Poll: Is Enrique right about Newcastle United’s transfer policy?

Posted on July 25th, 2011 | 39 Comments |

Enrique: Right or wrong?
Enrique: Right or wrong?
Of course, as most of you will no doubt know by now, disgruntled left back, Jose Enrique, the subject of much contract and transfer speculation over the past few weeks has been extremely critical of the club’s transfer policy and claimed that they “lie all the time”.

As my esteemed collegue, ‘Thump’ also reported on the pages of this ‘blog, he also accused them of lying “all the time” on his official Twitter page, which seems to have gone missing in action. To refresh your memories, the war of words started back in May when master of discretion, Alan Pardew, started giving a running commentary on the players contract renewal before they had even begun saying:

“We have been waiting to see his representatives, they are due here in the early part of next week.

“We are going to make Jose a very, very good offer and we are hoping he is going to accept it.

Adding a note of caution though, he then continued:

“We are realistic about Jose, because the ball is in his court on that one, not in ours.

“He will be offered a fantastic contract here, he knows that, but still it is going to be down to his decision. I am still hopeful.”

There have been numerous bloviations from Pardew on the issue from the club’s point of view since then, too many to recount here, to which Enrique finally responded on the now deceased Twitter page mentioned above. Enrique struck back:

“The club is allowing all the major players of the team to go. Seriously, do you think it is the fault of the players? Andy [Carroll], nobby [Kevin Nolan] etc etc. This club will never again fight to be among the top six again with this policy.”

On the “fantastic contract” mentioned several times by Pardew since May, ‘El Toro’ added:

“They give the money I have already. They lie all the time. But is no for money is because they don’t want spend in the club and bring quality players that’s why everybody go.”

Yet even after this remarkable outburst, Pardew still says that he still wants the player to stay at the club, telling Tynside newspaper, The Journal:

“As a manager, of course I want him to stay.

However, possibly fearing a repeat of the Andy Carroll situation in January, when the player was sold to Liverpool in the last moments of the transfer window when there was no time to find a replacement, Pardew then added:

“The worst thing for us would be if he went late, that’s the problem.”

“We are trying to do some business because we need to cover ourselves in that area between now and the end of the window regardless of Enrique.”

But what do you think of Enrique’s comments? Do you think that he is right to say that the club is “allowing all the major players of the team to go”, that they will “never again fight to be among the top six again with this policy”, and finally, that “they lie all the time”? Or do you think that Enrique has gone too far and should be flayed alive on the centre circle of St. James’ Park?

Please leave your comments and/or vote in our poll.

Poll

NUFCBlog Author: workyticket workyticket has written 1093 articles on this blog.

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39 Responses

  1. As great as Nolan was in the dressing room and popping up for goals, he was hardly a magician on the pitch, and carroll was not that great of a striker either and he has hardly set alight Anfield since leaving us. So we will be fine if we just replace with better class. Hence Cabaye with Nolan.

    We just need to sign a few more quality players and everything will be fine.

  2. Don’t support Enrique’s statements, if they are his. And if they are not, I don’t support the silence which should be a denial of his involvement.

    This has got nothing to do with the club’s transfer policy, or with the Carroll money is being re/invested wisely. It’s just a disrepectful statement designed to cause contoversy. Which it has. So who ever is responsible. Job done.

    Just out of curiosity, since the much meeded clearout post relegation, how many players have we sold? Nolan, Carroll, who else?

  3. Shocked and stunned- how the hall can anyone vote No on this poll-WERE HAS THE MONEY GONE-R U all blind of stupid-
    How many clubs in the EPL are without debt?????? NONE
    PLONKERS

  4. if there his comments then he is acting like spoilt brat who just wants his own way i.e. a move

  5. Phisix says:
    July 25, 2011 at 8:28 pm

    “As great as Nolan was in the dressing room and popping up for goals,”

    You think that being the club’s top goalscorer and being a good influence in the dressing room isn’t important Phisix?

  6. of course he is entitled to a opinion, and he’s probably right. however he should not have vented his anger on a public forum. he has disrespected the club and the fans. he is a mug.

  7. bench him and give him some thinking time gamble i know but if hes out of the spotlight might have a rethink.Our best way to keep him imo.

  8. Pardew is getting red-faced trying to tell the fans that we’re heading in the right direction knowing Ashley is pulling all the strings and making life very difficult for him and everyone connected to NUFC (except Fat Ash and Llambiarse). It is one of the hardest if not THE Hardest Job in the EPL.

    Pardew is not to blame neither was Hughton and he did the same as Pardew as he was another ‘Puppet’ like most like to say around here.

