HOW SOON IS NOW?
Tuesday 6th May 2008

For those of us who clicked through the turnstiles at SJP on Sunday with the hope we could spike Chelsea's push for the Premiership title (let's be honest, we wanted to spike Chelsea for no other reason than because they are Chelsea than any residual affection for Man Utd) I think we can safely say we saw Newcastle United playing at the absolute peak of their ability in that first half, whilst in our hearts we knew Chelsea had another gear to go into. In the second half they raised their game, pushed forward and parked their tanks on our lawn and beat us with something to spare. They were faster and stronger all over the park and were deserved winners. They were are also obnoxious, exploited a weak, star-struck referee, whose performance was the usual we've come to expect when handling a top four club, particularly this mob and Man Utd. Their performance was more efficient than entertaining. If that sounds grudging its because it is. The Russian has used the money which in a less fucked up world would be used for the advancement of ordinary Russians rather than for his toy. If someone was ever to quote Chelsea as the reason to chuck in Premier League football no-one would have any semblance of an argument with which to counter. They are fucking horrible and if that is success, how its been bought and how it is being achieved then for all the cravings we have for a few days in the sunshine running around with some silverware, then I'd rather go without. Honestly. No wonder they couldn't sell out their allocation for Level 7. Fucking pitiful - imagine the scenario in reverse. They wouldn't get near Stamford Bridge for Mags.

But this is about Newcastle United. That was Newcastle United at its absolute limit. Let's not kid ourselves with that first half performance. We are well short. Nicky Butt's performance was at his usual heroic as was Michael Owen playing in the new role KK has fashioned for him. Faye and Taylor looked as strong as they have all season and our full backs gave everything. Barton put in a decent shift but I sometimes wonder if the lad had an extra yard, he'd be twice the player he is.

But we also saw players who are just not good enough if Ashley wants our club to progress. Geremi has no legs on him and his passing in the company of players of Chelsea's class is too often piss poor. Whatever Alan Smith had has gone and his all round game is on the wrong side of mediocre. As a replacement for Viduka he was a non-event. He has had an appalling season, for all the commitment, fist-clenching and gurning he goes through. He just can't play. Another making a cameo appearence yesterday was Damian Duff - a lad who is yet to have a dcent half for us in two seasons, let alone a good game. Smith, Geremi and Duff will not be part of a Newcastle UInited squad that moves forward and kicks on from the mediocrity we have had this season.

But its not just those three who turned out yesterday who aren't good enough. Steven Carr's career is over at NUFC but he is taking up a space on the payroll for someone who could be productive and contribute something. Likewise Emre. Since the unproven allegations that Emre racially abused black Everton players last season, he has contributed little for the club whilst at the same time picking up "niggles" which have kept him out of first team action. Given the wasters we've had on our books over the years its natural to wonder if Emre is going the same way. We've had virtually nothing from him in 18 months and the arrival of KK has failed to galvanise a player, who does have talent if not a work-rate. There is a strong likelihood, Shola Ameobi will now move onto Stoke since their promotion. Its a shame with Shola because we've willed him to succeed but he can't complain at the opportunities he's had and he's another whose attitude and commitment is questioned in the stands. Rozenhal has already made it plain he finds English football too tough and surely both he and Cacapa will bale out sometime soon.

Geremi, Smith, Duff, Carr, Emre, Ameobi, Rozenhal, Cacapa and possibly Ramage aren't good enough players if we are going to kick on next season. I wonder if N'Zogbia's substitute appearence at left back for Enrique v Chelsea wasn't a goodbye as well? For my money, Kevin Keegan has a big task on his hands if he is to improve us from where we are now, which is basically a mediocre team which has flirted with relegation this season.

We are now listening intently to what Kevin Keegan is saying and I'll be frank, I don't like what I'm hearing. Talk of NUFC only going in for three players this summer is plainly a risible prospect if Ashley and Mort want to take our club forward. If it is the case only a minimal amount of money is available then we are right to begin questioning the motives of Ashley. Given the turmoil of last summer with the takeover and the slavva with Shepherd etc we gave Ashley the benefit of the doubt in terms of the small amount of money made available for new players. Allardyce made mistakes and wasn't the man for NUFC it transpired but he did make it plain he was having to buy players he wouldn't have chosen had he had more money and so the arrival of Cacapa and Rozenhal as central defenders demonstrated. Both are hopeless and both give truth to the maxim - penny-wise, pound foolish.

We'll be putting our money into the club over the next few months by way of season tickets, the North East's business class will be asked to dig deep to buy the corporate packages and the club will be on the end of the dosh coming into the game via TV. We've been told Ashley has stabilised the debt from his own pocket (though we have no way of confirming that as fact and rely on what we're told such is the disadvantage of the club being owned privately) because it seems NUFC was in more debt than he thought when he bought the club. But. If there is any advantage for NUFC in having a billionaire owner it must be because he is going to do a bit of pump-priming and invest some dosh in players. Its happened at Villa, City, West Ham, Spurs and Man City and we're looking now to Ashley to do something similar. We've been paying our way long enough and sending millions the way of Hall-Shepherd and it would make for a big change if the club were to have a benefactor rather than a ponce bleeding the club as many of us have felt we've had going back to the days of Westwood, McKeag and Seymour.

