I had drafted a post transfer window analysis and assessment of the squad when events started to overtake us.
First there was the derby defeat and then Joe Kinnear’s resignation. Since then fights have broken out on the ‘blog.
It does beg the question of what happened and why? The match I think has been answered by the apologies of the players, and Pardew’s habit of losing it if he does not have enough preparation time. The “resignation” of Joe appears to be down to the fact that Yohan Cabaye went too cheaply and before a replacement had been signed. This has cost Ashley money. An unforgivable sin. So where now?
There are calls for the head of everybody associated with the club, Owner, Manager, etc. Life has a habit of unpredictability and surprises so we may have new owners and a new manager before the end of the season.
However, we can see from the experience of other clubs that the chances of getting good new owners who are prepared to splash the cash and hang in for the long term seem to be two out of dozens. Having an owner who wants to keep a tight ship in the upper reaches of the Premier League might not be the worst position to be in. After all NUFC has seen the top ten all too rarely and perhaps a bit of stable top ten would make a nice change. And if that were the limit of our owners ambition he has the right manager in place to keep delivering it.
It would appear that the only reason to change things would be if we were to radically change our ambition. In my opinion that would require a change of owner as the bedsheet brigade has ensured that our current owner has little empathy left.
Despite what some appear to profess changing owners is a high risk strategy. Not to be undertaken lightly, or seen as a magical solution to all our perceived woes.
On the positive side the departure of both Llambias and Kinnear may well indicate that Ashley will not tolerate incompetence if it costs him money. So I would hope to see better run transfer windows in future. But who will make the decisions? Ashley has not wanted a manager with sole authority and he is therefore unlikely to give Pardew that role.
So will we get a new Director of Football in or indeed a new Chairman? Crony-ism might indicate the arrival of El Tel, Glenn or ‘Arry. Whereas professionals such as Nicholas Cortese, Damien Comolli or Christian Purslow are all out there. Not that they are to the taste of everybody, and of course there are other managers out there too. Few that have achieved more than Pardew in the Premier League but plenty with experience at higher levels abroad. It is interesting to see the shortlist for the Swansea Job.
If I had had a five year plan when we were promoted I would have suggested a year avoiding relegation, a year establishing ourselves in the top ten and then a year qualifying for Europe. All of which we have had, but in the wrong order.
To consolidate where we are, which in my view is best of the rest knocking on the door of the top six, I think we would need to tie down our loan signings and buy a few more players so that we have a bench that gives options so that we don’t just play the same formulaic subs every week. It’s not rocket science and it’s not much.
I don’t buy this asset stripping theory. The more successful the club, the higher the profile, the more it’s worth when it’s sold. However it’s not worth throwing the hundreds of millions it take to challenge for top four.
So here we are with not much to play for this year, a decent starting 11, not much depth and a few kids who may develop. I don’t think an analysis is relevant at this point to be honest. I’ll save that for the end of the season. It looks like there is not much excitement left to look forward to until then.
Would somebody switch off the lights on their way out.
Santi , But we’ve not taken the cups seriously since Mike took ownership, fact .
KIMTOON(Quote)
Santi ,Have faith we are tipped to collect 4 or more golds this year 😎 😀
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kimtoon@70, the German winter olympic team is split 50% Bavarians and 50% rest Germany. Throw in the fact that we also have Bayern Munich down this way…means I’m living in a sporting hotbed…
It’s so nice to have Bayern Munich, or even Brisbane Roar as a second team, especially when things are falling apart at the toon. … 😆 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
Kimtoon@76, we haven’t taken cups seriously for 50 years 😆 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
MM 😆 , do you enjoy the WO ?
KIMTOON(Quote)
Prem you keep going on about our fans wanting to compete with the big boys in the top 4 but who are these fans as I havent came across them.
