Martinez won’t sell The Zog to Newcastle, but he could still come anyway

Posted on May 26th, 2011 | 64 Comments |

Martinez says he won't sell N'Zogbia to Newcastle United.
Martinez says no. Rumours say yes.
Newcastle’s interest in Charles N’Zogbia seems to be stifled by Roberto Martinez, although many rumours persist suggesting The Zog may yet be returning to St James’ Park.

Newcastle’s pursuit of The Zog has been heavily rumoured since we allegedly made a last minute bid for the player in January.

There is however a spanner in the works and it goes by the name of Roberto Martinez. The Wigan manager has claimed he will only sell N’Zogbia to a Champions League team, saying:

Charles has improved every year. He’s scored 10 goals a season for the past two years and taken on more responsibility. He’s been captain. I think he can take on more responsibility on the pitch and I still think he’s got a role to play for Wigan Athletic.

He knows I wouldn’t stop him from playing in the Champions League. We cannot offer that and there are a few players here who fall into that category of being able to play in the Champions League.

If a club comes in for Charles that is not in the Champions League, then I would say ‘no’. If I don’t see that the club can offer him a different football project than ours then we are not going to sell.

That would seem to put paid to any potential transfer to Newcastle, yet things aren’t always as they seem and there are strong rumours suggesting that N’Zogbia will indeed return to Newcastle, that the player has been offered a lucrative contract to do so and some rumours are even suggesting that the deal is in fact ‘almost done’.

Of course, Ashley’s arch-enemy Dave Whelan probably won’t be keen to do Ashley any favours but, in the end, money talks. Or maybe they could sort it out in superhero style (which one is the villain?) and have a cataclysmic battle with some hex fingers and mutterings of “By the Hoary Hosts of Hogarth”*.

Anyway, what Martinez says may not be here nor there if the player really wants to leave and, despite the Whelan/Ashley bad feeling, both are businessmen and should be able to put their dislike of one another to one said if they perceive a good deal in the making.

It’s just a hunch but I rather suspect The Zog will return to Newcastle.

* Dr Strange for those of you who remember.

NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10). Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.

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64 Responses

  1. Martinez should know that buying & selling players has nothing to do with manager’s. Lets get him and Sturridge in now!

  2. TartanToon @ 3 – well the difference is, this is .ORG & the other is .COM lol lol ;)

    Dot Com is a website with none or little interatction from the fans & publi, Dot Org is a blog with fan interaction, ie you’re able to comment on the story thats written.. :)

  3. So Martinez said he wouldn’t sell Sog to a team who isn’t in the CL because they’re the same as Wigan… well not all teams are in the relegation zone every year like Iwgan, so does that mean he’ll sell to any team above 15th.. lol ;)

  4. thanx toon69
    i always felt bad about not being able to contribute via my fone but now i will b spending EVEN more time at work on this blog :-D

  5. Wigan fan here. I feel fans of clubs wanting n’zogbia are split whether or not they want him. Just like to say hes a fantastic player and you would be lucky to get him. When his attitude is right theres no stopping him. Really hope he stays but cant see it i think the reason he says only to a top for club is because theres a good feeling about our club atm and we ended the season (last 15 or so games) playing very well for the most part and looking like a top ten team even! feel free to laugh at that last comment but it is true! :)

  6. Hope to see more of your comments as thats what keeps these blogs going… check out all the other sites, as there are quite a few Toon blogs & websites now, more the merrier I say :)

  7. Joe @ 7 – Areyou forgetting fella, Zogs was at the Toon before we sold him to yous guys 2 years ago,, we already know what he’s capable of when his mind set :)

    Good luck next season, I think you may struggle if you sell Zogs & Roddy… sorry :(

  8. Tartan Toon – What login business?

    You’re already logged in, just use the same details, its a way of tracking who’s on the blog & who isn’t fella :)

  9. wigan will be one of the three going down next season and wont be missed at all shit club shit fans

  10. can u giv me the names of blogs that hav mobile format plz
    i really hope my boss isnt on this blog:-P

  11. Zog?? Can you imagine the stick he’ll get if he goes missing in a few games – when in the mood he’s unstoppable but only when. Maybe we should concentrate on unknowns – I’m no expert on European footy so when HBA turned up I was stunned – I’m going to say it – never seen feet like that since Beardsley – mesmerising, so if we can unearth, at least to my ignorant eyes, a gem or two like that I’d be over the moon. Or we could get Fernando Torres – he used to be good……

  12. stestickle how very intellegent of you well done
    i didnt forget that but i just think he has improved and to be fair deserves to be at a better club than wigan.
    i wouldnt be bothered to see the back of rodallega to be honest toon69 he is very overrated and doesn’t seem to give alot in the games i think the 10 mil quoted for him would be a very tidy sum for us to recieve for one of the most frustrating players at our club

  13. i knw im askn 2 mny qustns but r nufc.com/org run by 2 seprate groups coz they look the same on my fone

  14. No problem, Biffa runs NUFC.com & I think its Workey who runs this blog with others like Hugh who wrote this particluar story :)

  15. why do i hav enter my email EVERY time yet my name already appears, who are biffa & workey?

