What are your views about yesterday's events?

[dbsweeney 0]

How do you feel about yesterday's events?

 

No more Carroll

First off, about the actual fact that Carroll is not part of our squad anymore. Yes, I'm very disappointed that he's no longer at NUFC: he scored us goals, won us points, shows great potential for the future and could have been a player to build a squad around. But I'm not not angry about the actual fact that Carroll is no longer there. 35 million is a shitload for a player who is still an unknown quantity ... and his off-field behaviour left much to be desired. I can understand making the sale, though it hurts. It just depends on what the club does with it ... but more about that later.

 

Prospects for the rest of the season

With no AC, we will not gain as many points as if would if he was still with us. That's obvious. But, I do think we've got enough points already that we will stay in the Prem. We only need an extra 8 or so to guarantee safety. But our chances of finishing 11 or above are a lost cause and if MA thinks we can still achieve that goal, he is clueless (which he is).

 

I hope that the much-vaunted 'team spirit' stays, and I think there is a good chance it will. I thought that things might have crumbled with the loss of CH, but we still seem to be keeping afloat.

 

About the club's actions yesterday

I do believe Redknapp that they intended to sell AC all along and were just waiting for the right amount. (Whether or not AC was happy to leave, I do not know.)

 

As such, the fact that we didn't do due diligence (and that Liverpool did) to organise a replacement does make me very angry. We are now all well aware of out situation striker-wise. I'm fucking pissed ... and let's leave it at that. The last-minute bid for Zoggy (14 million the final bid) was absolutely appalling and makes us a laughing stock.

 

As for what situation this leaves Pardew in, I do not know. I genuinely believe that he wasn't aware of the intention to sell AC and was strung along with the rest of us. How this leaves his relationship with the board will be interesting to see ... but I think he will tow the party line in his public comments to the press over what occurred. But as to the private side of things, this is surely damaged. (Even if he's a lap dog to AC and DL, this will cause a rift.)

 

About Mike Ashley and the summer transfer window

Well, this is the big question, ain't it. The fact that they were willing to pay 14 mil. on a panic buy last night shows that MA will use at least some of the 35 mil. on players. The quantity and quality of those buys I have my doubts about. 5 or 6 signings of not big names but decent players would make me happy, come January.

 

Also, not selling any other of our bigger name players is a must. But if last night has showed us anything ... every player has his price.

 

My hope is that is that MA will reinvest well this coming summer. That he will use the bulk of the 35 mil. on new players.

 

But this will not happen. Mike Ashley is a cunt and will treat this club and its supporters as his bitch.

 

He will use 15 mil of the sale money at most.

[OTF 7581]

Selling Carroll for 35M+ in isolation is not necessarily bad. Selling him without a replacement lined up at the very end of a transfer window whilst maintaining all along that he wasn't for sale is deplorable and shows a complete and utter lack of concern for the welfare of the club.

 

If Carroll's departure results in the end of the generally strong team spirit that we've had since Hughton galvanised the team in the Championship, then the 35m is a mere drop in the ocean when you consider that we also lost a seemingly 20 goal a season striker. If Enrique leaves as part of that the devestation will be even worse, and the message will be even more clear and on the wall than it is now. We're a selling club - like one of our players and they can be yours if the price is right.

[peasepud 59]

In the cold light of day my thoughts are that £35m for a player who has one England cap and half a season in the Premiership under his belt, is fucking mental. Especially when you look at the baggage that player comes with. Drinking, court cases, getting on the wrong side of local gangsters etc.

 

Problem is twofold, firstly it might as well have been £300m because the figure is immaterial to the club. We didnt go on a spending spree and we wont go on one in August. The squad is now 2 players shorter than it already was and we are a laughing stock..again.

secondly, it sends out a message, that this club has no ambition, as many were saying on here yesterday, whichever way it went would be a clear statement of intent, if he'd stayed then we intend to slowly strengthen and make our way up the table, improving season after season. If sold, then we are just looking to make whatever profit we can when we can and are willing to gamble on the clubs future in the process.

