Derek Llambias blasts past managers in expletive-ridden tirade

64 Responses

1. I think he’s spot on, I admire his candor.. Shearer & keegan great players but crap managers… and Carroll on current form isn’t great.. certainly good business selling him for 35mill??

2. Roman, the facts about the managers being good or bad are irrelevant. It is inexcusable for an MD to come out with stuff like that.

3. digging a deeper hole for himself and his fat buddy!

4. No class, so many mistakes. Re-name the managing director.
   Plainly has no empathy with fans, our history or football. Strange that some say that of foreign owners.

5. That just sums up the man has no tack or class,hes just a cockney barrow boy who made it in the 80/90s

6. Roman,

   I agree with you that Shearer & Keegan were great players but crap managers (second time for Keegan) but the reasons were different.

   Shearer had never managed before and being a rookie mistakes were always likely but with so little time left before the end of the season to listen, learn and correct together with a demoralised team it is debateable whether someone more experienced could have saved us. So I’m not too critical of Shearer.

   Keegan was a bad appointment and as nearly all the pundits said at the time of his appointment it was a sacking / walk out waiting to happen, and so it did. Great player and good inspirational manager first time around but his star went down rapidly thereafter, sadly.

   The whole season was a catalogue of disasters on and off the field. Few if any came out of it with any credit.

   Hugh,

   I agree with you that employers should not say in public what they think in private. That’s for the fans to do. In your article it doesn’t say whether this was a pukka interview or someone having overheard a private conversation and then spilled the beans.

7. What he has said is pretty much spot on. Keegan has jumped that many ships when the going gets tough I’m surprised he hasn’t drowned. Shearer was a big mistake and was purely a figure head for us fans Dowie was the clown running the show. As for Andy Caroll who wouldn’t turn down 35 mill for a player who to be quite honest was never proven in the premiership. Still no excuse for an M.D ofa club if a player did it they would get Abigail fine from the club so we shall wait and see what punishment he might receive! Prob jack shit!

8. Kamar, I suppose it depends what you call ‘private’ and ‘public’. Obviously it’s not an official statement!

   But it was a ‘public’ rant in front of Toon fans, some of whom taped it.

9. Maybe I’m too ‘old school’ and haven’t moved with what’s ‘acceptable behaviour’ these days but I tend to feel it’s bad form for an MD to say things like this about former employees, regardless of whether or not he thought they’d ever make it into the press.

10. Hugh,

    Notwithstanding the recent well publicised overheard comments by Sarkozy and Obama about Netanyahu and also not forgetting the gaffe by Gordon Brown during the election you think Llambias should have known anything he says, especially to fans, will be made public a short time thereafter – unless he knew of course and had alterior motives but I suppose this is giving him too much credit and intelligence as he ain’t no Niccolò Machiavelli.

11. Derek “Goebbels” Llambias – as classless as ever.

    By the way Alimag – you say that “Keegan has jumped that many ships when the going gets tough I’m surprised he hasn’t drowned.”
    I suppose you have conveniently forgotten that he didn’t jump the 2nd time around as NUFC boss but was sacked, or have you forgotten the tribunal results.

12. From the stuff I read I recall the rant occurred in a “Gastro Pub”. Is that the one I ate in and quickly got food poisoning after ? :)

13. Hard to admit, BUT he does have a few good points, Always believed Hughton had reached his ceiling, Keegan’s head has always been !all over the place”, (1st time round inc – Asprilla is a good eg).

    Shearer let himself down badly, with talent that went on to perform for the “not so” charismatic Hughton…..As for Carroll, it can only pan out over the next couple of seasons, but as it stands, he’s got a point here too.

14. On a more serious note, why is it that successive NUFC Chairmen/MD’s seem to be afflicted with that well known disease “footinmouthitis” ?

    Why cant we just have someone normal in charge ?

