Rich Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Mike Ashley unveils his blueprint for Newcastle George Caulkin Newcastle United may not have been active participants during the transfer window, but impatience is yet to set in at St James’ Park. In fact, impetuousness is something they are determined to avoid. At a club where there have been panic buys in abundance and marquee signings galore, where no meaningful trophies have been spotted for 39 years, there is a firm desire to do things differently. The Times has been given an insight into the vision which Mike Ashley, the club’s billionaire owner, is gradually implementing on Tyneside. It is not what some supporters will have expected. Towards the end of last season, Terry McDermott, Kevin Keegan’s lieutenant, spoke of a “big re-launch” being planned for this summer, but Ashley’s chequebook will not be the primary weapon. Ashley spent his first 12 months at Newcastle finding his feet and, on occasion, finding more than he bargained for. He discovered and paid off a debt which had spiralled to more than £70 million. Under Chris Mort, the outgoing chairman, a strategic review of all club affairs was undertaken. Bridges were built with fans and community leaders, the Academy was re-stocked and taken seriously, the training ground is being updated and, of course, Keegan was appointed. Under the previous, discredited regime, transfers had been planned and negotiated by directors, their family-members, agents and hangers-on. When Freddy Shepherd left, they followed. The arrival of Dennis Wise, Tony Jimenez and Jeff Vetere to lead Newcastle’s recruitment department was perceived as a threat to Keegan’s position, but they were merely replacing Shepherd’s acolytes. Whether they fare any better is another matter, or course. But could they fare much worse? Newcastle have finished the last four seasons 14th, seventh, 13th and 12th in the table. During that spell they have spent millions in transfers and wages on the likes of Michael Owen, Jean Alain Boumsong, Albert Luque, Damien Duff, Scott Parker, Alan Smith, Obafemi Martins, Joey Barton and Emre Belozoglu. Certain individuals have performed better than others, but nobody would argue that the philosophy of buying stellar names has provided value. That philosophy has now been shelved. While some fans have expressed disquiet at the dearth of activity since the end of another disappointing campaign, movement is expected to begin now that Keegan has returned from holiday. A senior figure on Gallowgate has reiterated that every player to have left the club has done so at the manager’s request, aside from Peter Ramage, the defender, who joined Queens Park Rangers is search of regular football. Newcastle, previously perched on quicksand foundations, will now be run far more rigorously. Ashley is eager to get his money’s worth; why pay Rolls-Royce wages for Robin Reliant performances? “The determination is to build a team, rather than simply buy big names,” said the source. “The desire is for a young, hungry squad which will stay together for the good of Newcastle for years to come rather than for just a season or two.” The change in approach is evidenced from Newcastle’s targets in the transfer market. A bid was made for Luka Modric, the 22-year-old Croatia international, who instead joined Tottenham Hotspur. They have also enquired about Galatasaray’s Arda Turan, 21, who has been excelling for Turkey in the European Championship and submitted a bid for Bafetimbi Gomis, 22, the France and St Etienne striker. That is their preferred age range, but beneath that level Wise et al have already brought in several youngsters and are still hoping to lure Aaron Spear from Plymouth Argyle. Naturally, there have been teething problems. Some goodwill was forfeited by delays and price increases for season tickets. And some substantive questions remain. Can Keegan and Wise can draw up different lists of players and work through them harmoniously? He may have played and managed, but does Wise possess the necessary qualities to sit on the board of directors? Shouldn’t Keegan’s reputation and enthusiasm be used in the acquisition process? Will the players they eventually sign settle and prosper? There are no guarantees. The only certainty is that Ashley is to take a more active role in proceedings at Newcastle, working alongside Derek Llambias, the newly-appointed managing director, rather than hovering in the background. The other one is that what has happened previously patently failed. There is a balance to be struck between prudence and adventure – no supporter will ever wear a replica shirt with the phrase ‘healthy bank balance’ emblazoned on the back – but it must be worth a try. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Right, first things first - the author. To my knowledge (based on what I've seen and heard from him), George Caulkin seems like one of the few hacks with any real quality to his writing, and he's often given a fairly even-handed view on our club, so I hope to high heaven that this story has substance to it and that his source is legitimate. I'd be disappointed if it wasn't, to be honest. Aside from that, there's not much in there a lot of us didn't already know or hadn't already perceived but it's interesting that a journalist has attempted to see through the bollocks and delve into the actual root of the situation at SJP. No attention-grabbing headlines, no crisis, no problems, just trying to lay down exactly what the craic is with regards to people's roles and potential player recruitment. It's a canny read, really, though I understand it's no substitute for actual signings! