Around Christmas time last year, it would have taken a brave Newcastle fan to predict the rise of Mo Diame in 2018.
He was jeered off the field at St. James’ in a mid December defeat to Everton and had put in a series of lethargic and poor displays – leaving fans mystified as to why Benitez kept playing him.
Fast forward six months and he has been instrumental as Newcastle secured an impressive top half finish and without doubt our top performer in 2018.
His turnaround has been nothing short of incredible, but the Senegalese powerhouse is facing another big test this coming season:
He’s actually playing for his NUFC future
It is easy to forget as he’s been our best player in 2018, but he is actually out of contract next summer. He turns 31 next week so will be almost 32 when his current deal expires next summer. He’s been brilliant, but he’s got it all to prove again this season if he’s to earn an extension. It is well documented Rafa needs to trim the wage bill so he might need to assess whether he sees Diame as part of the long term at NUFC.
He may also face competition as Merino has vowed to become an ‘important player’ for us. Let’s hope Merino can use the rise of Diame as inspiration for him to improve his form which has been the polar opposite to Diame, outstanding early season and poor in 2018.
Can he maintain his 2018 form?
This is the important question and he has been so good recently it is hard to imagine him going back to his poor form when he initially joined. His own turnaround coincided with our turnaround in form, allowing Shelvey to thrive – meaning, it would be quite a disaster and setback if he suddenly went back to his form of 2016/17 (or first part of last season)
He really was outstanding and just like we’d be weakened if we lost Kenedy, we’d be set back considerably too if he suddenly went back to his old ways. He has been dominating midfield in some all action displays and did all the dirty work that’s allowed the likes of Kenedy and Perez to shine.
Relying on him maintaining this form is a big risk
It would still be a gamble for Newcastle to presume he’ll be as good in 2018/19 as he has over the past 6 months.
He’s looked a new man and different player all together, but he’s getting older and we can’t forget that he’s actually struggled for the vast majority of his two years stint at NUFC.
Not signing a midfielder to compete with him would be very risky and will be on Rafa’s mind as he formulates his transfer plans this summer. Even if he still performs as he has been recently, an injury would cause us all sorts of problems with a lack of depth in the squad. Ideally, we would have Shelvey, Diame, Merino and a new midfielder firing on all cylinders.
What’s your take on Diame – will he replicate his recent form in the coming season?
So the core source is the Chronicle and again a blog site pushes it out.
A load of bollocks in my opinion. Nothing more than mischief making by a set of journalists who know nothing of what’s really going on at the club, but have to sell papers.
I’m pretty sure the Chronicle have also written that new signings are on their way and everything is going fine at the club over the last few weeks – full of ****.
Sharpy17(Quote)
If that was the case & Ashley has said that to Rafa – then Rafa would be in a position of knowing that he is either seeing out his contract this year with no funds to sell, or waiting for another club to come in and buy him out of his NUFC contract.
If you were in that position, would you forfeit a summer holiday with your family to instead work on a transfer window you have no money to spend? – I wouldn’t have thought so.
It’s a disgrace how these so called journalists just seem to write whatever they want and get away with it.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Portraying Ashley & Rafa as playground caricatures rather than highly successful skilled negotiators.
PremAndUp(Quote)
Brilliant, and right on cue Olly throws up an article extracted from guess who? … the Chronicle … and what are they claiming? … we are looking to take advantage of Villas financial situation and sign Jack Grealish.
So in one breath Ashley is refusing to give money until Rafa signs a new contract, and then all of a sudden we are signing Grealish – and people lap this **** up as fact.
All the while, these bullshit articles are littered with adverts meaning the site is coining it in. We have to stop reacting to this garbage man!!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Prem – but people buy into this nonsense mate!!. Crazy man.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Olly – what the hell?! – you’ve just done it!!.
You throw one article up saying Mark Douglas is reporting we are looking to get Grealish then immediately after it throw one up saying the SAME ‘journalist’ is claiming big trouble … surely you can see this too mate?.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I heard a True Faith Podcast a month ago where George Caulking said clearly that people close to Rafa had told him that this was the case and that Rafa has lost trust in Ashley. Now, he could have made that up, but I really don’t think so.
