Our consolation was that every penny of the cash would be used to expand and improve the squad. That hasn’t happened, and it doesn’t look like it will – at least not to the extent that we’d hoped. The fans have every right to feel aggrieved about that.
What is so frustrating, is that the actions taken by the owner this summer risk turning the fans against our current policy of buying cheap, often-unheard of young players, and turning them into polished Premier League players.
It makes eminent sense to follow this route; we cannot compete with the big clubs for established top-flight players, and nor can we afford to repeat the mistake of looking for our new recruits on the Chelsea substitutes bench. We have nothing to gain from copying Sunderland and spending millions on de-motivated Manchester United reserves nearing the ends of their careers. I’d take one Tiote over an army of John O’Sheas.
It also makes financial sense. The previous regime ran the club as the fans they undoubtedly are. Freddy and co were never shy of spending money on transfer fees and inflated wages to bring in players to capture the fan’s imaginations. But as the state of the books showed when Ashley and Chris Mort (remember him?) took over, it wasn’t the most effective way to stay on the bank manager’s Christmas card list.
While I have certain reservations about the second part of the “buying cheap and selling expensive” mantra that Llambias and Ashley have embraced, it makes a darn sight more sense than spending money you don’t have.
Obviously the Carroll money shouldn’t be used to fund a £10m bid for Peter Crouch or Jermain Defoe, but after the trauma of selling a locally born, Newcastle supporting number nine, in the mould of all of our heroes, we are entitled to see something good come from the money.
Our scouting network has performed admirably by unearthing players like Tiote, Abeid, Vuckic, Cabaye and Ben Arfa. The Carroll money should be funding an expansion of these plans; a strong push to bring in as many talented, exciting young players to the club as possible. A quick glance at the Lille or Borussia Dortmund sides from last season shows the potential of what can be achieved if money is spent wisely and targets identified intelligently.
As things stand, we are getting the worst of both worlds; no Carroll, and none of the money from his sale. Instead, we should be using the vast bulk of the unexpected Carroll windfall to build a youthful, exciting team that could – who knows – elevate our club to the level it reached a decade ago.
After the ordeal of that evening in January, surely that’s the very least we can expect.
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^^ What he said ^^
Im fed up with reading about Ashley,s moneygrabbing.
Im off.
FO Ashley.
just about sums up the general feeling
Jermaine Beckford was a free then £1 million and always played like Alan Shearer,also with some of the skills,striker,poacher fit, lean,strong, fast.Waiting untill he is worth £10 million then say he,s to expensive or by the time we bid ,he,s to OLD.?????? ROD South Shields
AP WAS TOLD THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO SELL TO GENERATE FUNDS FOR NEW PLAYERS!!WELL ASSUMING THIS IS CORRECT SURELY CAROLL AND NOLAN SHOULD BE CLASSED AS “SALES”
If we take what the board are saying as true, i.e the incoming players have cost signing on fees etc which have eaten into the Carrol money, then what about Aston Villa – they lost Freidal and Downing and immediatately went out and got Shay and Charlie boy for a fair amount of money just about equalling what they go for Downing. now thats replacing departing player the right way which is what we sort of expected when Carrol left. Sorry guys but we are been conned yet again.
Interest per day on £35 million anyone ? My thoughts are Melvik is a done deal,after the 1st when the agent and player get bonus (end of July)from club contract that is reason for delay.Melvik and Jermaine Beckford are my two to take Newcastle back to firm ground and settle this great club.
Sir,
Firstly, I am with you in supporting the buying policy of the current regime. Spending money you have not got in the hope that success will repay your ‘investment’ is the mantra of those whose next stop is “Gamblers Anonymous”. Unless you have the resources of Russian / Middle East oil, it is unsustainable.
Secondly, I shall raise a point which nobody else has and one which worries me. If the money from Carroll’s sale has gone to pay day-to-day expenditure, then we are in the do-do and no mistake. Unless you have to (i.e. the Administrators are knocking outside), you simply do not sell capital assets to pay revenue costs. It begs the obvious question of what you do when you run out of assets to sell. Operating expenses should be met from a club’s regular income.
As for whom to buy, I am at a loss. It would be nice to think that the game’s top players would come to NUFC for love of the club and not require huge financial incentives to do so. It is the kind of thing which happens shortly before your alarm clock goes off. If I had to name one name, it would be Shane Long. He’s still young, and he scored a hatful of goals last season, plus he classes as ‘home-grown’, in case that UEFA rule is worrying us.