Benitez and the ironic change of emphasis at topsy-turvy Toon
September 11th, 2016 | 8 Comments |
Archive for tag: Newcastle United transfer policy.
Is Ashley planning Udinese style selling club network at Newcastle, Rangers and Oldham?
October 16th, 2014 | 23 Comments |
To begin at the beginning though, let’s take a brief stroll down memory lane. In the aftermath of Kevin Keegan’s acrimonious departure from Newcastle United in 2008, an under fire Mike Ashley made a statement. In this, among other things, he attempted to outline what subsequently became known as his ‘Arsenal model‘ for the club. In Ashley’s own words:
“My plan and my strategy for Newcastle is different. It has to be. Arsenal is the shining example in England of a sustainable business model. It takes time. It can’t be done overnight. Newcastle has therefore set up an extensive scouting system. We look for young players, for players in foreign leagues who everyone does not know about. We try and stay ahead of the competition. We search high and low looking for value, for potential that we can bring on and for players who will allow Newcastle to compete at the very highest level but who don’t cost the earth.” (more…)
Bring On The Purples: Newcastle United’s Transfer Policy Explained
February 11th, 2013 | 126 Comments |
On massive wages and having already achieved something notable in their careers, they didn’t seem like they were hungry enough to care about the current club’s situation enough to save us from the drop. Going down to the championship a few years ago turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to the club in years as we found out who was there for the team and who was just there for the money and prestige.
The new policy of signing hungry players with lower reputations and wage demands started with the signings of players such as Fabricio Coloccini and Jonas Gutierrez, who were the first of many similar players to come through the door with similar ambitions and experience. These were followed in subsequent seasons by the likes of Cheick Tiote, Hatem Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabaye, plus the five recent additions to the squad last month, making this transfer policy clearly the most important reason for our fledgling success in the last three / four seasons. (more…)
Should Newcastle United treat others as they would like to be treated themselves?
August 11th, 2012 | 52 Comments |
Make no mistake, there have been reams of complete fiction embroidered around our recent attempts to sign players in an attempt to titillate the excited Newcastle United fan. That empty mantra about Newcastle United not being “held to ransom” over players any longer has been repeated constantly, as if other clubs have been somehow unreasonable for refusing to sell their finest players for sums far below their true worth. The longest and most notable saga in this particular transfer window has been that of Lille right back, Mathieu Debuchy, and this is the case I will concentrate on mostly here, as this piece would be far too long if I looked at all of them in the same detail.
Just to get things straight, Newcastle United’s two bids for Debuchy were equivalent to around £3.9 million and £4.75 million respectively (€5 and 6 million). Hacks such as Lee Ryder from the Evening Chronic were incorrect in quoting them as £5 million and £6 million. As to whether this was deliberate, or just lazy and incompetant “journalism” I cannot say with complete certainty. Neither of these bids had a hope in hell of being accepted by a strong Champions League club for a French international player who has three years left on his current contract, and has been estimated as being worth as much as £10 million in the current market. Lille’s Chairman, Michel Seydoux, made it clear himself that we could have had Debuchy for an very reasonable £6.3 million (“Our price is €8 million, because he is a quality player” said Seydoux). However, that may not have been the point as even after Seydoux’s clarification, Derek Llambias persisted with the same strategy of making another derisory bid which he must have known would not be accepted, perhaps in the possible hope that Debuchy might go even further in his attempts to force the club into letting him go at a much reduced fee. In the event of course, it led to Lille withdrawing the player in complete exasperation with Newcastle. (more…)
Cisse too sexy for the Newcastle shirt, said Fred. Right?
May 4th, 2012 | 67 Comments |
Ex-Toon phlebotomist Freddy Shepherd seems to think our chances of hanging on to resident goal-merchant Papiss Cisse will be slim this summer and suggests that we may receive offers too good to refuse for the player. Shepherd had this to say about our prospects of keeping the player:
“It’s impossible, if they want to go, it’s no good keeping them. I think there may be an offer Newcastle can’t refuse for Cisse coming in.”
However, there’s an important part of his statement we shouldn’t overlook and that’s: if they want to go. There is perhaps an even more important thing that Shepherd didn’t mention and that’s if Ashley wants him go because when all said and done that will be the deciding factor.
I can’t say for certain what Cisse wants of course but my guess would be that, with a good finish under our belts this season and some sort of European football to look forward to, he might just fancy staying with the club. There’s always the risk that a club like Man City or Chelsea – or maybe even Spurs or Arsenal – would offer a big wage and a better finish (this season, anyway) to try and tempt him away, but we’re not too far from the running ourselves and our club could be seen as one on the up. Maybe Cisse would choose to stay with us anyway. (more…)