Wallace

That's my worry with this 'in the new year' comment. We'll need players in January, even if they're just to bulk out the squad. It was 2-3 weeks after the end of the transfer window that the City deal was finally concluded. Therefore, the buyers may be in a similar position in January where they could approve signings although I guess you would want a new manager first.

Not concerned about the lack of communication over the proposed sale or even from Ashley but do think that the chairman Llambias should be uttering the odd statement in public now and again seeing as he supposed to be the person running the club. There has been nothing from him even before Keegan left. There are other issues that the club can pass comment on. Just wish Kinnear would shut up now as I am sick of the contradictory nonsense he is coming out with and I do not think he is doing himself any favours - should have kept to his original promise about not speaking to the media.

All the interviews I have seen from him over the weekend have said nice things about the club and how the fans deservce success. Also said that he did not really want to leave. And seeing that he joined just before SBR left when many of current problems can be traced back to, he is right to say there was always turmoil at the club during his time here. Considering the way he was sometimes treated during his time here, I think he has been quite gracious.

Even if he made those promises about investing in the team etc, how can we believe him. He made loads of promises since he arrived and kept few of them. Words in written statements come easy to him, actions do not.

Joe Kinnear also said this in his Radio Newcastle interview on Saturday afternoon. Said due diligence had been done and they would be speaking to people this week. It wasn't picked up by the interviewer so was not discussed further.

So we can be much more f***ed than we currently are? Unless we get a big pile of money and buy in 4 or 5 top class players then there's very little point having Owen at the club. I'd have him if I were one of the !~BIG 4~!, useful impact sub to have if you really need a goal. No doubt about that. But for us he has to start and without the quality service he needs he's pretty much a hindrance to have on the field. Let him off and get in someone else who'll contribute more to our all-round game. The fact that he's made of biscuits doesn't help, either. I totally disagree with that perception of him, tbh. I think he's looked a really complete player since the back end of last season when Keegan found a role for him that works. As an out and out striker, aye, he's not as useful as he was as he doesn't have the pace anymore. Playing off one striker, or two for that matter, and he's a competely differnet player. Excellent distribution, excellent movement and pretty creative on the whole imo. He's absolutely fantastic on the ball, in and around the box. As i've mentioned before, it's one of the most excruciating things about our situation. Owen's finally returned (as close as he's ever been) to his best, and we're absolutely f***ed. He's off, no doubt about that. Such a shame; such a massive waste altogether really. I agree with this. And I think if Keegan was still here and the club hadn't messed about with his contract, that he might well have been happy to sign. However, I think he is in a difficult situation now. To get back into the England reckoning, he is going to need to play regular football - will he get that with a top 4 club - highly unlikely. Arsenal could probably do with a finisher like him but I don't see him fitting in there. Everton are rumoured to have been interested but could they afford him unless they are taken over and so far they are struggling this season although I am sure they will improve? Aston Villa would seem to be an attractive option and I think they could afford him but would they want to pay those kind of wages. City can afford him but it depends on how Hughes wants to develop them as they could attract better players. Spurs might be interested but that move would make no sense as they are in as bad a state as us at the moment. If we get taken over, get a good manager in and have money to spend in January and look like we are on the up again, then maybe we might seem an attractive option again as I do think he is fairly settled here and seemed to be enjoying his football again. I just think his options are limited at present and if he moves, he will have to make some sort of concesssion - whether that is financial or playing time remains to be seen.

