Some revealing comments from Alan Pardew today regarding some players he has been after this summer.
Charles N’Zogbia – too expensive
It turns out the Journal is reporting that Pardew wanted Charles N’Zogbia, as one example, and Charles also came recommended by talented l Chief Scout Graham Carr, and the same was true of Blaise Matuidi, the defensive midfielder at Tolouse.
But both deals were judged to be too expensive by the Newcastle hierarchy, and Alan said only yesterday that Charles would not be coming to Newcastle.
Alan Pardew has a tough job at Newcastle, because he is the man – the only man in fact apart from the players – who goes before the press to answer all questions on the club, even though he doesn’t control the purse strings and other things.
Our concern is that the last two seasons we have been short on numbers, and with only two more players supposedly to be brought in this summer. then we just don’t see the size of the squad being any bigger.
Alan Pardew has said the squad is improved from last season, and he’s probabaly right on that:
“All three of the players who have come in are what I would consider first team players.”
“So if you put them into the mix plus Hatem Ben Arfa and Dan Gosling coming back from what we had last year, we have improved considerably.”
“Going into the season as we stand now, I think we’re a little bit stronger than we were in the second half of last year.”
“Hopefully, if we get another striker in, we’ll also be stronger than we were in the first half of the season. That’s where we are. I think the additions we have added will add some intelligence to our play.
“Particularly Yohan Cabaye, who’s a really intelligent player. I think you’ll see a slightly different Newcastle to last year.”
But we must have a bigger squad than we’ve had last season, and we just don’t see that happening unless more players are added to the squad this summer.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
79 comments so far
Robby Bobson
Jul 15, 2011 at 10:56 AM
Comment #41Newcastle mole…the training ground was undersoil heating, which dont cost 35 million
macn0ble (Finland)
Jul 15, 2011 at 11:00 AM
Comment #42@JohnnyBrookes
Yes, we’ve lost 23 goals from last year but just because the way we played. This is also why we did not win more games. The negative and one route style cost us games.
Pardew has said again and again that we’ll see different style this year and that way I’m positive we will see more goal scorers. I’m not sure if we need another striker unless we get ridf of Best and Ranger. Shola is the one we REALLY SHOULD GET RID OF. Hopefully he’ll drop off next year once his contract closes.
On thing is certain. We need to get rid of José fast.
Paul P
Jul 15, 2011 at 11:07 AM
Comment #43I am disgusted by it all. 4 summers of exactly the same.
No wonder king Kev went and he was right to do what he did.
If Ashley wanted to make any money the team would be improved
Meaning higher finish in the league, more tv money, European money etc. No ambition at all.
hisnameisjonas
Jul 15, 2011 at 11:08 AM
Comment #44They dont want to be spending 12 mill on a winger, when we got 5 who can play in the same position and 15 mill on a midfielder where we have the biggest cover. They are trying to use that money on a striker and a cover for fullbacks. LIKE WE NEED.
Davies
Jul 15, 2011 at 11:15 AM
Comment #45I remember a time when we complained about the lack of communication from the club. Currently, I’d welcome that silence back wholeheartedly.
Can’t wait until the window shuts, whatever we have left, and we can just get on with watching some football.
Anyone got any ideas on who our striker targets are?
Would be very funny to see the club get someone really expensive in after all the negativity we’ve had this window. Not having a pop. I’m a satire fan.
Angryman the Angry fan
Jul 15, 2011 at 11:17 AM
Comment #46What about the Bore hole?
Chrism
Jul 15, 2011 at 11:24 AM
Comment #47Come on guys where is the evidence that we have even bid on these two- as far as I can see its just more speculation and paper talk , guaranteed to wind up the Geordie Nation or at least some of it. Ireally dont get all the anger thats about either, this club has been in far worse situations in the past and survived them ! (but what do I know I have only supported the club for fifty years lol). On a happier note will be taking my 7 year old daughter to the Darlo game tonight . Its her first game so I hope its a good one.
Angryman the Angry fan
Jul 15, 2011 at 11:24 AM
Comment #48Eeeesh I just had a funny as frig thought.
Only Jabba the hut can sell the fact that he bought a hole to Stuart, otters, davybumtoon etc!! ahahahah
tynesidetommo
Jul 15, 2011 at 11:29 AM
Comment #49It sure is a game of two halves – Fat Freddie spent big money on players while Fat Ash refuses to stump up a mere £9m for Zog.
