Derek Llambias has explained how and why two of our players, Charles N’Zogbia and Shay Given, left the club in January.
Zog – joined a more ambitious club at Wigan
Llambias told the Evening Chronicle today about Charles N’Zogbia:
“Since I’ve been here Charles was always trying to get out of the club.”
“He seemed to have this delusion that he was going to Arsenal or Man United and he’s ended up at Wigan.”
“What’s all that about? It makes you think what are his motives.”
We were not unhappy to see Charles leave for Wigan, and it will not be long before he tells Steve Bruce he wants to move to Arsenal, because they are after him.
The lads nuts, and he causes too much distraction from club business and onto himself – and we were not unhappy to see him leave Newcastle.
At least it now prevents Andy Carroll from hammering on him again in training.
And speaking on Shay Given, Llambias added:
“The Shay situation was really difficult for us – he was an icon here, he was like Alan Shearer.”
“We didn’t want to lose that. “We never wanted to lose him.”
“We emphasised that to him. “Mike Ashley flew into to see Shay and tried to make him realize how valuable he was to us.”
“We want to continue working with Shay on his Macmillan charities.” “We don’t want to lose this relationship with Shay and I’ve made that very clear with the charity.
“It’s unfortunate, but what can you do when a player wants to leave? “It’s no good having a player sitting in the stands, what can you do?
“It doesn’t do anybody any good.”
We can almost guarantee that if Derek had come out after the Liverpool games, and said everything about what’s going on at the Newcastle club, that he’s revealed this week, Shay would have still been here.
You cannot over-communicate at a club like Newcastle United, but you can seriously under-communicate, which is what Derek and Mike have done since September. But hopefully that mistake is now behind them.
But it was too late for Shay, and Given’s gone, and it’s a huge loss to Newcastle.
But on the bright side, Steve Harper has every chance now, in the next few seasons, to show he’s almost as good as Shay, and we hope he’ll do just that.
Of course he’ll have Tim Krul and Fraser Forster both breathing down his neck for the first team goalkeeper jersey very soon – which is good. 😀
Comments welcome.
38 comments so far
RyanToon
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:04 PM
Comment #1yh great lamb madras, cheers for you lies
Pons Aelius
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:05 PM
Comment #2Ha Ha!
You’re deluded Zog.
Saying that I wouldn’t be surprised if he does end up at Arsenal one day.
Micky Toon
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:17 PM
Comment #3“We can almost guarantee that if Derek had come out after the Liverpool games, and said everything about what’s going on at the Newcastle club, that he’s revealed this week, Shay would have still been here.”
Ed, do you really think that this would be the case? The players probably already know what we are just now being told, so I can’t agree that Given would still be here.
By the way, I like the iphone version of the site.
bennytoon
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:23 PM
Comment #4You make it sound as though wigan is a step backwards when in fact they have a very good team there . They have a good owner who backs a good manager. I see it as a sideways step to a team that could finish in the top 10.
RyanToon
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:35 PM
Comment #5hope nzogbia enjoys wigan, as much as i enjoyed the fact he was going 🙂
jordi
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:36 PM
Comment #6Why do Llambias’ views differ so greatly from those of Given?
Given slated the board after he left and said they could’ve done a lot more to keep him.
Who do you believe?
RyanToon
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:37 PM
Comment #7Llambias added: “There is £8m there (from January transfers) and it will be spent in the summer, as will the next instalment (£4m) for James Milner. Mike isn’t afraid to spend money out of his own pocket either.
bennytoon
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:41 PM
Comment #812 mill isnt going to buy you the sort of players the fans want. Looks as though it will be players like jo ledley, fox and other unheard of 1st div players. How exciting. Thats if you stay up of course!
Micky Toon
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:50 PM
Comment #9benny – as a wind up merchant you’re pretty poor, but no doubt someone will bite, soon enough.
Bill F
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:57 PM
Comment #10Nowt wrong with championship players plenty of them step up to the EPL with no problems. I can think of several I’d like the Toon to sign.
Stardust
Feb 11, 2009 at 2:58 PM
Comment #11Benny – how are your finances underwritten – any idea?
cooldj
Feb 11, 2009 at 3:03 PM
Comment #12ed, the sources i read were that zoggy banged out carroll
MAG PIE
Feb 11, 2009 at 3:10 PM
Comment #13Zoggy’s agent Willie Mackay of Chimbonda (and Boumsong) fame. That’s enough to unsettle or unhinge any young lad, away from his home country for the first time.
