AyeDubbleYoo

Basically think this is the more likely scenario. If it turns out he didn't really care about NUFC as much as we thought, then a move to Liverpool under a new manager with a new striker partner and massive wages is actually a very good package. It's just the local connection he has that makes it hard to understand. Otherwise it's perfectly normal.

If you can explain how they got him to hand in a transfer request, I'll agree with you. Any number of incentives or threats. It goes against every instinct I have that he suddenly decided he wanted to leave on the last day of Janurary after a massive offer was made. Are you suggesting they bribed him to put in a transfer request? Or Liverpool bunged him a backhander? He could have still ended up at Liverpool anyway, if Ashley desperately wanted to sell him all he had to do was say "OK, I'd rather stay but if you don't want me I'll leave".

Blackburn won the league, they're a nothing club now. Leeds were on the verge of the Champions League, they suffered successive relegations. Blackpool were unheard of, they're one of the most compelling teams in the league at the moment. Chelsea were firmly second-rate before Abramovich. Everything in football can change, and very quickly. Obviously it depends on money, but that's a question of spending power rather than 'brand value'.

It's just the new policy isn't it, not commenting on the details of transfers? I don't think the club have confirmed a purchase or sale price for ages.

Genuinely don't think I'd even consider a move away from NUFC if I was playing for us. Honestly, not even to triple 40k a week wages. I'm leaning towards that myself, although I guess £40k a week must start to seem normal after a while - as mad as that sounds to ordinary people.

In my career, I would obviously jump at the chance to move anywhere for a massive wage increase. But then I'm not playing up front for Newcastle Utd after supporting them all my life. I can't decided whether that makes enough of a difference that I can understand Carroll taking the money.

Ronaldo, do you have any idea why Carroll would submit a transfer request if he was really 'forced out'? I can't think of a way the club could have got him to do it.

Can you think of any reason he would have submitted a transfer request though heza?

I don't remember that

Still doesn't make any sense that he handed in a transfer request. He could have been the heroic martyr if he's not done that.

Pardew certainly seemed confident in the radio interview that there would be quite a bit of dealing in the summer. Obviously you don't have to believe him, but I'll at least be hopeful we'll make a couple of decent signings. We might not get the full £35m for players, but a good slice of it would be nice.

Man City have just busted that glass ceiling, haven't they? From also-rans to title contenders in one season. It's just that it can't be done by a club spending within its normal limits anymore.

Neither would the previous policy of spraying money about on overpriced and declining wasters TBF. There has to be a happy medium somewhere!

He'll never be any better than he is now, and that's about as good as he was 5 years ago. But that's OK, I've accepted him with all his limitations.

Thats what gets me. Its all about mentality. I agree with Merlin, and Alex Ferguson who has said similar (Newcastle always sell their best players), but I don't see why it needs to be the case. We were on par with Liverpool in 2004 with pretty similar resources. They went forward, we went back. All about decisions made at the top. So frustrating. We nearly spent our way to the title a couple of times, it's just that it turned out not to be sustainable and Shepherd bailed out and left us with Ashley.

I usually quite like Caulkin, but that's shit.

There's no reason I can think of Jonny, if the transfer request is fact then there's no way Carroll would submit it unless he genuinely wanted to go to Liverpool. Merlin has done a good job explaining why he might have wanted to go, but the fact remains he must have wanted it.

Exactly, it's written in the stars that NUFC and Shola Ameobi shall walk together for all time. I don't rate him in the grand scheme of things, but then you could say that about a lot of strikers plying their trade in the Premier League at the moment.

I think this situation is worse though, because we thought Carroll understood how important NUFC was to the fans and he loved the club himself.

Merlin, that's a really interesting post. Can I ask then, why do you still support NUFC and do you get any enjoyment out of it?

There would be no reason for Carroll to submit a transfer request if he didn't want to leave. And as far as I can think, there would be no way the club could convince him to do so. Does anyone else have a way?

Fucking him off as we speak, even though he might get another 10 goals and he's dirt cheap.

Then he should resign if he doesn't want to be complicit. Honourable men like Kevin Keegan do that (and get slated for it), not snakes in the grass like Alan Pardew. Spineless worm. Yeah, I know he's guilty by association, but he probably wants the job more than he wants to be seen to be standing up to the owners. I can't really blame him for that, managers probably do it all the time.

Will be meeting with NUFC PR Advisors now about how to handle this. After shagging someone else's wife/dog/cat/gran. I don't think NUFC have any PR Advisors. If they do they're fucking terrible. Yep - they appointed a female head of PR last year, I'm sure. Did you smash it?

Will be meeting with NUFC PR Advisors now about how to handle this. After shagging someone else's wife/dog/cat/gran. I don't think NUFC have any PR Advisors. If they do they're fucking terrible.