January transfer window could be waste of time for Newcastle United
It may sound pessimistic, it may sound defeatist and I might have spoken too soon - but Newcastle United have it all to lose in the January transfer window.
Let's face it, if money is too tight to mention at St James's Park at the moment - judging by the "sell to buy" policy - what's the point in doing anything but protecting the good players we do have during this precarious period?
Selling Shay Given may seem like good business sense but with the current market only offering players that nobody else wants - it means that a £10million cash pot could end up being wasted on signings such as former January window flops like Celestine Babayaro, Jean Alain Boumsong or Amdy Faye.
Some names that have been mentioned don't get the pulse racing, Nigel Quashie for a start not to mention Artur Boruc - John Burridge's name will be next!
People might disagree but when United signed USA international Gooch Onyewu, at least the move was sensible.
The loan deal didn't prove to be the biggest disaster in the world for Newcastle but after not doing quite enough to stay he was sent back to Standard Liege.
Michael Owen is another way of getting cash for United but even if they picked up £5million, how do you replace such a predator with that and with the pedigree of Owen?
At the minute I just feel glad he is staying put until May and that he sticks to his word.
Given going may well leave fans gutted after 11 years of great service.
But at least if they'd have Steve Harper as back-up.
Then again on the other hand, if Harps gets injured then Newcastle would be left with inexperienced duo Tim Krul and Fraser Forster - both untried at the top level despite potential and can they handle the heat of a relegation battle if the Easington-born ace went down?
Again one massive gamble.
The other massive problem with the transfer window is that teams get ripped off and pay over the odds for average players that nobody else really wants.
Look at Wayne Bridge a snip at £12million? I don't think so - what price Given in that case?
Bridge is one of the better left-backs in the game but if he was that great he'd be getting a game at Chelsea
We all know about Boumsong from a few years ago but then you have players like Matthew Upson rated at £15million and still linked with Newcastle.
At 29, and like Barry Ferguson who Joe Kinnear said he wanted to buy in a Chronicle interview on Saturday, they aren't spring chickens anymore.
Like it or not, they don't fit into the Toon blueprint which Mike Ashley seems to be sticking with - so why should we expect big names?
Especially from a blueprint which has so far provided United with a selection of signings that were not household names.
A blueprint that doesn't seem to be interested in players above the age of 26.
A blueprint that doesn't splash the cash if you take away the exception that is Fabricio Coloccini at £10million.
But a blueprint that is by no means a failure to date.
Coloccini has been left wanting of late but overall he has been a steady buy with Sebastien Bassong proving excellent value at £1.2million and Jonas Gutierrez (whose fee could be up to £8million) has also been a relative success.
However, then there is a Xisco who arrived for £5.8million but has so far proved not to be the La Liga star everybody hoped.
It's believed that Xisco wants his chance under Kinnear but isn't prepared to play in the reserves to prove it after playing for Deportivo La Coruna's first team.
Injuries haven't helped but in English football you have to help yourself to prove to the fans you are up for it.
And if anybody can remember loanee Nacho Gonzalez the jury has to be out with the player hardly even kicking a ball in Toon colours.
So if it is to be loan signings to bolster the squad then be it.
And in the mean time let's hope that United are talking to quality but up and coming players for the summer who can arrive on Bosmans, keep the players they have to keep them up and with a bit of luck not get sucked into the sales and get ripped off.
Instead work with Xisco and get him fit, get him to justify his price tag.
Give the likes of Andy Carroll, Kazenga LuaLua and Nile Ranger a chance and nurture them through, what happened to if you're good enough you're old enough?
If Newcastle emerge as a weaker side when the window slams shut it could be the start of an agonising slope.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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Lee Ryder - Proudly born and bred on Tyneside, the Chronicle's chief sports writer has followed the fortunes of the club over the last three decades as a Toon fan and football writer.
how about michael owen? o right, he is in newcastle...
Lee,
I have to say, I completely agree with you. I think there's a lot of bs being talked out of Newcastle United at the moment. I think before the end of the window, Given and Owen may leave as the attraction of cash for Mr. Ashley is too big to ignore based on previous history.