Always wondered if Liverpool fans were aware of a previous venture by Tom Hicks in the North East. http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-evening-chronicle/2008/03/18/sacked-workers-to-pocket-just-3-of-payouts-72703-20639565/ Sacked workers to pocket just 3% of payouts Mar 18 2008 by Alastair Craig, Evening Chronicle HUNDREDS of sacked workers were facing fresh heartache today, seven years after they were dumped on the dole. They appeared to be winning their battle to win cash owed by circuit-board maker Viasystems, once bossed by Liverpool FC tycoon Tom Hicks. In the first of an expected 685 Newcastle employment tribunals against the doomed firm, three former employees were yesterday awarded more than £75,000 in compensation. But ex-workers at the company’s axed Longbenton and South Shields plants will barely see a penny. The Chronicle has discovered the compensation victory is not worth the paper it’s written on. In a cruel twist for workers, the firm’s liquidators have revealed they’ll pocket just 3% of their payouts. Ian Brown, a partner in London-based Deloitte Touche, said: “They’ll get 2p or 3p in every pound. Their awards will be ranked as unsecured creditors.” In March last year we revealed that dismissed Viasystems workers were still owed £2.5m severance pay. Around 850 staff of the firm, of which Hicks was chairman, lost their jobs in September 2001. Under a Viasystems redundancy scheme they should have received money for every year they served with the company, but workers have only ever received a statutory Government payout worth 2p for every £1 owed. So they were incensed when Mr Hicks secured the £450m takeover of Liverpool FC last year. Among the first to win their unfair dismissal claims yesterday was manager Terry Cooke, of Hebburn, South Tyneside, who was granted £12,870. But the best he can hope for is £386. Next was John Kerton, of Sunderland, who had worked at the South Shields plant for 13 years. He was awarded just under £26,500, but said he’d be surprised to get a penny. Mum-of-two Maria Patterson, 43, of Tunstall, Sunderland, should have been overjoyed at her £35,000. Instead, the former Longbenton-based manager is resigned to pocketing next to nothing. “In reality I did it for the principle and to get closure,” she said. “The plant closure came as a shock, but this award counts for little.” GMB regional secretary Tom Brennan, whose union represents hundreds of Viasystems workers, today branded the awards a hollow victory. He added: “The situation remains disgusting. It’s time for Tom Hicks to cough up. It’s far too easy for companies to call in the administrators and not have to face up to their responsibilities to staff.” Tycoon Hicks completed the £450m takeover of Liverpool FC with fellow American George Gillet. Viasystems Tyneside Ltd went into administration in September 2001, forcing the closure of its Longbenton factory and making hundreds redundant at its South Shields plant. Workers have still not been paid their company redundancy payments, worth an average £27,000 each, with some owed £50,000. In 2004 the GMB sent three former Viasystems workers to Texas to call for a meeting, but they were unable to meet with Hicks, one of the richest men in America and a close pal of President Bush. Hicks co-founded and became chairman of investment firm Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst in 1989, which founded Viasystems in 1996. In 2001 the investment firm, of which Hicks was chairman, took control of Viasystems and in February 2002 Hicks became chairman.

Wouldn't be surprised if he ended up at Spurs if Comolli was to leave. Close friend of Poyet and responsible for getting them Ramos.

He looked off the pace after a long lay off. If he lacked heart he would probably have avoided playing in the first place after only a few days training. Yes he went down at one point and when got back up, he was limping for a short while so maybe they decided not to take any risks.

Police told us that 1400 tickets had been sold before the game. There would have been a few more added onto that with people being able to pay on the day.

After all the negative publicity, isn't it great when you hear your club being talked about in positive terms...and from someone you respect above most others in the game? Maybe he can recommend a manager to us.

It was said at the time that Ashley personally intervened to give Taylor a new contract.

The lad is obviously lacking in confidence at the moment and they don't have the option of playing someone else unless you would prefer Edgar or Tozer instead. Until Beye and Enrique are fit again, he will be playing so why not get behind him.

I was curious about that as well as they were cordoned off before most of the other Blackburn fans were in.

Great post that...started off with "regardless of who is right or wrong" and ended up regarding one person only wrong. Well he if changed the opening bit to "regardless of who was right or wrong at the outset" then I think he's spot on. Aren't you one of the tits who was rejoicing in the thread about Guthrie's tackle which saw him suspended for three matches? That's worked out well hasn't it? Enjoyed watching Cacapa in midfield have you? Apologies for not writing with great clarity - I try my best. And thanks Geordiesned for realising what I was trying to say.

Regardless of who is right and wrong in all of this, the fact remains that Ashley and co have mismanaged the situation to such an alarming extent that we now find ourselves in the current mess. Everything they have done since rumours first circulated that Keegan may have been sacked has inflamed the situation - lack of communication at key moments, Ashley partying in NY, offending potential buyers in the Middle East, ill-informed statements, non-communication with club staff, temporary manager on a match by match basis etc etc. They have managed to upset Keegan, the players and club staff, the fans, potential buyers and even the press are taking a dim view of their behaviour. Strong management from the outset would have avoided a lot of the damage. They cannot have made more of a cock-up if they had tried. I cannot believe that not one of the board members cannot see the damage they have actually caused by their own (lack of) actions and that they have made no attempt to rectify things. I do not know what and who to believe in this whole sorry mess but one thing is for certain, Ashley and co have absolutely no idea how to run a football club.

Why do the Nigerians keep talking about it in the press and talking about how much money they are raising. There have been some comments that Ashley is willing to take less than the figures quoted last week and if that is true then saying they are trying to pay the original asking price is just daft. Surely, they should be trying to raise the finance discreetly and then negotiate. All seems a bit strange to me.