I gave up my season ticket cos I had no faith in Ash & Co. Admittedly we have brought in some quality at bargain basement prices but there are occasions when the club has to dig deeper and pay the going rate. Can’t see that happening any time soon. It’s one thing being prudent but quite another being a complete cheapskate.
tynesidetommo
Jul 15, 2011 at 11:32 AM
Comment #50And another thing. I’m very unimpressed with AP’s quote re chelsea. If ever there was a “bid £15m and he’s yours” come-on that was it.
Jimay
Jul 15, 2011 at 11:34 AM
Comment #51dmac…of course I mean Vuckic 🙂
Desange
Jul 15, 2011 at 11:42 AM
Comment #52Regarding the training ground and undersoil heating, it doesnt cost 35milion and surely we had undersoil heating before? mental exucse
Re wages, as mentioned above wages comes out of shirt sales, merch extra,
Also we have freed up loads of wage buget by letting nolan and AC go so thats complete rubbish too
Re paying agents. if we have spent 35m on agents fees then we are idiots. more lies
Im pretty sure in the last 5 transfer windows we have been making profit on transfers, at some point we need actually reinvest the money and not just pretend that we have giving bulshit excuses
finally if i hear one more time that ben arfra and gosling are like new signings im going to scream! we signed them ages ago, they were injured, could get injured in the future, we still need more players to increase the squad size
2 strikers? one proven, one youth
1 right winger if we are losing routledge
1 lb back up or first team depending on enrique situation
1 central defender
RJM
Jul 15, 2011 at 11:48 AM
Comment #53Where anywhere does it say that N’Zogbia and Matuidi were too expensive for us?
wynsleap
Jul 15, 2011 at 11:48 AM
Comment #54It’s good to see the fans who can actually see what Ash is doing to this club finally outnumbering the Ashley supporters and apologists on here.
I sense things are turning around and the fans who crave success on the field rather than a healthy balance sheet (which only suits the Controller) are having more of a say.
I really can’t believe those supporters who back Ashley, and to a lesser extent Pardew, when the official statements are consistently proven to be blatant lies.
Whichever you dress it up this club will never EVER prosper under this fella and his puppet and if all the Ashley lovers are still happy to be talking in a few years time about healthy balance sheets and never ending 5 year plans etc. then more fool you.
The clubs that will be spending money (and still in debt)will still have won things and will STILL be winning things while we’re continuing to debate Ashley’s “true” intentions and congratulating ourselves on “still having a club to watch”.
Unfortunately the unblinkered fans know what his “true intentions” are. Run the club as cheap as possible and HOPE that it stays in the Premier League. The man’s a gambler – gambling with our club – yet there are many who are happy to sit back and endorse that.
For Hell’s sake – wake up and smell the bull….t!
Chrism
Jul 15, 2011 at 11:55 AM
Comment #55I think I must have wandered on to the wrong blog ffs I thought it was about football
joppadoni
Jul 15, 2011 at 12:00 PM
Comment #56well im looking forward to tonights games. will let you know how the new guys do.
also, again, please stop whinging on this blog.. i dont endorse ashley as some say, i just get on with supporting the team i love and hoping the useless complaining and whining on here will stop.. ive never seen anything like it in my life. i feel like im surrounded by infants..
Jimay
Jul 15, 2011 at 12:01 PM
Comment #57Wynsleap, why is it wrong to run a club in a healthy way? Why do we need to spend megabucks that we don’t have? Why is it that we need to buy megastars for this club as we have done before?
I say that Arsenal have been run in a healthy way and they have been close of winning trophies…hence the word close.
What is wrong in bringing in Tiote type of transfers which are cheaper and less wages in demands as long as you bring them in. It does not have to be megabucks signings ala Owen or Carroll or Torres like transfers.
I think the club is progressing in terms of playing the transfer window in a calm and sense way. When you have the chane of making a bargain…go for it, otherwise bide your time.
Many have before spoken of judging the club once the transfer window shuts and I will to. But until then I am still hopeful that we bring in some more players but still no megabucks transfer.
joppadoni
Jul 15, 2011 at 12:02 PM
Comment #58also ive never seen so many accountants blogging on a football blog.. lol please dont bother telling me where money goes its of zero interest and you havent a clue anyway. you have the right to your own opinion and keep it that way. to yourself..
