A scathing attack on Ashley.Like Joey Barton before him, it seems that Jose Enrique is using the social networking site Twitter to express his disdain at the club and appears to be finally acknowledging to the fans, and the club, that he wants a move – or at least a huge improvement in policy at NUFC.
Speaking on Twitter today, Jose Enrique indirectly lambasted the club’s owner Mike Ashley and the clubs transfer policy. Some of you may recall Pardew being unhappy with the Spaniard’s conduct on Twitter after announcing to fans he would not be taking part in the upcoming game against Spurs and his deletion of his Twitter account but it seems Jose has decided to reopen and this account has been confirmed by both Wayne Routledge and our fake account killer Danny Simpson.
Mike Ashley has been well known to be an admirer of the Arsenal model, bringing young players in cheap via extensive scouting networks and love of the French market which for a club that is recently promoted is a high risk, high payout gamble but if we get something wrong, we may very well be up the Tyne without a paddle. (more…)
Hmmm thinking.As lethal in front of goal as an African lion is to hunting down it’s prey, Newcastle United striker Shola Ameobi has recently been quoted on next seasons expectations at St James’ Park.
I’m not entirely sure who was conducting the interview, but I came across it via the ‘BBC sport’ website. Our number 23 had this to say:
“We know it’s always more difficult the second season after you’ve been promoted.
“I think first and foremost we have to stay in the league.”
I think that is a fair enough point, I’m sure all of us would prefer Newcastle staying in the Premier League come the end of next season. The ‘second season syndrome’ is a fear in which I am relatively afraid of, Birmingham being the most recent examples of a strong first season, followed by a not so brilliant second season (although they actually won something).
Shola also commented:
“I think it’s good to build a base before you push on and hopefully we can do that with a good finish mid-table next season.”(more…)
Pardew speakethNewcastle United manager Alan Pardew does not expect much in the way of transfer activity while the squad is away in the United States for its pre-season friendlies.
Any transfer expectations we Toon fans have can be put on hold for a few weeks until the squad returns from its US tour and we get into the first week of August. Pardew said:
“I think that a lot of business will happen but not just yet.
“There are a lot of teams away at the moment on tour like ourselves. And I don’t think anything will happen while we are away.
“Like at every club, there are things going on behind the scenes. I think, though, that the first week in August may see a bit of a flurry in transfer activity.
“There are also some players that will be moved on and that will also affect things.” (more…)
C'mon Mike - what's the deal?What is Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley up to and is it time for him to let us in on his plans?
Mike Ashley still divides opinion at Newcastle. Some people like him and think he’s good for the club and others hate him and would have him hogtied, marched to the Bigg Market and placed in the stocks to be pelted with projectiles of choice. Then there are plenty of shades of grey in the middle of that – people who either think some of his ideas are bad and some are okay, or folk that are deferring opinion for now.
One thing Ashley rarely is, though, is predictable. Who, at the beginning of Ashley’s term of office, would have predicted he’d usher in the return of Keegan, precipitate Keegan’s unfair dismissal, put the club up for sale twice, receive accusations of being both cockney and Mafioso, appoint Chris Hughton as manager, sack Chris Hughton for no obvious reason, appoint Alan Shearer as manager, dig up Alan Pardew and make him manager, replace Chris Mort with a man of the owlish persuasion, oversee the team’s relegation, oversee the team’s subsequent promotion, rename St James’ Park to an email address and the plethora of other things he does that keep us guessing?
He’s certainly caused a fair bit of unrest in his time and I understand the sales of bedsheets in Tyneside shops have never been better. (more…)
Newcastle United's transfer warchest yesterday.On looking at Mike Ashley’s transfer spending in the last four seasons, it appears that in total, the club’s overall spending on transfer fees have been by far the lowest in the Premiership, with the club showing a profit of approximately £45,700,000 in the club’s transfer dealings for the 08/09, 09/10, 10/11 and the current 2011/12 seasons (so far).
Just to qualify the above, this figure does not include a series of diasastrous signings made under the previous regime of Freddy Shepherd, Douglas Hall and Sam Allardyce, some of which, though technically finalised shortly after Ashley gained control of the club, but were made under the previous administration. These include players such as Geremi, Alan Smith and Cacapa. However, if all the signings made in that season were included whether they were made under Ashley or the previous owners, spending would still show a deficit of approximately -£41.05 million from the the 07/08 season to the present day, as the clubs spending in that season amounted to approximately £7.65 million. It should also be mentioned that the club’s overall wage costs have also fallen dramatically since Ashley assumed ownership of the club, though in defence of this seeming lack of expenditure on the club’s playing staff, a Mr A.Pardew had this to say on the club’s transfer dealings: (more…)
