Alan Pardew

[Guest]

I like the way he's going about it. He knows we'll not finish top 6 next season but at least it seems like he's going to set us up so we're good to watch and should be able to outplay "the rest" to avoid repeats of the likes of Blackpool, Wigan & Blackburn next season.

[Rich]

Call me crazy, but I refuse to accept we'll "not finish top 6" until it's mathematically impossible for us to do so. We were two minutes off 9th last season after a mental campaign.

 

You just never know. I'm sure Pardew will have a part of him thinking that's what we're aiming for, and I'm sure that's how he's selling us to the likes of Cabaye.

 

 

[Guest]

Call me crazy, but I refuse to accept we'll "not finish top 6" until it's mathematically impossible for us to do so. We were two minutes off 9th last season after a mental campaign.

 

You just never know. I'm sure Pardew will have a part of him thinking that's what we're aiming for, and I'm sure that's how he's selling us to the likes of Cabaye.

 

 

 

True, but I can't help think this season is all about trying to get above the likes of Everton & Aston Villa and then think about building higher.

[Ronaldo]

We got to be aiming to take Spurs.

[Rich]

Call me crazy, but I refuse to accept we'll "not finish top 6" until it's mathematically impossible for us to do so. We were two minutes off 9th last season after a mental campaign.

 

You just never know. I'm sure Pardew will have a part of him thinking that's what we're aiming for, and I'm sure that's how he's selling us to the likes of Cabaye.

 

 

 

True, but I can't help think this season is all about trying to get above the likes of Everton & Aston Villa and then think about building higher.

 

Definitely, I think that would be seen as being more than satisfactory for sure. You have to aim high though, and given the players we're targeting and the figures that are being mooted it appears we are doing just that.

 

If there are no glaring catastrophes between here and August, and we bring in players of a similar ilk to those recently linked, we're all going to be heading into the new season believing anything can happen - and rightly so. It tends to be a recipe for disaster where we're concerned, but it should be nice while it lasts.

 

As you say, as long as we "have a go" and try to play quick, incisive football, most will be happy enough.

[TRon]

Hadn't noticed, but now you mention it... probably need to broaden my lexical choices methinks.

 

A search is quite revealing (and not just in that the search functioned actually worked).

 

You're beating me 6 pages to 4 these days, when a few years ago I'm sure I would have had a comfortable lead.

 

...It is all very positive though, in regards to Cabaye and his comments. Granted you're not going to get a new signing saying anything other, but with the anticipated pairing of him and Tiote either as a two or in a three with one of Barton/Nolan or another new signing, we're not going to be shy of players wanting the ball and looking to take responsibility in there, while actually being capable of doing something when they have it as well. Will be nice.

 

If he does manage to add a quality striker and another player capable of beating a man to play in front of them, things are looking very bright indeed.

 

 

 

Couldn't agree more. There's no guarantee it will all work out in practice of course, but from my point of view that's exactly how I would want a team to be set up and with that outlook. It's a million miles from Joe Kinnear in the not so distant past.

[JH]

Rich

[Guest Loven11]

ALAN PARDEW admits that Newcastle United’s wage bill next season will be strictly mid-table.

 

In a startling confession as the Toon’s recruitment drive hots up, the Newcastle boss says the stark reality is that United simply cannot compete with Tottenham and Liverpool on the wage front.

 

Indeed Pardew says that Harry Redknapp’s wage bill is DOUBLE his.

 

Kenny Dalglish’s big-spending Reds and upwardly mobile Spurs are both on the coat-tails of the top four at the moment, belonging to a bracket of teams that Newcastle are desperately striving for.

 

But Pardew says United will have to get there by squeezing the most out of what they’ve got – and discovering more hidden gems like Cheik Tiote in the transfer market.

 

Asked whether Newcastle could convince a Continental target that they could offer more than one of the big North London clubs, Pardew told the Sunday Sun: “I don’t think we’re anywhere near Spurs in terms of the wage bill. Theirs is double ours, so you can forget about Spurs.

 

“That doesn’t mean to say we can’t compete with them on the playing pitch. On transfers, we can’t compete with their wages. We can’t compete with Liverpool’s wages.

