It’s now becoming a crisis at Newcastle as we seem to be finding it difficult to hire a manager to replace the departed Rafa Benitez.
Presumably, the Newcastle hierarchy would prefer that a new manager is put in place before they bring in new players – although that didn’t stop them back in the summer, 2015 when they brought in players without Steve McClaren being consulted.
We ended up relegated that season.
The transfer window opened on May 16th so it’s coming up to eight weeks now and Newcastle have sold Perez for £30M to Leicester City – who have ambitions way above those of Newcastle.
We know we will not be getting Salomon Rondon this summer and our other targets – defined by Rafa and Head of Recruitment Steve Nickson before the window opened – could already have been transferred.
The good news is that most of the transfer business is done in the last week, which in this case is the week before August 8th – with the Premier League kicking off the following weekend.
That’s 31 days to go in this transfer window.
But there’s a fundamental question to be answered about the team – will the new manager continue with Rafa’s tactics of quick counter-attacks or use a completely different system.
That will determine which players the new managers will want to bring in – plus his opinion about our existing players.
But he’s not going to be able to watch the players we have much – with only a month to do in the transfer window.
We’d be happy enough if we don’t lose any more of our good players – except Isaac Hayden who is moving for family reasons.
It’s definitely not a good situation to be in – and there may be a boycott for the first game against Arsenal.
But the very last thing we want to see is a civil war between fans with those that support the boycott personally criticizing those who will continue to go to the games – even if hell freezes over.
One reason Newcastle fans are the best in the business is because of that – their complete loyalty to Newcastle United FC.
It’s been like that all my life starting with my father attending all away games in the first half of the 1950s – when we won the FA Cup three times.
And the boycott will not hurt the club or Ashley financially – not with the club getting just over 70% of revenues from the Premier League TV revenue.
Here’s the breakdown of the revenue for the previous financial year (July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018).
Match revenues are dropping quickly, and over the previous financial year were only 13.4% of revenues.
New owners would quickly raise the commercial revenues at the club, but under Ashley, they have been hopeless since he bought the club.
It’s not about hitting Mike Ashley in the pocket where it hurts – he couldn’t care less about that, and in fact, he couldn’t care less about the fans either.
Shame on him.
It’s trying to make it known across the world the complete failings and incompetence of our Sports Direct owner and somehow get him to sell the club and give our fans new life and new hope.
That’s what it’s all about.
One final thing – some fans have been accusing Ashley of putting some of Newcastle’s money into his own pocket or that of Sports Direct.
But believe me, that’s just not possible, and Newcastle United FC have their own set of financial books as do Sports Direct, and they are distinct and separate.
Ashley can be rightly accused of failing to spend Newcastle’s money, and we now have a lot of it – but he is in no way putting it in his own pocket or across to Sports Direct.
The set of books are audited each year.
So from a business sense, he is in no way “robbing” Newcastle other than being unwilling to spend the club’s money to create a much better team.
We have the money these days – if only he had some ambition and wanted to do that.
Comments welcome.
152 comments so far
shay Robson
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:10 PM
Comment #41JFA as the most consistent blogger. how long have you supported The toon ?
I have since my greatest hero played for NUFC David Kelly.
Rob1971
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:10 PM
Comment #42Keith Downie on Twitter has said he does not believe the statement from Redding
jazzyp
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:11 PM
Comment #43Droppy
I honestly don’t believe no toon fan does not want the takeover to happen mate,Even frog boy ain’t that sadistic
Bills Son Is Back
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:11 PM
Comment #44Jail/Boycott says …When Bill’s son is back starts trying to do humour then you know we’re in the clarts!!!
Let;s go over to the compere at the Comedy Cub…
“It’s great to see a packed house tonight and we are starting off with a real treat…
For your delectation, enjoyment and rib tickling humour…
All the way from his offshore stint, brought to you by Ashley’s helicopter…
The one and only, laugh a year man himself… Jail For Ashley….”
(Sound of screaming and stampede for the doors)
Compere shouting down the microphone…
“That was just Jail clearing his throat… not a bomb alert… it’s safe, safe I tell ya”
(Silence, the place has emptied).
Compere comes to his senses, pays Jail off, kicks him up the ar$e as he exits stage left… and bellows down the microphone…
“Second act… it’s the Bills Son and Mikey SHOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW”
(Thunderous sound of feet, fainting lasses, lads punching the air, and hoots of joy)
Just another night at the Comedy Club.
Nostradamus " Mike Ashley The Clown "
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:12 PM
Comment #45I’m still in shock this is how the club is run, no communication, no manager, no players, no new owners.
