It’s been a really a strange summer for Newcastle fans and maybe the weirdest under Mike Ashley’s awful and disastrous stewardship.
It’s crazy, and it’s a complete and utter shambles with Newcastle now finding it hard to appoint a manager who can accompany the team to China next weekend.
And to think the big reason we were invited to the Premier League Asia Trophy was becasue of our world-class manager Rafa Benitez.
Well – he’s now already in China managing Chinese Super League club Dalian Yifang, and they won their first game 3-1 under Rafa – who is now trying to sign Salomon Rondon for his new club.
Rafa has signed up for 30 months for the Chinese Club.
Rafa Benitez welcomes Achraf Lazaar – August 2016
We have many fringe players returning to the club who didn’t have a look-in under Rafa but now with the standards dropping at the club – columnist Alan Biggs has said that caretaker manager Neil Redfearn rates Achraf Lazaar who has been a disaster at the club since he joined three years ago from Palermo.
He has played only 10 times for Newcastle in three years.
This is the tweet sent out by Alan Biggs:
Happen to know that Lazaar is very highly rated by Newcastle caretaker boss Neil Redfearn. I’d have wanted him back at #SWFC even ahead of Aarons on what I saw last season. If Neil stays in place, real chance for Lazaar at #NUFC . https://t.co/cddF6MGz82
— Alan Biggs (@AlanBiggs1) July 4, 2019
Rafa was a world-class manager and had world-class standards but nor we expect the playing standards to drop under whomever the new manager is.
That’s bound to happen as Mike Ashley has proved again and again he has no interest in building a team that can challenge for the top six.
Jack Colback may even be good enough for the new Newcastle team – especially if Sean Longstaff is sold for £30M to Manchester United.
We have brought in no players yet, and we have sold Perez for £30M to Leicester City and maybe Longstaff to Manchester United for £30M or more.
The transfer window opened on May 16th and deals could be done and then and made official on July 1st – the start of the new financial year.
So in seven and a half weeks in the summer transfer window, we have sold one player and maybe two – and two of our best players too.
And we will not be signing Salomon Rondon who could join Rafa in China.
We will likely make yet another profit in this transfer window as Ashley is only worried about the money; he cares little about the standards of the team that is put on the pitch.\
Mike Ashley seems to be selling some of our good players just in case fans thought we were not a selling club.
We are – as long as Ashley stays in charge.
And to think I was so happy and upbeat back on May 13th before Ashley started doing his dirty deeds.
Comments welcome.
56 comments so far
MarkBro
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:01 PM
Comment #1BZG’s communications are as quality as their websites.
Released to a radio host?? Wtf
Imagine manU or liverpool communicating this way
jonnyshaw85
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:03 PM
Comment #2REPOST:
From Sky Sports:
NEWCASTLE MANAGER LATEST
It’s been a miserable summer so far for Newcastle. Let’s check in with Sky Sports News reporter Keith Downie for the latest on their hunt for a replacement for Rafa Benitez…
“It’s a toxic situation at Newcastle. There are three issues at the moment: no takeover, no manager and currently no incomings with just a month to go. The takeover talk is making everything more difficult. Will a new man want to come in while that’s up in the air and they could be out of a job in two weeks, two months? It’s difficult for them to attract a new manager when there’s so much uncertainty.
“It’s my understanding there has been no official approach for Rangers’ Steven Gerrard but Newcastle want a man of that ilk – someone like Gerrard or Patrick Vieira, who can come in and gain the respect of the players straight away but they’re more likely to get a man who is out of work.
“They head off to China for the Asia Trophy on Friday. I think they’d like to have someone in charge for the tournament but time will tell. And through all of this, the shadow of Rafa Benitez, who was such a popular, immense figure in the city, still looms large.”
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:04 PM
Comment #3It’s an utter car crash in slow motion
We want Jabba gone regardless now
hibbit the armchair fan
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:04 PM
Comment #4MarkBro
or more to the point Man City.
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:05 PM
Comment #5We will be lucky to have a team let alone manager by Friday
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:06 PM
Comment #6Who do you think he will pretend to sell us to next time?
