Newcastle spent £52M last summer on transfers and even when we didn´t have a manager the transfer business went merrily along with Graham Carr identifying the players who were coming into the club – whether they were necessary or not.
So we signed Gini Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Chancel Mbemba and Florian Thauvin whether the Newcastle manager approved of those transfers or not.
And since we are now second bottom of the league with three games to go and we brought in another four players for £29M in January, Newcastle´s transfer budget was not well spent this season.
That´s a massive understatement.
Managing Director Lee Charnley
It has shown up the ridiculous system that Newcastle have been employing, when the Chief Scout picks the players to come in, but is not held responsible for the performances of the team on the field – that´s the responsibility of the manager or should we say head coach?
This triumvirate – Chief Scout, Managing Director and head coach was apparently dreamed up by the woeful Lee Charnley and it hasn´t worked at all – in fact it´s been a complete disaster.
The Board and Mike Ashley are responsible for Newcastle´s plight this season and we are in imminent danger of another relegation.
It´s too early to talk too much about summer transfers and who will be coming in – because we don´t know which league we will be in.
Worse than that we don´t know which manager we will have, as rumors seem to be that Rafa could leave us if we are relegated.
But one thing is certain – Newcastle cannot allow Graham Carr to continue bringing players in players ad lib that he likes that may have no bearing at all on addressing weaknesses in the team.
There should be no players brought in this summer until we know who the manager will be and he should decide who he wants.
Mike Ashley also promised us a complete review of the season and that needs to be done quickly and those responsible for this debacle must be held fully accountable.
If we do get relegated we have to remember there will be non-playing staff who will lose their jobs at the club.
Last time we were relegated, nothing came out of the club for six weeks and Alan Shearer didn´t know what his status was as there was a leadership vacuum at the club.
It will be important in the summer for Mike Ashley to be decisive and act quickly – especially if we are relegated.
Mike Ashley and the Newcastle Board have made a complete hash of things, which has resulted in the team having only 30 points from 35 games in the Premier League.
That´s the worst we have ever done in the Premier League.
Those responsible for this must be held accountable as the first order of business this summer.
And to end this on a much more positive note, if we stay up and Rafa stays with us, this will all become a lot easier.
One solution – a good one – is to put Rafa in charge of everything once those responsible for the mess have been held accountable.
Ashley will still need to appoint a lead executive at the club and Rafa will need to bring in a Chief Scout but Rafa should effectively be running the club for the owner.
And we could then be a top six team in 12 months time.
Sounds good to us.
Comments welcome.
84 comments so far
Tsunki
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:18 AM
Comment #1Another thing I should learn to do is not post all my good stuff in one of Eds crappy skipover articles. No offence, Ed 🙂
Oh! Look! Lee has failed to switch his central heating on via the app again! Better keep that coat on when you get into bed tonight Lee!
Jail for Ashley
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:19 AM
Comment #2A mallet would give me so much satisfaction.
WW…,
Mad Booby has started calling anyone who opposes his rants as being part of a borg. Maybe mad Booby will be on later to explain.
Tsunki
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:19 AM
Comment #3Mike Ashley will go one be than you, Ed.
“There will be no players bought this summer…”
And that’s it.
Jail for Ashley
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:21 AM
Comment #4Tsunki,
I think when it’s quiet like this with only a few on, people tend to read stuff left on previous posts. Borg members anyway.
Tsunki
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:21 AM
Comment #5Let’s ask Rob Vollans while he’s here. What’s it like being part of a borg, Rob?
Tsunki
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:23 AM
Comment #6I think we’re beginning to think along the same lines, Jail. After all, resistance to it would be pretty Erm.. what’s the word I’m looking for…..oh….had that on the tip of my tongue…no….no its gone. Futile trying to remember it.
Lindisfarne
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:25 AM
Comment #7Tsunki
Lee thinks that by keeping the radiator on in the hall 24/7 the rest of the house will be covered.
WWSBRD
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:28 AM
Comment #8Tsunki
Ah…am I part of the collective or am I aboard the enterprise? What we should all ask ourselves on this blog
Or u know talk about football but that’s boring eh
Ron Knee
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:29 AM
Comment #9” … there was a leadership vacuum at the club.”
Some things don’t change.
Tsunki
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:30 AM
Comment #10That vacuum is between Lees lugs.
WWSBRD
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:31 AM
Comment #11Jail
Oh dear, think I was agreeing with him last I was on, could be wrong like might of been someone else
Tsunki
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:32 AM
Comment #12Picture caption
Lee texting “Damn you, Mike – this ISN’T the boardroom at all!”
Lindisfarne
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:33 AM
Comment #13Morning Mass is much more civilised, a community of thoughtful contributors but not all of the same mind.
Tsunki
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:37 AM
Comment #14Looking at this mornings blog gives me a mental picture of the mess left after the Rio Carnival being swept up.
Jib
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:38 AM
Comment #15Charnley will revert back to what he does best nuts and bolts day to day company stuff , he never seemed to have any problem getting players signed.
Carr and Moncur are Septegenarians and will be retired.
Rafa has his own extremely efficient scouting network and has a monster player database .
If the footy world learns of him having great authority at a wealthy club he’ll have to beat the agents off with a shitty stick.
Ron Knee
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:39 AM
Comment #16Caption
MD Lee Charnley at Newcastle’s packed home ground for the club’s first encounter with Brentford.
Jail for Ashley
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:40 AM
Comment #17I’ve just read a Leon Uris book on the founding of Israel and came across a paragraph that very much reminded me of the three stooges pondering over McCarvew.