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnypd Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 i like george caulkin but this is a nothing article with no new information. two sentences from an anonymous source stating what Mort, WIse and co have said many times before. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alberto2005 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 i like george caulkin but this is a nothing article with no new information. two sentences from an anonymous source stating what Mort, WIse and co have said many times before. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OzzieMandias Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Fair article, though he gets a bit muddled up in the last paragraph. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE5 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 its just the usual shite. I'd like someone to tell me who all these "panic buys in abundance and marquee signings galore" are, that nobody else signs. They certainly aren't talking about players like Woodgate [when we bought him], Bramble, Lua Lua, Gavilan, Jenas, Dyer, Solano, Speed, Bellamy, Robert, Hamman, Griffin, Acuna, Ambrose, Milner, Butt, Emre, O'Brien, Carr, Babayaro, Martins and Bowyer to name a few. Still. I suppose some people will laughingly latch onto this heap of cack and believe it. What a joke. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE5 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Fair article, though he gets a bit muddled up in the last paragraph. speak of the devil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colocho Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I thought Arsenal were the blueprint? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OzzieMandias Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Fair article, though he gets a bit muddled up in the last paragraph. speak of the devil As a rule, you say this when someone arrives when you've just been talking about them, not when you decide to stick your oar in meaninglessly after someone has made a comment before you arrive. Hope this helps. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredbob Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 its just the usual s****. I'd like someone to tell me who all these "panic buys in abundance and marquee signings galore" are, that nobody else signs. They certainly aren't talking about players like Woodgate [when we bought him], Bramble, Lua Lua, Gavilan, Jenas, Dyer, Solano, Speed, Bellamy, Robert, Hamman, Griffin, Acuna, Ambrose, Milner, Butt, Emre, O'Brien, Carr, Babayaro, Martins and Bowyer to name a few. Still. I suppose some people will laughingly latch onto this heap of cack and believe it. What a joke. Wont delve into this too far, but will say that 15 of those players we part of one era, our last successful one. This article, like most article ridiculing the Shepherd regime refer to after this period of time. And to be fair the ones that werent part of that era could be defined as Marque signings (Butt for example). Decent article - still craving some fresh news though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomas Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I thought Arsenal were the blueprint? There hasn't been a blueprint until now. What there has been is some assumptions off quotes 8 and 12 months old respectively that people have taken and built grandiose pipe dreams and strawmen out of and argued about for roughly seven trillion pages. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewellander Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I've thought this before, but hadn't mentioned it until now...isn't this the same blueprint that Roeder was trying to impliment while he was here? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasper Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I thought Arsenal were the blueprint? There hasn't been a blueprint until now. What there has been is some assumptions off quotes 8 and 12 months old respectively that people have taken and built grandiose pipe dreams and strawmen out of and argued about for roughly seven trillion pages. Done here = assumptions and pipe dreams Done by The Times = blueprint gotcha Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomas Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I thought Arsenal were the blueprint? There hasn't been a blueprint until now. What there has been is some assumptions off quotes 8 and 12 months old respectively that people have taken and built grandiose pipe dreams and strawmen out of and argued about for roughly seven trillion pages. Done here = assumptions and pipe dreams Done by The Times = blueprint gotcha :blush: Got me indeed. I responded to this before I read the article. Check my statement -- The blueprint is still an unknown. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Swift Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Surely the Owen and Luque signing are fantastic examples of 'panic buys'? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shearergol Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Surely the Owen and Luque signing are fantastic examples of 'panic buys'? Why? We needed forwards, we signed two. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colos Short and Curlies Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Surely the Owen and Luque signing are fantastic examples of 'panic buys'? Why? We needed forwards, we signed two. I don't think Owen was a panic buy as we were chasing him all summer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skirge Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2008/06/20/magpies-keep-up-trawl-for-talent-61634-21109705/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
