Alan Pardew has finally come out and said he was furious with the Newcastle Board for not getting a striker in before the transfer window closed.
Derek LLambias – his job to get players in
As we had suspected, Alan felt badly let down by the Board on the last day of the transfer day, and felt that when 6:00 pm rolled around, the club were in trouble.
If you remember, that’s when we started to hear reports that they were after targets who were obviously not their top preferred targets, so things didn’t look good.
One was Papiss Demba Cisse and the other was Bryan Ruiz of FC Twente, who was on his way to Fulham, and those bids were always going to be too late and too desperate and fail.
And fail they did.
The Newcastle fans of course were simply furious the next day, and they had every right to be, with the net transfer outlay for the summer being close to a big fat zero.
But as we had thought, Alan is too mature to throw his toys out of the pram, and he laid low for almost a week, spoke to the Newcastle board in no uncertain terms, and has moved forward.
This is what Alan said today:
“I’ll be the first to admit I was upset on the day, the day after and the day after that too,”
“I feel that with the timescale we had, we should have got a striker over the line.” “Some of the enthusiasm we’ve generated with our start has gone now with the signing not coming in.”
“It was key to keep the momentum going and in some ways we’ve lost that.” “There’s been some scaremongering about this and that – but this is a fantastic job and I understand what the fans want.”
“They want a team 100 per cent committed to the black and white jersey and 99 per cent of the time I think they’ve had that.” “I’m disappointed and genuinely feel for the fans because a striker would have made the jigsaw complete.”
“We’ve made a great start, but that final piece we couldn’t find.”
And we’ll say what Alan will not say, the Newcastle Board are incompetent and the sooner Newcastle get somebody in who has vast experience in football, to replace Derek Llambias as the head executive at Newcastle, the better off the club will be.
Derek LLambias is simply a business associate of Mike Ashley, and has no qualifications whatsoever to be in the position he is in at Newcastle.
And Alan has to be very careful that he doesn’t come over too critical of the Newcastle Board, because he doesn’t want to damage the working relationships in place, but it’s obvious to most fans who was responsible for the debacle last week.
Alan talked about how he spent the last day of the transfer window:
“I was with the club secretary almost the whole day, waiting for faxes and information.” “We had two agents working for us in France and Derek as well.”
“I was monitoring that and was also on the phone making sure we didn’t miss any other potential targets but at about six o’clock I felt we were in trouble.”
“There are difficulties in today’s market, especially with young strikers who have got potential.” “That’s what we were targeting and they’re the hardest type to get over the line.”
We had thought Alan was badly let down by the Board and another manager would simply have walked away, but it says something good about Alan Pardew that he didn’t do that.
In fact he handled himself very well through the calamity, and the Newcastle Board will get another chance to bring in some good players in January, but quite honestly, we will not hold our breath.
In the real world, when people are as incompetent as Newcastle were last week, they get fired, but of course football is not the real world.
Certainly not for the players, and it seems not for executives either.
Comments welcome.
30 comments so far
Starnufc
Sep 9, 2011 at 9:10 AM
Comment #1this is what makes me like pardew at first i was worried he was a yes man but i feel he is moving us in the right direction and dragging the fatman along
Scottiedog
Sep 9, 2011 at 9:24 AM
Comment #2Sorry Ed, Pardew furious????? He said he was upset but understood that the board needed to get the right kind of player than just wasting money.
hartoon
Sep 9, 2011 at 9:25 AM
Comment #3pretty sure no-one wants pardew to leave and I hope he does stay to see out a long contract with the club but it’s too much to wish for at our club as we generally expect to have a new manager every 6 months.
Pardew is just a very professional man and of course he isn’t going to bad mouth the board because that isn’t going to help anyone out.
One day they will sell the club, i think ashley is just banking on a decent season to raise the asking price so he can go neutral with his investments or rather profit as the 35m seems to suggest.
MacToon
Sep 9, 2011 at 9:25 AM
Comment #4It’s difficult trying to build the team on bargains, long term croks, buy-out clauses and free signings. Sometimes money needs to be spent on the right people.
I wonder if Carr feels all his hard work has paid off this summer?
Not just a missing number 9, we’ve got very few central defenders as cover especially while Willo is injured. We will trust to luck and hope we get no major injuries or suspensions.
geoff777
Sep 9, 2011 at 9:27 AM
Comment #5@starnufc
I’m not sure Mr Ashley will be dragged along anywhere.
More that he’s dug his feet in and he’s an immovable object.
Pardew’s strings are stretching, as he distances himself from the board.
Criminal that fans are paying lots of their hard earned cash to watch Best, Ameobi and Lovenkrands for another season.
Huish69
Sep 9, 2011 at 9:37 AM
Comment #6We are stuck with with got so hope we can get 3 point on monday and push on
tanmag
Sep 9, 2011 at 9:42 AM
Comment #7For godsake Alan … please top saying ‘over the line’ !
