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…)
Stopped PlayingIt seems that Xisco’s career at the Toon might be over after he admitted that he ‘stopped playing’ to force through his loan to Racing Santander.
The Mirror, which I’d usually take with a pinch of salt, actually contains quotes this time. Xisco said:
“After a difficult first year in Newcastle, this year seemed it was going to be more of the same and a good time to leave. I even stopped playing in the last few days to force my exit.
“If they hadn’t accepted the loan at Santander, I would have regarded my situation at Newcastle as hopeless.”
We paid Deportivo £5.7m for the striker in September 2008 and he has only played in 7 games, scoring 1 goal. I’m not sure what to make of his claims that he ‘stopped playing’, it seems to me that he never started playing. For some reason the club has seemed reluctant to play him no matter whether it has been Kinnear, Shearer or Hughton in charge. (more…)
Carroll speaksApparently the Sheard-fronted US bid is in trouble. According to The Chronicle, the talks between the bidders and Seymour Pierce broke down after the US consortium failed to provide proof of funds. That’s not quite the end of things though as Derek Llambias has been teleconferencing with them, although no progress has been made.
In my experience teleconferencing takes a bit of getting used to. It’s all too easy to assume the mentality one does when watching television, forgetting that with a teleconference the people on the screen can actually hear what you’re saying.
I can remember a colleague of mine coming into the teleconference room, pointing to the screen and saying (I remember the phrase exactly even though it was 20 years ago): “who’s the fat, spammed-up, centre-parter?” and a small voice came out the speakers saying “my name’s Ian actually.” I was incapacitated with laughter for most of the rest of the conference.
So for that reason alone I predict the US bid has had it, leaving Barry Moat as the only viable candidate to take over the Toon at the moment. (more…)
Marlon King - latest targetIt’s handy this emergency loan system. I’m not sure exactly what we did to qualify, which is apparently dealt with on a case-by-case basis, but it seems we do. That means we can bring in any number of players on a maximum 93-day loan at any time from a week after the transfer window closes until the 4th Thursday of November.
The Mirror is reporting that our latest target is Wigan’s Marlon King. The striker was loaned out to Hull and Middlesbrough last season and doesn’t look like he’s going to command regular first team football under Roberto Martinez. King’s strike rate has been roughly a goal every 3 or 4 games in a career that has seen him signed by Barnet, Gillingham, Notts Forrest and Watford prior to his transfer to Wigan.
King is no stranger to controversy having spent 5 months in prison in 2002 for handling a stolen car and he allegedly nutted Dean Windass in a casino in November 2008. In fact he’s due in the Crown Court on October 26th this year on charges of sexual assault and ABH after he pleaded not guilty at a Magistrates Court in April. (more…)
