'You can't keep firing managers - it makes no sense': Newcastle MD explains Pardew mega-deal

[Tooj 17]

http://www.mirror.co...ht-year-1347261

 

Llambias hopes the eight-year contracts he's handed to Toon boss and his coaching staff will end the club's decades on the footballing roller-coaster

 

Derek Llambias sums up Newcastle's last two decades with a devastating critique that gets to the heart of why manager Alan Pardew has been awarded a stunning new eight-year contract.

"You look at the last 25 years at Newcastle and it has only known drama, from the highs to the lows," said Llambias, the St James' Park outfit's managing director.

"They worked on those glory transfers and all the dramas behind them - glory and bust, with no success.

"What was the success? It was basically. 'I've signed a player!'

"That has to end.

"It has."

Rewind to the bombshell of Newcastle's relegation in May 2009, and Llambias is equally forthright:

"Three years ago, it felt like the world was falling apart. How do you think we felt? Awful.

"[Owner] Mike Ashley and I had to sit down and be very honest about how we could turn it around, the mistakes made.

"We needed stability. And now we're getting there, but we can't stand still.

"You can't keep changing your manager if he has a bad run - it doesn't make any sense at all. We just want to break that mould in football. Eight years... this is where we've got to be."

 

 

 

 

While the football world was digesting, with an element of shock, the bold move to hand Pardew the clout of almost a decade in charge to shape a trophy-winning team, Llambias was explaining why it was a natural step.

Newcastle want to end years of upheaval, the spread of insecurity at the slightest run of bad results, and terrace gossip that infects many a coach's reign when the going gets tough.

The deal is reward for a surprise fifth place last season, but also because owner Mike Ashley is "in it for the long term" and has found a manager in Pardew he can trust and work with, but still have a sparky, challenging relationship with.

Off the pitch, the club is close to self-sufficiency. Financially stable.

Newcastle want stability on the pitch, too.

Yes, stability - not a word often associated with the Magpies.

The 2020 vision - for that is the year Pardew and co are now contracted until - includes nurturing a first XI depicted on the club's long-term planning board as "purple players".

The next layer down - grey - consists of younger stars being groomed to step up, with a third XI of teens eager to move up the ranks.

Interestingly, while Pardew and staff are being rewarded at the top, other club employees, such as box-office and commercial staff, will get a bonus if United finish eighth, and could receive a 25 per cent salary windfall if the club end the campaign in the top five.

To borrow a slogan, it's the "we're all in this together" approach adopted by Ashley with his staff at Sports Direct.

It all seems a far cry from when the club was built on quicksand, and managers departed almost annually.

Sir Bobby Robson sacked in 2004, Graeme Souness in 2006, Glenn Roeder in 2007.

Under Ashley's tenure, Sam Allardyce was axed in January 2008, Kevin Keegan nine months later, Joe Kinnear and Alan Shearer departed during 2009, while Chris Hughton lasted until December 2010 before Pardew came in.

 

 

Llambias added: "In the early days, we were all new to it and a lot of lessons were learned very quickly, but over time we've stabilised the club and now we have to stabilise the biggest side of the club and that's the football side. You need to have the right people running that side for you.

"The relationship I have with Alan is tremendous and with Graham Carr (Chief scout who also has an eight-year deal) and John Carver. It just works for us so why shouldn't we secure it for the future?

"It will reflect on the pitch, the fans will be happier, there won't be all that chatter if the team goes through a bad patch, so it's a big step. I don't think it's really been done before. And also it's a contract which is a normal contract for a top manager in the Premier League."

Some observers may see an eight-year contract for a boss as a typical "off the wall decision" by the regime who, for instance, stunned fans by changing the name of St James' Park to the Sports Direct Arena.

Llambias added: "I think we've done our off the wall. I think we've broken the back of all of that.

"There were a lot of things wrong with Newcastle, so being brave in our decisions has been the fundamental route of what we're trying to achieve. The club was in a terrible, terrible financial mess. Over the course of the last four years, that has been cleaned.

""You can look at naming rights - a strong, brave decision, because we know it's such an emotional subject.

"So why do it? Because we need to bring in more income, more commercial income."

So what are the aims this season and beyond?

"The club target this season is eighth and above, but Alan's target is to match last season and, if possible, better it.

"Last year was fantastic, but maybe it came a year early, because we haven't got the depth of squad we need. We're playing some of the younger boys who are getting chances.