Big Dave(Quote)
mm@79, Shh!, don’t let every ****** know. 🙄
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kimmy…no I don’t really enjoy the winter olympics mate. I’m a football man through and through…
Munich Mag(Quote)
MM, you need to broaden your sporting Horizon especially if your relying on the Toon to lift your spirits 😉 😀
KIMTOON(Quote)
Dave. If we are the best of the rest, eg 7th behind the big six. Then if we lack ambition then we are not moving up. Surly to say that we want the club to show ambition means to mount a serious challenge to the big 6. Personally I have never said top 4 and in most cases base my argument on the spending of Liverpool and Spurs who are not in the same league as the top 4. On this tread I admit I have used top 4 figures to show the ludicrous nature of that level of ambition. Looking at the links I posted challenging for he top 6 would still prove exorbitant unless a slow and steady approach was taken as Spurs have. We have missed many opportunities to kick on from decent positions all the way back to the 70’s it’s not new.
Premandup(Quote)
Kim if you are relying on the British to bring some medals home then i would find another source to raise your spirits from as well as Newcastle and British Winter Olympians 😀
Dibs on Mcilroy 😆 😆
Santii(Quote)
Santi, We got a good chance mate, look-
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/feb/07/sochi-2014-team-gb-medal-hopes-winter-olympics 😀
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kimmy@84, I have FC Bayern to fall back on, but it aint quite the same as following the toon 😥 Once it’s in your blood mate there’s no way out 😆 😆
Munich Mag(Quote)
Where’s the £45m gone?
Jabba must go!
Stuart79(Quote)
MM, aye mate, it’s a cross we bare well 😆
KIMTOON(Quote)
Just to rub salt in the wound 👿 **** the FA
Lee Ryder @lee_ryder · 43 mins
#nufc fined £20,000 for misconduct for brawl at Norwich. 30k for #ncfc
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8:39 am – 7 Feb 2014 · Details
Marko @hoylez87 · 42 mins
@lee_ryder toon toon
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▪Ashley▫ @ashley2107 · 42 mins
@lee_ryder we lost Remy though, worse than that wanky fine
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Kevin Ivey @Kev1719 · 41 mins
@lee_ryder @thefa must make a fortune everyday with pointless fines !!! #nufc
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Paige Middleton @PaigeEviee · 41 mins
@lee_ryder How come we got fined less yet didn’t get the red card overturned? Don’t quite understand how that works?!
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Shelim @ShelimUddin · 40 mins
RT “@lee_ryder: #nufc fined £20,000 for misconduct for brawl at Norwich. 30k for #ncfc”
That’s a lot of money!
KIMTOON(Quote)
CURRUPT ****S the lot of em 👿
KIMTOON(Quote)
Prem ambition for me is keep building on to the team we have to try to get better not ripping the team apart them having to start over again, also ambition for me is trying to win something and no writing the cups simply because you dont make as muchmoney out of them, and because it would mean we would have to strengthen the squad which would cost money.
As it is we have nothing really to look forward to except trying to stay in the prem, is that ambition ?
Big Dave(Quote)
No probs with that Dave. I think that since we came back up we have seen the squad improve year on year. Not always logically. but at the start of each season I look back at who we had at the start of last year and I always think we look in better shape. Cups however are different and I agree that we should be targeting them more than we have.
Premandup(Quote)
Prem. If he doesn’t bring in a few very good players in the summer and we lose a couple of purples then we will of gone backwards. I’m not sure we will see too many arrive come summer, wish I could be more optimistic like but I fear more quality players will want away rather than come in.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kim I don’t buy trouble by imagining what could go wrong. Enough of that anyway. I see the squad improving year on year. Expect it to continue. Where that leads is anybody’s guess.
Premandup(Quote)
Excellent article Premand mate. A good review of our current situation. Alas all rests with our strange owner. It could go better with us if he hires someone with integrity and professionalism as DoF or MD or whatever, or it could all go pear shaped again if he doesn’t. Hard to say what Ashley will do now. Has he learned anything from the Kinnear debacle? Only time will tell mate.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I see Donachie has resigned now. Just as well. It’s clear he went too far in striking a player. We need fresh coaching blood at the club anyway. Time to revamp the entire organization. We’re in a poor situation now thanks to Joe’s inaction and our current crop of injuries and Remy’s suspension. More points down the drain.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Prem the problem for me is that our 1st 11 – 12 players might improve but imo our depth of squad has weakened and continues to.