Since he bought, there has basically been about almost zero positive investment in the squad. Actions speak louder than words, and so does the lack of it.
I think JFK is showing massive naivete in his dealings with the media in this regards thus far and he will pay the price at the end.
The problem is that the supporters have once again been led up the garden path and abused for their loyalty. The economic state of affairs has been a killer blow to our hopes of getting Ashley out, which I firmly believe has to happen for the club to compete in any meaningful way again.
I fear that the only significant transfer activity involving NUFC in the window will be outgoing. While we desperately need to use the window to strengthen our team for the relegation battle ahead, Ashley has other ideas. He seems to want to use the window to sell rather than to buy. I can see Given, N'Zogbia and Taylor amongst others all being gone by 2nd February, with very little or nothing in the way of new playing talent coming in.
Ashley has turned Newcastle into a selling club, exactly as we were in the dark days of Westwood, McKeag and Seymour. Anyone who has any doubts about that notion just cast your mind back to the end of the last window when James Milner was sold despite the then manager being absolutely determined to keep the player at all costs. Not only that but less than half of Milner's fee was ever re-invested in new players, and now there's no more cash available for that purpose.
Sadly I think there's no doubt that Newcastle will emerge from the window with an even weaker squad with the inevitable end result come May.
Lee do you think that the youngsters like Godsmark,Danqua,Ranger can step up to the first team them seem to be running riot in the reserves..
Is Barry Ferguson suddenly a different player than the one Souness blew 10 million on for Blackburn by the way? I've heard he's even worse! Also can Newcastle realy be trying to get rid of Enrique when that would leave us without a single regonised first team left back? Please make up some good news to write in your paper. I think weve already established no one up here is that bothered about getting lied to. Cheers.
Graham Taylor was on the radio yesterday and stated that he'd been involved a full statistical review of the 'success' of January transfers across football.
He reckons that only 8% of Jan transfers are considered a success - which is no doubt why the top four rarely bother. We have historically been the worst culprits in the 'wannabe window' buying all sorts of rubbish (us now replaced by Spurs, Man City, Villa and the like)
All that said these are very different times. We have a desperate need to boost the squad but I'd venture that numbers are more important that big names at the minute (buy 5 rocks and unearth a diamond??)
What we can't do is let the untouchables go. We must keep Given at all costs (the assumption that Steve Harper will just slot in without a contract on the table are misplaced at best and idiotic at worse). Owen will be off in the summer when he can secure a nice fat signing on fee, and as long as he scores goals till then that will be fine by me. Jonas should stay for effort and Coloccini for potential.
So who to go - Sure the Zog wants away but whats new there? Enrique - well, he's turned in some of the most nervous performances I've seen outside of a playground prompting me to seriously consider some sort of Candid Camera / Dom Jolly prank is underway 'Waiter to Footballer' the con of the century. Money for these two even in these circumstances is fine - if invested back into the team.
HI Lee
I was one off the first to say Ashley come back lets start again, lets forgive and forget,
But how wrong I was,
where is this club going with this idiot in charge, I will say this to Mike Ashley.
SPEND £20 MILLION NOW ON PLAYERS OR LOSE £200 MILLION IF WE ARE RELEGATED? IS THAT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND YOU FOOL
Well I see Shola's signed a new contract. Everything's rosy at SJP, isn't it?
Ashley, I categorically state right now that I will not be renewing my season-ticket again while you and your incompetent cronies are on the payroll. I think you are some kind of sadist toying with our emotions, and on your recent idiotic ramblings I wouldn't set foot back here in Newcastle if I were you. NO!!! you bumbling oaf, this is not a death threat, but you will be booed out of town. You sir need psychiatric evaluation for your delusions of grandeur. 'New-money' barrowboys are also never accepted into the sophisticated cliques of the elite, but then you'll have already found that out, that's why you get plastered in Dubai and New York, buying the beer for all that slap you on the back. You're finished up here mate.
Ashley, I categorically state right now that I will not be renewing my season-ticket again while you and your incompetent cronies are on the payroll. I think you are some kind of sadist toying with our emotions, and on your recent idiotic ramblings I wouldn't set foot back here in Newcastle if I were you. NO!!! you bumbling oaf, this is not a death threat, but you will be booed out of town. You sir need psychiatric evaluation for your delusions of grandeur. 'New-money' barrowboys are also never accepted into the sophisticated cliques of the elite, but then you'll have already found that out, that's why you get plastered in Dubai and New York, buying the beer for all that slap you on the back. You're finished up here mate.
