This Llambias interview

[Lazarus 0]

"Whatever players the manager has asked for, he’s had."

 

 

Didnt you say the keegan wanted beckham and henry et al? Either the statement that the managers have gotten the players theyve asked for is bollocks, or the statement that keegn asked for those players is bollocks.

 

Which is it Derek?

[Barney 0]

He comes across as a horrible prick there, IMO. If Llambias is the best the club could put forward to the fans we'd have been better off with Ashley himself.

 

Sounds like Dennis and Kinnear are here for the long-haul too. Relegation next year looking likely.

 

 

tbh

[Guest alex]

Offering Kinnear a new contract would tie in well with all that as well like.

[Park Life 70]

Kinnear won't be here next season.

[manc-mag 1]

What a circus of shit.

[Guest alex]

He comes across as a horrible prick there, IMO. If Llambias is the best the club could put forward to the fans we'd have been better off with Ashley himself.

 

Sounds like Dennis and Kinnear are here for the long-haul too. Relegation next year looking likely.

 

 

tbh

I got sent the pic on the left with the subject line 'The bloke who looks like a thumb".

[Jimbo 133]

What a circus of shit.

 

 

Panto rather than Circus tbh.

[Asprilla 96]

what a joke!

 

Two Nusc related points and il stick a full reply on when I get home.

 

1. The club have never dealt with Nusc we are not in discussions with them. We've tried and ended up inviting ourselves to the fans forum to discuss stewarding.

2. We have no interest in talking keegan if he thinks that's what were about then he really is clueless.

3. He goes on about us charging a fee yet to set up an 'official' club recognized supporters club every member has to be a season ticket holder (and then still pay)

 

At first I was fuming when I read it but now I just find him hilariously stupid and even more willing to treat fans with contempt. It's a sorry state of affairs

 

 

I'd like to see an nusc reply in the chronicle on just those points, the guy is a real retard,

be funny if he was meeting with just some random people saying they were nusc reps

So would I. Any chance of it happening Pud?

[Park Life 70]

This whole JK stuff is a joke, the bloke has a dodgy ticker and high blood pressure. Are they trying to kill him to avoid a pay off??!

[Guest alex]

what a joke!

 

Two Nusc related points and il stick a full reply on when I get home.

 

1. The club have never dealt with Nusc we are not in discussions with them. We've tried and ended up inviting ourselves to the fans forum to discuss stewarding.

2. We have no interest in talking keegan if he thinks that's what were about then he really is clueless.

3. He goes on about us charging a fee yet to set up an 'official' club recognized supporters club every member has to be a season ticket holder (and then still pay)

 

At first I was fuming when I read it but now I just find him hilariously stupid and even more willing to treat fans with contempt. It's a sorry state of affairs

 

 

I'd like to see an nusc reply in the chronicle on just those points, the guy is a real retard,

be funny if he was meeting with just some random people saying they were nusc reps

So would I. Any chance of it happening Pud?

Llambias won't talk to NUSC but he'll make unsubstantiated claims about their aims and snide remarks about them that they can't reply to (at the time at least). Sums up the type of bloke we're dealing with tbh.

[Barney 0]

He comes across as a horrible prick there, IMO. If Llambias is the best the club could put forward to the fans we'd have been better off with Ashley himself.

 

Sounds like Dennis and Kinnear are here for the long-haul too. Relegation next year looking likely.

 

 

tbh

I got sent the pic on the left with the subject line 'The bloke who looks like a thumb".

 

Ashley is a lot like Thumb Man, tbf.

[Park Life 70]

The revelation that he has a high pitched cockney accent is what tickled me.

[Guest alex]

The revelation that he has a high pitched cockney accent is what tickled me.

Loads of proper fat bastard blokes have a high-pitched voice for some reason.

[Park Life 70]

The revelation that he has a high pitched cockney accent is what tickled me.

Loads of proper fat bastard blokes have a high-pitched voice for some reason.

 

Pressure of all that fat on the vocal cords apparently.

[Park Life 70]

if this is only part 1 and the next two days will see parts 2,3 and 4 of this interview, I am at a bit of a loss as to what there is left to discuss.

