Clear the Air Talks ?

[Guest alijmitchell]

Personally I think KK's outburst was because Mort et al failed to tie up the Luka Modric deal purely because of an apparent reluctance to pay the going rate/wages for the player, and KK doesn't want the same to happen to his other targets, hence the outburst designed to get Ashley to stump up the cash.

 

It seems Mort has a remit to ensure we don't do a Leeds and as such we seem destined to miss out on all but the middle of the road type signings of youngsters such as Tozer and Kadar.  It appears Mort and Ashley envisage us doing an Arsenal by signing all the best youngsters, but when Arsenal embarked on that course they also signed some quality experienced players like Viera, Overmars, Bergkamp and Petit and already had Ian Wright on the books.  That is why KK is saying the policy we have will not get us into the top 4 over the next 3 years and he is quite right.  We need to buy quality established players (such as Modric), to get us into regular finishes in the top 6 and then buy quality youth to complement that team in order to develop and push for a top four finish.

 

Yes, i think this is probably as close as can possibly be to what is going on at the moment without being inside the club.

[NG32]

Personally I think KK's outburst was because Mort et al failed to tie up the Luka Modric deal purely because of an apparent reluctance to pay the going rate/wages for the player, and KK doesn't want the same to happen to his other targets, hence the outburst designed to get Ashley to stump up the cash.

 

It seems Mort has a remit to ensure we don't do a Leeds and as such we seem destined to miss out on all but the middle of the road type signings of youngsters such as Tozer and Kadar.  It appears Mort and Ashley envisage us doing an Arsenal by signing all the best youngsters, but when Arsenal embarked on that course they also signed some quality experienced players like Viera, Overmars, Bergkamp and Petit and already had Ian Wright on the books.  That is why KK is saying the policy we have will not get us into the top 4 over the next 3 years and he is quite right.  We need to buy quality established players (such as Modric), to get us into regular finishes in the top 6 and then buy quality youth to complement that team in order to develop and push for a top four finish.

 

Yes, i think this is probably as close as can possibly be to what is going on at the moment without being inside the club.

 

 

If that is the case, they need to just sit back and let KK work his magic.  Let him do what he does best and build a footballing side, then when we get that sorted start plucking top young talent to compliment the first team.

[Teasy]

Find a new theory people:

 

"Over the summer we will look to strengthen the squad further. In addition to making any immediate fixes that may be required, as with everything else we have done since Mike acquired the club, we will want to acquire players that can help make Newcastle United a top team for the medium and long-term, not just for the next season or two. That is why we put a substantial offer in for Luka Modric, who is aged 22. It is frustrating that Modric, like Woodgate before him, should take less money than we offered to move to the bright lights of London, and European football with Tottenham next season, but these are the sorts of difficulties that should get easier to address once we build a squad that competes at the right end of the table."

[Guest optimistic nit]

This is the best bit from the Daily Mail - picture of Keegan and Ashley talking at the Stoke game with caption underneath:-

 

     Tension: Ashley looks unimpressed as Keegan talks

 

Priceless.

 

Haha, that's brilliant.

 

http://i30.tinypic.com/2rggwvn.jpg

 

It's from the Stoke game isn't it? Unimpressed on the day he returned. That's some going.

 

 

 

tbh i'd say thats an excellent parody of media hype, intentionally. or am i just being naive?

[eggybread]

"Personally I think KK's outburst was because Mort et al failed to tie up the Luka Modric deal purely because of an apparent reluctance to pay the going rate/wages for the player"

 

according to Mort we were prepared to pay over the odds just like woodgate just simply chose spurs as the feel they are a better option.

 

16m - Modric

7m - Woodgate

 

i think that considering we were in for these players shows there is money to spend

[Guest Jawesome]

Two words:

 

THE SUN.

[AfroP]

Two words:

 

THE SUN.

 

The press.

 

that says it all.

 

[Baggio]

Keegan's outburst seems to be who the club go for rather than how much is to spend.

 

The club have gone to the trouble of setting up a scouting network and have been looking at the likes of Modric and Gomis, players who are good enough to move us on now but are nowhere near their peak and can develop with the club over the next 5-10 years, Keegan on the other hand seems to be looking at the likes of Thierry Henry who are the finished article and are on their way down.

 

That's my view on it.

 

As for the meeting in London, I think a lot will depend on what he said to Ashley when he took the job, did he say he would only be able to achieve 5th at the time? Whatever happens I don't think Ashley is the soft touch that Sir John Hall was and won't tolerate these little outbursts and him keep offering his resignation every couple of months.