Lee's point about inflated transfer fees is spot on in my opinion. When clubs (be they Manchester Sheikhy or not) are paying £11-12m for a reserve left back, something is clearly going very wrong. Asking £11-15m for a centre back who has never played any significant role at any big club, or featured much in his international squad (Upson), laughable. Has Scott Parker improved by £5m in his 18 months since leaving Newcastle for £7m? Don't even get me started on Downing.
It all comes back to these stupid transfer windows, where unnecessary pressure is placed on clubs, managers and boards to make signings, often where they aren't even needed. Instead, I would introduce a limit on the number of transfers a club could make per year. While I'm not saying I have all the answers, (although should FIFA want me to investigate them for a few hundred thousand quid a year, I'm available), I see this plan as achieving the following:
- The end to these cat-and-mouse games (currently being played by Middlesborough) trying to achieve the extortionate fees for average players such as those I mentioned earlier.
- Selling clubs will have to make a more rational assessment of their player's value, as interest will be less frequent and spread throughout the year, rather than condensed into two windows where they can hold out for more money.
- Clubs who need to sign a player at a certain time in a season (due to injury for example) could do so, rather than struggle through the next few months before being able to make the signing - by which time the injured player is fit again.
- Clubs who want to sell a player can do so, rather than the sale being jeopardised should the player be injured prior to, or during the transfer window.
- The likes of Man City can't go buying a bunch of players twice a year without choosing more carefully who they're using up their alloted transfers on.
Those are just for starters, and would surely be better for clubs of all sizes, both buying and selling. Small clubs running low on finances could be kept afloat by selling their prize assets which would reduce the number of clubs entering administration, (as it used to be). Dave B's 8% stat says it all about the failings of the transfer window system.
As for Newcastle, generally I agree with Lee, although what exactly is this 'blueprint'? Barry Ferguson doesn't seem to fit it. I'd like to see signings, but don't expect much at all given what's going on at the club. However, no way should we risk selling Enrique before signing another left back who is proven to be better - both scenarios would be suicidal, and surely we should be sending Gonzalez back? There won't be any big signings, but as a squad strengthening exercise, what about Chris Eagles at Burnley? He's looked decent when I've seen him this season - again last night, and will have a good pedigree coming from Man Utd. He plays on the right, which we need, because I'm still not convinced that Jonas prefers the right.
Why are we not trying to get Joe Ledley???
Now he's on his way to Stoke.
Ashley's track record in the transfer market doesnt inspire any confidence does it? Has this man ever really followed football? Has he any idea as to what is required in the transfer market especially for a team like Newcastle with the paper thin squad we have?? All I'm hearing is this 30 year old, that player on loan, this championship player?!! It may all be press talk & speculation but for a team and its fans who are in desperate need of a pick-me-up its just not enough. Are we to wait till the final day of the transfer window only to see another big name player leave and replaced by a 'has been' or an 'unheard of'? Surely Ashley can see the mess we are in, surely his best bet of winning over the fans & protecting his investment is to bring in some much needed "Quality" and to do it early!! I won't hold my breath!
I fully agree with Lee about the transfer window, which is usually just a way of pouring more money down the drain.
Definitely better to give the likes of Kazenga, Godsmark, Ranger a chance to prove themselves at top level. I could never understand why Newcastle's best young players are still 'kids', 'young guns', 'rookies' at an age when other clubs have settled good young talent into their first team squads.
I posed the question on a recent local phone in without response. What decent upcoming talented player, would even consider joining us? Our stock as a football club has plummeted since Ashley's arrival, and is still falling.Players looking for a final pay day will be our only answer.
Don't sign any rubbish kepp what we have and pay them more to stay. It is the only thing we can do. Nuff said.
Who cares anymore????????????????????????
