bealios

Got it this morning in the post as well, 6 page interview, good read.

Apart from whats been said already, short term aim for this season or next would seem to be aiming for 5th - to reflect we have the 5th highest wage bill in the league. Long term vision obviously challenge in the top 4 and mirror the Arsenal model.

Confirmed previous comments about welcoming partners i.e. investment in the club - compared to QPR where they actually have a number of billionairres with stakes in the club which make it a richer club than Chelsea - would like to do the same with Newcastle.

We just need a geordie billionairre!

Ignoring very short term issues I'm happier with the squad than at various points over the last 5 years.

Up front we have a revitalised Owen, and Martin bedded in after a couple of seasons. If Viduka and Spiderman can also muster up a few appearances up front between then we will get a fairly decent return. I think the defence as a whole will be the best it has been for a number of years, going back to Keegan's first time. I have a lot of faith in Faye, and I think he will partner Collucinni, with Taylor to come in if required. And the full backs are the best we've had since those days as well.

May seem like an obvious point, but how good we end up this season in the end will be determined by our midfield in the end. There are a lot of uncertainties - i.e. which Joey Barton will come back to the team, and when, and if N/Zogbia can step up his game. If Spiderman and Guthrie will perform in the PL from the start. On paper we're not significantly worse than Portsmouth/Villa/Blackburn/City - but if all of the above work against is I can see it being a pretty difficult season.

Nowhere near the shittest player to play for NUFC - if you think that you've got selective memory or you haven't been a fan for very long.

Smith doesn't deserve to be in the team, simple as. He used to be a useful player, but has suffered a massive loss of form and confidence, the latter being crucial in the forward positions. It may take a move to another club to get that back, if he can ever get it back.

He played over 90 times for Ferguson at Man Utd - to see he is shit and has always been shit is bollocks.

If he starts, I will support him. Problem is I'm not sure that all fans (at the home games at least) will have a similar view. I don't understand why a lot of fans don't see a very obvious point - booing him in the original readout of the team or if he misplaces a pass early on is not going to do anything except damage confidence even further. Fair enough come on these boards and rant about how crap he is, or mouth of to the Chronicle or something, but when the whistle blows it serves no purpose whatsover to boo one of your own players, simple as.

I have to say I'm not quite sure about this hating Spurs thing - it reeks a bit of us getting on Boro's back for having a chip on the shoulder about NUFC.

Spurs have taken a massive risk with the money and the players that they have signed - but that is the only way any team is going to crack the CL places.

It might not work, but then again it might. What is absolutely certain unfortunately is that they have a far greater chance than we have of doing it - and thats from a team who only finished a few points above us 2 months ago.

I think we're going in the right direction, and I would like to think that progress into a UEFA place this season would prompt us into doing what Spurs have done this summer.

Surely all the supporters are asking for next season is a squad that can compete with Everton, i dont think that is too much to ask for.

Even that is over-optimistic. What other team that has finished in the bottom half for 3 out of the last 4 years and flirted with relegation last year can say that its BASIC expectation is to challenge for fifth the following year?

Given the restructuring that is going on in all areas, I would think progress has been made if we get a top 10 finish, but do it in the manner of blooding new/young players to the premier league and building a team, so that in the years to follow that top 10 finish can become a top 6 and so on.

Rise in season ticket prices is a fucking joke like.

 

I thought being able to essentially keep it at the same price for four years running was a pretty cracking deal to be honest.

I might be wrong but haven't the tickets hardly risen at all in the last 3 years before that either? I'm pretty sure that my ticket (which cost about £580 this year using the 3 year deal) has been no less than £550 since the Bobby Robson days.

Try speaking to mates who support other clubs and go to matches - they think we get a pretty good deal.

I have no idea why the press hate us to be honest, at the moment we're not considered a rival or a threat by any of the top teams, so I can't see any reason to constantly have a go at the owners, fans etc.

I've often thought that I might just be paranoid about this and that I notice more negative stuff because its my team, but I've got mates who say that they have noticed it as well, and not just in the red top arse paper.

I think we're kidding ourselves though if we think that Rupert Murdoch has some sort of grudge against NUFC. Best guess is just old fashioned bias by the individual column writers themselves, and perhaps bad press management by the club - I think its pretty obvious that clubs who "leak" stories to the papers will often get something back in the way of being able to influence the other stories that are written - its unlikely that a sports editor will sanction overly critical articles against a club who is providing a steady flow of insider comments - thats maybe why there's less bad things written about Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool etc. which makes us notice more about our club.

My thoughts on this, based upon pure speculation and a few words with people who know his family reasonably well are:

1. His decision to buy the club was made very quickly from initial thoughts to completion of the commitment to the Halls. The investigation into the club finances and other matters was very basic.

2. The "poison pill" left by Freddie i.e. if there is a change in control then a large slice of the debt became immediately repayable, only properly came to light after he purchased - this meant a massive outlay of cash immediately which one might assume curtailed short term spending plans on players in particular.

