Why the idea of Carroll coming back to Newcastle would be absurd
Posted on January 13th, 2012 | 11 Comments |
Firstly the figure of £20 million was bandied around by the media, then £15 million, then it even went as low as £10 million. However, whilst Derek Llambias, Mike Ashley and Alan Pardew are at the club, the chances of this happening must be slim to say the least.
For a start, there is such a thing as pride in business sometimes and Liverpool are still a proud club. They will hardly feel inclined to do Newcastle United any favours after Derek Llambias’ ill advised revelations in a Newcastle gastro pub. Just to remind you, when asked by a fan if Carroll was worth £30 million, the potty mouthed M.D. replied:
“No – he’s worth f*** all.”
Then, bragging how he and Mike Ashley took “control” of the hapless Merseyside club, who had just sold Fernando Torres for a record breaking £50 million to Chelsea, he then added:
“It is about control. We had the control. We knew the Torres deal was there. We drew that f****** deal, perhaps the ultimate.”
On his response to Liverpool’s initial £30 million offer Llambias continued:
“So £30m? F*** off! Don’t waste my time and I slammed the phone down.
“£35m? Everybody including Pardew all agreed.
Then, detailing how he and Ashley turned the screw still further, he bragged on:
“But the £35m they wanted to pay over four years. It was rubbish. Mike (Ashley) said — and he is a brave boy Mike I promise you — get all the £35m up front.
“We got it all up front and then they never paid us on time and we charged them 12 grand f****** interest.”
Dear reader, I need hardly need to tell you that the powers that be at Anfield wouldn’t exactly have been delighted to read about themselves being humiliated like this in public by Llambias. Whatever Carroll’s situation at Liverpool, Ashley and Llambias are likely to be the last people they would turn to after that insult, and with the considerable financial backing of the American Fenway Sports Group, they are hardly that desperate either.
Looking at things from Carroll’s point of view, there is also a similar issue. If what Llambias said above is true, that would mean that both Llambias and Alan Pardew tried to mislead Newcastle United fans over the circumstances of his departure, they would have made a pariah of the Gateshead striker with false claims that it was he who forced the move and that their hands were tied because of this. This of course is what Carroll claimed just after the move. Under those circumstances, a rapprochement would be difficult to say the least.
Another factor is that Liverpool have had controversy of their own in recent times, with Carroll’s fellow striker at at the club, Luis Suarez, being banned for eight games for alleged racial abuse of Manchester United’s Patrice Evra. As well as this, Suarez has already served a one match ban recently for making an obscene gesture at a Fulham supporter. These bans have given Carroll a golden opportunity to step in and finally make his mark at Liverpool after what has been a difficult and injury plagued first year at the club.
Finally of course, Liverpool’s manager Kenny Dalglish, as well as Carroll’s representattives and Newcastle United themselves have all vehemently denied the rumours. Dalglish said after Liverpool’s recent League Cup defeat of Manchester City, a game which Carroll started:
“I’m worried about the people that invent them (the rumours),”
“It has absolutely no foundation whatsoever. I don’t need to justify what’s in the paper. That’s your (journalists) job. I have stood up – and always will stand up – for the players.
“You justify your profession and you justify the story.”
Of course, there have been other situations in the past where managers, agents and clubs have said things to the media only to make a complete reversal later, not least at Newcastle United in recent times over Carroll himself. However with all the other “baggage” in this affair, even in the crazy world of Newcastle United where practically anything can happen, it hardly seems likely in this case.
Even if Liverpool were willing to take a huge hit on Carroll’s original transfer fee, Newcastle United would almost certainly be one of the last clubs they would want to talk to.
Football’s a funny old game…