    We have bought good players although I am not totally satisfied with the transfers nor the sale of Nolan I can understand the clubs means to sell him now.

    We now have to buy more quality and spend something at least or else it’s clearly all a joke to Ashley.

    Maybe he’s taking his revenge after all the abuse he got from fans the season we got relegated due to all the upheaval that fateful year.

    We need to sign a quality striker like Erding or Sturridge for example and then I will start to trust the boards intentions.

    At the End of August we’ll all know where we lie, all we can and should do is WAIT.

    Too much negativity is coming from ‘the best fans in the world’ for my liking and I think it’s already having a negative effect on the team.

    Ps. Even though Jose Enrique might be saying the truth he should not be blabbering his mouth on Twitter like Barton has been doing. It’s all VERY UNPROFESSIONAL and only making this club seem less attractive to any player we might be after. He should solve this behind the scenes and IF he leaves the club then he can talk all he wants.

    Let’s support the Team AND the Manager please guys.

    HWTL

  9. Look, MA & DL are hard negotiators. They have targets, and they have a top price they will pay. They have brought in 4 so far & trying to sell off the wasters.
    As any great manager or people knows, no matter what you pay them, people still do their work. It is internal pride. And, if you don’t do your best, there is no market for you anywhere else where they have seen you play.
    Enrique is just upset, and rightly so, that injuries have occurred, the whole team is not together and other deals have not been concluded. Plus he had to play on that joke/injury trap of a field in Orlando along side Allen Smith. And don’t forget, no Champions League team has come in with a bid for him-that is humiliating.
    AP needs to manage the team on the ptch and refer questions he is not qualified to answer to the proper person. If he does not, eventually this will cost him his job. This because players will lose respect for his incorrect statements, and he loses time from working on strategy to win games.

  10. “You think that being the club’s top goalscorer and being a good influence in the dressing room isn’t important Phisix?”

    I’m not saying he was not important, but someone else will take that mantle with time and maybe do an even better job than he did.

  11. the toon army barracks says:
    July 25, 2011 at 8:43 pm

    “of course he is entitled to a opinion, and he’s probably right. however he should not have vented his anger on a public forum. he has disrespected the club and the fans. he is a mug.”

    It’s a good point that there are two different questions toon army barracks, the first being is he right? And the second being, right or wrong, should he have said them in a public forum.

    There is also another question of whether it was wise for Pardew to keep blathering on from a biased point of view about Enrique’s contract negotiations for months in several public forums too. I hoped that he wouldn’t lose the dressing room at this club as he has at previous clubs, but it looks like that might have been a vain hope.

  12. Enrique is great player but full of shit. He wants to go because all the top players are going, don’t make me laugh, 35 million was about 25 million overpriced for carroll. Nobby scored goals yes, but not against the big teams, and wher did he end up. If he was that good a top club would pick him up not west ham. Enrique wants to move for the money, end of. Ashley gets a kicking, and yes he has made some shit decisions, but we wouldn’t be here as the club was so much in debt, paying for players not even still at the club. Enrique has latched onto ‘its not my fault, I don’t want to go, but they are making me’ get over yourself, sign a new deal or go, simple.

  13. Toonarmybill says:

    July 25, 2011 at 8:35 pm

    Shocked and stunned- how the hall can anyone vote No on this poll-WERE HAS THE MONEY GONE-R U all blind of stupid-
    How many clubs in the EPL are without debt?????? NONE
    PLONKERS

    Tottenham backed off a deal for Parker because of the crippling wage costs over the length of a contract.

    Man Utd taking their time over a Snieder deal with Nike rumoured to be supplementing his wages as they couldn’t afford them on their own.

    Two examples there of higher profile clubs struggling with wage issues so I do not think the Club is entirely incorrect in the stance on things, just which they would be a lot less vague on things – have they never heard of a Public Relations Officer?

  14. BeeGuy says:
    July 25, 2011 at 8:54 pm

    “Look, MA & DL are hard negotiators. They have targets, and they have a top price they will pay. They have brought in 4 so far & trying to sell off the wasters.”

    The club’s two top goalscorers for the last two seasons, along with the club’s last two players of the year are “wasters” now BeeGuy?