Jimay
Jul 15, 2011 at 12:07 PM
Comment #59Joppadoni, since when have this been a blog about football. Even the headline incline that his article is not about football but money.
numba9
Jul 15, 2011 at 12:10 PM
Comment #60spent nuthin but the nolan money, carroll money is still there, i agree with nufcblood, how can nzog b too expensive now at 9 but was bidding more in jan on him>?? how can we not replace carroll , pardew has only been employed to do jabbas lieing and be a puppet as hughton was at first, chris deserved more in the end and realised it. get a spine pardew and then this club may have a chance of progression. and players who dont want to sign a contract then dont we have the money to look elsewhere anyway !! or do we not have to mention that mr ashley and llambs ass????? get the cockney mafia out
Davies
Jul 15, 2011 at 12:10 PM
Comment #61I think a lot of people are forgetting the dreaded second season syndrome. Whilst it shouldn’t be the be all and end all of our transfer dealings, it has to be considered.
Barring about six teams, no team in the league is safe from the drop, as we have all been made painfully aware in the last couple of years. Hull and Birmingham have, in recent years, made a decent fist of surviving their first season back up(okay, we helped Hull out by being sh1te, but they gave a lot of teams a bit of a shock when they came up), but then got ditched second time out, and we all know what happened to Leeds after they overinvested before and after getting dropped.
This isn’t to say we shouldn’t be paying good money for the right players, but surely we should be just a little bit careful?
I am getting tired of the inconsistent information coming from Pardew. He should maybe only be commenting on things that have been confirmed. We’ve done some decent business so far. Perhaps it would be best if he focussed on that when he speaks to the press.
Oleg G
Jul 15, 2011 at 12:22 PM
Comment #62WHERE IS THE 50M TRANSFERS MONEY?
WHERE IS THE 50M TRANSFERS MONEY?
WHERE IS THE 50M TRANSFERS MONEY?
WHERE IS THE 50M TRANSFERS MONEY?
WHERE IS THE 50M TRANSFERS MONEY?
WHERE IS THE 50M TRANSFERS MONEY?
WHERE IS THE 50M TRANSFERS MONEY?
WHERE IS THE 50M TRANSFERS MONEY?
If people have any self respect, they will now show up for any game until this BS is explained fully. You support the team? Well, think about the future of it. This is what you want to get from your owner? Crap?
Oleg G
Jul 15, 2011 at 12:24 PM
Comment #63now = NOT! of course.
joppadoni
Jul 15, 2011 at 12:29 PM
Comment #64headlines disturbing really as the journal said no such thing… seems to me eds stoking the doommunger fires..
ck1978
Jul 15, 2011 at 12:38 PM
Comment #65As far as i’m concerned it’s the same old smoke and mirrors from Ashley! The man could not lie straight in bed!! There was never any hope of him spending the Carroll money on new signings and a certain Kevin Keegan said this a few months ago (first hand experience with the man)!! It is always going to be the case while he is at the helm that we’ll be in for this player and that player but when push comes to shove Mike Ashley will NOT pay big fee’s or wages! I’m all for getting rid of the dead wood and pushing the young players like Vuckic, Ferguson and Kadar etc through now as its the only way they’ll ever prove there good enough. Yes the club is heading towards a more secure and financial setting and it is something that all clubs must address eventually as the way the transfer market/fee’s, general running of clubs living beyond there means is quite simply unsustainable…. however you have to spend some money to improve if your ever going to be anything other then a team that just makes up the numbers in the premiership or even worse relegation fodder (and I know none of us wants to go down that road again!!!). Our squad is too small… that is fact!! We are in a position where if a player leaves then he has to be replaced and we should be looking to improve. We are a massive club with world wide following, a global brand with massive revenue. At the moment though Mike Ashley is doing what he always does… pushing the self destruct button. There is no doubting he is a good business man… he is definitely not a football man though!!! Newcastle fans should be grateful for him buying the club as Shepard was running it into the ground but Mike Ashley is not the man to take this club forward and the sooner someone takes it off his hands the better!!
NathanH NUFC
Jul 15, 2011 at 12:58 PM
Comment #66I’m disappointed, but i understand what MA means, N’Zogbia, who has 1 year left for 9M is a lot of money, personally if i was MA i’d have paid it. Matuidi on the other hand, who plays for St. Etienne… is 15M, when realistically we don’t need him, because we have Tiote…
Still disappointed with Ashley, needs to get his act together & spend if he wants the club to move forward, but i have a sneaky feeling he wants to save in case we have another January crisis…
solano
Jul 15, 2011 at 1:04 PM
Comment #67You should see the half inch copper pipework at Benton, Angry – a really top job and worth all our transfer kitty. It’s enough top bring a tear to a glass eye.
tonesy25
Jul 15, 2011 at 1:08 PM
Comment #68Everyone talks about being sound with the finances etc but to be honest Football clubs now cannot be run like that with the wages and fees paid out to get players there is no club in the land could afford the top players now even with the TV money, a full stadium etc.
