Who Can Blame Shay Given?
Yeah, thanks for the positive start to 2009 Seamus, and a very Happy New Year to you too! No, come on, seriously, who can blame the Irishman for wanting to leave Newcastle United?
Granted, the timing could have been a lot better. In fact, the whole way it has been handled by the goalkeeper and his representatives leaves a lot to be desired as it seems to me the statement released by the player's solicitor, Michael Kennedy on New Year's Day, was tantamount to asking for a transfer without risking so-called "loyalty" bonuses by actually asking for one.
Normally the sight of a player lobbying for a move is disagreeable, but after 11 years of service at St James's Park, Shay cannot really be accused of being disloyal.
He is one of the best goalkeepers in Europe, but he plays for a team which looks a million miles away from qualifying for the Uefa Cup, let alone the Champions League.
However, the ramifications of this are huge and not just because Shay is a top quality player who no longer feels Newcastle have the will or the means to match his ambition.
It also raises serious questions about Joe Kinnear's understanding of what is going on at the club. Only three days earlier Newcastle's manager was adamant Given didn't want to leave and was blissfully happy on Tyneside. Erm, wrong!
Given is clearly upset and disillusioned. He has been the Newcastle dressing room's most honest voice ever since I started covering the club and he has always criticised when it has needed to be criticised. He has constantly issued warnings about the strength of the squad and the lack of depth to it and he has, it seems, had enough.
Of the three clubs interested in him, Arsenal can offer him the Champions League, Tottenham can offer him the Uefa Cup and Manchester City can make him the highest paid goalkeeper in the world, as well as the ambition of becoming European Champions. What can Newcastle offer a player who will turn 33 in April? The club appearance record and a battle against relegation.
When you think of the contradictory comments United's manager made about Michael Owen's new contract last month - one minute he is was definitely going, next minute he was definitely staying - the situation portrayed by the manager in public appears to be a very different to the chaotic one behind the scenes.
Kinnear tried to pressurise the captain to sign the deal by stating the club expected an answer in a matter of days. Owen did what Owen does best, looked after his own interests and simply released a statement saying he would not reveal his intentions - ie that he will be leaving - until the end of the season.
The New Year and the opening of the transfer window was supposed to bring welcome news of new signings, not the possibility the club's best and most consistent player wanted to leave. The saving grace? Steve Harper, although I notice he still hasn't signed the new contract supposedly offered to him last month!
Mike Ashley revealed his intention to stay as owner last week, but he must acknowledge he has a mess - largely of his own making - to sort out and quickly.
I'm sure the feeling among the United hierarchy is that managers and supporters always demand new signings, but this is different because the root cause of the ill-feeling towards Ashley is the lack of success and investment in the transfer market.
The protests against Ashley started when Kevin Keegan said he was forced out because of boardroom interference in transfers and it is the recruitment of players - or rather the lack of them - which has left United's squad looking so fragile whenever there are a couple of injuries or suspensions in one department.
Keegan was angry, mainly because the board hadn't got the quality, or the number of players he needed. They had failed in the job they had been appointed to do and he was going to be left carrying the can if results weren't good enough.
Well now it Kinnear who is carrying the can and, whatever you think of him as a manager, he has to be given the funds he needs to add to his squad. A failure to do so and I'm genuinely worried about relegation and financial meltdown, a la Leeds United.
This month was already going to pivotal for Ashley and Kinnear, but Shay's unhappiness has already ensured things have taken an early turn for the worse!
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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.
We are crashing and burning, very sad times for all connected with NUFC. RIP.
Joe Kinnear hs said so much since he's been here and not 1 of them have been right.
He's either stupid, thinks were stupid or is being led a merry dance by Ashley and co!
This is a catch 22 for the fans. If Ashley gives Kinnear lots of money this month he will have to give him a longer contract. I don't believe he's the answer. But if he doesn't get money we could go down.
Surely Ashley must realise that the club are in real trouble???
Yet more disappointment! After 15 years of holding two season tickets, the past 10 of which have involved a 350-mile round trip to every home game, this will definitely be the last time. No renewal Mr Ashley, you've not got the people running this club who can bring excitement to its supporters. I'll be very interested to see what attendances are like next season when Newcastle are playing Doncaster Rovers.
28/12/08: Mike Ashley admits he can't sell the club
02/01/09: Shay Given as good as requests a transfer.
Lets not pretend it's a coincidence. Shay doesn't believe in the owners, he's disillusioned, and can't see anything in the future except struggle for survival in this league, at best. He's right. He can engineer a departure, good luck to him. The supporters do not have that luxury.
Mr Ashley, are we having "fun" or what?
KK, Michael Owen and now Shay Given have all passed judgement - in the most transaprent and effective way open to them - on the total shambles that is Mike Ashley's Newcastle United, by voting with their feet or signalling their intention to do so at the earliest opportunity.
Meanwhile, the idiot monkey clown that is JFK keeps fiddling the same old ridiculous tune ... 'confident Michael will stay' ... 'Shay loves it here, he's comfortable at Newcastle'.
