Carroll Contract Might Not Be Worth Paper It's Written On

According to the business model previously discussed by the now mute regime, the plan has always been to concentrate on the development of young talent with a sell on value.

The ideal is Arsenal, where Arsene Wenger buys young talent in cheap, or simply develops his own from the Academy.

When the time comes, he sells them on for a huge profit as they approach the end of their careers, with a ready made replacement already groomed to fill the gap and the cycle continues.

All the while, the Gunners stay competitive at the top of the Premier League and the Champions League and everyone goes home happy, despite the five-year trophy drought at the Emirates.

The reality, though, could be quite different because a club that sells its best players will generally struggle to remain competitive.

Arsenal are an exception, not the rule. Wenger is a miracle worker and just because he has managed to thrive with this business model does not necessarily mean anyone else can.

Carroll is vital to United's short term and long term future, but what would happen if, for argument's sake, Tottenham Hostpur offered £14m for him in a couple of years time?

Would Newcastle fight off the interest and hold on to Carroll because he is tied to a long contract, or would they except the money and a huge profit in the process, re-investing the money in other players or whatever else it is earmarked for?

For Carroll, read Tim Krul. The young Dutchman has also recently signed a long term contract to stay on Tyneside, but contracts are just part of the battle when it comes to keeping hold of a player.

If the player has his head turned and wants to leave, there is little any manager can do to stop him, no matter how many years they are supposedly tied to the club.

Maybe I'm being a little too cynical, but we have not had to put Mike Ashley's business plan to the test yet because nobody has tried to sign any of the key players other than when relegation ensured all bids were gratefully received.

Nevertheless, Carroll's willingness to commit puts the behaviour of Steven Taylor into context.

For all of Taylor's declarations of love for the club, the fans, the city, the kit, the stands, the pitch, the changing rooms, the cleaners, the manager and so on, he has not signed the contract offered to him and, as things stand, will leave on a Bosman-style free transfer in the summer.

For the board's part, this isn't how things are supposed to work, but there is little they can do. If the leaks from the negotiations are to be believed, Taylor wants £60,000-a-week and Newcastle can't afford those sorts of wages anymore.

Whether those figures are correct, I'm not in a position to confirm, but the loss of Taylor for nothing will be a blow to the business model as well as the team.

If he wants to leave and earn more elsewhere, he will do, no matter how many times he plays the "I'm just a fan" card.

At least Carroll won't be able to do that for a while....