15. Somebody just stirring the shit they are jealous of United being third, stuff them don’t believe all you read.

16. Aye, nee football so we’re back to a circle of pointless whinges and negative rants.
    What’s the point ? – there’s nowt (absolutely nowt) we can do about any of this.
    It’s like a bunch of powerless unelectable polititians ranting about the economy or human rights for terrorists – poinless bullsit!
    Andy Mac asks “Why cant we just have someone normal in charge ?” – because no normal sane person would have bought the basket case that was NUFC, only a misguided greedy egoist like we got! The last one we had was worse – and the next one? Who knows – some clubs have had out & out criminals – anyone else remember Bob Maxwell? and that Portsmouth crook?

    We are just fans – follow the team lads – ignore the rest !
    We are a stable club with a good young team riding high at 3rd in the greatest league in the world !
    Treat everything and everyone else with the contempt & distain they deserve !

    HWTL

    that’s set me up nicely for me sunday dinner !

17. worky – tell me this is not you “playing away” on transfertavern –
    wurkeyticket says:Date: November 13th, 2011 at 12:20 pm
    have to admit, that Derek Llambias has got class!!!! HWTL!!!!

18. well it just goes to show that these comments seem to be showing true colours.

    not only does it show that the pair of them are aggressive and nasty but goes someway to show how mike has made his millions.

    i very much doubt he would have made his first million honestly or respectfully.

    i cant help feeling this aggressive approach would have resulted in some poor sports shop owner back in the day having his legs broken by one of Ashley hence men.

    no wander so little people like him if he employs thugs to do a job.

    sooner or later somebody somewhere will bring him down.

    i get the feeling the government are watching him like a hawk for his business antics.

19. Got to say, Keegan got us playing good football after the Allardyce disaster and they replaced him with… Uncle Joe!
    It’s nothing new to see their view, but it seems quite a few people seem to have taken the press view that Keegan is a quitter who was a disaster at NUFC second time round. When he took over most Newcastle fans were totally disillusioned and while we thought it was a joke he was doing a decent job. We then spent a fortune (remember Collo and Jonas were poor that season) and still got relegated due to their backing of Wise. Also, if they think Carrol was worth FA then he knows nothing about football. Any normal MD would not get hammered and rant in front of consumers like that!

20. Wish him and MA would just fook off.

21. can anyone remember the comment i made the other day when i mentioned we would be 1st not 3rd if mike hadn’t taken over the club.

    as far as i’m aware the Arabs that “were buying the club” were the same Arabs that bought Manchester City.

    i get the feeling if Keegan had have kept his mouth shut and rode with it for a few weeks we could have had different owners completely.

22. Stephen C – I think you should be very careful with some of your statements – you may be committing a criminal offence with such specific unfounded allegations for which you (and the site owner) can be procecuted, it has happened elsewhere.
    I for one enjoy reading your posts and respect your enthusiasim but I dissociate myself from all personal attacks of this type – stick to supporting the team mate.

    HWTL

23. Supermac says:

    “I for one enjoy reading your posts and respect your enthusiasim but I dissociate myself from all personal attacks of this type – stick to supporting the team mate”

    “Kevin Keegan can’t take pressure. His f****** head was all over the place.
    “You guys don’t understand how f****** horrible we can be.”
    Just for good measure he had a pop at Andy Carroll too, saying he was worth “f*** all”.

    Better have a word with Del Boy as well then Super ?

24. supermac @ 22

    im commenting from lamearse him self and my opinion on his comments.

    as far as i’m aware it has been well publicized about certain arabs wanting to buy newcastle united.

    if you read the artical that lamearse has been caught out by it states clearly that “arabs were buying the club”

    as far as i was aware it was the arabs who bought Manchester City. i mentioned yesterday that this is what i was lead to believe and now lamearse has pretty much confirmed that “arabs were buying the club”

    and as far as im aware they aren’t unfounded sky sports news our my source and it has been mentioned frequently on sky sports programmes over the last three seasons.

    the only other arabs i heard “wanting to buy newcastle” were the people who bought PSG in the summer.

    as for “specific unfounded allegation” 1) they aren’t unfounded 2) i’m not alleging anything i’m merely re-tweeting previous comments made by various news outlets.

    i have never heard any denial over weather or not the group who bought Man C were interested in NUFC or not, but it would be foolish to think they would not do some scouting of clubs first.

    and as for supporting the team, how can you support the team 100% through the smog that is being created at the minute? not only will this drag on for weeks but into Christmas. i wish it was as easy as to just stick my head in the sand and let the ocean waves sail by, but its not.

    i don’t even think i look at the team in the same light now, not after the last few days.

