Pardew explains the Enrique hole. Oh, and Xisco’s gone!

Posted on August 12th, 2011 | 41 Comments |

Dennis Wise's wonder boy returns to Spain.
Gone!
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew tells us why we didn’t have a replacement for Jose Enrique already in place, and Enrique explains the reasons for his departure. Oh yes, and news about Xisco.

As if in reply to Jimbob’s post of yesterday Alan Pardew broke his lengthy vow of silence to tell us why we didn’t bring in a replacement for Enrique some time ago. Pardew said:

“I am sure some of the fans will be asking why we had not brought a left-back in earlier.

“The difference was if Jose had signed we would have ended up with two very, very expensive left-backs and that is something we could not afford when we are trying to create the best side.

“We need that money in other areas and of course we do not have the striker to cover the line yet.

“I understand a big bulk of our fans just want our best players wanting to stay here – it does not always work like that, unfortunately.”

Which really means the Mike Ashley would not risk any money on a new left-back whilst there was still a smidgen of a gnat’s willy of a chance that Enrique might sign a new contract.

Presumably then – going by what Pardew said above – we’re in the market for a ‘very, very expensive left-back’. I guess we’re looking at the likes of Patrice Evra, Ashley Cole and such. Or possibly not.

On that note, it seems that there is some confusion as to the situation with Erik Pieters, our alleged target replacement for Enrique. The player had been said to be unhappy at PSV and it was thought a sign of that was that Pieters (along with team-mate Wilfred Bouma) was dropped to the bench for the last game. However PSV coach Fred Rutten has since said:

“I’ve talked with Bouma and can say it’s a storm in a teacup. It’s resolved. I made one thing clear – he cannot leave. The same is true for Pieters.”

Meanwhile Jose Enrique justified his exit as follows:

“My move is purely dependent on the sporting opportunity – not money.

“I want to fight for titles and I think it more possible to do that with Liverpool than Newcastle.”

When asked whether he did, as speculated, reject a £50k/week contract from Newcastle in order to go to Liverpool, he said:

“I prefer not to comment on that. But Newcastle did promise to solve my situation before the season and this has happened.”

Reet, well that’s that. Hope he gets crabs.

Finally, I would imagine the question on most Toon fans’ lips is: what’s happening with Xisco? Well it seems he’s on his way to Spain again and this time it’s a one-way ticket. He has apparently made a permanent transfer to Deportivo La Coruña, who Dennis Wise originally bought him off. Having cost us at least £5.7m he played 9 league games for Newcastle and scored 1 goal and has since been loaned to both Racing Santander and Deportivo.

I have no idea if we got any money for him although I presume not.

Addendummy

My excitement was a bit premature. Xisco has only gone to Deportivo on loan. It seems like we’re stuck with him on the books for at least another year. Apologies for the error (which was entirely the fault of someone else (obviously))

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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Comment on this post

41 Responses

  1. Oh well some good news today then about xisco being moved on.

    It does make me fear that AP can come out and say that having too LB’s on our books would be too expensive. What??? One would be leaving anyway!
    Is it me or are we fed some of the worst excuses known to fans from our leaders?

  4. We have a saying over in these dark parts “ask me da if i’m a liar” Which seems to fit AP fully! I seem to remember him telling us that “every penny from the Andy Carroll transfer, will be invested in the squad”. Now we are told we have to sell before we buy!!

    I wonder if AP has thought of running for Chancellor!

    As for Enrique, played well last 2 seasons for which I’m grateful. But the before mentioned saying applies again. Champions League Football my A**e!!!

  5. I think there’s far too much emphasis put on left back or right back or striker or left midfield….for gawd sake it’s football. Have they got the basic skills, can they control & kick a ball, and can they make a tackle? We’re not talking Sunday league here, these guys are supposed to be the creme de la creme, picked up from around Europe and the rest of the world because they were outstanding at school and in football academys…..the rest didn’t make it! They’re professional and surely someone in the club can kick a ball with his left foot and put a foot in…it’s not rocket science!

  6. I just can’t see us ever doing anything positive whilst these lot are in charge.
    The transfer policy is insane,the lies just flow like warm sickly custard and I am finding it really hard to even slightly believe anything that is spouted from the club.

