Joe Kinnear is getting worried about the lack of progress in the January transfer window, just like Kevin Keegan was in the summer, and Joe has called an urgent meeting with the Newcastle Board – and he wants it to take place in Newcastle – where the team is.
Joe Kinnear – worried about lack of transfer progress
With 11 players looking to miss tomorrow night’s FA Cup 3rd round replay, the injury situation at Newcastl;e is becoming more than critical, and believes that both owner Mike Ashley and Managing Director Derek Llambias, who are both not football men, don’t understand the gravity of the situation.
Newcastle are up to to 11th place, but 4 of those places are on goal difference, and we’re still just 3 points off the bottom three.
Kinnear was asked whether this was the worst case scenario and he said:
“That’s why we have the meeting. It was called very hastily after I explained on Monday the difficult position we are in. I said that we need to act and act quickly.”
“I will make that argument. I have brought it forward because of the urgency of the situation.”
“The chairman [Llambias] was at home and I said, ‘No, you need to come in. Come up tonight, we need to talk and get cracking.”
“In the position we’re in, if you lose two or three games you can suddenly find yourself in the bottom three. I am not sure if they [the board] understand that already but I will make them aware of it.”
We seem to have tied up Danish winger Peter Lovenkrands through the end of the season, and that deal should be signed and sealed on Friday.
We’re also close to bringing in two loan signings, one Argentine and one Italian according to reports – and Joe believes both of these signings could be in place by the end of the week.
Kinnear is also hoping to sell one player – probably Spanish striker Xisco – so he can bring in another defender, which we would hope will be a left back. It will be interesting if Joe plays Xisco tomorrow night, and risk him being injured.
Newcastle have successive home games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United in March, and that will be tough, especially if we play anything like we did against Liverpool.
Joe continued:
“There are some stiff games coming up and we would like to be in the safety zone when they come up,”
This is a very good move by Joe, and it shows he’s taking control of things, which someone needs to do at the club, and if it’s Dennis Wise’s job to arrange the transfers, both incoming and outgoing, it could well be Dennis who is dragging his feet.
Comments welcome.
262 comments so far
Robby Bobson
Jan 14, 2009 at 2:15 AM
Comment #241Pes is better than Fifa.
Riquelme would only be a good player starting behind Owen in a front two…not in midfield.
And yeh wtf is up with Liverpool merch being advertised.
Dragonera
Jan 14, 2009 at 2:18 AM
Comment #242Riquelme would only be good in the hole behind Martins in a 4-5-1 formation. Owen’s lack of pace will limit the range of passes Riquelme is capable of and Owen is useless up front by himself anyway. Not that i want lazy, stroppy Riquelme anyway.
Robby Bobson
Jan 14, 2009 at 2:26 AM
Comment #243Well i say Owen because when is Martins ever going to be picked over owen, despite MArtins being better (for us) imo.
RyanToon
Jan 14, 2009 at 2:41 AM
Comment #244we could play
given
beye coloccini bassong pasquale
guthrie barton
jonas riquelme martins
owen
Dragonera
Jan 14, 2009 at 2:42 AM
Comment #245Robby Bobson
Wish i could disagree, but i see Owen being treated like king here until he walks away on a free in a few months time. I just wish we could have a manager with the balls to just drop him when he is playing poor. Owen has to be the only striker that people will literally wait on to score goals. Not being funny, but 90% of strikers worth their salt will score a few eventually if they are allowed to play on despite being awful for consecutive games.
What makes me laugh is the guy won’t score for five games and then he will score 2 goals in 2 games and all the pro Owen bunch start saying things like, “All you Owen doubters have been proved wrong blah blah blah”…They see 2 goals in 2 consecutive games…but i see 2 goals scored in 7 games…
Robby Bobson
Jan 14, 2009 at 2:47 AM
Comment #246I think Owen is world class…i do, but for a winning team. For example Man utd with plenty of ball possession and who need the final touch in the box. But we are not that team. We need somebody who will run, hold the ball up and most importantly is explosive and create something out of nothing, which is martins all over. I cant remeber a goal for us apart from West Ham which was poor goalkeeping that Owen has scored when the chance wasnt laid to him.
Ryan Toon….the top four would almost be a dream line up…riquelme with the vision playing in the wingmen with Owen tucking them away in the middle. Shame things dont work like that.
This site is not good for procrastination :(!
ginkoh
Jan 14, 2009 at 3:10 AM
Comment #247Come on Joe. Kick them out the ground. I hate when I wake up and realize that our board is the worst XXXXING in the world.
Kevin
Jan 14, 2009 at 3:15 AM
Comment #248Ginkoh where are you in the world?