 

Usually its good form to save the best til last but he's already said

 

wise staying missin

joe staying dead

8 profit in the summer

25 year plan to be like Sheff Wed.

cant talk about keegan Keegler wins courtcase.

[Asprilla 96]

what a joke!

 

Two Nusc related points and il stick a full reply on when I get home.

 

1. The club have never dealt with Nusc we are not in discussions with them. We've tried and ended up inviting ourselves to the fans forum to discuss stewarding.

2. We have no interest in talking keegan if he thinks that's what were about then he really is clueless.

3. He goes on about us charging a fee yet to set up an 'official' club recognized supporters club every member has to be a season ticket holder (and then still pay)

 

At first I was fuming when I read it but now I just find him hilariously stupid and even more willing to treat fans with contempt. It's a sorry state of affairs

 

 

I'd like to see an nusc reply in the chronicle on just those points, the guy is a real retard,

be funny if he was meeting with just some random people saying they were nusc reps

So would I. Any chance of it happening Pud?

Llambias won't talk to NUSC but he'll make unsubstantiated claims about their aims and snide remarks about them that they can't reply to (at the time at least). Sums up the type of bloke we're dealing with tbh.

 

I meant that NUSC should try and repudiate Llambias's claims that he's met with them via an article in the Journal....don't they have a sympathetic ear there?

[brummiemag1 0]

£8 million to spend on players in the summer, he's havin a laugh - what about the £12 million from Milner and the profit from Given and Nzogbia as well as all the Sky TV money.

If we stay up this season, its relegation the following season then

[Happy Face 29]

Doesn't he mean NUSC are able to communicate back and forth with the club via the monthly meetings they have? There's a write up of the last one on the NUSC site.

 

Can't see how the NUSC can deny that.

[Guest alex]

what a joke!

 

Two Nusc related points and il stick a full reply on when I get home.

 

1. The club have never dealt with Nusc we are not in discussions with them. We've tried and ended up inviting ourselves to the fans forum to discuss stewarding.

2. We have no interest in talking keegan if he thinks that's what were about then he really is clueless.

3. He goes on about us charging a fee yet to set up an 'official' club recognized supporters club every member has to be a season ticket holder (and then still pay)

 

At first I was fuming when I read it but now I just find him hilariously stupid and even more willing to treat fans with contempt. It's a sorry state of affairs

 

 

I'd like to see an nusc reply in the chronicle on just those points, the guy is a real retard,

be funny if he was meeting with just some random people saying they were nusc reps

So would I. Any chance of it happening Pud?

Llambias won't talk to NUSC but he'll make unsubstantiated claims about their aims and snide remarks about them that they can't reply to (at the time at least). Sums up the type of bloke we're dealing with tbh.

 

I meant that NUSC should try and repudiate Llambias's claims that he's met with them via an article in the Journal....don't they have a sympathetic ear there?

I knew what you meant btw, I was just summarising what a cunt he is.

[Jusoda Kid 1]

I find that whole thing very worrying with the only positive being that NUSC is working and is clearly getting to them

[Howay 12452]

This lot are the most clueless wankers in football, challenging for EVERYTHING in 5 years with an £8m budget wey aye sure we will. We're obviously going to be loosing players like Owen and Viduka (?) in the summer it would take double that £8m at least to replace players of that caliber that's before you address the fact we have no creativity in the center of midfield and need central defenders. The comment about Ashley not commenting because it would shoot them in the foot is fucking gold! Just put us back up for sale you ugly fat genetic mess and leave us there until we get bought.

[JonGoodwyn 1]

What a predictable load of shite - parts of it could easily have come from a pisstake of the man

[trophyshy 6434]

Fucking COCKBALL man.

 

Snivelling deviant cunts all of them, Llabia is greasier that a fat lass's flange in a kebab shop.

[Ayatollah Hermione 12767]

Can't say I was expecting owt less from them tbh. I've never seen people so utterly clueless about the fanbase and how we see straight through their shite.

[Happy Face 29]

NEWCASTLE United supremo Derek Llambias has apologised to the Toon Army for the enduring silence that caused public outrage on Tyneside.

