First off don't read the headline and think I am a Pardew apologist or a Mike Ashley fan, however if we take a minute, take a step back and look at the state of our club I would argue things are really not as bad as certain fans or journalists are suggesting. Or rather we should not be surprised at our current state.
Let me preface this by saying as a fan my main concern is the 11 lads on the pitch in Black & White and not the current mess going on in our boardroom. Saying that lets put that to one side and concentrate on Alan Pardew and his playing staff.
If we go back to Boxing day when we beat Stoke 5-1 at SJP and sat 7th in the Premier League everything looked great, no one could deny Pardew was doing a good job with a squad who had narrowly escaped relegation only a few months before. Did anyone expect us to finish in the top 8?
From Boxing day forward we have had a nightmare few months - but lets us some perspective when looking at the reality of how bad things are actually are. Our nightmare few months included defeats against: Arsenal, City, Chelsea, and Spurs - also lets not forget were more than matched both Arsenal and City. This nightmare month also included the inevitable departure of our talisman Yohan Cabaye. I think it if fair to ask our fans - 'What did we expect to happen'? Did anyone expect us to beat 4 of the top 5 teams? Did people not expect us to miss Cabaye? My suggestion would be that we were always going to hit this sticky patch - and now it is about how we recover from this.
Pardew needs to lift his squad we are obviously downcast right now - we cannot repeat that heartless display we witnessed against Spurs - Pardew should be fighting for his future, he is certainly fighting to build bridges with many fans and how he finishes the season will determine his standing with the Toon Army.
Again don't get me wrong - I like any other fan want so much more for my club - I too want an ambitious owner, a top notch manager and exciting players - unfortunately we have not been dealt this hand - this is bring with it a sense of realism and a new level of expectations.
Kevin Keegan summed it up perfectly:
"Ashley has made no secret that he wants to sell Newcastle, and the best day will come when someone buys it from him and runs Newcastle like that club should be run. The club can never go anywhere under Mike Ashley - it can't go anywhere, I promise you that."
Looking on the bright side this coming Sunday we should see the return of 4 key players - Colo, Tiote, Gouffran, and Remy. No one can doubt the boost this will have on the team and should see a fighting spirit. If we can line up with the following team on Sunday then I expect us to win and some what get our season back on track.
Krul
DebuchyColoWilloSanton
SissokoTioteAnitaGouffran
RemyDe Jong
Friday, February 21, 2014
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Ashley, Pardew & the way forward.
First off let me begin this is stating I am not a Pardew fan and I am not attempting to persuade you that he is the man to be leading our club - however I would urge you to look at the deeper issues.
Our club is rotten to the core right now - Owner, directors, manager, and now unfortunately this is causing disillusionment amongst the players.
Last nights soul destroying performance against Tottenham exemplified this and sunk the Toon Army to a new level of frustration - I really feel we are past the stage of anger and now have entered disillusionment.
I like many fans I cannot see a way out of this downwards spiral unless major changes are made, yet i do not see those necessary changes being made anytime soon.
Us fans, the media and I am sure even the players share this opinion but unfortunately our owner and directors do not. They see a top 10 finish as a great season - a season which will see a financial reward given to the clubs staff. For Pardew to deliver Ashley a top 10 finish without spending a penny of his money is a massive success - the kind of success which earned Pardew a 8 year contract. All Mike Ashley saw was 8 more years of low budget success. I would even go as far to say Pardew has bought into this plan - he knows when he is onto a good thing. Would any of us walk away from a well payed job when our bosses only requirement was that we maintained - no pressure to reach a target, other than to finish the year under budget?
Pardew knows he will never get another club the size of NUFC - I cannot blame him for keeping quiet and accepting his role in Mike Ashley's regime.
It raises the question: under these circumstances is top 10 the best was can expect? - I would suggest Pardew is working with the eighth best squad in the league. Lets not forget that other than the terrible cup runs and the derby defeats 9th in the league is where I am sure many fans would have expected us to finish this season. Therefore I would not be so quick to axe Pardew.
Nothing will change at NUFC as in the eyes and mind of our owner we are doing great. Ashley is laughing all the way to the bank with a top 10 premier league team which cost him very little.
Our future is bleak - I wish I could end this with a hope for the future but Toon Army is not daft enough to believe that.
Our club is rotten to the core right now - Owner, directors, manager, and now unfortunately this is causing disillusionment amongst the players.
Last nights soul destroying performance against Tottenham exemplified this and sunk the Toon Army to a new level of frustration - I really feel we are past the stage of anger and now have entered disillusionment.
I like many fans I cannot see a way out of this downwards spiral unless major changes are made, yet i do not see those necessary changes being made anytime soon.
Us fans, the media and I am sure even the players share this opinion but unfortunately our owner and directors do not. They see a top 10 finish as a great season - a season which will see a financial reward given to the clubs staff. For Pardew to deliver Ashley a top 10 finish without spending a penny of his money is a massive success - the kind of success which earned Pardew a 8 year contract. All Mike Ashley saw was 8 more years of low budget success. I would even go as far to say Pardew has bought into this plan - he knows when he is onto a good thing. Would any of us walk away from a well payed job when our bosses only requirement was that we maintained - no pressure to reach a target, other than to finish the year under budget?
