Our 21-year-old local lad Sean Longstaff is certainly starting to make a name for himself, and he had yet another excellent game in the Newcastle engine room at Wembley.
Sean seems to stroll through these games and never seems to be hurried which is always the sign of an excellent player.
Sean could keep his place when Shelvey and Ki are fit again, and he deserves to stay in the starting eleven on merit.
And the England selectors are looking at him for a possible England U21 call up.
He’s the find of the season for Newcastle and reflects well on our U21 coaches.
And second in the voting is one of our very best players since he came in for the second half of the 1-0 first win of the season at home to Watford.
Sean Longstaff signing a new four-year deal in December
Schar is turning out to be an absolute bargain buy at only £3M from Deportivo.
His incredible clearance off the line in the second half yesterday was something to behold.
He’s an excellent player, and it looks like he’s now a regular starter for Rafa.
The lads did very well yesterday, and we were unlucky to lose to a late goal.
Comments welcome.
117 comments so far
DubaiMicky
Feb 3, 2019 at 5:52 PM
Comment #1Re the Barclays loan, from what i understand the next load of EPL/Sky cash is due shortly, ashLIE didn’t want to put his money into the club so NUFC went to their bankers and said “Give us £50m and we’ll pay the Sky money straight back into you when it arrives next week/month whatever”. So they sign an agreement to that effect, instead of the cash going to NUFC it goes to Barclays, they make a million or so in fees for a no risk loan.
Who’s the mug?
Tsunki
Feb 3, 2019 at 5:53 PM
Comment #2Just glanced past that photo there and imagined lobby was about to bang out a tune on the Joanna ha ha
Frank pingles come sock
Feb 3, 2019 at 5:55 PM
Comment #3Bit early to call yet , looks like a decent player.
Can see him being our main midfielder in a few years time if he continues to improve.
Would like to see him with a bit more quality around him so he can sit deep and sniff out danger and play it to our creative players
Looks very calm in possession.
Tsunki
Feb 3, 2019 at 6:06 PM
Comment #4Cast your mind back to when Mike was talking about putting the horse (not the one who took an uppercut ha ha) before the cart and getting the club to “wipe it’s own nose”. What he was talking about was cutting out all the payment strategies that meant they were extending credit and paying interest, to do this he baled the club out with personal loans. It would seem that player transactions have enabled this to be done, hence there’s been no need to oil the hinges on the “players entrance” door for two years.
The Barclays bank thing signifies the club now has a credit rating sufficient to guarantee its own repayment from future income and trading to pay for it’s player (and other) investments. Pity SD couldn’t have paid it’s advertising bill for the last decade or it may have come sooner but hey ho.
The prospect of a sale is only linked to this (bank) loan by virtue of now Ashley doesn’t have to load the sale price with a (personal) loan debt. I doubt very much that any sale is on the table in any shape or form, as all buyers so far have proved intent but got no further than the “proof of funds” hurdle. As the mad frog always said, it’s fanciful conjecture pumped up with credulity.
Nothing to see here except the club is now not dependent on Ashley for buying players, so forget that happening. This window is unusual for spend because Rafa staying and PL survival depended on it. When it doesn’t, there will be no purchases, believe me.
lesh
Feb 3, 2019 at 6:10 PM
Comment #5Without even talking to Rafa, Ashley knew that Lobby’d be the find of the season and there’d be no need to sign anyone for midfield. Now who’s coming through in the striker department?
Lindisfarne
Feb 3, 2019 at 6:11 PM
Comment #6Longstaff and Hayden did very well in keeping the defensive formation, providing a screen and dropping into the backline when needed. They were also popping up in attack, passing decisively and offering more numbers for crosses. They have both done brilliantly at operating within the remit Rafa has laid down.
I am glad that Hayden has had the opportunity to play himself into the side and turn around people’s opinion of him. Both are young enough to continue developing and with Almiron in front of them, they should have a better time in matches.
lesh
Feb 3, 2019 at 6:13 PM
Comment #7Bambams, Lovem
There’s been paper talk about Ashley wanting Rafa to sign up in the next six weeks. Could he be flagging up the window for potential bidders to complete or fully commit to buying?
Again, a random thought
beermonkey
Feb 3, 2019 at 6:15 PM
Comment #8tsunki
do you know from the accounts how much we are owed in staged payments for players we have sold
and as u bought up advertising
i know we wernt the only club to get an agreement with etoro they are paying us in bitcoin or some other e-currency does any1 know what that will be in cash is it another way of hiding money going out
lesh
Feb 3, 2019 at 6:18 PM
Comment #9Tsunki
Maybe Ashley went to the bank cos he hasn’t got the cash to make a personal loan? But then again, there should surely be some of what should be the club’s cash slushing about somewhere
Jail for Ashley
Feb 3, 2019 at 6:21 PM
Comment #10beer,
I’ll bet they’re staged to go in to some other account that Lee Churnley is somehow a managing director of.
Bambams
Feb 3, 2019 at 6:23 PM
Comment #11Lesh
All I know is around my birthday, actually it was the day Jib found that companies house doc and we all hoped for something positive.
I copy and paste the link and sent it to them, all I got back (which I shared via email to a couple on here not wanting to dull the enthusiasm of the blog) was nothing was happening and Ash was accepting/ getting ready to roll on with the ownership.
I was told if anything changed they would give me a bell….
Now then Mr ashLIE and his possible statement – I for one will not believe a word that man says.
DubaiMicky….
Re the Barclays bank loan, that is definitely a good possibility fella but would ash want to pay interest, whatever the % If he could of just opened his petty cash and then took it back out from prem money ?
He loves money mate, just my thoughts
Catch you lot later, off to Charnleys for supper and fifa19
Bambams
Feb 3, 2019 at 6:24 PM
Comment #12Nice on here when folk not having petty squabbles….
