Paul Merson predicted that Newcastle would beat Swansea on Saturday 2-0, so that was the kiss of death on the win – right there.
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The truth is that Merson has come around to Newcastle after our good run of 7 points from 4 games over Christmas and he is a big supporter of Rafa Benitez.
And the Sky Sports pundit claimed on Soccer Saturday that he would not be too shocked if Newcastle – for a second January running – don’t bring any players in to strengthen the squad.
Paul Merson – he doesn’t get it – translation –
he doesn’t understand Ashley
This is some of what Paul said:
“It wouldnât shock me at all. Not one bit if they didnât buy anyone (in January).”
“I donât get it. Youâre talking a big football club, 52,000 every week, and they canât buy anybody!”
It is now January 14th – almost halfway through the transfer window, and Rafa said last night – no player is close to coming in.
That’s why some Newcastle fans are thinking – maybe we’ll get nobody in at all just like last January.
We have never fully understood Mike Ashley, and it would not shock us too much if that is what happens.
But if that happens again then the owner could lose about ÂŁ150M on Newcastle’s value if we are relegated – and it would serve him right.
Mike Ashley is a miser, and he’s never liked spending Newcastle’s money – he’d rather see it in the bank.
That’s one big reason the owner had never understood what success in football really means.
In normal businesses, it does mean money in the bank – big revenues and huge profits – but not in football.
You make money as an owner by what the club is worth in the market.
And the price of a football club goes up the more successful they are on the field of play.
So significant investment is needed if you are to have a successful club (and good players) and therefore be successful as a football owner.
Mike Ashley has never understood that premise – which is why he’s been terrible as the Newcastle owner for almost 11 years now.
Newcastle fans hope he will sell up and quickly too.
And there will be a new beginning at Newcastle is United when Rafa supported fully in the transfer windows by ambitious new owners.
That’s the hope!
Comments welcome.
189 comments so far
Optimistic Panda
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:15 AM
Comment #81Reilly
I’ll be in town later and take a look, might buy something see if the receipt still has SD or shirebrook on it.
Bambams
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:18 AM
Comment #82Reilly
‘re the club shop
That is probably one of the biggest hints yet. I agree it was just like a SD shop the last time I was in there.
Reilly
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:19 AM
Comment #83it ties in with what johny says about the SD web site.
Reilly
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:20 AM
Comment #84*jonny
lochinvar
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:23 AM
Comment #85Weâre in limbo.
The rational reason is a that if a sale is going through then neither party spends any money outside of whatâs been agreed.
If youâve sold your house but are waiting on the final paperwork and funds from he purchaser none of us would spend money on redecorating when weâre about to move out.
Equally the purchaser wouldnât , couldnât legally spend any money on the property until they took possession and owned it.
Timing is everything – weâll see transfer activity the moment a sales is completed. Only problem now is the time to see that happen before the end of January.
Letâs not forget that Sky and all the media and Harry Rednapp just love the thrill of deals on the last day.
Patience is s virtue but also a pain in the backside
Jail for Ashley
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:24 AM
Comment #86Lochinvar,
I would if the roof was going to cave in on my family.
thereallowickmag
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:25 AM
Comment #87Slank,
Apparently one of the best birds of prey trainers in the world lives in Lockerbie and they have paid for him and his family to move to this farm on A697 to train their birds full time. apparently he can make them billions through it.
maybe someone has the knowledge of how to find land/business owners. The farm is Canada farm nr Powburn, Northumberland.
Binney
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:25 AM
Comment #88JazzyP… Without sounding racially intensive, were they wearing the typical Arabic robes/head scarfs?
NezzaNUFC
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:28 AM
Comment #89Bambams
It was me who stated about the no transfers when is club is in process of a takeover.
Though everyone seem to want to miss statement because there could possibly be no transfer at all this window because of this.
But I will say it again, there will be NO transfers in and out whilst a club is in process of a takeover!
How hard is it to understand this?
Any players that get loaned out will be because NO transactions was made.
NO players will be loaned in because it involves a transaction!
BUT again this could be good thing because a takeover is actually happening and if you check other clubs that had a takeover in Sept and Oct seem to be finalised mid January (15th – 23rd)
Transfer Sage
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:29 AM
Comment #90Iâm not sure what is going on with Mitrovic but I doubt all the blame lies with Rafa as some suggest.
Dwight Gayle seemed in a similar position this season. Joselu and Perez were the preferred two but Gayle has forced his way into the team as the season has gone on.
Even if Rafa does have something against Mitro, he canât be getting his head down and giving everything in training or youâd expect he have had a few more chances to prove himself.
As much as I think Mitro is better than Joselu, heâs not a world beater, heâs a below par premier league striker. He wouldnât have had a huge impact on our season.
TheJimBelow
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:29 AM
Comment #91So fed up with this takeover saga.
Please please please end it either way so Rafa can get on with the season and keeping us up!!!
Please…
jazzyp
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:30 AM
Comment #92Binney
I’m no expert mate but they just looked like the attire you see on tv when reports come out of a middle eastern country.
AncientC
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:30 AM
Comment #93I have not seen the replays of the Diame handball incident, but as I recall it Diame’s hand was retracted into his body and it was ball-to-hand, not hand-to-ball. It didn’t even look contentious or close.
ShireToon
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:31 AM
Comment #94Jazzy
Weâre they wearing shemags? Did they have flip flops on? what colour was theyâre burka?
What colour were their teeth? Weâre they gold plated? Did they sound middle eastern? Did they like the balti pies?
