Taylor to commit to future on Tyneside?

Posted on May 1st, 2010 | 76 Comments |

Ready to sign on the line?
Ready to sign on the line?
It looks like Steven Taylor is set to be offered a new contract by Newcastle United during the summer in an effort to persuade the possible future captain that his future does lay at St James’ Park. Manager Chris Hughton will urge Mike Ashley to sit down with Taylor and thrash out a deal that will tempt the defender into putting pen to paper on a new improved contract.

I have my own very cynical view of this, of which I will go into in more detail later on, but it does look like a very positive move from the club as they look to secure the future of the lad who has spent nearly his whole life on Tyneside. It also moves to quash any lingering doubts surrounding whether Steven Taylor and Andy Carroll can put any differences aside after their now infamous bust-up a while back. Unfortunately it looks like we won’t see Stevie Taylor in first team action again this season as playing him at QPR is deemed too much of a risk for the 24 year old, but few can deny that up until the knee injury suffered back in January he was a very integral part of what has turned out to be the meanest defence in the division.

Today Chris Hughton has been speaking to The Journal, in which he revealed;

“We will be looking at starting new contract talks over the summer with Steven Taylor.”

He then moved onto talk, somewhat inevitably, about the whole Carrol/Taylor incident. Of course in what is becoming a textbook Hughton manoeuvre he was keen to avoid any detalis, a stance he has adopted all the way through the incident;

“There is absolutely no reason why he and Andy Carroll cannot play in the same team together. I expect both of them to still be here next season.”

“They are both very important members of the squad. We have a lot of good young players who you would like to think will continue to develop at this football club. That includes Steven and Andy – they have been big players for us this season.”

It looks like good news so far then for the two local lads, and having local lads in the team is something Hughton rates highly;

“It is not be all and end all, but it is good to have local lads playing for the club. It doesn’t happen very often anymore, but we have got four or five in the first-team squad who grew up as Newcastle fans. That’s unusual.”

Unfortunately, I have a niggling feeling that we have seen the last of Taylor, and I don’t think it will be the club who force a move either. I don’t know why, but something just doesn’t add up for me and I see no real reason to protect him from the game tomorrow. As I said in a comment last night, just what is he being protected from? Last time I checked, Taylor is pretty far away from boarding the plane to South Africa with the World Cup squad, and this is the last game of the season so if he does suffer a recurrance of any injury then he has at least two months to get fit again.

I hope I’m wrong, but something just doesn’t add up for me.

NUFCBlog Author: toonsy toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.

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76 Responses

  3. Aye toonsy, you never know who might be reading, say it enough, people might start to believe it, thats how journalists work isnt it :)

  4. anyone read the story about Man U maybe putting in a 9M bid for Andy Carroll?

  5. think your view is a little cyncical toonsy, well I hope anyway! I think if a player is slightly injured there’s no point in risking him, even with the summer ahead of us. We’ve already seen just how strict and well organised Hughton’s policy on injuries is and I suspect he’ll want as many of the first team squad as fit as possible throughout the summer for the pre-season to build momentum for the premier league campaign.

    Who would the other toon fans be apart from Harper, Taylor and Carrol? I can’t think…

  6. Devon – Jose and Colo :D

    I hope I’m being cynical aswell like, but I just have a feeling to be honest.

    Mick – I just read about it somewhere mate, so it’s already been printed about Carroll ;)

  7. Toonsys conspiracy theories ;) does it not make more sense that CH will not risk a recurrance of his injury that might be only 90% healed in a completely meaningless game with nowt to play for ? no

  8. Dave – But what is there to risk? He has a minimum of 2 months to recover from anything picked up tomorrow. Unless an injury would jeopardise a sale of course ;)

  9. Perhaps it’s not his thigh that he’s concerned about.

    Perhaps he is concerned about Taylors jaw, which may or may not have been fractured in one, or two, places, allegedly, or not. As the case may be.

  10. Toonsy a recurrance of his injury could set him back a couple of months, rather than spend a couple of months working on his strength and fitness ;) ye could be right like but I dont think so. I think S Taylor is Mr Newcastle in the sameway as Gerrard is Liverpool, Lampard is Chelski, Scholes + Giggs are Manure

  11. Kevin Nolan in the Journal this morning, echoing something I said yesterday about signings, and long may this attitude continue I say.

