Newcastle captain Kevin Nolan has been talking about his pal Andy Carroll today in the Daily Maul, a day before Newcastle meet Liverpool at Anfield.
Andy Carroll – in training at Liverpool
It will be a tough game for Newcastle, but if they can play with the spirit and skill they played against Manchester United, they could even take something out of the game.
But if they play like they did at Blackpool last weekend, Newcastle will come away with nothing tomorrow.
Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan were good mates while the two were on Newcastle’s books, and of course Andy stayed at Nolan’s Ponteland house as part of a court order lat October.
The Newcastle captain seemed to be acting as a mentor to big Andy, who had got himself into trouble more than once with the police.
The £35M the club got for Andy Carroll is supposed to be used in the summer to bring in new players, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Some Newcastle fans are waiting to see exactly what happens, and are may not yet be convinced that the money will be invested into the playing squad. We’ll know soon enough.
Nolan thinks it was a good deal for Newcastle, as he told the Daily Mail this morning:
“We have proved we are not just a one-man band. People blame Andy for going, but you can’t really blame anyone.”
You can’t blame the owners for the money they got.” “It was for the best for the club. It’s worked out better that Andy has gone, although we’d love to have him still here.”
‘”We’d probably have a few more points and would probably build a team which was going to be great around him.” “
“We’re in such a fantastic position, let’s just see what happens. The money we got was astronomical.”
“He’s been a bit sheepish with me this week. He has been in touch and texted, but we are not giving too much away to each other.”
“He’s desperate to play and wants to see all the lads. In my eyes it’ll hit him when he sees Newcastle the team he grew up with and loved for so long, playing against him.”
We heard this week that Kevin has been very pleased with his contract negotiations, and that both Alan Pardew and the Newcastle Board have been good to him during the negotiations.
Kevin has also shown a certain solidarity with the club over the last few months, and Kevin is a believable guy, and it seems that things behind the scenes at Newcastle may be a lot better than they were during the relegation season – that’s good.
We don’t much care if Andy plays on Sunday in the 12:00 pm pm kick off game, but we think he will start on the bench at best, and then we’ll have to see how well the Newcastle defense can handle him, if and when he comes on.
It would not be good if he scores against his home town club, a club he says he still supports.
Comments welcome.
19 comments so far
giimps
Apr 30, 2011 at 9:47 AM
Comment #1Hes gone,
get over it !!
Plenty of positives in the team now !!
roshan MAGPIE
Apr 30, 2011 at 9:55 AM
Comment #2hope we will sign 2 strickers
toonfan09
Apr 30, 2011 at 9:56 AM
Comment #3andy carroll is gone u wud think he was still here he gets more articles on here than anyone else in our team
izak101
Apr 30, 2011 at 10:05 AM
Comment #4KEV Nolan – over the past 2 seasons has been outstanding. on and off the pitch. I’d hate to think where we’d be without him.
Carroll, Hughton, Pardew, Barton, Tiote, Enrique, Jonas, Ben Arfa, Ameobi, Collo, LovernK Williamson, Best and Harper, to name a few, have all played their respective parts this season and last.
Kev Nolan has done the lot. NUFC owe kev more than a new contract.
Improved Team spirit
Promotion
12 premier league goals and counting
a hat-trick against you-know-who.
I doubt we would have seen any of these things without KN
KN – MVP
GoalsBringSmiles
Apr 30, 2011 at 10:09 AM
Comment #5Perhaps as Nolan claims we ‘can’t blame the owners for the money they got’, yet surely this comment is predicated on the assumption that it will be reinvested. It is this kind of assumption that continues to blind supporters to the past evidence of Ashley’s transfer policy. In my eyes the business man is guilty until proven innocent given his track record in terms of reinvestment. Indeed, why the do-gooder ‘supporters’ commenting on these pages continue to wipe the slate with this Fat Cat beggars belief and often it seems that any who express opposition to the Cockney regime are labelled Ashley-Haters and therefore somehow regressive to the progress of this football club. Can a realist not have a say un these divided times? Perhaps we should change the tune and announce ‘we are the most fickle football supporters the world has ever had’ since our loyalties lie with such inconsistent management of the business of our club. I for one have not returned to St.James’ since the last time Ashley undermined a manager he had just appointed as I refuse to give the bloke my money in order to fund his sweatshops and gambling habit. Some may claim that regardless of the owner’s actions we should still ‘support the lads’, who are of course so loyal to us aren’t they? But again only time will tell whether Ashley can redeem himself but lets see how loyal our players remain if Ashley decides that the 35m is better used to help ‘balance the books’.
