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#141892 Overhauling Man United...Then Travelling Europe
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#141868 The FA Cup 2013/14
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#141865 Newcastle Thread
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This is where theories about him recouping his investment by gradually bleeding away money is likely stemming from. All that before this live within your means ideal that has been the motto since promotion being taken to extreme, or the fact combined matchday and commercial income has halved since he took over.
The Express article is now online but is exceptionally transparent so probably best ignored, much like all output from that paper.
#141793 Newcastle Thread
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While a full article appears to be lacking online for the moment, scans of the back page of the Sunday Express tomorrow are on Twitter and have the Pardew story as their back page splash so it will probably appear online at some stage. Though its likely the Mirror article covers the same basic points.
Ashley selling has been rumoured for ages in any case. Who knows why he hasn't done so already - the only benefit he's really getting from this continued relationship is a reduction in the SportsDirect advertising budget.
#141767 Newcastle Thread
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Though if I had a quid for every time I believed the Daily Express, I would have no pounds.
#141731 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
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Probably means his guff will be back on Sky Sports' commentary team then. Rats.
#141472 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
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That must be a first - a manager having to confirm his own sacking on national radio.
#141297 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
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While its a good thing we're not in danger of relegation like last season, where the side was on Boxing Day resembled a good position to push on to attempt a challenge for European football. This could've been taken advantage of either by retaining Cabaye - although as it looks like he wanted out, that wouldn't have worked - or buying replacement(s) and keeping on going. At the very least, it did not hurt to try for success.
But since the sale of Cabaye, we don't seem to have the same ability to formulate coherent stratagems, which has led to us becoming an easier team to play against, and the team seems to lack the ambition, ability and interest it had back in the West Ham away day. Which does beg the question "What is there left this season?"
And if we have already achieved our goal for the campaign of a top 10 finish with room to error, it removes motivation for players and fans, and leads to aimless drifts where there were once performance. Well, unless someone in the rabble below reels us in.
Of course Ashley has not said he doesn't want European football - he hasn't said anything for years. But in the Fan Q&A thing, there was a quote from board members saying the Europa League didn't have a great investment-to-return ratio, hence a lack of interest in returning to it, and that Cups weren't priorities. This is hardly ambition, not least at a time when teams like Wigan, Swansea and Bradford can reach cup finals. But apparently, fuck ambition - a healthy balance sheet and reaching the high-30s points total by January before slamming on the brakes is where its at.
#141181 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
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Now, I'm only judging by highlights as I was at a concert while the game was on, but tactics, passion, commitment and ambition seemed like alien concepts, and barring a period at 2-0 where Lloris had to make three/four stops, the team looked consistently awful.
These last three months are just pointless. We're not going down, and the owners don't want European football, so just why should the fans care? Its not as if the players seem to give a fuck.
#140803 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
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#140620 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
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Tbf we'll be going 45 years without a major trophy by May, barring some freak miracle that lands us the Premier League title. I'm surprised the media doesn't give us a larger kicking.
Given Arsenal and West Ham are putting games on despite having bigger grounds in areas that have even less tube connections due to the strike action, one can't help but think they're hiding behind the tube strike.
#140219 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
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#140197 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
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Incredible that MUFC can somehow be losing to the worse of those two teams.
#140107 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
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#139937 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
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#139879 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
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#139647 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
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I daresay relegation-worthy form since they won the Capital One Cup Final last summer didn't help.
#139584 Local Hero
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If Pardew won the league and cup double he'd probably give £4, maybe £5 more than he would have done before.
Fantastic stuff though.
#139583 Newcastle Thread
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#139498 Newcastle Thread
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What next?
#139462 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
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This could be an interesting one.
Legal advice also seems to be being sought by West Ham over the rejection of Andy Carroll's red card appeal.
#139454 Local Hero
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#139180 Newcastle Thread
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Bizarrely, one of the Kinnear stories is that he turned up heavily drunk to a meeting with Bent and his agent, which managed to coerce them to Fulham instead.
Not sure if we dodged a bullet or not, although Bent probably would have at least scored one Premier League goal. More than can be said for Shola.
#139161 La Liga 2013/14
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It looks fucking awful. The current Bernebeau is a much nicerlooking stadium.