I just cannot work out what is going on - it is like he is messing with our heads. Everything that is said or done contradicts something said or done earlier. If he wants to sell the club, then the way he has gone about it is bizarre. I am sure, that it could all have been done discreetly. Whatever his intentions are, they need to sort it out quickly because it is affecting everyone and especially the players. A few of them may well want to be off in January and probably the better ones and if we are struggling, it will be difficult to attract players to the club. I think the last few weeks have caused untold damage. And they need to find a good manager urgently. I am sure if the club was sold, that if the manager was doing well, he would be kept on.

Now that the media have got their teeth into it, it is all getting a bit embarrassing. Ashley maybe behaving properly or not but with so many conflicting stories about and the tabloids on his case, who knows what is happening. However, whilst they are all out in the Middle East, what is happening about sorting out the football side of things. They cannot allow it to limp on. I am sure all his mates do not need to be out there with him - what does Wise know about selling a football club. It gives the impression that they have abandoned ship. Nothing makes any sense to me at the moment but everything we hear about his actions are contradictory. He wants to sell but is seemingly alienating potential buyers. He wants a huge profit but is damaging the product more each day. It just seems as if he has thrown his toys out out the pram and doesn't care anymore and it is all a bit of a hoot for him.

David Craig on SSN says the Chronicle reports they are looking for a short-term manager - possibly Curbishley or O'Leary. Isn't O'Leary a friend of Llambias?

It is a shame because I think Keegan had him won over and he wanted to stay but the way the Club has treated him in the last few months is appalling. Hawking him around whilst saying they have offered him a contract to cover their backs plus what has happened in the last fortnight. I imagine he cannot wait to be away now and I wouldn't blame him - unless of course we manage to sell the club to someone who can afford his wages, bring in a top manager and buy some players.

The trouble is many in the media are focussing on it on not being safe for Ashley to attend games and the hostility of the fans that would await any potential buyer should there not be immediate success. Not very helpful when trying to sell the club.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article4754191.ece From The Times September 15, 2008 The end of a car-Toon era at St James’ Newcastle 1 Hull 2 George Caulkin Mike Ashley: an apology. In common with many news organisations over recent days, The Times may have inadvertently suggested that one Michael James Wallace Ashley has somehow been responsible for the slow death of Newcastle United. We now accept, without reservation, that this allegation is completely false. We are happy to set the record straight. Ashley, in fact, has done the opposite. Through mismanagement and folly, from the whittling of Kevin Keegan’s authority to the point of resignation, through the appointment of Dennis Wise, the absence of public leadership, a refusal to communicate until yesterday’s statement, a witless summer in the transfer market and the small-minded snubbing of Alan Shearer, supporters are mobilised. Newcastle are not dying, Newcastle are reborn and contrary to appearances, Saturday was an uplifting occasion. The 2-1 defeat by Hull City was alarming in that it pointed to a long season of grind – and vindicated Keegan’s longstanding concerns about the depth of the squad – but the turmoil that surrounded it was inspirational. Anger is an energy and it is forcing Ashley out. Amid the chaos, the protests, the chants, the march and the boycott of merchandise, the football felt like an irrelevance, so with more apologies – this time to Hull, whose composure would usually warrant greater attention – this cannot be a traditional match report. What follows is a series of random observations. Related Links Ashley: ‘You want me out so I shall go’ 1.There is a Light That Never Goes Out. The DJ at St James’ Park knows his stuff and the Smiths song that played after the final whistle was apt. Newcastle’s future may be uncertain, but here was a substantial reminder of Geordie ardour. Powerful, emotive, raw and important. 2. Newcastle, united. There have been lean spells on Tyneside and much underachievement, but rarely has there been a universal target of disapproval. Freddy Shepherd led a discredited regime, but the former chairman’s failings were often disguised by a Hollywood signing, unpopular managers or errant players. Now the opposition is focused. 3. Where’s Waldo? Neither Ashley nor Wise were present on Saturday, but if the notion of accountability suffered, the cacophony will have echoed as far as London. In the directors’ box, Derek Llambias sat amid empty seats. When a banner reading “Cockney Mafia Out” was carried around to raucous applause, the managing director smiled. It was less a demand than a prediction. 4. Sing your hearts out for the lads. A selection of songs, which will not be available in any shops: “Taxi for Ashley”; “He’s thick, he’s fat, he is a f***ing t***, Ashley, Ashley”; “He’s a dwarf, a dwarf, it’s plain to see, to see, he’s smaller than you and me, he’s a dwarf, a dwarf”; “Sack the board”; “There’s only one Kevin Keegan”. And from the away end: “Are you Grimsby in disguise?” 5. Crisis, what crisis? Late on Friday night, Hull’s first-team squad moved to the Malmaison hotel after an altercation with a wedding party at their country retreat. Phil Brown’s close association with Sam Allardyce, the former Newcastle manager, was apparently a source of dispute; the home team looked more fatigued. 6. Danger, genius at work. Ashley, we are informed, had a five-year plan. He wanted younger, hungrier (cheaper) players. But while injuries may be prevalent, Newcastle confronted Hull with no recognised full backs and a substitutes’ bench featuring Frank Danquah, Mark Doninger and Ryan Donaldson. Xisco looked like the new Shola Ameobi. The old Shola Ameobi was jeered off. 7. And in other news . . . a match took place. Marlon King scored twice for Hull, initially through a penalty and then, in the second half, after turning inside Charles N’Zogbia. An unmissable tap-in from Xisco in the 82nd minute did not herald a come-back but more frustration. Danny Guthrie was dismissed after two red-mist lunges on Craig Fagan. 8. A fine mess. Whatever else happens in NE1, the Toon Army is marching. What Saturday proved is that ownership of a club is about more than billionaires and directors of football and Newcastle has been taken back by their fans. As Ashley said yesterday: “I have listened to you.” So apologies, Mike. And thank you. And, now, goodbye.

