Wallace

The hierarchy need to take control of the situation. They need to stop hiding and show some leadership. Everyone has contributed to this mess - the board, Keegan and the fans. Continuing to drift like a rudderless ship as we are now is just going to make it worse.

It was said to me yesterday that our programmes used to be printed locally but are now done in London by a relative of the Spurs chairman Daniel Levy. Apparently there is a Levy listed in the credits but whether this is true or not, I have no idea.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1683151.ece Ashley did it to save his neck By PAUL JIGGINS THE moment Kevin Keegan walked out of St James’ Park, Mike Ashley knew he was going to be the target for a bucket-load of abuse. That is why the Newcastle owner had to meet King Kev in London last night in a bid to get the Toon legend back in charge. It was the only way to appease the Geordie faithful and save Ashley’s neck. There are security fears over Ashley’s safety as he is expected to turn up for today’s clash against Hull, with the Toon Army furious their hero had been driven out of the club last week. Any prospect of King Kev returning seemed impossible after his acrimonious departure as manager. Then came a glimmer of hope but, unfortunately for Ashley, talks between the parties appeared to fall apart last night. A Newcastle source said: “The only way Mike Ashley could show his face safely at St James’ is if Kevin Keegan is back in charge of the team. “The fans despised Ashley when Kev left and they were ready to show him their feelings in no uncertain terms.” Ashley showed an enormous amount of bottle in trying to bring Keegan back home again. The Newcastle supremo and chief lieutenants Dennis Wise, Derek Llambias, Tony Jiminez and David Williamson were all turned into public enemies when Keegan stormed away, furious at their interference in team affairs. Keegan was sick of being told he could not have the players he wanted — and sick of Wise identifying the players Newcastle were prepared to bring in. The angry supporters lay the blame for the Messiah’s resignation squarely at the door of the boardroom. And the black ’n white striped hordes planned to let Ashley ’n Co feel the full force of their anger this afternoon. The Toon Army had organised no less than FIVE demonstrations in Newcastle’s city centre before, during and after the match. One fans’ group called for supporters to congregate an hour before kick-off at the old Milburn reception area of the ground. Northumbria Police allocated an extra 150 officers to go on duty to ensure the protests do not get out of hand. A source said: “This is really the only solution for Ashley. All the protests, all the security problems — everything disappears if Kev comes back. In fact, Ashley could even go back to standing among the supporters if he pulls this off.” Ashley, who bought the club last year, has been advised to reassess his personal security arrangements for when he attends games. Toon officials want to beef up protection inside the stadium with extra stewards stationed around the directors’ box. Ashley’s move to bring Keegan back underlines his plan to sell the club — with King Kev at the helm, Newcastle would look like a more attractive proposition for would-be buyers. But a spokesman for the League Managers’ Association last night revealed talks “failed to reach a satisfactory conclusion.” The silence from inside St James’ Park since Keegan’s exit on September 4 has been deafening. Nine days on and still no one at the club has spoken officially about what actually happened with King Kev. Advertisement Ashley and director of football Wise, who is not far behind him in the hated stakes on Tyneside, have refused to comment. Nor have vice-president Jiminez and executive director Williamson. Ashley refused to speak to SunSport when confronted at the Sports Direct AGM on Wednesday and there was no Press conference yesterday. Even managing director Llambias has pulled his programme notes for today’s match. Instead it has been left to caretaker boss Chris Hughton, who has been at the Toon for seven months, and skipper Michael Owen to try to explain events. Hughton, in today’s match programme, said: “Nobody needs me to tell them that the last fortnight has been a difficult one for everyone connected with Newcastle United. “Following the departures of Kevin Keegan and Terry McDermott, I was asked by the board to take temporary charge of first-team affairs. “That has meant working with the players and getting them ready for today’s game against Hull City. “And that has been my sole focus over the past week. “I’ve been assisted this week at the training ground by Academy director Richard Money and Alan Thompson, not to forget goalkeeping coach Paul Barron. “All of us have been in football long enough to know you have to deal with whatever challenges come your way. And the same applies to the players.” Owen, in his programme notes, said: “Whatever the events of the past couple of weeks off the field, all the players are proper professionals, we are all paid to do a job, and we have to go out and continue to do that job. “The only thing the players can do is play to their best and get good results for the club, and we have to focus on doing that.”

If the LMA had not come out with their statement last night then everyone would still be expecting Keegan to come back as the club has not got the decency to be honest with the supporters.

Not impressed by the choices. However, Ince has long bemoaned how much harder it is for him to get on the managerial ladder and if he was to leave the first Premiership club to take a chance on him after only a few weeks, I think that would be very poor of him.

