Mike Ashley: Shrewd? Or just plain lucky?I think I am more upset that I’m not as upset as the majority of fans are about the nasty re branding of St James Park.
I was surprised to see the new name as I thought it was going to be blah blah blah @ St James Park, but we all knew this was on the cards and I’m afraid it’s a fact of modern day business winning over football tradition.
Unfortunately the stadium rights are there to be sold and its now a complete package that basically says your name on the roofs, on the inside, on the outside and on the name for the right price (I’m so pleased Ashley doesn’t own Kit Kat as well!) I am gutted but that dominant, mighty fortress and jewel in the Geordie crown will always be St James’s Park to me and I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking this.
What interests me more is that this seems like Mike Ashley has thought about what hes doing first and finally has a strategy in place for Newcastle United football club. Most entrepreneur’s like him are years in advance when it comes to business strategy and with the timing and leaking of this with things the way they are makes sense as it will probably all have died down come the Manchester City game? It also asks the question do we have a long term plan in place, ie buying cheap players with something to prove, no big contracts, selling players at the right time etc… (more…)
Nile Ranger: A reformed character on the comeback trail?The somewhat unexpected inclusion of Nile Ranger for Newcastle United’s ill fated League Cup encounter with Blackburn signals something a second chance for the young striker.
Although he is still way back in the pecking order, with Alan Pardew suggesting in a phone in on BBC Radio Newcastle’s “Total Sport” that even 19 year Sammy Ameobi has overtaken Ranger in the manager’s thoughts, he’s now back training with the first team and that’s a start. It’s cerrtainly something of an improvement on the previous situation, where he found himself completely out in the wilderness with the club simply itching to offload the recently troublesome young gangster striker permannently at the earliest available opportunity.
Whilst there could be several reasons for the club’s change of heart on Ranger, reasons such as the forthcoming loss of Demba Ba, and possibly Shola Ameobi to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, a rumoured improvement in his attitude in training, a recent impressive performace for the Reserves against Liverpool where he scored two goals, or possbly a lack of interest in a permanent £1 million move from other clubs due to his reputation preceding him, he still has some way to go to make up for lost ground. The question I will be asking in this piece, or specifically, the poll below, is can he make it? (more…)
Ben Arfa: Ready for a starting place?Hatem Ben Arfa has had a somewhat unfortunate time on Tyneside thus far, but with his injuries now hopefully behind him, will we see him make his first Premier League start this weekend against Wigan Athletic?
You may remember the 3rd of October 2010, when a psychopathic Nigel De Jong decided to attempt a ‘tackle’ on our French-Tunisian play-maker, resulting in Ben Arfa sustaining two breaks in his right leg (tibia and fibula). The road to recovery was long, and despite Alan Pardew’s hope of Ben Arfa returning before the seasons end. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see him in action again that season.
Pre-season began prior to the 2011 – 2012 season, and Ben Arfa played in our first friendly, a 2-0 victory at Doncaster. Ben Arfa lined up as one of a midfield five, playing just behind loan striker Leon Best in a 4-3-2-1 formation. As United began their tour of the U.S.A, many of us must have thought it would be the perfect opportunity for Hatem to settle back down into the first eleven. Unfortunately again, he was victim of another injury, this time damaging his ankle in a match versus Sporting Kansas. (more…)
Captain Colocini: Level headed.He’s come a long way since he joined the ranks of Newcastle United as a £10.3M Centre Back under the control of Kevin Keegan.
It’s probably debateable whether Keegan even wanted him in, but I don’t remember there being too much dissent when he transferred.
We all knew of him through his days playing for Argentina, so we expected big things from him. His first season started really well, putting in some top class, assured performances, starting away at Man. U. in the league. It was clear that he’d be a great acquistion. But as that ‘ill fated’ season progressed, things started to go wrong ‘upstairs’ at the Toon, all of which well documented, so I won’t go there. Suffice to say, Keegan ended up leaving, the club went into turmoil, a series of caretaker managers presiding over the drop down to the Championship by the end of that chaotic season.
After the “deadwood” was shipped out, the players that stayed got their heads around plying their trade one league down. Some of our ‘better’ players hung around, when no doubt they could have moved on to top league clubs, Fabricio Coloccini being one of them. (more…)
Forgive him his sins?Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has certainly presided over a good start to this 2011/2012 season, but how – if at all – does this alter our opinion of the man?
We’re over a 5th of the way through the season and sitting proudly in 4th position in the Premier League. Somewhere along the line something has gone right.
Whilst it’s right that the owner of a football club has to take the ultimate responsibility for failure, it’s also right that he receives the plaudits when things go well. So for getting us into 4th place at this juncture I have to say well done to Mike Ashley. It’s well done to the manager and the players too, but the over all architect is Ashley, so he should get the bulk of the kudos for things just as he received the bulk of the tongue-lashing when he got us relegated.
But hold your horses Hughy, I hear you saying, we’re only 7 games in, have arguably played ‘easier’ teams and a lot can wrong. True enough and then I’ll no doubt be back to stick the boot in with everyone else if it all goes pear-shaped. (more…)