Stuart79(Quote)
Think , I’m gonna wait for pics of players holding up the shirt and side step any press articles for the best part .
Saves on a lot of stress and in the end we have zero control over who goes or comes and whether or not Rafa extends his contract.
To be fair to Rafa, in his shoes I would not contemplate extending until a desire to significantly improve the squad was set in motion and acted on.
If there is any shred of proof that there is in fact a *** for tat situation over negotiations then it’s Jabba that takes the biggest risk not Rafa. He can walk into any job but jabba keeping us in the PL is a far bigger ask and he’ll know it.
It must **** him off something chronic knowing Rafa has him over a barrel.
kimtoon(Quote)
Stuart.
What did George say exactly? as Sharpy is merely saying both sides are contradictory
PremAndUp(Quote)
Prem, He said he’d recently spoke to someone close to Rafa and that the club had said that it will be hard to purchase players without the player knowing the long term future of the manager and the problem Rafa has is that he’s lost trust in Ashley due to the last 3 transfer windows. He also said (as many, many journos have said recently) that it’s not about money. Yes he wants a competitive budget but he wants to know that any fee over a certain amount it doesn’t have to go to Ashley for him to personally sign it off. If he wanted to spend his entire budget on one player he could, but currently that’s not the case.
At the end of the day, Ashley either trusts Rafa or he doesn’t.
A good example of his fake control over transfers was last summer when Rafa wanted another GK. Ashley told the board that we already had 3 senior keepers so we can’t have another. Funny way of having control for Rafa that.
Stuart79(Quote)
So we are monitoring the Grealish situation. Yeah, right. Villa supposedly value him at 40 million but let’s say his actual asking price is a more realistic 25 million for the hottest property in the Championship (bar Mitro 🙂 ). Does anybody really think we would pay that for a midfielder? I have a hope that we will push the boat out for a striker but we’re not spending that on a midfielder.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stu – if this were true a month ago why has Rafa agreed to stay. Why not jump when other clubs have shown an interest?, and why not take a holiday and just return for pre-season with the players? – it doesn’t add up to me mate.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Given the average life of a premier league manager is less than a season and that Rafa is staying til next summer at least, and secondly that players tend to follow the money rather the manager I can’t imagine that we will have that much difficulty.
Agree it’s not about the money, at least Rafa’s salary. Transfer budget might be an issue to a degree.
I agree that the dispute is most likely about who signs off the deals, and whether Ashley has a veto. Given that’s it’s effectively his money that is not unreasonable. Mangers in any business know that they have a sign-off limit. Rafa is known to be a control freak so that is naturally a issue with him.
If Ashley told Rafa that if he wanted another Keeper he had to let one go is a common situation at most clubs I would imagine.
I do appreciate the difficulties, but fail to see an evil Ashley who doesn’t trust his managers, but rather a normal businessman who expects people to operate within agreed parameters. OK maybe minor issues over the parameters, but is it enough to paralyse the club?
PremAndUp(Quote)
I really can’t be bothered to look into their finances but the reported number is that Villa are losing 6 million a month. That is 72 million a year. They really are screwed, even if they get 25 million for Grealish . Not from us!!!! 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
He didn’t take a holiday last summer or the summer before that. What does it mean? Rafa has also never broke a contract in his life. We also don’t know if he’s had any offers either.
Stuart79(Quote)
It’s not his money though is it. It’s the clubs. He refuses to put money in. What difference does it make if you have a budget of £50m and you want to spent it on one player or 5 x £10m players? Why should that interest Ashley? Effectively he’s saying he doesn’t trust Rafa and he wants to tell him how to spend it. If he wants a veto then he should be the DOF. It makes absolutely no sense for Ashley, who knows nothing about football to be the one deciding who we sign and who we don’t as long as the player doesn’t take Rafa over his budget. Why is that unreasonable?
Many other clubs actually bring in a player and then release the player they’re replacing. Not the other way round so the buying club know you need a replacement for the player you’ve just let go.
Stuart79(Quote)
I don’t mean to turn this into a finance blog but it is relevant. Deliotte are reporting that Championship teams spent 99% of their turnover/revenue on wages in a effort to get into the PL.