 

“We’ve got to face that reality. We can’t.”

 

The current climate is all a far cry from the days when St James’ Park was seen as a big pay day for potential new arrivals.

 

That policy worked well in a few cases – Alan Shearer and Les Ferdinand being two of the most pressing examples – but less so in others.

 

Newcastle fans probably still wake up in a cold sweat about Geremi, Patrick Kluivert or even Michael Owen, whose sole motivation for moving to St James’ Park was the bumper pay day.

 

Mike Ashley’s new approach is a different one and while some fans will be dismayed, others might think that Newcastle are laying down better foundations for a tilt at the top six.

 

Indeed Pardew is refusing to be downbeat about his budget, insisting there remains an opportunity to kick on next year.

 

First up, he believes, a top ten finish has to be secured next season.

 

Then the top six is the target – with Pardew hoping to “fire” Ashley’s imagination in the process.

 

He said: “Having said that about wages, we can get a top-10 finish, we can get a top-eight finish - we can, even, get a top-six finish maybe, if things went really, really well for us. That has been proven.

 

“Then we need – at some point – to kick on. I think where Mike is at the moment, he wants the club to be stable.

 

“He wants to see that there’s some stability here.

 

“He wants to see we can get a top ten finish next year and then, maybe, we can get him excited enough to attack the top level after that. That’s where we want to be.”

[Guest neesy111]

ALAN PARDEW admits that Newcastle United’s wage bill next season will be strictly mid-table.

 

In a startling confession as the Toon’s recruitment drive hots up, the Newcastle boss says the stark reality is that United simply cannot compete with Tottenham and Liverpool on the wage front.

 

Indeed Pardew says that Harry Redknapp’s wage bill is DOUBLE his.

 

Kenny Dalglish’s big-spending Reds and upwardly mobile Spurs are both on the coat-tails of the top four at the moment, belonging to a bracket of teams that Newcastle are desperately striving for.

 

But Pardew says United will have to get there by squeezing the most out of what they’ve got – and discovering more hidden gems like Cheik Tiote in the transfer market.

 

Asked whether Newcastle could convince a Continental target that they could offer more than one of the big North London clubs, Pardew told the Sunday Sun: “I don’t think we’re anywhere near Spurs in terms of the wage bill. Theirs is double ours, so you can forget about Spurs.

 

“That doesn’t mean to say we can’t compete with them on the playing pitch. On transfers, we can’t compete with their wages. We can’t compete with Liverpool’s wages.

 

“We’ve got to face that reality. We can’t.”

 

The current climate is all a far cry from the days when St James’ Park was seen as a big pay day for potential new arrivals.

 

That policy worked well in a few cases – Alan Shearer and Les Ferdinand being two of the most pressing examples – but less so in others.

 

Newcastle fans probably still wake up in a cold sweat about Geremi, Patrick Kluivert or even Michael Owen, whose sole motivation for moving to St James’ Park was the bumper pay day.

 

Mike Ashley’s new approach is a different one and while some fans will be dismayed, others might think that Newcastle are laying down better foundations for a tilt at the top six.

 

Indeed Pardew is refusing to be downbeat about his budget, insisting there remains an opportunity to kick on next year.

 

First up, he believes, a top ten finish has to be secured next season.

 

Then the top six is the target – with Pardew hoping to “fire” Ashley’s imagination in the process.

 

He said: “Having said that about wages, we can get a top-10 finish, we can get a top-eight finish - we can, even, get a top-six finish maybe, if things went really, really well for us. That has been proven.

 

“Then we need – at some point – to kick on. I think where Mike is at the moment, he wants the club to be stable.

 

“He wants to see that there’s some stability here.

 

“He wants to see we can get a top ten finish next year and then, maybe, we can get him excited enough to attack the top level after that. That’s where we want to be.”

 

Not a major shock, tbf I don't want us to go back to spunking 60k-100k a week especially when we are not in Europe.

