Yohan Cabaye retires

[Wallace]

PSG have talked about their interest in Cabaye for so long but have never made a bid.  Either make a bid or stop talking - it is not as if they are struggling to pay the fee and there is no point in trying to destabilise us because we are not competing with them on any level.

[Guest Brazilianbob]

If by some slim chance (and I mean a slim chance) we managed to get a CL spot for next season, we might be able to pursuade Cabs to sign a contract extension in the summer rather than move to PSG, who can pretty much guarantee CL football, but will Cabs really fancy taking a backward step by going back to Ligue 1 football rather than stay in the EPL with us?

[Joe_F]

PSG have talked about their interest in Cabaye for so long but have never made a bid.  Either make a bid or stop talking - it is not as if they are struggling to pay the fee and there is no point in trying to destabilise us because we are not competing with them on any level.

 

Aye we can talk, like.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

If by some slim chance (and I mean a slim chance) we managed to get a CL spot for next season, we might be able to pursuade Cabs to sign a contract extension in the summer rather than move to PSG, who can pretty much guarantee CL football, but will Cabs really fancy taking a backward step by going back to Ligue 1 football rather than stay in the EPL with us?

 

Quoi?

[Yorkie]

If by some slim chance (and I mean a slim chance) we managed to get a CL spot for next season, we might be able to pursuade Cabs to sign a contract extension in the summer rather than move to PSG, who can pretty much guarantee CL football, but will Cabs really fancy taking a backward step by going back to Ligue 1 football rather than stay in the EPL with us?

 

It's the only thing that would give us a shout of keeping him.

 

By no means a mission impossible, either. So frustrating.

[alexf]

We're not getting into the CL. Unless we brought a load of amazing players all of a sudden and went on an epic run. But it's just not going to happen.

[Ketsbaia]

Even then, PSG would offer him a decent chance of winning it. Or at least reach the latter stages.

[Guest neesy111]

We're not getting into the CL. Unless we brought a load of amazing players all of a sudden and went on an epic run. But it's just not going to happen.

 

This.

[George Bailey]

We're not getting into the CL. Unless we brought a load of amazing players all of a sudden and went on an epic run. But it's just not going to happen.

 

The whole nub of the issue imo.

 

I will be sad to see such a good player, one of few we have, leave us. it looks like, and I am giving the club some credit here, that we have a 'replacement' lined up. (If the Cabella rumours are true obvs).

 

Of course as many have said, replacing a settled and performing player with the 'potential' of one is another matter. No guarantees for any side/team or manager on that tbh (of course better managers probably mean more chance of replacements being a success, I would imagine).

 

The bigger issue is one of what clubs like us (Villa, Everton, Spurs to an extent) can expect. The holy grail of the CL is an all consuming driver nowadays and unless UEFA sort it out, then the elitist blue print we have for football will only get worse imo. Can any of us expect to develop a team/squad without regular CL football?

 

Quite why they cant put some real value back into the UEFA cup to restore some balance boils my piss. I genuinley despise the CL format and the ramifications it is having on the game.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

The bigger issue is one of what clubs like us (Villa, Everton, Spurs to an extent) can expect. The holy grail of the CL is an all consuming driver nowadays and unless UEFA sort it out, then the elitist blue print we have for football will only get worse imo. Can any of us expect to develop a team/squad without regular CL football?

 

And not only that, you have the issue of owners who are prepared to sink infinite money into transfers.

 

Basically this is the key issue underlying everything for me, and why I don't necessarily blame NUFC for these departures. The traditional competition in football has been rendered obsolete by money. We can only climb so far without infinite investment, and at the moment our ceiling is probably only a couple of places above where we are.

 

In that situation, players will sometimes leave to go to richer clubs. It's inevitable, I can't bring myself to complain about it (although I find the whole situation regrettable).

[Benwell Lad]

It's au revoir in my opinion.

At the beginning of the month I browsed a bookie site which was offering odds on January transfers - player and buying club. Even some of the most talked about ones were in the range of 5 to 8/1. Cabaye to PSG was a quite staggering 4/6 which would indicate a large amount of probably well informed wedge had already been placed.  Whatever people say about Ashley he tends not to fail in his objectives, he takes hits along the way and often goes for a bumpy ride but he sticks to his core plans and this fits perfectly with his sell high outlook.

If it is consolation, as things stand at present, I agree with earlier post that this will open the door for HBA to become the main man. Cabaye's roll has been increasingly free in front of a very solid midfield four, there was no way Pardew was having two "free" players and HBA suffered.

HBA given the same role in front of that four will be different, probably more exciting and hopefully as effective.

Anyway we'll see. As we all well know anything can happen round here in January.

[George Bailey]

The bigger issue is one of what clubs like us (Villa, Everton, Spurs to an extent) can expect. The holy grail of the CL is an all consuming driver nowadays and unless UEFA sort it out, then the elitist blue print we have for football will only get worse imo. Can any of us expect to develop a team/squad without regular CL football?

 

And not only that, you have the issue of owners who are prepared to sink infinite money into transfers.

 

Basically this is the key issue underlying everything for me, and why I don't necessarily blame NUFC for these departures. The traditional competition in football has been rendered obsolete by money. We can only climb so far without infinite investment, and at the moment our ceiling is probably only a couple of places above where we are.

 

In that situation, players will sometimes leave to go to richer clubs. It's inevitable, I can't bring myself to complain about it (although I find the whole situation regrettable).

 

Agree. 100%.

 

For once I don't really see this as being mad Mikes fault or even Pardpoos. (The 'hawking' around of our talented players by them is in their control mind, and some of the implied stuff in Pardews pressers and article quotes leave a very sour taste).....

