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The Tyne's, they are a changing:

Unsentimental journey

 

Coming soon after the Joey Barton contract revelations, claims that Kevin Nolan has rejected an offer to improve the deal that currently expires in 2013 has provoked a further round of speculation round these parts.

 

Adding in the expected departure of Alan Smith and suddenly Steve Harper starts to look a little lonely as the remaining senior pro, especially if Tim Krul's elevation to the full Dutch side is reflected at club level next season with his selection as number one 'keeper. For whatever reason, Shola Ameobi doesn't seem to fit into the shop steward, despite over a decade of service to the club.

 

While the obvious conclusion is that United are looking to jettison more of the remaining high earners and avoid handing out extended deals to players with a limited shelf life and future sale value, there's also a feeling that any dissenting voices in the dressing room are getting "our way - or the highway" treatment from Mike & Del boy.     

 

Swallowing the line that the late sale of Andy Carroll left no time for credible signings ignores the fact we did nothing in the previous 30 days of January - despite the manager talking about recruitment soon after arriving. However, our trading has started now in earnest.

 

Revisiting Barton's comments to Talksport in December 2010, it's clear that senior players had considerable influence at that point - a situation that may well have contributed to the demise of Chris Hughton:

 

“We had a meeting with the chairman on Thursday before the new manager was appointed and we all said our piece. A lot of the senior players said exactly what they thought and the reason we did is because we care greatly about this football club. We care about pulling on the shirt and going out and performing.

 

"And obviously we're entitled to our say. Ultimately it doesn’t come down to us, the running of the football club, but as I said ‘look it’s important for us to say how we feel, let you know how we feel’ and all our opinions were heard and we move on.

 

“We don’t know the real reason behind Chris leaving. We were told it was push the club on to the next level and a lot of us questioned Alan’s appointment."

 

Taking this a step further, it's possible to interpret the extended deals handed to the likes of Shane Ferguson as comparable to those signed by David Beharall and Jamie McClen under Ruud Gullit - while Rob Lee was excluded.

 

In a club not renowned for their forward planning, we look now to be at the third year of a strategy in which a top flight return was achieved at the first attempt with a top-heavy wage bill, then Premier League status was preserved with minimal investment in the same squad.

 

Now comes the next stage and already it seems as if the club's interpretation of moving on to 'the next level' differs from that of many fans, who anticipated additions to the existing squad, rather than a wholesale personnel change.

 

Whether that is also Alan Pardew's vision remains unclear, as does the likelihood of him going out on a limb - either in public or in private - to retain any players that those "upstairs" deem surplus to requirements.

 

And as to whether our transfer policy - and the ability of the influential Graham Carr to select credible replacements after presumably passing judgment on current players  - is the correct one, only time will tell. Rather than singing "Alan Pardew's Black and White Army" next season, a chorus of "Carr's Toon Army" may be more appropriate...

 

For the likes of Nolan and Barton to make contractual demands is their right, but certainly in the case of the former to ask for a new five year deal (allegedly) is stretching the bounds of credibility - and actually making it easier for the club to dispense with their services.

 

The "B" word - brinkmanship - is still pertinent and until the papers publish those sickly photos of our players waving the shirts/scarves of other clubs, then nothing is certain and the possibility of a settlement remains.

 

What does remain consistent though is the intention of the current owner and sidekick to push through their own vision, using their own business model rather than any accepted football logic. And to hell with anyone who doesn't agree - be it players, fans, journos or managers.

 

Good piece.

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I've got faith that he and the club will find a compromise to this bizarre contract situation. He might get something that's arguably a bit more than he 'deserves', but i think he's one that the club (particularly Pardew) would bend over backwards to keep.

 

A different perspective - wouldn't be at all surprised to find Pardew's quite keen to get rid actually. It will never be truly Pardew's changing room until Nolan's gone.

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I hope this doesn't turn into one of those transfer windows where we end up with a couple of good signings but a squad that's just as thin as it was beforehand.

 

:lol:...

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A firm, immediate rejection is the best and only thing we could have done, so i'm glad that's what's happened. Hopefully this makes some sort of statement towards, at the very least, the player himself - let alone other members of the squad. We won't just sell our important players for the first reasonable bid that comes forward. I wouldn't say £3m was a million miles off his true valuation as a footballer, but it would be a bit of a snip considering what he'd give to West Ham in that division.