25. a bit over the top me thinks, Supermac…

26. cheers andy thats what i was referring to. the whole conversation is posted online.

    apparently the mirror have publicized it on their website.

27. Aye, bloody hell. I was/am as ecstatic as the next fella at being where we are now and seeing what Pardew has achieved in a short time with heavy constraints (life size Laurel and Hardy glued to each shoulder come to mind); I never in my right mind thought those two could would want to or be capable of bringing us down at such a critical time in football terms. It just goes to show that they don’t give a duck’s arse about the fans, the city, the club or the history. Now, instead of a great footballing city, we are just a subsidiary of Sports Direct–the tackiest, cheapest, almost most unethical factory line on the planet. They’ve struck lucky with the few good decisions they’ve made–I’d rather be called St.James’ and 15th than Sports Direct Arena an third, quite honestly people…Man City etc. are ducking soulless.

28. Mind you, once the fans had left Derek’s company, he turned to Fat Mike beside him and said: “Mind you, the biggest load of tossers ’round ‘ere are the f*****g fans! What a load of wamkers! They haven’t got a f*****g clue how to run a football club. You’ve put f*****g millions into this club and all they want is to give you a f*****g hard time. Loosers, the lot of ’em!” Followed by a very loud belch as he slams his empty beer glass onto the counter. Exit pub through main door. Trips outside on pavement and the cussing continues…

29. @Paul in Hollwood

    Yep…continues with the Newcastle taxi driver…these duckers couldn’t find their way out of a paper bag (should include more extremities). All I asked for was to go to ruddy Kent.

30. A duckin hole in the head that guy…

31. Long live St. James’ Park!!!!…..in the underground…..even if the players have Sports Direct emblazoned all over their shirts in a month’s time, we will absorb the embarrassment, turn our heads, sing at the top of our voices, pretend nothing is happening and send the chavs to speak to Sky Sports and all will be well; rough will become calm; and all Sports Direct share owners will be sexually satisfying themselves in their armchairs.

32. Oh, my ducking Budda…

33. must admit man city even the fans seem soulless.

    but i cant help but think it would have been different if it were us. Geordie aren’t soulless and Geordies deserve some happiness.

    have we touched a nerve with mike or lamearse? i mean what have we done as an area to have him treat us like this?
    does he think all his actions are forgivable when he says so or apologizes? forgiveness comes in time. and i don’t think i could forgive.
    sorry but mike and lamearse cant expect us to forgive because mike allegedly stopped us going under. bullshit. financially we would have survived. just because mike didn’t like the club being in £150 million debt doesn’t mean any other football club owner would not have expected it to be and wouldn’t have been able to cope with it, unlike mike whose head seemed to be all over the place with his obsession of having all the cash flow in his own control.
    any experienced football club owner would have thought nothing of it, but mike and lamearse need control and a someone to blame, or the sympathy vote. well boo woo, poor mike having to spend more than he thought.

    i’m with you jimsol i would rather be 15th than have the Sports Direct arena crusading across the Newcastle horizon.

    but either way i get the feeling it will all come crashing down, 3rd wont be where we finish. who knows we might even finish 15th and have the sports direct arena to boot.

34. @Steven C

    if Delboy’s comments are anything to go by ‘boot’ is the operative word: “replacements in the summer” can only mean one thing, surely.

35. i mentioned that the other day also.

    “we need a new striker and replacements in the summer” does that mean he will sell in January and wait until the summer or wait until the summer?

    who will we need replaced? and why cant we replace them with the cash we gain.

    forgot wrong club, wrong mentality for that type of thing.

36. Hey, Worky, Hugh, Clint, Hitler (shit typo), what do you think about the statement regarding ‘replacements’ this summer from ‘the man’. Smith and Perch or Cabaye and Tiote?

    Love the blogs guys/ladies; keep it up.

37. By the way, I’m stuck in China so I really appreciate your write ups. Cheers fellas.

38. Godwins Law

39. Stuck in china?

    could be worse, you could be stuck in Newcastle and feel completely helpless.

    what you doing in china?

