Ayoze Perez has given an interview in the Athletic in which he has made some comments about why he left Newcastle United.
The article was written by Rob Tanner and in it, Ayoze mentions the one word that has been sorely lacking at Newcastle United over the past twelve years – ambition.
He first spoke of the departure of Rafa Benitez and his need for a change.
“It was a big factor, but also I felt it was time for a change and a new challenge.
“In this case, Leicester gave me such a great opportunity to come here.
“The ambition of the club and the way they are doing the right things was very important in my decision.
“Also, as soon as Rafa left, the decision was easier.”
We sensed that Ayoze needed a change long before Rafa left to be honest. He had been speaking of returning to Spain and of starting a new cycle since February.
While the departure of Rafa will certainly have made it an easier decision to make, Ayoze had seemed to have grown weary of playing for Newcastle under the current circumstances long before Rafa left.
He then went on to praise the ambition of Leicester City while saying that he felt it was lacking at Newcastle.
“Things could be done better over there at Newcastle, but Leicester have given me the opportunity to do great things hopefully.
“There’s big ambition. I think how football works, the way you have to look at football, that’s the difference between Leicester and Newcastle.
“There is big motivation here to keep growing and to get better here at Leicester. I didn’t feel they had it at Newcastle.”
We can’t disagree with anything that Ayoze says here. It is true that Newcastle have lacked the ambition to take that next step. They seem to be content to just remain in the Premier League.
This lack of determination to win will wear on a player, especially after five years of it.
We really like Ayoze Perez and were sad to see him leave. He scored some big goals for the club in important matches.
It is yet to be seen how much we will miss those goals this season. On Saturday against St-Etienne, the team did not take their chances. The good news is that they created a lot of them.
While St-Etienne is a very decent side, they are not a Premier League team. Newcastle will have to take their chances when they come this season.
With Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin in to replace Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez, there is the potential for an exciting and entertaining team. The style of play will certainly be more open but whether it can be as successful remains to be seen.
The Athletic, incidentally, is where former Chronicle writer Chris Waugh will now write.
Finally I can confirm that I am immensely proud to have joined @TheAthleticUK as #NUFC Writer for what is an extremely talented group.
Subscribe today for 50% off: https://t.co/YE70lkuyw2
Here's an explainer piece on why I've joined, & what to expect: https://t.co/SiAHorvDbf
— Chris Waugh (@ChrisDHWaugh) August 5, 2019
23 comments so far
G
Aug 5, 2019 at 10:46 AM
Comment #1I would have preferred to keep him.
Mund
Aug 5, 2019 at 10:47 AM
Comment #2Jail
It was just my opinion mate that’s it they are both inadequate managers in my eyes
Hibbit
I don’t believe a word Ashley says again what I’ve said is my opinion if I could have Rafa back with a click of the fingers I do it in an instance.
G
Aug 5, 2019 at 10:48 AM
Comment #3Went off half-cocked there, was trying to say I would have preferred to keep him, as we have that much pace in the side now, I think we would have been a much stronger attacking threat with Perez. Even when he’s not on the goals, he makes a lot of space for others to exploit.
Tsunki
Aug 5, 2019 at 10:49 AM
Comment #4Jib sorry but did Homer speak Latin? Earliest Latin is supposed to be around 600bc, some 150 years before our Greek poet. Googling slipping a bit?
Macas
Aug 5, 2019 at 10:49 AM
Comment #5Perez played well for half a season then jumped ship. It will be interesting to see if that half season was a flash in the pan or he continues his progress.
Tsunki
Aug 5, 2019 at 10:49 AM
Comment #6Sorry – AFTER…
bill
Aug 5, 2019 at 10:53 AM
Comment #7Ambition, what is that? Forgot what it means.
Jib
Aug 5, 2019 at 10:54 AM
Comment #8Tsunki for some reason I had it in my head that
Homer was Roman – doh
Anyway it shows that I use Google a lot less than
…….. you for example
#boycott Arsenal
Aug 5, 2019 at 10:59 AM
Comment #9Rebecca.
Considering you are a man called carl I don’t think you are in a position to lecture me on feminism. Please keep my wife and kids out of your stalking you creep.
Lindisfarne
Aug 5, 2019 at 11:00 AM
Comment #10A striker thrives on service and form, Perez did not have both 100% of the time but was still our top scorer for the last two seasons. I would just love it if we finished the season above them.
Lindisfarne
Aug 5, 2019 at 11:05 AM
Comment #11If Ashley wants to persuade us he has turned a new leaf, he needs to start redeveloping the training ground. Hopefully the new signings will be able to gel and not just sit out their long contracts. Then if all goes well after a couple of seasons the players need to either be retained or replaced with better, according to circumstances.
