The continuing question of where’s the £35 million received from the Andy Carroll transfer continues to overshadow Alan Pardew’s pre-season preparations.
In the club’s press day before the pre-season tour to America, Pardew was again interrogated on the economic situation at the club. His response remained unaltered.
“I think it (the Andy Carroll sale) has been a big part of what we’ve done because the wage bill has gone up quite a bit,” he said.
Not many Newcastle fans demand that the full £35 million should be spent on transfer fees, and nor should it be. Those days are long gone. The fact that the man who makes the financial decisions at the club forces the manager to communicate this unpopular policy is unfair and undermines the support that fans may have for the manager.
Mike Ashley has made some awful decisions since taking over the club in 2007. However, the owner has saved the club from financial turmoil and continues to put the club on a firm financial footing.
The real problem that exists is the total disregard that the owner has for the fans. The only communication that the fans have received from the owner is that the club will follow the Arsenal policy (we are going to run this club on the cheap). Ashley vowed to concentrate on youth and not spending ridiculous amounts on ‘over the hill’ players.
Ashley’s investment in youth is bearing fruit with players such as Carroll, Ferguson and Vuckic coming through the ranks. However, this fruit soon turns sour if they are sold for profit without adequate replacement.
In the calm after the storm, most logical thinking fans would agree that £35 million for Carroll is a great deal if it means that the money can be spent on acquiring more quality players. If the money received, though, is simply spent on player wages and under-soil heating then suddenly the Carroll transfer will be as bad as it first felt.
The real tragedy of the whole situation is animosity that is created towards Alan Pardew. It is Pardew who must communicate the club’s unpopular decisions and he is left in no position but to justify the decisions that are being taken.
If reports are to be believed, Pardew was desperate to sign N’Zogbia but the powers that be decided that the deal was too costly; for a top class proven Premiership performer. Despite the decisions that Pardew advocates in private it is he who must answer the fans’ questions and in doing so he simply looks like Ashley’s puppet.
The owner should be doing everything in his power to ensure that the manager is supported by the fans, especially after the circumstances under which he was appointed. This does not seem to concern Ashley, though, who simply wants to make sure he does not spend too much money.
Another season dominated by off-field happenings and boardroom politics could ensue.
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How do you think he’s paid the employees of Sports Direct £25,000 each???
Work it out…
You’re suggesting it’s by stealing money from NUC (and I use the word purposefully)? He can’t simply take money out of a business apart from to pay back loans. Why don’t we see if he’s done that when the next accounts are published?
If you’re literate enough to understand them, I’m sure you’ll soon understand that you’re totally correct in your ill-infomed assumption.
What I’m getting at is that NUFC is not his priority Sports Direct is. The fans have seen to that. Didn’t know a good thing when they had it. I truly don’t think he gives a stuff after the way he’s been treated.
Sports Direct earns him money. NUFC costs him money and that was supposed to be balanced by the enjoyment he got out of the club.
Sadly, many fans ‘loved it’ when the previous administration was wrecking their club with buys like Owen.
They’re taking their frustration out on the wrong guy, and the longer they continue to do that the worse the club will suffer.
Ashley is very wealthy man. He may be a touch arrogant (who isn’t will a billion pounds in the bank), he may not be used to criticism and he may have expected some appreciation and reacted strongly when provoked by his ‘customers’.
If one thing the staff bonus for Sports Direct does show it’s that he doesn’t make decisions entirely based on money, and he can be influenced – in this case by a hard working workforce who have delivered for him.
Get a grip man. Pardew is communicating regularly with the fans and explaining Ashley’s point of view.
The owner has imposed some financial limitations – he’s running a business and it’s his right to do that. His plan is to grow _his_ business over the long term and ultimately the speed at which he does that is up to him.
When Mike Ashley did communicate, he said that he was not going to bank roll the business. He doesn’t enjoy NUFC any more and a lot of that is down to fans behaviour. I’ve read fans suggestions of how we should protest again, that’s a fantastic plan – why not annoy his some more?
The day the fans are prepared to invest 25m into the club every year, offer hundreds of millions in interest free loans and still not be able to attend games without abuse is the day they’ve earned their right to comment on someone else’s money pit of a club.
darren – “the day the fans are prepared to invest
£25 million into the club every year”?
If that is the case and Ashley is doing that why are we taking every cost we have ie wages, agent’s fees etc out of the Carroll transfer money?
What happened to all the TV money, season ticket sales, merchandising, Premier League placing money, sponsorship cash etc. on top of that £25 million?
“Offer hundreds of millions in interest free loans…” And you don’t think he’ll want them back?
As for fans’ abusing him at the matches – grow up – he’s a big boy isnt he?
Ash, tell you what – you tell me.
You cannot simply ignore the losses NUFC have made which looking at the one off income from the Carroll sale.
Considering the championship season, loss of shirt sponsorship money, and existing debts, how much less debts do you think the club has now compared to when he took over and how much of that was due to a cash injection by Ashley?
You want to sign N’Zogbia? How about you loan the club 10million interest free for 5 years? Don’t feel hard done by – we know you’ll expect it back and that’s all that is important, right?
Have a think about the interest hundreds of millions actually attracts. Want to guess how much per year that would have been? I’ll give you a clue – check the Fat Freddy years figures.