  16. Joe – Best of luck anyway, fella. If you sell Zog and Roddy, you might get enough cash for three or four decent players that could keep you in the league.

  17. 21………davies…. the way we are setting our stall out i would hold off in us all taking pot shots at any team for next season…we ourselves will more than likely be in a relegation battle royal as our backbone will have been sold off and replaced with something that will be cheaper…. yes…. better…. i just dont know.

  18. Toon69 Wigan may have been in the relegation zone(not every year) but have never been relegated from the premiership unlike most clubs.Stestikle shouldn’t you be at school or even nursery?

  19. Mick G – they’ve only been in the PL since 05/06, thats 5 yrs, and most years they’ve finished in the bottom 5 have they not ??

    Tartan Toon – If you get the chance to get online on a PC, you’ll get all the answers you need fella, I’ve got to go do some work now, catch yous later :)

  20. “not all teams are in the relegation zone every year like Iwgan”

    No, that’s right they’re not, and some teams GET relegated, 7 years, not bad for a “sh*t club with sh*t fans” eh? You’ve done well this year, because you’ve shaken off that snobby ‘we deserve to be in the prem’ nonsense that got you relegated. Zog is defo leaving Wigan for bigger things but can’t see Whelan selling him to your owner or Zog wanting to return, sorry. What about Pennant, he was annoyingly useful on final day at Stoke?

  21. You’ve done well this year, because you’ve shaken off that snobby ‘we deserve to be in the prem’ nonsense that got you relegated.

    There were a lot of reasons to relegation and the fans opinion had very little to do with it, although I agree completely that the players certainly seemed to have that attitude and the fans dropping that “we are premier league” has been a huge improvement for all of us.

    …now if only we’d learn that players sometimes don’t want to play for the club.

  22. ok no disrespect to joe, the wigan fan, but wigan have never looked like a top 10 team since they came into the premier league. i honestly think wigan will struggle to stay up next season and maybe get relegated aswell. thats just my opinion. as for us, newcastle, well i think we should re-sign n’zogbia, because obviously we can offer him better things than a relegation scrap season after season. martinez must be smoking some shit hot grade to be saying that newcastle cant offer n’zogbia more than wigan.

  23. pie eater believe me most of the fans at Newcastle aren’t deluded.It’s an urban myth like “Wigans crowds are low because they are a rugby town”.The realists amongst us know it’s because of your proximity to Liverpool and manchester,but it did make me chuckle when someone on this blog called you a sh8t club.I personally would swap Whelan and Martinez for Ashley and pardew any day.

  24. Maybe your right Thump, but I’m not to keen on our current regime,and I’m in the “pardew’s a yes man” camp.

  25. His attitude will have to have imptroved first. He could go anywhere really!

    On other players…

    Barton – it’s not that big a deal really if he does go sooner, and if we get a creative replacement. Barton did give us that cutting-edge pass when we needed it at times though, and often looked the man most likely. Mind you, for every great pass there is always 1 or 2 given away cheaply to the opposition, and you might have noticed that when Ryan Taylor was taking the free-kicks/corners then Barton was far less of an influence on the pitch (also, most of Barton’s free kicks are skyed over the bar!). I like Barton though, but just don’t think we should get too upset. I would be quite happy if we go in for Ireland.

    Enrique – absurd initial offer of 4M conbsidering he’s a far better lb than Baines! Out of contract next year or not, we have to take at least 7 or 8 minimum.

    Tiote to Spurs? %#@& off! We should put a price of 25M on Tiote to ward off any interest.

    Whatever happens or doesn’t happen this window I’m personally relaxed about. Not worth getting too het up. Just so long as we don’t get any more managerial crises. Whatever squad we have at the close of the window, the main thing is that the spirit of the squad is equally high as last season.

    Uhm, that’s all. It’s early morning and I need a big kahuna coffee.

  26. I think it’s unfair to say Pardew is a yes man, I think the problem lies with Ashley – he’s supposedly involved with all transfer dealings and that signals problems to me. When the manager can’t manage, there’s a problem.

