If there’s one post we should not only be reading but fully digesting this week, it’s this one from Newcastle United fan Matt Scotney (@MattScotney).
After some on social media hit out at our new owners this week, criticising their failure to land the likes of Diego Carlos or Jesse Lingard in time for tomorrow’s crucial trip to Leeds, Matt had this to say…
The new owners took over in October, in that time they’ve….
- Replaced the Manager
- Removed Lee Charnley
- Invested in the squad (and are still looking to in a big way)
- Removed Sports Direct signs
- United the city and brought the buzz back to SJP
- Communicated at fans
- Been present at all games
So if you’re criticising them about a January transfer window that is notoriously tough to attract players (especially when you’re 19th in the league) then you absolutely need to give your head a wobble.
You can’t put 14 years of neglect right in three months and a January transfer window.
This is bang on from Matt and probably the best thing I’ve read all week amidst all the exciting yet ultimately frustrating transfer speculation that’s been swirling around.
OK, time isn’t on our side and it’s disappointing that we’ve not brought anyone in before tomorrow’s game, but it’s clearly not for the want of trying.
Not only have our new owners done all of the above since arriving at this ghost ship of a club Mike Ashley left behind last October, they’ve also injected £40m into running costs, begun planning much needed training ground updates, battled against a sponsorship ban and worked ‘tirelessly’ (Eddie Howe’s words today) to bring in January transfer window that’s tough enough at the best of times; never mind when you’re the richest club on the planet, desperate for signings and currently 19th in the table.
As Matt’s brilliant posts states, you can’t undo all the damage Mike Ashley has done in 14 years in the space of a few months!
It didn’t go viral though did it really ? Viral is measured by millions of likes and thousands of comments.
Plus that maybe so but have also appointed a manager who is so far out of his depth it’s scary ! Have a manager who as weeks have gone on sound more and more like a Pardew or worse still Carver. Not only defending the un defendable but continuing to play Clark despite a long term track record of being next to poor. Has set up formation that is designed to sit back and grab goal knowing all to well our defence has proven track record of falling asleep! Extra signings take for ever and we can’t blame market or anything else villa are signing folk for fun and with money ! Villa also look 10x better than us with manager who is up for the fight ! There’s positivity and then there’s complacent ! £25m on striker who is statistically worse than the guy we bought from Stoke for about 4m ! An stacker that’s a poor man’s shola !
Why yes Ashley has gone! Why yes so has charnley – but what has changed other than size of our bank account for which we are not willing to really invest in people! I’ve seen more posts about it’s nearly over the line that toys are in happy meals !
Loose against Leeds and we are done
So this new owner picked wrong manager and messed up even getting that done! Spent far to long on recruitment and even messed that up ! Clubs are thinking £25m for wood if that’s case this chap we have is worth 9x that ! Clueless leadership springs to mind
Mike taylor(Quote)
And that comment by Mike Taylor gives credence to the ‘deluded’ cliche that seems to be applied to NUFC fans.
The majority are fair minded and DON’T think that way..
CSH(Quote)
Why do you report a tweet word for word and then show the tweet as well? Do you think we didn’t believe you? This is a trick the Chronicle uses all of the time and it looks very much as if you’re saying – look, you don’t have to take our word for it!
Either report the tweets or show the tweets – there’s no need to do both!
Paul(Quote)
Mike Pardew had a better side than this would like to see what howe could do with side with the capabilities of Pardew’s side plus villa have by passed us with alarming rate since they got promoted and we had two year head start on them by all accounts Gerrard got interviewed for our job and didn’t impress if that’s true he obviously wasn’t up for this fight or is villa an easier leave for him if Liverpool job comes up
Darren Bebb(Quote)
The team needs dusting off and re polishing to much dead wood it goes on and on . Whatever happens happens we will be in a better place in a couple if years time.
Nufc(Quote)
I love the way that Matt said the new owners had communicated WITH fans, imply a two way process, but you changed it to communicating AT fans.
Bit of a Freudian slip there Olly?
In addition, a lot of the reasons that we are hearing for players not moving during the window are tied in with the players not wanting to come to Newcastle.
It appears that the North-East is not quite the draw that the fans keep telling us it is.
BykerBill(Quote)
This is the time to spend money not to save the fee quips starting from the day when you brought in Howe over many other better but more expensive managers. Now we were fighting relegation and the only way up with the useless manager was to bring in world class players and still you are still bargaining for the few quips , naively hoping that these players would give up their current club challenging in the top tier to come here to scramble for non relegation. Imagine spending 3 weeks to get the most important player Carlos to help us , Stalling talks with the club by keeping the transfer fee at 30M. Is this kind of naive mentality that will bring failure to the club and not the cheap talks of your wealth and success of the club
Jordin(Quote)
The new owners have done a great job so far, they can’t be expected to turn around a club that has even run down & neglected for 14 years by the previous owner, who has basically left a shell of a club for the new owners & left players on big contracts that are bang average or past their sell bye dates . look at this as a work of art .clear the decks &start with a blank canvas & put the pieces together bit bye but, rebuild the foundation& eventually created a masterpiece that we all can be proud of.
Paul Smith(Quote)
the trouble, I think,is our defense just don,t mark tight or press the opposition when we don,t have the ball, which is quite a lot really.frankly I don’t think our players are fit enough yet to tightly mark or press.
john marshall(Quote)
Time will tell about the manager. Our 25-man squad included 4 goalies for gawds sake due to lack of investment. Some-one said you cannot polish a t*rd and we have a lot of t*rds in our team none of which is Howe’s fault. he has actually got them training(novel concept Mr Bruce) and massively improved JoLinton. We are where we are solely because of Ashley with Bruce’s support. Our CB are aged and past their sell by date but until this window who could you play? Negativity breeds negativity-we have actual hope even if we get relegated-why not just enjoy the ride.
Michael Sursham(Quote)
Spot on pal it won’t all be a bed of roses (life isn’t)but we will be alright in the long run with these owners, GIVE THEM AND THE MANAGEMENT TEAM TIME AND THINGS WILL GET BETTER
Martin Souter(Quote)
The squad has to be dusted and repolished since there is so much dead wood. Whatever happens, we’ll be in a better situation in a few of years.
fireboy and watergirl(Quote)