Rob Lee - back in the dayOn what is an extremely slow news day so far, I managed to find an article in City AM about Rob Lee’s new role as an investment guru for sportsmen and other high net-worth individuals.
Lee does make a few comments about the current Toon situation though and when asked if Ashley was just throwing up a smokescreen by keeping Shearer hanging on for the manager’s job, he says:
“Yes, yes. If you put Alan Shearer in charge he is going to want to improve the club, and he is going to want money. I think the cheaper way is what [Ashley] is doing. By not appointing Alan he hasn’t got to spend any more money.”
I think many people have suspected as much anyway. Just after relegation Ashley described the appointment of Shearer as ‘the best decision he ever made’ but that was when he was planning to hold onto the club and rebuild it. Of course, now that he’s decided to sell it he won’t want to spend any more money on it than he has to.
I don’t necessarily mean that latter statement as a criticism. It stands to reason that if you’re selling something you’ll only spend what’s necessary to secure the sale and long-term investment is pointless. Although if you’re struggling to sell you might have to reconsider matters. (more…)
Thumbs-up for MoatThe Telegraph is claiming that talks between the club and Barry Moat are scheduled and that a deal could be agreed imminently. The key word in that sentence is ‘could‘ though, so let’s wait and see how it actually turns out.
The Telegraph’s claims do seem at odds with Keith Harris’s last statement on matters, which seemed to indicate that no deal was ‘imminent’ and that things would just bubble along until Chrismas or beyond.
Ashley did of course extend the deadline to give Moat more time to put the deal together and it seems to me that this deal is the only one with any chance at all of succeeding. But those chances seemed remote at best as Moat was reported to be struggling to meet Ashley’s £100m price and sort out the overdraft with Barclays.
However, let’s not forget that all this talk of Moat’s financial inadequacy has arisen from press speculation with very few quotes from anyone who might actually be in the know. Having said that, the current article in The Telegraph is the same in that respect. (more…)
Toon v Leicester - MondayMonday evening sees The Blue Army of newly promoted Leicester City pay their first visit to St James Park since 2004. Having tasted life in Division one, they were promoted as champions at the end of last season and are now enjoying life in the championship.
Ex-Toon caretaker boss, Nigel Pearson, now the man in charge of the Foxes, has ensured a good start to the season where they remain undefeated in their first four championship matches. If they win tomorrow they will go top,giving them something extra to play for.
With Shola already ruled out with a foot injury,another local lad from Byker, ex-toon season ticket holder and Newcastle mad Leicester City striker Steve Howard is desperate to play in tomorrow night’s clash at St James Park. It looks as if his prayers will be answered as he is likely to be passed fit following a recent hamstring injury.
Leicester are hoping to play their on loan left back, Ryan McGivern, a seemingly talented lad signed on Friday from Man City, where he struggled due to the competition for places. A couple of other new faces, Yann Kermorgant and Paul Gallagher, two loan signings in the past week, will also be in contention to join striker Matty Fryatt who has scored three goals this season. (more…)
Star-spangled Toon.According to The Mirror, Alan Shearer is the fairest of them all.
Or at least that will be the case if the Sheard-fronted American bid is successful.
The Mirror claims the consortium is close to signing a deal, although forgive me for not getting all excited but we’ve heard this sort of stuff before and it has so far come to nothing.
Apparently these Yanks have a background in the American sports industry and have the funds to pay Ashley’s £100m asking price, build and market the club and sign players.
A source close to the bid (yawn) said:
“This bid is both serious and credible. The difference between this and other bids is that the funding is there to buy the club if agreement can be reached on other financial areas such as the club’s £39million overdraft.
“Ideally, the consortium would have liked the business completed before the transfer deadline closed but they are serious about buying the club and won’t rush.
“Talks are under way and Mike Ashley’s original asking price shouldn’t be an issue. But it will take time and because of all the other disappointments the Americans have to play their cards close to their chests.” (more…)
Waiting for another bite at the cherry?It’s a debate that’s raged for months but I thought I’d raise it again simply because the end may be nigh, one way or another. Who wants Alan Shearer at the helm? All in favour, say wheyaye. OK, a little more serious then, why is there even a debate?
I’m reasonably certain an overwhelming majority would have been either fully in favour or at least apathetic to his permanent appointment before his brief and ill-fated sojourn into the managerial hot-seat. So partly the reason more supporters are against the idea is due to the fact that Big Al fairly spectacularly failed to save us from the drop. What portion of blame you attribute to him is also very debatable, though to my mind he’s pretty blameless.
However, there’s no getting away from the facts, he failed to do what many hoped and secretly believed he might do. That was to re-unite the dressing room and galvanise this stricken club. Alas, despite his monumental presence on the field during his playing career, Shearer wasn’t able to transfer his influence on the dressing room sufficiently to prevent the inevitable slide.
Supporters on the flip side of the coin will take umbrage at that view and will point to the very word ‘inevitable’. They would argue that nothing and nobody could have prevented our demise once we hit the final straight and that our place in The Championship was booked long before Big Al was given the opportunity to try and turn it all around. So are these people blinded by regionalist bias and a weird penchant for the messianic? Is he really only the right man for the job because he’s ‘one of us’? (more…)