  27. I think we should look for some players in the Prem like N’Zogbia but also look for some european-based youngsters who could be the next Enrique or Ben Arfa after a couple of seasons. If Pardew and Carr are struggling to find some rough diamonds I’m sure a couple of seasons on Football Manager 2011 could help them :p

  28. The manager can manage thump, every clubs owners, directors etc are involved with deals and contracts, the manager informs them of what he wants and its them who say yes or no. The problem is in our case our owners no nothing about football, so that is a big problem.

    Pardew cant take the flak for barton and enrique, what you can judge pardew on is on the pitch, team performance tactics etc.

    I dont care about enrique to be honest, I think his attitude has stank in the past couple of months, he doesnt want to be hear so fine f**k off, he can and will be replaced. Barton i think does want to be hear, his form in the latter half of the season has been slightly more mixed than at the start, but his effort and commitment has been top notch and that is most important.

    Also Matinez is talking crap, n’zogbia will go, to another club, champions league or not, wigan are a very small club who on their performance of last season will find it hard to keep their better players.

  29. Thump exactly my point,Pardew does whatever ashley says,carroll enrique ,barton aren’t going etc.In my opinion he does what he his told,in my book that makes him a yes man.

  30. Wigan do find it hard to keep better players Jimbob, we rehab the out of favour and give the new a platform and off they go, but my bet is Martinez is right about Zog, he’d rather stay at a club who got 42 points (he’s loved and gets freedom to play), than go to a club who got 46 points, I’m not belittling your achievement this season, I just think it will be Charles setting the bar not the club…plus the Whelan/Ashley spat which doesn’t help any transfer either direction!

  31. It would be highly hypocritical & laughable if whelan refused to deal with ashley when they dealt together perfectly well when Zog left for £6m+Raylor not so very long ago.
    Or you could sensationalize it instead, i suppose?

    :)

  32. Pie-eater, I agree with you about ashley/whelan, whelan would not piss on ashley if he were on fire, I think wigan will struggle to keep hold of certain players though, for a small club it is impessive what they have managed to do in the premier league. I dont think n’zogbia will be coming here, I just think what martinez is saying is crap and that if an aton villa, tottenham or liverpool offer a large amount of money he will go, regardless of champions league or not. He would cost alot probably around maybe 11-14mill, and I do not think newcastle will offer that kind of money for any one player.

  33. carroll wanted to go cos he couldn’t get another raise, Jose’s been angling for months now & Joey’s agent is angling right now & he hasn’t signed a contract.
    We can’t keep blaming anyone but the people that want to go.
    Where were all the protestations from carroll?
    When did Jose say he wanted to stay?
    Why is Joey’s agent trying to drum up business?

    Howay!

  34. jimbob,
    it was aimed at the boring idea that it’s always ashley’s fault that anything bad happens or any player is sold or might be sold.
    Sorry mate.
    ;)

  35. Im more bored of the idea that everything is pardews fault clint

    But the ash cloud is ashleys fault though ;-)

  36. 39.. clint… on barton, he has been very discreet and tried ro ages to push through a deal on 4 years. its not for the money, its cos he realy wants to play for us. He has offered to take a pay cut to play for us.. you tell me a top draw prem footy player in his prime that would ofer that.. to my knowledge joey is the only one o know and he should be applauded for that. We could have easiely given hom his four years cos it means nothing. its just ashley being a cok end cos he knows he is a fans favorite. this is all one big game to him, nothing more. So joey, has had the last laugh cos we all know that all ashley cares about is making money, joey has set his mind in place now and will leave on a free just so ashley cant get anything out of him. Nolan will do the same i expect. i find it funny and i dont blame them. They are both being forced out the club.

  37. Frankly, Jose can go fuk himself. I loved watching him playing heart-stopping 1,2’s with Colo at the back, and even linking well with Jonas up the right…but he NEVER SCORED. And his crossing was always deep – yes he’s a great player, yes he’s a great defender – but the last half of season he was doing it all himself to look good, while looking else where.

    hopefully we could get 6/7 million (hopefully more!), and bring in this M’Bengue chap for a couple million less. Anyone know if thats still warm, and if he’s good?

    I dont think Colo will go anywhere (he’s prem standard now, but not quite champs league team, so would he really leave for a stoke/bolton type club??)

    Zog has been fantastic this season, tho i’m not a huge fan of his attitude, if he was broght in for Jonas (thus elimanating the impact of losing Jose and their ‘special relationship’) – then i reckon we’d see alot more attacking threat than Jonas (who i still like, but only 2nd half of this season when he confidence/tail was up).