40. @steven C

    I think the direction of finance and business orientation needs to be squarely addressed, but seeing as though corporations rule governments these days, it’s hard to see anyone confront Ashley on his business dealings, never-mind the name of one of the largest football institutions in England. Sad. If anyone thinks that guy is going to invest any more than he really has to into Newcastle Utd, then they must be dreaming.

41. Supermac says:

    November 13, 2011 at 12:47 pm

    “worky – tell me this is not you “playing away” on transfertavern –
    wurkeyticket says:Date: November 13th, 2011 at 12:20 pm
    have to admit, that Derek Llambias has got class!!!! HWTL!!!!”

    No that wasn’t me Supermac.

42. So why was this not published at the time?

43. some of the stuff he said was true,about shearer being arrogant,he is by all accounts a total prick,is “mr shearer”.

    keegone does spit the dummy too much,but put this club on the map,and people should never forget that.
    but it does show fatboy was only here for a quick profit,regardless of what the “ashleyites” have said.

    if that fat piece of s**t ashley,intends on hanging around for the forseeable,then he should himself a massive favour,and sack decka lamearse.
    during this shambles of a tenure of his,this little toerag has done more damage to his reputation and standing,than anyone else ever could.
    he has been involved in every sworded episode,that has occured,since he took over as chairman.
    i cannot for the life of me,see what ashley sees in this liability,because that’s what he is.
    his standing with the fans was okay,until he turned up.

    i have kept my own council since the start of the season,and not got carried away,because i was waiting for the next bombshell to come.
    like hugh mentioned on one of his articles last week,he said what little suprises would ashley have waiting for us,and this week he has supassed my expectations,with his disasterous naming rights fiasco.
    so the council will not change the signs around newcastle,what a berk ashley is,his ego trip,has led to another shot in the foot.
    imagine if we got into europe,and a visting team couldn’t find the stadium,and went to one of his shops instead,then again the greedy cnut would still turn it into a money spinner.

    i dont think this club can ever move forward under these pair of lard heads,it is always going to be one thing after another.
    they are so out of touch with the fans,the heritage etc,to be honest they are no different,to the corporate fascists we have in positions of power,they are very much of this time i’m afraid.

44. @ Stephen C

    sorry ‘stuck’ was maybe the wrong word. The Chinese are a good race of people. Actually–sorry for being off the topic–my children were born here, and even though the Chinese won’t allow them to become citizens, they have been a whole lot more helpful than anybody in the British Embassy who continually give me shit about my wife’s and children’s status. Again, it’s all about the media you hear; if you listen to TalkSport you’d be burning St. James’ Park to the ground at the minute; if you were a Scum fan you’d be lapping it all up like a bowl of vegetarian gravy–well I would anyway.

45. TROJAN

    Agree. One thing after another–carrot and the horse spring to mind.

46. A horse that doesn’t like carrots.

47. jimisol says:

    November 13, 2011 at 4:11 pm

    “Hey, Worky, Hugh, Clint, Hitler (shit typo), what do you think about the statement regarding ‘replacements’ this summer from ‘the man’. Smith and Perch or Cabaye and Tiote?

    Love the blogs guys/ladies; keep it up.”

    Divven’t knaa for sure jimisol.

    Harper wants to get out, and Lovenkrands. I daresay that Ranger’s persona non grata, there’s alot of bairns who’s contracts are coming up. Smith and Guthrie’s contract expires in the Summer. I divven’t knaa.

48. the thing i find funniest of all,is how the hell did he get away with sitting in a bar,in NEWCASTLE spouting his patter?
    it’s a wonder he wasn’t knocked off his bar stool and given a sound kicking.
    the fan who taped him must have had the patience of a saint,i would have just knocked him out lol.

49. TROJAN RECORDS 73 says:

    “the fan who taped him must have had the patience of a saint,i would have just knocked him out”

    That thought occurred to me too Trojan especially after the alleged “roughing up” he got at Darlington earlier in pre season !