    Whoever we bring in, it cannot just be done on the basis he is a top player, he is a big name, he will do. It cannot be like last time.”
    “We are not going to make a big- name signing and then focus everything on that player.” “We are not going to splash out £20m on this one, £10m on that one and £5m on that one and suddenly say these are the main men.”
    “I don’t think this club thinks like that anymore. I don’t think you can do that anymore with the way finances in football have gone.”
    “Chris is very shrewd, he knows what he wants and he knows how to get it.” “He is very good with the business side of things as well as the football side of it. I am sure he will sign the players he wants.”
    “I am sure we will see three or four new additions this summer, but they will be great additions.” ”They will be players who fit into the squad and give us something a little bit different.
    They are going to be people who connect with the place, players who buy into what Newcastle United is all about, which at this moment in time is togetherness, grit and determination.”
    “We will play our football when we can, but we want to win, that is the mentality we have as a group.” “You have to give your heart to this football because there is no point coming here if you are not.”
    “The least the fans demand is effort and commitment, and a passion about playing for this club.” “If you are not up for that it is not worth bothering to come here.”

  12. Big Dave says:
    May 1, 2010 at 1:26 pm

    “I think S Taylor is Mr Newcastle”

    I’m not so sure Big Dave. I think it is Taylor’s uncle who drinks in a pub that my cousin owns in Winlaton, but anyway, the feeling from him is that Taylor is Mr whatever his Dad tells him to be.

    Obviously I hope I am wrong like ;)

  13. I hope he doesn’t leave – We could replace him with Fitz Hall.

    Ha well, he won’t upset the dressing room at least.

  16. Mentioned this on the last thread because i refreshed and didnt realise we had a new post up, lol-Anyone think that Bentiez at Brum is a bit of a poor mans Martins? Reminds me of him and he seems to have the same tendencies at Brum that Oba had when he was here.

  17. Anyone read the Benoît Assou-Ekotto interview in the guardian – at least he’s truthful never forget john terry / lampard etc going on about how much they love chelski and then threatening to leave if they weren’t paid 150k a week – w@nkers

  19. Mr Nolan appears to be taking responsibility as spokesman for the entire side, there are constant rumors concerning player power and cliques within the side, it could and has been stated “The Inmates are running the asylum”
    As far as Taylor is concerned, the recend altercation with Carroll may have been the straw that broke the camels back.
    I expect his father (and agent)has bigger plans than a career on Tyneside and will either attempt to move him to a bigger club or use the threat to gain a substantial wage increase.
    It`s not a healthy thing at any club when players speak out unsupervised and attempting to make policy, in fact shows a lack of management skill on the part of the club.
    Look at Man U. the most successful side in a generation, the only one doing the talking is Sir Alex himself and anyone breaking the rules are quickly shipped out, regardless of talent.
    Yes I realise the club has done well and many contribute it to a group of senior players and everyone sounds happy and content, we will see when changes are made exactly how happy everyone is.
    The main point is, only strong willed (no not a Souness)
    managers are successfull, CH has to take charge, any group or player who does`nt get it, ship him out, or it will not end well.

  20. Sure everyone with a brain in his head realizes as Benoit
    Assou-Ekotto recently stated it`s all about “the money”
    In which case it`s time some on this blog stop condemning ex players for leaving the club, as if it were some kind of betrayal, grow up and face reality !

  22. Chuck – Are you not forgetting a certain Alan Shearer, who was our spokesperson as captain for a number of years?

  23. Stevep I read that mate, from the headline I thought it sounded like he was a bit of a nob, but after reading it I thought exactly the opposite. Fair bloody play to be honest, what possible cause does a foreign player have to ‘love’ the shirt of a club he grew up potentially hundreds of miles away from? A player can love the team they’re in, the fans and the history but BAE’s right; if football is your profession then you go where the money is, end of. Good on him for being so candid

  24. Toonsy
    No actually i don`t remember Alan Shearer being a club spokesperson, he may have made the odd comment and was known to be a leader in the dressing room as was Roy Keane at Man. U.
    But at no time were either one considered spokespersons, nor do I believe either ever wanted to be, that was always left to whoever was manager.
    Even when left out of the side by Gullit,he never complained

  25. Bellamy having a good game for Citeh, halftime Villa 1-2 Citeh.
    Good game for a fourth place finish, a lot at stake in this just starting 2nd. half.