[Baggio]

Alan Oliver reckons the press have been told to only ask questions about the game in the press conference.

[Dave]

Just been posted in the other thread. Better idea, Kev.

[Wallace]

Press conference has been on Sky and he started off by saying that yes he was going to meet Mike Ashley tomorrow and that he would only speak about the Everton game.

[NG32]

True-faith raise some interesting points

 

http://www.true-faith.co.uk/html/Features/mort_response_080508.htm

 

I'm not sure if the words above from our Chairman address all of the concerns raised by Kevin Keegan's demeanour and comments following the Chelsea game. Chris Mort, again, as per his training as a top London lawyer, has chosen his words carefully. Certainly when Kevin talks about not being able to break into the top four of the Premier League any time soon, I think we pretty much accept that as a reality of the inequitable state of Premier League football. KK is not saying anything we haven't for the last few years.

 

However, there were other concerns raised by KK's post-match comments that have caused disquiet amongst the rank and file and set a few hares running. They include;

 

(a) the lack of dialogue between KK and Mike Ashley. That can't be right.

 

(b) KK's role in the procurement of players for Newcastle United and his place in the pecking order in the decision making as to who the club pursues and "fetches" to the club. KK's comments didn't inspire confidence he was the man in the driving seat in terms which players come to the club. KK can't have responsibility for the first team without the authority to shape it.

 

© the relationship between KK and Chris Mort and Denis Wise. At the very least there is a lack of communication.

 

(d) KK's lack of knowledge as to the budget available to bring new players to the club. We know we can't compete in the short term with those clubs being pumped up by CL and other money but its not unreasonable for us to have thoughts about competing with Everton, City, Spurs, Blackburn, Everton, Villa and Portsmouth. If we're going to be an also-ran let's hope we'll be breaking into a trot.

 

(e) why is it taking so long to sort Michael Owen's contract? The same can be said regarding Steven Taylor and Oba Martins. Get a leg on, man!

 

(f) sorting the club's debt and putting us on a sound financial footing and being mindful of the pitfalls of over-reaching ourselves a la Leeds is important but risk is also part of any business and just because one club has f***** up shouldn't mean there is a cap on ambition. Buying new players isn't an option for a football club in the same way buying petrol isn't if you are running a Ferrari.

 

(g) Its also refreshing to be spoke to like adults following the years of cringeing at the bollocks spewed by Shepherd but questions and uncertainty remains.

 

We've been told Ashley has put in a lot of dosh to stabilise the club's debts (is it just me or does it go up a few mill every time its quoted in the press?) but frankly that must have been a consideration in the business plan when he bought the club. Or are we being told between the lines Ashley failed to conduct due care and diligence in his purchase of the club? Was the money used to stabilise the debts due to the previous administration, money that would have been used to buy players by the new owner?

 

We're in for an interesting summer but one thing is for certain, Ashley, Mort and the new directors, Wise included are under scrutiny over the next couple of months and we'll want to see the club conducting its business a lot more professionally than it has in the recent past. Those now running the club should understand we trust Kevin Keegan absolutely - we go back - we're just getting to know the new boys in the boardroom. Its my belief we'll discover a lot about them in the next month. We'll learn who is really in charge of the team at NUFC. And so will Kevin Keegan.

 

 

[NG32]

Scudamore defends Prem League after KKs comments........

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7388360.stm

[Guest K9]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_3537524,00.html

 

Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan has confirmed he will be meeting club owner Mike Ashley on Friday.

 

Widespread reports on Thursday suggested Ashley had summoned Keegan down to London for showdown talks as he was angry with the Magpies chief for his outburst following the defeat to Chelsea.

 

In the aftermath of Monday's 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, Keegan claimed Newcastle could not challenge the top four and were 'a million miles away' from competing with the likes of Chelsea.

 

Keegan also revealed he did not know how much money he would be given to spend in the summer as rumours grow of unrest between Keegan and executive (football) director Dennis Wise.

 

The 57-year-old will now meet with Ashley to discuss his comments and try and clear the air.

 

More to follow...

[Baggio]

From .com

 

So to the final whistle and those post-match words of wisdom, dissected as if they were a major work of theology rather than end-of-season soundbites. Well, if you can't beat them, join them....here we go:

 

Keegan is half-right in saying that we're a million miles away from the top four, after a season when we've taken precisely one point and three goals from our eight matches against them. But he seems to be talking about the current form of that quartet and their performance across the whole season.