Just want to point out your typo Lee when you say 'a blueprint that is by no(I take it you mean 'all' here) means a failure to date'. The Spanish collection has had all the impact of their previous attempts to colonise these shores(all at sea most of the time)and Bassong was a fluke signing (guess who saw his potential). The only one who you could say has made an impact is Guthrie. He's the type of player KK wanted to sign, no world beater(then again which world beater would join us)but a steady player with premiership experience. The predicament is dire and my opinion is we should take a punt on some of the Championship players in this ludicrous window. At least when Ashley's revenge masterplan comes to fruition in May he will save a bit by already paying Championship wages. Can't agree with your assessment of the keeper situation Lee, Given is a great shot stopper (though no commander of his area) and it would be sad to see him go. However, he deserves better and in Harper,Fraser and Krul I think we have sufficient ability and your tale of possible goalkeeping genocide at the training ground is unlikely given the standard of our strikers ability to shoot. As if the window isn't bad enough, worse news follows when Shola signs up for another 3 years holiday (nice blueprint there Ashley),Ashley's fortune takes a tumble (well it certainly wasn't money spent on us) and then there's talk of Portsmouth being after Barton. The man as a human being is despicable but as a player, is someone I would rather have in our side when the chips are down in April than those of a Latino persuasion who will no doubt develop some sort of injury to avoid the last stages of our demise.No,nothing this month will be positive for NUFC thanks to the regime and those followers who stand idly by while they crucify our club day by day
Never thought I'd say this after 20+ years of following the club, but I'm almost past caring now.
I know this sounds daft, but the club just doesn't feel like 'mine' any more. And it won't as long as Ashley and his despicable cronies are in charge.
Even when we were getting battered every week and sat at the bottom of the old second division, I never felt as low as I do now. Not for a second.
Ashley has stolen the soul of the club. That special thing that set us apart. That thing that every Geordie could identify with. The thing that made it 'our' club.
And he's broken both my will and my heart in the process.
ASHLEY IS KNOWN TO LIKE A GAMBLE, BOUGHT OUR CLUB WITH THE THE IDEA HE WAS GONNA SELL ON SHARPISH AND DO WHAT HE HAS ALWAYS DONE, MAKE A QUICK PROFIT, THIS IS WHAT HE HAS ALWAYS, BUT THIS GAMBLE HAS AND STILL WILL BLOW UP BIG TIME IN HIS FACE.
EVERY TRANSFER WINDOW HAS BEEN THE SAME UNDER HIS MISGUIDED OWNERSHIP, AND FOR THE FEW THAT STILL POST ON HERE SAYIN, WE HAVE TO GIVE HIS CHRONIES A CHANCE.
WE ARE IN COMPLETE AND UTTER DIRE STRAITS,
AND FOR THE FEW ON HERE WHO KEEP BLEETING THAT KEV LEFT US IN THE LURCH, ITS TIME TO WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE, HE WAS DUMPED ON BIG TIME.
HE NEVER DESERVED THE TREATMENT THAT CAME HIS WAY FROM ASHLEY AND HIS PUPPETS.
ASHLEY NEVER HAD THE GUTS TO STAND ON THE STEPS LIKE KEEGAN THE MAN DID, AND EXPLAIN HIS MOTIVES.
NOR DID WISE, NOR DID LLAMBIAS, NO THEY HID AWAY FED JK WITH ALL THE TRASH AND HE HAS JUST ROLLED OVER TO THERE WAYS.
WE WILL BE RELEGATED WE SIMPLY DONT HAVE ENOUGH QUALITY.
YEAH WE WILL PICK UP A RESULT HERE AND THERE BUT WE GET FAR TO MANY BAD ONES, AFTER THE ODD GOOD ONE.
TO MANY PLAYERS GOING DOWN INJURED WITH MORE TO COME.
THE ONLY WAY WE WILL EVER BE ABLE TO START TO REBUILD THIS CLUB BACK UP IS HOPEFULLY RELEGATION WILL FORCE ASHLEY TO SELL, EVEN AT A LOSS, DUE TO THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE.
THE ONLY REASON I THINK WISE IS STILL HERE IS THAT HE HAS GOT SOME PHOTOS OF ASHLEY IN A COMPROMISING POSTION WITH BIN LADEN, WHEN THEY WHERE ON THERE JOLLIES IN DUBAI.
