Sam Allardyce hit back at Alan Curbishley on Sunday evening over the surprise breakdown of Kieron Dyer’s transfer to West Ham last Friday.
Curbishley had harshly criticized Newcastle management when the deal collapsed at the last moment on Friday, saying he had never seen anything like it in football. The fee for the 28-year-old was increased by ₤2M late in the negotiations by the Magpies.
Let’s take a look and see if we can decipher what really happened – and we think we’re getting closer to the real truth.
Newcastle Boss Sam Allardyce
Newcastle’s English Billionaire owner Mike Ashley was reported to have increased the fee on Dyer at the last moment because he believed the player had spoken to West Ham before a fee had been agreed.
But Allardyce pointed the finger firmly at West Ham officials for the farce as he talked to the official Newcastle web-site last night:
“If Curbs started it, then we are more upset than they are, that is a fact,â€
“Why? That is confidential. He is not as upset as we are about West Ham. In the end, we decided he was undervalued. We escalated the valuation to what we thought was realistic and West Ham did not want to roll with it.â€
‘Kieron is back with us, a top player with a squad who are growing. Will it be difficult for Kieron? It’s life, isn’t it? He has got a contract.”
“You sign it. The length of the contract means you are employed by an employer, something happens, it doesn’t work, you come back and get on with it.â€
That last piece there by Sam is so accurate and of course if nothing trasnspires on this before the end of the transfer window Kieron is a Newcastle player whether he likes it or not.  Sam went on:
“If anything else happens in terms of West Ham increasing their offer, then great. If they don’t, then clearly they don’t value him as highly as we do.â€
Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp last night revealed they may be interested in Kieron but no formal bid for the player has been submitted for a player Newcastle now value at £8M. We think it’s very interesting timing that another club may be keen on Dyer only a couple of days after Newcastle pulled out of the West Ham negotiations.
This still doesn’t make much sense put let’s put two and two together and try to get four. We think Portsmouth probably let Newcastle know of their interest in Dyer late in the negotiations with West Ham and Harry probably hinted they may be willing to go as high as ₤8M for him. When Allardcye heard this then Newcastle found a way (any way) to get out of the deal with West Ham. That seems the most likely explanation. If it’s true would mean Dyer could move to Portsmouth maybe even this week unless West Ham increase their bid.
One point that will be brought up immediately is that Portsmouth is more than 100 miles SW of London – which is the other side of London to Ipswich. Kieron’s stated reason for leaving Newcastle is that he wants be closer to his kids and long term girlfriend who still live in Ipswich. We’re not sure if Kieron could move to Portsmouth and still be credible with his reason for wanting to leave Newcastle – since it’s somewhat similar to the Manchester City situation last last week. Manchester is no nearer Ipswich than Newcastle.
If we were betting men we think Kieron will still move to West Ham for a compromise £7M or £7.5M fee. Let’s see what transpires this week – but that’s a good price to get for Dyer and would be excellent business conducted by Newcastle’s new management.
Comments always welcome but please keep them civil and the language is decent – on both our story and Kieron himself – thanks.
20 comments so far
Don S.
Aug 6, 2007 at 4:28 AM
Comment #1Everybody was pointing a finger at Ashley, but if he got involved it was because he was most likely asked to get involved. (He doesn’t do the “hands on” thing.) If you believe what Sam says, it looks like a lot of the blame falls directly on Dyer’s back, or should I say his mouth. Why is Dyer such a problem? Why do bad things happen to him? Only Dyer knows that answer.
9thJune
Aug 6, 2007 at 4:36 AM
Comment #2Personally I hope we keep him because fit he’s worth a lot more than £7 million.
But my reading of the situation is that between himself and probably Bowyer and Bellamy they probably concocted the story about him wanting to be near his family so that he could get a cheap move down to WHU. This appeared to have worked until someone (Parker?) spilled the beans which annoyed the heck out of BS and in turn MA who decided to up the price removing the sentimental family reasons from the equation.