  15. ALL HE IS AFTER IS MORE MONEY AND HE CAN’T GET IT AT NEWCASTLE THE WHOLE LOT OF FOOTBALLERS ARE OVERPAID, THIS IS ALL ABOUT MONEY, HE WOULD STOP IF HE COULD GET MORE, GET RID OF HIM

  16. Hear hear Steve Bruce can have him for £20 mill see how he likes Bengazi on sea!

  17. there is 3 or 4 new signings to come in i believe, there is 5 weeks to go in the transfer market if we’ve spent nowt by then feel free to criticise

  18. dan says:

    “ALL HE IS AFTER IS MORE MONEY AND HE CAN’T GET IT AT NEWCASTLE THE WHOLE LOT OF FOOTBALLERS ARE OVERPAID, THIS IS ALL ABOUT MONEY, HE WOULD STOP IF HE COULD GET MORE, GET RID OF HIM”

    As the saying goes “There’s none so blind as those who will not see”

  19. dan says:
    July 25, 2011 at 9:18 pm

    “THE WHOLE LOT OF FOOTBALLERS ARE OVERPAID”

    Dan, nowadays, great footballers generate huge amounts of revenue for their clubs through things such as shirt sales, bums on seats, trophies, TV coverage, image rights and such. If top clubs didn’t have them, they would sink like a stone and wouldn’t generate that revenue.

  20. I think some fans are too quick to slag off our former favourites(AC,Nolan and now El Toro – Barton next no doubt)as soon as they appear to be on their way.Jose should have chosen his words better but senior players who got us up and were at the centre of the new spirit in the dressing room appear disillusioned – its not about money – how about a lack of clear leadership and vision from the top ,lack of communication and a constant stream of drivel from Pardew on contracts,buying,selling,investment and anything else you can think of.
    The real impact of the AC sale is starting to become apparent – 35 mill is only a great deal if money is invested well and the rest of the squad buy into the vision.He may not be a world beater but he was improving at a rate of knots and would have been an icon here

  21. I don’t think it’s a case of slagging off players who appear to want out as much as slagging off the methods the players employ to get out of the club.

    The simple fact of the matter is that we have been on a downward slide since Chris Hughton was dismissed. I think the impact of his departure was underestimated by the owner and chairman.

    I think they genuinely believed the widespread tale that the team was run by the senior pro’s. What they have found out is that it wasn’t. It was a team, built around the senior pro’s and Houghton, and in breaking up that team, them have seriously damaged the club as a whole. As a result, moral has bottomed and several who probably would have been prepared to stay for Houghton/the sake of the team have had enough and have looked for a way out.

  22. Worky, by selling off wasters, I am talking about Routledge, Perch, Smith and Xisco. I think we see eye to eye on that.

    I do not consider Nolan and Carroll wasters, but I do not think they are as good as the hype around them. Carroll could rise, if he pulls his peresonal life together, but Nolan is clearly past his prime IMHO.

  23. He is just shouting his mouth off to get publicity so other managers know he is out there!! He obviously thought he would be snapped up and is now pannicking that no one wants him. Ha ha

  24. Starkadder says:
    July 25, 2011 at 9:46 pm

    “It was a team, built around the senior pro’s and Houghton, and in breaking up that team, them have seriously damaged the club as a whole. As a result, moral has bottomed and several who probably would have been prepared to stay for Houghton/the sake of the team have had enough and have looked for a way out.”

    I said much the same the day Pardew was appointed Starkadder, though I feel that one reason why Hughton may have been sacked is that they just didn’t feel comfortable with him, they wanted someone who was more like them to take their plan forward and sell it to the supporters. However Keegan was right about one thing, Ashley knows absolutely nothing about football, and Llambias knows even less, otherwise they wouldn’t have appointed Pardew to manage a club like Newcastle United.

  25. Money money money. I think all peeps playing FIFA ultimate team should be bared from comments. Jose can go and do one as far as am concerned. The money players generate here mate u an agent? The money the fans are overpaying…. Jose has a good year in championship and aug to feb in premiership he ain’t an evra or a clichy get rid his statement of it’s not the fact my contract wage is the same but….. Why mention it then? And selling Nolan aye cabaye and sylvian better. Nolan couldn’t run past November let alone into his fourth year if a five year Deal at west ham on 60k. Well done Ashley on that one. Were not even past 3 pre season games and u lot are whining on. Get a grip this is a good squad good break through players like vukic ferguson etc my last word back nufc or f*** off to man USA

  26. Infact I lied. The Carroll money stabilises the club yes please. How much did we
    Spend on Ron Lee? Beardo the second time? Tino? Bez? Even skeeter sellers? You don’t need to spend 20 million on Gareth Barry to get a bargain….

  27. Once you have a player like Jose wanting away, get a deal done ASAP but have a 100% replacement ready. They just become a cancer within a club and its best to cut it out and move on.

