Jonas pleads for exitThe Daily Mail is reporting that Barry Moat must find another £10m for his offer if he wants to buy Newcastle United after Ashley is said to be ‘insulted’ by his current offer. Let’s have a whip round.
The Guardian speculates that Moat is making his bid with backing from local nightclub owner Allan Rankin, rather than the previously speculated ‘American Backers’, and that the two have set up a new company called Tandem Bars specifically for the purposes of acquiring the club.
The vacant manager’s position gets some exposure with The Shields Gazette claiming that four managers have been short-listed by Ashley, should he keep the club. They claim those managers are David O’Leary, Gordon Strachan, Alan Curbishley and some unnamed ‘overseas manager’.
The Telegraph goes one better and claims five managers have been short-listed although it doesn’t name any others beyond the three listed by The Shields Gazette. Any advance on five? Surely one of the papers could manage six. (more…)
Part Two >> Sir Bobby.Robert William Robson 1933 – 2009.
“I have accepted what they have told me and I am determined to make the most of what time I have left. I am going to die sooner rather than later. But then everyone has to go some time, and I have enjoyed every minute.” – Sir Bobby Robson.
This remarkably courageous and moving statement, made by Sir Bobby as his life was inexorably drawing to it’s end, was perhaps summed up best by James Marston in the Ipswich Evening Star when he wrote in his own tribute:
“Anyone who can say that, whoever they are and whatever they have done in life, is lucky indeed.”
Quite so, for he had a life affirming quality that made him respected and loved by almost everyone he came into contact with, and he relished it. The following is a biographical tribute to Sir Bobby, who will be sadly missed in many parts of the world. (more…)
O'Leary to be manager. Or not.The Guardian (amongst others) is reporting that Ashley will appoint David O’Leary as manager if, as expected, he takes the club off the market. The Guardian is also reporting that Newcastle deny they’ll appoint O’Leary.
It’s all looks like sheer press invention to me but let’s have brief look at O’Leary’s management career anyway.
O’Leary managed Leeds from 1998 until 2002, getting two top 4 finishes, a UEFA Cup semi-final and a Champions League semi-final, all on a budget of £100m over 4 years.
He then managed Villa from 2003 until 2006, lifting them 10 places to get a 6th place finish in his first season.
Unfortunately – maybe due to the severe spending restrictions imposed by owner Doug Ellis – O’Leary’s next two seasons with Villa weren’t so good as he only managed a 10th place finish and, in his last season, a 16th place finish, narrowly avoiding relegation.
I’m not sure what to make of the prospect of O’Leary at Newcastle. I guess my main concern is that he doesn’t seem to operate too well on a tight budget and I suspect he’d have to operate on an extremely tight budget under Ashley, possibly even no budget at all if his appointment’s after the transfer window closes. (more…)
Duff on target for the Toon.We got our Championship campaign under way with a 1-1 draw at West Brom last night.
In the first half we looked the more fluent side in possession but, rather like last season, the final ball into the box often lacked quality. Duff probably had the best chance of the half when Carroll set him up from 20 yards, but he shot wide.
Our defence was typically fragile and we can be thankful that The Baggies failed to capitalise on some of the early chances they had. They got their goal on 39 minutes though when Harper failed to clear from a set piece and a scramble in the box saw Shelton Martis punt it home.
During the goal mouth free-for-all, Ameobi tried to clear Harper’s head off the line and, although the goalkeeper played on until the whistle, he was substituted for Krul at half-time.
After the goal our heads went down a bit and there seemed to be some bickering amongst the players, but we managed to make it to the interval without conceding again. (more…)
We're stuck with him (probably).It seems there was no breakthrough in the talks between Moat, Llambias and Harris yesterday and a report in The Chronicle claims that the sale saga could drag on for another week before Ashley calls it a day and takes the club off the market.
North East MP Nick Brown has now called for Ashley to sling his hook, saying:
“It breaks my heart. Mike Ashley hasn’t made a go of it.
“He should call it a day, sell up to somebody who can make a go of it and who has sufficient money to give it a decent go this year and have an exciting campaign to get back in the Premiership where we belong.
“Every day that goes by makes this harder. The uncertainty is damaging the club.
“The club personifies the city. It is one of our great corporate citizens. How many other cities our size could regularly deliver a gate of over 50,000 for a home game?
“They have got to get that passion and sense of commitment, which I think has never gone away, rallied behind something that has got a chance of succeeding and the present set-up is disastrous.” (more…)
