If what’s going on with the Newcastle meetings over the last couple of days is a fight for control of transfer and players, between Kevin Keegan and Dennis Wise, then this should have been solved in a few minutes and Wise should have lost.
Kevin Keegan – should and must have all control of players
But we just cannot believe that the situation at the club is as simple as that, and if it is, then it doesn’t auger well for the future, because how Ashley and Llambias could stand by Wise in any way, shape or form, as opposed to the messiah Kevin Keegan is just beyond us.
And if indeed Wise has had control of the transfers that also shocks us, because there’s no way that can work for any manager.
www.nufc.com, who are close to the club, and often get the inside scoop, are reporting that Mike Ashley may be on his way back form America, and he needs to get involved and sort this out.
As we suggested yesterday Ashley could have Dennis report to Kevin, and if resists that, then he should be shown the door. That’s always an easy way to get rid of people who may be causing problems.
If it is Wise that’s the problem, and apparently he’s been attending the recent meetings, then get rid of him – he has no history at Newcastle whatsoever.
But that seems to be just too easy as the problem, for us to think that’s the total situation that has so upset Kevin Keegan.
Comments welcome.
387 comments so far
faustino
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:35 PM
Comment #41All this negotiation of compensation talk is utter nads. These kind of things are well documented and set out in contracts to implement at the given time, at the worst and at best [if you call it that] be sorted out after the fact.
Put simply the reason for a delay in communication will not be about anything other than sorting this out [or abject fear.]
sean667
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:36 PM
Comment #42and lets not forget it was wise that trashed the blue peter garden, dam him!
Bill F Ash Didn't Splash :(
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:36 PM
Comment #43Let me make a prediction, and I believe that most of the Toon fans will in some recess of their mind agree with me.
If KK goes and a new manager, even if it is the shortass git, is appointed. And the new manager is successful, i.e. we win trophies or who knows the EPL title then the present sordid episode will become bad history as other past events have and we will still be supporting our team as we always have. Furthermore the manager will be praised for his success even if it is the Shortassed git. It’s human nature guys.
Having said that I still want the successful manager to be KK.
xisco biscuits
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:36 PM
Comment #44if KK goes, i really hope there will be a full house for hull, to sing kev’s name out loud and let them all know whose side we are on just a little bit more. the players dont deserve to play in front of an empty stadium
carl
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:36 PM
Comment #45the stadium had its lowest attendance against bolton for a long time, any guesses on our nxt match? guna be like a reserve game .
Bernard
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:37 PM
Comment #46Little Willie
I think you’ve missed the point behind all this. In England one man does run a football club – he’s called the “manager”. Look at Ferguson and Wenger – they both have the final say and their teams remain consistently in the top four of the premier league.
If someone else is buying players then the manager is no longer a manager, he’s a coach.
sean667
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:38 PM
Comment #47hps did you go down sjp the other night?
little willie
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:38 PM
Comment #48Jimenez will go for Marcelino but I’m not sure if he’ll leave Zaragoza straight away as he only joined in the Summer, possibly Ramos as it was Jimenez who took him to Spurs.
shaunaldino
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:39 PM
Comment #49even if a new manager comes in the problom is still there. no manager would want players bought for them they would want to buy there own to make it there team. just give keegan a blank cheque let him buy his own players and drownd that litle cun* wise in the tyne keep the other 2 as scouts. jimnez knows alot of good players in spain
hitman
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:39 PM
Comment #50bill the toon would explode if wise was made manager
The Entertainers
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:39 PM
Comment #51Me being a simpleton and all i believe the situation is very easy to solve.
All Ashley has to do is ask himself one question: who is the most important member of the non playing staff.
If the answers Keegan give him what he needs to be successful. Including dumping Wise if Kev thinks its needed.
If the answers Wise, kick out Keegan! And brace for the backlash.
Simple and i didnt even have to fly in.
little willie
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:40 PM
Comment #52carl // Sep 4, 2008 at 14:36
the stadium had its lowest attendance against bolton for a long time, any guesses on our nxt match? guna be like a reserve game .
——–
50,000 I’d say, Hull have been selling out their away allocations and the rest of the empty seats were mainly corporate.
ende
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:40 PM
Comment #531. Remove Llembas, replace with someone who knows football and already has an established relationship with Keegan.