 

Its not just about whether we can score goals without Andy Carroll its whether we are a viable prospect to other players and we are not, to be fair we werent beforehand but now we are clearly a club that says "play for us and you'll not win owt, you'll be part of a canny team setup and good dressing room but at the end of the day, the next big payday is the job afer this".

 

The most disappointing thing of it though is the manner of it all. The pretending that he wasnt for sale while touting him around but more importantly not hunting out a replacement while doing so. The forcing of a local lad to slap in a transfer request to make the MD look better. The no doubt wailing and wringing of hands from Llambias that is to come "oh how we tried to keep him but the lure of bigger money turned his head" etc etc

 

I recommend that anyone who doubts the last para go back two years ago and look at the events of the Given transfer and see just how closely they mirror this one.

 

If we had done what other clubs do in these cases, bought players over the last week or so to bolster our squad including a Premiership quality striker then fair enough, spending £20m on the team, strengthening key areas and ensuring we werent left light by his loss would have made this a whole lot more palatable.

[aimaad22 4240]

Selling Carroll for 35M+ in isolation is not necessarily bad. Selling him without a replacement lined up at the very end of a transfer window whilst maintaining all along that he wasn't for sale is deplorable and shows a complete and utter lack of concern for the welfare of the club.

 

If Carroll's departure results in the end of the generally strong team spirit that we've had since Hughton galvanised the team in the Championship, then the 35m is a mere drop in the ocean when you consider that we also lost a seemingly 20 goal a season striker. If Enrique leaves as part of that the devestation will be even worse, and the message will be even more clear and on the wall than it is now. We're a selling club - like one of our players and they can be yours if the price is right.

 

That.

 

Wouldn't matter if we had gotten 80M, its wont be coming back into the team anyway.

 

Cant see any real thing to be hopeful about in the future, where as a few months back there was a lot, thats what I'm pissed about. Fat Mike has once again successfully drained all the hope out of the club. Wonder how many of the players are thinking this to and preparing to pack their bags in the summer.

[Howmanheyman 33953]

In the cold light of day my thoughts are that £35m for a player who has one England cap and half a season in the Premiership under his belt, is fucking mental. Especially when you look at the baggage that player comes with. Drinking, court cases, getting on the wrong side of local gangsters etc.

 

Problem is twofold, firstly it might as well have been £300m because the figure is immaterial to the club. We didnt go on a spending spree and we wont go on one in August. The squad is now 2 players shorter than it already was and we are a laughing stock..again.

secondly, it sends out a message, that this club has no ambition, as many were saying on here yesterday, whichever way it went would be a clear statement of intent, if he'd stayed then we intend to slowly strengthen and make our way up the table, improving season after season. If sold, then we are just looking to make whatever profit we can when we can and are willing to gamble on the clubs future in the process.

 

Its not just about whether we can score goals without Andy Carroll its whether we are a viable prospect to other players and we are not, to be fair we werent beforehand but now we are clearly a club that says "play for us and you'll not win owt, you'll be part of a canny team setup and good dressing room but at the end of the day, the next big payday is the job afer this".

 

The most disappointing thing of it though is the manner of it all. The pretending that he wasnt for sale while touting him around but more importantly not hunting out a replacement while doing so. The forcing of a local lad to slap in a transfer request to make the MD look better. The no doubt wailing and wringing of hands from Llambias that is to come "oh how we tried to keep him but the lure of bigger money turned his head" etc etc

 

I recommend that anyone who doubts the last para go back two years ago and look at the events of the Given transfer and see just how closely they mirror this one.

 

If we had done what other clubs do in these cases, bought players over the last week or so to bolster our squad including a Premiership quality striker then fair enough, spending £20m on the team, strengthening key areas and ensuring we werent left light by his loss would have made this a whole lot more palatable.

That's about it, really.

 

If it's true we offered fourteen million for Zog then these lot are as clueless as we all know they are and it also is an encouraging sign for any would be sellers to us in the future. Desperation stuff.

 

Also be interesting to see the calibre of player we try to recruit in the summer if we're still a PL club. If he spends about 15 mill on a couple of 'past it' players like Keane then half the money plus wages is spunked up the wall and we'll be worse off, it's always the way I'm afraid.