UV Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 its just the usual s****. I'd like someone to tell me who all these "panic buys in abundance and marquee signings galore" are, that nobody else signs. They certainly aren't talking about players like Woodgate [when we bought him], Bramble, Lua Lua, Gavilan, Jenas, Dyer, Solano, Speed, Bellamy, Robert, Hamman, Griffin, Acuna, Ambrose, Milner, Butt, Emre, O'Brien, Carr, Babayaro, Martins and Bowyer to name a few. Still. I suppose some people will laughingly latch onto this heap of cack and believe it. What a joke. Wont delve into this too far, but will say that 15 of those players we part of one era, our last successful one. This article, like most article ridiculing the Shepherd regime refer to after this period of time. And to be fair the ones that werent part of that era could be defined as Marque signings (Butt for example). Decent article - still craving some fresh news though. Same chairman, different managers. Same money, different approach to transfers. Who's to blame? I struggle to see how Boumsong, Luque, Duff, Parker, Smith, Martins, Barton and Emre are "stellar names" , but Modric (£18m?), Turan (£15m?) and Gomis (£12m?) aren't. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 its just the usual shite. How ironic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkhead Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2008/06/20/magpies-keep-up-trawl-for-talent-61634-21109705/ And it seems Celtic winger Aiden McGeady could be one of the first of the new arrivals, with Newcastle’s new youth-team coach Alan Thompson insisting his former Bhoys team-mate has all the attributes needed to be a success in the Premier League. McGeady has also attracted the attention of United’s North East rivals Sunderland and former Newcastle midfielder Thompson, who has returned to the club to take charge of the Academy’s 15 and 16-year-olds, would love to see him in a black-and-white shirt next season. Thompson said: “I think Aiden McGeady has more than enough to survive in the Premier League and he would be a great attribute if he comes to the North East. He’s a young lad, but already has umpteen international caps and you don’t get that at his age unless you’re good enough. I used to joke with him that neither of us was any good in the air, but he’s strong on his left or right foot and he’s willing to learn.” Alan Thompson has returned as a coach? .. must've missed that Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belfast Boy Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2008/06/20/magpies-keep-up-trawl-for-talent-61634-21109705/ And it seems Celtic winger Aiden McGeady could be one of the first of the new arrivals, with Newcastle’s new youth-team coach Alan Thompson insisting his former Bhoys team-mate has all the attributes needed to be a success in the Premier League. McGeady has also attracted the attention of United’s North East rivals Sunderland and former Newcastle midfielder Thompson, who has returned to the club to take charge of the Academy’s 15 and 16-year-olds, would love to see him in a black-and-white shirt next season. Thompson said: “I think Aiden McGeady has more than enough to survive in the Premier League and he would be a great attribute if he comes to the North East. He’s a young lad, but already has umpteen international caps and you don’t get that at his age unless you’re good enough. I used to joke with him that neither of us was any good in the air, but he’s strong on his left or right foot and he’s willing to learn.” Alan Thompson has returned as a coach? .. must've missed that I'd not heard that either, brings back memories of nights out in Whitley Bay in the early 90's with Alan and Stevie Watson. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Panic signings i can think of off the top of my head: Luque, Sibierski, Rossi, Babayaro. Even Martins to some degree. We weren't after him until Kuyt turned us down and it became apparant that Inter wanted rid. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mucky01 Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 this ”Blueprint” aint the actions of a man trying to sell the club any time soon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Panic signings i can think of off the top of my head: Luque, Sibierski, Rossi, Babayaro. Even Martins to some degree. We weren't after him until Kuyt turned us down and it became apparant that Inter wanted rid. Babayaro was signed on 1st January iirc. One of the least panicked signing in the last four years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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