Newcastle branded ‘pathetic’ for not selling Alexander Isak to Liverpool
Newcastle United have apparently behaved appallingly by trying to keep hold of their best player; just give in to Liverpool, guys.
Alexander Isak kicks off the Mailbox but there’s plenty more. Read and then mail theeditor@football365.com with your thoughts
Isak entirely exonerated by his own statement
Take a bow ladies and gentlemen of the court of social opinion.
Take a bow Newcastle football club.
Take a bow Eddie Howe.
Take a bow Newcastle fans for jeering your player in public last weekend and all the emails on here.
Take a bow rival fans for criticising him based on your own personal allegiances.
Take a bow pundits who have criticised a player they don’t know for their pay day all summer long.
Take a bow ex players like Nicky Butt for criticising a fellow professional without knowing her personal situation with his club.
Take a bow Football365 for leaving up the comment about Isak’s “dickish move” all summer long in the transfers section like a steaming hot turd for all to see.
My mother used to say never judge another relationship because you never know what’s going on behind closed doors.
She has more wisdom in her little finger than you all do combined.
None of us know what has been said between Isak and Newcastle but judging by his statement last night you all got it badly wrong.
Take a bow self appointed ladies and gentlemen of the jury you took out your character assassination on an innocent man.
Dave LFC
…Magpied? Get it? Anyhoo, it seems like Newcastle made some promises they never intended on keeping. Let’s face it, they are not a big club, they just have oil money. They are not old money like the Bestest Team in the World™. Now that Isak has found a better suitor, NUFC is tryna flex its muscle. It’s pathetic how they’re tryna hold on to their prized asset when they should have cut losses ASAP. In Africa we have a saying, “don’t hunt what you can’t catch”, like the ‘Merican who was sent to the afterlife by Black Death.
Muthama Gitonga, Nairobi, Kenya
PS-Bestest Team in the World™=MUFC
Long live the king
There will be a lot of commentary around Isak’s statement yesterday evening. Straws will be clutched at, high-horses rode in on, and baseless arguments flung around the place. The summer’s most tiresome transfer saga will roll on for another week before the inevitable conclusion.
But can we take a moment to focus on another inevitability – the one that is Mo Salah’s brilliance? An historic third PFA player of the year award for a lad from a country that is not a traditional footballing powerhouse, who has broken record after record, and who has done it without massive controversy, without ego, and with a smile on his face. Aside from being an exceptional footballer, he is renowned as being a truly decent human being.
He is the Egyptian King.
IJR (A cheese dip was made in the writing of this letter)
Why PSR is flawed
I would just like to respond to the article this morning on Newcastle and Villa’s recent struggles with PSR.
Whilst I am glad that the issue of how unfair and corrupt the current system is is now receiving some interest beyond fan messages boards, the article doesn’t seem to go beyond a vague reference to how this may be the case and focussed far too much on the Man City ‘115’.
Firstly, the current system is clearly not fulfilling the intention of preventing clubs from getting in to difficulties (see Sheff Wed etc) so requires change anyway. Secondly, the intentional(imo)/unintentional secondary consequence of preventing anyone other than 6 English clubs from competing consistently domestically and in Europe does need to be addressed as it is clearly unfair to all of the remaining clubs in the country. It feels particularly unjust when at least 2 of those 6 are afforded their current position at the top table because of significant spending from owners in the past 20 years.
Is this likely to be changed and is anyone making a clear case for any alternative? I have seen very little on either point so I can only assume the answer to both is no, but would welcome any details, as I for one am becoming quite depressed about the future of football with the status quo being the case forever more.
For example, could owners not cover any potential outlay for future wages and transfer fees in a bond which would avoid any high spending putting clubs at risk? You could give everyone an even spending limit to promote sporting competition (heaven forbid) or apply a scale based on recent sporting merit if needed? I am not sure what the answer is, but I am sure that something does need to change for supporters of any clubs outside the top 6 like myself to continue to be able to dream.
