    Are we a selling club – no, and other than the sale of Andy Carroll, I really don’t understand why the press seem to have labelled our club as one. Yes other clubs may be interested in our better players but we haven’t sold them! (I expect some to say ‘yet’) but we haven’t, and the club have went on record as saying we only would for huge offers.
    It has only been ONE player!, if it had been 3-4 then I could understand. We have got rid of the bad apples and retained the quality professional players in Colo, Krul and Jonas.

    Re the stepping stone thing, that is only for certain players, others know that Newcastle will be the best club they ever player for, but the same could be said of Man Utd with Ronaldo or Arsenal with Flabagast

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  8. Ashley Pardiola and Del Boy no doubt have a plan and it won’t be a little one so hang on tight for the rocket ride to actually winning something?

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  9. Wouldn’t be surprised if Hughton takes Alan Thompson as part of his team along with Calderwood.
    On the article, every team has their price for their players, I say we just be really unreasonable.
    “20m for Cabaye/Tiote Alex? Well that’s not good enough, try 25m + Welbeck.
    “15m for Krul Harry? How about you add Bale to that figure”
    They will be forced to either ****** off realising we’ll not be pushed over and so will be unlikely to try get one of our players again, or give in and we’ll have made a huge profit on a player and have a decent young player as well.

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  10. AOD – I think what has happened at Cardiff is what we feared may happen at Newcastle following the stadium name change. I don’t believe we will see such huge changes to our club but I’d be devastated if I was a Cardiff fan now. Its another horrible reminder that football is now just a business and tradition and the fans mean very little.

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  11. Sharpy @ 10 , agree , would be gutted if I was a cardiff fan , 100million investemt or not.

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  12. Unless you’re Barca, Real Madrid, Bayern, Manchester U or C, Chelski, possibly one or 2 others then your clubs a stepping stone. Apart from maybe the Geordie lads we weren’t first choice for any of our players. We may have been 1st choice/best option at the time when they wanted to move from their former clubs but not one of them has grown up “dreaming” of playing for NUFC and if any got the chance to play for one of the above clubs they’d more than likely be gone. That’s the way it’s been for many a year, it’s the way it is now and the way it will be for the foreseeable future. The only way to change it is to, consistently qualify for the UCL, win trophies…….and/or pay big wages.

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  13. Good article and I pretty much agree with it, we’ve always sold our ‘stars’ from gazza, waddle to ginola and Ferdinand, all we’re playing great at the time although the big difference now is that we seem to get top dollar – I remember Ferdinand going for a ridiculous sum at the time
    Unless we are champions league consistently it’s where we’ll always be, can’t blame the players.
    Reckon Spurs will have a job holding onto modric and when someone good goes it starts the rest thinking unless a big name is brought in

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  14. Andy – I think that is exactly what we have done, maybe not to that extreme but according to the papers, Fergie has already said that the asking price for Baines, Modric and Tiote are too high (in his opinion).

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  16. Good read Toonsy and I tend to think we are seen as a shop window for players, yeah I know other clubs players all have a price, but I never hear others managers and c/men coming out and telling the world.

    SteveP we’ll never be a consistently top team IMO unless we keep our best and build on what we have, rather than having to rebuild every couple of seasons.

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  19. DAVE ime with you all the way,as per normal lol,but worry we have two hopes bob hope and nee hope,would love to be wrong,bet pardew is chewing his nails 😐

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  20. Ice I do hope we’re wrong, I guess only time will tell. One thing for sure we have a super chance to become a proper top 4-6 team with a bit of investment so we will soon know what Jabba’s real intentions are

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  21. 😆 😆 😆 😆 @ dave hoping the fat **** is gonna change 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆

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  24. Ice – you having a day on coz the only way you’d know that is by reading my posts … properly for a change! 😉 😆

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  26. Ice – I’m sorry mate but you started it and when you pitch them up like that it would be rude not to.

    Anyway, I agree with you and Dave. We may not have a squad of players who are living a dream playing for Newcastle, but we do have a squad of players with ambition. The only way they will win things or get CL football or get the ‘bigger’ teams to notice them is by playing well for Newcastle. That should mean success for Newcastle and enjoyable footy for the fans.

    That’s far better than having a squad full of Dyers, Owens or Vidukas and such like.

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  31. Ice I hope your not getting picked on 😆 its not your fault you can’t read properly, Sharpy wont say that when he’s over 90 and his eye sight starts going 😆

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  34. SHARPY oh you have left your sel wide open now,i will pass your name on to richie and AMF,your in for some skit now 😆 😆

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  35. Good evening lads :razz:. I do think at this moment we are a stepping stone and I admit that I was thinking the same about Cabaye but I also believe that these players can begin to feel love for the club the longer theyre here so we may stand a chance if we keep them long enough. On the other hand.. It would be my dream to play for NUFC.. To me we are one of the worlds greatest ever clubs but that could be biased of me :mrgreen: . Seriously though if I was a player theres only 3 clubs I would play for. NUFC, Real Madrid, and AC Milan.

