When Freddy Shepherd was running Newcastle, the club were famous for bringing in big name older players to Newcastle to finish off their careers.
Didier Drogba – could be leaving Chelsea
But a lot of those big names, like Patrick Kluivert, as one very good example, were way past their best, and only looking for a big pay day late in their careers.
Former Bobby Robson protegee Andre Villas-Boas, could well have a clear out this summer as the new Chelsea manager and Drogba could be on his way out of Stamford Bridge.
But any news that Newcastle will even try to bring 33 year-old Didier Drogba to Newcastle should be dead in the water, and a complete non-starter.
The player turns 34 next March and is hardly at his very best, but the main thing is that he is not the future of Newcastle, and the club are more keen on bringing in youngsters who could blossom into the new Didier Drogbas – and that seems good to us.
Now a signing that would really excite Newcastle fans today would be getting in – as just one example – 25 year old German striker Mario Gomez, whose a full 8 years younger than Drogba, and still to reach his prime, and could do that with Newcastle over the next several years.
That’s what we would call an exciting signing.
It appears that Blackburn’s new Indian owners are acting very much like Freddy Shepherd did, when he effectively ran the Newcastle club as the Chairman for 10 years, before Ashley bought the club in June of 2007, and Freddy was always looking for big name signings, even though most of them were way past their prime.
31 year-old Ronaldinho is now way past his best, and was one of those that the Blackburn owners wanted earlier this year and they were willing to pay him huge wages, as a trophy signing, but he eventually ended up at Brazilian club Flamengo.
There are a lot of things we don’t like about the way Mike Ashley runs Newcastle, but one of the good things is the way the owner is getting some sound financial control of the club, in terms of getting a handle on the wages, and also looking for good bargain buys.
Thse buys can either be for players who are free agents, like Demba Ba and Sylvain Marveaux, or players who have release clauses in their contracts like Yohan Cabaye and maybe Neil Taylor.
Ashley is not daft enough to pay huge wages to a player, who once was one of the world’s best strikers.
Comments welcome.
45 comments so far
Marty-Toon
Jun 28, 2011 at 5:25 PM
Comment #41You guys can say what u like bout him but he`s been and still is 1 of the best strikers in the PL.
Naming him and Kluivert in the same sentence is shameful however as Kluivert never showed ability like Drogba even outside the PL and was a disaster when we got him.
Although we don`t need a guy of his age and wages on the books but he would still score 15 goals+ a season even at his age.
As we have seen at Nufc throughout the years is a lack of a good crosser except for Gillespie and our strikers had to do it for themselves ie Shearer.
Hopeefully that`s over with these supposedly creative players
Lynxie
Jun 28, 2011 at 6:05 PM
Comment #42Drogba is on his way out. Errrr, hellooo McFlyyyyy!! Shefki Kuqi, Sol Campbell, peter Lovenkrands??? Jesus, Drogba can score goals for fun. Put him as main man with Benny, marveaux Cabaye etc feeding him, he will bag a shed load. You win games by putting the ball in the onion bag, not having a collective age quiz. he is 32 for heavens sake. Even if this is a bit of conjecture and fun, get real. Sjhla or Drogba. Hmmm decisions decisions. Christ on a bike.
Lynxie
Jun 28, 2011 at 6:06 PM
Comment #43And by the way, Kluivert lived in Greggspastieland when he was here. Absolute disgrace for a footballer.
Lynxie
Jun 28, 2011 at 6:10 PM
Comment #44Sorry all. That was meant to be shola by the way. Spazz fingers strikes again.
laurits90
Jun 28, 2011 at 7:23 PM
Comment #45I think we should go for drogba if available. He has one season left _at least_ and is much better than loven, best, ameobi etc…
I think we should sign a young striker + drogba (again.. if available).
But it’s not gonna happen.. didier drogba to nufc? get real……………