Pardew knows he will never get another club the size of NUFC - I cannot blame him for keeping quiet and accepting his role in Mike Ashley's regime.
It raises the question: under these circumstances is top 10 the best was can expect? - I would suggest Pardew is working with the eighth best squad in the league. Lets not forget that other than the terrible cup runs and the derby defeats 9th in the league is where I am sure many fans would have expected us to finish this season. Therefore I would not be so quick to axe Pardew.
Nothing will change at NUFC as in the eyes and mind of our owner we are doing great. Ashley is laughing all the way to the bank with a top 10 premier league team which cost him very little.
Our future is bleak - I wish I could end this with a hope for the future but Toon Army is not daft enough to believe that.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Newcastle Red Bulls??
Billionaires Red Bull want to buy a football club in England – and ‘give it wings.’
The Austrian-based energy drinks firm are on the look-out for a suitable club, with Anglophile coach Ralf Rangnick, sporting director of Red Bull Salzburg, heading the search.
As well as current Austrian league leaders Salzburg, Red Bull already owns clubs in Germany, New York, Brazil and Ghana.
The company’s sporting assets also include two Formula One teams: Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso.
Now coach Rangnick has been tasked to find a club in England for their latest move into ownership.
An insider in the deal said: “Red Bull want a team to take into the Champions League. It is the only market they have not reached yet.
Rangnick, an English-educated German, has a good knowledge of the game and is looking at several options. He would also oversee the purchase and running of the club.
News of Red Bull’s interest is spreading rapidly and there should be no lack of willing sellers.
The company’s Formula One success, with Sebastian Vettel taking them towards a fourth straight title, has put them on the map, but buying a club in the ‘home’ of football could be their biggest coup yet.
And taking it into the Champions League is the ultimate aim for one of the biggest sports-backing firms in the business.
This article featured in the Daily Mail and a number of other tabloids over the past few months and initially I passed it off a fanciful pie in the sky idea - however after another terrible January it has really hit home to NUFC that our current owner had zero interest in football and has no intentions of bring success to NUFC. Success to Mike Ashley is only measured in Cash and an attractive Financial statement.
This is nothing new to us - we all know that, however my question is after reading this article would NUFC accept a owner like the Red Bull company - bearing in mind the likelihood is they potentially could adopt a name change making us know as the Newcastle Red Bulls??
A potential name change seems like something a English football club should never consider, however it can be suggested that Mike Ashley has already ripped out the soul of our club so would a name change really be that unreasonable if it meant we would acquire a ambitious owner who is ready to fund a push toward the Champions League?
Hull city just went through this issue with their owner wanting to re-name and re-brand the Club as the Hull city Tigers. Loyal Hull fans rightly fought this idea follow the American approach to sports team. However Hull are a club who have just spend 14m in the January transfer window - we have a owner who is ruining our club and also refuses to spend a penny of improving the squad.
Our club is steeped in tradition and that should not be easily be forgotten, however when weighing the pros and cons I am all in favour of the Red Bull company purchasing NUFC and together we can chase the Champions League dream.
The Austrian-based energy drinks firm are on the look-out for a suitable club, with Anglophile coach Ralf Rangnick, sporting director of Red Bull Salzburg, heading the search.
As well as current Austrian league leaders Salzburg, Red Bull already owns clubs in Germany, New York, Brazil and Ghana.
The company’s sporting assets also include two Formula One teams: Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso.
Now coach Rangnick has been tasked to find a club in England for their latest move into ownership.
An insider in the deal said: “Red Bull want a team to take into the Champions League. It is the only market they have not reached yet.
Rangnick, an English-educated German, has a good knowledge of the game and is looking at several options. He would also oversee the purchase and running of the club.
News of Red Bull’s interest is spreading rapidly and there should be no lack of willing sellers.
The company’s Formula One success, with Sebastian Vettel taking them towards a fourth straight title, has put them on the map, but buying a club in the ‘home’ of football could be their biggest coup yet.
And taking it into the Champions League is the ultimate aim for one of the biggest sports-backing firms in the business.
This article featured in the Daily Mail and a number of other tabloids over the past few months and initially I passed it off a fanciful pie in the sky idea - however after another terrible January it has really hit home to NUFC that our current owner had zero interest in football and has no intentions of bring success to NUFC. Success to Mike Ashley is only measured in Cash and an attractive Financial statement.
This is nothing new to us - we all know that, however my question is after reading this article would NUFC accept a owner like the Red Bull company - bearing in mind the likelihood is they potentially could adopt a name change making us know as the Newcastle Red Bulls??
A potential name change seems like something a English football club should never consider, however it can be suggested that Mike Ashley has already ripped out the soul of our club so would a name change really be that unreasonable if it meant we would acquire a ambitious owner who is ready to fund a push toward the Champions League?
Hull city just went through this issue with their owner wanting to re-name and re-brand the Club as the Hull city Tigers. Loyal Hull fans rightly fought this idea follow the American approach to sports team. However Hull are a club who have just spend 14m in the January transfer window - we have a owner who is ruining our club and also refuses to spend a penny of improving the squad.
Our club is steeped in tradition and that should not be easily be forgotten, however when weighing the pros and cons I am all in favour of the Red Bull company purchasing NUFC and together we can chase the Champions League dream.
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