Now that we know Ashley wants to sell, how are we going to get a new manager?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/newcastle/article4754283.ece From The Times September 15, 2008 Alan Shearer caught up in Mike Ashley's war Newcastle relieve their record goalscorer Alan Shearer of ambassadorial duties while the owner heads for the way outGeorge Caulkin With Mike Ashley serving notice of his intention to sell Newcastle United last night - telling protesting supporters “I have listened to you,” — the scale of his regime's descent into acrimony became apparent when it emerged that Alan Shearer had been stripped of his ambassadorial role at St James' Park. After Kevin Keegan's recent resignation, another Tyneside legend has officially been ousted from the club. It is understood that members of Newcastle's hierarchy were in Dubai yesterday, seeking buyers for a club that has imploded since the closure of the transfer window on September 1. Officials have made overtures to a reluctant Amanda Staveley, who was instrumental in the recent takeover of Manchester City and is fronting the Dubai bid for Liverpool, but have not had any contact. While the prospect of the Newcastle owner and his acolytes leaving will prompt jubilation among most fans, it is not yet a certainty. “It won't happen overnight and it may not happen at all if a buyer does not come in,” the billionaire gave warning. Last week, Anil Ambani, the Indian businessman, withdrew from attempts to purchase Newcastle “because of the turbulent conditions which currently exist there”. In an extraordinary 1,644-word statement released to the club's website, Ashley issued an emotional defence of his 16-month stewardship, claiming that the club “might not have survived” without his £244 million investment, £110 million of which, he said, was to reduce, if not clear debts. To his many critics, the era of Geordie glasnost began far too late. Related Links Ashley mucked it up, plain and simple Hull add to Newcastle United's woes Latest twist in plot descends into farce Ashley did not attend the 2-1 defeat at home by Hull City, which featured noisy demonstrations against him and Dennis Wise, the executive director (football). “I have really loved taking my kids to the games, being next to them and all the fans,” he said. “But I am now a dad who can't take his kids to a football game on a Saturday because I am advised that we would be assaulted. Therefore, I am no longer prepared to subsidise Newcastle United.” Yet Ashley's passionate justification of Wise's role — “Dennis and his team have done a first-class job in scouting for talent to secure the future of the club,” he said — is undermined by the paucity of Newcastle's squad, from which Habib Beye will be missing for ten weeks with an Achilles tendon injury. Nor will his popularity be assisted by his treatment of Shearer. While Shearer's role as Newcastle's sporting ambassador — he was appointed in May 2006 — was largely honorary, it was also symbolically significant. Whether Ashley sanctioned the move is unclear, but when the club's record goalscorer described the management structure on Gallowgate as “dangerous” on television, the response was one of fury. John Beresford, a popular player during Keegan's first spell in the dugout, has also been relieved of his corporate hospitality match-day role after comments in the local media. Ashley made a desperate attempt to woo Keegan back to the club during discussions in Central London on Friday night, but his credibility among supporters is tarnished. Ashley insisted that his motivation for buying Newcastle was not financial, but intimated that he is seeking a profit. “I hope that the next owner is someone who can lavish the amount of money that the fans want,” he said. “This will not be a fire sale. Newcastle is in a much stronger position than it was in 2007. It is planning for the future and it is sustainable.”