"Alan's ambition is to do better.

"Up to the last couple of games last season, we were competing for the Champions League, and nobody was more disappointed than Alan and the squad.

"That shows the ambition here."

Llambias on... Newcastle's summer business

 

Newcastle walked away from signing France right-back Mathieu Debuchy after the price was hiked up.

Llambias explained: “Debuchy was a target. We were led to believe it would be in the region of 6million euros and that was never the case - it was a lot bigger than that, but it was pounds.

“We worked really hard on it and we were keen to do that deal, but if you can’t afford it, you can’t afford it. You can’t keep going down the road of saying, 'Oh, well, it’s only another two or three million!'

“We work out the positions we want to strengthen and Graham Carr and Alan Pardew discuss it - Graeme works year round, I don’t think he likes going on holiday.

"He’ll have his targets, they’ve got to be the right age, the right people, the right price. But people are catching on to what we’re doing.

“We went for several targets, one of those was Douglas (at FC Twente) and they were just too pricey.

"We were nearly there, but you can’t keep going back to get the price you want if there’s no appetite from the other side.

"There was no appetite from Ajax to sell Vurnon Anita - their appetite was to sell Gregory van der Wiel. We were looking at both, as a pair, but we went off Van der Wiel because we couldn’t afford it.

“But Anita is the future, the quality we’ve been looking for.

"Does our model allow compromise? Yes, but it depends on where we are as a team. Papiss Cisse was probably a compromise - 10million euros for a striker was a big chunk for us.”

Llambias on... ticket prices

 

 

Newcastle’s big strength is the size of their support - and the club insist they won’t jeopardise that by hiking ticket prices because of recent success.

Llambias explained: “The fan-base is fantastic. In the Championship, we averaged 49,000. which is incredible. We averaged. last year. over 50,000, this season 50,000-51,000. Don’t forget what we’ve done to fill the stadium. We’re trying to make it affordable to watch football with 10-year ticket deals, nine-year deals, family deals and deals for European games.

“Our family area attracts 7,500, the biggest in the Premier League. It is huge. We are at 36,000 season ticket holders now. You’re going to fill that stadium provided you make it affordable, and we are.

“That family enclosure is our future, those seven- and eight-year-olds. And 18-21-year-olds pay half the season ticket price. There is a nice balance - those kids are our Corporates in 20 years' time. It’s not short-term thinking.

"We have 10-year box deals. We are breaking that mould. We could, if we have great success, bump the prices up, but we’re not. We don’t have to.”

Llambias on... moving the transfer window

 

Newcastle will lead a crusade to scrap the destabilising end-of-August summer transfer deadline - and bring it forward into July.

Llambias reckons the August 31 cut-off distracts managers and players, and favours the biggest clubs.

He plans to start a debate at the Premier League board meeting in February.

“We’re going to bring it up," said llambias. "We’ve got a meeting in February and I think the summer window doesn’t do anybody any favours by ending at the end of August. We’d like it to finish at the beginning of July for Premier League clubs.

“There probably won’t be an appetite for it, because it’s not the way they behave, but it causes unnecessary stress for your players, your manager and your executives... and I want July off!

Edited September 27, 2012 by Tooj

[Guest CabayeAye]

I suppose even Pardew can't play 442 for eight years without seeing how shit it is!

 

At some stage in the future we are going to be awesome! Yay!

 

Either that or Ashley is selling the club and is squaring his buddies away with the biggest ever severance cheques courtesy of the new owner...

[wolfy 12]

"IF" and I mean IF, Ashley did sell this club...he would be selling it, in the best shape it's ever been in, so whichever way fans look at it, any new owner, takes over with a structure that is sound.

What he decides to do from that point on is another chapter, good or bad.

 

If Ashley is the devil to certain fans, he is better the devil you know because football was sold to the devil, long before Ashley took charge of this club.

 

I say, 'be thankful that we have a structure..and a sound one that is the envy of most if not all other clubs in England.

[McFaul 35]

What a cunt.

[Kid Dynamite 5904]

You cant keep sacking managers, he says about his 5th manager in 5 years

[PaddockLad 14584]

""You can look at naming rights - a strong, brave decision, because we know it's such an emotional subject.

"So why do it? Because we need to bring in more income, more commercial income

 

 

This is where journo's fail miserably...why didnt Simon Bird ask him how much SD are paying for the privelige? I really don't think he's going to get banned from the ground for asking that. Apart from that, we've heard it all before, and to be fair its largely posistive.