THE ONLY WAY WE WILL EVER MOVE THIS CLUB FORWARD IS WITH A STABLE BOARD AND KEEGAN COMING BACK OR SHEARER TAKING THE REIGNS WHEN WE EVENTUALLY ARE RELEGATED.
ASHLEY SAYS HE WANTS TO MOVE THE CLUB FORWARD, KINNEAR IS BETTER THAN CAPPELLO WHY HAS HE NOT OFFERED HIM A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT, HE KNOWS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER HE WILL NOT BE THE OWNER COME THIS AUGUST.
GOOD RIDDANCE TO ASHLEY SOONER THE BETTER.
every time i hear ashleys "kinnear is better than cappello" comment, it infuriates me, my blood boils, steam comes out my ears
i can just see him sitting there with that fat smug grin. to me thats him just taking the total "mick" out off us
hes laghing at us man, its rubbing our noses in it.
i think he wants to turn us into some sort of feeder club that gets young kids in for nowt then sell them on for a profit.
something will wipe that smile off his face one day though, karma works in mysterious ways.....
In my darkest moments of paranoia after KK's assassination, thoughts of conspiracy loomed large in my mind. About a cockney billionaire who hated Geordies and thought he'd have some 'fun' by buying our club and destroying it for the sake of a measly couple of hundred million, most of which he'd get back anyway. Nothing we've seen so far has proved me wrong. Okay, I might be a nut job but if this does go all the way to the championship, I might write the book but I won't feel smug. Then, as I've always done since I was young, I'll support the Toon, but only under new ownership. How could a serious owner trying to sell his club to the oil sheiks, go on the p1ss and not turn up for a meeting, or go on the p7ss in New York, having champaigne shower fights after Keegan was summarily executed and the fans at home were in an uproar? My theory gains weight everytime I rake it up in my mind. I found out from a solid source that at that time, every month in a back room in a Chelsea bar, he was meeting with Wise and co. for a 'board meeting' away from Geordie ears, divulging nothing to Keegan. He's gone past redemption with this lack of funding in our dire situation of injuries and form. There needs to be a consolidation of the Ashley-out campaign if January goes without any serious effort to reinforce the squad with quality. It will then become transparently obvious that he's bluffing for time with his 'taking this club forward garbage.
There is a lot of talk in Scotland that the Toon are after Alan MacGregor (goalie) & Ferguson (midfield).
- MacGregor is a disaster with gloves and the Rangers fans would be very happy to get rid of him.
- Ferguson was the messiah, but after a longish injury he has returned with a whimper and is being overshadowed by the old man, Mendes.
Lets hope these transfer noises are nothing more than that, these guys would take us a step back - remember Jean-Alain Boumsong!!
& now I hear it's Smith for Mido, can you believe that??????????????????????? I tell you this club is a joke, the manager is a joke, the owner is a joke & I'm sick to death of it all. £6m for Ragers keeper, why? If Given leaves (which he will & good on you I say) it must be Harper who plays & the money spent elswhere. Why sell the leagues top keeper for £10m & replace him with rubbish for £6m? This guy can't even get ahead of the mackem clown for Scotland. JFK should hang his head in shame, I've stood up for him in the past because he took the job when no one else would touch it but if these are his ideas of quality signings to move the club forward then just get out of our club now you joker & take the fat idiot & the midget with you!!
Cockney conspiracies – really ???? – would someone go to so much trouble just to get back at the Geordie nation? Lets march on London NOW – and Geordie with my blessing burn them down.
Seriously though - There is nothing we can do about MA now. He will strip the club of it’s assets – and replace those valuable (expensive) assets (Given/Owen etc) with cheaper ones (Ferguson/Pub team players etc). This will reduce the clubs outgoings – which in turn make it appear a better financial proposition for the next clown who comes along and wants to own a football club.