 

The lack of communication has infuriated many fans, but Llambias revealed today his plan to heal the deep rifts caused by Kevin Keegan’s unexplained departure in September by swinging the doors back open at St James’s Park.

 

Llambias, Toon tycoon Mike Ashley and his board all claim they had no choice but to head for “their bunker” in the aftermath of Keegangate, the saga which not only rocked football, but also resulted in Geordie fans turning on the current regime in a mass protest on the day of the inept 2-1 defeat to Hull.

 

And, in an exclusive interview, Llambias has outlined plans that Ashley believes can have United “challenging for EVERYTHING” within five years.

 

After breaking his silence since being appointed to the Toon board in June, Llambias also revealed:

 

:: HOW he and Ashley were gutted to see Kevin Keegan quit;

 

:: HOW the current board have regretted the huge mistakes they’ve made;

 

:: WHY fans will now be given a voice at St James’s;

 

:: HOW the director of football model — with Dennis Wise STILL on board — will put the club in great shape for years to come;

 

:: WHY Ashley will splash the cash in the summer.

 

However, Llambias was keen to lift the lid on why there has been such a deathly hush around the club since KK sensationally walked out on the club for a second time in Toon history.

 

Speaking on the club’s woeful lack of communication, Llambias told the Chronicle: “We apologise and I personally apologise for the miscommunication.

 

“Historically, with Sports Direct, Mike stayed under the radar for 20 years until he floated his company.

 

“Then all of a sudden people realised there was a £2.5billion company there.

 

“He stayed under the radar because he had very little Press communication.

 

“But we do realise owning Newcastle United is a totally different forum.

 

“When Chris Mort was here he was very proactive with the Press.

 

“When I came on the board, Mike and I discussed it and we basically wanted to keep a lower profile.

 

“Then within no time at all KK happened.

 

“And then it just got worse and whatever we said got worse.

 

“So we decided to keep as low a profile as possible, get on with our business plan, move forward with what we were doing with our management team and to assist whatever manager was coming in as best as possible.

 

“Maybe we have made mistakes on the communication side.

 

“We freely admit we have made mistakes and we put our hands up.

 

“But now we’re in a position where Mike is back on board and we’re not selling the club.

 

“Our intention is to go back on the track we were on before with our business plan.

 

“We think that is the only way forward for the particular club.

 

“And I think it will be a model going forward for a lot of Premier League clubs.

 

“So we’re now trying to put the stability back into the club as far as that is concerned.

 

“We apologise and I personally apologise for the miscommunication.

 

“Mike has gone out and made some generic statements.

 

“We try to do generic statements through the club Press office which people have seen.

 

“Basically now we’re saying The Chronicle and the Journal are welcome to come in and ask the questions on a regular basis.

 

“We haven’t got anything to hide.

 

“We’re realistic about where we need to be in the next year or so.”

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/newcas...72703-22893621/

 

 

MIKE ASHLEY is making plans which he hopes will allow Newcastle United to “challenge for everything” within five years.

 

The Toon tycoon is sifting his way through a financial programme that will clear debts left behind by the previous regime and allow Newcastle to compete in the transfer market with the rest of the Premier League and European big guns.

 

United have mapped out their future and are banking on their youth and academy system to bring through the best in homegrown and foreign talent.

 

Managing director Derek Llambias told the Chronicle: “In five years’ time I would hope we would be challenging for everything.

 

“We hope to be like an Aston Villa.

 

“But you need to have solid grounding under your feet.

 

“You need that – it should have been built years ago.

 

“We inherited so much.

 

“We’re knocking down walls and rebuilding.”

 

And despite the perception held by some that Ashley and his board have wheeled and dealed in order to make money for themselves, Llambias insisted the United owner has spent a net £38m to keep Newcastle fighting for survival in the top flight.

 

Critics have claimed that Ashley only has himself to blame for jumping in with both feet and not doing his homework ahead of his purchase of the Magpies.

 

But due to his dynamic business style, in which the Sports Direct owner has been known to take risks, Ashley had his heart set on buying United and wanted to take them back to soccer’s top table.

 

And the club’s silence in recent months has left fans to make their own conclusions over exactly what is going on at St James’s Park.