I’m afraid we reaped what we sowed there – we nicked him cheap from Le Havre (I think) – karma.
Kash
Feb 11, 2009 at 3:20 PM
Comment #14@Stardust – Why do you ask how SPurs finances are underwritten?
The Real Entertainers
Feb 11, 2009 at 3:49 PM
Comment #15I know people who working with Shay along side his charity McMillan’s and they aparently have told me Shay did not want to leave and the club were squeezing him out.
If this is true i can understand why they did it, to bring in transfer funds, particularly when we are strong in the keeper department. I would be more disappointed if the club are not telling the truth.
I just want honestly and clarity from now on.
I think i may be asking for too much
Stardust
Feb 11, 2009 at 3:53 PM
Comment #16Kash – I just did?
TRE – Shays not gonna say – oh I want to pee off and leave you high an dry is he lol – think Shay would have more to be embarrassed about leaving the Charity there than the club selling him. Good to see the club have left the door open on that there though.
workyticket
Feb 11, 2009 at 3:56 PM
Comment #17“We can almost guarantee that if Derek had come out after the Liverpool games, and said everything about what’s going on at the Newcastle club, that he’s revealed this week, Shay would have still been here.”
No ‘we’ can’t. That’s poppycock. Given almost certainly knew alot of this anyway. £86,000 per week was what did the job.
ObaMartins
Feb 11, 2009 at 3:56 PM
Comment #18I fail to see what mistakes they are Holding there Hands up to, they blame, Keggan, millner,N’zogbia,Given,Zabeel and any other person or Company they had dealings with….i dont believe One word of it “POOPAGANDA” at its best
workyticket
Feb 11, 2009 at 4:01 PM
Comment #19The Real Entertainers, if they were “squeezing him out” why did he have to put in a transfer request to get away? This wasn’t advantageous for the club.
Whumpie
Feb 11, 2009 at 4:14 PM
Comment #20Poopaganda. Good word.
Ed – agree with you on all points – Zog: good riddance to the little loony; Given – shame, but possibly a good thing in the long term.
Not sure you can say Given would definitely have stayed had the comms been better, but there is a pattern forming that suggests the NUFC board are very prone to letting problems fester when a good, timely chin-wag would put them right. Amateurish stuff that Londers excel at.
Stuart79
Feb 11, 2009 at 4:17 PM
Comment #21I have been Ashley’s biggest critic but I’m now prepared to give him another go.
It looks like all the money that should have been spent on new players to improve our p1ss poor squad has been spent paying for the signings of the past 3 years!
So maybe Ashley has been spending money on players!!
See how much we spend in the summer if were still in the prem. I’m expecting a hell of a lot, because we’ll need to as we’ll have no players left!
Kash
Feb 11, 2009 at 4:19 PM
Comment #22@Stardust – I asked why did you ask? Whats the relevance of how there finances are underwritten?
mikep
Feb 11, 2009 at 4:31 PM
Comment #23They keep saying the plan for NUFC is to be an Aston Villa. Does Villa have a DOF.
Stardust
Feb 11, 2009 at 4:40 PM
Comment #24Ah Kash – just wondering about the long term future and what the impact will be if they continue to underperform.
STUART!!!!!!!!!!
“Stuart79 // Feb 11, 2009 at 4:17 PM
I have been Ashley’s biggest critic but I’m now prepared to give him another go.”
My God am I DREAMING lol!
jimiley
Feb 11, 2009 at 4:48 PM
Comment #25IF we stay in the Prem, expect the average gate next season to be about 35K. Most of the season ticket holders I know are not renewing because of Ashley. I’ve been a holder for 40 years but will not renew. I will not put money in that man’s pockets any longer. When he has gone and the Cockney mafia with him (I include Joe Kinnear ex Spurs player I shall return). And don’t tell me that staying away hurts the team. The club is knackered whisl MA is in charge. He is asset stripping the club. Lambias has said we are in serious danger of relegation and that the money we have banked will be spent in the SUMMER??? What Mr Lambias… after we get relegated?? Crazy!!! Can you believe anything this owner and his cronies say??? So sad that a great club has been reduced to this!!!
jimiley
Feb 11, 2009 at 4:52 PM
Comment #26Why does Given at 33 want to leave NUFC after 12 years? Because the club is knackered and we know who to blame.
bobby_ollox
Feb 11, 2009 at 4:57 PM
Comment #27jimiley – what are you talking about man. The numbers are there in black and white – WE ARE STONEY BROKE – Ashley has put in more than he said he would, and 3 times what he ‘asset stripped’ from player sales.