So we will be the most stable club in terms of money but its not like that other clubs that have bad accounts are just going to be thrown out the league are they? so what is all this fuss about getting the accounts straight by not spending a penny?
If Ashley wants to make money (why he does when he has more than people will make in there lives) then a football club is not the thing to try and make money on, the other clubs that have rich owners never talk about making money from them, it is just like a play thing for them to use some of there money on rather than buying houses and fast cars etc.
I could go on all day but the simple fact is as a Newcastle United fan i am very disappointed at the way the club is being run and managed at the moment, the fact Nolan was let go because of his age is just an excuse he scored goals for us, and who is going to do that next season? as there will be injuries there always is and we are buying some injured people already so knowing our luck as Newcastle they will be injured at some point next season and so who is going to step up then? the reserve team?
wynsleap
Jul 15, 2011 at 1:11 PM
Comment #69Jimay (57) “What is wrong in bringing in Tiote type of transfers?”
Absolutely nothing wrong in it at all but it seems that we can’t even spend a million now on a player. Three or four “Tiote type” purchases would be fantastic but it would seem the door is now closed to spending any more – and that’s just not acceptable.
CK1978 (65) – couldn’t agree more – especially your last comment!
It seems that Ashley (rightly) can value his employees but deems the supporters of his club (who actually outlay good hard earned money) shouldn’t be similarly rewarded – in this case with ambition to take this club forward.
solano
Jul 15, 2011 at 1:24 PM
Comment #70Charlieboy too expensive for us…..so the January bid was a red herring afterall and the
Apologists are proven wrong (again)…..thank God, some have had the good sense to admit their mistakes, say enough is enough and fight the good fight. Those still defending the indefensible liars are fools and are below contempt.
dave 1961
Jul 15, 2011 at 1:59 PM
Comment #71Jimay the point is we do have mega bucks, now is the time to invest in the players we know are going so when we sell the replacement seamlessly falls into place, we need goals & without them we are doomed to relegation, hardly rocket science, goals do win games, we cant keep a clean sheet, so to get 38 point we need 38+ goals and just to stand still we need to replace 23.
Jimay
Jul 15, 2011 at 2:25 PM
Comment #72Who is saying that we ain’t going to invest more. Judge it on the closure of the transfer window and not comments made by the manager at this moment.
Level 7 Hero
Jul 15, 2011 at 2:51 PM
Comment #73For the past week i havnt bought any newspapers, havnt had Sky Sports on or been on this blog because i’m so frustrated with NUFC transfer situation at the minute, but now i’m craving football, the Copa America wont do, devastated i couldnt get tickets for Darlo tonight.
At the start of the window we got Ba, Cabaye and Marveux and i was delighted, thought we were really guna have a good summer in the transfer market, i didnt expect world beaters but shrewd buys and using the 35M well to rebuild the squad, for some reason i actually believed in Pardew in Ashley for a week or 2. THEN he started giving the series of interview/phone ins explaining how the 35M was for transfer fees, wages and training ground. Is this for real?
Now i’ve argued his point because for some reason I like Pardew as a person but the more i think about it, its absolutly ridiculous. Why do these journalists not ask the questions we all want the answers to:
1). If the 35M Carroll money is our transfer beudget for this season, does that mean without it, we would wouldnt hsve a transfer budget at all for this summer? Was there not money in place for transfer this season before we sold Carroll?
2). If the 35M is for wages for new players, where is the wages off players we have sold or released.
Carroll + Nolan + Campbell + Kuqi = 120K per week.
Cabaye + Ba + Marveux = 120K per week (MAX).
That should cover the new arrivals wages, no need to take from transfer budget.
3). Wheres the 20M Ashley promised yearly?
4). Pardew said we’d sign 1 or 2 more players… In another interview he said we need a direct replacement for Nolan, a new left back and a striker…. CAN HE ADD UP?
5). Much much more….
I used to think chill out we have time on our side, but Pardew has catagorically said said all this!!
If Pardew came out and went… ‘Mike just wants a new yacht, a holiday in Benidorm and a new plasma TV’ i’d kinda half accept it, its just the fact they think the fans are stupid.