    If I was out in town and saw him, even crossing the road, I’d let him know what I thought and hope he’d retaliate :)

50. Whether it is or is not true that Keegan (done better in the PL than say, Moyes or Redknapp) or Shearer were “crap managers” is irrelevant and doesn’t make any points for DL. I can’t believe I’m actually reading this being rationalized.

    This is how this classless crony actually feels about NUFC. Derek Llambias has no class: not assertion but FACT. And how this doesn’t get a managing director sacked is beyond me.

51. From a Liverpool fan I have to say you guys deserve much better than the low lifes that run your great club.

    Newcastle have been a breath of fresh air in the PL this season and yet again one of your own does their best to throw a spanner in the works and have Newcastle in the press for all the wrong reasons.

    Hopefully thats Llambias’s Newcastle career over but with Ashley in control I doubt it.

52. TROJAN RECORDS 73 says:

    November 13, 2011 at 4:53 pm

    “the thing i find funniest of all,is how the hell did he get away with sitting in a bar,in NEWCASTLE spouting his patter?”

    Trojan, what I find funniest of all is that in this digital age where many smartphones have voice recorders, this idiot didn’t think that his words would be recorded and passed straight on to the media.

    He really is incredibly stupid and out of his depth as a Managing Director of a high profile club like Newcastle United, but deep down, I think that he actually wanted this to get out. He’s a very bitter man with a chip on his shoulder. He must know that he is reviled throughout the football world, a world where people such as Shearer, Keegan, Dalglish and Hughton are respected and admired for genuine achivement, whereas he is seen as just a nasty little outsider. In a childish fit of pique, with the help of a little alcohol, he wanted to have his say.

53. I always thought and was reported at the time that the Arabs were trying to buy us,but Cashley would only sell 50% of the club and they wanted to buy it 100% lock stock and barrel,why would Cashley not sell,listen to the words of SJH,he always has stated Cashley bought us to advertise his tacky t-shirt sweat shops to a global audiance,and now the hallowed turf is ASDA(Ashleys sports direct arena),as for the fan or fans who were recording Owl heed,i would not have been recording the sniffling little arse licking shite,i would be getting prepared to start my 20 year jail sentance.

54. juan says:

    November 13, 2011 at 6:10 pm

    “From a Liverpool fan I have to say you guys deserve much better than the low lifes that run your great club…

    Hopefully thats Llambias’s Newcastle career over but with Ashley in control I doubt it.”

    Thanks Juan, you’re probably right about Ashley not getting rid of him because he needs someone who’s as dishonest and as double dealing as he is to do his bidding. Then again, he been so stupid and indiscreet he’s actually starting to become a liabiulty for Ashley if that’s possible. Ashley’s also quite unpredictable too.

    You must be very glad to be rid of that pair of arrogant shysters who were running your club until recently. Congratultions on that.

55. barton12 says:

    November 13, 2011 at 6:30 pm(Edit)

    “and now the hallowed turf is ASDA(Ashleys sports direct arena),”

    Barton, At least “ASDA” sounds much more classy than “Sports Direct” :-)

56. Stephen C@23 & Jimson@25
    The OTT comments I was refering to were –
    i very much doubt he would have made his first million honestly or respectfully.
    i cant help feeling this aggressive approach would have resulted in some poor sports shop owner back in the day having his legs broken by one of Ashley hence men.
    no wander so little people like him if he employs thugs to do a job.

    everything else is your opinion & you are entitled to it – and where it is true I wouldn’t argue too much with you.
    But on the other hand regarding the specific events concerning Keegan, Shearer & Liverpool I wouldn’t argue too much with him either.

    Except one point – his version of events of the AC sale does not tally with the report at the time that they only agreed to sell AC when he submitted a last minute written request – and was thus made out to be the Judas who tipped their hand when it was too late to get a replacement.
    If this is true then the sale was not the suprise claimed at the time and they should have had time to find a replacement if they wanted to!
    Also AC was only a pawn in the game – not the villain he has been made out to be!