For me it is about how the board are treating the fans, the lack of information and misinformation and what exactly are Ashley's intentions for the club. I thought it would quieten down with the gap before the Hull game but that ridiculous statement last week only fuelled things again. I think it is now about more than the Keegan resignation. I am concerned about the financial situation as well. I appreciate that it is a business venture for Ashley so he will be looking to make money but we appear reluctant to spend anything. What happens next year when there is less season ticket money coming in because people have paid up front. I just think that the plan is to buy players cheap and sell them for a profit and therefore there is no real ambition to challenge for any honours. But then who knows because they never say anything to the supporters. For too long, people have been saying Newcastle fans will turn up regardless of performance and buy all the merchandise. Maybe Ashley has misjudged his market and for once fans are saying, they are not prepared to be mugs any longer.

really? Sky reporting that he was stretchered off in the first half.

A tiny part of my brain thinks that may be a good idea but at the moment, my primary worry is not losing all our best players. I am resigned to thinking Owen is going but I want players like Guttierez (in particular), Colocinni, Xisco, Gonzalez, to walk out on Saturday and think "the club is f***ed up at the minute but these supporters are something else... I want to play for them". From what we've learned in the past few days, the pessimistic side of me thinks that if the new players do well this season, they will be sold for a profit next year.

That article is just too rediculous for words, and clearly the NOTW 'source' or 'top man at the toon' is someone very close to, or even one of Jiminez, Wise or Llambias. After writiing various stories of him trying to sell the club at any opportunity, Ashley is now seen as the one who kept faith with KK, and didn't go with the 'panic measure' of Venables??? So we missed out on Anton Ferdinand because Rio didn't like KK?? Thank god for that then!! And it claims that Woodgate was one of a number of unsuitabel names suggested as centre back signings - then why were we bidding for him, and seemingly close to re-signing him?? And, as for KK allegedly discussing transfers here with Lampard and Henry??!!! What a complete joke - I know its from the NOTW, but do they really think this is gonna turn feeling against KK from the (majority) of fans??? Rob Beasley has contacts with Ashley. He is the journalist who was invited into the Directors Box by Ashley for a game last season.

That statement contradicts a lot of what was said in Ashley's interview in the club magazine a few weeks back. So either Ashley lied in the club magazine or they are lying in that statement.

I don't really have a problem with the DOF structure but since Wise and co arrived, the Club and Ashley in the recent magazine have always insisted that Keegan was responsible for the first team and his coaching staff and absolutely had the final word . That is now obviously not true. I cannot understand the Club trying to sell senior players late on Monday night without KK's knowledge when we have a desperately small squad. When Owen is currently the only fit striker and there is no guarantee that a young striker and one new to the Premiership will settle anytime soon, that seems madness to me.

I think Owen did want to stay with Keegan as manager but I think he will want to be off now especially with the Club trying to tout him round other clubs on Monday if the papers are to be believed. However, I think he will have limited choices so he may end up staying. If that rumour about £10m next to Given's name on that list of players shown to Keegan, then I think he may be forced out. Given and Harper (for a reserve) have long been assumed to have been on good wages so I would not be surprised to see one of them sold and a younger keeper used as back-up. I don't think Barton will play again for the Club unless there is an injury crisis and will be gone in January. They were trying to sell Smith as well. Along with Duff, I would have no problems with selling Barton and Smith. Also, think Butt and Viduka will not be here next year. However, it depends on who they bring in as the manager and how quickly he adapts to the club. If the team are playing really well and moving up the table, then I am sure a few dissatisified players would be won round. And I agree with an earlier poster, if Jonas continues to impress as he has done so far, I think other clubs will be in for him next Summer and the Club will be happy to make a profit.

I'm devastated that Keegan has gone. Some random thoughts as I am not too coherent at the moment... Ashley has insisted all along that Keegan had the final word on players bought in and sold. The events in the last few days show that was obviously not the case. The fact that they were trying to sell players without his knowledge completely underminded him. I don't have a problem with potential signings being identified for Keegan as long as he had the final say. To be trying to sell players at the end of the transfer window when we are desperately short of players, seems ludricous. How could they have been replaced in time? Where is the left back KK was desperate for? It seems to be that their policy is to sell players to buy cheaper models. That may reduce expenditure but it won't progress the team. If everyone is up for sale, it makes me think that players like Given and Harper could be on their way - they are on good wages for goalkeepers maybe that is why we are constantly linked with South American goalkeepers. For such loyal players to hear any player was available must be demoralising. It makes it sound like a firesale and we desperately need the money. As someone who goes to every game home and away, I feel really confused. I signed up for the 3 year deal after much deliberation because I was suspicious of the motives behiind it. I would like to protest in some way but I still want to see my team play. What to do - I don't know. I dislike the lack of communication with the supporters and even the media. Mort seemed OK but I don't think this Llambias fellow has uttered a word in public. How on earth can all the board members continually hide behind a wall of silence? Ashley said he wanted to model the club on Arsenal but Wenger would not put up with this. If Poyet was made manager - would his mate Wise, not let him have any say in player acquisitions? I cannot imagine any British manager wanting the job. We will probably get some Spanish bloke in who cannot speak English - and even less communication with the fans. It is just a mess and yet again this Club breaks my heart.