Sorry for the essay but thats a weeks worth of frustration out!!!
ONLINE GUY
Jul 15, 2011 at 2:52 PM
Comment #74Indian Magpie
Your Slagging off Keith Harris just like you slagged off me when I told you a few days back that I spoke regularly to one of Ashley’s Friend’s..
You said I wanted the attention ,,I don’t Need the Attention Indian Magpie. I already get that from MY Family and my Company ..I employ 12 People in My company and I get all the Attention I need from them.
Also just to Inform you that it is Keith Harris that I speak to from time to time,,and you know what ? He is without doubt One of the finest, most decent, honest, men I have ever had the good fortune to Meet and speak with
I want Ashley to sell and get out of Town.
I also Believed every word Kevin Keegan said a few months back and he has been proved totally right .
Now before you ever slag me off in an unprovoked attack again via this blog remember this .
.I think you are an idiot .
wynsleap
Jul 15, 2011 at 3:34 PM
Comment #75Go on Level 7 Hero – let it all out.
Just the kind of questions we should be asking the hierarchy to answer or at least getting the Chronicle to do it for us.
Regettably there are too many only willing to roll over and die or let Ashley tickle their tummies.
Pathetic!
rossc.ad
Jul 15, 2011 at 3:54 PM
Comment #76I’ve been reading this blog and all the comments for a very long time and thought i’d finally post something, mainly its come out of frustration, I know some of you guys have probably been supporting the club longer than i’ve been alive and it’s a frustrating pass time, but so is reading the glaring contradictions people make on this blog everyday.
In one article someone will post a comment about how we never give the youngsters a chance, and then in the another post the same person will say we need to be buying 4 or 5 more players. Which would of course block any chance the youngsters had of first team action.
N’Zogbia for example, yes he would be great to have back, but having him in the team would block Shane Ferguson’s progress, and i think for alot of us seeing how Shane lit up matches during the final part of the season it’s possible to picture Shane becoming even better than N’Zogbia and with a much much better attitude, low wages, and no transfer fee.
Vukic is another example, for at least a year people have been posting saying when is he going to get his chance, well if we keep buying mid-fielders it won’t be anytime soon. But space is beginning to appear, Nolan has gone and for a good price
I did find it funny that in the month leading up to Nolans departure, when everyone was posting there fantasy teams, nolan was on the bench of every single one of them, not enough pace / creativity / too old you all said …. yet as soon as he was sold people where up in arms!
People talk about changing the defence, why for so so long those same people have been saying that what this club needs is stability, for the first time in god know how long last season we had a defence line up that played together week in, week out. And stupid mistakes where cut back drastically, in truth many of the stupid mistakes i saw came when the defence was having to adapt to having Harper, then Krul, the Harper, then Krul again behind them due to injury. Anyway let that stability continue and let Travaner and Kadar push for a place. I personally would love to see Simpson have some strong competition and I think Travener will do that this year.
Yes we do need a striker and the club has made that a priority.
And Finally yes i know 35 million this, 35 million that. On day one of the transfer window how much money did we and every club in the world think we had to spend … 35 million. Today when the bids are actually starting to flow and players are starting to move, how much do you and all the other clubs think we have …. absolutely no idea, we have been so ambiguous with how much we’ve spent that when we put in an offer for a player the club don’t know if that bid is half of our remaining budget or the whole damn thing. It makes sense, and so far i haven’t seen a bad buy, but i’ll be holding finally judgement till the end of the window.
ToonArmyThomas
Jul 15, 2011 at 4:00 PM
Comment #77Would anyone like Keisuke Honda if we don’t get Charles N’Zogbia, if its the one i’m thinking of he was the great Japanese player at the world cup? Fast,young and talented. Just seen on SSN that Blackburn are after him, if i was Pardwho i’d try steal a move for him!
joppadoni
Jul 15, 2011 at 4:11 PM
Comment #78@73 you can pay on the night at he stadium you dont need to get a ticket…
MAApologist
Jul 15, 2011 at 6:08 PM
Comment #79Larger squad ? If I remember last season the problem was once we had injuries and suspensions the bench was populated with “kids” not my word!
Larger squad I was led to believe meant more players of 1st team quality and if we forget AC ( yes I know that is impossible) then only KN has left and at this point we have 3 ( 1st team quality ) players in and if you wish to believe AP we will have another 1 or 2.
This does not take into account Jose but I think only he knows what will happen there.