A lot depends on these twoNewcastle United have now released the latest set of club accounts, and they don’t make good reading, that’s for sure. I’ll go into more detail later on, but the financial results show just how precarious things could have been if we didn’t have an owner with a huge personal fortune to bankroll us. Whether you love him, hate him, or sit somewhere in the middle of the two, it can’t be denied that Mike Ashley has put his hand in his pocket to keep the club afloat.
Of course we all know the turmoil of last season, but it’s only now that the true financial extent of it is becoming clear. As a football fan, I want to watch my team without worrying about anything else and I want to see the best players and biggest names playing for my club week in week out. However, football fans up and down the country have had to become increasingly more understanding of just what is happening to the financial side of things at their respective clubs. What is happening at ours isn’t pretty and gives a strong indication as to just why the club were unable to find a buyer when the ‘for sale’ sign went up. It will only get worse this time next year as the true cost of falling out of the Premier League will be revealed. There is however some light at the end of the tunnel, albeit a very distant light, but it is still there. (more…)
Ready to sign on the line?It looks like Steven Taylor is set to be offered a new contract by Newcastle United during the summer in an effort to persuade the possible future captain that his future does lay at St James’ Park. Manager Chris Hughton will urge Mike Ashley to sit down with Taylor and thrash out a deal that will tempt the defender into putting pen to paper on a new improved contract.
I have my own very cynical view of this, of which I will go into in more detail later on, but it does look like a very positive move from the club as they look to secure the future of the lad who has spent nearly his whole life on Tyneside. It also moves to quash any lingering doubts surrounding whether Steven Taylor and Andy Carroll can put any differences aside after their now infamous bust-up a while back. Unfortunately it looks like we won’t see Stevie Taylor in first team action again this season as playing him at QPR is deemed too much of a risk for the 24 year old, but few can deny that up until the knee injury suffered back in January he was a very integral part of what has turned out to be the meanest defence in the division. (more…)
The quiet man hasn't let us down so far.With the start of the transfer window a little over a month away, the tide of conversation is understandably shifting towards the signing of players that will aid in our attempt to stave off relegation next season.
The thought was that given the fact that Newcastle United have gone about the business of promotion quietly and efficiently, and secured their Premier League place for next season in record time, that this could signal some early transfer activity as we seek to get a headstart on other teams who are also looking to strenghten. People are now starting to point out that other teams are beginning to strengthen their squads, with Liverpool capturing the signature of current Charlton midfielder, Jonjo Shelvey. But that is the only confirmed transfer activity as yet so I feel the early activity of other teams is being somewhat overstated. (more…)
Vuckic: Has to play a part on Sunday.Sunday will see Newcastle United signing off from the Championship as we travel down to London to play QPR in what is essentially a meaningless game for both sides.
So perhaps this could be the time to see the likes of Slovenian wonderkid, Haris Vuckic, tasting first team action? There will be no better time to blood one or two of the younger players in a competitive environment, and we already know that Tim Krul will be one player who will get his chance on Sunday. There has been much clamour to see more of our most aspiring youth players in the form of Vuckic himself, Tim Krul and Tamas Kadar, and many believe that giving these youngsters the competitive games they need to develop will secure their future at Newcastle United. Indeed there have already been links of a move away from Tyneside for all three players, with Vuckic being the latest target of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea in the last few days. (more…)
Carroll: Could be the key to survival.The coming months are sure to be full of speculation about transfer targets and new arrivals on Tyneside as Newcastle United prepare for their return to the top flight of English football.
We have already noticed the keyboards and printing presses of various news outlet cranking up their output in the past few days as the clamour to be the one to get the holy grail of all press reporting – the ‘you heard it here first’ exclusive – increases. Of course much of what is reported will be false as the media adopt the ‘scatter gun’ approach in the hope that one of these rumours will come off, but that shouldn’t stop us fans speculating on targets and there has indeed already been some healthy debate and some great players mentioned that could improve the team. People have their own ideas about which areas of the team need strengthening, and there has already been some form of concensus as to which areas are a priority and which ones aren’t. (more…)