[peasepud 59]

If it's true we offered fourteen million for Zog then these lot are as clueless as we all know they are and it also is an encouraging sign for any would be sellers to us in the future. Desperation stuff.

I can well believe its true however its not desperation its putting on a show, if they'd accepted the bid then Llambrinis arse would have dropped and they'd have found another reason to not go through with it. Worryingly however I think the choice of purchase will have been Pardews but the implementation the chairmans. They simply didnt want to be seen as not trying to spend the cash.

[Barney 0]

When we were rejecting bids(negotiating), I naievely thought we were intent on hanging onto our best players and looking to build around him. I was chuffed and thought maybe Ashley was finally backing his manager and doing the right thing. The way the rest of the day unfolded brought me back to earth. No other transfers in and the realisation that if a £6m bid came in for ANY of our players, fatty would be happy to make a profit.

 

Looking at the way Liverpool conducted their business was the way it should be done. Star striker wants to leave, hands in transfer request, so they refused to let him go to Chelsea until they had not only replaced the player, but added to the squad.

[Rob W 0]

Unless and until we can find some idiot willing to put several hundred million pounds (several hundred million pounds - say it again) into a vanity project at SJP we have to try and live withing the cash flow - end of story

[Gemmill 46195]

I'm just annoyed we've allowed ourselves to be deadline day victims. Liverpool, about to lose a star player on the last day of the window, start spamming us with bids at 11am. We sold our most important player at half 5, and at half 10 we had to watch as Ashley basically tried to get one over on a business rival by bidding for a player we don't need and who didn't want to be here the last time he was here. Honestly it was like live drunk dialling playing out on SSN.

[snakehips 0]

If he had to go, and I guess he would have had to go at some point, at least we got a good price for him. Most of that money will be for LardAsh's back pocket though. Carroll is not worth £35m, no way. It is following the Arsenal model though: sell players at vast sums (I don't need to name them), and the balance after years of trading is good - that's what LardAsh means by the Arsenal model.

 

When I woke up this morning and read we'd (sorry, they'd) bid for Zog, I thought it was a piss take. This bid, if true, could be really bad because it tells Jonas he's next in the firing line. And if Jonas' place in the club is threatened, then Enrique and Colo will be feeling pretty concerned as he's one of the three amigos.

[wykikitoon 20918]

I would like to reserve judgment until the summer, if its reinvested into the team then well done FMA. But he will sat there laughing thinking that come summer, well have forgotten.

[JawD 99]

Selling Carroll for £35M is a good deal on our behalf. Not replacing him this window is fucking madness. I said at the time that too many people were being naieve if they thought it was as simple as Carroll wanting out. I know there are these texts from AC saying he was being forced out. Sure, the £80kpw would soften the blow but I reckon it was the clubs intention all along. Yet again, the club have taken the piss out of fans by talking utter bullshit.

[LoveTheBobby 1]

Insomnia debacle was nowt more than a classless 'loadsamoney-esque' waving of wad to DW . Its where the odious freak gets his kicks .

[Toonpack 10047]

The most expensive British player EVER, one of the top 10 deals in the history of the planet. Sheer madness by the dippers.

 

I work in Aberdeen and people are actually coming up and congratulating me on the club taking Liverpools eyes out.

 

I can't comprehend how anyone thinks this wasn't a no brainer.

 

As for plots and theories, Liverpool bought Suarez to play with Torres (in the hope it would spark Torres back to life) when Chelsea came in and Torres made it plain we wanted offski, Liverpool panicked.

 

Will Carroll become a great player, maybe, but he's nowhere near that yet, but now he's getting paid like he is, what's his motivation now ? and lets not forget he's been out injured because he fell off a bar-stool pissed up (again).

 

£35+ Million quid

 

Any club in the country would have sold Carroll for that offer, and for all the protestations of "I was forced out" bollocks, he could always have said no.

 

Whether it gets spent next summer or goes against the bottom line, it's an amazing deal either way.

[Barney 0]

Insomnia debacle was nowt more than a classless 'loadsamoney-esque' waving of wad to DW . Its where the odious freak gets his kicks .

 

Probably the correct answer.