  26. Chuck – I think you will find that Alan Shearer made quite a lot of comments regarding the club. I see no difference between what he used to see and what Nolan is saying now. Fast forward and you can see that Nolan does actually care about Newcastle whilst he is here, which is a damn sight more than the las captain and ‘inspirational’ leader, Michael Owen.

  27. Chuck I completely understand where your coming from. I have stated a few times over the last 6or so months that it is all well and good having the senior players help run the team, but when the players have to much power it can become dangerous. I like and think Nolan doe’s a good job but imo he has become undroppable and I think he thinks he is running the show and he is not even the captain, but he seems to have become top dog and head of PR. I hope I am wrong but we will see

  28. TOONSY,spot on there m8,told you your getting to be top reporter (facts)harping back to your last post do toon need c/f, will carroll be enough,fact blake of wolves scored 25 goals in ccc last year,this year in epl scored only 1 mmmmmmmm

  29. toonsy; I get t
    e Taylor leaving feeling too. The announcement on contract talks did not need to be made, but it was. Un-houghton like so I think possibly trying to stir interest early on from top prem clubs?

    It’s a shame like and I hope I’m wrong.

  30. BIG DAVE,i see your point m8,can swing to far imo,mind toon have lacked in the P.R dept for a long time,half there problem with toon fans

  31. Ice as I said I like Nolan but IMO Manager manage the team and the players just play when and where they are told to. I agree that we have been lacking in the PR dept but Nolan is just a player he is not even captain or Vice.

  32. Hey Dave
    This shit has to come to an end, can we not find something to disagree on ?
    Seriously, yeah i think it can be a dangerous situation where certain players influence events by giving un requested statements to the media.
    As stated earlier, it does`nt happen at clubs with strong managerial control, nor should the inmates run the asylum here at our club, regardless of whether they are popular or not.
    Hell it`s not too long ago when a certain group of fans were calling for Nolan to take it easy on the pies and in general dissing him.
    How fickle a group we all are !

  33. Good game to-day the Villa vs. Citeh game.
    With Carlos Quellar having an outstanding game and although he let in three Brad Friedel has to be right up there with the top goalies, and at the age of 38, not bad.
    Was disappointed in Milner had a poor game, though i was never a great fan, think he`s over rated.
    Ashley Young looks like the real deal, also outplayed young Adam Johnson, though the kid did set up Citeh`s 2nd. goal, just as cool as can be, looks like the England side are not lacking in future quality wingers.

  34. gotta disagree with you whole-heartedly there Chuck mate, Milner frustrated me a little whilst at the toon- I always thought he flattered to decieve a little and could never get his cross past the first bloody man. But for me, he has been far and away the best player in Villa’s side this year and think he would be an asset to any team in the world, apart from Barcelona! (Where he’d be an alright sub lol)

    I also think he’s just what Man United need in their midfield, he’d be like the new, creative (and friendly) Roy Keane!

  35. So our turnover was only £86.1 million in the Premier League last year, with a wage bill of £71 million. Fantastic!

  36. Look the kid impressed as a starting teenager with Leeds, but since then, not much improvement, he was marginal with us, mostly because he was played on the wing, where he did`nt have the pace to beat his man and i don`t remember him getting one decent cross in.
    When we got twelve million for him i was estatic.
    He went missing for a great part of to-days game.
    And Ashle Young is twice the player he is.
    Face it if he is as good as you claim how come he`s not on the national side ?

  37. And the loan from Ashley, which is now at £111 million, must be paid back immediately upon a change of ownership. So that could be the reason we were unable to find a buyer.

  39. I think milner could be Englands best midfielder at the coming world cup . The lad has just got better as the season has go on . Apparently Huddelstone scored a screamer for the spuds today , hope that city get past them for the last CL spot next week .