Just like hit tat shops it’s a permanent sale 365 – 24/7
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:09 PM
Comment #7The closest we have been to being sold us when Jabba hoyed up in that fireplace
Rob1971
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:09 PM
Comment #8Repost:
From the Geordie Dentist on twitter on the statement given to the sports DJ: Mitch
? @geordiedentist
27m27 minutes ago
More
They don’t have their own SM team as far as I know. Their website ain’t great (as many pointed out initially and like many businesses like this here are). They do like to use SM here for impact – to flesh out they have just introduced a so called ‘influencer’ licence in Dubai…
…so many people here (over) value SM impact. But as a very easy way to reach out to fans to do it through someone they have been in contact with and whose job is not just radio based sports show by the way kind of makes sense to me in a way.
Still on the move, keeping in touch as I can. I do find the statement very carefully worded and as someone said it couldn’t be more of a UAE statement if it tried. Frustrating; something has to give soon and imho only one man has the power to do that one way or other. On or off
welshy14
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:10 PM
Comment #9peter redding said for days an announcement was imminent. nothing come now he makes up a carefully worded tweet so that whether the takeover is on or off he wont look like he didnt know what was going on. he knows nothing. wasnt it sky that released the 1st 2 statements from midhat.if not who ever released the 1st 2 statements is were my money would be for any other statements.
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:12 PM
Comment #10Time wasters at Liverpool
The perfect fakeover contestants for Jabba
Who do you think he will pretend to sell us to next time?
RobLeenio
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:12 PM
Comment #11lol Martoon, I knew some bugg@r was going to call me tight….
😉
toon kk
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:12 PM
Comment #12Only advice turn your back on the club until Ashley’s gone.
Hard I know, but it will be worth it in the end.
Alternative, shut up and put up.
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:13 PM
Comment #13Midhat
The prank that keeps on giving
We’re not that stupid
hibbit the armchair fan
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:15 PM
Comment #14BZG’s
communications are amateurish and very unprofessional, looks to me that there being very badly advised on the importance of PR in modern football.
*********what do you think toon 22 *********
RobLeenio
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:15 PM
Comment #15welshy, it was the Chronicle, who ever since have said they think those statements are bullsh!t.
No surprise to me that the BZG have looked for a different contact point.
nufc 11
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:16 PM
Comment #16Great to see 26 thousand NUFC fans have renewed their season tickets to watch the upcoming circus that will be the 19/20 PL season. Fans knew all they had to do was cancel the direct debit even if they already signed up for the renewal. It was false advertising stating Rafa’s men needed your support when the club knew he wouldn’t be there to lead the team. Fans who have renewed their season tickets are COMPLICIT WITH MIKE ASHLEY’S RUNNING OF NUFC.
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:17 PM
Comment #17Hibbit
Just your average conglomerate who use some bloke on Twitter to do s not of PR for them
Have s shoddy website but claim to be a global company
Time wasters last time
Haven’t done s think to prove they sent this time
RobLeenio
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:19 PM
Comment #18From my point of view, I’d far rather some form of communication than the wall of silence we’ve been subjected to by Ashley’s mob for the last 12 years.
They’ve done everything they can, NDAs notwithstanding, to keep us up to date with what’s going on.
Do people actually want the Sheikh to get on a microphone outside the Burj Khalifa and tell us every intricate detail of the deal?
I think they’re pointing the way to a far more open and inclusive relationship between club and fans in the future, should the deal be completed. That has to be a good thing for all involved.
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:19 PM
Comment #19How much is a decent web site ?
Net worth of billions, claims to be a global company
Didn’t have 25 million deposit
Your perfect Jabba non buyer
hibbit the armchair fan
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:20 PM
Comment #20nufc 11
were you getting that number from ?????????????
NY Mag
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:20 PM
Comment #21Toon22,
I’m trying to follow your train of thought – can you translate that last post into English please?
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:20 PM
Comment #22The least effective NDAs in history
naptoon
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:20 PM
Comment #23Rob
Been out nd just seen your bet I’ll take it £10 to sbr foundation if it turns out redding not telling porkies I’d believe him if he gave us something definitive before another source ie done deal or off don’t get me wrong I hope to hell there is a takeover but it just all seems wrong to me.
RobLeenio
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:21 PM
Comment #24toon22 #17 Jeez, did you leave your teeth on the nightstand?
