In the end, the result was as predictable as it was excruciating for Newcastle United fans. After a long three months spent flying and yachting around the world, chasing shadows and turning so many corners that he ended up back at square one, Director of Football Joe Kinnear has delivered exactly what many thought he would at the start of the transfer window – absolutely nothing.
The problems belying Newcastle’s squad are far from fatal; the midfield lacks flair and width but, on paper, the first team has enough quality amongst it that United should easily be targeting nothing less than a top ten finish this term. However, the squad has as much depth as the fabled fog on the Tyne, and looks as worryingly brittle. A casual observer can see this at first glance – why can’t Kinnear?
The sad truth is that, by retaining players such as Cabaye in the face of half-hearted flirting from Arsenal, Kinnear and Mike Ashley probably think it’s a case of “Job done”. The fifth place finish in 2011/12 was built on a bedrock of sound planning and integrating new signings such as Cabaye and Demba Ba reasonably early, leaving only Papiss Cisse to arrive in January for the final push. Last year, Newcastle made the much-maligned decision to bring in only the under-rated Vurnon Anita during the Summer, and had to soldier on for half a season before a French Cavalry arrived in January. For every day wasted, another room burns, but Newcastle survived their relegation battle, and Mike Ashley seems happy to let history repeat itself for the same result.
If Ashley is happy merely to remain on the EPL gravy train at its financial pinnacle, then he is cheating the thousands who have years of financial and emotional investment in the club. Amoebas are happy to merely remain, leeches to live off the lifeblood of others. Football club owners should have more ambition than that, or at least the class not to brazenly rub their indifference to the club in the fan bases faces.
Questions must also be asked as to where the money has gone from the most profitable TV deal in EPL history, as well as gate receipts and merchandising cash. Are rumours of all merchandising income going straight to Sports Direct coffers correct? Has Ashley taken the TV money back out of the club to repay its debts to him in preparation for a sale? Where contemptuous silence lingers, mistrust and rumours will breed.
Newcastle United need to work out a clear vision of what they expect from the future, and appoint the correct people in the correct positions to make it work. Alan Pardew is increasingly becoming a convenient scapegoat for fans to unleash their frustrations upon. Frankly, he seems to be utterly in the dark about what direction Ashley is content to pull the club in. If there is to be a fall guy, an obsolete Director of Football post would be a good place to start. Upon his appointment, Kinnear asked to be judged at the end of the transfer window. Ok, Joe, you’re as superfluous as the average appendix, and as likely to end up exploding in a painful and embarrassing fashion.
Newcastle aren’t a million miles away from finishing amongst the European places this season and, with a few extra squad players to insure against the injury crisis and loss of form that blighted last term, they could have been serious competitors this year. The tragedy for their fans is that their owner simply doesn’t seem interested.
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