Some may not have been the mathematicians going through school. However I think if you presented the current financial situation to a child in pre-school, they could still work it out.
In January, Mike Ashley loses one “top-quality” striker worth £35 million. The club is now one striker down but £35 million up. Then, in June, Mike Ashley loses the club captain, for £4 million. This now means the club is a captain and the top goal scorer down, but now have £4 million. Now the club, roughly, has £40 million. However Mike Ashley then gains two French midfielders, a Senegalese ‘good’ (but not top quality) striker and a further French youth player, but for minimal expense. This means the Ashley and the board are left with what.
No club captain, more senior players with their foot in the door, no ‘top-quality’ striker (only a ‘good’ striker) a lot of midfield players and still a lot of money to spend.
The appointment of a club captain now becomes a major issue for Alan Pardew. He has said in the press today that he will not name a skipper until a week before the campaign. This is far from being based on an element of surprise, it is because he has no idea who is staying or going. An obvious replacement for the departed Nolan would be Joey Barton, however his future is in significant doubt and thus an unviable replacement. The next is up to the imagination. Steve Harper maybe, but even he is not certain of getting a first team place next season.
The Geordie faithful (faithful for the time being anyway) have seen strikers snapped up by other clubs. Although there have been ‘rumors’ that we are interested in certain players, it never seems to materialize. The club may as well have been rumored to be looking to sign Messi; it wouldn’t have made much difference.
It seems like Newcastle are going in circles on the Sky Sports transfer gossip newsreel. The suspected interest in a player will be momentary at best, then the asking price is superseded by another club or it simply fades into the distance.
Fans will be hoping that Alan Pardew will pull a striker out of the hat before the transfer deadline closes, a striker that will provide the side with over twenty goals, a top half finish and maybe even European football. Again, however, this seems a long way a way, and as the transfer deadline inches ever closer, the closer and closer Newcastle fans get to the edge of the sofas, in the hope that the Breaking News bar on Sky Sports News, will provide a sign of relief for all concerned.
