The majority of Newcastle fans were upbeat after Mike Ashley’s Sky Sports interview given one hour before our last crucial game of the season against the Hammers, when the Billionaire owner said he would not be selling the club at any price, and that he now wanted to win something at Newcastle.
Surprise, surprise.
Ashley and Charnley at West Ham game
Mike said we were in good shape financially, but that was only the job half done, and that we now needed to use that money to build a good side at Newcastle, so we could win something.
That’s basically the message he gave in his first interview since he bought the club eight years ago, and this is the poll we conducted after the interview.
Are You More Positive On Newcastle's Future Following Ashley's Interview?
- Yes (55%, 3,094 )
- No (45%, 2,517 )
Total Voters: 5,611
And then three hours later after Newcastle had for once played very well and won our first game in over twelve weeks ny beating West Ham 2-0 – the Newcastle fans were happy enough as they headed to the bars to celebrate we were still a PL club.
The first chance of Newcastle showing some ambition came over the last two weeks, with a number of very good young coaches available, and the fans were hoping we would bring one of them in.
But it seems Mike didn’t pass on the new strategy to those who are selecting the new head coach – Lee Charnley and Graham Carr – and it looks like they have moved back in for Steve McClaren, who was sacked by Championship club Derby last week.
They could have done worse – they could have appointed John Carver to the head coach position, so these days we have to be thankful for small mercies.
But not many fans think Steve is the answer – around 30% according to our poll.
Do You Want To See Steve McClaren As Newcastle's New Head Coach?
- No (73%, 6,518 )
- Yes (27%, 2,462 )
Total Voters: 8,980
And since it looks like John Carver will continue to be the assistant manager, his star has fallen dramatically on Tyneside, after he looked inept and way out of his depth this year as the interim head coach.
Should John Carver Now Get Head Coach Position?
- No (97%, 9,064 )
- Yes (3%, 233 )
Total Voters: 9,297
It’s difficult to see how Steve will be any better than Alan Pardew, who bolted at the beginning of the year and then his new club Crystal Palace gained a massive 19 points on Newcastle in the remaining 19 games of the season.
Palace were third bottom when Alan left Newcastle and we were 9th top – but Palace finished in 10th place and we finished 15th, after moving up two places in the league table with that last day victory.
So hopes of Newcastle changing for the better and becoming more ambitious are starting to take a dive with Newcastle fans, and after a mediocre coach is coming in, we’ll have to hope we can bring in some good players.
But the way Newcastle have looked over the last six months of the season – inept in almost every way even in the way they told Jonas and Taylor they weren’t getting new contracts – it’s really hard to see why any top player wanting to join Newcastle United this summer.
We hope we are wrong on that, and there’s still ample time for Charnley, Carr and McClaren to bring in some top players this summer.
After the huge disappointment on the head coach position, we are still hoping the club can sign some good players before September rolls around, but if that doesn’t happen, fans have every right to again question the ambition of the club.
And while we are disappointed that it looks like McClaren is coming in – we still want him to be a huge success at Newcastle, and that’s not impossible.
What we need is to have the 2011-2012 season all over again, when we finished in 5th place.
Comments welcome.
24 comments so far
sing in the corner
Jun 5, 2015 at 8:40 AM
Comment #1From previous
Carver… If this man has any shred of self respect surely he would not accept being reduced to the ranks, taking up his old 1st team coach role working for SM or anyone else at NUFC. The players he blamed his own ineptitude on on a weekly basis will be trooping past him in the dressing room every day… ? Just slink away you embarrassing failure.
Blackley and Brownlie
Jun 5, 2015 at 8:47 AM
Comment #2A run of stories about this target and that target who NUFC are well placed to sign. Followed the next week by a run of stories about the same targets who are not for sale at any price, don’t want to move anyway or are favourites to be snapped up by Spurs. Give us a break.
Slank
Jun 5, 2015 at 8:51 AM
Comment #3Sing @ 1
What we don’t know is whether Carver really turned some or all the players off him with his ‘coaching’ and public utterances that may still be there when the new head coach arrives which may cause friction that the new head coach will certainly not want.
If it does exist then all the head coach has to say to Charnley is ‘it’s him or me that has to leave’.
Lew Davies
Jun 5, 2015 at 8:51 AM
Comment #4aha ha ha ha ha ha
it’s going to be one hell of a summer
NezzaNUFC
Jun 5, 2015 at 8:53 AM
Comment #5Start on the coaches as soon pre season starts, this is the only way to be heard, we didn’t do this with Pardew and look how it turned out.
Now we have SM and JC who don’t deserve to be at Newcastle United Business Front, something needs to be done now rather than leaving it to late AGAIN.
sickandtired
Jun 5, 2015 at 8:54 AM
Comment #6@ED -“It’s difficult to see how Steve will be any better than Alan Pardew”
That’s rich, coming from the same man who does nothing but slam the Pardew.Out and AO movements at every opportunity you get!
expatmag
Jun 5, 2015 at 8:55 AM
Comment #7What about a cheeky bid for Soldado?
Couple of decent wingers servicing him and his confidence and goals could blossom.
Blackley and Brownlie
Jun 5, 2015 at 8:57 AM
Comment #8What a Billy Bullsh1t club. How can it attract top players? No ambition. Incompetent. Even the training ground is second rate. What happened to all the money that was supposed to be going into that? More bullsh1t.