Singinginthecorner
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:32 AM
Comment #95Just out of interest how many times was ashley at st James park park last season surly it was more than 0 this season(think that’s right) that to me in its self says he has no intrest in Newcastle what’s so ever.
jazzyp
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:34 AM
Comment #96Shirebrook
hehehe Just mankini’s mate.
Have ya calmed down a bit pal. Still feels like a loss for some reason
lochinvar
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:36 AM
Comment #97Jazzyp@42 and Slank@43
How do we know the group was from the Middle East ?
Well I overheard that one of them was called Lawrence if that helps
Slank
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:37 AM
Comment #98Binney,
It was the camels in the car park, sure giveaway !
lochinvar
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:41 AM
Comment #99Jail@86
But Ashley isnât family, heâs a cuckoo
ShireToon
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:43 AM
Comment #100Jazzy
Just one of those games mate werenât it?
This is how itâs going to be all season. Sooner people get that into their heads the better. Itâs gonna be a long hard slog. But us fans need to stick with the team and support them all they way. Weâll get there in the end.
MOTM for me was Diame. He was a beast yesterday. He took two players out and got up and carried on.
Gayle was poor
Slank
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:43 AM
Comment #101thereallowickmag,
I asked one of the handlers at the Falcon Hospital how much was his Falcon worth and he quoted US$2 million. Certainly more than my budgie.
So it’s possibly no surprise with what you have said.
jimmysmith
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:44 AM
Comment #102He quite literally can’t turn up. If he did, he’d be treated to a constant chorus of “hey fat bastard, get out of our club”, only interrupted by rousing chants for Rafa. Which by the way, is why Rafa won’t quit.
Binney
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:49 AM
Comment #103Slank, hahah
RUNAWAY777
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:49 AM
Comment #104Put it this way hibbit mitro has never had a run in the team and i dont belive hes injured hes no worse then the shit we have up front i really belive he would have put some of gayles misses away but its rafa being stubborn every thing in his eyes is rite even when most of the fans can see its wrong.
jazzyp
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:51 AM
Comment #105Michy Batshuayi next club: Two Premier League teams among favourites to sign him and Nufc are one.
Alexis sanchez not in the squad today either
Its happening lads!!
Jail for Ashley
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:52 AM
Comment #106RUNAWAY777,
Last season Murphy played less and scored more than Mitro. Can we please dispel that myth that he wasn’t given a chance.
ShireToon
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:54 AM
Comment #107Jazzy
Do those middle eastern fellas tell you that at the game yesterday đ
ShireToon
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:56 AM
Comment #108If Mitros available. We should play him. It canât be any worse can it. All our CF are shite!
Munster Mag
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:57 AM
Comment #109Transfer sage, given that mitro helped as a sub v wba, I think it’s fair to assume that he could have contributed something over the course of all the games he hasn’t played. Surely a flick on leading to a goal, one goal giving us 3 vital points? But guys assume rafa is right even though mitro has played champions league and is a regular scorer internationally. This guy is mad, but he is a mile ahead of joselu
jazzyp
Jan 14, 2018 at 11:58 AM
Comment #110Shirebrook
No mate I heard it from the strawberry corner lol
ShireToon
Jan 14, 2018 at 12:02 PM
Comment #111Jazzy
Ah thatâs the lad with the tea towel on his head. Know his stuff he does like! đ
Jail for Ashley
Jan 14, 2018 at 12:03 PM
Comment #112If Rafa had of been backed as promised the Mitro issue wouldn’t need to be mentioned.
Essex Geordie Bill
Jan 14, 2018 at 12:03 PM
Comment #113Just finished watching the extended Sky highlights.
My first question is who are the 5 people who voted for Gayle as MOM. He was terrible and a total lightweight, I reckon we have more capable strikers either in the reserves or out on loan.
If we’d had their guy playing for us we’d have marmalized them, really!
Someone asked why Perez doesn’t do better, simple imo, he needs a strike partner that he can play with, Gayle is not that man.
For those that say Dummett never gets forward, eh! Do you know anything about football?
One of the people I was out with last night was looking at the scores and I said don’t tell me the Toon one but he pulled a face as he looked and I though bu**er we lost, so it was a slight relief to see we had managed to get a point, could be the difference in the end game.
Oh well an easier game up next, “Sicictar Ad Astra”
jazzyp
Jan 14, 2018 at 12:03 PM
Comment #114Reina back on the horizon but Napoli want 10 mill for him
Good luck with that one
hibbit
Jan 14, 2018 at 12:04 PM
Comment #115Hi RUNAWAY777 hope your well and enjoying the sunshine it’s bloody freezing here
Re Mitro
not sure most of the fans would agree with you the guys total overrated by a lot on here. a there’s not exactly a queue of buyers josseling for his signature even at ÂŁ12m is there !!
ShireToon
Jan 14, 2018 at 12:09 PM
Comment #116Jail
No shât! We wouldnât be flirting relegation had Rafa been backed properly
What!!!!
ShireToon
Jan 14, 2018 at 12:11 PM
Comment #117Jazzy
10 mil for Reina.
No thanks sunshine. His contract runs out soon doesnât it?
hibbit
Jan 14, 2018 at 12:12 PM
Comment #118Essex
i wish you would put a name to these more capable strikers either in the reserves or out on loan…. because i don’t see them ???
TheJimBelow
Jan 14, 2018 at 12:12 PM
Comment #119We aren’t signing Reina or Batshuayi unfortunately.
The optomistic fella who mentioned Alexis Sanchez, I’ll literally get a tattoo of him on my back if we sign him!!
(Planning a new tatt soon so fingers crossed mate)
:-D:-D
jazzyp
Jan 14, 2018 at 12:17 PM
Comment #120Shirebrook
Yeah I thought it ended this summer unless he extended it