2. Remove Wise
3. Place all other officers under Keegan
4. Chain of command goes Ashely to Chairman to Keegan
5. Keegan has complete freedom in transfer market, limited only by the budget set for him by the board
Nothing less can be accepted.
geordieglen
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Comment #54on managers……
for years we’ve backed the wrong managers(apart from sir bob) and now we finally get mr right and don’t back him !!!
on owners….
we have a flash millionare or a tight billionaire
ps … why oh why does ashley think that gettin a manager from league 1 and giving him the clubs transfer budget makes good business sense???
and kk or wise??? cmon ashley now thats what u call a “no brainer”
Micky Toon
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Comment #55Just what is a vice president of player recruitment? What are our scouts for?
The Entertainers
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Comment #56Bill
my heart says your talking utter rubbish
but my head agrees.
Arijit
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:42 PM
Comment #57If the news that every Newcastle player were put up for sale is to be believed, then whoever did that should be sacked immediately. Whatever be the positions and duties of Wise et.al., they simply can’t do it behind the manager.
sean667
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:43 PM
Comment #58nail on the head The Entertainers
The Entertainers
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:44 PM
Comment #59I hope SJP is full to the rafters come Hull.
So that we stand united and express our opinions towards Ashley before and after the game (NEVER DURING, UNLESS POSITIVE)
beyethegreat
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:44 PM
Comment #60micky toon scouts are for finding new players or looking at players the manager might be interested in
little willie
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:44 PM
Comment #61There are no clear facts at the moment on what has caused these problems. Most of the information people are discussing is largely hearsay because neither party through the club statement or the LMA statement have advised anyone exactly what the issues are. We can all guess what they are but exactly who the perpetrators are, is yet to b e released.
Neither do we really know what is exactly the role of Wise, Jimenez, Vetere etc as well as Keegan. There could be faults on both sides as far as we know.
My own opinion relates to the future of the club and the damage this whole episode is doing. I think we can all safely say that the season might already be a write off due to the low moral of all concerned and the amount of work involved in increasing that moral again.
For example, if reports are to be believed that Michael Owen’s transfer was being sharked around clubs on deadline day, I can safely say that you could offer the bloke a million quid a week on his new contract, he would still be off at the end of the season. How much is it going to cost to replace him? 20 million quid plus? I doubt the club have that sort of money to spend on one player
The damage done by this entire episode is going to be irreparable to a certain extent and it might set us back a few more years.
and possibly all because grown men cannot iron out problems rationally behind closed doors.
Mountains and molehills spring to mind
hitman
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Comment #62just imagine that oot come keegan gets the boot and wise gets his job,ooooooooo thats naughty that
Davies
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Comment #63I can’t be arsed with this anymore. WE DON’T KNOW ANYTHING YET!!!!
I’m not wasting another minuite of my time on this until somebody can give me a straight answer. I hope to speak to you all soon, but I can see it being quite a while.
In the meantime, try to be careful what you say. Who knows where the red tops are getting their ideas from…..
Micky Toon
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Comment #64Bill F – I’ve said the same thing myself on here, twice and no one will admit to it.
I’m really worried over this whole saga and it’s got nothing to do do with a man from Doncaster losing his job. I’m worried for the club. Every decision should be what is best for the club, not what is best for keegan or ashley or even a group of fans on a blog, but what is best for the club and if that means KK goes, MA sells and someone like Bilic or Houlier comes in as the new owners manager then that’s good enough for me.
NUFC is all that matters, nothing else.
lesh
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:47 PM
Comment #65It just beggars belief that a known troublemaker should have been appointed in the first place and allowed to survive after this.
For goodness sake, he’s shown no allegiance to the club, the players and the fans at all.
If he had any honour, he’d ‘fall on his sword’ and get out! But he hasn’t has he – perhaps that’s teh measure of the …… [andI hesitate to use the word] man!!!
beyethegreat
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:48 PM
Comment #66i agree micky toon but i think kk is the best thing for the toon and also bilic will not leave croatia and if he does it will only be for west ham
SuperShearer
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:48 PM
Comment #67I don’t get this continental style of managing and playing recruiting…..can you image how boring Football Manager would be if you didn’t get to decide how to strengthen your squad? Having said that I think the players that Wise had bought in look class, but if he is trying to sell under the nose of KK then he has a lot to answer for.
SteveM
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:49 PM
Comment #68Forget the press – why not try a little psychological guessing.