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  36. Dave – I don’t think it had anything to do with aging eyesight on this occasion, I think it was more ignorance 🙄

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  37. MANA alright mate well i think cabaye is safe this season but i think these young m/f they are signing will step up to the plate the following season then cabaye will move on,thats the way i see it anyway they will cash him in but not yet

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  42. Just looking at the last 10-15 threads. It’s interesting that there seems to be quite a bit of negativity around atm. The general feeling and concensus seems to be, ‘who are we going to lose and how are we going to sign any more good players’. Personally I think there has been a bit of disbelief that we are in such a good position. I think some fans have ‘battered wife’ syndrome for want of a better expression. They just can’t see how things can improve after years of abject failure. Don’t forget this…we are in a strong position financially, we have great coaches again, a manager that has grasped this opportunity with both hands (don’t forget he is in the shop window too) and a top scouting team. How many other prem clubs can you say all this about? Even Man U are a stepping stone to some clubs. Its about winning the war not the battle.

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  43. Porto is a stepping stone club that is getting 38 million for one their players because they refused to sell him until the valuation was met. He was a player that gave them 3 or 4 good years before leaving.
    That is the key. To build slowly sell on 1 or 2 players for big fees, bring in 4 or 5 and then one season break the top 4, increase revenue once again and eventually consistently finish in the top four and slowly the number of players that want to leave will dwindle.
    I think krul, Tiote, cisse, Jonas, colo, saylor, and Benny genuinely want to stay. But that could change.
    Ba has always had intentions of going to an elite club. Cabaye would also go but I think only if he felt he would play regularly.
    The important thing is that there are just a handful of clubs that could come in and turn the heads of our Players but we would turn the heads of players in at least half of the clubs in the prem.
    We need to stay in this position for now and slowly move up. As pards said “we have to be the best of the rest” for now

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  47. I disagree, thinking typing a comment on a blog is talking is the 1st sign 😉

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  48. 😯 Rich, you strike me as a guy that has to verbalise what he is typing. it makes it easier for you to create a coherent sentence 😆 so back to my first point 😎

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  49. Ok, I admitt it. I kan’t reed or right, I just tawk intwo the mike and the programm tipes it owt four mi, **** as eye carnt reed I doant knoe how gud it werks 😕

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  50. 🙄 😆 😆

    The problem is I can understand what you are writing perfectly 😯 thats a worry :mrgreen:

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  51. AMF@50 You know what they say ,it takes one to know one 😀
    Morning all ,have we signed anyone yet? 😉

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  52. 😆 …don’t worry, intelligence wise it would still put you in the top 10% of Oz, puff ya chest out and hold your head high 😆

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  54. Don’t you start picking on me too Kim 😆 😆

    Rich 😆 , I will mate 😆 (at least I won’t have to suck my gut in, like some)

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  55. Aussie….funnily enough, I’ve lost 7 kilos recently 😯 ……another 53 to go and I’ve reached the ideal weight for my height 😆

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  56. Just been watching Anton Ferdinand being interviewed on Daybreak talking about gang culture and a scheme he is involved in to stop kids joining gangs. The sad bit was that he said they start on kids as young as 6 😯 . When I was 6 I was only allowed to play in my street ,the thought of 6 year olds running round delivering drugs and carrying weapons is shocking . 🙁

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  57. Richie@55 Don’t worry mate ,you sound like a barrel of fun 😉

    AMF@54 Nah ,it’s too early for me to pick on folk ,I’m only on here this early cause the lads at respite until tommorow. Have a break around once every 5 -6 weeks for 3 to 4 days to recharge the batteries and Lewis loves it at Tina & Marks his respite carers ,brilliant people . 😀 Aussie what’s the temp in Oz, it’s gone right crappy here ,my poor daughter is off to Download festival tommorow and her tent is gonna get soaked and possibly blown away it’s that windy. 👿

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  58. Richie 😆 You’ll find those 7 kilo’s mate.. don’t streess they will be around somewhere… :mrgreen:

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  59. Kim – about 15 – 16 during the day and a very chilly 3-4 at night burrrrr 😎

    Don’t worry about the stirring, I enjoy the banter… except for Richie and his Aussie sterotype jibes …. too close to home they are 😆 😆

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  61. Kim – maybe that’s what Scarface meant when he was shouting “come and meet my little friend”, he wasn’t on about his gun but his little 6th old drug running buddy 😳

    Seriously though, it is horrible to think that kids are exposed to things like that

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  63. Shary- Yeh, it’s proper sad and shows how Americanised our kids are becoming as I associate that age of gang involvement with certain parts of the States as in parts of LA for example. I may be wrong ofcourse it may be that in London it’s always been like that and it’s just more acknowleged now due to wider media coverage and the like. I don’t like the way they talk ,it sounds so American gang like ,too much like a cheap copy of our American cousins imo. 🙄

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  69. See Best could be off to Celtic for £2m. Would be good business if we pick up a freebie to replace him then spend a bit for another quality striker in. I think we need at least 4 CFs (not including Shola) at the club to cover the Dembas cup of nationals absence.

    I read yesterday though that some of our boardroom decision makers are still on their summer holidays. I seem to remember them being on their winter hols for the Jan window as well.
    I know the summer window isn’t open yet but surely now is the time to be negotiating so the contracts just need signing when the window does open. Seems a bit stupid timing to me like.

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  70. SSN – Toon have signed Graham Carr on an 8 year deal.

    Best signing of the summer?!

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  74. Stu – sorry, I should have clarified – it’s as chief scout not a player so age shouldn’t matter too much. 😉 😀

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