 

Its as inevitable as the sun rising and a fight in the Bigg market on a saturday night. Talented players will be seeking the money and prestige of the CL, the rest of us will be 'feeder' clubs to one extent or another.

We can simply hope to enjoy the likes of Cabaye for a limited time, and hope these players can lift us ever closer to the top 4 whilst they are with us. Then with some investment................aah fuck it!

[Dave]

Hey Hatem, we reckon you can be the main man in our team when the current main man is sold. Don't come on this trip though, there's no point.

[alexf]

Yeah those hoping that Ben Arfa will come into the team and it will soften the blow if Cabaye leaves are forgetting who the manager is We all know in reality it will be back to 4-4-2 with Shola back in the starting line-up.

[George Bailey]

Yeah those hoping that Ben Arfa will come into the team and it will soften the blow if Cabaye leaves are forgetting who the manager is We all know in reality it will be back to 4-4-2 with Shola back in the starting line-up.

 

Dear god as if January isn't a depressing enough month already without this thought...

[sugoinufc]

It's au revoir in my opinion.

At the beginning of the month I browsed a bookie site which was offering odds on January transfers - player and buying club. Even some of the most talked about ones were in the range of 5 to 8/1. Cabaye to PSG was a quite staggering 4/6 which would indicate a large amount of probably well informed wedge had already been placed.  Whatever people say about Ashley he tends not to fail in his objectives, he takes hits along the way and often goes for a bumpy ride but he sticks to his core plans and this fits perfectly with his sell high outlook.

If it is consolation, as things stand at present, I agree with earlier post that this will open the door for HBA to become the main man. Cabaye's roll has been increasingly free in front of a very solid midfield four, there was no way Pardew was having two "free" players and HBA suffered.

HBA given the same role in front of that four will be different, probably more exciting and hopefully as effective.

Anyway we'll see. As we all well know anything can happen round here in January.

 

Kebabs works about 10 times as hard as arfa. It won't happen. And i tend to agree. Think we should play arfa on RW.

[Turnbull2000]

The bigger issue is one of what clubs like us (Villa, Everton, Spurs to an extent) can expect. The holy grail of the CL is an all consuming driver nowadays and unless UEFA sort it out, then the elitist blue print we have for football will only get worse imo. Can any of us expect to develop a team/squad without regular CL football?

 

Quite why they cant put some real value back into the UEFA cup to restore some balance boils my p*ss. I genuinley despise the CL format and the ramifications it is having on the game

 

That's exactly how I've seen it for a couple of years now. The growth of the Champions League and the money on offer has been so monstrous, that the ability to access it has become self-perpetuating for a cohert of 'elite' clubs. Outside of this 'elite', everyone else essentially serves as a feeder club should a top class player emerge.

 

Apart from the occasional break into the top 4, the limit of achievement for ourselves, Everton, Spurs and everyone below is the laughable Europa League - and even then you have to contend with wealthy Champions League clubs being parachuted in as a reward for failure and likely knocking you out.

 

The Champions League has been ruinous to club football IMO. Not that Man City, Chelsea and Arse will care mind.

[BlueStar]

Is it my pessimism or lack of faith in Lee Ryder that makes me not want to bother updating the thread title with this morning's Chronicle's "No bid received" headline?

 

By the way, I blame this guy

 

http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,93045.msg4795152.html#msg4795152

[mickthemagpie]

Is it my pessimism or lack of faith in Lee Ryder that makes me not want to bother updating the thread title with this morning's Chronicle's "No bid received" headline?

 

By the way, I blame this guy

http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,93045.msg4795152.html#msg4795152

 

Probably already ordered the yellow tape.

[TaylorJ_01]

If by some slim chance (and I mean a slim chance) we managed to get a CL spot for next season, we might be able to pursuade Cabs to sign a contract extension in the summer rather than move to PSG, who can pretty much guarantee CL football, but will Cabs really fancy taking a backward step by going back to Ligue 1 football rather than stay in the EPL with us?

 

Maybe. The only thing we have in our favour is that Ligue 1 sucks enormous balls. The horrible tax regulations would mean he'd need a huge pay rise (before tax) to meet his current wage... I think.

[Dave]

Is it my pessimism or lack of faith in Lee Ryder that makes me not want to bother updating the thread title with this morning's Chronicle's "No bid received" headline?

 

I'm not sure the two claims necessarily contradict each other.

 

[TRon]

I see it very much like the Carroll deal. He's a class player, but if we can get anything like £20m it's a fantastic deal for a player who will be 28 soon and wants out sooner rather than later. I think he'l look better playing for a European club than he will in a Pardew side anyway, so if it goes through I would just put it down to our fantastic scouting and recruitment system. Hopefully we can emulate Spurs and use the money to build a stronger squad every year.

[Neil]

Again, outside looking in, but the bloke actively wants to leave doesn't he? In the immediate term, hands are tied. The broader picture though is in showing a distinct lack of ambition, surely they've directly contributed to him wanting to leave?

 

Echo the comment re: the CL btw. Ruining football season by season.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Again, outside looking in, but the bloke actively wants to leave doesn't he? In the immediate term, hands are tied. The broader picture though is in showing a distinct lack of ambition they've directly contributed to him wanting to leave.

 

But then again, they signed him in the first place.

[TRon]

Again, outside looking in, but the bloke actively wants to leave doesn't he? In the immediate term, hands are tied. The broader picture though is in showing a distinct lack of ambition they've directly contributed to him wanting to leave.

 

But then again, they signed him in the first place.

 

Exactly. Also how many of the critics of Ashley have harped on about our cheapskate raiding of the French market? His penny pinching does frustrate, especially when it comes to recruiting proper coaches, but the French policy has been a massive success.