Imagine you are a passionate football man like KK whose whole life has revolved around the love of the game. Now imagine you go public at the end of last season about how you truely feel the game is going – with a top 4 a millionmiles ahead of everyone else – and yet the media turn you into a laughing stock. Image you then make it clear in a direct interview that no-one is allowed to tell the truth anymore about the premier league. Imagine that you work really hard think you are getting somewhere and are then given a demonstration of the millionmile gulf at arsenal. Imagine that you are publicly vilified for supporting a lad youve known since he was a kid coming from a very disadvantantaged background – who the press have made a scapgoat for all the ills of our society and who are determined never to forgive. – Suppose after working so hard on trying to bring players in and finding it so hard to find the right deals a monarcy buys man city spends 35 million on a player and makes over 100 mil of bids – promising to buy 18 more £30 million players – effectively ending any hope of Newcastle ever winning anything again.
How would you feel?
Would you want to continue?
Everything Ive said has been base on direct quotes from KK and facts not made up theories which have previously been denied by KK Wise ashley et al in direct interviews.
hadrian
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:50 PM
Comment #69Council get in on the act
Newcastle councillors last night (Wednesday September 3 2008) unanimously passed a notice motion calling for an end to the ongoing uncertainty over the position of Kevin Keegan as manager of Newcastle United.
There was cross-party support for a notice of motion, tabled by Councillor Nick Forbes, which stated:
“Council notes the continued confusion over Kevin Keegan’s position at Newcastle United.
“Council recognises the widespread public support for Kevin Keegan, and knows how much he means to Newcastle United fans. Council believes that he is an asset to the club, the city and the wider community and expresses its support for his continuation in the role of manager.
“Council regrets the adverse publicity being caused as a result of the current situation and urges Newcastle United (which has been awarded freedom of the city by the council) and Kevin Keegan to come to a mutually acceptable agreement which will allow Mr Keegan to remain in post and manage the team effectively.”
Coun Nick Forbes, Leader of the Labour group, who proposed the motion, said: “Kevin Keegan is an asset to the club, to the city and the wider community. The whole council is united in hoping that both parties will come to a mutually acceptable agreement to allow him to stay in post and have freedom to manage the team effectively.”
Coun David Faulkner, Deputy Leader of Newcastle City Council and Executive Member for Policy Development and Co-ordination, who seconded the motion, said: “This is an issue that is more than just a contractual issue between employer and employee. Because of the special place of Newcastle United in our community, it affects the reputation of the club and to an extent the city. We hope that it can be resolved soon and that Kevin Keegan stays, with his position both clarified and enhanced.”
😀
simon376
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:50 PM
Comment #70Has Little Willie got his name wrong? Is it really Little Wise?? He seems to be so anti Keegan. I think this is the little thug, sorry I mean Mr Wise trying to get the fans against Keegan so he can get the job.
You are entitled to your opinions just like everybody else, but I think you will be fighting a losing battle talking like this on here.
clinta
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:51 PM
Comment #71Okay, KK should have control of players in and out, yes, but I have to say that most of the current set up at the club was there when KK agreed to come back, wise and co. weren’t, but cam only weeks later so surely this arrangement was in the pipelines when KK initially talked to MA.
KK, now realises the systems not working for him (fair enough) but i don’t think this problem is all the doing of the board or MA.
lets face it you don’t go into a job, like this without finding out and agreeing, your job and the people around you at the club, especially given KK’s track record, you have a look at the fine print, ask your questions etc..
either way just hope it’s sorted soon, but it looks to me like KK’s turned his back on the original (if wrong) plan, because it wasn’t working for him, and I’m not convinced MA and co. will be willing to change the systems they’ve put in place enough to keep KK happy, well for a long time anyways.
M. Stockley
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:52 PM
Comment #72this whole thing ismaking my head hurt now. ashley hopefully knows that keeping kk is priority, as a business man he must realise getting rid of kk and keeping wise would put him in the red……im praying that saturday week we all fill out st james’ park with kk on the touchline and us singing his name and untill i know that that isnt going to happen 110% im staying positve and you guys should too… we are all passionate and have our haunting ideas how this may turn out but untill we get a statement, lets stop speculating and try and stay positive because all the worry in the world will not help or change what will happen. KEEGAN FOREVER!
idontbelieveit
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:55 PM
Comment #73Very intersetingly, look at what happens when you type “Sports Direct” into wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_Direct
little willie
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:56 PM
Comment #74simon376 // Sep 4, 2008 at 14:50
Has Little Willie got his name wrong? Is it really Little Wise?? He seems to be so anti Keegan. I think this is the little thug, sorry I mean Mr Wise trying to get the fans against Keegan so he can get the job.
