Sounds like they're starting to turn on Howe https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...we-Newcastle-BOOED-Sandro-Tonali-Chelsea.html
I had a very interesting Sunday on the train back home and last night. I've mentioned before that I have occasional contact from a legal fella who does work for Ashley. It's usually on a Sunday, just chit chat but the odd bit of info. He was at Chelsea yesterday so probably had a few drinks. Anyway, he got onto Howe who believes DOF Paul Mitchell has been briefed to reign in the fan's expectations and is restricting Howe's ambitions. He's started to speak openly about it, wants to engineer a sacking but not take the blame for their poor results and thinks he has a chance of going to Man Utd ... wow, the arrogance. That was about it except that Howe and Mitchell hate each other, Isak wants out and the English players feel like they're being ignored. I asked about them building a new stadium and he didn't realise it was a possibility ... he's promised to ask about it but, tbh, he doesn't take much notice of what I say, just likes to talk and he's quite an entertaining lad so that's fine. He told me a few little things about KLD and Sunderland but I'll post that elsewhere when I've had the time to take it in. All good but shows how the club are just getting on with things behind the scenes. He's not showing off, he's a wealthy chap and doesn't need to impress the likes of me.
A Geordie mate of mine told ma a couple of weeks ago that there's rumours Isak, Bruno and Botman will all be away if they don't get into Europe this season. Bruno only got the captaincy to stop him leaving in the summer. My mate's worried that stuff is happening behind the scenes that shows things aren't going well there and could get worse, but that most mags are in denial about it, so you can imagine the meltdown they'd have if things go wrong for them.
I mean; may be a genuine but was interesting that Gordon had an ‘injury’ the week after rumours Howe stuck the nut on him. Isak needs to go to Arsenal then Arsenal are champions. Not sure there’s a queue of buyers for Botman a lad who’s regularly injured and is far too slow to play for Pep, Arteta or Slot. It’s hard to shift player out of the PL cos folk can’t pay their salaries unless they going to a really top club elsewhere. That’s ok for Isak or Bruno but not a slow if admittedly very good CB. Let’s not forget they have been awful all season and had a really lucky run of scraped wins or else they’d be even lower and right in the ****. They say they can’t spend but Forest have managed. What they’ve done is overpaid and not focused on building a team they just wanted a couple of ‘look at us’ signings and haven’t been able to balance. Handful of quality young talents for sure, 2 world class players in Isak and Bruno, a ‘very good’ CB in Botman but there are far better available, and then Tonali, a top end of average CM who they hang out the back of cos he has a cool sounding name and plays the odd flick. Milan were looking for £30m for him from Serie A and these backers went straight in at 50m. That’s fact as it is from the mouth of the Milan board. They are miles off. Spurs are doing ****e but a far better squad. The current top 4 light years ahead, and Chelsea gapped them yesterday. Strong argument that West Ham have a better squad overall as well, maybe even United with a manager who doesn’t use crayons.
That all makes perfect sense, tbf I know very little about Newcastle so this is all new to me. I only listen to this fella because we get on so well despite our backgrounds being polar opposites … and the odd bit of Sunderland news. I’ve messaged him about that and asked if it was confidential, and he’d had a drink, or whether I can post it Something I forgot about Newcastle was that Howe wanted a CB but not essentially the lad from Palace and no more than £50m if it was him. Mitchell decided to flex his muscles, show Eddie how it’s done and went up to £70m. in the end they got no one so Newcastle are still weak and liable to ship goals in the middle.
I mean that’s prime ‘look at us’. Was either a) let’s make a smoke and mirrors statement and sign him or b) we know they wouldn’t sell so let’s get lead on and make it look like we are ambitious. Was telling that Guehi never pushed for the move, says to me that in PL circles they still aren’t fancied. They far less needed a CB than a left sided midfielder anyway, there’s players like Berardi playing in Serie B after Sassuolo were a shock relegation and they didn’t make any effort to grab anyone. The likes of Murphy, Almiron, Longstaff etc ain’t even warming a bench anywhere else in PL. they have a massive bloated squad with folk like Krafth and such that they can’t budge. Messy.
The Saudis aren’t whipping the camel too hard are they, 8 of the starting 11 against Brighton were there when the caravan arrived … … and there’s virtually no communication from the club to the fans which shows how little they really care about them. Contrast that with Sunderland whose media output, stream coverage and other initiatives are becoming top class.
Sounds like it's a complete **** show behind the scenes - can't wait for it to come all out in public! Was talking to a mag last weekend at the grandsons footy match and he wasn't happy. He said that they needed a right winger and striker in the summer and didn't get anyone in and now it's biting them on the arse - I tried hard not to snigger!
We are extremely lucky with our ownership. Its a side show watching these clubs thrown hundreds of million of pounds chasing 3 trophies in domestic competition and chase 4 places to get int the Champions League. The likes of Arsenal, Spurs, Man Utd and Newcastle are literally s punking money up the wall...the pressure must be horrific
There’s just no buzz around the place … … lose against Chelsea and Arsenal this week and their entire season hinges on the FA Cup. In the Sunday paper Howe was claiming they’re chasing Champions League and that Isak is carrying the extra burden of the iconic No9 shirt … they’re just not right up there.
They never have been! There does seem to be a few little rumours leaking out, Isak discussing a new contract then not because he's contacted to 2027 or whatever and Gordon got a new one. I thought Howe was actively encouraging links to the England job without really coming out and saying whether he wanted it or not. Even after Tuchel was announced I read that Howe had supposedly said that he wasn't contacted about it. Then there's rumours about the stadium a few weeks ago that were building up and have now seemed to have died back down.
I don't give a **** about the Mags. The time I'll become interested in them is when we are competitive with them.....either in this league or the next.
There's an elephant in the room about the Saudis that the mags don't want to acknowledge. The fact is they're rich enough that if they lose interest or things don't go to plan, they don't have to sell. It's not like Ashley or others where the mags can protest and make it a diminished asset by causing loss of revenue etc. The Saudis are rich enough for it not even to be noticed and would only get rid on their terms. So, in effect the mags are stuck on the Saudis whim. If the Saudis pull the plug there's naff all they can do about it, mock funerals and badly spelled banners won't help. Probably short of being a worthless, nuisance asset for the Saudis to get rid, they're stuck, but then if that's the case there might be very few people even bothered about them or that they're far enough down the league pyramid for many yo notice. Interesting?
Read up on Malaga CF mate. That’s exactly what happened. Lost interest and left the club to rot. Champions League to 3rd division in 4 seasons.