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:21 PM
Comment #25I’m Ona Spanish bus that’s doing about 90 mile an hour
Maybe later
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:22 PM
Comment #26Hibbit
Liverpool
Google it
naptoon
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:22 PM
Comment #27I’d love it if the sheik did that rob
NY Mag
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:23 PM
Comment #28Toon22,
Fair do’s…you’re not going round to jibs for dinner are you?
lesh
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:24 PM
Comment #29Repost
Muz
I too was wondering how Peter Redding got the statements from BZG. Were they face to face with the CEO, over the phone and more to the point, were the Kenyon-like words actually uttered by Midhat?
The only ways I can see whomsoever seemingly praising Ashley for his commitment are:
A remarkable coincidence;
The BZG spokesman had actually seen Kenyon’s words and shared the same feeling about Ashley;
Putting those words into the BZG person’s mouth;
Or
Drafted the statement getting BZG to sign it off.
But why? Maybe Redding, seeing fan frustration, suggested that BZG might score some points from the fans by issuing an interim update given the silence from NUFC.
And what would Redding gain? A scoop and some self publicity.
As Micky says, it all seems very unprofessional way of saying the wheel’s ready to come off any takeover talks.
We can but wait and hope
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:24 PM
Comment #30The protests are far and wide
😉
RobLeenio
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:25 PM
Comment #31naptoon, nice one fella.
I like your style, you’ve argued your points fairly and without calling me deluded (yet). Can’t say fairer than that matey.
I do hope you’re the one paying out, though – nor for being tight, just cos it means the slug has left the building.
#boycott Arsenal
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:26 PM
Comment #32shay,
Sgt Hegarty, wasn’t he the guy who lived in America who’d befriended a young Iraqi kid who had a toon top.
naptoon
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:26 PM
Comment #33Don’t think there’s a toon fan left who doesn’t want that.
lesh
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:28 PM
Comment #34Noticeable that Downie doesn’t attribute any difficulty in recruiting a manager to Ashley
And
Redfearn likes Lazzar does he?
I guess that’s based on the standard of players he’s used to! Pity help us.
RobLeenio
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:29 PM
Comment #35Jail, if that’s someone who used to post on here, pretty sure it’ll be a guy I follow on Twitter
https://twitter.com/YankGeordie
I’m almost certain he did a series of tweets about a young kid in a Toon top he used to buy DVDs from.
JP...from The Rock
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:30 PM
Comment #36Welshy, Robleenio- It was Justin Allen the Sun journalist that first broke the story. The Chronicle then just picked up it. What the hell does he say about the latest BZG statement?
hibbit the armchair fan
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:33 PM
Comment #37boycott Arsenal
jail
that was him tried to find when he last posted without much luck wasnt he in some kind of rehab for us marines ????
Toon Cat
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:33 PM
Comment #38The chronicle journos have been resolutely downbeat about the takeover and , if BZG claims are true, have lied about or made up stories about lack of progress. So why would BZG try to communicate with fans through them ? Or Ashley’s mates at Sky ?
If they think social media is the best way of getting an undistorted message to the fan base then they might have a point. It’s different and the established UK media might hate it but so what ?
So that part of the ongoing transfer saga doesnt bother me or seem totally incredible. Ashley’s ability to crash any deal at the last minute because his greed gets the better of him still exists though. That could still happen.
lochinvar
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:35 PM
Comment #39and just when did Redfearn fall in love with Lazaar Alan Biggs ?
Curious to know when they worked together in a player – coach capacity and for how long ?
Need a bit more substance to make your point
RobLeenio
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:36 PM
Comment #40JP, Justin Allen was apparently connected from the PL side.
The two following statements (I think) were sent to the Chronicle, presumably the BZG trying to use local media to get the message direct to the fans, rather than having their statement spun by the National Media.
The Chronicle have since then consistently pushed the message that there are other buyers, no bid has been received, no F&P test has been submitted and generally rubbished the claims they’ve made.
This time, they’ve gone direct to a local Geordie lad who’s been respectful and honest and is plugged directly into the fan community.
It may show they’re somewhat naive, but it also shows they’re very keen to communicate at grass roots level. That’s fine by me.