  28. For those who are criticising Jose for his tweet, is this fu**ing China where those voicing negative opinions about the regime, are hustled of to jail ?
    Whats wrong with voicing an anti Ashley message, it’s not as if Ashley has ever shown any respect for either players or fans.
    Disrespectfull my ass, guys got every right to want away if he feels like it.
    How many times have i wrote in these blogs, it’s only about money, but there are still those who dont get it, who take it personally if a player wants to leave, grow up folks.
    As for Pardew, a sad case and a poor choice of a manager, but as Workey mentioned, birds of a feather, guess Ashley feels more comfortable having him to shit on, than having a guy with smarts and integrity.
    Ah well is what it is !

  29. Oh! bye the way , who we gonna get for LB, thought we had cornered the market on every free agent, guess we will have to break into that £35m.

  30. Carroll not worth 35million.
    Nolan not worth 5 years contract.

    In my opinion, Ashley is running the club how it should be managed.

    Sometimes, we, fans are asking more than what we can afford. Leeds ???

  31. So Toonsy – how do you get so many positive responses onto one site? Are you editing them? Are you deleting the negative ones? Could it be possible that the fans are actually getting behind the team? No, surely not possiible!

    Enrique is obviously looking for a move and trying to help it along a bit, but more important is that many of the fans can see that and are not falling for these outbursts.

    Most of what has been said above is spot on. We couldnt refuse 35 mil for Carroll, and Nolan was asking for too good a contract.

    There is no reason why, with the right players coming in, we cant stay top half next season.

    OK if we get our arses kicked then all the doom mongers can have a go, but not before we start.

    As for the comment that every team has debts – a couple of years of frugality can change that. When you are paying millions of pounds in interest every year, thats money that could be going into the club. Thats why Ashley gave his cash interest free, otherwise it was just a never ending pit.

    Of course – the interest he is not earning on the money he loaned to the club is cancelled out by the interest Newcastle United are not paying on the loan

    Personally – I reckon if we finish up top half next year we’ve got a result, and when Ashley produces the figures, he might have a few more fans.

  32. Im sorry but a lot of fans are behaving like kids .”I want I want” .People wanting things they cant yet afford is exactly the reason the world is in the financial mess it is at the moment.Debt is bad.I dont agree with every decision Ashley has made, but i dont believe we need to be spending stupid amounts to move forward.Enrique shouldnt really be mouthing off about spending, its really f all to do with him how the money is spent.and anyway, how does he know how much more will be spent.If he doesent like how things are going then fine,he should leave quietly

  33. Why are we waiting to sell him before seriously trying to sign a new left back? We need a decent back up even if he stays….. If he goes we probably need 2 left backs.

    They are already making their excuses in advance for when Enrique is sold and we don’t sign a replacement before complaining we didn’t have enough time.

    Or are we planning to rely on playing people like Ryan Taylor and James perch out of position at left back for a whole season? Or inexperienced players such as Kadar and Dummet?

  34. Enrique is a class player.
    Our five most effective players last season were Barton, Carroll, Nolan, Tiote and Enrique (with Colo probably sixth). We’ve sold two of them, and another two seem to be on their way. Even if the new players are great, what we have is Carroll, Nolan, Enrique definitely out; Ba, Cabaye and Malreaux in, two of whom are injury prone. Barton out too if we can get any cash for him. Looks worse to me. Good teams keep their best players. Seems like we’ll be keeping one of our best five.

  35. robsondoc says:

    “I think some fans are too quick to slag off our former favourites(AC,Nolan and now El Toro – Barton next no doubt)as soon as they appear to be on their way.Jose should have chosen his words better but senior players who got us up and were at the centre of the new spirit in the dressing room appear disillusioned – its not about money – how about a lack of clear leadership and vision from the top ,lack of communication and a constant stream of drivel from Pardew on contracts,buying,selling,investment and anything else you can think of.
    The real impact of the AC sale is starting to become apparent – 35 mill is only a great deal if money is invested well and the rest of the squad buy into the vision.He may not be a world beater but he was improving at a rate of knots and would have been an icon here”

    Every now and again I read a comment on these blog sites which helps revive my faith in the human race :)

    “35 mill is only a great deal if money is invested well and the rest of the squad buy into the vision”

    With so many fans slagging off Andy Carroll and Nolan as well as Jose now, I kinda think that maybe the fans deserve the Fatman ?

    I recall trying to put an unpopular view across to the fan base in the reign of FFS and getting shot down in flames for being a negative influence.