  40. I have indeed Chuck. I have had them for about 3 days but nobody else seemed to know about them so wasn’t sure if it was true, but as they are out I guess they were right all along.

    Bit pissed that I wrote the match preview now, but I suppose it gives me more time to look through them and put something more detailed together in the morning ;)

  41. A quick look shows that everything in the garden is not as rosey as some think, and that the parsimonious approach is perhaps born out of necessity more than anything else.

  42. toonsy says:
    May 1, 2010 at 5:55 pm

    “A quick look shows that everything in the garden is not as rosey as some think, and that the parsimonious approach is perhaps born out of necessity more than anything else.”

    Of course it isn’t, but try telling that to a bunch of retarded inbreeds and all you will get is “Ashley arselicker” etc. :-)

  43. Toonsy come on spill the beans mate what else, As for the people that were saying the club was £100 mill all in :lol: it was obvious even then that it wasn’t just £100 mill

  44. workyticket says:
    May 1, 2010 at 6:05 pm

    “Of course it isn’t, but try telling that to a bunch of retarded inbreeds and all you will get is “Ashley arselicker” etc.”

    Oh, hello stranger ;)

    I know what you mean though. Guess people will just have to accept that unless there is a very very rich Newcastle fan out there then we are stuck with Ashley for the forseeable.

  45. Axel
    So you rate Milner above Gerrard and Lampard, just to mention two ?
    Even Jenas is better ! not to mention a bunch of others, Englands best midfielder indeed !
    I was always of the opinion that first you have to be picked for the side, in order to be best, No ?

  47. Big Dave says:
    May 1, 2010 at 6:08 pm

    “Toonsy come on spill the beans mate what else, As for the people that were saying the club was £100 mill all in it was obvious even then that it wasn’t just £100 mill”

    I’ll do the main points;

    Debt to Ashley up to £111 million.

    Turnover down to £86.1 miilion.

    Wage bill up to £71 million at the end of last season.

    Ashley has put in £25 million to prop us up.

    Wage bill is now around £50 million.

    Allardyce cost £4.5 million to get rid of.

    Keegangate cost £5.3 million.

  48. Big Dave says:
    May 1, 2010 at 6:08 pm

    “Toonsy come on spill the beans mate what else, As for the people that were saying the club was £100 mill all in it was obvious even then that it wasn’t just £100 mill”

    Who said that, Dave? The only time it was mentioned by Seymour Pierce or Ashley that the club was “all in” was when the club was being sold in the Premiership for a much higher figure.

  49. Most of the figures are for last year in the prem. The £25.5 million put in by Ashley and the wage bill of £50 million are noted in the accounts to have been actioned this year.

  51. workyticket@42

    “… but try telling that to a bunch of retarded inbreeds and all you will get is “Ashley arselicker” etc.”

    What about pointing out that it was Ashley’s mismanagement that got us relegated in the first place, thereby dropping us in the sh*te and necessitating the loans?

    Presumably that’s still OK, seeing as it’s true.

  52. Darth – His biggest mistake was him not doing due dilligence. If he had done that he would have fled a mile anyway and we would still be in the shite through Shepherds mismanagement indebting us on every asset we owned, or the banks owned, as the case was.

  53. After relegation when Moat was in to buy the Club at £100 mill there was people on here saying that it was £100 mill all in that he (MA) just wanted out. I think there was even a stage of ” give me £80 mill in my hand and it yours “

  54. Dave – Nobody knows the facts really others than those that were privvy to any sort of deal, which never happened in the end anyway but, we know for definate now that anyone wanting to buy NUFC will have to pay the debt back first.

  55. toonsy says:
    May 1, 2010 at 6:23 pm

    “Darth – The only mistake was him not doing due dilligence. If he had done that he would have fled a mile anyway and we would still be in the shite through Shepherds mismanagement indebting us on every asset we owned, or didn’t as the case was.”

    Beating me to it again, Toonsy!

  56. I reckon Mike Ashley will leave and hopefully a rich buyer will definitely come in when we secure our top-flight status for 2 seasons.