And its all well and good until the injuries mount up which they always do.
Kim I am 100 % sure that we will lose some of our best players come the summer
Big Dave(Quote)
Thanks Geordie.
Trying to take the positives but the last line gives it away a bit.
Premandup(Quote)
Well we still have Shola !? 😈
Premandup(Quote)
Prem – thanks for the article mate. The heading is ‘taking the positives’ and for me JK no longer being at Newcastle is a positive – but I’m not sure how much.
Did Joe get sacked because he failed to improve our squad? – no, he was sacked coz he didn’t make enough on the sale of Cabaye!
Was Joe sacked to be replaced by a better DoF or Chairman – no he was sacked coz he got £19m for Cabaye when Mike wanted £25m!.
Has sacking Joe moved our club forward? – no because we have no plans to replace him until the summer.
Pardew claims that he wants to sign 4 players in the summer, but what preparation time will Pardew/Carr and the new person have to get things in place?.
Does Ashley have a clear plan moving forward, or was this just a knee **** reaction? – according to Pardew Joe was doing some good work at the club and he will be missed. So if the managers happy with the work his DoF is doing, should he really have been sacked?.
So is it really a positive, if he’s not replaced?
Sharpy17(Quote)
If Norwich are fined £30k and we fined £20k – does that suggest they were more at fault then us?
If so, how can Johnson get his ban overturned and Remy can’t?.
I’d rather we got the heftier fine and have Remy to be honest
Sharpy17(Quote)
Interesting to the our u-21s have scored the second most goals in the league, yet are still lying second bottom in the table.
We must have a **** defensive team. Thought Remie Streete was the next big thing. He’s 19 now and nowhere near the first team. Same as all of our other “next big things”.
All wasted talent.
JJ(Quote)
Sharpy no one noes why he was sacked.probably for a little bit of everything but who knows.
Also no one but the two clubs know how much we got for Cabaye.
G2
Quite happy no one recorded it. Another fist fight (punch) between Newcastle staff during a game. 😐 Seems mental though. He deserved to be sacked for that.
I agree now is the time to start upgrading the backroom staff and facilities at the club with 2 staff members down in the last month. We need to take our time though and make sure we get the right ones.
To change everything at once i think would be to far and could do more harm than good. We need to do the same as with the team gradual change.
Santii(Quote)
http://mobile.newsnow.co.uk/A/694712739?-11058
In this interview Pardew talks about it being difficult to win things at this club and it usually being bad news and loosing players. But that’s bollocks!.
You don’t win things playing heavily weakened teams in cup games!. You loose players if you are prepared to sell them for big money (no issues with that) but you choose to sell them!. Everton sold Fellani for big money, but that’s coz they had Barkley in the ranks to replace him – but they’ve kept Baines. Saints have kept Lallana and Shaw, despite big bids for them – because both players want to stay there, because the manager and club show ambition in the football they play and signings they make.
Cabaye left because we make no signings and show no ambition!. Of course the lure of PSG and CL footy was there as well, but would he have stayed if we were battling for a CL place ourselves or in the Carling Cup final?
Sharpy17(Quote)
Excellent points Santii @105 and Sharpy @106. We need some clear headed thinking and a definite plan going forward. Ashley needs to show some football ambition to keep the squad from fragmenting as players lose heart and leave. It seemed to be the same with Jose. At first he loved it with us but as time went by he got more and more cynical about Ashley. It seems to happen over and over again. Can this owner change even a little bit to give us hope as supporters?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
SHARPY,jabba won’t like what he said one bit,look out pardew
icedog(Quote)
Santii – ok then, do you see him not being replace straight away as a positive or negative?. Bearing in mind that Pardew himself has sat in press conferences yesterday saying that we have a busy summer coming up with players leaving and us desperately needing to recruit.