Just sayin lyk
Bobbybee
Feb 3, 2019 at 6:26 PM
Comment #13“We said to Stevie Nickson, go watch the MLS.
We need to find a superstar, he has to be the best
He came back home to Rafa, he said I’ve found the one
He’s got great skill, he scores great goals, his name is Miggy Almiron
Oh, Miggy Miggy, Miggy Miggy Miggy Miggy Almiron!!! “
beermonkey
Feb 3, 2019 at 6:30 PM
Comment #14jail
i hope he is siphoning some for himself ashley wont miss it
NY Mag
Feb 3, 2019 at 6:47 PM
Comment #15Beermonkey,
As of the last accounts we were owed £60.7M for players that have been sold.
Jib
Feb 3, 2019 at 6:53 PM
Comment #16NY
Yeah that’s just up to June 2017
There’s another £25M+ owed for
Mitro , Mikel Merino and Mbemba
jane
Feb 3, 2019 at 6:54 PM
Comment #17“Re the Barclays loan, from what i understand the next load of EPL/Sky cash is due shortly, ashLIE didn’t want to put his money into the club so NUFC went to their bankers and said “Give us £50m”
i thought i read somewhere the amount borrowed is unknown.
i didn’t understand how the loan is known about, anyone explain that please?
Jib
Feb 3, 2019 at 6:55 PM
Comment #18I guess future instalments will be another
factor complicating the sale price
DubaiMicky
Feb 3, 2019 at 7:03 PM
Comment #19@ Jane, cos that is the rumoured next payment
@bambams, people like ashLIE don’t change their spots. Something has changed.
jane
Feb 3, 2019 at 7:09 PM
Comment #20so has Ashley got a cash flow problem if the club got a loan instead of Ashley loaning it?
or because the club is being sold Ashley didn’t want to loan any of his money?
or something else?
NY Mag
Feb 3, 2019 at 7:10 PM
Comment #21Jib,
Correct – there’s more to come in, but more to go out also
Jib
Feb 3, 2019 at 7:12 PM
Comment #22NY
I thought we always paid on the nose
lesh
Feb 3, 2019 at 7:12 PM
Comment #23Bambams
You’re off to Charnley’s for your supper? Penfold Charnley’s or one of his 5 star restaurants?
NY Mag
Feb 3, 2019 at 7:14 PM
Comment #24Jib,
We pay front loaded, but not every deal is paid upfront in full
c-dog
Feb 3, 2019 at 7:17 PM
Comment #25Munster
Hasn’t been a massacre like that on Irish soil since William of Oranges memorable slaughter of Jacobite forces on the banks of the boyne
DubaiMicky
Feb 3, 2019 at 7:17 PM
Comment #26jane, no-one knows on here, I’m really just commenting on all my years of working with people, they don’t change what they do unless something – usually an outside influence – happens.
People really don’t change.
Apart from me of course, I’m usually a bit of a twat but then, I can become a total twat, and then, just occasionally, I can out twat Jib.
NY Mag
Feb 3, 2019 at 7:21 PM
Comment #27Micky,
You made me chuckle with that one 😀
jane
Feb 3, 2019 at 7:41 PM
Comment #28how is this Barclays loan even known about or is it a rumour as well?
jane
Feb 3, 2019 at 7:42 PM
Comment #29“People really don’t change.”
guess you’re right i’m always nice 🙂
ben.g
Feb 3, 2019 at 7:57 PM
Comment #30There’s a bit in the chronicle from almrions agent. Say Atlanta made the move difficult.
Campo said: “Atlanta United put up a lot of obstacles to sell Miguel and we did not expect this kind of attitude from the club.
“Miguel Almiron did not leave Atlanta happy because of all the difficulties that the club put for him to get transferred.
“A player is valued when he’s still at the club, when he gets transferred, they forget about him.”
ben.g
Feb 3, 2019 at 7:59 PM
Comment #31Don’t know how to link articles, here’s the rest…..
Campo has also stated that there were a clutch of clubs who wanted to sign the Paraguay international.
He said: “There were much bigger clubs that wanted him but they only wanted loans.
“Newcastle is a team that Rafa Benitez asked for, the number one option and that was a deciding factor.
“It was also a club where he would be a main protagonist and I wanted that for him
NY Mag
Feb 3, 2019 at 8:10 PM
Comment #32Jane,
When a company (Barclays) makes a charge against the club the relevant paper work has to be filed with companies house. In this case Barclays charge is against our future EPL earnings (for the rest of this season and next season)
jane
Feb 3, 2019 at 8:13 PM
Comment #33thanks NY Mag is the charge essentially to pay back the loan over this period?
NY Mag
Feb 3, 2019 at 8:15 PM
Comment #34I have no idea of the details of how much the loan was for, or what the repayment terms are
jane
Feb 3, 2019 at 8:16 PM
Comment #35ok so there are more questions than answers.
NY Mag
Feb 3, 2019 at 8:17 PM
Comment #36As always 🙂
jane
Feb 3, 2019 at 8:18 PM
Comment #37maybe it is to upgrade the training facilites and refurbish the stadium 😐
Jail for Ashley
Feb 3, 2019 at 8:18 PM
Comment #38I think Ashley out tw@ts even Jib and Paul Robinson from Neighbours!
Jail for Ashley
Feb 3, 2019 at 8:20 PM
Comment #39jane,
He could have used some of the 135M TV money or the 25M gate dosh or some of the money that gets spent on merchandise on upgrading the training facilities!
Jib
Feb 3, 2019 at 8:23 PM
Comment #40Jane
He’s never done it before
It’s an indicator he’s either
1
Preparing to sever ties with NUFC
2
Resolved to abandon his failed version
of how to run a footy club like any other
business.