This, our accounts and the Villa numbers tell us the Mackems are screwed. I don’t care what the two chancers there say about player sales and having a massive budget, their wages will drag them down. They are taking a massive gamble to get them double promoted but the stakes are only about 5 million of their own money. That is not the risk though for Mackems. The risk is administration.
Given new information about Championship, Villa and NUFC financing I am even more worried about the future for that lot down the road. I have gone into red alert.
My Mackem-o-meter has now gone to 98% administration within a year.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sky Sports NewsVerified account @SkySportsNews
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BREAKING: Sky sources: @AVFCOfficial reach agreement with tax authorities to stave off immediate threat of administration. #SSN
kimtoon(Quote)
Martin Skertl? He is 34 in December. Is this really a story? I don’t know what to believe anymore between this and Grealish.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric you are right about Chris Waugh’s financial knowledge as his piece on how the overseas TV money will impact upon NUFC clearly shows. Read carefully it says ‘it will go up’. Wow.
PremAndUp(Quote)
BTW Kim
AVFC released a statement a few days ago stating that they would be meeting the tax revenues in full in the next few days. No real drama here at all.
PremAndUp(Quote)
Taylor Not Besty @TaylorandBesty · Jun 3
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Apparently the song that was number 1 on your 14th birthday defines your life. Mine was Fastlove by George Michael
Just checked and mine was Come up and see me (make me smile ) by steve Harley and cockney rebel. Funnily enough I bought the Album The best years of our lives which that single came from.
God I feel old 😀
kimtoon(Quote)
Kim – they only have to pay something like £1.5m just now to keep the wolves from the door – but they are still very much there.
By all accounts Villa still owe Brentford, WH and and club (can’t remember now) something like £11m in transfers they did on the never never – hoping that promotion would see them right.
I also read that had they been promoted they would have owed John Terry £4m as a bonus for signing up with them.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Kim – mine was Bluebells, young at heart – I’ll take that ???
http://www.bobborst.com/popculture/number-one-songs-by-year/?y=1993&chart=uk
Here’s a link to a site that will tell you, if you put your year of birth in – bit of fun innit?! ??♂️
Sharpy17(Quote)
He should stick to his day job of click-baiting with meaningless transfer speculation. His latest about Amazon completely misses the point. They are dipping their toe in the water with PL football because there will be a death match about content between them Facebook and Netflix in the next few years. Possibly Apple and Google as well.
Waugh should simply not talk about finance when he knows nothing about it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Please release me, Englebert Humperdinck
I don’t know what Dispatchito by Republic says about my son, who’s 15th birthday is today
PremAndUp(Quote)
Eric. I was reading a guy predicting that networks and channels are dead as people will buy direct from the manufacturers creating their own ‘channel’.
PremAndUp(Quote)
Happy birthday to your boy Prem ?
Sharpy17(Quote)
Technology is incredibly hard to predict but I think you can be sure that you will be able to watch any Premier League game you want in the next few years. It has happened here is the USA and I am certain it will happen in the UK.
About half the NUFC games are shown live anyway but for $40 a year I can get the rest. That’s like 75 cents a week.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Birthdays and anniversaries, eh. Yesterday was both the anniversary of my wedding and divorce (12 years ago, so it is not a thing anymore). What is a thing is the dates – June 6th is D-Day. I was married for 17 years and then I get divorced June 6, 2006. 6-6-6, the number of the beast! Watch The Omen if you don’t know what I am talking about.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Pity
kimtoon(Quote)
Sharpy, I like that song too.
Prem, Englebert was my mums fav, along with Errol Brown from Hot Chocolate. We played the last Waltz by him at her funeral as her and Dad loved that song. It was the last song at the funeral, I couldn’t get up from the pew once it started and poor Dad was in bits having held it together so well up to then.
I do believe certain songs are very much part of our lives, they evoke powerful emotions .
kimtoon(Quote)
Great movie
kimtoon(Quote)
https://twitter.com/theskyblueway/status/1001435849601507328
priceless 😆
kimtoon(Quote)
Like it Kim
PremAndUp(Quote)
Haha. Very good, Kim
Stuart79(Quote)
I don’t know if there are any boxing fans on here, and I know this is a football blog – but the Whyte v Parker fight has the makings of a top fight I reckon
Sharpy17(Quote)
Yeah Sharpy. I just don’t know how to call that one. I think Parker is solid and improving. He is only 26. Technically sound. White I reckon is in his prime now. Loads of power and belief, but maybe not so smart with his feet.