Sharpy17(Quote)
For me the club seems to be in an uproar again. The Kinnear mess, the Donachie mess. The lack of permanent signings. The lack of a clear football plan. Ashley needs someone with decent football knowledge now more than ever. He must make a good hiring this time or risk losing whatever remaining confidence he has from the supporters (it can’t be much). This is a key stretch of time. From now ’til the end of the summer window.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Ice – I’m not happy with what Pardew said!. I honest don’t know what Pardew is on about?!
Joe sells your best player without replacing him and he only gets you 2 loan signings?!
Great work big guy 😉
Sharpy17(Quote)
SHARPY maybe pardew is coming to end as well,he would not have said anything like that in the past,the club is a shambles mate
icedog(Quote)
@Sharpy
In terms of this season its obviously a negative to lose Cabaye he was a key player for us. More long term i think we will look back on it and see it as a good move.
read what i said to blip about it @ 54 & 61 I do think we tried to replace him and do think we will do good business in the summer. I guess we will have to wait and see though.
I dont buy this players leaving because are so called lack of ambition either. Players leave for big wages that’s it. If two teams can offer the same amount then the CL ambition would count.
We have seen what happens to players that leave us lately. They either stay around the same level of form or lose form completely.
Santii(Quote)
JJ – Another one of Jabba’s planned failed miserably. Our youngsters have been **** since he arrived.
Stuart79(Quote)
Santii – my fault mate, you replied to my post about JFK and that’s who I was referring to when I said is it a positive or negative not replacing him straight away – reading it back though I can see it wasn’t clear 😉
Sharpy17(Quote)
Oh lol its just all the Cabaye replacement talk i automatically assumed you were talking about Cabaye 😆
I think its a positive we haven’t rushed to replace him we need to take our time to choose anther one. I would love someone to come in with a clear explainable vision or philosophy and again i go back to Ajax they have a great transfer policy, youth team, and try to play some nice football (tiki-taka).
Now to get a jump on the summer transfers i think Charnley, Carr, Pardew and whoever else is involved in it will have targets lined up and will be weighing up the best options. I would hope whoever comes in doesn’t try to change our transfer policy as out of the 3 things i said about Ajax that the only thing we do well. It would be nice if he could try and improve and expand it.
Santii(Quote)
Santii – Cortese is out of work at the moment. I would suggest that Saints have most of those things you mentioned – certainly the youth set up there has been excellent.
I also think Christian Purslow would be an excellent recruitment.
I agree that taking time and getting the right person in is very important, but they should be actively looking NOW and getting them in well before the summer. Build a working relationship with Pardew, Carr and Charnley now so that come the summer everyone knows what needs to happen and who we are going for.
Pardew wants 4 in and there will be around 5-6 heading out. That’s a canny bit of work for someone just starting the role in the summer.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Ashley f@ckin drives me mad!!! 😈
What is it that he doesn’t understand about why we are p155ed off with him? 😈
Another PR calamity has just taken place and it looks like it’s because Ashley wasn’t happy with the price we got for Cabaye.
Just come out of your hole in the coral reef and tell us what you want!
Tell us where you want us to be in 3 yrs!
Tell us how your ambition for the club!
Stop hiring buffoons who are your mates and then sack them within a year!
Talk to us! Bloody speak!!!
I say, come out your hole in the coral reef because you remind me of a ******* Mori eel !!! 😈
Aaaaaaaargh! He does my heed in!
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Cortese and Pardew at Southampton have some bad history do they not. Was it not his wife Pardew was supposed to be messing with and was rumoured to be the reason he got sacked?
Santii(Quote)
Mori have just conducted a survey and it turns out that the eels that live in coral reefs are called Moray. 😯
Troy Stavers(Quote)
SANTII yes it was his mrs
icedog(Quote)
Santii –
“Sharpy no one noes why he was sacked.probably for a little bit of everything but who knows”.
