Pardew has clarity on the budgetNewcastle United manager Alan Pardew has once again being talking about the club’s budget.
Alan Pardew has gone on record again to say that he understands the budget he’s operating under at Newcastle. In an interview which broadly echoes one he made earlier this weekPardew said:
“I do think that the clarity of the budget is important. Some fans may not be entirely happy with the amount we have to spend, but at least they know the whole picture.
“When you look at the world economy and where football is at the moment, we are seeing some really tough times. We have seen examples of Portsmouth and Rangers in Scotland that show if you over-stretch, you are going to find yourself in serious trouble and you are putting the club’s future at risk.
“At Newcastle, we have got a good foundation and a good financial model, and now the question is whether we can bring success within that model.
“That’s the challenge that I accepted when I joined the club, and so far we are doing well and can hopefully continue to grow as we go along.” (more…)
...And Cash Up Front Please!This transfer business can sometimes be similar to a game of chess between the clubs involved, but if it is a game then one thing is for sure, over the last couple of seasons Newcastle United have shown themselves to be one of the better players – with the quiet but efficient aquisition of plyers like Cheick Tiote, Yohan Cabaye and Demba Ba smoothly and with the minimum of fuss.
In contrast with the past, United go about their business quietly and sign up some gems before other clubs are alerted and can compete. We don’t always get the players we want of course, but that’s life!
Take the most recent example of our interest in Watford defender Adrian Mariappa. Nobody saw that coming, and it was Watford who let the negotiations out of the bag, with their boss Sean Dyche telling anyone who would listen “Newcastle United are miles away with their bid”. However, the game is afoot – the Hornets have refused to give United a valuation for the player and are obviously just waiting to see how high they can get the price to go as the clock ticks towards transfer deadline day. (more…)
The conclusion I came to is that I think it depends upon how you define ‘different’. Are we talking ‘different’ in the way an otter is different to a sewing machine or is perhaps the devil in the detail?
At it’s most basic level, I think Pardew’s right. Most transfers probably happen as a result of some sort of consensus between the manager, the scouts and the owner or board, but I think where the difference lies is with the amount of input each particular party has on things. (more…)
Ash-bashing QuinnFormer Newcastle United striker Micky Quinn attacks Ashley for (potentially) letting Barton go and suggests that our transfer policy consists mainly of trying to buy cheap foreign players we can profit from in the future.
Former Toon striker Micky Quinn has launched a scathing attack on the head honchos at Newcastle United and in the process has confirmed that Arsenal have a legitimate interest in Joey Barton, which I originally doubted.
In an interview with talkSPORT, Quinn said:
“I know through a third party that Arsenal have enquired about Joey Barton. What I’m gutted about as an ex-Newcastle player is that the spine of the team, the personality of the team is going to be gone.
“Why are they letting players like Joey Barton go if they have any ambition, but it’s only going to Arsenal’s gain. He’ll put a bit of steel into that Arsenal team, he goes forward, he was made captain, he’s grown up and he said himself that he’s making up for lost time for stupidity and injury, he wants to get to the top.
“I think Joey has settled down a lot now, we know he’s a bit of a hot-head, we know he’s paid on and off the pitch for his stupidity but he’s settled down.(more…)
Carr, Ashley and PardewJust how much say does Alan Pardew have in the transfers and contract negotiations at Newcastle United?
I think we all suspect that Mike Ashley has the final say on transfers these days. Some folk have even suggested that Graham Carr is almost taking a Director of Football role and that he and Ashley are basically identifying transfer targets between them.
So what of Alan Pardew in all this? Well at the very least I’d expect him to have some input about where he feels the team needs strengthening and I’d also expect him to have a considerable say about whether or not a player should be signed. He does, after all, have to work with that player on a day-to-day basis.
Yet I can’t help but feel he’s being left in the dark about a lot of transfer and contractual matters. First there was his “Andy Carroll is not going to be sold under any circumstances” statement, which of course turned out to be completely wrong. Then there was his promise about making it a priority to get players such as Barton, Nolan and Enrique on new contracts and, whilst the latter may simply wish to go elsewhere in the end, Barton and Nolan both want to stay yet Pardew has so far been unable to keep his promise regarding these players. (more…)
