Police Raids And An Old Friend Turned Enemy
So did I miss much while I was on holiday apart from police raids on Newcastle United, the strange return of a proud Geordie to the North-East and the arrival at the Stadium of Light of some cousin of a Big Brother contestant?
It’s impossible to ignore the events at St James’s Park this week as the inquiry into alleged corruption in football continues. Sadly, for legal reasons, there is not much I can add other than it is distressing to see the name of the club still being linked to dodgy transfer dealings.
At this stage, we do not know which individuals are involved and the club has released a statement declaring it is not the subject of the investigation, but I just hope that, if Newcastle have been involved in any dodgy deals, if individuals have taken back handers they are named, shamed and suitably punished.
For now, all we can do is let the police do their stuff - move on, nothing to see here folks - and hope that, if there has been some wrongdoing, they find the people responsible and come down hard on them. Personally I’d like to see them banished to The Shetland Islands, or the Badlands or shot by Judge Dread, but there you go!
On to the Stadium of Light where there has been considerably more action in the transfer market than at St James’s Park while I’ve been away.
Oh yes Michael Chopra. A player who wasn’t believed to be good enough for Newcastle’s first team last season, a player who, as a child, dreamt of wearing the black and white stripes of the club he supported has signed for Sunderland for £5.5m just a year after he dropped out of the Premiership to play for Cardiff.
If Chopra becomes a success at Sunderland, the decision to let him leave last summer will be one of the most embarrassing in the club’s history. A hometown boy, a prolific goalscorer at every level as a youngster who couldn’t stop scoring in the reserves, who would have loved to have worn the shirt, but who was never given a proper chance in the first team.
Just imagine if Chopra - one of the first British Asians to play in the Premiership - scored the winner for Sunderland in the derby at St James’s Park!
For those of us who need to fill newspapers, it would be a great story, but imagine how painful it would be for Newcastle fans to watch! There is plenty of talk about scripts already being written in football, but that sort of thing belongs with David Beckham in Hollywood.
Then again, am I getting ahead of myself? Chopra might have been a proud Geordie who loved the club, but was he ever really good enough to succeed Alan Shearer in the famous number nine shirt?
From what I remember, he never really looked as though he could convert a prolific youth team and reserve team record into a similar return in the Premiership? His Newcastle record was, if you need reminding, modest to say the least.
In 21 Premiership appearances he scored just one goal, ironically, against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. He scored another against League Two’s Cheltenham Town in his two FA Cup run outs and another first team goal against Slovakia’s mighty FC Dubnica in the Intertoto Cup!
It is not the sort of record that will make Premiership defenders nervous, apprehensive or even vaguely concerned, not when you think they have to regularly face forwards who have scored goals against the best in the Champions League and major international tournaments.
Nevertheless Chopra, when he was given an extended run of first team football did score 22 goals for Cardiff last season, more than England international David Nugent did in a better Preston team.
If Sunderland were willing to pay £6m for Nugent, surely the money spent on Chopra is not silly and this is a player who, at 23, will return to his native North-East determined to prove Newcastle wrong. There is no better club to do that at than Sunderland, even if you did grow up disliking them!
Finally, I’d also like to mention Kieran Richardson. An England Under 21 international, a former Manchester United teammate of Roy Keane who is easily Sunderland’s highest-profile signing this summer.
A good recruit who will add some proven Premiership quality on the left wing. Sadly, his arrival at Sunderland could also mean his cousin Charlie, that irritating bird on Big Brother, will be a regular visitor to the region! Oh joy oh joy!
Older/Newer
« I'm On a Scouting Mission To Serbia | Injury Problems And Transfer Trouble »
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Police Raids And An Old Friend Turned Enemy.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.lukewhostalking.co.uk/cgi-bin/mt421/mt-tb.cgi/35630
15 Comments
Leave a comment
Blog Authors
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.
Im not fussed about Chopra joining the mackems, he's too slow, upstairs! AND if he was going to get 20 goals, wouldn't a big club have moved in?
He's not as good as Rossi, once of Newcastle on loan.
Now that the club have been officially de-listed from the stock market, will this release cash for Big Sam to spend?
After being against the appointment of Uncle Sam, I've warmed to him over the recent months, and his signings have encouraged me further, hasn't he improved the squad? Geremi, Rozehnal, Barton, Viduka, all at a net spend of around £1.8m?
I think if Sam went to the board and said "Hey! Billionnaire, Hows about £20m pronto? he'd be justified.