You pull me up for buying into rumours mate!. No one knows what went on, but if Cortese arrival means Pardews exit – then Cortese is defo the right man for me 😉 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy
The rumour is that he shagged his mrs but cortese is the one that sacked him. That’s fact. 😆 I think the official reason he was sacked was low staff morale, 3 games into the season after a 4-0 win. You tell me what is more viable reason to be sacked 😛 😆
Santii(Quote)
Santii – I preferred the thought of Purslow to be honest, but his lass is a reet munter so shagger Pardew would be safe with him 🙄
Has to be Cortese, but his missus would be ripe pickings for Pardew n Colo
Sharpy17(Quote)
I’m looking forward to the game tomoz like.
I reckon a good 6-0 spanking will do us the world of good!
We are 8th and every top team needs to be brought back down to earth!
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Troy , just the 6 😉
KIMTOON(Quote)
Troy – 6-1 mate, Shola is due a goal
Sharpy17(Quote)
Kim
We’ve had it our way for too long. Something has to go wrong! 😯
8th in the premier league.
Beat spurs and Man Utd already.
Manager of the month this season.
Still averaging 3rd best attendances.
2nd longest serving manager.
Don’t owe the banks a penny.
£45m profit on players.
Everything is going to well! Knowing the Toon , something will go wrong shortly. I just know it. 😯
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Have to agree with you Sharpy17. Chelsea might let him score out of sympathy and all I can say to Nigera is good luck, your gonna need it with Shola up front.
stem(Quote)
I still predict Chelsea 5-0 Newcastle. Unless Shola’s on fire ?
stem(Quote)
Mori eel 😆 what a plonker 😆 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
cheese us
what a bunch of snivelling neggers.
not one of yous predicted we would be 8th so far this season.
me included. but ffs get a feckin grip.
so we are going thru a rough patch on and off the pitch. seriously, whats new ❓
Any of you who expected to get anything tomorrow, are beyond deluded and need help.
Its not an important match in the grand scheme of things.
Neither is the spuds match mid week.
Villa, Hull and Fulham are the important matches that we MUST be focused on and getting points from.
Top 10 is still achievable this season.
Keep the Faith.
In Pardew we Trust.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
The summer transfer window is a big problem for Ashley.
If he wants to maintain our EPL status, it’s gonna cost him big time.
The run in to this season will hi-light our short comings.
The ball is squarely in HIS court.
All we have to do is support the Lads we have left..
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Good write-up, Prem. I look forward to your articles; they usually add an air of sanity to the usual mad comments. However, I’m surprised to see you buying into a newspaper rumour re why JK left. I may be wrong, but I can’t remember any official admission of this, and I’m as inclined to believe a newspaper as I am a fiction novel. You couldn’t make it up, some say, well, newspapers do.
Asset stripping comments: Ridiculous. Get a grip on reality, folks.
BrisVegas(Quote)
Logically, the end of this season is the time for Ashley to sell up. 1) He’s got some money back (+45m). 2) We remain in the Premier League (very important for a potential buyer). 3) He has to replace major first team players this close season = spending + new owner has the opportunity to bring in their own manager and players.4) This might be the point where attendances start to tail off more and more after being sustained through some poor seasons. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he sold in a couple of months, if he wanted as much money back as possible, now would be the time and Ashley always wants as much money as possible. He would be a fool not to IMO, no way can he go on making money from us, it just doesn’t work like that. The Premier League club is not a profit making enterprise, part of me wants his luck to run out, even at the detriment of the club to be honest.
DJG(Quote)
‘It looks like there is not much excitement left to look forward to until then.”
Do we need to be competing in cup finals and championships for the football to be exciting? If that were the case over the last 50 years I don’t think I’d have followed Newcastle so intently. Every time the lads run out on the field I get excited. I don’t need glory to be a football fan.
