Tony Cascarino: ‘Feeble’ Newcastle Need to End ‘Big-Name Mentality’ & Buy British
I was not surprised at the lack of a performance from Newcastle at Villa Park at the weekend as for me, they are one of the most feeble teams I’ve seen for a number of years. The Magpies current side have got nothing to offer and it would have been a miracle if they’d managed to stay up.
Newcastle lack quality and the club is riddled with a poor mentality that they are better than what they actually are. To be honest, relegation may give the club the opportunity to turn the club around in terms of direction. A new focus has to be developed and a different type of player brought in. Newcastle have been the biggest underachievers in the Premier League and a lot of that is down to their poor mentality.
They need to move away from helicopters landing on the pitch with big name signings like Michael Owen and bring in players willing to roll up their sleeves and to over perform not under perform. Players who will be proud to wear the black and white shirt rather than some of the current lot who look like they feel they are doing Newcastle a big favour playing for them.
This relegation is the climax to a number of poor decisions at the club, particularly their obsession with ‘big names’ rather than building a team. I do think Alan Shearer should stay at the club but not as the manager, a role similar to that of Niall Quinn at Sunderland makes more sense. After all, I have no idea why he was given the manager’s job in the first place. One win in 8 matches is not good. In fact, the team has showed nothing in terms of improvement. Shearer was brought in to lift the club, he may have lifted the fans and one or two of the players but it was hardly a significant improvement. Alan had no qualifications in terms of getting that job and has yet to earn his stripes to earn what is a massive job.
The current squad has every type of player you don’t want at a club. They’ve got the odd nutter in Joey Barton who has lost the plot. Injury prone players like Michael Owen and Mark Viduka plus numerous players with bad attitudes who joined the club purely for financial reasons. The Newcastle squad were an expensive accident just waiting to happen.
Now Newcastle have the chance to ship those players out and start afresh. They should bring in a manager who can totally rebuild the structure of the football club given a certain amount of time. There is no point trying to bring in big names past their sell by date. Instead they should be bringing in British players who have the right attitude for a battle as that is what faces them in the Championship. Players with real character and a never say die attitude is what Newcastle need. Forget the big name foreign signings as that hasn’t worked and is certainly not what the club needs next season.
Get the high wage earners out and get in players who want to play for Newcastle, not just for the over-inflated wages that have been on offer. This is the perfect chance for Newcastle United to take a new direction, no more glamour signings but bring in players who want to wear the shirt for reasons other than cash.
Tags: Alan Shearer, Championship, Newcastle, Premier League, Tony Cascarino
May 27th, 2009 at 12:33
Not sure why the purchases should be restricted to british players - the right players should definately be bought but their nationality is irrelevant
May 27th, 2009 at 12:45
Sorry, not sure what you are on about here? Buy British? Like Barton, Owen, Smith, Ryan Raylor, Guthrie, Nolan and all the other rubbish that have helped send us down?
Give me another Solano, Asprilla, Beye, Albert, Robert or Bassong any day.
What’s so special about British players? Ask Wenger.
May 27th, 2009 at 12:50
Again completely agree with Tony’s assessment on Newcastle but I think the problem lies with the fans, for some bizarre reason these people seem to think that they’re entitled to win trophies…obviously doen’t help the team also thatnot one of the players is actually physically fit to play football, a complete shambles of a club…
May 27th, 2009 at 13:09
..david.. you’re a fool.. it’s really important to try and think for yourself and use your own brain rather than simply regurgitate the nonsense you’ve read elsewhere.. no-one in newcastle believes in any sort of entitlement.. it’s a myth perpetuated by the clueless like your good self.. newcastle stand 6th in the cumulative premier league table since inception.. despite missing the first season.. so in an average of 17 seasons newcastle are 6th.. therefore there was an expectation of a challenge for european qualification and anything less was considered failure… not entitlement not delusion a realistic ambition based on past performance… see not so difficult to understand i’m sure even you could manage it…
..and as for ‘buy british’ from a man who lied about being irish to get an international cap… give me strength..!!..
May 27th, 2009 at 13:38
living in the past Mark, 6th overall??? who cares…..
By the way if you read his book and not believed what you read elsewhere, you would know he didn’t lie about that.
Keegan, Shearer, which messiah comes next?
May 27th, 2009 at 13:50
There’s a mess alright but no messiah….
May 27th, 2009 at 14:20
tiger..
not another one..!! no-one is living in the past it was an illustration of how newcastle fans expectations were not unrealistic based on their performances in the EPL and how they do not believe in any sort of entitlement… which was the accusation..
christ..!! and they say the exams aren’t getting easier.. it’s like a f*ckwits convention on here..
btw
here’s a quote from TC’s book from the man himself…
“I didn’t qualify for Ireland. I was a fraud. A fake Irishman”
…i guess he would know..!!
May 27th, 2009 at 15:21
Newcastle is down because they had No Plan who to sign players that would have fit in Newcastles strategy or game.They bought players who they could get no who they needed.All newcastle players in the last club they played ,played great Duff,Nolan,beye,coloccini all played well for former teams.And when u have a michael owen in squad is a big benifit he always baylet to be back and was the only one who scored goals.I think the staff of newcastle is to blame cuz they didnt keep players motivated and are responsable for their form.The only thing that newcastle lacked is a great partner for MO and a Brain Midlefielder who could assist goals.