On Thursday, the club sent out confirmation on why four players were absent in the return to preseason training.
This is what the club said on Thursday:
While those who have been on international duty – including Miguel Almíron, Fabian Schär, Martin Dúbravka and Christian Atsu – remain on an extended break, the rest of the squad are back in Benton to begin preparations for the 2019/20 Premier League campaign.
It is interesting that they did not mention Henri Saivet as the is still on international duty at the African Cup of Nations tournament with Senegal.
They did however send out a tweet about Henri this morning.
?? Henri Saivet's Senegal advanced into the #AFCON2019 quarter-finals after a 1-0 victory against Uganda on Friday night.
More here: https://t.co/jLqqOcw8A6 #NUFC pic.twitter.com/9M9a2GoLjv
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) July 8, 2019
They also did not mention goalkeeper Freddie Woodman in the initial statement but it appears that he along with Dubravka and Schar are back this morning.
? Fabian Schär, Martin Dúbravka and Freddie Woodman arrived back at United's training ground today after representing their respective national teams over the summer.
Welcome back, lads! ? #NUFC pic.twitter.com/jp482EhYII
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) July 8, 2019
69 comments so far
Munster Mag
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:37 PM
Comment #41Mickey, surely bzg are the ones who look foolish now, for choosing a dj as their mode of communication?
West Lancs Geordie
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:39 PM
Comment #42Now Mr.Ashlie .Turn down this offer.
Former Tottenham midfielder and current Billericay assistant manager Jamie O’Hara has voiced his interest in the Newcastle United job.
Sorry for posting this .
It’s just more fake news
shay Robson
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:39 PM
Comment #43Mickey…….
what happened to the contacts you had a month ago?
Rotonda heights
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:40 PM
Comment #44west lancs
Ffs no one is ridiculing toon 22, it’s we’re just so bored rigid with his repetitive comments over and over and over again. who’s he fighting, most of us would be very, very pleasantly surprised if ash didn’t screw this up but most of us suspect he will or that he is lying again. We don’t need the inanely obsessively irritating frog to keep ramming down our throats every day what a lot of us will think will be the likely outcome, ie no sale in any case.
Sheikh-en but not stirred
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:41 PM
Comment #45This has become even more crazy than I ever thought was possible!
Why is it that takeovers at other clubs are never played out like this??? Oh wait…. It’s because Jabba is not there!!
We are now becoming embarrassing! He just doesn’t care!
Toonboi4EVA
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:41 PM
Comment #46West lancs geordie
No, most people haven’t ridiculed toon22’s views.
They have ridiculed his repetitive nature and his inabilty to listen to others. Massive difference.
geordietom
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:41 PM
Comment #47whats up little FROGGY is your arse nipping . when we get sold hopefully tomorrow . you’ll have nowt to talk about…
Munster Mag
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:42 PM
Comment #48Agree rotunda. I don’t think Ashley is using bzg at all. He just can’t seem to let go. That doesn’t make Toon22 correct at all. I’m sure if bzg gave him 400 mill and advertising rights, he’d be out the gate.
RobLeenio
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:42 PM
Comment #49shay Robson, I took Psychology at Uni funnily enough.
I never used it professionally, but it’s interesting watching the social interactions on here. I have tried to do a bit of profiling on Ashley, too, around trust and his inner circle, but it doesn’t seem to go down too well on here.
Anyway, welcome back to the blog. I’ll look forward to learning a bit more about you over time.
Rotonda heights
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:43 PM
Comment #50tom don’t tempt fate.
geordietom
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:44 PM
Comment #51bloody hell Rob works for the B.A.U…
shay Robson
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:45 PM
Comment #52I did hear something from a geordie mate last year who is still good mates with Davide Santon and used to hang out with players back then. he did tell me that Newcastle players actually read this blog before and talked about it when he was with them. I think steve taylor was a player he mentioned.
it made me think……. how would the players react reading this blog and what we all say…..
what would they say about the wisdom from toon 22 ???
droppy in Wallsend
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:45 PM
Comment #53For me this is the saddest part of the whole Tapeworm reign.
I used to go to the match every chance I got ST and as many away games as I could. You hardly ever got any aggro, you could chat to people you just met and it was generally friendly.
Fast forward 12 years and everyone is having a pop at each other other any little thing, there is precious little unity amongst the fans.