Ok fine, you want to ignore the fan base, remember without us you don’t have 52000 singing songs for the Tv cameras.
If this happens and the ground is half full then kiss goodbye the Tv money, Sky Sports can easily pull the plug on live games if the ground is half empty, I call all fans don’t turn up if Ashley is in charge, don’t purchase anything from SD, don’t give Ashley time to move, don’t let him off, keep protesting outside his house, outside his businesses, outside Charnley’s house, anywhere associated with Mike Ashley.
He only cares about MONEY, don’t purchase anything that he has his hands in, let’s show him the fans have more power than he gives us credit for, MA you think we are a bunch of dumb northerners, that’s fine but the Toon Army as one unit can be more powerful than you think, if you really push us we can can the club relegated, we can get the club to lose points, we can really screw things up for you. Don’t Fcuk with us, Mikey!!
Muz
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:13 PM
Comment #46Funny how toon22 disappears when a question he asks is given multiple, clear, concise answers.
I actually went back and looked at the sale of Man City to Sheikh Mansour. Can you believe, he was so desperate to release his equity the negotiations for the sale took only a day 😀
droppy in Wallsend
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:14 PM
Comment #47Jazzyp
Are they all necessarily toon fans?
The glee at the prospect of more of the same is weird.
shay Robson
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:14 PM
Comment #48it is quite serious when a business news site in UAE published an article about the purchase in progress. I dont feel this is a joke
do you understand toon 22 ?
cleveleysbob
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:14 PM
Comment #49Keith Downie is “camped” at SJP today and is reporting very negatively about NUFC every half hour.
I see this as being totally positive, either Sky know the deals done and Kieth is on hand for the announcement or, they know it’s MA holding it up and are helping to put the pressure on MA as we all know how he hates negative publicity and maybe the BZG comments and Keith being at the ground all day are a bit coordinated?
Ps loved the blog this weekend, good craic, and a lot of mostly positive vibes.
Jib
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:15 PM
Comment #50Swalbr
ha ha ha
I actually spat out a mouthful of Birra Moretti
😀
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:17 PM
Comment #51Muz
Who do you think he will pretend to sell us to next time?
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:17 PM
Comment #52As regardless I want Jabba gone
You don’t seem to mind him
Toon Cat
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:18 PM
Comment #53Newcastle’s utter silence on the takeover would have made your average trappist monk seem like a chatty-Kathy. BZG, in stark contrast, have issued statements aimed direct at the fans so reassure them that they are serious buyers doing their best to push a takeover through.
I imagine there are limits regarding commercial confidentially on what they can say, and clearly unless the deal is completely off anything they say will be polite and not critical of the seller.
While we all wish they could say more and definitively end the collective misery, maybe theyre genuinely trying to do the best they can to communicate direct and unspun by media with fans in difficult circumstances.
Even if we wish for more, they’re doing a million miles better than Ashley od Charnley so far.
RobLeenio
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:18 PM
Comment #54Jib, take it as a positive, mend your ways and don’t try to force any more of that cr@p down your neck.
😉
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:18 PM
Comment #55You seem to delight in ways to defend the shambles
To stay positive when it’s blatantly obvious we’re being shafted again
It’s never MAs fault
Muz
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:19 PM
Comment #56toon22 – i think we’re sold this time.
I get why some people are being sceptical with Ashley and can understand some of the negativity. You on the other hand, delight in it. You’re almost gleeful with your postings which makes me think you’re just here to be a WUM. How’s it down in Pallion today?
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:20 PM
Comment #57It’s the 8th sale
The buyers were described as time wasters by Liverpool
Let’s all be positive about it
shay Robson
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:21 PM
Comment #58I personally feel that I trust people on the ground in UAE over sky reporters.
people are looking for legitimate sources. Peter from twitter works for a royal family owned radio station where he could be jailed for misinformation.
I think this may be sold…..
do you understand what is happening toon 23 ???
RobLeenio
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:22 PM
Comment #59There’s no way to compare the communication from the Mansours during the Man City buyout in 2008 and our situation now – social media was barely beginning back then, smart phones were working off crap signals and data was really expensive. I know Twitter was launched in 2006, but I imagine it was more used as a desktop thing.
These days, if you want to reach a mass popular audience, you don’t use TV or the radio, you use Twitter.
Yes, I get the irony that’s it’s a radio DJ who broke it using twitter.