    :lol:

  57. Toonsy do you not think it was a mistake to sack BSA without having a replacement signed up, then bringing KK back and then letting Wise over rule him leading to another farce ? No . because it could be said that if he let KK Manage we would never have got relegated and all the sh1t that followed would not have happened

  58. worky and toonsy

    Fair points on the FFS and Dougie era as far as the club’s finances go.

    But I don’t see how anyone can deny that MA didn’t add to our problems last year with a string of appalling decisions; the KK business in particular. His errors cost the club a small fortune, some of which he has been ‘kind’ enough to loan back.

    He’s starting to put things right now, as far as I’m concerned. But that doesn’t absolve him of all blame and I’m looking to see what happens next season before I consider him ‘rehabilitated’.

  59. Absolutely, he has made some horrendous clangers, most of the whilst trying to appease the fans.

    What is done is done and no blame can be taken away from him for his mistakes. BUT, we need to get out of what we are in now. As I said yesterday, people need to move on a little if we are to progress. I’m not saying forgive and forget, but for the sake of the club we all need to pull together to try to get us out if this mess.

  60. DarthBroon,

    Looking at the brief figures that Toonsy has printed, Ashleys managerial merri-go-round cost us £9.8 million. I assume thats for the year ending april 2010.

    Having a turnover of £86m which comprises salaries of £71m is much more worrying in my book. It doesn’t leave much room for growth, nor for manoeuvring in times of financial crisis like that we experienced suffered.

    That’s not (all) down to Ashley. He has to shoulder some of the blame, but only his fair share. The previous regimes are just as culpable.

    The more of the finances that do become public the more it becomes apparent that we were in a massive financial mess. Yes, Ashley failed to carry out due dilligence. That was his first mistake, but I’m glad he didn’t do it. If he had, he wouldn’t of touched us.

    If he hadn’t of bought us, we might not be looking forward to next season in the premiership.

    You are right to say that he is only now starting to put things right, but it’s not just his mess that he is putting right and it’s going to take several years to get us on an even keel again.

    The sooner we all realise that the better.

  62. Starkadder – You put it far more eloquently than me ;)

    At the end of the day, people can balame who they want. If it makes them feel better then fine by me. It still doesn’t change the fact that, like or not, we are in such a mess and need to pull together to sort it out.

  63. Honestly, I take your points about the current financial situation, and the fact that we were lucky to get rid of the previous shower.

    And I am looking forward to next season.

    If MA stays, that’s fine by me, and I look forward to seeing the results of the improved scouting network and the new youth development policy. I’m more than prepared to let bygones be bygones if he makes good on recent promises. ;)

  64. We can all talk about the financial mess we are in, but with the debt around 120Mil… thats not too much for a club thats finishing top four like we were under Robson.
    Its far less than any other top four club.

    It only starts to become a crisis when you have a much lower turnover like Portsmouth or clubs like that.

    So yes, we were in financial trouble, but I don’t believe we would have been in any real threat of administration had Ashley not cocked up so badly in the beginning months.
    He failed to invest properly then and thats what cost us.

    However, its done… we can’t go back… And so hopefully he has learned from his errors.
    We have to take a different approach now, because we are not the talented squad we were, and our turnover is not were it was either.
    So best thing to do, is back him and hope he has learned to invest and let the manager do his job.

  65. Darth,

    Just re-read my post and realised it looked like a dig at you. That’s not what it was, it was just a general statement to counter an attitude that I see among a massive amount of Newcastle fans, including many of the posters on here, who seem to believe everthing in the world is somehow Ashleys fault.

    Personally, I wonder just how many of the decisions Ashley actually takes at Newcastle united. Obviously he decides if he’s going to pump £25m into the club or loan it £100m to sort out it’s finances. But on a day to day basis I doubt he has very little to do with it. Why would Llambias be there if MA made all the decisions?

    Yes, he is the owner so the buck does ultimately stop with him but I do wonder if he is getting the stick for decisions currently made by Llambias and by previous regimes.