Matt
Coming in late on Man Utd
Morning people, so I have left this for a couple of days so I don’t go in all guns blazing but then I thought, why not.
First up the Arsenal goal, blaming the keeper for being fouled is a strange hill for some people to die on, Saliba backs into the keeper grabs his arm whilst simultaneously trying to swap shirts with Mason Mount, it should never have been given, Arsenal it seems are allowed to foul keepers with impunity.
The penalty decision, in what universe is a player going through the back of another nowhere near the ball not a penalty? Then we have so called professional referees like Gallagher insisting that it wasn’t a penalty whilst an Arsenal supporting pundit is telling him it was stone wall, then you have Clattenburg telling everyone it was bang on a penalty, enough said about Mike Dean telling us all it was a foot to foot foul so not a penalty WTF?
Anyway what’s done is done, I thought United looked good but still need a decent keeper, they also need to play Mainoo and not Ugarte, I’m quietly confident we can have a decent season and build a good platform to kick on from. Lets see what happens against Fulham and Burnley then we can hopefully have a clearer picture going forward.
Paul Murphy, Manchester
Reffing obsessed
If Stewie can send in his now daily missives on the Spanish Pulis and Ed send his weekly match report, tbf today’s was much better, then I see no reason why I can’t comment on my own personal hell, VAR, PGMOL and especially my no.1, Ref watch with Dermot Gallagher.
Firstly, I know complaining about the VAR’s is futile (until the EPL owners get off their backside’s) but it still doesn’t mean we can’t. As usual, and it’s only week 1, the BEST REFEREE in the league, Michael Oliver took centre stage, 15 minutes into the very first game of the season, he yet again comes up with a VAR decision which practically no one agreed with or understood, more on this later. then on Sunday he becomes the first official to, rightly, apply the new 8 second rule albeit it took the goalkeeper holding on to the ball for 12 seconds before he did, that’s 50% more than permitted!
Elsewhere other officials made controversial decisions, some rightly, more incorrectly, some agreed with, some not, and it didn’t end until the last game was played, nice consistency there. IMO, Tarkowski was correctly punished, he was a little unlucky in that had he leaned a little lower or perhaps forward, the ball would have hit him on the famous “T shirt line” or shoulder and been ok, he definitely was trying to get in the way of the ball and it didn’t strike him, he was responsible for the contact.
Earlier in the day we had the must watch, the ultimately mind boggling “Ref watch”. The mental gymnastics of Dermot Gallagher, whilst hilarious and maddening in equal measures, is a joy to behold, the most perfect example of “the old boys network”, backside covering of his mates and examples of incompetence that is the PGMOL. The introduction of Jay Bothroyd is a stroke of genius, not the pally pally, jokey jokey relationship he shared with Warnock and Smith, Jay actually argued with and laughed at Gallagher’s nonsense. Let’s hope he’s a regular and keeps it up.
For those who didn’t watch, we kicked off with the Oliver decision at Anfield. Both Bothroyd and Gallagher agreed that the decision was wrong but excused the on field official due to the speed and his angle of view, neither however were able or tried to explain how it resulted in a free kick to Bournemouth? But then came Gallagher’s explanation and reasoning behind why Oliver, the BEST REFEREE in the league missed it. Wait for it……”HE HASN’T LOOKED AT IT, he’s looked at the initial hand ball and decided it wasn’t a foul but he’s made his decision too quickly”, the BEST REFEREE in the league has failed to watch an incident which happened milliseconds later. There was also no discussion of why Oliver’s audio and the later explanation from the PGMOL differed?
We then had the obligatory Stevie Wonder moments, “let’s show a few examples of the VAR doing his job properly” which included the Crystal Palace disallowed goal due to the correct application of rule 13 or something. What was strange was that they then showed an example of when the rule hadn’t been correctly applied by the VAR and Gallagher dismissed this with “well he’s missed it”, FFS Dermot, that’s what he’s there for, another explanation could be that he did see it but wasn’t aware of the correct application of rule 13, the irony of this was that Chelsea benefitted on both occasions.