Archie Brand
Aug 6, 2007 at 5:09 AM
Comment #3I very much doubt that Allardyce can take the moral high ground here, unless of course West Ham have been involved in a bit of “bad form” somewhere along the line – tapping up springs to mind.
However – regardless of the Dyer side of things – I would strongly suggest you take out your TomTom and check the the travelling times between first of all Newcastle and Ipswich, then Manchester and Ipswich, and then Portsmouth and Ipswich.
I think you’ll find that both Manchester and Portsmouth would actually give him more time at home with the kids than Newcastle. Therefore aim achieved.
I also think that what we think of the “credibility” of his reasons for wanting to leave wouldn’t slow him down much on his way out the door either.
Nicky Butt managed to win over the fans after he went through that “fart in a spacesuit” phase, Martins and N’Zogbia are back in favour after their little spats at the end of last season. Even Dyer got back in the good books following the captains arm band incident.
This time last year James Milner wasn’t flavour of the month and look what he’s achieved.
Us fans are a fickle mistress. If Dyer stays and he plays, all he has to do is turn it on a couple of times and show us what he can do and the fans will be back behind him once again, wetting their pants in the paddock.
It wont be long before you’ll be sat in the pub and you’ll hear “Well of course, aah nevva wanted him to gan ye knaaa!. Ee’s a helluvvaa playaa that lad!”
And if we just stood still long enough and looked, we’d see that he actually is.
Greg
Aug 6, 2007 at 5:10 AM
Comment #4Dyers a twat, he disgusts me, he owes it to newcastle to repay the faith the club have shown in him and if he wants to be nearer his family then moving them up north.
9thJune
Aug 6, 2007 at 5:12 AM
Comment #5Well said Archie, totally agree!
Thai Toon
Aug 6, 2007 at 5:12 AM
Comment #6Good to have you back KIERON
That’s the right decision,Mike
geordie_upon_tyne
Aug 6, 2007 at 5:46 AM
Comment #7im so excited over this coming season with or without dyer if he does go to west ham or anywhere else the lads ganna be thinking damn i could of still been there hahahaha bye bye dyer
ken_nufc
Aug 6, 2007 at 6:10 AM
Comment #8Get rid of the arrogant little shit, he’s not interested, doesn’t like being told what to do, has more problems off the field than Phil Mitchell…if we get 7.5 – 8 million then great, otherwise take whats on offer and get rid of him, our midfield is a strong point and Smith and Geremi showed what they are capable of against Sampdoria…f*&^*k him!
Edd Case
Aug 6, 2007 at 7:36 AM
Comment #9I agree entirely with Greg. Dyer is a waste of money and although he has a good day at the office every now and then, he’s too inconsistant, injury prone and has no eye for goal.
He’ll be sold, make no mistake, and good bloody riddance to bling boy.
rich
Aug 6, 2007 at 8:00 AM
Comment #10@ Archie Brand
Ive already done it mate, Ipswich to Manchester is about 240 miles Ipswich to The Toon is about 280, im not 100% sure about portsmouth ill have to check that one out but with between Newcastle & Manchester your talking about 30 minutes difference in the average car… and thats not to mention that Dyer will be in an Austin Martin V8 going at least 180 MPH so it will take him a little less time than the average joe.
anyway, he earns heaps of loot, compared to the likes of Fowler… why doesnt he just get a chopper? Fowlers only costs him like 1K per day and Dyer would only need it twice a week?
this whole ‘family’ thing is a rouse, hes said that so if incase nothing does work out he can still play for NUFC and be in Sams ‘good’ books, where as if he had told sam ‘i want out and i dont want to play for NUFC’ – which is obviously the reality in my eyes if nothing happened he would be rotting in reserves….
in my eyes the whole LIE about his family is to try and give him a fall back cushion should nothing work out.
i really hope we see the back of him this week.
apan
Aug 6, 2007 at 9:45 AM
Comment #11Sell him off pls his good but not worth it with that attitude, buyhim pompey buy!