Toon Tang
Jun 5, 2015 at 8:58 AM
Comment #9“The majority of Newcastle fans were upbeat after Mike Ashley’s Sky Sports interview”
May I ask *WHY* ???
nut meg
Jun 5, 2015 at 8:58 AM
Comment #10When NUFC sign players it is never about ambition.Sell on value yes,necessity yes but ambition……. NEVER.
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Jun 5, 2015 at 8:59 AM
Comment #11See bookies are not convinced we are staying up/not in a relegation battle next season.
Three teams that came up favourites to get relegated
then Mackem 9/4
followed by Villa, Leicester, WBA, and the TOON al at 4/1
and Palace at 5/1
sing in the corner
Jun 5, 2015 at 9:00 AM
Comment #12Slank
Yeah I can’t believe Carver can still be at the club no matter which way you look at it. It can’t be good for the club for all last seasons reasons.
But the club ethos is one of a very tight knit jobs-for-the- boys network, which seems to surmount all ‘petty details’ such as outright incompetence and failure (namely Carver, Charnley Stone, Woodman, and, although it pains me to say it, Beardsley to name but a few). Its all at your door Ashley. Make those calls, pass the phone along. It’ll only take about 30 seconds.
I hope, but don’t expect, they are all dispensed with.
NezzaNUFC
Jun 5, 2015 at 9:00 AM
Comment #13SM can’t handle the pressure when it comes from the fans and this will cost Newcastle, DON’T renew season tickets, DON’T attend any games home and away and STICK it to the staff.
But like what my father said before he sadly passed away ( and a Sunderland fan ) that the so called true geordies and massive fans are nowt but cowards ( they talk the talk but can’t walk the walk )
Blackley and Brownlie
Jun 5, 2015 at 9:02 AM
Comment #14Old Blackley can’t believe some of you lot picking possible signings and making squads and then selecting a starting 11. Hello. You’re not gaming online now. This blog is all about NUFC. It’s not about Real Dynamo Fantasy Club of Newcastle.
sparky55
Jun 5, 2015 at 9:06 AM
Comment #15some b@st@rd has rubbed out that fcuking line again and the only bloke that’s gonna cross it is the man with the pushy white-line painty thing.
I hear Berbatov’s available on free and he had a newcastle shirt with a picture of shearer in his bedroom for years as a young lad. If we throw in a zimmer frame we must just get him over that line if the bloke with the pushy white-line painty thing ever turns up again.
catchy in norway
Jun 5, 2015 at 9:07 AM
Comment #16sick and tired
wow, whilst I don’t think I would chose Steve Mac over Vieira , I do think he is ha good coach, and for you to say he is not much better than P45, just shows you know nothing about the man or his style.
there a lot of coaches I would chose above SM, but Remi is not one of them, I think he is no better than steve mac, nor has he got that Star quality that could convince other players to join like Vieira,
at man u SAF was the manager, but they won the treble while Steve was the no2 there, he took all the training sessions,
he did very well at boro 7th 2 times and a cup,
he won a league title with a club that is not one of the big teams in that league, and yes he has failed at other clubs too, but NUFC have to take some of the blame for this Derby failure, he had them flying in the first half of the season. then the players just stopped playing for him..
he is a coach id give a chance to.
but I would not give him any chance of success with the back room staff he has right now. and that’s the only thing wrong I see with this whole thing.
spitfire_
Jun 5, 2015 at 9:12 AM
Comment #17Toon Tang
When for 8 years you eat sh!t, when someone give you a low quality bratwurst, you think that they give it to you a steak.
Big Archie
Jun 5, 2015 at 9:19 AM
Comment #18Aye. A couple of weeks down the line and he still hasn’t brought in Mouriho and Ferguson to manage us and Hazard, Messi and Ronaldo are still yet to appear at training.
That Ashley’s a real git!
ashleysmate
Jun 5, 2015 at 9:19 AM
Comment #19I reckon McClaren will be cheesed off by the whole setup come the winter and we’ll be left with mr c to sort it all out…again
Moonraker15
Jun 5, 2015 at 9:27 AM
Comment #20Ambition? We don’t even get a mention on Sky Sports at the moment when once we were always headline ness. Ashley and Charnley are destroying the brand but more importantly our good name!
I’m baffled how this man made so much money in retail !!!!
Moonraker15
Jun 5, 2015 at 9:29 AM
Comment #21*news
Toon-Prodigy
Jun 5, 2015 at 9:39 AM
Comment #22It’s almost like they shoot themselves in the foot on purpose to stay a mid-table club and shelve any kind of ambition, it’s really frustrating to watch it unfold over and over again.
I hope the squad is sorted out properly and no more limping to the finish line because of injuries and suspensions.
Give us 20 top players and bin the mediocre ones who really shouldn’t he anywhere near an NUFC shirt.
mactoon
Jun 5, 2015 at 4:58 PM
Comment #23Toon-Prodigy // Jun 5, 2015 at 9:39 AM
It’s almost like they shoot themselves in the foot on purpose to stay a mid-table club and shelve any kind of ambition,
Prodigy- I’m not being funny but you do realise that they have admitted that is EXACTLY what they are doing right?
NUFC officials quotes to the fans forum:
‘cup games are not a priority as it could lead to fixture pile up’
‘we dont want to be in Europe as it could lead to relegation’
‘We want to stay in the Premiersip where the money is’
Apologies if you were being ironic!
l3wy
Jun 5, 2015 at 7:58 PM
Comment #24MA’s sky sports interview was nothing but bs, just a pr stunt to stop all the protests against him, it worked!