#139150 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
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#139143 Transfer Rumours 2013/14
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This is more or less what I meant with my original comment. There was first speculation on Mackay's job in September-October, especially after the sacking of the club's head of recruitment in early October. It took about two and a half months of uneasy-truce and continual sniping between owner and manager before the inevitable happened.
It is this that led to instability and uncertainty, and would've impacted on the form if the players felt something was up, not least given Tan had been banned from the Cardiff dressing room. So it was all a continual mess that would've impacted on the club's mindset.
My line of thought, anyway.
Change can sometimes be better in any case. Jury's out if Solskjaer can better Mackay, but certainly Pulis and Poyet have improved their teams. Don't think Fulham's new manager has changed much, mind - they're now slightly less shit then they were, but are still shit.
#139120 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
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Spectacularly bad decision all-round.
#139067 Newcastle Thread
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Although saying that, some fans seem already to be eyeing the bigger fish in the boardroom as the next out.
#138771 Newcastle Thread
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Q: It’s a tough question to ask you but is the club, as it stands, capable of making permanent signings?
Pardew: 'Well ...'
Press officer: 'I think that’s an unfair one to ask the manager.'
Q: But it’s two transfer windows without one now and Alan said...
Pardew: 'I’ve got no comment to make on that one.'
Q: You said at the start of last week that the club can’t not replace Yohan, but that’s exactly what happened.
Pardew: 'I didn’t particularly say in this window though. I said, you know, we’ve got to get players of that class, there’s no doubt about that. So don’t try and angle that for this window because I think that’s unfair on me.'
Q: You said ‘we need to bring someone in, for sure. We can’t lose someone of his quality and not replace him. That would leave us vulnerable’. Do you stand by that?
Pardew: 'Well, I’ve said it, ain’t I? But I’m meaning in the long-term as well as the short-term, that it’s the quality we need. And, you know, today has been a tough day for us and I don’t really want to add any more to it, to be honest.
Q: Part of the problem you’ve got is that if you don’t speak out against not getting a replacement it makes it look as though you’re going along with the decisions the board is making and therefore you get criticism heaped on your shoulders and take the blame for that.
Pardew: 'Yeah, I’m a professional manager. You know, if I was in charge, solely, of transfers, the answer might be different, but I’m not.'
Q: It does feel sometimes that you’re being asked to manage with your hands tied behind your back.
Press officer: 'These are all quite unfair questions.'
Q: Unfortunately the manager is the only person who will speak for the club.
Silence.
Q: Alan, is there a collective blame for today, from the top of the club, right down to on the pitch.
Pardew: 'The only way I can answer what has happened today is that it’s a disappointing day for the club.'
Q: What do you say to Mike Ashley and Joe Kinnear when you’re having those discussions on Friday and it’s clear you’re not going to get a replacement (for Cabaye)? Do you make your opinions clear on that?
Pardew: 'I think I’ve made my opinion very clear this week and all the rest of it is confidentiality.'
Q: How do you lift yourself?
Pardew: 'I’ll be alright.'
Walks off.
Full article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2550585/Questions-Newcastles-transfer-policy-continue-mount-derby-defeat.html#ixzz2sDT0ZR5u
I don't get what the club PR means by 'unfair questions' - we obviously don't hear everything mentioned in a press-conference but if anything it feels like its taken too long for this sort of question to be asked to someeone in an official capacity. Such a shame we'll probably never hear from Ashley himself to justify what seems at best to be a haphazard and unhelpful transfer policy that hinders us.
#138685 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
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I read somewhere Cabaye was among players baffled we didn't buy any more than Anita in the build-up to last-season, and certainly at the time fans expected more than just one holding midfielder that Pardew largely didn't bother. Him leaving was inevitable but its galling that we have the nexus of a quality squad that could be broken up quickly due to this lack of interest in progression or advancement. Its already known we will be the only Premier League side ever to fail to make a permanent first team transfer in a season in a season where we already have earned about £82M from TV money and player sales. Even with the idea of making this last for wages and expenses, there should be enough to fund an additional player.
This seems to be why the Ashley out crowd is gaining momentum. They do have a point in that it questions why people bother if all the club exists for is to let Ashley take back every investment he made on us, and to function as free-advertising for SportsDirect and associate brands.