Spyro
Jan 14, 2009 at 4:12 AM
Comment #249Im sure it was mentioned on sky sports recently that Owen has a slightly better record that 1 in 2 when he actually starts for us. Says it all really, playing for a team as uncreative as ourselves and still racking em up.
toonoholic
Jan 14, 2009 at 4:47 AM
Comment #250For 100 mn, we could buy ourselves two different starting XIs
Toon_Sydney
Jan 14, 2009 at 4:54 AM
Comment #251omg if its dossena ill kill myself
lesh
Jan 14, 2009 at 8:32 AM
Comment #252I’ve gotta say that although no great fan of Ashely and having tried to justify some of his financial reasoning (eg not going daft with spend), I am flabbergasted that he can be so shortsighted not to realise that his investment more and more at risk.
It shouldn’t have to take Joe to point out that we’re just three points away from the big drop – a two year old can work that out – and that would end any hopes of a realistice offer for the club. Surely he cannot be so blind not to see that the squad is lacking in both quality and quantity – KK said that last summer and Joe’s said it since day one!
One wonders what the role of Executive Director, Football entails – is it not his job to deal with football matters? If it is and he’s still focused on long term prospectsm, then he is to coin a phrase, fiddling while NUFC burns!
And Llambias? What’s he for? Is it not his role to manage the business for Ashley and protect hi investment? If it is then he, like not-so Wise is failing miserably.
Sorry Mr A, we can’t avoid the fact that times are tough for the vast majority of clubs but fans pray that you will see flames licking around your investment and come to your senses….. pleeeeezzzz!
Give Joe some credit, he’s clearly not a spendthrift, hear what he’s saying – he’s a brave, and I guess, a very disillusioned man that you’re going to p*** off big time. Mr Ashley, do you want him to walk too?
Wake up!!!
Nick D
Jan 14, 2009 at 8:38 AM
Comment #253We have so many injuries because Kinnear’s training is rubbish.
Surely tonight he could stop whinging and give the following a run: Ranger, lua Lua, kadar, Tozer, Krul, Xisco, Spear.
The Real Entertainers
Jan 14, 2009 at 9:20 AM
Comment #254Nick D
This is not the first time we have had numerous injuries and Kinnear was not in charge then.
There is clearly a problem at Newcastle United and it needs looking into.
Are the medical staff up to scratch ?
Are the training facilities what they should be?
Or could it be that our squad is so short on numbers, we are playing players that are not 100% fit and causing even bigger injury problems!
Of course it may not just be one problem and there may indeed be a mixture.
However this AGAIN needs looking into.
The Real Entertainers
Jan 14, 2009 at 9:33 AM
Comment #255I once again dont understand Ashley’s thinking.
After all the whooha in the summer and the prospective sale, times have changed.
Ashley is keeping the club
and
He wants to move ‘FORWARD’.
However with plenty water under the bridge and the Jan’ window now open, he has had a great opportunity to win some fans over.
Surprisingly i’m not talking about signing new players. Of course this is an obvious way to win over some fans and one i’m not apposed to !
But there are other ways to show the fans your not just biding your time to leave and truely support the club.
1) Yes, the broken record: Talk to us! If not you, then get that overpaid moron, you call a managing director to speak REGULARLY to the fans.
2) Get yourself back to the games! Controversial, i know, but although not all but a growing majority would accept it. It would show unitity, after all we are Newcastle UNITED.
2 very simple and cost free ways to show you are with us and are not looking to distance yourself from the club, if indeed you still want to be the owner of OUR club Newcastle United.
sirjasontoon
Jan 14, 2009 at 9:49 AM
Comment #256This was the last chance Ashley had to win the fans over again…i.e. spend some cash and back a manager.
This clearly is not going to happen “expensive”loan signings…that made me laugh and scream at the same time.
The writing is on the wall now and time is running out.
ASHLEY OUT!
P.S I did not expect world stars to be queuing up at the club..just decent players that want to fight and survive in the prem.
sirjasontoon
Jan 14, 2009 at 9:51 AM
Comment #257To have to call a meeting to explain the current emergency the club faces just shows how far removed the board must be from both the club and the fans.
It is nothing short of criminal how far this great club has slipped since the Ashley takeover.
xisco biscuits
Jan 14, 2009 at 10:08 AM
Comment #258sirjasontoon…
two good posts there mate, i couldnt agree more!! my patience has finally gone. i have a feeling that my mind wont have been changed by feb 1st and this window will be the straw that broke the camels back. we are a f**king farce!!
THE MAGPIE
Jan 14, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Comment #259The strategy has been clear for a while and im suprised people are suprised by what is going on.
The idea is to finish 17th on goal difference staying in the Premiership and then sell the club in the summer and if he cant sell it then the same next season and the season after until he does sell it. There will be no investment and there is no ambition apart from survival.
Tom_Toon
Jan 14, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Comment #260.
Sav
Jan 14, 2009 at 11:41 AM
Comment #261You’re right, The Magpie, and sirj and Xisco’s bickies….but its the level of desperation and humiliation we sink to. Its like watching an accident in slow-mo. All Toon fans need rubber necks.
Strategy? Thats a good’un.
Tom_Toon
Jan 14, 2009 at 11:46 AM
Comment #262..