Bev
Aug 6, 2007 at 9:45 AM
Comment #12what i want to know is if they are forcing him to put in a transfer request becuase surely we cant pay him a loyalty bonus because he has asked to leave, dyer just wants it all his way
Whumpie
Aug 6, 2007 at 10:02 AM
Comment #13I don’t believe anyone’s story here, and I doubt if there’s an innocent party to pick. Curbs probably tried something on, Dyer may well have other motives than his kids, and NUFC may have hiked the price for no good reason. Got to love this footie business, eh.
However, NUFC did just up the price when they saw more dosh coming in then it’s going to cost the club a lot more than £2M next time they want to sell a player. When you’ve got a ‘chain’ of players being sold between different clubs, all dependent on each-other, you have to have some sort of trust to make it all happen. If MA and BSA have reneged on a deal then it’ll bite their bums (and ours) in the future.
Trouble is – the truth may never out on this one, so the damage is done and other clubs will be much more cautious when dealing with NUFC in the future. That’s expensive.
t-g-w
Aug 6, 2007 at 10:38 AM
Comment #14I don’t think Dyer will go to Portsmouth cos he won’t see it as being a glamorous place. A few years ago Man Utd were linked with a £20million bid for Dyer, if only we had listened… on his day, Dyer can be phenomenal (I recall an FA Cup match v. Southampton when they were in the Prem and Dyer ripped them apart), but I don’t think he will ever reach great heights again. £6million isn’t a bad price, but I would be delighted if we got £8million!
George@NUFC
Aug 6, 2007 at 10:48 AM
Comment #15It is 159 miles from Pompey to Ipswich.
Ian, Doha
Aug 6, 2007 at 11:03 AM
Comment #16I still think that Dyer will be away before the new season starts; most likely to be Portsmouth unless Dyer drops his salary requirements to compensate West Ham’s out lay?
Hopefully, BSA will be given additional cash to get a few more players before transfer window closes…..
iain
Aug 6, 2007 at 11:33 AM
Comment #17hopefully dyer will feel what its like to be let down, like he has let us down and people at the club on so many occasions.
karma is a funny thing. i dont think anyone would deny dyer had this coming.
George
Aug 6, 2007 at 11:42 AM
Comment #18With all the comotion going on about Dyers move to West Ham being off, me thinks that one or two things are being overlooked here
1) West Ham aacused MU of declaring Tevez was their player before the deal was struck and tried to stop the medical, as theyWH did not like them jumping the gun.
2) West Ham wanted more for the transfer, whichever way you look at that fiasco it boiled down to money.
3) NUFC pull the Dyer deal accusing WH of “boasting” of signing him before negotions had been completed.
4) Sky Sports news broadcasts that medical underway, then later that day they say Dyer training with his new team mates.
So what some may say, but, if you commit number as above, this in contravention of the transfer rules as wrote down by UEFA, FIFA, FA, Premiership etc, etc, etc. and with transfers being scrutinised and police raidng SJP recently, i say well done Mike Ashley and team. We can not afford any more inappropriate goings on at SJP.
If we are left with a waste of space on the touchline, that is a small price to pay if it keeps us out of trouble.
Tom_Toon
Aug 6, 2007 at 11:46 AM
Comment #19He should just pay the other 2 mil himself if he wants to leave, i doesnt take long for him to earn that with the amount we pay him 🙂
Raj Harry
Aug 6, 2007 at 3:34 PM
Comment #20Dyer is a jumped up, overpayed little prick, who isn’t worthy of wearing a black ‘n’ white shirt. If he doesn’t want to play for the Toon (for whatever made up reason) just let him bloody go and get as much as we can – even if it’s only £6m. It will get our wage bill down, and if we can get some one on the same wages, they will be a damn sight better than Dyer!!!!