 

While he was handing out Soccer Circus leaflets at Braehead the opening months of 2007, we faced said big four at SJP - and avoided defeat against them all, taking six points from a possible twelve. That didn't make us title contenders (or keep Roeder in a job) but it proved that we weren't quite whipping boys.

 

As ever, the problems we have are mostly of our own making and become evident against teams who have even less chance of breaking into a Champions League spot than ourselves.

 

Beating Chelsea or Man U is only worth the same as beating Boro or Pompey - and it can be argued that avoiding losing against the latter trio is more valuable in a "don't give your rivals the points" fashion.

 

A lack of preparation, inappropriate tactics and a bad attitude among certain players have been our downfall more often than a lack of talent.

 

If KK believes that the way to our hearts is with more mega money "trophy" signings from God knows where, then he's guilty of falling into the same crowd-pleasing trap as our former Chairman. Buying the 2008 version of Albert Luque for twice the price is unacceptable, even if the deal "makes sense".

 

The problem we seem to have is that football has moved on (not progressed) in the three years since KK relinquished his position at Man City and that he cannot work in the same unimpeded way that characterised his previous reign here - and led to his departure when PLC hired hands sought to meddle.

 

Keegan famously convinced Robert Lee to move to Tyneside - nowadays the two wouldn't even have spoken to each other before the deal was brokered. You lose something there surely, in terms of the manager weighing up his potential signing, even if the schmoozing ability of KK is now life-expired.

 

The reaction of Obafemi Martins to KK's appointment at SJP is a classic example: the player having to resort to Google and YouTube to find out who his new gaffer was. The emerging generation of players don't know who Keegan is - and the older ones who do don't fit into our profile of worthwhile signings.

 

Is Keegan flexing his muscles because the Modric deal went the same way as Woodgate - and the faces brought into the club to do the all this new-fangled fixing failed? Only time will tell on that one.

 

So what do we end up with? A home defeat against the most potent away day side in the country, followed closely by some slightly unexpected comments that the manager quickly sought to clarify.

 

Too late though, as his words were seized upon by hacks impatient at not being able to write "trouble in Toon" headlines by our recent unbeaten streak. Showdown, D-Day, crisis talks... you get the picture.

 

What if we'd won this game? One can almost hear the soundbites that would have rolled off KK's tongue in his post-match reverie. Stirring rhetoric about this being a unique, special place that would be lapped up by those watching on TV in city pubs - and promptly dismissed in the time it takes to buy more beer.

 

But would they have any more gravitas and significance than Keegan's actual comments? No, because they're both transient and liable to alter like the weather. Remember his departure the last time and the variety of reasons he gave for leaving, ranging from the "feeling sorry for Gerry Francis as we beat Spurs 7-1" to the later "revellations" (sic) about the PLC.

 

Stick around, there'll be another batch of quotes on the way soon. Thursday in fact, when KK next speaks to the media.

 

Post-Allardyce, we need to be in a position where we're challenging Villa, Man City, Everton and whoever else drags themselves out of the lower reaches of the league. There's a confidence Keegan can do that.

 

We already know we're eminently capable of clobbering the beautiful people of White Hart Lane - who now seem to who have moved on in two decades from poaching our own talent to copying our wish list.

 

Woodgate and Modric choosing them over us may have annoyed KK, but we cannot get overly-excited about missing out on either.

 

They both join a club routinely lauded as gatecrashers at the Premier League party by themselves and their friends in the press, but who rather annoyingly keep screwing things up.

 

So they've signed a promising young midfielder with the world at his feet - Jermaine Jenas anyone?

 

It's for that reason and the masses of other profoundly average players clogging the league that the opportunity to be competitive in this league remains open to us. If KK didn't think he could put out a side superior to those Sven, Moyes or O'Neill can construct then he'd never have unpacked his bags again.

 

Ever since Ian Woan scored at the City Ground twelve years ago, I've not believed we could win the league - and seen nothing on the field in the intervening period to alter that mindset.

 

But there have been great days and near misses along the way - coupled with some memorable football from some magnificent players.

 

Much of that was orchestrated and inspired by our current boss - who has a damn sight more going for him in the recruitment department than his charmless predecessors (would you sign for Souness, Roeder or Allardyce if anyone else wanted you and you didn't know all the words to The Blaydon Races?)

 

There's hope and there's expectation.

 

We hope to improve, we hope to be challenging for something slightly more credible than the Intertoto Cup. We expect to get competence, entertainment and commitment for our hard-earned.

 

Nothing there is unrealistic, nothing there leaves us open to charges of mass self-delusion. That applies equally to Keegan's comments. What a pity that it differs from other people's world view of him. And us.