 

The fact we've left ourself without a decent striker in one of the tightest leagues is quite scary.

[Gemmill 46195]

Insomnia debacle was nowt more than a classless 'loadsamoney-esque' waving of wad to DW . Its where the odious freak gets his kicks .

 

Yup. Literally just a "Remember me, Dave?" pisstake. Once again using the club as a toy. Him and Lambias, pissed and counting their bonuses and sending a message out to a rival: You're going down and I'm fucking rolling in it.

[wykikitoon 20918]

The most expensive British player EVER, one of the top 10 deals in the history of the planet. Sheer madness by the dippers.

 

I work in Aberdeen and people are actually coming up and congratulating me on the club taking Liverpools eyes out.

 

I can't comprehend how anyone thinks this wasn't a no brainer.

 

As for plots and theories, Liverpool bought Suarez to play with Torres (in the hope it would spark Torres back to life) when Chelsea came in and Torres made it plain we wanted offski, Liverpool panicked.

 

Will Carroll become a great player, maybe, but he's nowhere near that yet, but now he's getting paid like he is, what's his motivation now ? and lets not forget he's been out injured because he fell off a bar-stool pissed up (again).

 

£35+ Million quid

 

Any club in the country would have sold Carroll for that offer, and for all the protestations of "I was forced out" bollocks, he could always have said no.

 

Whether it gets spent next summer or goes against the bottom line, it's an amazing deal either way.

 

Thats why 95% of people on here are pissed. We know that NONE of it will get spent in the summer.

[Wavey Davey 0]

My views?

 

 

 

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[Kid Dynamite 7192]

The whole 'it was too good to refuse'' line is bullshit! He is a billionaire, its not like we had to sell to keep the shareholders happy. Pure greed on ashleys behalf.

[snakehips 0]

Insomnia debacle was nowt more than a classless 'loadsamoney-esque' waving of wad to DW . Its where the odious freak gets his kicks .

 

You're probably right.

 

I hope Parsnip is questioned repeatedly by the press on this matter to find out whether he actually asked for Zog. Surely not. Surely he was on the 'phone with the fat gambler telling him to buy a fuckin' striker!!!! There must be countless strikers available for £15m - £20m ?

[Barney 0]

Also, look at the way that Blackpool, Wigan and Everton were able to turn down bids for their players.

 

Fatty dropped his trousers like a whore at the sign of cash.

[Toonpack 10047]

The whole 'it was too good to refuse'' line is bullshit! He is a billionaire, its not like we had to sell to keep the shareholders happy. Pure greed on ashleys behalf.

 

 

Don't be stupid man!!! £35 million quid for Andy Carroll !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wykikitoon 20918]

The whole 'it was too good to refuse'' line is bullshit! He is a billionaire, its not like we had to sell to keep the shareholders happy. Pure greed on ashleys behalf.

 

It was too good FFS.

 

We need to take the glasses off for a second and see what an offer it was man!

[NJS 4412]

It's just a shame we've got 30 points which will be just enough.

 

The only hope for this club is another relegation or a helicopter crash.

[Exile 0]

I honestly feel sick about the whole thing. Fatty has once again given the fans a great big "Fuck You". Yet again he has made an obscene profit in a transfer window. Yet again, we bring no one in and come summer we will have to sit through months of waiting for replacements, only for none to arrive. Just like what happened with Milner, Nzogbia, Given, Martin, Beye, Faye, Parker, Dyer and everyone else that has been sold under Ashley. Where is the money from those sales? Straight into Fat Mikes wallet.

How he can think that, with a squad that has been paper thin since before he arrived, and is currently ravaged by injury, letting three players leave and bringing in one on loan is a good move? I swear, its like he can't keep those pudgy fists away from the self destruct button. My god - Shola is now our number 1 striker and it seems like Leon Best is out number 2. How can anyone have thought that was a good idea.

What is more depressing will be the lack of reaction from the fans. The next home game will be packed. 52000 people will turn up, sing "Get out of our club" while eating their half time pies, waving their programmes in the air and maybe picking up a replica kit from the shop before they trudge home. Way to go lads. You showed him.

Too fucking depressed for words.