Archive for category: Former players.

What must Debuchy and Cabaye think about this Anita deal?

August 16th, 2012 | 129 Comments |

Vurnon Anita.
It's that man again, but what about Debuchy (and Cabaye)?
So it has come from the horse’s mouth, well, Vurnon Anita’s mouth anyway, that Ajax and Newcastle United have agreed a fee of around €8.5 million, or around £6.7 million plus bonuses for Vurnon Anita.

A medical supposedly happened yesterday, though there doesn’t seem to be any definitive news as I write this on personal terms being thrashed out, or the Silver Supremo summit meeting requested by Anita, where he was looking for reassurances from Pardew about the nature of his role within the squad.

But what is going so right here that didn’t go so right with the Debuchy affair? And what must Debuchy himself, not to mention Yohan Cabaye, and even Danny Simpson think about it?

I must admit that I have written my fair share of criticism about the way Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias have gone about their business in some negotiations, and I still stand by it. However, credit where credit is due, it must be said that £6.7 million plus bonuses seems to be a fair and equitable fee for both sides in this case and they seem to have got their man. However, this isn’t to say that all being well, it shouldn’t be an excellent investment for Newcastle in the long term for a highly talented young player who’s value should appreciate further over time. (more…)


Liverpool turn down Ashley’s Carroll offer

July 15th, 2012 | 40 Comments |

Andy Carroll.
It's that man again!
As an addendum to our previous story on Sky Sports North East correspondent, David Craig, reporting that Newcastle United had made a bid to sign Andy Carroll on loan with an option to buy later, the same Sky Sports are now reporting that Liverpool have turned the offer down.

The station reported that Liverpool are only looking to sell the player, and will not coutenance a loan deal for the former Newcastle striker. This is hardly surprising after all the water which has passed under the bridge since the player departed for Merseyside in Mike Ashley’s helicopter gunship back in January, 2011. This includes the drunken rant of Newcastle United’s Managing Director, Derek Llambias, where he bragged of what fools Ashley had made of the Mersyside club when they somehow managed to extract a fee of up to £35 million, and even extracted a further £20,000 of interest for a slightly late payment on the record breaking fee. (more…)


Newcastle United have now bid to sign Carroll on loan says David Craig

July 15th, 2012 | 39 Comments |

Andy Carroll.
Return of the prodigal son?
Sky Sports North East reporter, David Craig, is reporting that Newcastle united are indeed trying to sign Andy Carroll on on a season long loan, and have “submitted a bid” with a view to making the deal permanent in the fullness of time.

As to whether Newcastle United would be willing to pay the same kind of fee Liverpool paid when they signed him from Newcastle back in January 2011 if they wanted to make the signing permanent he didn’t say. Also, he said nothing about whether Liverpool would be responsive to such a move, so this is by no means certain.

It would be a considerable loss of face for Liverpool, who paid as Newcastle United as much as £35 million for the player, especially so after Newcastle United’s Managing Director, Derek Llambias, tried to humiliate the Meyseyside club in a drunken gastropub rant on Tyneside which was recorded by Toon fans and published in the media. (more…)


Graham Carr – He’s not the messiah…

June 15th, 2012 | 45 Comments |

Graham Carr - Newcastle United..
Graham Carr: A harder road ahead?
You may have noticed that Newcastle United’s chief scout, Graham Carr, was very much in the news recently, and much of this was centered around him being given an eight year contract by the club’s managing director, Derek Llambias.

Usually, when a club renews an agreement with it’s chief scout, it hardly gets a great mention. However at the new Newcastle United rounds of interviews were arranged by the club’s press department, it “trended” on Twitter and was even covered in the national press. It was as if the club had renewed the contract of it’s manager. So what was behind this?

Graham Carr is now 67, with a long career in both coaching and scouting behind him, including scouting at other large, high profile clubs such as Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. So why now, in the autumn of his career, is he attracting so much attention? what is it that has made him emerge like a Butterfly from a Chrysalis on Tyneside? (more…)


Magical Magpie Memories: The 80s Part Two – Coming Full Circle.

February 12th, 2012 | 16 Comments |

“Jossys Giants” visit Bobby Charlton and Willie McFaul at St James’ Park – 1985.

Aye Bobby Charlton, not Jackie Charlton who had left the club as manager in the huff over player sales and such before McFaul stepped in and faced the same old problem.

After introducing the Jossy’s lads to McFaul the ex Northern Ireland goalie, Bobby then takes them through the bowels of the old St James Park, the old away dressing room with the old plunge bath, the old physio room and so on. A magical trip down Magpie memory lane. As you can see, Bobby’s no Al Pacino when it comes to acting; then again, he could probably teach Pacino a thing or two on playing against the likes of Eusebio and Beckenbauer! (more…)