First team squad for sale if we go down

[TRon]

http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2009/05/19/first-team-squad-expected-to-be-sold-if-nufc-get-relegated-61634-23654472/

 

NEWCASTLE United will put every single player up for sale if their Premier League survival bid at Aston Villa on Sunday ends in failure, as owner Mike Ashley frantically tries to contain the financial disaster of crashing into the Championship.

 

United’s shocking home defeat by Fulham on Saturday means the Magpies have slipped back into the bottom three and will need at least a point at Villa Park to have any chance of avoiding the drop.

 

However, with Hull City entertaining a Manchester United side which has already won the title and who face Barcelona in the Champions League final just three days later, United are clinging on to their place in the top flight by the tips of their fingernails.

 

As a result, the Newcastle hierarchy have already planned for the worst and The Journal understands none of the first- team squad will be safe from the chop as the club look to reduce a wage bill which gobbles up around 70% of the business’s turnover.

 

It is thought Ashley, who has planned to cut costs and slash staff levels in every department, will look to reduce wages in the first-team squad by at least £600,000 a week – or £31.2m a year – if results do not go Newcastle’s way on the final day of the season.

 

That will prompt a fire sale at St James’s Park as rival clubs look to pick up a bargain from the wreckage of United’s catastrophic campaign.

 

While the non-renewal of the contracts of Michael Owen and Mark Viduka would save around £180,000 a week, there are plenty of other high earners on the books, including Joey Barton, Geremi, José Enrique, Alan Smith,

 

Damien Duff and Obafemi Martins. Fabricio Coloccini and Jonás Gutiérrez would almost certainly return to Spain after just one season in English football, despite costing around £18m when they were signed last summer, with interest thought to be high in the Argentinian pair despite a troubled year on Tyneside.

 

Whether buyers can be found for some of the other big earners remains to be seen and some players may be willing to sit on their lucrative contracts in the Championship rather than move on, despite the damage this could do to the club in the long term.

 

In turn, while the board will want to slash costs, Alan Shearer will fight to keep some of the best players even if he fails to keep them in the top flight after just eight games in charge.

 

The former Newcastle skipper will have some leverage and he will demand certain assurances before committing to becoming permanent manager at the end of the season.

 

He will be desperate to keep the likes of Sébastien Bassong and Habib Beye, as well as a core of younger players like Danny Guthrie and Andy Carroll, alongside the more experienced Nicky Butt, Kevin Nolan and Steve Harper.

 

He will also want money to spend on replacements as the loss of so many players will make it virtually impossible to secure an immediate return to the Premier League if new ones are not drafted in.

 

Shearer knows he is Ashley’s last shot at redemption as Newcastle owner and there will plenty of manoeuvring behind the scenes if relegation becomes a reality, as the United manager looks to ensure he has something left to work with in the Championship.

 

Meanwhile, Newcastle’s desperation ahead of the trip to Aston Villa was obvious yesterday when they launched an appeal against Bassong’s sending-off against Fulham.

 

Bassong was shown a red card by referee Howard Webb for tugging back striker Diomansy Kamara just inside the United half as the ball bounced over his head.

 

But, despite claiming the decision was “ probably right” after the game, Shearer, who may also be without Beye next weekend after the Senegal international picked up a hamstring problem against Fulham, has decided to appeal in the unlikely hope of a reprieve.

 

Magpies winger Duff is part of the Republic of Ireland squad for the friendly clash with Nigeria at Craven Cottage on Friday, May 29. Former Sunderland midfielder Liam Lawrence has also earned a call-up.

 

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SQUAD: Shay Given (Manchester City), Dean Kiely (West Brom), Kieren Westwood (Coventry; Eddie Nolan, Sean St Ledger (both Preston), John O’Shea (Manchester United), Kevin Foley (Wolves), Paul McShane (Sunderland), Richard Dunne (Manchester City), Stephen Kelly (Birmingham), Kevin Kilbane (Hull); Aiden McGeady (Celtic), Damien Duff (Newcastle), Darron Gibson (Manchester United), Glenn Whelan (Stoke), Keith Andrews (Blackburn), Liam Miller (QPR), Stephen Hunt (Reading), Andy Keogh (Wolves), Liam Lawrence (Stoke); Caleb Folan (Hull), Kevin Doyle (Reading), Robbie Keane (Tottenham), Shane Long (Reading), Leon Best (Coventry).

[mrmojorisin75]

as if ashley and llamblias are planning for the worst, are they fuck - if we go down it'll be the same half arsed response they've given to every situation so far

[TRon]

Not that I rate too many of our players but it doesn't surprise me that Ashley will look to cut costs rather than invest to try and get back up. You'd think the fat cunt would have learned his lesson by now.