IrishMagpie
Sep 9, 2011 at 9:44 AM
Comment #8Ok, another bul***it headline by ED.
Pardew never said he was furious. Just disappointed.
I’ve been on this blog since it started but it’s seriously gone down hill since it reopened.
I haven’t been on here in weeks, just got here today following a link from the headline on twitter.
Ed has gotten more negative, his headlines are regularly misleading , his style of writing is amateurish and the repetition of certain phrases really does my head in.
Add to that the fact that most people ( and i say most because there are about 4 or 5 on here who know what they’re talking about ) who post on here come across as uneducated morons who would rather bitch and moan about everything than actually support the club.
Bad combination. After years of following this steadily declining blog, I’m out.
JimmyToonToon
Sep 9, 2011 at 9:44 AM
Comment #9We’re up Sh!t creek without a paddle if any of the back 4 get an injury. But the Toon always get by (apart from 09/10 season) and after Crimbo we will see more and more reserves getting a game in the first team because of injury’s.
My opinion of Pardew has totally changed and I totally agree with the above comments.
HWTL
beardsleys chin
Sep 9, 2011 at 9:49 AM
Comment #10a na, am sick of all the bloody negativity at the moment on here. A love this blog, dont post very often cause of time. But jeebaz man, get behind what we have and SUPPORT the lads speshly when we take on qpr. A effin detest the board and a hope pardew is being honest, am still not sure.
Angryman the Angry fan
Sep 9, 2011 at 9:50 AM
Comment #11Irish Magpie
Woaaaaa. Easy
ED is giving his take on things at the club, as YOU come on here and give your Take on things at the club, as I come on here and give Mine!!
Bit harsh to say the least there mind lad!!
And as for you being out??? Traaaar…..
wynsleap
Sep 9, 2011 at 9:57 AM
Comment #12“The final piece we couldn’t find”?
Why don’t you just say the truth Pardew, “The final piece we wouldn’t pay for”.
Ed says “Another manager would simply have walked away. It says something good about Pardew that he didn’t do that”.
Come on Ed have you also thrown in the towel and being taken in by this lot?
Pardew wouldn’t walk away because:
1. He wouldn’t get a job anywhere else with his track record, or
2. He has ‘financial obligations’ to the board (if rumours are true, or
3. He has a cushy number here as long as he can continually feed the fans with Ashley’s BS.
The whole regime is full of lies, contempt and spin and need to removed as quickly as possible in whichever way possible.
sirtoongospel
Sep 9, 2011 at 10:05 AM
Comment #13wynsleap, he has said that. Read the piece on BBC Sport. he said that he put targets in front of the board, but that financial decision wasn’t made. He also asaid that the criticism directed at the board had validity. He has laid the blame at the door of the Owner and the board, and rightly so. I for one think that Pardew is doing a great job, confident enough to have an opinion, respected by other managers and players, but not childish enough to walk away.
GS
Sep 9, 2011 at 10:22 AM
Comment #14Wynsleap:
I also think if he walks they don’t have to pay up his contract but they do if they sack him.
Tiote
Sep 9, 2011 at 10:22 AM
Comment #15What’s overall feeling with pardew? Has he finally won majority ov fans over? Ano hes won me over a quite like the bloke
flash
Sep 9, 2011 at 10:34 AM
Comment #16Hm something contradict itself here. We heard previous that Derek ready to board the chopper to head to france to sign Madiga lad. Now we here he worked in France. is it just me or do those 2 statements contradict itself?
John
Sep 9, 2011 at 10:44 AM
Comment #17Look we could have splashed out on pasis cisse, ruiz, or marigia, and it still mite not have worked out theirs no certainies in football especially in the EPL look at Torres at 50mill 1 goal to hes name Michael Owen was the same at 17mill complete waste. We still have the money we can go again in Jan and try get the best possible deal4 what little money we have it should be put to bed now.
TOONALE
Sep 9, 2011 at 10:51 AM
Comment #18Irish Magpie
Twitter????
Do not bang the door on the way out.
toonincheek
Sep 9, 2011 at 11:23 AM
Comment #19Irish Magpie – Goodbye.
Yes, a few posters posting the same negative comments time and time again is tedious – but –
Comments on Ed way out of order.
Ed – You are a star.
wynsleap
Sep 9, 2011 at 11:32 AM
Comment #20sirtoongospel@13 – I hear what you are saying but still think “The final piece we wouldn’t pay for” is a little stronger and more truthful than “that financial decision wasn’t made”. That statement could have meant “we ran out of time”, “Mike mislaid his cheque book”, “We haggled too long” etc.
GeordieToon89
Sep 9, 2011 at 11:53 AM
Comment #21Irish – a guess your an incompetant moron aswell then considering you’ve just said people that come on here to only bitch and moan are morons? and yet you’ve just done exactly that with your comment regarding ED and his headlines, you really need to think before you speak/type..