Glad to know that 15000 of your mates have confided in you that they arent going to get season tickets – you can have a tea party on saturday afternoon instead.
For gods sake this is so frustrating
jimiley
Feb 11, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Comment #28bobby ollox
I don’t know what the gate will be next year if we stay in Prem. Im guessing. I am basing this guess on the fact that 8 of my friends who are long term season ticket holders are intending to give up on ASHLEY and on the commentsof people around me at the ground. It may be more it may be less but you can be sure that it will be less than the 47K average this year. Many supporters are fed up with MA and his lies and will refuse to pay him any more cash for his ailing Sports Direct business. When hes gone, I’ll come back. I support NUFC but unfortunately at the moment that means underpinning his businesses whilst the club spirals downhill.
jimiley
Feb 11, 2009 at 5:08 PM
Comment #29Bobby ollox
Whatever MA has put into the club he will more than get back when he sells up. Like all the other owners. Get behind him? He better hope I don’t walk past when he is on fire.
bobby_ollox
Feb 11, 2009 at 5:11 PM
Comment #30How come it was so bloody hard to get a ticket for the WBA match on saturday then.
Freezing cold, £40 a ticket, credit crunch – and the tickets were still all sold out.
workyticket
Feb 11, 2009 at 5:17 PM
Comment #31jimiley, I quoted Mark Twain yesterday and he was right so I’ll do it again
“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”
Some of us were, and still are prepared to rip our club apart over lies printed in a newspaper. We trusted their words more than those of our own club and made ourselves look like a load of ignorant bigots in the process with all that ‘Cockney’ stuff. Yet we puff out our chests and call ourselves “the best fans in the country”. No one else thinks that anymore, we are universally regarded as the worst and Newcastle is now a byword for stupidity and insularity, and that’s thanks to idiots like you. Thanks alot.
bobby_ollox
Feb 11, 2009 at 5:27 PM
Comment #32well said workyticket.
Jimily – you should really turn your venom on the people who got us into this mess – the directors who took millions and millions out of this club each year while it was losing money.
They committed the season ticket money (that you and your contrary mates are going to pissup a wall instead of giving to the club ) to pay average players stupid amounts of money. Them not ashley – he is paying off the NUFC credit card bill that Freddy Sheperd maxxed out.
To be honest – I would rather go to a half empty ground anyway than listen to you and your 15000 mates who dont understand jack shit shouting for the cockney mafia to be put on a stick . At least those that are left would be really supporting the club.
Toon_Ksk (Huh? u mean David Craig is real?)
Feb 11, 2009 at 5:40 PM
Comment #33Since Given has left, his charities should be supported by the fantastic fans of Man City and their generous owners. Alternatively, he can make use of his pay-rise at Man City to fund those charities.
Either way, he has little to do with us now. Just an ex-player, but more disgustingly, will be playing against us in the future.
stevep
Feb 11, 2009 at 6:08 PM
Comment #34well said workyticket – this buch of idiots posing as fans really pee me off.
reillers
Feb 11, 2009 at 8:54 PM
Comment #35Funny that thought came into my head there not so long ago.
Good of them to say that in fairness. Given cares massively about the chairities and in fairness NUFC have always been very supportive.
The Real Entertainers
Feb 11, 2009 at 8:56 PM
Comment #36Workyticket
I asked the same question about the transfer request.
Aparently thec lub asked him to do it, they were at a stand off !
The Real Entertainers
Feb 11, 2009 at 9:01 PM
Comment #37Stardust
You make a reasonable argument as usual.
But is it not also reasonable Newcastle looked at the Given situation, saw a player not 100% happy, knew Man Citeh would offer a lot of money which was needed for transfers else where in the squad because we had a very good goalkeeper structure at the club.
That with the fact if we did not lose Harper or Given then we would lose Krul and keeper they have spent alot of time progressing and as a youth product a player close to Ashleys long term plan ?
The Real Entertainers
Feb 11, 2009 at 9:08 PM
Comment #38Workyticket
Dont write us all off with one clean swipe my friend.
The one thing is clear amongst the fans and that is we are all unclear about the future of our beloved club.
We as fans show our support in many ways, some are more optimistic and understanding than others, but such is life.
As a clearly passionate fan yourself and like the vast majority of us we want the club back were it belongs, at the top.
The byproduct then will be the fans, the best fans in the country.
To quote Mark Twain again regarding the status of Newcastle United fans:
The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.