 

It has emerged that despite the flak endured by Ashley and his board, the dire financial status left behind by the previous regime left Ashley to pay for stars bought by Graeme Souness and Glenn Roeder out of the net £34m splashed out so far, along with other purchases in the last two years.

 

United are still paying for the likes of Oba Martins and Damien Duff, while the club have only recently cleared debts for Spanish flop Albert Luque and Emre, who they inherited after staggered transfer plans were agreed by the old board.

 

There are still further payments to make on some of those transfers over next two years, while the £11m from major long-term commercial deals, understood to be Northern Rock and adidas, was spent up front by the previous regime on the first team.

 

Llambias said: “We are trying to get away from dating so that we don’t have huge amounts of money going out.

 

“We are trying to pay up front.

 

“People like Coloccini, Xisco and Gutierrez, which is just getting sorted out now – we own those players.

 

“It’s like buying a car on HP but then it gets written off, but you still have to pay it.

 

“That’s how the business was being run, they ran it on a credit.”

 

However, Llambias has vowed that United will spend again in the summer and with several players set to be out of contract in the summer, the MD believes the wage bill will be freed up to allow Newcastle to sign players who fit into the new structure.

 

He added: “There is £8m there and it will be spent in the summer.

 

“Mike isn’t afraid to spend money out of his own pocket.

 

“Last year we lost £34m, this year we’ll lose £20m, and next year it will be around £7m.

 

“But it still doesn’t mean that Mike won’t invest when he has to invest.

 

“We aren’t a selling club, we’re a buying club.

 

“We are out there in the market.”

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/newcas...72703-22893622/

 

NEWCASTLE United fans are used to life on the black-and-white rollercoaster – but even by the Geordie fans’ own sky-high standards, the 2008/09 season has been the campaign from hell.

 

Now in a four-part interview in the Chronicle and the Journal, chief sports writer LEE RYDER talks to Toon supremo Derek Llambias who lifts the lid on the silence at St James’s Park since he was appointed as managing director back in June, and exactly why there has been such a deathly hush around Gallowgate since Kevin Keegan sensationally walked out on the Magpies.

 

CAN you offer any explanation as to why there has been a lack of communication from the club and owner, particularly during the time when Kevin Keegan departed the club?

 

EFFECTIVELY we can’t answer any questions on Kevin Keegan until we have made a settlement. We didn’t want to lose Kevin.

 

SO why doesn’t Mike Ashley like speaking publicly and is there any chance that might change?

 

THERE is a possibility Mike will speak publicly.

 

I think Mike will continue to do generic statements through the website and the local Press.

 

I think at the moment we want to clear up some of our outstanding issues, because Mike would want to tell people everything including the KK case.

 

He would want to say what was happening and that would shoot us in the foot.

 

He knows that and he’s the sort of guy who would sit and take a polygraph test. And he means it.

 

WHY has Mike or yourself (Derek Llambias) been quoted in the national Press rather than the Chronicle, Journal and Sunday Sun?

 

IT’S not like we have a relationship with anybody – sometimes these things are twisted.

 

We haven’t got a relationship with anybody.

 

If the truth were known, the relationships Mike wants to build are with the Chronicle and the Journal.

 

He’s always made it clear that local Press are the most important to Newcastle United.

 

That’s why we want to build up a relationship.

 

Maybe I should have done this in June. It’s a long time ago but at the time we wanted to keep our format of a low profile.

 

But August came, the window was there, then September 1 and it all got terrible.

 

We found ourselves without a manager and it was difficult, then we really were the bad guys.

 

If that hadn’t happened who knows?

 

We were always going to come and talk to you guys. But once it got nasty, we had to be careful what we were doing.

 

And that’s why we started attacking some of the papers.

 

There were some things that were so outrageous that we had to ignore them, because if you antagonise them they get worse.

 

But if you ignore it gets worse. It got to a point with our families and friends and some of the issues with fans where it got out of order.

 

We’re not out there to antagonise we’re out there to get everybody on board again.

 

CAN you offer an explanation as to why the communication has dried up?

 

Historically with Sports Direct, Mike stayed under the radar for 20 years until he floated his company.

 

Then all of a sudden people realised there was a £2.5billion company here.