 

The one imponderable in all this is what the owner thinks of Keegan's comments. From where we stand though, the supportive quotes from the Chairman would seem to render talk of bust-ups invalid.

 

[TRon]

The way True Faith are getting ready to hold Ashley and co to account you'd think it was their money about to be splurged on new signings.

 

"Oi! Ashley! SPEND £100m on players right now you tight cunt! We DEMAND you make your bank account accessible to all season ticket holders as this club belongs to US!"

[magpie418]

More to follow...

 

indeed.

[Guest pistonism]

Now on BBC website.

 

 

Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan said he was looking forward to his meeting with owner Mike Ashley in London on Friday.

 

The pair's relationship is reported to have soured after Keegan claimed that Newcastle were unlikely to break into top four during his time in charge.

 

But Keegan said: "I am going to London on Friday to talk with Mike Ashley. That is a good thing and I will look forward to it.

 

"That's the only comment I am going to make on anything to do with that."

 

More to follow.

 

[Magpie]

"Keegan said he could not see Newcastle breaking into the top four of the Barclays Premier League but it was his dig at Ashley which raised eyebrows in the St James's Park boardroom."

 

From the Mail, what exactly was the dig?!?!

[Skeletor]

That his relationship with Mike Ashley is great because he never talks to him.

[KaKa]

What’s going on, United?

 

May 8 2008 by Alan Oliver, Evening Chronicle

 

 

KEVIN KEEGAN will meet Newcastle United club owner Mike Ashley and director of football Dennis Wise in London tomorrow.

 

There are all sorts of theories that Keegan is going to be hauled over the coals after his comments on Monday night and the defeat by Chelsea at St James’s Park, when the manager questioned which way the club was going.

 

But my information is that there will be no screaming match at tomorrow’s meeting and no parting of the ways from either party – and it is likely to end in handshakes all round.

 

I am told that Keegan has been summoned to London by Ashley to be reminded that when he was appointed in January he was informed of the direction the club was taking, and that things have not changed.

 

However, the situation is still bound to be causing the United fans concern and, after his Press conference for Sunday’s final match if the season at Everton was brought forward 24 hours to today, journalists were instructed only to ask questions about the proceedings at Goodison Park.

 

But United fans will want answers on what is rapidly becoming a worrying situation for them, as there was no official comment from the club today.

 

They have complete confidence in Keegan and they have welcomed Ashley and his No 17 black-and-white shirt into the fold.

 

But those fans know that this is Ashley’s first big chance to act in the transfer market in the close season so that a squad can be built which will get the club back to the right end of the table and even further in time.

 

One question often asked is if Keegan does leave St James’s Park, would Wise be installed as manager.

 

Well I have been told today that having being a manager with Swindon, Millwall and Leeds United, this is the last thing on Wise’s mind, especially as he has a young family in London.

 

Instead, Wise will continue beavering away in his role as director of football, and in the summer he will bring Geordie boy Alan Thompson back to St James’s Park.

 

The 34-year-old Thompson will take a coaching role looking after a certain age group at the United Academy as he gets the badges necessary to move further up the ladder.

 

Thompson was actually sold by Keegan to Bolton Wanderers for £250,000 in 1993 because he could not guarantee the local boy regular first-team football as he assembled a glittering array of inter-nationals.

 

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2008/05/08/what-s-going-on-united-72703-20879530/

 

Now having read that and particularlyu the bit in bold, I can't help but feel that Keegan having been brought in and told of the direction i.e. younger upcoming talent, Keegan is now pushing for bigger and more established stars who cost more and who will not represent as much value.

 

 

 

 

[Baggio]

I'm not sure they will cost more looking at the prices of Modric and Veloso, more likely they won't be worth fuck all in 3 years time.

[stalker]

That Alan Thompson thing is a bit worrying, I always thought he was kicked out of Newcastle by Keegan because of his lifestyle rather than because he couldn't get regular first team football.

[Happy Face]

 

Now having read that and particularlyu the bit in bold, I can't help but feel that Keegan having been brought in and told of the direction i.e. younger upcoming talent, Keegan is now pushing for bigger and more established stars who cost more and who will not represent as much value.

 

 

 

That really wouldn't tie in with offering more than Spurs for Woodgate the old crock.

[brummie]

That Alan Thompson thing is a bit worrying, I always thought he was kicked out of Newcastle by Keegan because of his lifestyle rather than because he couldn't get regular first team football.

 

Keegan obviously did the right thing, then, as Thompson turned into a model pro and has had a good career.

 

He was only 19, wouldn't read too much into it.