[Cajun]

Tbf Spurs have about 196 players on their books so it's no surprise we would match their wage bill, Liverpool are probably paying some of their players up to £100k a week (isn't Carroll supposed to be on about £80k-90k?) so again that's no shock.

 

The sort of players we are going to afford shouldn't be commanding those sorts of wages anyway. If we continue to bring in players the calibre of Ben Arfa, Tiote and Cabaye then we will still progress.

[Guest BooBoo]

Nowt new there regarding wages. We all know we're unwilling to pay top dollar these days.

[summerof69]

How is that Spurs can spend so much these days is it all paid for by Levy ?

[JackM]

Joe Lewis I reckon

 

[quayside]

Joe Lewis I reckon

 

 

They aren't massively funded by their owners, but their annual Premiership income is about £30 million a year more than ours. Over  the course of several years that helps.

 

Edit: They are also very good in the transfer market and when they sell their players on it is done with good value to the club.

[Guest TheSummerOf69]

I'm admiring all this pre-season optimism. The sun is shining, we're level with Man Utd in the untrampled league tables, we have a good chief scout and lots of money in the bank.

 

 

There's still this little voice, though, saying things like:

 

we were only a couple of wins above relegation and the second year back is often much harder for promoted teams;

 

as well as losing Caroll we could start the season with Barton, Enrique and Nolan gone;

 

we've still got that total numpty for a chairman;

 

Ashley is wanting the money back that he cost us on all his mistakes - like relegation, having to pay Keegan off for constructive dismissal (instead of getting the £2m from him for leaving early as per his contract), appointing Kinnear, selling the best young players like Milner and N'Zogbia (and Caroll?) for less than they go on to be worth, dismantling the core of that great team spirit that brought us back from the brink after the Orient loss signalled a relegation battle ahead...

 

Shh. Not now, Silent Whinger!  

 

 

Then there's things like this:

Pardew said: "Things are definitely moving on now and we expect to be busier between now and the start of the season. We are working very hard on one or two players and we hope to announce something soon."

Only "one or two players"?

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Don't think there's much reason to believe that our second season will be that much more difficult, except of course if we actually end up with a weaker squad.

[OzzieMandias]

I'm admiring all this pre-season optimism. The sun is shining, we're level with Man Utd in the untrampled league tables, we have a good chief scout and lots of money in the bank.

 

 

There's still this little voice, though, saying things like:

 

we were only a couple of wins above relegation and the second year back is often much harder for promoted teams;

 

as well as losing Caroll we could start the season with Barton, Enrique and Nolan gone;

 

we've still got that total numpty for a chairman;

 

Ashley is wanting the money back that he cost us on all his mistakes - like relegation, having to pay Keegan off for constructive dismissal (instead of getting the £2m from him for leaving early as per his contract), appointing Kinnear, selling the best young players like Milner and N'Zogbia (and Caroll?) for less than they go on to be worth, dismantling the core of that great team spirit that brought us back from the brink after the Orient loss signalled a relegation battle ahead...

 

Shh. Not now, Silent Whinger! 

 

 

Then there's things like this:

Pardew said: "Things are definitely moving on now and we expect to be busier between now and the start of the season. We are working very hard on one or two players and we hope to announce something soon."

Only "one or two players"?

 

Have a good cry. It'll make you feel better.

[Guest]

Relegation won't be an issue because we'll not finish anywhere near Norwich, Swansea, Wolves or Blackburn in terms of points.

[Dr Venkman]

Relegation won't be an issue because we'll not finish anywhere near Norwich, Swansea, Wolves or Blackburn in terms of points.

 

i sense piss drinking

[Disco]

Spotted at the airport this morning.

[Guest neesy111]

How is that Spurs can spend so much these days is it all paid for by Levy ?

 

Spurs season tickets are the 2nd most expensive in the league and they receive shitload's from their sponsorship deals.  Also they've recouped a good amount from various transfer deals.

[BottledDog]

Spotted at the airport this morning.

 

Head-hunted by Villa.

[Disco]

He piped up yet?

[taxfree]

The Mike Ashley Project, surely.

[Guest Mantis]

Spotted at the airport this morning.

 

Fingers crossed for his interview at Cardiff