#boycott Arsenal
Aug 5, 2019 at 11:06 AM
Comment #12Lindisfarne,
He doesn’t want to persuade us though.
ronaldo aarons
Aug 5, 2019 at 11:11 AM
Comment #13I still don’t get the debate about who was at fault for Rafa not signing the contract. There’s not even a debate to be had lol. When we finished 10th I said numerous times that last season would be his last and he will not sign a new deal.
This was before the whole to and fro from Ashley and Benitez, or before Chinese clubs came knocking.
Lindisfarne
Aug 5, 2019 at 11:12 AM
Comment #14Thats fine, then i shall continue to demand that he leaves and be replaced with a more responsible owner.
Mund
Aug 5, 2019 at 11:13 AM
Comment #15Why let Ashley control the love tor our club?? Say the unthinkable happens and we have him as our owner for another 10 years will you still keep your distance?
I will not let that man determine how I feel for this club and rule my decisions going forward. This club means more to me than that man being our owner.
ronaldo aarons
Aug 5, 2019 at 11:17 AM
Comment #16People talk about Perez playing for half a season last year because he wanted a move. What about the season before when we signed Kennedy and Perez went on a similar run of form. Was he playing for a move then?
He was absolutely selfless and sacrificed his ‘performances’, got that term highlighted as many just go by goals/assists as good performances. He could have kicked up a fuss like many before him to say he is a striker, play me as striker and we’d likely see his goal contribution increase. Instead he only played this role in his first season, he has been on the wings, in attacking mid and back on the wings/forward when almiron came in.
People seem to see the goals and think yeah he’s putting effort in now but you don’t cover the ground he does, become the highest attacker for tackling, interceptions and recoveries if you are nit putting the effort in.
Everyone can have opinions on players but when you’re talking nonsense of him only playing for a move then it would be better to keep quiet as you obviously are not watching the games or don’t have a clue about playing in a team to any decent level.
yogz69
Aug 5, 2019 at 11:22 AM
Comment #17Goodbye ayoze you were crap anyway
Mund
Aug 5, 2019 at 11:26 AM
Comment #18Ayoze was as frustrating as he was brilliant. This season will determine what kind of player he is. He is in a good attacking ambitious team so end of the season stats will show how good of a player he is no excuses now.
Macas
Aug 5, 2019 at 11:27 AM
Comment #19ronaldo
I never said he was playing for a move, I said he played well for half a season then moved.
Perez looked like he had real potential his first season but after that I thought that apart from the odd moment of class he was pretty dire.
Can’t deny his effort but you need more than that at the top level.
This last half a season he has got better and better and where he would normally try and take players on and lose the ball every time he was keeping possession.
You can’t really say that everyone can have an opinion but anyone that disagrees with you is clueless.
Perez splits opinion among fans like no other player in recent history.
Some really rate him, and other like myself think he was rather poor until midway through last season.
Munster Mag
Aug 5, 2019 at 11:30 AM
Comment #20Mund, some of the audience, the noisy section, is closed here to any form of negative comment re Rafa. But fair play to you and others who are willing to articulate a slightly more nuanced position on rafa. It doesnt matter if you say positive, you will be castigated for negatives. Ashley ballsed up but rafa clashed with owners everywhere and left napoli in a worse position than when he arrived and his departure was not rued by fans. I argued on here that football had evolved and none of the top english clubs would want him. Leicester not going for him was instructive. That said, i was sure he would go to a Galatasaray where he would have the noisy fanbase he likes and he could play his pied piper routine and politics with the owner. Sadly ashley wudnt budge and neither man liked each other. But his choice of club was baffling and anyone saying otherwise is delusional.
Munster Mag
Aug 5, 2019 at 11:33 AM
Comment #21Either way we now have to move on and forget Benitez. Not giving the new guy a chance isnt a recipe for success
Munster Mag
Aug 5, 2019 at 11:36 AM
Comment #22Mund i think perez will do well. Loads of ability and leicester is a super club. I’ll be rafa wud loved to have gone there with their pacy counter-attackers but the owners wanted a more modern style of high press game and chose differently.
arpeco19
Aug 5, 2019 at 9:39 PM
Comment #23Perez at the club for 5 years, picked up a decent wage, had a good half season, Leicester decided to trigger his release clause and now he slags of the ambition of our club?? (Btw we all know under Ashley there’s been no ambition for 12 years). Where was his ambition 3 years ago? Why didn’t he leave then? (Hand a transfer request in)Truth is nobody wanted him, he was lucky someone triggered his release clause, we’ll just see how well he does for Leicester and how quick they’ll get on his back when he’s got his feet under the table and only gives half a season year in year out…