 

He stayed under the radar because he had very little Press communication.

 

But we do realise owning Newcastle United is a totally different forum.

 

When Chris Mort was here he was very proactive with the Press.

 

He continuously spoke to the Press.

 

So when I came on the board, Mike and I discussed it and we basically wanted to keep a lower profile.

 

Then within no time at all KK happened.

 

And then it just got worse and whatever we said got worse.

 

So we decided to keep as low as possible, get on with our business plan, move forward with what we’re doing with our management team and to assist whatever manager was coming in as best as possible.

 

CAN you explain why Mr Ashley completely ignored a request from NUSC to meet in a location of his choice to liaise with fans?

 

WE’RE in dialogue with them. We have a monthly meeting and we need to get the record straight – we are in dialogue with NUSC.

 

We have a monthly supporter meeting where a reasonably representative group of people who represent our fans tell us what for.

 

They have been invited to be part of that forum so there are four or five of them coming along.

 

It’s not true that we have blanked them.

 

We have engaged with them and had dialogue since they formed. And we’re sitting down again with the group.

 

Their initial approach was not in the correct tone. They are a small group and they are charging a subscription fee which was a bit strange to us.

 

They are welcome to come along to our forums. That’s fine, they are coming on February 12 and there will be four or five of them.

 

The whole idea of the panel is basically to give them an idea of where we are going and what the expectations for the future are.

 

We don’t want to talk about Kevin Keegan, which is an issue they will insist talking about. Unfortunately, that’s not what the tone is.

 

There are breakaway supporters groups. They (the NUSC) are a small group and given more credence than they deserve.

 

DOES this interview signal a change in management style which will keep the fans informed as to which direction the club is heading?

 

THIS is a change in direction, yes. We’ll have regular meetings once a month and regular meetings if there are any issues.

 

I’m not expecting to have one every time something goes wrong. Basically we wanted to address some issues.

 

We’re not selling, we’re trying to stabilise our team and we’re back on track with our business plan.

 

WHAT exactly does Dennis Wise do and will he be staying?

 

DENNIS is our director of football. He is out there looking for players.

 

He will remain part of our management structure. It works quite well with Joe and Dennis and ourselves.

 

IF Mike Ashley cares about the club and listens to the fans, why didn’t he reinstate Keegan and get rid of Wise?

 

IT’S a no-comment I’m afraid.

 

It’s something we can discuss later. It was never a possibility.

 

WOULD Mike consider re-appointing Chris Mort as chairman?

 

THAT’S not going to happen.

 

WHAT role does Tony Jimenez still have?

 

HE’S gone. He went in October.

 

HOW can you justify running a company from London when the company’s head office and entire operation is based in Newcastle?

 

WE don’t have an office in London. Let’s clear that up.

 

Dennis is travelling most of the time but he’ll be here twice a week. I am here five days a week.

 

Mike is in the Midlands and running Sports Direct. He comes down once a week, and he’s going to spend most of that time at the training ground. Being run from London is nonsense and it’s never been the case.

 

It’s just that we’re Londoners.

 

MANY fans believe you are destroying NUFC. Discuss.

 

RELEGATION is a major fear for us too. Whatever players the manager has asked for, he’s had.

 

Are we disappointed we didn’t get another midfielder? Yes.

 

Are we disappointed we didn’t get another right-back? Yes. But that January transfer window is so awkward.

 

As far as we’re concerned we see Newcastle United as having an exciting future.

 

It’s not a question of anything else. Why would you buy a business and then just run it into the ground?

 

HAVE you treated fans with contempt?

 

I CAN understand why they feel like that. But no.

 

Our silence is seen as contempt. But that is due to the outstanding issues such as arbitrations with courts and we’ve had to keep a low profile not to jeopardise any of those outstanding issues.

 

We’ve made mistakes. Football is a new business to us, not running a stadium.

 

Communication has been a mistake. Sometimes we feel like we’ve been bombarded and then when we have come out it’s been twisted.

 

That has made us mistrusting of the Press.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/newcas...72703-22893618/

 

 

Couldn't find all 3 articles in the thread, so thought I'd post them for future reference. If someone wants to pop them in the OP, all the bertter.