Takeover Talk
More reports of takeovers at Newcastle United today, more denials from the club that a bid has been made/received/accepted/talked about/discussed/contemplated/ (delete as appropriate).
One thing seems pretty clear though. People/Companies want to buy the club, the Hall family look like they want to sell, Freddie Shepherd looks like he doesn't.
The latest lot supposedly interested are another faceless bunch, this time US investment firm Polygon (pension funds and that sort of thing) and some Swiss Bankers, which as we all know rhymes with ......
Apparently they are leading the chase instead of Jersey-based investment group Belgravia, who are starting to look like the financial world's equivalent of a 999 hoax caller - a waste of everybody's time.
Or maybe they are not, maybe they are going to make a bid and have it accepted, I'm just getting a little irritated by the whole thing and I'm sure every supporter would just like to know what is going on, one way or the other.
Glenn Roeder will say the speculation has no bearing on the playing side of things, but I can't help but worry that the club will be in some sort of limbo as we head into the January transfer window when proper investment and strong direction is needed.
Yes, Newcastle's results have improved, but the squad is still desperately short in key areas and still does not look capable of mounting a challenge for a European place, which is supposedly the minimum requirement according to the man who still remains in charge at St James's Park - Freddie Shepherd.
On a brighter note, Newcastle have picked up some silverware. The Intertoto Cup will take pride of place next to the Hong Kong Chop Foey Cup they won on a pre-season tour three years ago as Newcastle are the only particpants to have progressed into the knockout phase of the Uefa Cup.
Well done, pats on the back all round! Shepherd always said the perfect time for him to leave would be after the club had won a trophy! Somehow I doubt this is quite what he had in mind.
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Luke Edwards - is Chief Sports Writer of The Journal and uses his blog to give a unique and entertaining insight into events at Newcastle United and Sunderland.
Nothing to do with the story, (Very Good as always) but could you have a word with whoever does the messageboard to get it together, and in some sort of order, the pages are so mixed up that kev from manchester has started to talk and argue with himself!
It doesn't say much for these "new owners" that they don't seem at all interested in what the fans think does it.
You're right, however, the club badly needs direction at this crucial stage of the season and I fear we are not getting it
With the AGM tomorrow and the transfer window 14 days away, I think we would all have hoped to have heard something positive by now.
The simple facts of the matter are that despite improvements in recent weeks, the squad needs strengthening. In an ideal world we'd have 5 players sitting with a pen in their hand at 00:01 on Jan 1st, but I have a horrible feeling that this uncertainty will make it more like 23:59 Jan 31st. Either that or more incompetence from FS playing his waiting game and “keeping the powder dry�. Just because the window doesn’t open till Jan, it doesn’t mean deals can’t be in place and ready to go straight away, but can anyone see that happening?
Anyway, Merry Christmas, lets hope the Toon can make it a good one!