 

Given his importance to the club and the job he's done for us over the last two-and-a-half years, i'd want double that at a bare minimum.

 

The only clubs who can pay that sort of fee wouldn't want him imo.

 

Tend to agree, which is one of a number of a reasons why i think he'll still be here next season.

 

I am 95% certain he will be sold. He might be popular at the club but sometimes having too much influence can work against you. If he hasn't got the contract he wants that will make him an unhappy bunny and whether those higher up will want to keep him around rather than get a fee and get him off the wage book ,I have real doubts about that.

 

What's the other 5%?

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so they're suggesting that pardew may not have any say at all apart from picking the team? interesting.

 

They're two guys that struck lucky by getting the .com name before the club, their opinion isn't any more valid than the majority of people that post on this board.

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so they're suggesting that pardew may not have any say at all apart from picking the team? interesting.

 

They're two guys that struck lucky by getting the .com name before the club, their opinion isn't any more valid than the majority of people that post on this board.

 

Who said it was?

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so they're suggesting that pardew may not have any say at all apart from picking the team? interesting.

 

They're two guys that struck lucky by getting the .com name before the club, their opinion isn't any more valid than the majority of people that post on this board.

 

Who said it was?

 

His comment about the article reads like he's giving their opinion a high relevance.

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Maybe he just values their opinion.

 

Maybe he does, I'd just hate to see the poor lad think it was more than opinion and they were a bit more in the know than anyone else with their suggestions.

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The Tyne's, they are a changing:

Unsentimental journey

 

Coming soon after the Joey Barton contract revelations, claims that Kevin Nolan has rejected an offer to improve the deal that currently expires in 2013 has provoked a further round of speculation round these parts.

 

Adding in the expected departure of Alan Smith and suddenly Steve Harper starts to look a little lonely as the remaining senior pro, especially if Tim Krul's elevation to the full Dutch side is reflected at club level next season with his selection as number one 'keeper. For whatever reason, Shola Ameobi doesn't seem to fit into the shop steward, despite over a decade of service to the club.

 

While the obvious conclusion is that United are looking to jettison more of the remaining high earners and avoid handing out extended deals to players with a limited shelf life and future sale value, there's also a feeling that any dissenting voices in the dressing room are getting "our way - or the highway" treatment from Mike & Del boy.     

 

Swallowing the line that the late sale of Andy Carroll left no time for credible signings ignores the fact we did nothing in the previous 30 days of January - despite the manager talking about recruitment soon after arriving. However, our trading has started now in earnest.

 

Revisiting Barton's comments to Talksport in December 2010, it's clear that senior players had considerable influence at that point - a situation that may well have contributed to the demise of Chris Hughton:

 

“We had a meeting with the chairman on Thursday before the new manager was appointed and we all said our piece. A lot of the senior players said exactly what they thought and the reason we did is because we care greatly about this football club. We care about pulling on the shirt and going out and performing.

 

"And obviously we're entitled to our say. Ultimately it doesn’t come down to us, the running of the football club, but as I said ‘look it’s important for us to say how we feel, let you know how we feel’ and all our opinions were heard and we move on.

 

“We don’t know the real reason behind Chris leaving. We were told it was push the club on to the next level and a lot of us questioned Alan’s appointment."

 

Taking this a step further, it's possible to interpret the extended deals handed to the likes of Shane Ferguson as comparable to those signed by David Beharall and Jamie McClen under Ruud Gullit - while Rob Lee was excluded.

 

In a club not renowned for their forward planning, we look now to be at the third year of a strategy in which a top flight return was achieved at the first attempt with a top-heavy wage bill, then Premier League status was preserved with minimal investment in the same squad.

 

Now comes the next stage and already it seems as if the club's interpretation of moving on to 'the next level' differs from that of many fans, who anticipated additions to the existing squad, rather than a wholesale personnel change.

 

Whether that is also Alan Pardew's vision remains unclear, as does the likelihood of him going out on a limb - either in public or in private - to retain any players that those "upstairs" deem surplus to requirements.