57. worky,that more or less sums llambias up to a tee tbh.
    he’s a lttle toerag who has hung around from day one,looking for a slice of the action.
    in the early days of ashley’s tenure,he was always visible in ashley’s little entourage,at the games.
    it looks like he’s stuck in there,and done his fair share of a**e crawling,until he got a job.
    unluckily for us,his todying has landed him the top job,of which he has no business doing.

    i just hope for once ashley will see sense and get rid of him,he probably wont though.

58. http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/7307223/Maiga-waiting-on-move

    Quote
    Sochaux striker Modibo Maiga has confirmed that he is hoping to finalise his move to Newcastle as soon as possible.

    The Magpies first made a move to sign Maiga in the summer, but Sochaux fought off their interest.

    The French club were unhappy at the time, as Maiga himself also acted with anger after seeing the move fail to materialise.

    But Sochaux have since held talks with Newcastle and a deal is widely understood to have been struck.

    Maiga refused to confirm the deal was finalised but admitted he was hoping it would soon be done.

    When asked about the move to Newcastle, the Mali international told Footafrica365: “I do not know, we’ll see.

    “Next what is clear is that all players dream of playing for a club like that and I hope it will happen, either this winter or in the summer

    “There are no more problems with Sochaux, everything is back to normal.”

59. Just when you think the club has turned a corner this happens when these idiots should be explaining things to the fans they dont then mouth off like this. Been a supporter for 36 years with this club a lot of lows and a few highs so why should this next fiasco bother me.

60. Stephen C
    You gonna continue making every comment, a mini War and Peace,
    Can you attempt to say it in fewer words, please !

    Soh! Llambias, who exactly is this clown? yeah i know Ashley found him in a casino somewhere, but what is his expertise, odds making ? Mouth piece, come yes man?
    Actually i was surprised to hear him admitt, he was the hatchet man that was responsible for firing Hughton and had the nerve to admitt it was because of his evaluation of him.
    Hey ! heres a jerk who knows f**k all about football making assertions and evaluating people who have been part of the game all their lives.
    Obviously he had a few too many, which loosened his tongue and revealed what a jerk he really is and it’s also obvious, he has little respect for either the club or it’s fans, which of course he was’nt drunk enough to put down, along with everyone else.
    In other circles people have been fired for less, is it any reaso the guy is generally detested?

61. sandybaz – wait until you reach 55 years (55 cup final, watched on TV) then all those useless owners, directors & crap players merge in to a dull grey mist penetrated by a rare bright beam of light – like now, 3rd in the greatest league in the bloody world!
    And are we savouring it – nah, we’re still whinging about thing we have no say in or control over. So enjoy it while it lasts Sanaybaz mate – I am!

    HWTL

62. Its like one big asylum where all us inmates think any of the nurses or guards give a damn what we say or think
    – they are happy up there in their world
    – while we down here wallow in our paranoia convinced it’s all a conspiracy with them picking on us and torturing us for their fun, but in fact they don’t notice us, think about us or give a damn about us.

    Not just club owners – factory owners, polititians, bankers, lawyers, doctors, your boss !

    gowd, a weekend without football is enough to drive anyone round the bend!

63. Supermac says:

    November 13, 2011 at 7:01 pm

    “Except one point – his version of events of the AC sale does not tally with the report at the time that they only agreed to sell AC when he submitted a last minute written request – and was thus made out to be the Judas who tipped their hand when it was too late to get a replacement.
    If this is true then the sale was not the suprise claimed at the time and they should have had time to find a replacement if they wanted to!
    Also AC was only a pawn in the game – not the villain he has been made out to be!”

    And Pardew backed him up on it too Supermac, which as I wrote at the time was the real reason that Hughton was fired and Pardew was brought in. Hughton was far too honest and straightforward for them, and when they said they needed someone who was more “experienced” they meant it in the sense of “double dealing back stabber” rather than in any football sense.

64. supermac
    my words were ” i cant help but feel” i was careful with my words

    i was making a personal statement on my feelings of the aggressive approach of Lamearse and Cashley and where it could have historically been linked too.

    if i was making unfounded allegations i would have used different wording. if you read it again it is clear that it is my opinion and feelings on the attitude they have and i’m not directly stating they have commited such acts other than it would not surprise me if they had.

    and chuck if you look through the blog today i have reduced my ramblings to three scrolls of the mouse.