    This “spring into action” phrase is a classic,roughly translated means do sweet FA,look busy and bury the Gold.

    Let’s be honest getting 35m was excellent business for Mike Ashley and Co but if it is not being reinvested then it has to be blatant asset stripping no two ways about it.
    If we had of kept Barton tied in,Nolan,Jose etc and invested that Carroll money sensibly bolstering the squad that was the one way ticket to Europe or at least close to it…that won’t happen now sadly and we will struggle more than likely.

  7. Xisco is not on a “One way Ticket” Unfortunatly he is only off for another season loan in Spain. Thanks Mr Wise, that masterstroke cost us special K and around 20 million quid in fees and wages !!!

  8. Morning lads, not sure if it has been picked up already but .co.uk have stated Xisco to Depor is a season long loan :S Long time lurker and appreciater of the banter, long overdue but fancy a bit of posting action myself lol

  9. Just heard Pardew on the radio claiming that we now have a bigger squad than last season?
    IN – the 5 Frenchmen
    OUT – Carrol, Nolan, Routledge, Enrique, Campbell, Tozer, Lua Lua (again), Xisco, Spear, potentially Barton, plus at the end of last season we had Ireland and Kuqi in the squad.
    Fair enough not all of them that good or first team, but from a squad perspective we’re down on number, down on experience and possibly down on quality. We are certainly down on positional cover.
    The fact that we have so many players out on loan (Lua, Richardson, Tavernier, Airey) while we have loads of injuries (especially Ben Arfa and Fergie) is crazy. Actually the fact I’m classing Fergie as first team is stupid!
    With the £8.5m spent and £12m brought back in though at least we have £38.5m to spend on a LB and striker!!!
    Hmmmmmmmmm

  10. Clueless to describe these people would be kind, everyone knew Jose was off, everyone knows we haven’t got anyone else to play at left back as cover for Jose so why wasn’t at least a cover brought in? We messed around with Taylor who would have been the cover so why not go for someone else when we didn’t get him? No one cheap enough or with escape clauses probably! Don’t blame Jose for leaving he wants to challenge for something, anything and he sure as he’ll won’t get the opportunity at Newcastle.

  11. I don’t blame any players for wanting out.
    The happy dressing room left by Houghton seems to have been totally smashed up now.

    I just hope MA sees the light and sells up…..it’s just painful reading the crap we are fed now on a daily basis.

  12. And when you do go Mike take them trashy Banners that you have draped over our hallowed Stadium with you.

  13. “Of course I am looking forward to playing in front of the Kop. Everybody speaks about the fans here and they are amazing. I am looking forward to it. I hope it will be this weekend, but if not I can wait.”

    He added: “Damien Comolli told me it is an amazing club. In Spain there is a saying, ‘When the train comes in, you have to take it.’ This is the first time a big club has come in for me and I had to take it (the opportunity). I am really happy.”

    Enrique joins Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Alexander Doni and Stewart Downing in moving to Anfield this summer.

    The 25-year-old admits he’s excited by Liverpool’s transfer business and believes they can help him quench his thirst for trophies.

    He said: “I am excited by the new signings – it shows Liverpool’s ambition.

  14. wonder if they just learn this crap off by heart and change the club names to suit their latest move?….Not sure their big money signings are any great shakes better than our freebies mind!

  15. So and according to Pardew, …. ‘The difference was if Jose had signed we would have ended up with two very, very expensive left-backs and that is something we could not afford when we are trying to create the best side’.

    I find that astonishing particularly as that constraint will have been imposed on him by our friends on high. One runs a casino and we know his boss (at NUFC) likes a punt and plays the perentages. I don’t think a gambler like Ashley would have bet on Jose staying after some 4-5 months of indifferent paly and unwillingness to sign a contrat with the club.

    I think that MA And Llambias are being nothing more than running a tight budget. With that I have no problem but my simple mind tells me its better to have a quality backup, who can play across the defence, than an inexperienced defender who could cost us the points that result in relegation.

    Surely it’d be cheaper to carry a ‘very expensive left back’ thank face the massive hit that the big R would have on the club’s finances.

    Somebody’s just not seeing the big picture!