[Dr Gloom 19817]

If that's honestly his view, why the fuck did he sack hughton when he was doing a perfectly good job.

 

As soon as Pardew gets too big for his boots, he'll be walked.

[Dr Gloom 19817]

And where's the revenue from the naming rights? Tosser. Couldn't eve. Find the extra two million needed to secure debuchy. Rich him banging on about the lack of depth when we had all summer to address it.

[Kitman 2188]

Can't help but think this is for the club's benefit rather than Pardew's.

[Guest CabayeAye]

What a cunt.

 

Who is that aimed at?

[Chronic the Drug Wasp 6]

"So how much has stripping the ground of its name brought in so far?" was the obvious question to ask.

 

I think even if we won the league I could still hate these cunts with a passion.

[PaddockLad 14584]

From the BBC's comments on this subject:

 

One good season, 8 years at Newcastle. Winning the Champions League, 1 year contract at Chelsea.

 

[McFaul 35]

Who is that aimed at?

Dekka obviously. "We just couldn't afford it." Just fuck off man. The OWNER is worth £2billion. What happened to the "Mike is prepared to put £10m-£15m of his own cash in? He's a fucking arsehole. £1.2m extra for a world class full back and we "couldn't afford it", fuck off.

[PaddockLad 14584]

Same policy as last season, which earned an "Ashley Amnesty".....whats changed?...we wouldnt have paid 7mill for him last season either.

[JawD 31]

Cant grumble about stability. But I just cant stand that lying fucking cock!

 

There he twists the truth amongst lies like the wanker that he is.

 

Basically, he could tell me I had two feet and a nose and I wouldnt believe him.

[Howmanheyman 26789]

""You can look at naming rights - a strong, brave decision, because we know it's such an emotional subject.

"So why do it? Because we need to bring in more income, more commercial income

 

 

 

This is where journo's fail miserably...why didnt Simon Bird ask him how much SD are paying for the privelige? I really don't think he's going to get banned from the ground for asking that. Apart from that, we've heard it all before, and to be fair its largely posistive.

No, silly, sportsdirect aren't sponsoring us they're just helping NUFC out by SHOWCASING this great opportunity for an outside business to give us lots of money to sign players which as fans is all we want. Get with the plan, Rob! If it takes sportsdirect twenty years of showcasing to do it then they will, just for us fans, because they CARE.

[PaddockLad 14584]

No, silly, sportsdirect aren't sponsoring us they're just helping NUFC out by SHOWCASING this great opportunity for an outside business to give us lots of money to sign players which as fans is all we want. Get with the plan, Rob! If it takes sportsdirect twenty years of showcasing to do it then they will, just for us fans, because they CARE.

 

Thing is mate, things are going ok with the club, its pretty unarguable. But theyre STILL lying through their fuckin teeth to us. If they sold the naming rights to Virgin I dont think anyone would argue too much, he's made it clear he's not putting another penny of his own money in so this is the pot we piss in. But to keep up the pretence that theyre some sort of benevolent father-figures when theyre coming out with this sort of unchallenged fuckin bollocks makes me sick.

[Toonpack 6846]

Thing is mate, things are going ok with the club, its pretty unarguable. But theyre STILL lying through their fuckin teeth to us. If they sold the naming rights to Virgin I dont think anyone would argue too much, he's made it clear he's not putting another penny of his own money in so this is the pot we piss in. But to keep up the pretence that theyre some sort of benevolent father-figures when theyre coming out with this sort of unchallenged fuckin bollocks makes me sick.

 

About what ??

 

Also re the benevolence, if he still isn't charging interest or recouping his exposure, that is actually benevolent to a point. I won't reiterate as it's well known what my view is if we hadn't got previous tens of millions of "benevolence".

 

LIttle wrong in that interview IMO.

[Howmanheyman 26789]

Interest on what for fucks sake?

 

He paid the price for the club including any outstanding debts, (some of which he added). We're paying interest because we got bought? So is he a Glazer, then? I thought he paid all our debts off and 'saved' us? Which one is it?

[Park Life 70]

The holding company holds the debt.

 

http://swissramble.b...-black-and.html

 

Ashley has earmarked it as a 'loan'. He would expect this back as part of a sale.

 

 

MULTI-MILLION-POUND debts at Newcastle United have been wiped clean by owner Mike Ashley after he lent the club £140m in his first five years on Tyneside, it was revealed yesterday.