    Can’t find sh7t on Mehdi Abied – but i’m happy for an 18yrs old starlet to come on for last 10 mins, than a 40 yr old ex-Palace player.

    i like the way this window is going, some fresh foreign talent coming in for freetrans/low wages – out with Barton (who we’d still probs get a good final season with, or if not, some nice cash), in with Seb Larrson (a MUCH better dead ball player, crossing and free kicks are spot on)…

  38. @44………seb larsson is in, news to me. i am not happy withbthe window yet as nothing good has happened has it. its all still bad press at the minute. we will only know at the very end knowing our dickhead owner, as he makes about twenty panic offers on the last day cos he has done nowt but sell all window and then sh1t himself. lol lol … we lal know thats the ashley way, guys a loon.

  39. i hope Larsson comes, he’s free now as well i think? Not sure whether Birm could pursuade him to stay, given that they’re 1st Div, yet playing UEFA ‘european!’ footy…

    anyone know when pre-season begins, i.e when we’d want most transfer deals done so the players can train together?

    And still think we need a RB (simpson staying as sub), CB (willo not cutting it imo), CM (Barton’s replacement, hopefully level headed to cover the crazyness of TipToe), and at least 2 strikers-preferrably 4:

    Sturridge – (surely chels want hime back tho, or Bolton refuse to let him leave, Fritzel style??)

    Gamerio – small, quick, acrobatic

    Hulk – Gervinho – Drogba
    (Sub strikers on the Bench: Sammy Ameobie, Abeid, Ranger)

    OUT – Gutherie, McLoven, Shola, Raylor, et al.

  40. Though no fan of Pardew, some of the criticism of him is a bit naive.
    Even Alex Ferguson and Morinho @ Chelsea had to ask for transfer funds and the owner has always had the last say.
    The fact that Ashley has been proven to be a bit of a control freak, makes it extreemly difficult for any manager who takes the job here.
    Constantly having to back down or claim he was missquoted.
    Using Llambias as a mouthpiece, deflects some of the fans anger, but we all know who pulls the levers at this club.
    Right now he is making one of his dumbest moves yet,
    I`m talking about the much publishised contract negotiations with Joey, where he is projecting himself as a tightwad,a great recruiting ploy i have to say, they will be staying away in droves.
    I mean could he not have got Willy to agree to a confidentiality thing , instead of splashing it over the media pages ?
    It aint (show business) as easy as selling shirts, is it !

  41. We should get this guy! we should get that guy! no they are pants!
    So who is it that we should bring in ?
    Larsson= Sorry, he`s mediocre!
    Gamiero=acrobatic! small and quick, go for the quick but the small and acrobatic may be better suited for the circus.
    Hulk = aint gonna happen
    Gervinho= ” ” ”
    Drogba = ” ” ”
    Sow = like to see it happen
    Izaguirre= ” ” ” ” ”
    Sturridge= ” ” ” ” ”
    Bassong = ” ” ” ” ”
    Kranjcar = ” ” ” ” ” if Joey goes!

  42. I would like too think we could get a couple through the door in the first couple of weeks of the transfer window but it wont be larsson or any other good free agent . They will wait too see how many offers they will get and from which clubs before they sign for someone . I would like us to put a bid in for Danny Graham from Watford his goal scoring record is impressive and at 25 he is still young enough too improve , i think say 4 million plus Ranger / Airey on loan to them would do it . Also lets move for that French LB that we are reported to be interested in then sell Enrique for the same price as we paid . Those deals would at least get the ball rolling transfer wise .

  43. Alex, i think that’s M’Bengue at LB, who I’d be happy with. You’d hope there’s a few names lined up as Jose seems already gone…maybe 2x 2/3m LB’s for 1x Jose?

    Ranger needs goals, and Airey on loan – good shouts.

    But Danny Graham from Watford? not so sure, getting past championship defenders/keepers is a lot easier…and at 25, that’s pretty late to get involved, sounds like a Leon Best…

    I stick by the call for Larsson tho, sorry chuck, but he’s right mid who cares most about getting the cross into the box – lot more than could be said for Jonas,running in..is he gonna cross?…is he gonna shoot??…..getting closer….oh, ok, we’ll take the corner!

    with bennnyFa potentially playing more of a CAM role, roaming in to shoot, i’d like having a dead cert RM with some fight to his character. And afterall, he’s cheap, and the Scando’s love our league football, so it’d sell a few shirts in the process!!

  44. chuck says:
    May 26, 2011 at 4:43 pm

    “Right now he is making one of his dumbest moves yet,
    I`m talking about the much publishised contract negotiations with Joey”

    I think he’s made some far dumber decisions than that Chuck!