After all next year we get £30m just for staying up.
We have a good set of players at the moment, just missing a whole left side and a centre back hither and thither.
Come on, Show me the money! Paul.
Luke and Paul obviously have some problems when it comes to being realistic about either the Newcastle or Sunderland football clubs. The truth is that Shearer would never allow any young lad to shine for either the Magpies or England. Magpie (or is it Mugpie) fans should hope that Shearer goes off to the US as quickly as possible to join the Beckham Circus as a walk-on during match build-ups or as a halftime commentator. But this does assume that anybody there will remember who he is. Hmm!
In all likelihood time will prove that Roy Keane simply has a much better eye for talent than people at Sid James Park. But surely that would not surprise anybody, because he does have a history in these things and of being a winner.
Those chips on Mugpie shoulders will get a lot bigger over the coming season because it is far more probable that Up and Under Sam, Scientific Sam, Big Sam or whatever he is called will be in charge of a team still known mostly for what he and they do off the field. And what a nasty joke it was on those fans to make them think that Freddie (if only it had been Mercury) was actually departing from the scene. In reality he and Shearer will linger around like the smell of bad fish smalfor quite some time yet!
Note From Luke
Talk about stir up a hornet's nest M Thelwell! Quite what the Mags who read this will make of your comments, I don't know, but in terms of putting the cat amongst the pigeons, I like your style.
On the Chopra issue, he never got a decent run or chance in the first team to get a run going, so good luck to the lad and I hope he makes a success of it. I hope BS is given a chance to sort out the mess left over from last season, he has started well in bringing 4 players for a small amount of money, i agree that we need 2 full backs as Carr is not good enough, and another central defender would not go amiss.
Michael Chopra never looked good enough for me. There have been plenty of strikers who have been prolific in the Championship and then struggled in the Premiership and I think he will be one of them.
If he is a success at Sunderland, good luck to him, but I don't think many fans argued with the decision to let him go last summer on the basis of what they had seen from him in the first team before then. He's certainly no Alan Shearer. Sunderland need players to try and keep them up, Chopra might do that, but he's not the sort of striker you want if your hoping to push for Europe, which is what Newcastle are aiming for.
I agree that Chopra isnt good enough for prem however he should've been given as much a chance as ameobi had. Michael Chopra - the new Shaun Goater.. he'll be back banging in 20 goals in the championship next year tho.
Chopra needs lightning pace to cut it in the premiership - due to his size, unfortunately he doesnt possess it. You need pace or strength, preferably both; the deminutive poacher went out of fasion with Tony Cottee.
I'd like to see him do well but if they're relying on him for goals they might be disapointed.
As for M Thelwell's comments; pot, kettle, gamekeeper, poacher; the choice is yours. I think you've used up all your 'hilarious' puns up in one go mate. Never exhaust a limited resource.
Luke, it’s alright putting the cat amongst the pigeons, but the argument has to be as watertight as a mermaids bra.
Lets get this clear, M Thelwell, Alan Shearer WONT take the Newcastle job for at LEAST five years, probably nearer ten or more.
1. He won’t want to work with any of the current people there, as it’s very difficult for an ex-player to manage players he’s played with.
2. If Big Sam is successful, (And I believe he will be) why sack a successful manager?
Now Im not saying he’s going to win the Champions League in two years time, but I hope it’s not a case of “sack him if we finish fifth� like Shepherd did with Sir Bobby.
And I think Alan will want some time with his family for a number of years. He’s only 36.
Best case scenario: Big Sam win’s a cup or two in the next five years and sustains a regular European campaign, when Big Sam has had enough (He’s in his 50’s so a successful decade is possible)
Then if he’s ready Alan Shearer is printed on the managers door at St’ James’ Park.
Worst Case scenario: Big Sam fails and we go and get another EXPERIENCED manager.
The one BIG reason that Alan won’t take it sooner rather than later is he won’t want to fail and he WILL want to be in the best possible position to succeed when he does. He knows he isn’t at the moment.
Oh and “Won’t allow any young lad to shine for Newcastle and England� Do me a favour, what about Owen when he broke in, Ameobi had countless chances to “do it� (and didn’t) the truth was Shearer and Bellamy was the best partnership in recent years and which Welshman cocked that up?
The club sold Ferdinand when the pair had just scored 50 goals!