You are entitled to your opinions just like everybody else, but I think you will be fighting a losing battle talking like this on here.
——–
By constructing a well thought out post?
The alternative is to follow HPS guide to posting which involves caps lock and trying to type with my forehead.
mitch
Sep 4, 2008 at 2:59 PM
Comment #75I just read nufc .com and what it says is stories doing the rounds in the news and also rumor. I think KK is staying why else would MA fly in If keegan was gone by mutual consent he would be away by now yes. But would it not take The owner to get a compensation deal for an executive director and may be even a director
Obafan
Sep 4, 2008 at 3:02 PM
Comment #76What a disaster our club is. Glen ROeder, who I really liked as manager, said it all. The only thing that makes NUFC a great club is because of the gret fan base. Let’s all hope that the structure in the club finally gets a permanent shae and that all people involved are happy with the position and function they work in. I think that could chang a lot at the club! The one thing that is so important is that everybody knows what their work is and that the manager is the man who decides who to bring in to strengthen his senior squad.
dave v
Sep 4, 2008 at 3:03 PM
Comment #77Ashley has set up the club structure based on the continental model.
A director of football who is told the budget for players and buys and sells and scouts.
Then you have a coach which effectively Keegan is now. The coach only coach’s players and has little say in buying and selling players or scouting for that matter.
This system can and does work.
The trouble is Kevin was led to believe he was in charge of purchases and sales of players and scouting.
Then Ashley began to build his model and effectively undermined Kevin’s role.
The question is was it a deliberate planned programme of development or did it evolve and somehow Kevin’s views were overlooked.
Put it another way was Kevin factored in knowing full well he would rebel against the structure and walk away, with the board saying “look he’s done it again”
The problem for Ashley, and I for one find it hard to sympathise with his position is, the fans love Kevin and know he has the best interests of the club at heart.
The future of our club is at stake, does he want to make us successful or line his pockets, after all his shops sell tat to the public wrapped up in bargain advertisements.
Do you want to be treated with the same disrespect.
Sheep watching any old dross nicely packaged or do you want our club to be at the forefront of European football.
SouthernMag
Sep 4, 2008 at 3:05 PM
Comment #78If Wise and Jimenez do go, then where does that put our long-term plan of recruiting young players from around the world, plus putting more money, time and energy into our academy? If Wise and Jimenez were not doing there jobs properly, which seems likely judging by our transfer activity, then fair enough, but I don’t want this plan to go down the drain. We should continue with this policy, but search for people who Keegan are happy to do the job. If Keegan doesn’t want anyone to fill this position, then it would not surprise me if Ashley lets Keegan go. I hope that it is more of a case of who is in charge of these areas for Keegan, because world scouting and our academy are integral to our club. I don’t knock Keegan’s scouting abilities, but why not add more knowledge on top of his?
On the club owenership, I’d rather have long-term stability, where we build up to the top gradually, rather than suddenly jumping up. Under Robson, we spent a couple of seasons in mid-table before reaching the top four. That was eight years ago and things are different from then, but I believe it is still possible under the
correct management structure, and in Mike Ashley, I believe we have the foundations to do that. I believe foreign billionaires are killing
football, and I’m relieved that we haven’t gone down that route yet. I’d rather have Ashley than an Abramovich. Ashley said he is looking
for extra investment, but I would be okay with this as long as Ashley remains mainly in control.
HATE PRAWN SANDWICHES
Sep 4, 2008 at 3:05 PM
Comment #79so why are you called little willie? is it because your man hud is small, or is it your a little young scottish prick? get a grip! oh I forgot you do!!
JonasIsGod
Sep 4, 2008 at 3:05 PM
Comment #80little willie – 50,000 I’d say, Hull have been selling out their away allocations and the rest of the empty seats were mainly corporate.
If Keegan goes before the Hull game i gaurentee there will be alot less then 50000, unless HUll bring about 15000 fans up with them. Sad and sorry times ahead i believe if all the latest rumours are to be believed just when everything seemed to be looking up.
I will be 1 of the 47000 who was there at Bolton who will not be using his season ticket for the Hull game if all the latest rumours are true.
Lets hope the rumours are just rumours and KK is sat in dugout next week.