Really tough call. I reckon this one goes to Parker, who will grind White down in the latter rounds after talking some big shots from White in the early rounds, but fights through it with superior technical boxing skills and a solid chin.
Shamrock(Quote)
Sham – I think the AJ v Parker was more about neither wanting to loose – especially AJ. That made that fight a bit boring.
But Parker v Whyte – both will want to win to put them in contention.
I think it could turn out to be a similar fight to Whyte v Chisora.
I struggle to call this one – head says probably Parker, but heart says Whyte.
Sharpy17(Quote)
How about Super Mario and Hatem Ben Arfa on the bench as game changers.
PremAndUp(Quote)
Talented players mate, without doubt – but I don’t think their characters fit what Rafa is trying to build.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Bas Dost again! It really is getting like Groundhog Day. I know I will wake up tomorrow to “I Got You Babe” and see Bill Murray doing ice sculptures.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I do think there is potential with Das Boot this summer like. I think it’s slim, but if ever there was or is a chance for us to sign him, I think it’s this window.
I think he is Rafas number 1 top choice – land him and not only do we get a top CF – but we could move one step closer to Rafa signing that contract.
Sharpy17(Quote)
For me a very intelligent opinion. That is why I was missing you so much Kim!
funrafa(Quote)
Sharpy: I am now so confused about Bas Dost that I don’t know what is going on. Is it the papers mining for clicks or is there a real interest there? It has gone on for so long, I just don’t know. We should just buy him in order to shut The Chronic up about the 6-5 striker, 29, every transfer window.
I seriously think I will see a story down the line that NUFC are considering Bas Dost, 73, for their 5-a-side masters team.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
To add something: Ashley knows it is a big risk for him to keep Toon up if Rafa leaves, but why he is acting so boldly? I think because he knows no matter what Rafa won’t walk out and will do his best for this job. He is taking advantage of Rafa’s professionalism.
funrafa(Quote)
Jermaine Jenas – what a knob. Big upping himself in the guise of an England story.
I went to see him play for England in a friendly in Chicago. I was excited as there was a NUFC player for England live. He was by far the worst player on the pitch. I was embarrassed and the friends I went with were making fun of me.
He was shyte for us (Bobby Robson what were you thinking) and even shyter for Spurs. In his own mind he seems to have been a great player though. Good talker!!!!
https://www.planetfootball.com/in-depth/jermaine-jenas-englands-big-names-were-auto-picks-did-things-their-way/
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Please, please anybody who watched Jenas at NUFC read that article I just posted to see how full of himself he is. He actually thought he was on the same level as Frank Lampard!!! WTF. Please remove him from all pundit duties from now on because this man has a mental defect.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I know it is sometimes about picking a team rather than an individual but c’mon. If you have Gerrard, Lampard and Scholes to pick from then Jermaine Jenas would be cleaning their boots, or, if you want my opinion, cleaning the toilets. One of the most overrated footballers ever. Again, what were you thinking Sir Bobby 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Do you believe Jenas actually played 21 times for England! Malcolm McDonald played 14 times.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I looked up “JUMPED UP LITTLE ****” in the dictionary and it came up with a picture of Jenas. Seriously, it did.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Jenas, rhymes with?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Jenas actually thinks he can be spoken of in the same sentence as Lampard, Gerrard and Scholes!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Fred m/u new signing injured his ankle in training,what a good start
Icedog(Quote)
Looking at Rashford tonight, if Man Utd want to let him go we’ll have him up here! Wouldn’t mind Loftus-Cheek either!
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu – just came on there to say, given the game time I can really see Rashford being a stand out player for England this tournament – he looks a cracking player but is stuck behind Sanchez and Martial at Man Utd.
Lotus Cheek looks good too, and dare I say it but I like Fabian Delph too – he’s a very good link up player in my opinion.