  18. Latest Partridge waffle in the Chronicle….you couldn’t make this stuff up…..

    Pardew was open and honest in his assessment of the feeling on Tyneside and told the Chronicle: “It is how we set the tone. And the message has to change.

    “The fans are used to bad news and players leaving – this is something we have to correct”.

    I just can’t stomach this nonsense no longer.

  19. Look if we all admit it and agree that the owner and his side kicks are all scumbags, can we move on? The reality is what it is.

    Enrique says he’s excited by the signings the bin dippers have made…really? so was he not excited by the players who have signed for the Toon then? Is Cabeye, Ben Arfa, Marveaux, Ba, Abeid along with discoveries from the youth system suck as Vukic, Ferguson and Krul etc not every bit as good as the average multi million pound signings above? He’s probably right…there is more chance that liverpool will win silverware, we’ve not won anything since the year dot, and we only came back up last season. Big deal

  20. JoeSoap-Do you agree fella that if we had of held on to the spine of the squad from last year and invested the AC money we may have sniffed at Europe?

    We had a strong bunch of proper blokes ( arguably our best players Nolan and Barton and Jose ) mix that with some french flair and Add a Top Striker we would have been certainly pushing onwards and upwards?

    Trouble with this regime all they see is profit and use waffle and lies and self inflicted catastrophe’s every window to distract fans as assets get sold on.

  21. To be honest Jason Jose is probably the only ‘real’ loss! Nolan has been adequately replaced, Barton hasn’t gone yet but if he does…same again! My only problem is the LB, I cannot see why they didn’t hinge the deal with Liverpool around us getting a replacement in….and I can’t see any future in continuing to employ Shola…we desperately need a decent striker. But as for spending the 35 mil….no I’d rather we got ‘free’ good quality players, if you spend the 35 to other clubs you’re giving them cash to compete with you for future purchases…having said that.. Yes I say again Ashley & his crew seem clueless, but unfortunately until he moves on ……..?

  22. Good Points…I will miss Nolan really headstrong and what he lacks in pace he makes up for in other departments i.e goals and leadership,grit etc.
    I am not asking for £35m to be blasted all in one go but a class striker 15-20m should have been spent on a striker or even Strikers…..for that sort of cash.

  26. JoeSoap – Agree with you there, fella. Nolan is no big loss as we should have been looking to replace him anyway if we wanted to show our ambition. Ideally we would have brought in someone better and dropped Nolan to the bench, but that would probably mean having two very expensive midfielders at the club.

    I’m not sure what Pardew’s angle is with his latest comments. Is he stating this in public, hoping it will prompt Ashley to spend? Is he doing it to get on side with the fans, but knows there is no hope that he will be able to stop the revolving door at SJP?

    Off track a bit, there aren’t many clubs in the PL spending big this window, apart from the ones you’d expect to, Man Ciy and Utd, Chelsea, plus Liverpool.

    Everton are having to sell before they buy, Stoke seem to have some cash, although that would be foolishly spent on Crouch. Spurs aren’t making any big moves without offloading first. Perhaps we aren’t the only fans who are being hard done by.

  27. BREAKING NEWS: Club have excepted an offer for Barton from an undisclosed club. A club insider close to the deal has said the money will be invested back into the club and is going to be used to fix a squeeky gate at the training ground.

  28. Hugh…thanks for the reminder.

    Micky Everton and Spurs don’t have millions in the bank generated by player sales…if you add up the fees from players sold plus wages saved it has got to be a fair wack even after agent fees,grass seeds,nets,corner flags etc have been purchased.

    :lol:

  29. The cost of WD40 and the Handyman’s wage demands have shot up season after season Micky….I am sure Mr Carr has been hunting high and low for cheaper lubricants….maybe he should have just looked in the top drawer of Mike Ashley’s antique mahogany desk all along :lol:

  33. The LB situation is a scandal, everyone knew JE wanted to leave and would not sign a new deal so we certainly should have had a replacement in place, no doubt whatsoever on that and no excuse is acceptable for not having this in place, it is irresponsible and short sighted for MA to gamble with this in the way he has.