  45. FFS ! Danny Graham, who the f**k is Danny Graham and from Watford you say ?
    This is what i`m talking about, the height of ambition, f*****g Danny Graham !
    AAaaarrrggghhhh !

    Larsson, I told you he`s mediocre, obviously another ambitious fan.
    Guys slow as molasses, cant take on defenders and is not in fact a real winger.

    M`bengue is a Tiote clone, he will put the body on people, but he lacks an attacking role, which is a requirement for to-days full backs.
    Izaguerre @ Celtic on the other hand is an Enrique clone and may in fact be better.
    Who would you rather have ?

  46. I’m with you chuck, on the larsson thing, big fat NA!
    For the same obvious as hell reasons, squad player at best.

    Craig,
    i never mentioned Barton doing owt wrang mate, it’s his agent, which is another word for qunt!

  47. It`s been said that this team has a sense of unity.
    Probably instilled by Hughton, who was smart enough to let the senior players in the side, play a major role in the dressing room.
    And it has become obvious during the season that two of these were the scousers, Joey and Nolan.
    Joey is a leader, by example, in the way he plays, Nolan got a dozen goals (not bad for a slow guy)and without them this team is leaderless.
    Pardew has yet to find a cicumstance he does`nt want to comment on, whearas Hughton kept his mouth shut, therefore never having to either retract, look like a fool or claim he was missquoted.
    We lost a good manager and got what we got, are we now about to get rid of the one of our best, if not in fact our best player and the leadership he brings to the side.
    This owner (and believe it he calls ALL the shots)is bound and determined to avoid any kind of success, by his dumbass control freak moves.

  48. TARTAN TOON says:
    May 26, 2011 at 10:09 am

    “i knw im askn 2 mny qustns but r nufc.com/org run by 2 seprate groups coz they look the same on my fone”

    I think you mean .co.uk. The person who runs that site copied the mobile design that we use on this site, so it does look exactly the same in mobile format Tartan Toon.

  49. Wouldn’t exactly call it ‘copying’ worky. Last I checked it was a WP plug-in and he’s right, I told Ed to use the same mobile pack that you use here because the one he was using earlier was atrocious.

  50. chuck says:
    May 26, 2011 at 7:29 pm

    “It`s been said that this team has a sense of unity.”

    Not so sure about that now Chuck.

  51. Thump says:
    May 26, 2011 at 7:35 pm

    “I told Ed to use the same mobile pack that you use here because the one he was using earlier was atrocious.”

    Even worse than the one on this site? :lol:

  52. Joey’s got character, that’s true. He was the one fighting to get the 4-4 against Arsenal, true (and it was also his tackle on Diaby that got Diaby so incensed he red carded himself).

    But i also saw him at spurs, single handedly wind up their entire team, and every white shirted supporter in the house…which led to a quiet off pitch mob go mental and really get behind the sh7tspurs to take us on.

    His attitude can be counter-productive…

    Add that most of his assists were crossed into The Big Man(albeit fine crosses), which seemed mindless and less effective when he tried pinging the same balls from a DefMid position into Ameobie. AND that most of his goals come from the penalty spot….means he’s neither a winger or striker support.

    So…in summary, he’s a bit of a scumbag, he can cross but not a ‘natural’ winger who takes players on, and he’s not quite tall enough or calm enough to partner TipToe in the middle.

    I say sell/or enjoy the versatility this season of having him in the squad, but come the following season – would he be the kind of player that lifts us into the top 6?

  53. I’m assuming it’s still the Nokia Themes Mobile Press Pack? The difference between this one and the one Ed was originally using was that Ed’s would sometimes refuse to load comments, would randomly decide to stop detecting the user agent and everybody started complaining. The user agent detector in MPP is pretty damn good if I do say so myself and haven’t had a problem with it. In fact I usually use it for all of my WordPress clients!

  54. 2 years down the road you would still get a fee for barton pure madness he aint been offered a deal best player this season by mile

  55. Joe, it’s good to get some comments on here from fans of other football clubs. I agree with you he has come on leaps and bounds as you said. To be honest he was a cracking player when he was here his problem previously however was his attitude. If that has been sorted then I would love to have him back at Newcastle. Good luck for next season mate.

  56. workyticket says:
    May 26, 2011 at 7:32 pm

    “I think you mean .co.uk. The person who runs that site copied the mobile design that we use on this site, so it does look exactly the same in mobile format Tartan Toon.”

    So using something that is free and readily available to anyone is copying?

  57. And besides, it’s been ripped out now and a new one is being used. Evolution and that :)