Potential American/Arab/Russian buyers will not look at the quality of the players – they are only concerned with turnover – of which – wages are a large part. Reduce costs – and you have an efficient concern. Especially as we wont go down this season – but brace yourself for 2009-10 for being a whole lot of pain
What do we know about MA? – he behaves with little dignity or decorum, he has little class (feels at home with people like little Ernie Wise and JFK) and has no interest in building up our club – not least because someone so small minded will probably harbour a lot of resentment and spite towards us. Lastly – he is a salesman – he has made money from selling stuff – not buying, not investing, not having foresite and intuition – but from renting premises – filling them with shell suits, and flogging them to tramps. His is doing what he knows best – bargain basement sell-offs.
Lets face it this club lost all respect when they treated Bobby so badly. Bobby – a knight of the realm – dumped by a rag and bone man – and now we have this, a whole club dumped by a tubby factory outlet salesman.
This club has been trailed around the world for sale like a dirty T shirt, and still a buyer cannot be found. WHY? What is hidden in the books that turned 7 prospective buyers off? High wage bill? No, this is in the public domain. Debt? No paid off. Is there something that was revealed only after secrecy agreements were signed.
Or perhaps it was never for sale, only a scam to get Ashley off the hook after shafting KK. I think he didn't expect the reaction this deed provoked, and was panicked into it. This gave him breathing space, but the next 3 weeks will tell what his true intentions are.
We cant sell the club for these reasons: Nobody has £200M to spend(waste) on a football club anymore, we haven't won anything for 100 years, the players we have are poor and get paid a fortune, class players will never come to newcastls now or in the future. We will NEVER compete with the big 4. Lets face it Newcastle United is now and will always be most of the time, a club in the premier league but will not win anything other than a league or FA cup one lucky season. That is the truth and we will have to find young talent from Europe or the lower british leagues to improve. sorry to depress but I have watched this club for 30 years good and bad times.
Why is 8 million the price being quoted for Given. Surely, if he is to be sold he is worth at least twice that.
Especially when Man City were talking about spending 30+ Million for Buffon.
Or worse yet...Sunderland buying Gordon for 10 mil.....
As for a replacement if he is sold (hopefully not).... none needed to buy. Harper proved last season that he is up for it. And the two youngsters are more than capable for cover.
noo hawld on a minuite billy the fish,
we're all doon in the dumps but haway
kevin i totaly agree
and if given does go harper deserves it for his loyalty to the club over the years.
with bridge (a bit part player) going for 12 million, surly such an important first team player such as shay must be worth at LEAST 16m and if he goes for less it will be yet another disgraceto this once proud club.
i honestly think no-one will want come to newcastle anyway, or stay for that matter with these idiots in charge, and no clear plan for the future.
another thing jfk took the job when no-one with any integrity or self respct would touch it after the discracefull treatment of kk.
he admited himself that he nearly fell off his chair when he got the call,
saying if he does a good job over the next couple of games then gets replaced, it was good for the cv so to speak, a good advert
'joe kinnear football manager, remember me, i can still do it' type thing.
So joes been ashleys yes man, getting his name in the football circles again.
however he has been passing on ashleys contradictive piffle and lies, for a while now and making a fool of himself in the prossess.
make no mistake jfk is no fool,
he knows how hard the football world can be and how easy it is to be cast into the football wilderness, having just emerged from it himself with his lucky break at the toon.
I think the cracks are begining to show though, with his down beat reactions when quizzed on the transfer situation and looks of "im F'ing. sick of this"
when he feels he has done enough for his cv
and doesnt NEED to put up with being made to look a complete idiot by ashley, he'll be away aswell.
Thats if ashley doesn't push him to far and tells one lie to many before then.
THEN WHAT WILL YOU DO MIKE????
APOINT YOUR BUMCHUM WISE??????????
Its funny how all of a sudden most of the players are touting their services to other clubs. Zog should go, im fed up of him sulking. He says hes a pro, yeah right. What kind of a pro repeatedly comes out and says he wants off and the board wont stop him leaving. Even geremi's having a go now! Christ it must be bad if he's had enough!
Still atleast we have ameba for another few years! He could well turn out to be our ONLY signing!
Another day goes by and another useless scottish league player is linked with our club. We must be buying most of rangers according to some reports.
I agree with what someone else wrote - the soul is being ripped out of our club by the board.
We probably have even less stability now than when we were up for sale. Since ashley said we werent for sale, our players are becoming aggitated and more fans are becoming increasingly annoyed/dismayed/past caring etc etc... Im one of them!
captcha OUT!!
