Llambias: Stiff defence.Newcastle United’s Managing Director, Derek Llambias has once again mounted a stiff defence of the club’s owner, Mike Ashley. He reiterated that the club has now moved well away from the ‘trophy’ signings of the Shepherd era, and more towards the development of younger talent. Llambias also raised the spectre of Portsmouth’s current financial situation as a warning once again, heavily hinting that Newcastle may have gone the similar way if the decadance of the Shepherd years were allowed to continue.
Of course, this isn’t the first time Llambias made comments on a this theme recently, and he he seems to be on some kind of ‘counter offensive’ on behalf of Mike Ashley, himself, and their current stewardship of Newcastle United. He elaborates further in this interview though, and he began by contrasting the old model with the new, saying:
“We have to take a realistic view. Hopefully we will be there (in the Premier League) and we will have to have a squad that will keep us there. But that needs to grow.”
Hinting at the decadence of the Shepherd years and many previous, poorly negotiated contracts for players, he went on: (more…)
(L to R): Hall, Routledge, Williamson, Best, SimpsonJanuary came and went for Newcastle United fans but not with the usual disappointment following zero investment. No, the 2010 January transfer window proved to be an opportunity when even Mike Ashley realised some financial speculation was the right thing to do, not least because it might see a return on his money. But this isn’t a debate about the owner or his intentions. This is a first glance review of the lads we brought in during the January transfer window and what I think of them so far.
It was clear to a lot of us that we needed recruitment in various areas and while some of the gaps were filled, we also got the surprise package of Wayne Routledge. Not all of the players met with universal glee and obviously the jury is out for all of them still. Each were signed for an ‘undisclosed fee’ which seems to be the order of the day in many modern transfers. So it’s difficult to conclude whether they’re value for money or not, but here goes anyway: (more…)
Brrrr...Derek Llambias, our much-maligned Managing Director, has been running his mouth off again and has revealed that Newcastle United are no longer for sale and claims fans are beginning to come around to owner Mike Ashley’s way of thinking.
It’s a somewhat surprise statement really as surely any hint of a sale was ended back in October when the club was taken off the market for a second time after again failing to find a buyer, but Derek Llambias believes Ashley is now beginning to show just how committed he is to the Newcastle cause.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, PR disaster Llambias had this to say about Ashley’s commitment to the team: (more…)
Part of the furniture?This week marks manager Chris Hughton’s two-year anniversary at The Toon, and I’m willing to bet that when the guy signed on at Newcastle that he couldn’t foresee what was just around the corner.
It has been easy to forget about Hughton amidst all the turmoil of the past 2 years but you have to give the guy credit for sticking around when many others wouldn’t.
In his two-year tenure as an employee at St James’ Park, Hughton has overseen:
– Working with Kevin Keegan who brought him to the club.
– The subsequent fallout from ‘Keegangate’ which resulted in him being placed in temporary charge amidst protests and fan boycotts.
– Working with Joe Kinnear.
– Being handed temporary charge again after Kinnear fell ill.
– Working with Alan Shearer and ultimately failing to keep the club in the Premier League.(more…)
Newcastle's defensive dream team at work.Whod’ve thunk it after our defensive problems of the past? With a goal conceeded only every 131 minutes on average, Newcastle United can now boast not only the joint best defensive record in the in the Championship (along with Paulo Sousa’s Swansea), but also the joint best defensive record in the country.
With an ex full back as manager, and an ex central defender as his assistant, it hardly surprising that defence is an area which has been tightened up somewhat, however for the Toon to now boast the meanest defence in the whole country is still something of an achievement.
Self effacing manager, Chris Hughton, who found it hard to believe that the Toon fans would be singing his praises initially in our last game, tried to pass most of the credit on to the players as usual, saying: (more…)