3. It quickly became apparent that the club was a shambles - everything was based upon short termism, deperately trying to get back in to the Champions League slots - anyone who can remember even 3 years ago where Freddie was saying that goal had to be Top 4 - even though it was abundantly clear to all that we have dropped so far behind Liverpool and Chelsea that it was a stupid statement. This was the Leeds type scenario and I'd hate to think what would have happened if it had continued any longer.

4. Regardless of whether the club is sold or not it needed to be revamped from top to bottom. Ashley is rumoured to have told friends (perhaps half jokingly) that the only way to achieve that properly would be to get relegated and come back up. He's probably right - this would have cleared out the overpaid hangers on, and with parachute payments etc. wouldn't have dented the clubs finances too much.

5. Ashley and Mort have started this process, and the focus of the club is less short term and there is investment in the future of the club.

I don't mind who own the club (within reason), as long as it is being run properly in a way that might in the future lead to success. All those who talk about Ashley's ambition should do so cautiously- there is no doubt Freddie had ambition - he wanted a regular Champions League slot and offered stupid salaries and transfer fees to achieve it, and in the end it could have damaged to club just like it did to Leeds.

Martins has been a very important player for us for the last couple of seasons because he has been the only genuine player with pace. This stands out in our current side, and this may be the reason why some people think he is one of our best players. He's not, but this pace and attacking attitude frighten defenders, and it leaves gaps for other. This was obvious towards the end of the season when Owen and Viduka benefited from this.

If we had other players with pace who could carry some of the attacking burden, then I think a lot of fans would start to look at his shortcomings i.e. lack of vision and first touch, not great in the air etc. Still, he's only played two seasons, and missed a fair bit, and as a whole I think his contribution compares favourably with anybody else in our squad. And he's only 23 or something (allegedly).

By the way, anybody who suggests we haven't got value for money for Martins and Owen is talking crap IMO. Those players, Owen in particular, kept us up last season. I have doubts that we would have come back up at the first attempt, so I think that in itself pays for their transfer fees and wages for a good few years.

Yep, move on. The problem with waiting after the Euro's is that a couple of decent performances and the value can double. Realistically we would have to come in at £18m and given his high wages at Zenit would probably need to pay £80/£90K a week to attract him as we're not in Europe.

Quite rightly, that's too big a risk for someone who might not make it in the Premier League. If we had swooped before the Euros before other clubs were interested then it may have been worth a risk at a lower fee and with lower wages - but anyone who thinks that Zenit would have sold before the Euros knowing that a host of bigger clubs were looking at him to see how he performed in the big games is kidding themsevles.

At least this shows that we are looking at the right players, if it wasn't for the tournament this summer then he might have been attainable before the CL clubs interest increased.

How does the Llambias statement negate that of Intermedia?

 

 

 

Because Intermedia never said that we approached them.

 

Does the "approached by a third party" make it 100% false then?

 

 

The third party could be Freddy Shepherd trying to buy the club back as far as we know.

 

Just playing devil's advocate here but do you honestly not think an investment company would check out who they were dealing with before issuing a statement?

 

 

 

All they have said  is that someone tried to make them an offer with relation to NUFC. They haven't said what the offer was about, or who made it.

To be honest, the wording of the comment by Intermedia kind of suggest it wasn't a club contact.

This happens all of the time, intermediates looking to cash in on any deal i.e. one group thinks there may be a chance Ashley might sell, so contacts another with a hope of jointly forming an investment vehicle to make a bid, or to broker a potential bid and take a cut - none of these initial steps require any co-operation by Newcastle. Recent accounts are public documents, being privately owned doesn't change that, so saying that Intermedia have seen the accounts means nothing - I could print off the lastest accounts today from Companies House, contact a rich mate and say "take a look at this, if you're interested perhaps I can help you broker a deal to make a bid".

Not that I have such a mate.

Tony Adams had a problem with alcohol. He wasn't violent, but I would rather be beaten up outside McDonald's than ploughed down by a drunk driver. Still, I suppose Arsenal fans were glad in the end that their manager didn't react to the "outrage" at the time and sack him.

Yeah when he signed wasn't he saying he was innocent and then he changed his plea to guilty. I'm sure the club could get shot of him very legally on this point alone, bringing the club into disrepute or something. I'm no lawyer but I hope there is a way to get rid of him.

 

newcastle could claim back all the wages which barton earned last year, and some of the transfer fee, for basically lying to the club

Bollocks could they!

Surely he is finished here? Will he not get the shit boo'd out of him by the fans? I'm not usually in favour of booing our own players but for him i would make an exception, i want him gone.

So did you boo him at the end of last season? Fully understand those who never wanted him at all and have always been against him on the grounds that he is trouble, but for those didn't have that view at the start of the year, nothing has changed since then.

I say give the twat a final chance. There has been nothing wrong with his behaviour or perfomances (relevant to the rest of the team at least) since Christmas, and supposedly a lot of good has been said about his attitude since by those at the Sporting Chance clinic etc.

As a fan base, we collectively cheered Lee Bowyer back on the pitch, and although the incident itself wasn't as bad in his case, it was (unlike Barton's) carried out whilst in a Newcastle shirt and far more brought the name of NUFC into disrepute.

