With Newcastle United searching for a defender and on the lookout for a bargain, it’s hardly a surprise that Mike Ashley is being careful with his money, but that seems to have irked Watford manager Sean Dyche. Dyche has been angered by Newcastle’s approach for his defender Adrian Mariappa as the Magpies go about strengthening their defence. But does he have any right to criticise the way that Newcastle United conduct their business?
I for one am glad that Newcastle are being tight with their money. Yes, it would be wonderful if they splashed the cash every now and then, but Liverpool have shown this season that’s not a guarantee of success. On the other hand, Newcastle have illustrated that there are bargains to be had, you just have to search high and low for them. That appears to be the case with Mariappa, as a deal of £750,000 up to £2 million in add-ons is reported to be lodged.
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There would have been no situation at all if Watford had simply rejected the bid, as they have done, and Dyche would have kept quiet on the matter. Instead the Vicarage Road supremo has aired his thoughts to Sky Sports, stating: “Big clubs should go about their business in an appropriate manner. I couldn’t begin to tell you how far away it [the bid] was – my son’s got more in his money box.” All I can say is Sean’s son’s piggy bank must be the size of an actual pig!
Dyche wasn’t done there either, as he continued: “Unfortunately, as is often the case these days, their offer is nowhere near our valuation. That’s the awkward side of the game now, and they do it for their own reasons. If clubs at our level are helping to develop players, I think it’s fair to say that big clubs with money should respect that and go about it in an appropriate manner. Rather than tickling us with offers which are nowhere near the player’s worth, to try to provoke a reaction from us, we do not need to accept the first bid that comes along.”
If it’s a reaction that Newcastle wanted, then that’s exactly what they’ve got and Dyche has played right into their hands. It’s not as if Newcastle have been tapping up Mariappa and it is Watford who have made the bid public, not the Magpies. If you ask me this is a tactic by Dyche to try and push up the value of his star defender. From what I’ve seen of Mariappa he’s not worth much more than what has been offered, so I hope they don’t make another bid, keep being tight with their money and wait for the right player at the right price.
I’d rather watch Georgie Thompson on Sky Sports than listen to what Sean Dyche has to say. Click on the image below to see why!