[Dave]

No shit.

[James]

I hope we don't try and keep Harper.

[Rich]

as if ashley and llamblias are planning for the worst, are they fuck - if we go down it'll be the same half arsed response they've given to every situation so far

 

Don't think they'll have a choice this time. If the wage bill is 70%+ of turnover now and Ashley is having to put £20/30m in just to keep us in the black, what will it be like down a level!?

 

It's a non-story really as we don't have relegation wage-cut clauses in place (if reports are correct) and so it's natural that most will have to go anyway.

 

You can't have players earning £50k+ in the Championship, it's insanity.

[TRon]

as if ashley and llamblias are planning for the worst, are they fuck - if we go down it'll be the same half arsed response they've given to every situation so far

 

Don't think they'll have a choice this time. If the wage bill is 70%+ of turnover now and Ashley is having to put £20/30m in just to keep us in the black, what will it be like down a level!?

 

It's a non-story really as we don't have relegation wage-cut clauses in place (if reports are correct) and so it's natural that most will have to go anyway.

 

You can't have players earning £50k+ in the Championship, it's insanity.

 

Didn't Birmingham fight quite hard to keep their best players? I know they wouldn't sell us Larsson and it's paid off with a swift return to the Premier.

[mrmojorisin75]

Not that I rate too many of our players but it doesn't surprise me that Ashley will look to cut costs rather than invest to try and get back up. You'd think the fat cunt would have learned his lesson by now.

 

i completely agree with it though, in this instance Tron - think what we get from these overpaid arseholes now in this league, none of them will cut it in the Championship where we're the biggest scalp there is and we're being kicked around every pitch in the league

 

taylor, beye, bassong have the attributes and are potentially realistic options to keep on but i would get rid of every single player with the possible exception of smith & nolan as they'll get tortured down there simply for having neither the physical attributes nor the footballing quality to better what else is down there

 

get rid of 'em all (in the event of the unthinkable)

[madras]

every player for sale doesn't necessarily mean we are looking to sell every player.

[TRon]

Not that I rate too many of our players but it doesn't surprise me that Ashley will look to cut costs rather than invest to try and get back up. You'd think the fat cunt would have learned his lesson by now.

 

i completely agree with it though, in this instance Tron - think what we get from these overpaid arseholes now in this league, none of them will cut it in the Championship where we're the biggest scalp there is and we're being kicked around every pitch in the league

 

taylor, beye, bassong have the attributes and are potentially realistic options to keep on but i would get rid of every single player with the possible exception of smith & nolan as they'll get tortured down there simply for having neither the physical attributes nor the footballing quality to better what else is down there

 

get rid of 'em all (in the event of the unthinkable)

 

I've a feeling it's the likes of Beye and Bassong that will get sold though. I hope I'm wrong.

[mrmojorisin75]

Not that I rate too many of our players but it doesn't surprise me that Ashley will look to cut costs rather than invest to try and get back up. You'd think the fat cunt would have learned his lesson by now.

 

i completely agree with it though, in this instance Tron - think what we get from these overpaid arseholes now in this league, none of them will cut it in the Championship where we're the biggest scalp there is and we're being kicked around every pitch in the league

 

taylor, beye, bassong have the attributes and are potentially realistic options to keep on but i would get rid of every single player with the possible exception of smith & nolan as they'll get tortured down there simply for having neither the physical attributes nor the footballing quality to better what else is down there

 

get rid of 'em all (in the event of the unthinkable)

 

I've a feeling it's the likes of Beye and Bassong that will get sold though. I hope I'm wrong.

 

well yeah, why would another club be interested in our shit?  that's why i think ashley and his cohorts will fuck it up by taking whatever shitty bids come along for the players we need to keep and we'll end up starting next season with butt as our DM and smith our AM or some horrendous combination of the shite we have now

[Rich]

as if ashley and llamblias are planning for the worst, are they fuck - if we go down it'll be the same half arsed response they've given to every situation so far

 

Don't think they'll have a choice this time. If the wage bill is 70%+ of turnover now and Ashley is having to put £20/30m in just to keep us in the black, what will it be like down a level!?

 

It's a non-story really as we don't have relegation wage-cut clauses in place (if reports are correct) and so it's natural that most will have to go anyway.

 

You can't have players earning £50k+ in the Championship, it's insanity.

 

Didn't Birmingham fight quite hard to keep their best players? I know they wouldn't sell us Larsson and it's paid off with a swift return to the Premier.