Just read on the BBCwebsite that Zoggy the Froggy has once again expressed his desire to quit Toon. I'd allow him to leave for free if only he promised to shut the hell up with all of his complaining...good luck warming up some london-bench. Nugget!!!
Let's bring in some players who actually want to honour their contract and who would be proud to put on the NUFC-shirt - don't care if they're from Conference and if their technical skills are three levels below those of Mike Ashley's granny - as long as they're prepared to fight for the team!! We need hard work - not sulking, overpaid opportunists.
OK, despite all of the endless doom and gloom surrounding the club, what we cannot do is just wallow in our depression. And I'm talking to myself here as much as anyone else! I don't mean forgiving Ashley. I will never forgive him.
What I mean is that we should try to positively take the initiative back. We were powerful when we were UNITED in our protests after KK left. It's only our subsequent apathy that has let Ashley off the hook. How hard did he really try to sell the club when he could see that we were only venting our spleens on these blogs, not tearing down the walls of St James'?
If he can't or won't sell the club, we've got to try to get him to change his behaviour. If we're stuck with him for the foreseeable future, we've got to try to influence what's happening at the club. Personally, I can't walk away from the club until I know I've at least had a go at changing things for the better.
The starting point has got to be both sides understanding each other's positions better, hasn't it? Has anyone representing the fans actually approached Ashley and requested a meeting? What has happened to NUSC? Is that the right body to organise some sort of coordinated action?
I know Ashley should be the one holding out an olive branch to the fans, but he isn't. Before we all give up on the club we love, is it worth one last attempt at creating some sort of dialogue with Ashley? If the answer's 'yes', how do we do it?
MA is a billionare yes? A billionare is somebody who has like a thousand million pounds no? Thats a lot of money. Why on gods green earth do we have to sell our ONLY star player in SG?!!! Surely ashley could throw JK a 30mil war chest and hardly notice any difference in his bank account. This man is going to lose millions when we get relagated (maybe not this year, but at this rate, IT WILL HAPPEN)
C`mon MA, you want to move forward? Well start paying for us to go forward then. You have to spend it to make it.
Sickens me how he says he has our best interest at heart, then JK has to sell from a thread bare thin squad to raise money
SORT YOURSELF OUT MA OTHERWISE WE WILL GET RELAGATED!
Jay....Ashley's worth 2 billion... that's 2 thousand million. 30 Million would be nothing to him, or 50 million to save our premiership future. Which is why it appears to me that such a rich man, mouthing off continually about taking the club 'he loves' forward, but in reality systematically dismantling it, has another agenda. He couldn't be so rich and so stupid as to allow the club to slide so drastically down the pan when he could spend a little bit of beer money to make it great again.
wow, 2 billion!!! Thats a hell of a lot of zeros. He could easily make us a force to be reckoned with within a couple of years of stability. But I have to agree with you ron, that I tghink MA has another agenda. Sad times indeed :(
The fat man is now worth £800m as he's lost so much over the past 12 months. He won't invest anything in the club he's just asset striping so the bottom line looks better for when he manages to flog the club on to the next mug who wants to have a go.
oh & can we sell bloody N'Zogbia to any one who'll take him? I'm sick of his rubbish everytime the window is open as I've said before I can't see why people rave about him so much, look at his record re goals/assists, it's poor & he'll never be a left back as long as I've got a hole in my backside!!
We have good players but obviously need more strength in depth. Something Keegan pointed out in the summer and Kinnear has clarified. However i feel a certain deja vu is upon the toon. The manager saying before the transfer window that good new arrivals will come to strengthten the squad then we sit around waiting for Dennis Wise to actually justify his huge salary. From what i can gather all our hopes of players coming in lays in his hands. All ive heard so far is how hes tryed to get rid of our best players. Hes a bad apple and the first bit of transfer business we should do is release him from his contract.
Mike Ashley must know something the rest of us dont about him cause the rest of us know hes useless at buying and selling players(his job). Kinnear will find himself without the players he wants to bring in and know doubt without some of the best players already at the club come febuary. Just like Keegan in September.