Alioune DVToure wrote:bluechester wrote:[highlight]newcastle are such strange club so badly managed[/highlight]i think they will struuggle this year, their best players last season were barton & nolan, nolan's gone barton going, think tthe champoinship beckons
That's the thing though - I'm not sure that they are badly managed (financially at least). Before Lard Arse rocked up there they were fucked financially and had a load of past-it players on big deals (Owen, Butt, Smith etc.). They're now on sound financial footing, have some decent youngish players who are genuine saleable assets (Enrique, Tioté), and still have the Carroll money in the tin. They've signed Demba Ba who scored 7 in 12 for a wank WHU at the back end of last season and a few others who,admittedly, are unknown quantities. If two of their signings turn out to be nearly as good as Tioté and fill the positions of either Barton or Nolan, they'll do alright. I fancy them to finish 8th-13th this year. Comfy, no trees uprooted. They might begin to splash a bit of cash in Jan or next summer when they're more firmly re-established as a top-flight team. I'm pretty interested by the whole thing.
I know this doesn't go hand in hand with Goerdies Ashley hate but I agree with you. I've been following their comings and goings and I've come to exact same conclusion.
They used to be complete mess carrying awfull contracts they simply couldn't afford but now seem in good shape. I don't agree they will be in midtable without strengthtening but I think they'll stay up. And in Enrique case for example they have shown that they are willing to hang on to good players. Carroll deal was so insane that they simply had to take it. 35 million for crying out loud. Had that been us I would've hoped we'd take that offer.
What people are also forgetting is that Ashley is trying to put them in shape to find a good buyer for them. And I think he is doing well right now. And before people jump on me, I think Ashley is a fucking joke owner but then again, I said so even when he was acting all geordie and he still had his honeymoon with their supporters. In fact, what he has been doing in past year and a half is the first thing he is doing rigth with the club.
Barton thing is meaningless. He was in his last year of contract and he was leaving next summer anyway. He is disruptive influence and absolute loose cannon. Just go and look in say wikipedia and read all the things that have taken place in past four years if your memory isn't good. I did when he refused to sign contract while back and I had actually forgotten half the things that had happened. This guy does something shocking once in every two months at least. Sure there are always few decent games thrown inbetween but does it justify all that shit especially since club and player has no future together beyond this season? I would say no. Only thing I would've done differently is that I would've sold him early summer and try and find replacement.
Oh, and his pseudointellectual crap doesn't impress me one bit. Footballers should be banned from fucking Twitter.