  66. JJ – So how could we possibly proper with income of £86.1 mil and wages of £71 mill?

    We weren’t a top 4 club and those were the sums. That leaves £15 million after player wages to pay for everything inckuding day to day running costs. In that state any debt, owed to a bank or Ashley was never going to be repayed, and remember that was for our last PL season, it will much worse this time next year :(

    It’s not about bygones and all that, but tolerance and unity is important. I understand it’s hard as Ashey was the person that the debt sword fell upon, which will always draw a negative feeling when someone is viewed as making times tough, not to mention his balls up over Keegan.

    But we need to move on from that, as much as it may be hard, it is a necessity :)

  68. Toonsy, it was all under control until the purchase of one player… Michael Owen.
    17Mil of sponsor money and 12 mil a year in wages and bonuses. Thats an average of 16mil a year. Take that away and 55mil wages a year with 86mil turnover is ok.
    Thats what it would have been without Owen this year had we survived.

    Yes it was Shepards fault for buying the useless b@stard, but what I am saying is that you need a mix of risk and budget.
    If you only go within budget by not investing and selling good players like Milner and NZogbia and getting in managers like Kinnear, like Ashley did, you’ll still risk relegation and lose even more cash. Which happened.

    If he’d just invested more wisely, we’d have started this season in the Premiership without the heavy wages of Owen and our finances would aready have been far better off.

  70. Toonsy > But we need to move on from that, as much as it may be hard, it is a necessity

    at long last I think most supporters have learned that we have to move on. As I have said loads of times we can blame MA for lots of stuff but deep down I am 100% certain he wanted much more for us and him and he never set out to cause any of the shit that has happened.

  71. Ashley has been a complete twat – agreed, however the figures show that the club was in a right financial mess so it’s just as well he didnt do due diligence
    Player wages of 71 million were not sustainable add to that repayments and interest on loans plus day to day running costs and its easy to see how we could have become the first club to go into admin instead of portsmouth
    we hadn’t had a sniff of europe since roeder got us into intertoto and thats hard;y worth jack in money terms
    we’d been flirting with relegation and glory buys for years without success so I’m glad those days are gone

    Ashley added to the problems but he seems to be doing ok now – lets see how we feel after 6 defeats on the bounce :)

  72. stevep

    As long as the fans keep their expectations reasonable then we’ll be ok.
    However, is it possible for some “Newcastle supporters” to do that.
    Anything above 15th would be a good season for us in the Prem.
    However, with the amount of people saying we need another 5 quality players. It scares me… because they are probably thinking, we should make top 10 then next year Europe.
    This just isnt going to happen. So they have to be realistic.

  73. JJ – There is a couple of big “If’s” in there.

    As a football team, we’ve been going down hill for years. Successive owners, chairmen, managers and players have got it wrong. Just because it all came to a head under Ashley, alongside the very obvious and high profile mistakes he admits making, doesn’t make it all Ashleys fault.

    The squad was poor before Ashley took over, and if he had pumped in 50 million to buy players and put right the previous mis-managment, he would only of put that debt onto the club (as he did with his loan), because he is a business man and somewhere along the line he want’s his money back and a profit.

    That would of just made our books even worse.

    Also, the team wasn’t good enough to survive in the premier league with Owen, how can we say that it would have survived without him. We could have still been relegated.

    There is nothing we can do about the past. We simply have to put it all behind us and move forward.

    We all feel that somebody must be to blame but the simple fact of the matter is that only the future is important, not the past.

  74. “Also, the team wasn’t good enough to survive in the premier league with Owen, how can we say that it would have survived without him. We could have still been relegated.”

    Because only the English ever though Michael Owen was a good player. He’s the most overated English player thats ever lived. We’d have been a better side without him.

    But I do agree with you that the problems started after Roeder left. Or even before he got their. He was a good manager but didnt have the pull to get in the players he wanted without paying them over the odds in wages.

    It was a case of, if the players don’t want to come,we’ll just make an offer they can’t refuse. And things went down hill from that moment.

  75. JJ –

    “It was a case of, if the players don’t want to come,we’ll just make an offer they can’t refuse. And things went down hill from that moment.”

    That pefectly sums up Newcastle United in the period after Robson and post Ashley.

  76. toonsy, dont forget that we recieved in the region of 40 million in transfers…..with the wage bill being cut by 20odd million thats about a 60mill turnaround. so therefore i doubt the season just passed will be as bad as u might think