Throughout the season we've aken the side of the club and namely Chris Mort in the face of media speculation Ashley is after selling the club. It is my absolute conviction that 90% of journalists don't really have a clue as to what's happening but some do and they aren't the usual suspects who recycle stories from elsewhere under their name. There is one journalist I know and respect who insists Dubai International Consortium (DIC) were approached by people acting for Ashley and sounded out about buying NUFC instead of Liverpool but were declined because the Arabs are only interested in Anfield. Chris Mort has insisted this is not the case and we've suspended our natural inclinations to mistrust whatever comes out of the SJP boardroom and took the man at face value. But. Its not Chris Mort's club. And Chris Mort chooses his words carefully as you'd expect from a top London lawyer. Meaningful investment is the way to prove where the Ashley's long term commitment lies.

Certainly everything the club has done over the last 12 months has hinted at the long term. The appointment of a virtual new set of directors, seemingly appointed because they might know what they are doing rather than because they are family relations or sycophants has been encouraging. The establishment of backroom staff at the academy and the procurement of young players has all given us a good feeling things are moving in the right direction. In KK Ashley has appointed his own man. In 12 months, the club has been transformed and it is now the creation of Mike Ashley and Chris Mort. They have made the decisions on the infrastructure.

But the acid test of their commitment to Newcastle United was always going to be what happens this summer. And by that we mean investment in players. We know exactly that Kevin Keegan is correct when he says its just not feasible for NUFC to get into the top four any time soon. KK's objective is to make us the best of the rest. I think that's fair enough but even that ambition, modest and realistic as it is, needs investment. Denis Wise and his mates have been appointed into high profile positions, by all accounts are on eye-watering salaries and should have been working towards this summer from the moment they were put in post. Ifr we don't do the deals this summer then what is the purpose of Wise and Co.?

Now is the time for Mike Ashley to put up.

Now we know Mike Ashley hasn't become a billionaire by spending money like a drunken sailor on shore leave. I do have some resildual fears that knowing Shepherd-Hall left the club in a far worse state financially than was first thought, the budget Ashley may have had worked out for investment in the club has been swallowed up by sorting the debts accumulated by the previous board's mismanagement. We know for example the money from adidas, Northern Rock has gone. God knows what else? There may be less dosh coming through NUFC than we and Ashley might have thought twelve months ago. But here's another but. That's not our fucking problem. If Ashley and his people failed to conduct due care and diligence in buying NUFC and have been burned by the deal then that's their problem, we'll not be lowering our expectations upon what is put out on the park any time soon. And nor should we. But on the flipside perhaps without the Ashley takeover NUFC may be in a Leeds United style meltdown right now. Who knows?

We know our manager very well. We can decode the messages he sends via the media and as a communicator with supporters KK has no equal. His coments regarding a lack of dialogue with Ashley worries me. This isn't a toy. Its his investment and its our club. Keegan is telling us he thinks the new Michael Owen contract should have been sorted by now. And it should. And so should the Obafemi Martins deal and Steven Taylor's. They are players KK wants and they need sorting. That should have been done by now and I'm sure many of us share KK's impatience. This is Chris Mort's responsibility and its for him to explain why its taking so long. Hopefully its not the emergence of dithering or worse.

As ever this summer is critical to Newcastle United. The club has ballsed up several pre-seasons previously. If we are in a new era of professionalism at NUFC we'll see the club slip through the gears and be parading players in those minty unveiling sessions clubs go in for with Carlos Kick-a-ball these days. As ever we'll all be watching and waiting.

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A big up to everyone who has contributed to SBR's Foundation. We're told an impressive £400K has been raised, including donations from Sir Bobby himself. The target is £500K and it'd be brilliant if we could support our respected ex-manager hit his target some time soon. If you've made a donation, then great, but if you haven't why not stick in whatever you can afford.

See www.sirbobbyrobsonfoundation.co.uk

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One more game to go as we travel to Everton minus Joey Barton for reasons pertaining to bail conditions and stuff that is really quite unbelievable in honesty. Despite the mediocrity of this season, tickets for Goodison are like gold dust. The club has again been supported magnificently this season. As ever the support has done its job and whilst we'd never go in for that "best supporters in the land" crap there are none better. No club gets the support NUFC gets. It is unprecedented in world football given what the club gives back, which is very little. But it can't be taken for granted. We know the Premier League is a hot property for TV reasons but KK is absolutely correct to describe it as boring because of its predictability. If supporters have nothing more to look forward to than 12th next season then given the costs, the joke KO times and all the rest of the bullshit that comes with the Premier League, then you make the pitch, in these days of less money to spend on "luxuries", to do your money for Alan Smith, Damien Duff et al. Newcastle United has to compete. Nothing less is acceptable.

Keep On, Keepin' On ...