Roy Keane? A better eye for a player? That’s two favours you owe me, He’s about to pay £7m for a GOALKEEPER and he’s signed, er, er Who? Keiran Richardson, decent enough, but we’ve just acquired a 20 goal a season striker for FREE!
Now it’s good to have Sunderland back up and everything, but if you stop sniffing the felt tip pens, comment like yours won’t materialise so often.
What was that about Cats and Pigeons? Paul.
And in other news, you changed your banner! From Parker to Owen...does that mean he'll be the next captain? Or does it mean he'll be the next out the door?
Note From Luke
My money is on Joey Barton being the next captain
it's great to read comments from such a well informed person who is always up to date on exactly what is going on in the world of north east sports. not sure if you had notice but Scott Parker has been sold by Newcastle so might be a good idea to remove the picture of him in his toon top next to your mug on the top of the page.
that was quick. shame the new photo of Luke demostrates the dangers of the end of season break and the appeal of pies!
Note From Luke
Now that's just rude! I'll have you know that pic was actually taken last summer. I've been baldie for a while now and, as for the slightly chubby face....
If Sibierski was the best free transfer? Chopra was the best transfer, sold for 500 and back to the neighbours for 5million in one year! If he will make it only time will tell.
When Mike Ashley bought NU he did it without knowing what he was acquiring exactly, the audit is still on its way, therefore he is keeping Freddie, if not he would have been sacked with a "golden handshake" on top, and off the hook for whatever problems comes out of the inventory,
now he is still the Chairman and responsible untill the books are closed and the keys handed over!
I must say that we are all lucky that MA has come in to take over a club on its way down fast, completely mismanaged and possibly other "not yet" confirmed malpractices?
(do we know who tipped off the authorities?)
And he is English whilst the other clubs all go into the hands of foreign investors? Nothing wrong with that but it just sounds better that NU is the only top club in the Premier league in English ownership!
I do not see Alan Shearer stepping into top club management that fast,
more likely he will follow a learning path similar to
f.i. Tony Adams, therefore 5 years is very fast, 8 to 10 are more likely.
Meantime Sam will do the job, at least if we let him the time to reconstruct what was almost terminaly destroyed,
and we only agree with those who are with us....
the hands of
Hur-hur Mugpies, like it, yee must be ded clevah thinking of summat ded funny like that coz it sownds like magpies, but it means the barcodes (thats ded funny an all coz there like stripes an all) are stupid coz ye sayd mug in it! hur-hur 2-1 (greatest moments of my life), sewpa kev! Sunlin til a die
Note From Luke
I detect a hint of sarcasm in your voice Morny! Mind you, without playing Devil's Advocate, well no, actually, as Devil's Advocate, I believe the 2-1 you mention refers to your victory at St James's Park when Thomas Sorenson saved Alan Shearer's penalty. A fine, fine result, but will Newcastle fans not inevitably point to the 4-1 thrashing they handed out at the Stadium of Light in 2005 when a certain Michael Chopra scored for the Mags?
Look, argue with each other as much as you want, I'm just saying that's all
Is that Michael Owen in the ‘accursed’ position on your shoulder…couldn’t you have put Dyer there? I have it on good authority that a wandering band of gypsies left a horse tethered to a spot nearby and when they came back the site owner had sold it!
A secretive mark was inscribed upon the gatepost with a curse attached to the surrounding area. ‘Whomsoever passeth through shall spout disorderly claptrap’, take heed of the curse and steer wide of the mark!
With regard to Luke's comment on the relative derby results, I disagree. I have not come across many of us NUFC fans who take as much pleasure from a decent result against the mackems as the mackems have, and still do, about 2 good results against us. In fact, about any negative result for NUFC. We in the big city have much bigger things to concern ourselves with than 2 good results in 17 years against one particular team.
"I'm just saying that's all".
Chopra won't cut it in the Premiership and certainly not playing for Sunderland. They looked devoid of ideas at times playing in the Championship last season so god knows what will happen this time around. Richardson though should prove to be a good signing but unless they sign another 4 or 5 like him he'll be burnt out by Xmas. As for MT's comments about Roy Keane having an eye for talent - what's he doing at Sunderland then!!! Another point about Alan Shearer I subscribe to the opinion that he won't manage NUFC not with SA at the helm for the foreseeable future if all goes to plan. Hopefully by the time we are looking for a new manager Big Al will have lost touch with the game - unless he is willing to blood himself elsewhere first. Luke I think you may have missed the point with Morny, he sounds very much like a micky-taking black and white to me!!!