After years of slagging off the previous regime for signing "trophy signing" to appease the fans and increase renewals, it seems the current board cannot win as many are saying "I probably won't renew unless we get a couple of big name signings". Can't please all of the people etc...!

IF season ticket renewals are slow its probably to do more with a general falling out of love with the modern game, and the current economic climate etc rather than a problem with the team's expectations. This will probably the first season I've looked forward to since Sir Bobby. Its the first full season under our new set up, we've got a manager who will encourage attractive football. And as importantly I think maybe this year our expectations as fans have become realistic - we need to rebuild and a top ten finish next year, whilst shedding some of the overpaid baggage we currently have or have had, will be progress, despite what a lot on here might say.

Next 3 years already come out of my account, bloody hell, that was quick! Looking sick if we get relegated.....

Last season £583 for a ticket in the East Stand - this year £658.  Robbing gits.  Even Fat Fred had the decency to put a price freeze on ticket prices after a shite year.

 

Don't trust this pay up front scheme either - come one, come all for the great Newcastle United cash grab.  He's allegedly whinging about the size of the wage bill now, what's going to happen in two years when there's only a percentage of the season ticket money coming in.  Or is he hoping that the money comes flooding in with the six players or so that we have left winning the champions league over the next two years.

To be fair, haven't the ticket prices been more or less frozen for the last 3 or 4 seasons? I can't remember paying much less than £550 for a ticket for a while, so an increase of about £100 over the last 4 or 5 years isn't bad compared to most clubs.

If somebody had the info to hand I'm sure it would show that as a supporter base we do quite well compared to other clubs in terms of percentage increases, especially given that our expenditure is probably a lot more than most clubs.

One thing I must credit them for, they have no problem in criticisng the team they support, something not always apparent with some fan sites.

 

And all the other supporters, and all other news agency and all forums. In fact they are good at criticising most everyone except their plethora of sponsors.

WTF? What reason would they have to criticise their sponsors on a site about NUFC? Its not a car/bookies review site FFS.

Ignoring the rights and wrongs of who has done what, and the fans reaction to the sentence, I'm pretty certain that the club will be able to sack him.

We now have some shit hot lawyers, who will have been asked to ensure that (a) imprisonment represented serious misconduct and can lead to termination of the contract, and (b) an offer to reduce the wages by half would not stop that contract being determined if that offer were refused.

There is no way on earth that such an offer would have been made unless Freshfields had signed off in advance that it wouldn't affect the ability to determine the contract.

oh aye lazio's in the north

 

 

I thought you meant warm in a different way, a way that Lazio certainly isn't warm. There's nothing we can do about our climate unfortunately.

that unfortunatley is exactly my point- comes to newcastle ... absolute turmoil... goes to lazio..... its warm... stays

 

You've had 2 pints, you're over the limit.

true just throwing an opinion out there

 

 

Which is fair enough, dont forget you're talking to predominantly fannys on here.

 

They all think they're so viscious too, most of them actually could 'crush a grape' when not posting. 

 

One thing to remember Chris, there were loads, who wont admit it, saying Beye (and Enrique) were shite early last season, not good enough etc, now they're all cumming up his inside leg. Roz never got the chance to come back from that opinion, although i have to say i'm not a huge fan of his, he was certainly a massive step forward from Ramage and Huntingdon.

 

People talk about the prem as though its in a different class, take away the top 4 clubs and basically is it fuck.

Please, its top 3 - only 3 clubs have a chance of winning the league each year, lets not perpetuate the Sky "Big 4" notion

Its not really a fact that without mass fan appeal there would be no football - it would just mean that the players would be paid less. The remaining fans would probably enjoy it more to be fair - its a lot easier to get behind your players when you know that they are not just overpaid mercanaries on fantasy salaries...

I've got an idea which would solve this dilemma. Give the winners of the League Cup a Champions League spot!

Not conding what he did or anything, but I seem to remember being at a lot of games home and away towards the end last season where he was applauded from the pitch, and generally most fans were positive about him.

Nothing has changed since then really - the event was at Christmas before his return to form, so there would seem to be some very hypocritical people commenting on this thread...

Sacking him would be a ludicrous decision - we paid £5m for a player who beat his colleague senseless in training, with full knowledge of that fact, and then when he does it again we act all shocked and then sack him and losing any hope of resale value.

The Modric thing was said in jest to be honest - all I was saying is that if you buy a football club and initially you haven't got a bloody clue how the whole football business thing works the  you might take advice from one of your mates who might know a thing or to about it.

For what its worth I think the Modric deal didn't happen because the deal was done by the selling clubs chairman - he agreed Modric could leave as long as the club could negotiate the deal - and the overall deal I think must have worked out better for the chairman going to spurs - I don't think that Modric had a lot of say in the matter - as long as he went to the Premier League he was happy

"Nonsense" is a bit strong Kimbo - what experience does Dennis Wise have of running a football business? I'm not talking about managing Leeds - I mean at the top end when you're trying to negotiate for the top European players? I'm sure its perfectly feasible that someone closely connected with the Spurs board might be equally qualified to offer advice.