BrisVegas(Quote)
5) He has got rid of debts to third parties and the club doesn’t owe money. By now most if not all of the players have been bought out-right and are owned by the club. Very favourable to a buyer. Honestly what does Ashley want? To torment and torture the fans and have a big expensive toy. People will reply and comment: ‘It’s to advertise S#### D###’. Is it really? For a fraction of the money the football club has cost him he could have advertised all over Sky Sports/ ITV / Foreign television, you name it. Not some advertising hoarding in one stadium, in one country. Yes it is shown on Newcastle matches, but he could advertise to the world for less money, not just people who watch Newcastle games or MOTD. No, it’s more than that, the whole thing is a massive vanity project.
DJG(Quote)
@brisvegas
The key word there is competing.
I doubt you are particularly excited about a friendly match with St Mirren etc.
NUFC is a professional football club. If the games stop being competitive, if there is no incentive to win then we may as well spend saturday afternoons at the local park.
KK(Quote)
I also doubt we have any ‘glory fans’.
KK(Quote)
Time for my new weekly round-up of an alternative existence, a club who are achieving as much as possible, to the best of their abilities. Who respect the fans, and whos fans can still enjoy the pleasure of supporting ‘their’ football team. Away from the armchair, sky sports generation of football and back to a time of bovril and woolly hats. A battle for promotion and a decent pay packet, with real footballers, not pampered millionaires.
‘Saturday’s Conference Premier game between Welling and Gateshead has been postponed because of a waterlogged pitch at Park View Road.’
Oh well, can’t prevent acts of god and the fury of Mother Nature. Join me in this quest my brothers and sisters to support a ‘real team’. 😀
DJG(Quote)
The key word where is competing?
BrisVegas(Quote)
“I also doubt we have any ‘glory fans’.”
Yes we do. AMF is one 😆
BrisVegas(Quote)
Yep, it’s true, I’m a glory fan 😕
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
KK you can count me as a Glory Fan
Bris, Sure it’s conjecture but if that’s why he was sacked we can look forward to a more positive window. And hey a touch of sarcasm is not OK?
Premandup(Quote)
Pardew is starting to make excuses because he knows he doesn’t have a plan B.
I’m sorry. I can except defeat against Chelsea and Spurs. But I still expected good and full hearted performances.
Right now, Pardew’s public display of negativity is pathetic.
It’s almost like he’s disappointed Joe has gone. Maybe he feels he’s next.
But he needs to man up and motivate the team.
Marv could easily slot in as playmaker in a more advanced role.
Anita slots in for Cabaye as deep lying and we drop Shola for anyone.
That’s already a more positive formation.
He can save his complaints for the end of the season when maybe they can be justified.
But any manager who sets up to rely on one player clearly isn’t up to scratch.
He needs to shut up and get on with his job.
Would have taken Poyet, Laudrup or Martinez over him anyday… Even Soljaer.
They may not be much better results wise but they speak well and play good football.
JJ(Quote)
Keep hoping for a few more losses and a few more injuries JJ.. you may just get your wish of Pardew getting sacked! 😛
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Very much agree with the early post from Craig.
It isn’t where we finish that is an issue it is where we are aiming to finish. Survival. A club with zero ambition above that. Because of this I fully expect Krul, Debuchy Santon and Sissoko to engineer moves away in the summer. So make that 8 first team signings we need in the summer. This from a club who in the last two windows have signed 2 loanees and a 16 year old
Toby Le Rhone(Quote)
On today’s match what a time for Dan Gosling to make a hero of himself.
My starting eleven.
Krul
Santon
Mbiwa
Taylor
Hadiara
Sissoko
Marveux
Gosling
Ameobi junior
Armstrong
De Jong
Debuchy dropped because he wasn’t arsed last week.
Toby Le Rhone(Quote)
Well if we play Gosling we are goosed ! 😯
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Sharp
I am late in the day and you probably know why Norwich got fined more.
They disputed the charge we accepted ours
Toby Le Rhone(Quote)