I think Ashley and his Puppet are doing a great job
up in STOTTIELAND.
At Darren: “Pardew is communicating regularly with the fans and explaining Ashley’s point of view.”
The problem with this communication via Pardew is that one day he says apples, the other day its suddenly bananas. Its only thinly concealed lies.
Examples:
*Not selling Carrol, no way x100.
Last day, last hour sold with a stand by helicopter.
*All of the 35 mill invested in players.
Oops we mean the club, oops its suddenly all spent on agent fees and salary on our freebies. The rest is for january, ye right
*Keeping our top performers and adding to an already thin squad.
Then bye bye Nolan, hoping to sell Barton, Routledge, Smith, Ranger. enrique probably off too. 6 off, 4 in. And saying yesterday we need to get rid in some departements. Doesnt add up.
Why not just be frank and tell us something like this: All money from sales, tv, gates, shirts and other revenues is to be paid back to Mike Ashley on his loans. Thats why we wont spend money on players. You have to live with that, suck it up.
That would be the truth at least
“Why not just be frank and tell us something like this: All money from sales, tv, gates, shirts and other revenues is to be paid back to Mike Ashley on his loans. Thats why we wont spend money on players. You have to live with that, suck it up.
That would be the truth at least”
Fatman knows he cant come out and say that because there still remains a hard core of fans who will, without question, keep pouring money into the club even though they’re being taken for a ride !
It would be silly to cut off that supply of income just for the sake of honesty !!!
Yes Tom – the truth would be nice – for a change.
Perhaps we could live with that if it means eventually we’ll get rid of him once he’s got his money back.
Unbelievable. Moan, moan, moan. If anybody should be quizzed for remaining silent it’s bloody Enrique. Just like all the other pretenders – Given, Nolan and so on = he’s taking the piss- and quess what once again it’s all Mike Ashley’s fault. Get real guys.
I agree the players take a lot of the blame, but it wouldn’t hurt for Ashley to communicate with the fans now and again, would it?
We are starving to death since fat mike wants his money back by making profit every transfer window. We are going nowhere before he sells the club
We are going nowhere?? Currently we are 5th in the league and building a stronger squad every window. We are financially sound, not being bent over by the likes of Luton, and have players who want to play for club. We are above Arsenal and Liverpool and with any luck will stay there. What exactly did you expect????
A good owner should not be seen or heard Ashley made many mistakes drinking with the fans and sitting in the ground but he is the owner and should have distance from this. As far as finances go would we rather be sustainable in top flight football or have players like owen who cost the club 1.5 mill per goal.
As far as i can see he has a great scouting system a succesful youth policy and players who want to be at the club to play not just take the high wage. Lets remember how the last regime communicated to the fans and what was said about the fans and girls in Newcastle by the shephards and what was said about their own star players.
Listening to the fans was indeed his biggest mistake.
I live in Singapore where there is only top level football so I cannot watch the Blades play but have always quite liked your club.
Why not give the team a chance? You clearly spent a lot of money winning the Championship as you kept so many good players and their very good wages. That has to come from somewhere.
I can afford to be detached from it, but from where I sit, you have an exciting season ahead.
You were right to get rid of Nolan – 65k per week at 29 fine. 65k per week at 31, 32, 33 etc. No chance.
You’ve got three keepers of a very good standard. Not even Man U can claim 3. Arsenal would love to claim 1.
Barton, Gosling, Tiote, Marveau, Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Gutieriez, Vuckic, Abied, Guthrie – looks like you’ve got an exciting midfield to look forward to.
You need another striker, but Ba will be a good signing, Ben Arfa can play there in a withdrawn role and Ameobi and Lovenkrands are ok squad players.
You’ve got a decent central defence with Coluccini, Williamson and Taylor, not to mention some good young players around them, Kadar, Simpson, Enrique etc. If the latter goes, it will be for enough cash to replace him.
So why do you think your squad is small? The club should be offloading the likes of Smith, Routledge, Best, Ranger if they are just taking up a wage.
Think you need to relax – it’s not as if you’ve dropped to L1 like my team!
All the very best.
I actually like the theory of us copying the “arsenal model” with grooming young talent, keeping wages down and running a sensible club for once. All this is good stuff and i agree with all points you make.
The thing that gets to me is the lies and going back on promises, and changing meaning from day to day, andmostly the silence from the board.
Communication, or lack of is the big problem, for me at least.
The truth doesn’t need to be likeable but it would be acceptable,
Champagneblade – why do we think our squad is small?
Well even our esteemed manager said that at the end of the season before Ashley reined him in.
It’s small because we still don’t have adequate cover for each position ie both full backs, right wing and a centre half and some of the players are seemingly on their way out with no replacements coming in.
Has anyone actually thought about the number of transfer windows there has been since he bought the club and how much profit he has made in each?
If he gave the club a repayable loan of 100mil then surely the profits from each of the windows should have just about paid that off by now!!! So where is the the clubs revenue really going?
Let’s get Fat Freddie back with all his trophy signings, ludicrous wages and paying the Halls and himself massive wages & dividends (even when we were making huge losses).
To be honest I wish he would just sell who he needs to sell in order to get his money back, put the club back up for sale! Then we can move on and so can he,fresh start for all! Then maybe he can go buy his beloved spurs. Would be interesting to see how there fans and harry redknap would take to his way of running a club