I think the signing of a new player, albeit only on a four and a half month loan, marks a bit of a turning point in the club sale saga. I suspect what it means is that Ashley is more or less resigned to failure (again) in his attempts to sell the club and is preparing to remain as owner until at least January.
I’m guessing we’ll see a new manager appointed shortly, probably Joe Kinnear if he’s fit enough. I just can’t see too many other managers being interested in working under Ashley with an extremely tight budget and with a short-term outlook on things. Red Adair would be a good choice.
As to the players that have gone, the list currently numbers nine – Owen, Viduka, Cacapa, Lovenkrands, Edgar, Nacho, Martins, Bassong, Beye – and if Duff and Steven Taylor leave too that’ll be eleven players who’ve gone and one who’s been brought in.
Personally, I’d rather we’d kept Steven Taylor, Duff, Bassong and Beye and got rid of Coloccini, Barton, Nolan and Ryan Taylor, although some or all from that latter group may yet depart. I know Barton’s not a bad player and should shine in the Championship but, sorry, I just think he’ll screw up again – either on or off the pitch – and as far as I’m concerned he’s too much of a risk. As to Coloccini, well, he simply hasn’t done it for us and I would love to see us get a decent fee for him and send him on his way (by invisible bicycle maybe). (more…)
Number one super guyPoor old Chris Hughton deserves a fair bit of credit for quietly taking over a job he doesn’t want and just getting on with it.
Ashley’s dumped him in it a few times now but Hughton simply remains unruffled, appearing to treat his frequent calls to stand-in as manager of one the most media-exposed teams in the country with no more alarm than he’d treat a hole in his sock.
According to The Chronicle, Hughton had this to say about the club sale saga at the club’s Benton training ground:
“I think the sooner there is a line drawn on the situation the better for everybody.
“I think that’s what everybody wants.”
That’s about as close as he gets to a complaint. If the man was any more relaxed he’d be horizontal. He puts me in mind of Hong Kong Phooey actually, although that’s probably more to do with my insane, laterally-articulated brain than anything else. (more…)
Newcastle draw Huddersfield in the Carling CupNewcastle have a home draw against League One’s Huddersfield in the second round of the Carling Cup.
Huddersfield are currently managed by Geordie Lee ‘Jigsaw’ Clark who played for us between 1990-1997 and 2005-2007, the latter period including time as first team coach and reserve team manager under Glen Roeder.
I don’t think it’s fair to once again mention the ‘Sad Mackem Bastards’ T-shirt Lee Clark wore to the 1999 FA Cup final whilst he was a Sunderland player, so I won’t.
According to The Chronicle, Mike Ashley and Barry Moat are both due at a dinner in aid of The Newcastle United Foundation at St James’s Park on Saturday, although they’re apparently forbidden to discuss anything to do with Moat’s alleged bid for the club (why?).
What's gannin on Mike?Still nothing on the takeover and some reports have indicated that Ashley has not set a deadline for completion, although I think it’s reasonable to assume that some sort of deadline will eventually be set to allow him time to do some work on the transfer market if he has to keep the club.
As we know, the press often claim to have ‘sources’ giving them the inside story on these things, but there seem to be lots of contradictory opinions about this takeover and I doubt the validity of these ‘sources’ even more than usual given the strict non-disclosure agreements signed by Ashley and the bidders.
For example, depending upon what you read, Barry Moat is either the only bidder with a hope of taking over Newcastle United or he’s way out of the running and instead two unnamed bidders are much more in contention.
As to the manager situation, for all we know a lot of that could be a ploy by Ashley to make it look like he’s serious about staying on if necessary, sending a message to potential bidders that they’d better not wait until the last minute in the hope that he’ll lose his nerve and accept a low bid.
Then again, he certainly will need a manager if he doesn’t sell, so sounding out various managers is no bad idea anyway.
What I’m really saying is that I think a lot of what the press are writing is a load of old toot and we may as well just wait for something official. (more…)
Jonas pleads for exitThe Daily Mail is reporting that Barry Moat must find another £10m for his offer if he wants to buy Newcastle United after Ashley is said to be ‘insulted’ by his current offer. Let’s have a whip round.
The Guardian speculates that Moat is making his bid with backing from local nightclub owner Allan Rankin, rather than the previously speculated ‘American Backers’, and that the two have set up a new company called Tandem Bars specifically for the purposes of acquiring the club.
The vacant manager’s position gets some exposure with The Shields Gazette claiming that four managers have been short-listed by Ashley, should he keep the club. They claim those managers are David O’Leary, Gordon Strachan, Alan Curbishley and some unnamed ‘overseas manager’.
The Telegraph goes one better and claims five managers have been short-listed although it doesn’t name any others beyond the three listed by The Shields Gazette. Any advance on five? Surely one of the papers could manage six. (more…)