 

Are the players who earn £50k+ for us our "best players"? Bassong, Beye, Taylor, Guthrie and Enrique are the five I'd be most concerned about losing. The rest can take a running jump.

[Rich]

as if ashley and llamblias are planning for the worst, are they fuck - if we go down it'll be the same half arsed response they've given to every situation so far

 

Don't think they'll have a choice this time. If the wage bill is 70%+ of turnover now and Ashley is having to put £20/30m in just to keep us in the black, what will it be like down a level!?

 

It's a non-story really as we don't have relegation wage-cut clauses in place (if reports are correct) and so it's natural that most will have to go anyway.

 

You can't have players earning £50k+ in the Championship, it's insanity.

 

Didn't Birmingham fight quite hard to keep their best players? I know they wouldn't sell us Larsson and it's paid off with a swift return to the Premier.

 

Are the players who earn £50k+ for us our "best players"? Bassong, Beye, Taylor, Guthrie and Enrique are the five I'd be most concerned about losing. The rest can take a running jump.

 

Also. I'm fairly certain their wage bill wasn't 70%+ of their turnover prior to relegation...

 

Basically, I don't get the relevance of your post to mine at all.

[Skirge]

Just more panic speculation bollocks from The Journal.. I am sure some will stay but I guess a lot will depend on who is here as manager and who owns the club.

[TRon]

as if ashley and llamblias are planning for the worst, are they fuck - if we go down it'll be the same half arsed response they've given to every situation so far

 

Don't think they'll have a choice this time. If the wage bill is 70%+ of turnover now and Ashley is having to put £20/30m in just to keep us in the black, what will it be like down a level!?

 

It's a non-story really as we don't have relegation wage-cut clauses in place (if reports are correct) and so it's natural that most will have to go anyway.

 

You can't have players earning £50k+ in the Championship, it's insanity.

 

Didn't Birmingham fight quite hard to keep their best players? I know they wouldn't sell us Larsson and it's paid off with a swift return to the Premier.

 

Are the players who earn £50k+ for us our "best players"? Bassong, Beye, Taylor, Guthrie and Enrique are the five I'd be most concerned about losing. The rest can take a running jump.

 

Also. I'm fairly certain their wage bill wasn't 70%+ of their turnover prior to relegation...

 

Basically, I don't get the relevance of your post to mine at all.

 

It's not directly relevant to your post, what I am concerned about is whether we will rebuff enquiries for our few decent players like Birmingham did or take the money and run. Like I said Birmingham could easily have sold Larsson at a tidy profit but fought hard to keep him and it paid off. Do you think Ashley and his mates will fight as hard to keep Bassong?

[Mowen]

Everyone will be available for the right price. Especially if they have high wages. NSS.

[Guest Phil K]

Too many (all of them ?) are on twenty times what they are worth

They will NOT get such an easy ride with their next club.

 

You can't have players earning £50k+ in the Championship, it's insanity.

 

True, and will we be any the worse for their leaving ? I doubt it.

One good thing is they'll not get remotely what they've been getting here either.

Even Owen is going to get an unpleasant surprise with little additions to his contract relating to non-appearances and maybe little more than half what he is on here.

[Guest gggg]

The fat bastard will be wanking himself silly all summer.

[Wallace]

It is a kneejerk reaction from Ashley that worries me as he seems to act on instinct.  You can't get rid of all the players just like that as they will all need to be replaced. 

 

Anyway, surely they will need to consult with the manager first.  If Shearer is the man and they just go out and sell players behind his back, he won't be here long.

 

 

[NG32]

Our bones will be picked dry, we will be left with a naked Shola Ameobi.

[BottledDog]

The fat bastard will be wanking himself silly all summer.

 

[Nobody]

every player for sale doesn't necessarily mean we are looking to sell every player.

This.

Everyone will be available for the right price. Especially if they have high wages. NSS.

And this.

The fat bastard will be wanking himself silly all summer.

Probably not this.

 

 

[ikri]

With the exception of Bassong, Beye & Guthrie would we really be that sorry to see them go?

 

Their inept performances are one of the main reasons we're in this position.

 

We could have substituted most of our midfielders for planks of wood for large portions of the season & no one would have noticed much of a difference.

[mrmojorisin75]

Our bones will be picked dry, we will be left with a naked Shola Ameobi.

 

[Guest diddimz]

With the exception of Bassong, Beye & Guthrie would we really be that sorry to see them go?

 

Their inept performances are one of the main reasons we're in this position.

 

We could have substituted most of our midfielders for planks of wood for large portions of the season & no one would have noticed much of a difference.

 

Except we probably wouldn't be facing relegation.