Accounts filed by the St James’ Park club showed that last year the Tyneside team finished the financial year with an operating profit of £13.3m.

Read More http://www.journalli.../#ixzz27lWZ3Ceq

 

It's a straight forward accounting tool.

 

Benefit: We don't pay silly interest to banks anymore like Liv, Everton and ManU.

 

He isn't in a postion yet to take chunks out of the 'loan'/debt but might be in a few years. On the other hand it's about 8% of his overall wealth and not really something he is losing sleep over.

Edited September 28, 2012 by Park Life

[Howmanheyman 26789]

Aye, talk to anyone South of fucking Redcar* and he paid everything off and we Geordie plebs call him worse than shite because he's a cockney. Grrrr.

 

*And TP and friends

[Park Life 70]

Aye, talk to anyone South of fucking Redcar* and he paid everything off and we Geordie plebs call him worse than shite because he's a cockney. Grrrr.

 

*And TP and friends

 

All he did was invent an entity to carry the debt and then leant the entity money to do so. The debt is technically still there but has been removed from our direct outgoings ie interest payments. It's a fairly normal and common sense strategy and has relieved the club (indirectly) of financial pressure from institutions.

 

 

 

"NESV wishes to extend its sincere gratitude to the Board of Liverpool FC for their diligence and their efforts on behalf of the Club and its supporters.

 

The transaction values the Club at £300m and eliminates all of the acquisition debt placed on LFC by its previous owners, reducing the Club's debt servicing obligations from £25m-£30m a year to £2m-£3m.

 

IMO Nesv have made a tactical error here dropping all the money upfront and we see this now with the tightening of purse strings. Clearly the obligations under H&G was too high but halving that would have cleverer than dropping cash in a big chunk to wipe it out. Debt can be used as a bargaining tool in future financial arrangements ie servicing costs and so on...Part debt part loan is more attractive to a bank as they make more cash which makes them more flexible with regard to giving you MORE MONEY.

 

It's refreshing that our club is being run as a 'tight ship' now, on the other hand I'd say MA is lowballing the clubs medium to long term future. It's not a corner shop and earning potential for a well oiled and competitive PL outfit means there is no real glass ceiling to turnover. ALL business is built on debt. Obviously ours was getting out of hand, but I'd like to see more investment in the near future now that the model is stabalised.

Edited September 28, 2012 by Park Life

[PaddockLad 14584]

About what ??

 

Also re the benevolence, if he still isn't charging interest or recouping his exposure, that is actually benevolent to a point. I won't reiterate as it's well known what my view is if we hadn't got previous tens of millions of "benevolence".

 

LIttle wrong in that interview IMO.

 

Did Dekka mention that SD pay nothing for their "package" at SJP, whilst continuing this narrative that they want to maximise revenues and couldnt afford to significantly strengthen the squad this summer?....ok, he was "economical with the truth"...is that better for you?

 

Am not entirely unhappy with the way things are going at the club, and am quite willing to be patient, but every time the self regarding prick mentions this it boils my piss. They are not in any way shape or form maximising revenues,if they were the stadium would be sponsored by some other corporate entity. If no one wants it, it should remain St James Park. You can dress it up any way you like but for me that is the case.

[Guest Your Name Here]

The people who were gullible enough to swallow the showcasing line are probably the same people who are buying into this crap about stability. For a club that has had six managers in five years to start preaching about stability reeks of hypocrisy, yet another worthless soundbites in a long string of worthless soundbites.

 

Finishing fifth was as good as it is going to get. It can only go downhill from here and long before Pardew's contract is up the club's lack of ambition will require a scapegoat.

Edited September 28, 2012 by Your Name Here

[Dr Gloom 19817]

 

 

Did Dekka mention that SD pay nothing for their "package" at SJP, whilst continuing this narrative that they want to maximise revenues and couldnt afford to significantly strengthen the squad this summer?....ok, he was "economical with the truth"...is that better for you?

 

Am not entirely unhappy with the way things are going at the club, and am quite willing to be patient, but every time the self regarding prick mentions this it boils my piss. They are not in any way shape or form maximising revenues,if they were the stadium would be sponsored by some other corporate entity. If no one wants it, it should remain St James Park. You can dress it up any way you like but for me that is the case.

 

Yup.

 

I don't see how a true fan can defend the move as things stand. SD Arena ffs. It's a joke.