Well I am sad he has gone. I hope we use the money to buy a better player but I am not holding my breath.

The most concerning thing to me in all this is that all the time Ashley has insisted that Keegan has the final word on players but that is now obviously not true. Keegan wants Milner to stay and the board want to sell. It would be interesting to hear what the board have to say but they will stay silent and leave it to Keegan to deal with all the difficult questions.

Conspiracy theory alert!!! Maybe Wise wants to sell Milner to keep Uncle Ken happy with the payment they would be due!!!

City have taken out a loan to buy new players and still owe loads on the ones they bought last year. They must be very confident of getting the extra investment into the club as they are taking a huge risk otherwise.

I know Spiderman and Guthrie came out of the blue, but it does seem odd that in the last week of the window, we do not appear to be linked to anyone.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the matter, I just think the club have not behaved very well again. Why have they gone public with this at this time? Milner's people kept quiet as requested. Did NUFC contact them to warn they were going public - unlikely I would have thought. Surely they should have at least bought time and said to wait until the transfer window closes as they are pre-occupied with other matters and to say if it was not resolved, he could move in January. If we are to get £10m for him, other clubs will be asking £10m for anyone we want to buy. Maybe they want to start a bidding war, but unless they have players ready to come in, I just don't see where they are going to get a replacement from in time bearing in mind, how long it has taking for us to recruit players thus far. Whether we like the players or not, they are one of the most important elements in a successful club. They need to be treated well and with respect. For all the good work that KK is doing with the players on the training ground, this is being undermined by the management. If KK is telling the player how highly he rates them and he recommends that a contract is improved and then the management tosses the request aside with seemingly little consideration. it will become obvious to the players that KK has no clout within the club whatsoever. It must be galling for the other players to see someone like Barton being rewarded so handsomely for very little return on the pitch and a lot of negative publicity (no doubt the fact he is still here is purely a financial decision). They appear to be treating the players as merely commodities to be bought and sold but each player is a unique case. If you are building a team for the future, you should be looking after the younger players and contracts should reflect their progress instead of trying to make them look like the bad guy. If Milner does end up staying then I am sure there will now be resentment (even more than usual) towards Milner because it is known that he handed in a transfer request and that could easily have been avoided. It is all well and good saying they earn so much money that they should never ask for an improved contract but in our own work environments, when you know you are doing a much better job than others and they are getting paid more, it does cause resentment. It seems as if it is the club's policy that once a contract is signed, that is it until it is up for renewal but if you look at other clubs, they regularly revise the contracts of their players' as they improve and make names for themselves which is for the club's benefit as well as the player Let's not forget that the current regime at NUFC, bought Smith, Viduka and Barton and gave them those lucrative contracts It seems as if they are making others pay for their mistakes. I am not sure what Wise's role is in all this other than he has been mentioned as the person who rebuffed requests for contract talks but I would have thought that as a former player, he would have some empathy with the player's point of view. When we are so desperate for players, it would appear to be foolhardy to lose such a versatile and hardworking player as Milner. All I can say is that the club do not have a better player coming in, I am sure this will come back to haunt them.

Really disappointed. Even when everyone is fit, I would have expected him to play a lot of games. Something must have gone on because Keegan has been so supportive of him and it is supposed to be a happy camp now. A revised "contract" was supposed to be discussed today so he has either heard it's a no-go and spat his dummy out but I don't see him as being that type of person. Just hope we have someone lined up because with the apparent length of time it has taken us to sign players so far, we are going to be stuffed. Plus the fact, he is a very versatile player.

I was happy he was back but nervous because I so desperately want Keegan to succeed here again and to answer all the unfair and ill-informed criticism he receives. So far, it is working. The players are much happier and the football is much better. Keegan and Newcastle together just works.

Is that how much we are charging away fans? Shocking if true.

That song about "Don't Wanna Go Home". Could we not get a bit of Geordie into these songs? In this instance, "Don't Wanna Gan Hyem".

I might be getting confused but I am sure that someone said on this forum a few weeks ago that they had heard that the new deal could potentially make Owen the best paid footballer in the country but it was heavily incentive laden and that we would have to be winning everything in sight for him to achieve the maximum salary. However, one week we want him to take a massive paycut and the next to massively overpay him. It just shows that the papers don't have a clue what is going on.