Sharpy17(Quote)
nice goal from Rashford that mind.
kimtoon(Quote)
thank-you mate 😉
kimtoon(Quote)
My biggest worry since this squad was announced was goals.
Yeah Kane could win the golden boot – but anything happens to him and I can’t say I’m convinced that Vardy, Rashford, Lingard, Sterling or Welbeck (oh my god Welbeck man!) are that big of a goal threat against the better teams.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Some of the things Rashford does with the ball is just mesmerising. If it was Messi or Ronaldo everyone would be waxing lyrical. His problem is where does he fit in with this system? It’s got to be either Sterling or him as I see it.
Stuart79(Quote)
I think England have some talented players as long as Southgate lets them loose. I never wanted him as manager but if he plays the Liverpool/Spurs/Man City system then we might see some decent football. I really hope so.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stu – I’d play them either side of Kane, with Ali and either Dier or Henderson in the centre, wing backs and 3 CBs.
But on the basis of tonight, Rashford should be in the strongest 11 we have.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I don’t know whether it’s coz he was a centre back himself, but we look pretty solid defensively.
I worry sometimes about Stones and worry regularly about Jones – but in that 3 at the back, they look very competent.
I think I’d play Dier against the better teams coz he’s effectively a holding midfielder come centre back himself.
Sharpy17(Quote)
There are better teams – Spain, France, Argentina, Germany, Brasil, Belgium – but I want to see us go out in a blaze of glory rather than limp out as we did in tournaments under Mr. Roy and Capello.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I see Fekir is off to Liverpool. They’re going to have a decent team next season.
Stuart79(Quote)
Rashfords creativity seems stifled at club level compared to his England showing. Think he would blossom under a Klopp or dare I say Rafa.
kimtoon(Quote)
I honestly think they may win the league next season Stu.
kimtoon(Quote)
I thought we looked a lot more offensive at the weekend – we were direct with the likes of Kane, Sterling, Lingard and Ali. We moved the ball forward quickly.
Tonight, with the 3 central midfielders, I thought it was a bit slower, move controller. I think Rashford and Loftus Cheek like a dribble, where those playing on Saturday were more one touch football and running in behind.
But I think the 2 games has shown me that he has options in the squad to change our approach depending on our opponents or if a game isn’t going the way he’d want it.
I still worry about goals if Kane’s missing. I’m still not convinced Welbeck should be in there, and I still think there are better midfielders than Henderson. But this is what we have, so let’s see how we get on.
Sharpy17(Quote)
That’s why I don’t see Klopp going to Madrid – he’s getting the players he wants and needs at Lpool.
He’s building on an already very dangerous squad.
Get a top class keeper in and I agree, the could have a real chance of taking the title off City.
Utd and Chelsea need to be worried now I reckon.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Get Butland and they will challenge I am sure. It would be good for them at least to finish above Man U. Mainly because Mourinho is getting on my nerves. He is a right miserable Fekir.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I want England to do well because I hate some of the tabloid press. Neil Aston at The Sun in particular. They are so two faced. They build up the team and wear the St George Cross and then absolutely **** all over them. Sometimes with cause – Rooney and Mr Roy, but sometimes not. They absolutely eviscerated Bobby Robson when he was in charge and now venerate him.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Some of it was funny though. I didn’t like what they did to Graham Taylor but super-imposing his face on a turnip was funny I have to admit. And the Wally with a brolly. Crass, low humour, but funny in a black comedy sort of way. I only wish that they had driven Steve McClaren out of football so we wouldn’t have had to deal with him.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Oh, and the Tabloids were so kiss-*** to Graham Taylor when he died. A lot on here are probably too young to remember how they treated him as England Manager but they were scum. The turnip back page was funny, the rest of what they did was a disgrace.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
What’s going on with season tickets online purchases.
It seems not all account holders have receive notification they need to register to the new service to keep their season ticket status, maintain loyalty points etc.
It seems The new service allows fans up purchase tickets using phone, tablet etc .. **** me you mean you can’t do that already ?
Nufc .. 21c organisation .. but not quite ?
GlosMag(Quote)
Aye Eric, it’s that everybody loves you when you’re dead thing . Sir Bobby was the best England manager since Sir Alf but was treated appallingly .
kimtoon(Quote)