Alan Pardew has opened the lid, just a little bit, on his relationship with Newcastle owner Mike Ashley.
Mike Ashley – wants top 10 finish this season
The manager has admitted that the Newcastle Board have made mistakes in the past, and they know it too, but Alan, being the positive person he is, just wants to push ahead and build a good side for the Newcastle fans.
There is an ESPN interview for the Newcastle v Arsenal game tonight that Alan has given, which will be worth watching, and this is some of what Alan says about the Newcastle owner:
“I didn’t really have a relationship with them when I first came, it was reported that I had, but I hadn’t.” “It’s the same as anything, you learn the slight differences in people the more you get to know them.”
“One thing I’ve learnt about Mike is that success drives him. If you look at his companies, that’s what he wants.” “And he does it in a way that sometimes can be brutal and harsh, but my job is to manage that, sometimes when he goes in that mode.”
“He wants to be a top 10 team, and he wants that this year.” “I say to him what I think I need and he’ll argue that, but ultimately he wants to bring success to Newcastle like he has with Sports Direct.”
Hopefully we can do that, but we’re not going to do that by paying over the odds and trying to compete with the likes of Man City. “
“This is a unique club, its got history about it.” “We have owners here who have made mistakes, and therefore you can always be critical about the club, but what you can’t be critical of is the passion that’s here, that will always endure.”
“It will endure through the players and will endure today.” “The passion in the terraces will go onto the pitch, and you’ll never beat that.”
Newcastle fans don’t want the club to pay over the odds like we have done in the past, and indeed some of the recent acquisitions we get in the transfer windows have been good.
When you consider Mike Williamson, Cheick Tiote, Yohan Cabaye, Sylvain Marveaux, Demba Ba and young Mehdi Abeid came in for a combined fee of around £9M, that cannot be bad.
But there are times when the club will have to pay say a £10M fee to get a really good player, and we’d like to see more of that.
It could have been that Newcastle were willing to pay close to that for Gameiro or Erdinc, but they couldn’t get the players to come to Tyneside.
But even though this summer has been one of upset at Newcastle, if the club can now get in Erik Pieters to replace Enrique, and a good second striker, and if Joey Barton moves on, then bring in somebody to replace him, then this transfer window will have been good, even though the club haven’t spent much money.
So things could be an awful lot worse than they are, and that’s the truth, and by the way a win today (and even a draw) and I’ll get out that Merlot, and there could even be more spelling mistakes than usual in the reports!
Howay The Lads!!
Comments welcome.
18 comments so far
TemuriKetsbaia
Aug 13, 2011 at 1:00 PM
Comment #1He looks like a kemp fold
roshan MAGPIE
Aug 13, 2011 at 1:05 PM
Comment #2i am sure they will sign a left back but still doubt about a stricker
ochytoon
Aug 13, 2011 at 1:05 PM
Comment #3Is that a whif of BS I smell
Thump
Aug 13, 2011 at 1:08 PM
Comment #4say to him what I think I need and he’ll argue that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifpb55bXkrg
Seems Kev was spot on.
Thump
Aug 13, 2011 at 1:11 PM
Comment #5http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifpb55bXkrg&t=2m7s
Whoops, forgot the time code.
MrToon
Aug 13, 2011 at 1:15 PM
Comment #6@3
thats not bs you smell, its the shit he’s backing out in that photo
MrToon
Aug 13, 2011 at 1:16 PM
Comment #7the kid behind him does not look the slightest impressed by the smell either
Hugh Jorgan
Aug 13, 2011 at 1:23 PM
Comment #8roshanMAGPIE@2 I think we will bring in a STRICKER soon
shearermania
Aug 13, 2011 at 1:26 PM
Comment #9whats wrong with you tossers …pardews is trying to have an accord with us fans – he is telling it the way it is….and still you slag him off…..theres no way he can win…try get behind the team and the manager instead of all the constant negatism….im not saying you should support fat mike but atleast look at things in a less objective matter
ronjohno
Aug 13, 2011 at 1:26 PM
Comment #10Not for one minute do I believe that he did not know Ashley before.
I really wish journalists/reporters would actually put him on a spot instead of just willy nilly accepting his answers.
Does anyone seriously believe that Ashley out of the blue thought about Pardew for manager. Something just had to be going on.
thebionicMAG
Aug 13, 2011 at 1:27 PM
Comment #11CASH is what drives Mike Ashley on…
Thump
Aug 13, 2011 at 1:31 PM
Comment #12@shearermania: Because these people love a martyr.
Drona
Aug 13, 2011 at 1:39 PM
Comment #13Russ Wiseman of ESPN going for Newcastle,QPR and Swansea to be relegated before even a ball is kicked.
Thump
Aug 13, 2011 at 1:54 PM
Comment #14@Drona: Soccer Saturday has been quite pleasant about us so far. They reckon the three relegated teams were QPR, Swansea and Wigan iirc. Wasn’t listening that much tbh.
Rotonda heights
Aug 13, 2011 at 2:10 PM
Comment #15Roshan
always with the strickers !! STRIKER (NO… C !!)
cupiddstunt
Aug 13, 2011 at 2:17 PM
Comment #16Ed I was going to suggest you and AP were stating the obvious by the claim Ashley is driven by success but in reading some of the comments on your blog it is not really so obvious to many.
A billionaire has to be motivated/driven it’s what separates them from us, as for ”thebionicMAG”s statement of “CASH is what drives Mike Ashley on…” shows quite clearly that some on here just have no idea.
Sports Direct make 200 mil in profits he hands back 95 mil in bonuses to the workers that shows money is not his god.
Power, success and winning, for them to be seen as winners is the driving force behind billionaires, if you doubt me read some biographies and you might begin to understand, for MA to sell NUFC on before he has elevated the club above its previous standing would be seen by him as a failure.
I personally think he is out to prove you can have a successful football club without throwing hundreds of millions at it ala Chelski and Manky City. If he can get NUFC up to top six without the spend of the top six then he is better than them by doing it on less so he is better “a winner”
Herman89
Aug 13, 2011 at 6:31 PM
Comment #17Mixed thoughts here i do not like Ashley but i like the way hes going about not paying overinflated transfers like we have in the past examples Owen,Luque,Boumsong to name a few who came took they wage packets and done sweet FA.
If he can get the club to a situation like say arsenal have of being self sufficent then thats great.
However………
I still think we need more quality up front and maybe another centreback along with Pieters.
I agrre with what hes doing but i also believe he needs to spend a bit more money.
Graeme
Aug 14, 2011 at 8:13 AM
Comment #18Ed, whats with this “second striker” nonsense??
We need a main striker, someone who can lead the line, who knows where the goal is and can deliver 15 – 20 goals a season. We NEED a proper Number 9.
Shola clearly proved yesterday – he will never be a Striker, in the true sense of the word, as long as the hole in his arse points downwards – he just doesn’t have what it takes. Ba had some nice touches but he and Bambi are too similar.
We have had over 7 months to replace the No. 9 and we sure do need him NOW!!!!