“Even at this hour they did not have the courage to reverse their drastic mistake but were standing ready to sink with it”
lesh
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:43 AM
Comment #18If, and it’s a big if, Ashley had any sense, his rumoured review should be taking place now so we can have the manager in place at the start of the summer break.
That’s a big ask though.
Ron
Little Wslter eh? You’re obviously of the same vintage as me. Great times and I believe we were privileged to be a part of them. Today’s kids’ll never experience such times of musical, ideological and political times.
Tsunki
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:45 AM
Comment #19Picture caption #2
“I wonder if I can hold my breath until Mike answers?”
Jib
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:46 AM
Comment #20Exodus
movement of Jah people !
magicmac
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:49 AM
Comment #21At any other properly run club Charnley and old man Carr would have been sacked long ago, in fact at any other properly run club those 2 clowns would never be in thier positions in the first place, Charnley doesnt know what day of the week it is, never mind know anything about football, and old man Carr is well past his sell bye date, so why the hell wait to the end of the season for a review, but we are talking about Newcastle United here, we are not a properly run club, and we we never be a properly run club under Mike Ashely. HWTL.
Jail for Ashley
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:50 AM
Comment #22lesh,
Manager in place? We’ve got Rafa unless you think we might go down, oooh better get your tin hat on, only Johnny come lately’s and plastic fans think we might get relegated.
Ron Knee
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:51 AM
Comment #23lesh
The Sixties were a magical time, but isn’t that the same for all subsequent generations?
lesh
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:51 AM
Comment #24Tsunki
Don’t hold your good stuff back too long – I’m getting on a bit.
😉
Jib
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:57 AM
Comment #25“magicmac – Charnley doesnt know what day of the week it is.”
Extraordinary statement !
You know this because ?
Tsunki
Apr 27, 2016 at 10:59 AM
Comment #26Lesh took your time but you got there ha ha. I was holding my breath waiting for it 🙂
Jail for Ashley
Apr 27, 2016 at 11:00 AM
Comment #27Because he bumped into him in Eldon Square one Saturday afternoon and asked him what day it was. He replied Tuesday!
Jib
Apr 27, 2016 at 11:01 AM
Comment #28I wonder when Burnley is going to suggest an alternative blog ?
Jib
Apr 27, 2016 at 11:03 AM
Comment #29That’s quite good for you – Jail
😀
Tsunki
Apr 27, 2016 at 11:07 AM
Comment #30Just for you rise tinted borg types I often think Nostalgia and Neuralgia are actually the same sometimes.
For me the sixties was growing up in a council house pre-central heating with beautiful flower patterns on the window inside during winter, coats (yes, coats) thrown over our army blanket covered beds, paraffin heater on the landing and a coal fire downstairs and of course going to school in tuff boots with weetabix box insoles and patches in my trouser knees.
Of course we thought at the time we had it cosy because we listened to dad’s tales of him being found in the snow with pneumonia by a canal in manchester on his paper round, how he wore clogs and when he went into the army got some tropical skin disease and a robust bout of dysentery when in a Japanese POW camp.
Happy days, no – magical days indeed 😀
lesh
Apr 27, 2016 at 11:11 AM
Comment #31Tsunki
The sixties, paraffin heaters, ice on the inside of the windows, army blankets, coats? Coats? You’re lucky, in my day……..
And, we aim to please. All of your posts are top drawer….. it says here.
Ron Knee
Apr 27, 2016 at 11:11 AM
Comment #32“House? You were lucky to have a HOUSE! We used to live in one room, all hundred and twenty-six of us, no furniture. Half the floor was missing; we were all huddled together in one corner for fear of FALLING!”
magscar
Apr 27, 2016 at 11:15 AM
Comment #33Tsunki
recognise most of that ( my father apparently only wore shoes on a Sunday) but paraffin heaters and weetabix – you must have been on a posh estate 😉
Still happy days as we were all the same around our doors and no hint of the material world to come to make us question how we lived.
Magpie Season
Apr 27, 2016 at 11:20 AM
Comment #34I know we need the win this Saturday. Not a draw but a win.
Everyone thinks we will win this Saturday. Such a high percentage.
Thing is, it never works like that. Look at Spurs, they were expected to beat West Brom Monday, a team that is already safe with nothing to play for.
That…is what makes me worry.
Magpie Season
Apr 27, 2016 at 11:21 AM
Comment #35^ woops, forgot to add the word ‘complacency’
posada
Apr 27, 2016 at 11:26 AM
Comment #36Listen. All joking a side I’m worried about Mad Boobey.
Has one of his rants tipped him over the edge.
Tsunki
Apr 27, 2016 at 11:28 AM
Comment #37Hey I’m not complaining really, on our estate many thought we were a bit posh! My mam taught me how to read and spell really early and not to use slang. I vividly remember surprising the teacher when I first went to the infants school and could spell ‘yacht’! Mind that was only a couple of months ago….
magscar
Apr 27, 2016 at 11:33 AM
Comment #38Tsunki
Presumably that was so you could recognise daddy’s boat on the Manchester ship canal 🙂
geordie157
Apr 27, 2016 at 11:36 AM
Comment #39I’m probably the only one that thinks this but I think Thauvin can be a big part of things next season, with the option of him and Townsend on the wings or thauvin coming off the bench it gives us more options, well definitely better than gouffran, marveaux, obertan, riviere that’s for sure!
If Rafa stays I think he’ll get him playing well.
Tsunki
Apr 27, 2016 at 11:39 AM
Comment #40Magscar no I think it was so I could recognise the van that had “rent man” on the side.