Mags
Apr 30, 2011 at 10:20 AM
Comment #6How does Nolan work that out? Beyond me! Nobody knows until such time as we can find and convince another couple of strikers to join us.
Can we also get something correct once and for all, we got £30m up front, not the full £35, when the balance is due and how I believe is as ‘add ons’
Brutooon
Apr 30, 2011 at 10:20 AM
Comment #7We got a leader at Kevin Nolan
We got defender lead by Collocini
Midfield run by Tiote and Barton
BUT we got sh*t Ameobi as a striker
benishiryo
Apr 30, 2011 at 10:24 AM
Comment #8sometimes i wonder if u guys really hate him that much or putting up a front. i’m nt from uk but i love him bcos he’s a born & bred geordie, once wearin the no 9. i cld feel the bond. yes he betrayed us, but i find myself lookin at his news & hopin he does well still. nt against us though!
north east lincs toon
Apr 30, 2011 at 10:27 AM
Comment #9can u remember strolla for england?
scdoty
Apr 30, 2011 at 10:32 AM
Comment #10@ GoalsBringSmiles
So you wont be watching the match on Sky Then?
He gets money from that as well.
GoalsBringSmiles
Apr 30, 2011 at 11:03 AM
Comment #11@ scdoty
Correct, I won’t be watching the match on sky, I prefer to watch the highlights on BBC rather than fund another corporation who manipulates clubs, fans and the game for the sole benefit of money.
However, whether I choose to watch the match on Sky or not, Ashley would still recieve the TV money. Unlike finance generated in ticket sales, the TV cash is UNCONDITIONAL (so long as we are a PL club) making your point invalid to my argument that perpetuated blind support could prove to be our clubs downfall to mid table mediocrity. Don’t get me wrong, Ashley can make everything right again he just needs to spend and do justice to this wonderful club and city, rather than confirming my worst (and wholly justifiable) fears that we are to be a conservative club, who balances the books by scouting, nurturing and then flogging our best talent.
thepict
Apr 30, 2011 at 11:53 AM
Comment #12I love NUFC, I support the manager and the 11 players on the pitch. I am sick of the way Shola get’s slagged off by certain people on this blog. Can we please support the 11 players on the pitch?
craig bell
Apr 30, 2011 at 12:17 PM
Comment #13why do people complain that he gets written about on here all the time. if your going to blame anyone blame the players cos hes just reporting on interviews the players n managers have said!
Sav
Apr 30, 2011 at 12:23 PM
Comment #14I’ll “get over it” when we find an adequate replacement no.9.
Our esteemed powner does not have a reputation for splashing the cash and the fact we know there’s at least 35 million sloching around in his wallet does nowt to bring closure. – Until then I’m like a jilted bride with my record stuck in the same old groove.
Darryl
Apr 30, 2011 at 12:24 PM
Comment #15nice to see you’ve removed that annoying ad, Ed.
@ 2 “Kev Nolan has done the lot. NUFC owe kev more than a new contract”
How can you owe a player more than a new contract? Seriously, credability gone.
He’s scored crucial goals, that what he is paid thousands of pounds per week for. It should be expected.
Robbanufc
Apr 30, 2011 at 2:40 PM
Comment #16Is it just me, or is AC9 wearing a sports-bra?
gorskino10
Apr 30, 2011 at 2:52 PM
Comment #17@giimps
To a degree but the rest will come on board once we have a “replacement” Liverpool fans have forgotten Torres cause of Suarez/Andy.
We need the same because im hardly “posistive” with Lovenkrants/Ameobi upfront, next season with a new striker/s who will score will then be able to get over Andy leaving.
Same thing for Jose if he goes and we get Chiek M’Beugue and get a few million to boot then we will be posistive mood as we have a good replacement inline, makes it easier to forget or move one when you believe you have got the better end of the deal.
solano
Apr 30, 2011 at 10:21 PM
Comment #18GoalsBring Smiles…..well said, my son…….your first post is bang on the money…….of course, you will now be branded a “negga” like your fellow realists….and get constant abuse about being “bigoted” “blind” and “thick”……..you’ve earned your wings though and have the backbone to stand up and defend your principles by not funding this disgusting regime…..
craig bell
Apr 30, 2011 at 10:21 PM
Comment #19Robbanufc
I was thinking the same thing haha