 

And as to whether our transfer policy - and the ability of the influential Graham Carr to select credible replacements after presumably passing judgment on current players  - is the correct one, only time will tell. Rather than singing "Alan Pardew's Black and White Army" next season, a chorus of "Carr's Toon Army" may be more appropriate...

 

For the likes of Nolan and Barton to make contractual demands is their right, but certainly in the case of the former to ask for a new five year deal (allegedly) is stretching the bounds of credibility - and actually making it easier for the club to dispense with their services.

 

The "B" word - brinkmanship - is still pertinent and until the papers publish those sickly photos of our players waving the shirts/scarves of other clubs, then nothing is certain and the possibility of a settlement remains.

 

What does remain consistent though is the intention of the current owner and sidekick to push through their own vision, using their own business model rather than any accepted football logic. And to hell with anyone who doesn't agree - be it players, fans, journos or managers.

 

Good piece.

 

Just was going to post this after finding it in here.

 

Very good read indeed.

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Maybe he just values their opinion.

 

Maybe he does, I'd just hate to see the poor lad think it was more than opinion and they were a bit more in the know than anyone else with their suggestions.

 

i don't necessarily give their opinion any more weight than anyone on here, i only commented on it because it seems as if someone agrees with me on it at last

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What does remain consistent though is the intention of the current owner and sidekick to push through their own vision, using their own business model rather than any accepted football logic. And to hell with anyone who doesn't agree - be it players, fans, journos or managers.

 

There's an alternative view that many clubs being run according to football logic are in danger of spiralling into financial meltdown. Liverpool weren't far off until they got bailed out by Hicks and Gillet taking the fall, and Aston Villa have spent a ton of money to go backwards under fans favourite owner Randy Lerner...who kindly charges the club interest on the money he loans.

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Maybe he just values their opinion.

 

Maybe he does, I'd just hate to see the poor lad think it was more than opinion and they were a bit more in the know than anyone else with their suggestions.

 

i don't necessarily give their opinion any more weight than anyone on here, i only commented on it because it seems as if someone agrees with me on it at last

 

Why do you think Pardew went out with the scouts to France to look at players if he had no say?

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Maybe he just values their opinion.

 

Maybe he does, I'd just hate to see the poor lad think it was more than opinion and they were a bit more in the know than anyone else with their suggestions.

 

i don't necessarily give their opinion any more weight than anyone on here, i only commented on it because it seems as if someone agrees with me on it at last

 

Why do you think Pardew went out with the scouts to France to look at players if he had no say?

 

So the club could show him who they are signing to let Pardew have a think about what he would do with them once they arrive.

 

(that is a joke, that is a joke, that is a joke)

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In a club not renowned for their forward planning, we look now to be at the third year of a strategy in which a top flight return was achieved at the first attempt with a top-heavy wage bill, then Premier League status was preserved with minimal investment in the same squad.

 

Now comes the next stage and already it seems as if the club's interpretation of moving on to 'the next level' differs from that of many fans, who anticipated additions to the existing squad, rather than a wholesale personnel change.

 

Despite Pardew saying he was happy with the size of the squad and ideally he would ship four out and replace them with four players of a higher quality.

 

 

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Maybe he just values their opinion.

 

Maybe he does, I'd just hate to see the poor lad think it was more than opinion and they were a bit more in the know than anyone else with their suggestions.

 

i don't necessarily give their opinion any more weight than anyone on here, i only commented on it because it seems as if someone agrees with me on it at last

 

Why do you think Pardew went out with the scouts to France to look at players if he had no say?

 

i don't think he has no say at all, just not much. it's to do with my views on why he was brought in and what that ultimately means for the club going forward but it's been done to death so i wont go into it, i merely highlighted that bit from the .com piece as like i say, i've never seen anyone else put forth that point of view.

 

anyway, i dont think we should sell nolan this summer, some continuity needed and let's not forget he was our top scorer last season. i think he'd be a great option from the bench next season if we can possibly upgrade him.

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The Tyne's, they are a changing:

Unsentimental journey

 

Coming soon after the Joey Barton contract revelations, claims that Kevin Nolan has rejected an offer to improve the deal that currently expires in 2013 has provoked a further round of speculation round these parts.