    Even after I pointed people to Ian’s fabulous “Nufc finances” site which showed quite clearly, in laymans terms, how much money was being siphoned out of the club there were still mindless morons claiming that Fat Freddy was a real fan of the club and that I should go and support the Mackems :)

    Seems some of us never learn but kudos to robsondoc for seeing through the bull :)

  36. The following are responses to Luke Edwards “Jose Enrique Wants What’s Best For Him Not Newcastle United” article in the DT.

    Needless to say Luke Edwards continues to confirm my opinion that he makes Lee Ryder look intelligent !!!

    Bill Cutrer
    Yesterday 11:40 PM
    Recommended by
    3 people
    Ok, I’m not a Geordie, though a Newcastle fan in the States. As a die hard Red Sox Fan I so badly wished Henry would have bought them instead of the Reds (Not just so I could watch them on NESN). I have to say from the outside looking in their ownership is a joke. Enrique is totally right. He signed for a “big team” with a big fan base that should be challenging with the best in England. He’s played hard, stuck with the team through the second division, and deserves respect and some compensation either financially or with hopes of glory. I wouldn’t want to play on a team with zero ambition, that is happy to take 50,000 a game gate attendance to the bank with no desire to get above 10th place.
    I completely understand Ashley’s desire to build a model of younger players with more financial stability, but the way his organization lies to its supporters is pathetic. He insults them over and over again. He lied (as the court records showed) when Kegeen was sacked. I still remember the interviews that summer before the transfer window closed when he was courting luxury box owners and guaranteed a marque signing in that window. Andy Carrol money, good job insulting everyone with “free transfers are really expensive”.
    I think Jose is just expressing what 99% of anyone who has been watch in EastEnders, whoops I mean Newcastle feels. What I am very surprised is why don’t the Geordie faithful stop following the team, get behind another local team and help them up to higher divisions and let the new Franco-Magpies pass them on their way down.
    Report Recommend

    irishman
    Yesterday 10:39 PM
    Recommended by
    3 people
    Enrique got it bang on.

    If the guy didn’t want to leave, why wouldn’t he want to go now after the ongoing shambles that is Newcastle United FC.

    The most galling point is that anybody is surprised they are in such a mess. If it wasn’t for the phenomenal support, they’d have been in administration long ago. Appointing (or being stuck with) a 3rd rate owner, ‘managing director’ and team manager is destined for failure.

    In all seriousness, their only hope is that Ashley gets them relegated (pretty likely) sacks the god awful Pardew and the club gets bought by someone who actually cares!

    As for the article, this guy writes pure dross, solely about Newcastle every few days. If this the best he can do on his supposed area of expertise, the Telegraph need to start hacking a few phones
    Report Recommend

    drcharlesgould
    Yesterday 09:35 PM
    Recommended by
    5 people
    Luke – another completely irrelevant article. What is your point? Ashley has been an unmitigated disaster and has plunged the club into the depths of anonyminity. Finally, having been relegated, they had the chance to start again. Players like Carroll, Barton, Nolan etc had the grit and hunger, if not the technical brilliance, to take them into the top half of the table. Just consider these points, Luke:

    – How Ashley handled the Keegan mess
    – Firing Chris Hughton when they were 11th! (I know Hughton isn’t going to necessarily get you into Europe, but what more could they realistically have expected 4/5 months into the Premier League return?!
    – Selling Carroll, selling Nolan, not renewing Barton’s contract
    – Signing journeyman free agents with no love for the club
    – APPOINTING PARDEW!!! How was he in any way deserving of that position over Chris Hughton?!

    It’s all well and good playing devil’s advocate, Luke, but you miss the point. And if a footballer really did want to move for himself… SHOCKER. Are you really feigning surprise for the purposes of an article?!

    Please don’t tell me that if your company released all the people you rated and liked and replaced them with second & third rate replacements that you would allow loyalty towards a mass of people you have never met to impede your career? Give me a break, Luke.
    Report Recommend

    Zog
    Yesterday 01:14 PM
    Recommended by
    10 people
    And maybe he’s fed up to the back teeth with the lie that the 35 million is already gone ?? Ashley thinks we have all just got off the boat.
    Report Recommend

    Jack Wilson
    Yesterday 01:11 PM
    Recommended by
    1 person
    Whatever’s gone on behind closed doors, employees shouldn’t go out and bash their companies and their policies publicly.

    Hopefully Enrique will have a meeting with the “mediocre” players he insulted when they are all back together on the training pitch.

    Liverpool only buy injured or unproven players anyhow
    Report Recommend
    Spouting_Reality
    Yesterday 08:32 PM
    Their favourite ones are injured AND unproven. They pay the most for them.