Seriously, IS THERE ANYONE EVEN HALF COMPETENT IN A SENIOR MANAGEMENT POSITION AT OUR TOTAL JOKE OF A FOOTBALL CLUB?
I wrote a month ago that we'd be more surprised by who left in January than who arrived. Seemed obvious to me that cheap Mike, the man with no class, would put one of his BIG SALE NOW ON signs up. A leopard can't change it's spots. Neither can a dodgy purveyor of cheap crap. Sad fact is, one month later, and nothing would be a surprise now.
Any decent footballer should get out of Newcastle now. We don't deserve decent players at our club any more. Any regime that manages to p*** off someone as loyal to our cause as Shay Given will never attract, acquire or retain talent.
A first team of Chapionship cast offs - at best - beckons. Ashley, you are scum. And JFK, you're a JoKe.
I like many other Toon fans am very downhearted at how our club has deteriorated since SBR was "sacked". We have never really recovered from that, save for one lucky season with Roeder. Its no surprise that Given has had enough. Ten mill might be good business as we have Harps and Krul as back up, but thats not the point. Given is a seasoned pro and seen it al at the Toon. For him to leave the sinking ship speaks volumes for how bad things must be behind the scenes. If he does go watch others follow him. Owen will not stay, no way when the likes of Milan will court him. Face it we are doomed.....And just watch how Hull will tear us apart in the cup!!.....sad times indeed....Haway the Lads....
WHAT?!!! our only funds are to be generated by sales? Ashley lies habitually by the day and JFK is a puppet. His lucky run of no defeats, thanks to Shay, has ended miserably. Ashley, how can we interpret your 'Now we're gonna take this club forward' speil without at least the 20 mill a year you promised for transfers? When in fact Jokin'ere's got nothing but the money he can get for selling the garbage you yourself bought? This stinks. The only thing that separates you from lying politicians is that they do it with style, you Mr. Cockney barrowboy are GAUCHE.
The Journal reports that Shay is set to be axed... Yeah right. As if we dont realise that Mike Ashley isn't going to play him so that he can sell him without him being cup tied. The man absolutely thinks that the fans are that stupid that we cant see this.
Whilst we are at it, I cannot stomach any more of Joe "the Cabbagemeisters" lies and contradictions (everytime he opens his trap to the media) any longer and am staying away from football at St James's until this embarrassing old dinosaur and tactically inept propaganda spouting mouthpiece of Ashleys is gone from the club.
I've had enough of JFK's rotten cabbage.
Dont worry folks, we have Dennis Wise negotiating the transfers for us........
Good article as always, Luke although personally I do blame Given up to a point and as you rightly say the timing is awful and the way in which it was handled (not officially handing in a request) was also underhanded in my book.
I actually think some of the commentors criticising JFK for trying to keep things together is harsh. Blame the owner by all means, but JFK is trying to keep the team together under difficult circumstances. If that means lying to the press and negotiating in private with the player then I don't have a problem with it. He is doing his best to keep the best players. Given has made these statements before with the previous owners, and yes they are understandable because he wants to see signs of ambition but at the same time they do not help matters at all by being like vieled threats.
If it does come to that, Harper is a good and adequate keeper anyway, if Man City want Given and if Shay wants to go to a club that is out of the cups just because they have more money then more fool him. I hope he stays but I do not find him to be an innocent party in all of this.
The worrying thing that it does seem to point to is that Ashley is not going to provide any funds. While it is not the done thing to make it clear how much money there is in the pot, I do think that he absolutely must spend some money to strengthen the squad although January is not a great time to be spending it.
PS When is the first webchat of the new year Luke?
Loyalty means sticking with the club in the hard times. I would say fair play to Shay if he left at the end of the season but if he jumped ship while we are sinking when we desperately sinking i would never forgive him.
Amy - sorry, but to defend JFK and in the same piece criticise Shay is complete b*llocks in my view.
Shay has served s loyally for over 10 years, consistently averaging 8/10 for his performances.
JFK is proving to be little more than a clown and an Ashley puppet. Nothing JFK spouts can be believed any longer. And his management capability is clearly limited to the one dimensional Wimbledon "let's get out there and do them" approach. If anyone tries to tell me any different, I'd ask them to watch the Liverpool game up until we conceded the first goal. We were being MURDERED in midfield from the 2nd minute, and JFK did nothing to change things. Any other manager would have done something, anything to try to stifle Gerrard. Not JFK though, he sat on his hands and presided over an annihilation. I wouldn't mind betting that played a part in Shay's decision.
When I'm apportioning blame for our current predicament, I look at the facts. Shay - 11 years of top class service and driven to breaking point. JFK - a one dimensional dinosaur who is only in employment because no-one else would touch us with Ashley at the helm.
Let's not turn on those that actually do care about our club. And let's concentrate on kicking out the charlatans.
I'm off next week so I'll not be doing a webchat for a while, unfortunately, probably Monday Jan 19th