It’s sad, truly sad.
geordietom
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:46 PM
Comment #54Rontoda…
sorry mate just sick of his repeitive shite …
anyway i’am feeling good about the takeover now …
geordietom
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:49 PM
Comment #55Shay …
was that Norman Wisdom …
Muz
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:50 PM
Comment #56Bit weird that a commercial radio DJ in the UAE has broken this official statement. I suspect your man at the station has oversold his influence to them a little. But, to be fair, he’s a NUFC fan, from the region and has connections to BZG and there’s a possibility, however slim, that someone at BZG decided to try and get this info out to us via a relatively well followed fan on twitter vs sending it to the Ashley mouthpieces at the Chronicle.
I’m still fairly certain Ashley is going to sell. He’s clinging on, I suspect for the merchandise rights, (which is why the charges on them were finalised last week), because greedy bugger knows that if BZG come in and do make us competitive there’ll be an upsurge in merchandise sales. I think if ST sales are as affected as been suggested, this might be his cue to just take his money and run.
West Lancs Geordie
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:51 PM
Comment #57I accept all that Rotunda but it’s no way to run any business let alone a football club. Keeping his three greatest assets his manager who has made him millions on a shoestring, his players who have over performed since getting promotion and the fans (the 12th man ) who turn out in such great numbers home and away, buying merchandise through his shops. Only to be rewarded with lies and being kept in the dark (under the mushroom syndrome) waiting for the inevitable to happen.
No other Club apart from Blackpool (and the Oystons) has ever been “run” in this disgraceful , unacceptable manner and is still allowed to continue to do so by the Premier League.
Fit and proper person to own a football club – my arse! If the Premier League had a an decency init ,then they should now be coming out with a statement.
geordietom
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:51 PM
Comment #58muz …
here . here. mate …
shay Robson
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:54 PM
Comment #59Roblee….
I currently work in mental health and I have done for 10 years. profiling I find difficult but I would not dream of making assumptions about Ashley….. he is closed off and removed for a reason……
of course I am frustrated…… however I have never met the man. Any accounts i have read about people who have met him as fans who were angry found him reasonable to speak to…..
I actually feel for any human who has so badly gotten in so far over their head that thousands of people hate them and threaten their family.
very sad for fans and his family.
I apologize.
empathy is for all without bias.
terrible situation
West Lancs Geordie
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:54 PM
Comment #60Anyway I’m sorry if I have upset so many people on here by trying to be honest and realistic. I’m off !
jonnyshaw85
Jul 8, 2019 at 2:54 PM
Comment #61From 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.”
martoon
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:01 PM
Comment #62RobLeenio re. your offer to Naptoon – I’ve got a similar bet with toon22 except it is £20 to SBR charity if we are not taken over by the start of the season.
kev1664
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:03 PM
Comment #63I believe today’s statement is genuine. My take on the statement is that BZG are ready to go and are waiting for Ashley to sign it off and BZG are trying to say get it done in the nicest possible way.
We’re at the stage of the takeover where bzg have to roll 12 6’s in a row on a dice.
In all seriousness I think once again Ashley is going to pull the plug on the deal. I wish it wasn’t the case, but I think he’ll scupper it again.
Rob1971
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:04 PM
Comment #64From 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
lesh
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:10 PM
Comment #65Muz
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 had actually seen Kenyon’s words and shared the same feeling;
Feeding put the 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
lesh
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:15 PM
Comment #66@65 paras 4 and 5 to read
The BZG spokesman had actually seen Kenyon’s words and shared the same feeling;
Putting the words into the BZG person’s mouth;
Etc
nufc 11
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:15 PM
Comment #67Great 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.
Muz
Jul 8, 2019 at 3:24 PM
Comment #68lesh – I think if the wheels had well and truly come off the deal we’d have had a more official statement from Midhat released in the same way that the other two statements had been released by BZG.
I suspect that this was put out via Peter Redding because he has had a LOT of SM traffic to his feed along with @geordiedentist. I genuinely think BZG want to communicate directly with the fans and they thought, (perhaps foolishly), that Redding was a good outlet for it given he is in the UAE and is, in a small way, a radio celeb.
I just have to keep reminding myself that BZG must be interested in the club, there’s a lot of expense and effort gone in so far and perhaps Mickey can put me right here but all of the arab owned companies I’ve done work for in the past usually get their own way in the end. Only thing spoiling this will be FCB
magpie6699
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:48 PM
Comment #69nufc11 Those fans who have chosen to renew their season ticket, or like me, had it pre-arranged months ago, may perhaps be the true fans who are prepared to follow THEIR team through thick and thin and not just be fair-weather pseudo-fans like you. So don’t accuse me of being Complicit with Ashley, you twerp! I fully understand those who have yet / will not renew – that is their prerogative and I can sympathise. And incidentally, as things stand , I am perfectly willing to boycott the Arsenal game if nothing changes.