    As to Nolan, just a reminder guys, he was offerd a new deal that he turned down. He turned it down because he wanted a 3 year extension on his current deal along with a pay rise and the club did not think that was realistic given his age/lack of mobility. As good a leader as he was and as good a player as he was at times for us, he was being greedy and the club did the right thing in my opinion in not giving him a deal we would all later regret (Alan Smith anyone?)

    So forget Nolan, he was interested in the best deal for himself and took the WHU offer on that basis.

    For me, the jury is still out on the new signings, they may be great and if so everyone will forget about Nolan and Barton in short order, guess we will just have to wait and see.

  34. Seen comments on other blogs and on here about Krul Tiote etc will be sold, but if we really analyse what’s happened so far…nobody has gone who didn’t agitate to get away. Main culprits…..Carroll [greedy git who got too cocky for his own good, hasn’t exactly knocked doors out of windows at the bin-dippers tho’] Nolan [whinged because they wouldn’t give him a pension plan],Enrique [cos’ our signings aren’t as ambitious as L’pools…yeah right] Barton [still trying for the pension plan]………so all in all we’ve not sold anyone just to cash in. I personally think 35 million for Carroll was a bigger steal than all the rioters have achieved put together! So despite the owners ineptitude I still think we’re doing ok…I just wish we’d get a striker and a LB then SHUT THAT BL**DY WINDOW WILL YA!

  35. You just couldnt make it up could you??

    A business run like a comedy show! Why can Liverpool get there team in place for game 1 of the season and we can’t??

    Yet again the fans suffer for incompetence from management! its derby day nest Sat, we can not afford to lose that and need a full stgrength team, which includes a proper left back and striker.

    A club run by muppets!! simply not good enough! AP has known since Feb he needed a striker, and since at least April he needed a new left back!! so why they not in!!??

  36. Joe Soap – “agitate to get away” ? You are living in another parallel universe from the rest of us :)

    jettson – “Why can Liverpool get there team in place for game 1 of the season and we can’t??” Sorry jettson but that sort of NEGATIVITY gets us nowhere :)

    Munich Mag – Wherever you are I’m assuming you aint “Geordie German” from Ed’s blog ?
    http://yfrog.com/kez91krjj

  37. JoeSoap says:

    “Look if we all admit it and agree that the owner and his side kicks are all scumbags, can we move on?”

    Yes and No. Yes because they are ultimately using NUFC as a vehicle to promote their Sports Direct operation and yet NUFC dont seem to be getting anything in return ?

    No because they have the ability to screw this club into the ground financially over the next five years so we end up treading water as a club with no ambition to move on but just replacing players who see the light with new ones !

    Thats the reality JoeSoap and I’m pretty sure that 100% of fans wouldnt take that now or ever !!!!!

    “Enrique says he’s excited by the signings the bin dippers have made…really? so was he not excited by the players who have signed for the Toon then? Is Cabeye, Ben Arfa, Marveaux, Ba, Abeid along with discoveries from the youth system suck as Vukic, Ferguson and Krul etc not every bit as good as the average multi million pound signings above?”

    Have you seen Luis Suarez play ? Medication is the answer I presume ? What sort are you taking ?

  38. Sign off comments for tonight.

    “I am sure some of the fans will be asking why we had not brought a left-back in earlier.”

    Every single feckin fan in the whole world, regardless of the club they support, will be asking that fecking obvious question you Cleueless grey haired r’s licker. Pardon my french :)

    “The difference was if Jose had signed we would have ended up with two very, very expensive left-backs and that is something we could not afford when we are trying to create the best side”

    You would either have to be a three year old or strung out on a diet of crack cocaine, meths and Sugar Puffs to think Jose would have stayed at this club with its current ownership in place. I’m guessing Pardwo aint 3 ?

    “We need that money in other areas and of course we do not have the striker to cover the line yet”

    Just feck off you spineless, r’s creeping moron.

    One of these days someone will record all these fatuous comments and create a comedy best seller !

  41. I wish Enrique well, he did well for us. I hope we become more ambitious in the future but I understand that the priority right now is steadying the ship and staying in the league. The reason given for not finding a replacement is a bit flimsy, It’s doubtful that Pieters would earn what Enrique was and a deal should have at least been agreed in principle based on what happened with Enrique.

    If push comes to shove I think we should sign a veteran LB on loan and start Shane Ferguson and see how he gets on.