😐
Jib
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:22 PM
Comment #60Man City was completely different
The Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatrawas trying to avoid
being extradited for fraud
He’s currently sniffing around Crystal Palace
cleveleysbob
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:25 PM
Comment #61Members of the press can be informed (subject to any existing NDA’s) of what is happening “off the record”. – This means that they have a “gentleman’s agreement” to not release the story until it’s confirmed. I suspect Sky and maybe a couple of others know exactly what is happening but just can’t confirm anything yet.
I also agree that the BZG statement, is directed at us the fans and is as much as they can say until MA gives in and signs the bloody contract!
chancel be a fine thing
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:26 PM
Comment #62Got to wonder why the chronicle and skysports Keith are not even reporting the BZG statement. Are they not supposed to NE sports journalists? Is this not a story? Maybe it messes with Ashley’s PR timeline and they’re waiting for instructions from Mikey.
Lovem or Hatem
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:26 PM
Comment #63Keith Downie
?Verified account @SkySports_Keith
14m14 minutes ago
Replying to @Edit_Kev @JJFletcher7 and
The club is for sale, yes. And until NUFC come out and say any takeover is off/club off the market I believe there’s still things going on in background.
Muz
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:28 PM
Comment #64jazzyp – also, forgot to say, even if most of the deal is finished in principle but there’s a hold up somewhere down the line, nothing stops NUFC from appointing a BZG rep to the board to purchase players and oversee the manager recruitment. That’s what Sheikh Mansour did at Man City. Worked out well for them in the end. (Mansour didn’t officially own the club until the last day of the transfer window)
shay Robson
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:29 PM
Comment #65why is Keith working from st. james park today toon 22 ?
Muz
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:30 PM
Comment #66Kieth Downie doing a stellar job as usual with his insightful tweeting on the club.
In other news, water is wet and until it’s boiled or frozen remains in a wet, liquid state.
DubaiMicky
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:31 PM
Comment #67It just shows Downie’s ignorance of the law here if he doesn’t believe the tweets from Redding.
Redding would have been arrested by now if they were untrue. They don’t mess about here – especially where Royalty (no matter how detached from the main man) is concerned.
cleveleysbob
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:32 PM
Comment #68SKY don’t have a reporter standing about all day at a ground unless they think a story is imminent- all Keith’s done so far is point out how nothing’s getting done at NUFC. – This wouldn’t justify him being there all day – there has to be something going on!!
Toon222
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:33 PM
Comment #69Toon22
Spot on again with all ur posts, liverpool said they wer time wasters so who better 2 hav fronting the latest takeover but a crowd of time wasters, always 2 or 3 steps ahead
The whole thing is bullshit to waste time so they only hav 2 weeks of a transfer window by the end of it in which 2 sign players, perfect excuse again
Problem is, its repetitive, same crap every window and more and more fans r catching onto it
BOYCOTT ARSENAL
jazzyp
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:33 PM
Comment #70Muz
Cheers for that pal.I thought we would be stuck in the mud with only a month left still in turmoil and no direction.
chancel be a fine thing
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:33 PM
Comment #71toon22 who do you believe he’s going to pretend to sell us to next time?
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:34 PM
Comment #72Those magic NDAs
Only apply where people want them
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:34 PM
Comment #73Frankie Boyle
toon22
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:35 PM
Comment #74Maybe some Korean dude
Muz
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:35 PM
Comment #75DubaiMicky – which kinda makes him a sh/t journalist because even if he didn’t know that off the top of his head he could do things like look it up online or in a book. Absolutely no investigative journalism going on these days. Downie, Ryder, Douglas all are glorified PR people. Nothing in their mandate to discover stories, they’re just here to trumpet stuff that will be released on SM the second its done anyway.
They’re the professional equivalent of your appendix
Lovem or Hatem
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:36 PM
Comment #76https://www.arabianbusiness.com/banking-finance/423515-uae-sheikh-says-working-diligently-to-seal-deal-for-newcastle-utd
At the end of this article (Thanks Naptoon) it says this “He (Ashley) has put Newcastle up for sale three times but every bid has failed to produce a deal. ”
Sums it up nicely – Ashley has failed to produce a deal.
Jib
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:36 PM
Comment #77Hot Chili tortilla chips with humous dip
and Italian lager – yum yum
naptoon
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:37 PM
Comment #78Kim jong il would be better than the tapeworm good call toon 22.
Lovem or Hatem
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:39 PM
Comment #79Keith Downie
?Verified account @SkySports_Keith
Replying to @NUFC_Vintage @BootGeordie
My primary job is to decide what is news and what isn’t.
Muz
Jul 8, 2019 at 4:40 PM
Comment #80So he’s failing at his primary job then cos a lot of what he tweets isn’t news…