Lee Dodd
Sep 9, 2011 at 12:14 PM
Comment #22We all Know that if a Player is Up for sale at £10 Million we will offer 7 thats just the way ashley is . So farr we have done well 7 Points from 9 so lets hope with H.B.A Back we will be able to push on !!! I Still think The squad is Better than Last Season Now– But Lacking a Quality Striker !!!!
Robby Bobson
Sep 9, 2011 at 12:32 PM
Comment #23Pardew couldnt have made it more clear yesterday….he said he gave the names but the financials couldnt be sorted. I think thats probably the furthest he could go.
I also liked how he didnt hide from the fact derek had 7 months to get it sorted.
Munster Mag
Sep 9, 2011 at 12:44 PM
Comment #24I dont wish to lose an Irish Mag on this site – we NUFC boys are hard core over here, and have mostly been attacked for not supporting MUFC and Liverpool all our lives! In fairness though, there are quite a number of immature tools on this site. Its about time a lot of them copped on about Pardew and stopped slagging him off as a puppet. I and may others having been saying for ages now, he’s no puppet. And replacing Hughton with him was a smart move, if unfairly timed. He’s simply better, and he’s no wimp either.
shamsoftabriz
Sep 9, 2011 at 1:13 PM
Comment #25Waiting for faxes? What is this? 1988?
Premiership Manager
Sep 9, 2011 at 8:04 PM
Comment #26Board incompetent???
We may not like the way they are running the club and I’ll agree that their public relations skills are sadly lacking however looking at the bigger picture are they really doing a bad job?
We no longer pay OTT for quality players. The players signed so far have been good players at bargain prices on a reasonable salary.
The players we have let go have either made a profit, broke even or cut the outgoings of the club considerably.
It may hurt to admit it but the club is becoming financially stable, attracting good young players with potential and as far as I can see we are moving in the right direction.
We sold Carroll, Nolan and Enrique but it was good business and we didn’t really have any options as the players themselves wanted to leave.
When Ferguson built Man Utd and Wenger built Arsenals squad it didn’t happen over night.
If you look at the players we have, the depth of the squad all we are currently missing is a 20 goal a year striker, a CB and a left back to make one hell of a squad.
We have plenty of utility players who can cover a variety of positions and some very promising up and coming players.
If more people supported the club instead of actively trying to undermine th board and players we’d be a lot better off for it.
Changes take time and despite all the negativity the club is moving in the right direction.
It’ll be interesting to see who we do sign in January but we need to sign the right players at the right price and not rush into buying player C because player A and B don’t want to play ball.
VanBasten
Sep 9, 2011 at 10:46 PM
Comment #27@ Premiership Manager . Well said. I think the strategy implemented is a great one moving forward. Buying cheap or undervalued players at a younger age who don’t command high wages and that could turn into great playes whose value will increase, is a winning formula. Especially, now when you have Financial Fair Play in action.
A solid foundation is being layed out that will take at least 1-2 more seasons, . And when you think of the bigger picture, Newcastle are only 2-3 playersaway from having a really great team (best in over 10 years?). If lucky, that number could further decrease in a few months’ time (Jan transfer window) when they hopefully secure at least 1 or 2 players.
After all, Rome was not built in one day, and for the first time in a long time I feel the club actually has a goal & vision to pursue. I’m very excited about the future and will support the club 110%. Hope you all will do the same. The lads on the pitch deserve it!
davo
Sep 10, 2011 at 2:28 AM
Comment #28Hang in there Pards. I think you’re slowly changing public perceptionwith the mojority of fans,what i mean is i think we’re starting to view you as one of US rather than being one of THEM.
stephen1971
Sep 10, 2011 at 9:33 AM
Comment #29i agree premiership manager, i,ll add that we have a quality youth system now also, time to let some young guns come through , i,d start sammy with best for qpr,
i,ll be the 1st to admit i thought pardew was a puppet but now you can see that he was being promised himself from the board , now he,s been let down a few times you can see he,s not a puppet and he,s throwing the blame back at them instead of looking a clown
heavenfire
Sep 10, 2011 at 2:00 PM
Comment #30Like yourself, Ed, I’m reluctant to criticise, but in this case there is a fine distinction between the individual (who I don’t mean to criticise) and his performance (which I do). Derek Llambias clearly has his abilities, but I suspect that negotiating in the football market isn’t one of them. As a succesful negotiator myself some time back, I’ve seen a lot of people who think that getting a good result is all about brinkmanship and pushing for that “extra 5%”. Such a blunt approach to negotiating might work when you’re buying something in a market in which there are plenty of other suppliers, but when there’s a limited supply; when there’s good knowledge of what you (the buyer) are looking for and how much you need it; when you’re buying people and their contracts rather than office supplies – the approach needs to be a bit more refined. Mr Llambias just doesn’t seem to be the negotiator that a football club needs. Give him your thanks, Mr Ashley, but let him go and bring someone in who knows football and football people.