 

Adding in the expected departure of Alan Smith and suddenly Steve Harper starts to look a little lonely as the remaining senior pro, especially if Tim Krul's elevation to the full Dutch side is reflected at club level next season with his selection as number one 'keeper. For whatever reason, Shola Ameobi doesn't seem to fit into the shop steward, despite over a decade of service to the club.

 

While the obvious conclusion is that United are looking to jettison more of the remaining high earners and avoid handing out extended deals to players with a limited shelf life and future sale value, there's also a feeling that any dissenting voices in the dressing room are getting "our way - or the highway" treatment from Mike & Del boy.     

 

Swallowing the line that the late sale of Andy Carroll left no time for credible signings ignores the fact we did nothing in the previous 30 days of January - despite the manager talking about recruitment soon after arriving. However, our trading has started now in earnest.

 

Revisiting Barton's comments to Talksport in December 2010, it's clear that senior players had considerable influence at that point - a situation that may well have contributed to the demise of Chris Hughton:

 

“We had a meeting with the chairman on Thursday before the new manager was appointed and we all said our piece. A lot of the senior players said exactly what they thought and the reason we did is because we care greatly about this football club. We care about pulling on the shirt and going out and performing.

 

"And obviously we're entitled to our say. Ultimately it doesn’t come down to us, the running of the football club, but as I said ‘look it’s important for us to say how we feel, let you know how we feel’ and all our opinions were heard and we move on.

 

“We don’t know the real reason behind Chris leaving. We were told it was push the club on to the next level and a lot of us questioned Alan’s appointment."

 

Taking this a step further, it's possible to interpret the extended deals handed to the likes of Shane Ferguson as comparable to those signed by David Beharall and Jamie McClen under Ruud Gullit - while Rob Lee was excluded.

 

In a club not renowned for their forward planning, we look now to be at the third year of a strategy in which a top flight return was achieved at the first attempt with a top-heavy wage bill, then Premier League status was preserved with minimal investment in the same squad.

 

Now comes the next stage and already it seems as if the club's interpretation of moving on to 'the next level' differs from that of many fans, who anticipated additions to the existing squad, rather than a wholesale personnel change.

 

Whether that is also Alan Pardew's vision remains unclear, as does the likelihood of him going out on a limb - either in public or in private - to retain any players that those "upstairs" deem surplus to requirements.

 

And as to whether our transfer policy - and the ability of the influential Graham Carr to select credible replacements after presumably passing judgment on current players  - is the correct one, only time will tell. Rather than singing "Alan Pardew's Black and White Army" next season, a chorus of "Carr's Toon Army" may be more appropriate...

 

For the likes of Nolan and Barton to make contractual demands is their right, but certainly in the case of the former to ask for a new five year deal (allegedly) is stretching the bounds of credibility - and actually making it easier for the club to dispense with their services.

 

The "B" word - brinkmanship - is still pertinent and until the papers publish those sickly photos of our players waving the shirts/scarves of other clubs, then nothing is certain and the possibility of a settlement remains.

 

What does remain consistent though is the intention of the current owner and sidekick to push through their own vision, using their own business model rather than any accepted football logic. And to hell with anyone who doesn't agree - be it players, fans, journos or managers.

 

Good piece.

 

Just was going to post this after finding it in here.

 

Very good read indeed.

 

It's a load of bollocks.

 

We've offered Nolan an improved deal (and rejected an offer for him) and this -- along with Barton also rejecting a new deal and deciding to run down his extremely lucrative contract and leave on a Bosman, and the club trying to get rid Smith, a player even nufc.com must see is contributing nothing -- leads to 'a feeling that any dissenting voices in the dressing room are getting "our way - or the highway" treatment from Mike & Del boy'?

 

it's possible to interpret the extended deals handed to the likes of Shane Ferguson as comparable to those signed by David Beharall and Jamie McClen under Ruud Gullit - while Rob Lee was excluded.

 

Well, I suppose it might be, at a stretch, if we hadn't offered Nolan an improved contract and rejected an offer for him.

 

As for the assessment of the owner as being unlikely to listen to "players, fans, journalists" concerning how he should run the club. Well, gosh, that's a big surprise, like, because every other club owner does exactly what players, fans and journalists think they should do.

 

Knackers.

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