The Burnley non penalty was discussed and Jay thought Porro had barged into the back of Anthony, Dermot however thought it was the correct decision as they had “bumped into each other”, why and how on earth would Anthony suddenly decide to run backwards was never explained. Just to clarify, he didn’t. The referee who failed to award this or refer it to the VAR, no other than the BEST REFEREE in the league. Michael is now 2 for 2 as they say.
There was then the most hilarious exchange of the day, both agreed Bayinder was not fouled but then discussed Saliba’s tackle on Cunha. Jay says penalty, he’s made no contact with the ball and has made contact with Cunha affecting his ability to play the ball as intended. Dermot says no penalty as he didn’t think it was a foul and the VAR must have decided there was contact with the ball (there wasn’t).
Jay: Is that given on the halfway line?
Dermot: But it wasn’t on the halfway line.
Jay: Is it given anywhere else on the pitch?
Dermot: I don’t play that game!
Jay: Why not? This is why you need players in the VAR booth.
Dermot then reiterates that he wouldn’t give it as he didn’t think it was a foul.
There is then a similar discussion on a non penalty at Brighton where a players foot is kicked and there is no contact with the ball, again Dermot explains this as “he must think there’s enough contact with the ball”. But this is followed by a bizarre diatribe by Gallagher who says that VAR is not there to judge the referee (no one says it is) but to judge right or wrong (NSS) and the “threshold” of “clear and obvious” applies. He states that therein lies the problem, is the threshold wrong, this would be the threshold set by the PGMOL! Dermot says “not to judge” on at least four more occasions and also says that the VAR is there to “help the game not the referee”!!!!!
I accept that decisions are mainly subjective and there will be people falling on both sides of the coin but what I find frustrating is that Dermot and the PGMOL will support the referee/VAR on probably 80% of the decisions whilst 80% of the people watching will differ, that doesn’t stack up. It’s probably 99% when it comes to the BEST REFEREE in the league.
Howard (yes Dermot does live rent free) Jones
Fanmail for Rich
Rich, AFC – I think you hit the nail on the head with Arsenal when you said “Stability overrides dreaming and ambition”
While I buy there must be some reality above dreaming (which is for the fans to do), to laud stability over ambition is exactly why no-one expects Arsenal to win anything ever.
Wenger successfully invented a 4th place trophy, following up an uncharacteristic and presumably accidental, lucky, undeserved league win in 2003-4 with six 4th placed finishes and a few near misses along the way where they finished painstakingly close to 4th place (sometimes even over-achieving slightly, presumably went a bit too ambitious those years – no biggie though, mediocrity, sorry – I mean stability, soon followed).
Arteta has raised the bar of disappointment in making 2nd place somehow a trophy. Now they claim to be worthy runners up or actually were the best team but somehow didn’t win. Reality is they’re just losers, sore ones at that.
Sean Connery was actually talking about Arsenal in “The Rock” when he said “Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and f** the prom queen.”*
Jon, Cape Town (Soon enough the Arsenal fans lauding their Invincibles season is going to be such an old memory it will be just how England reminiscing 1966 is to our friends north of the border)
…Rich misses the point of why Arteta is under more scrutiny than any other manager but luckily I am here to help;
Arteta has been at Arsenal for six years where he has won one trophy – which we all know was during COVID so doesn’t count, and without any players he sanctioned. He has spent over £780m (or thereabouts), so, like it or not; the pressure is on him.
“…Liverpool and City….” Breaking news, fella; Liverpool are reigning champions and City have won quite a lot of titles in the past ten years….pressure to win the league again will exist, no doubt, but not to remotely the same extent as Arteta. If they get 97 points I would say 99% of people would applaud that points tally – as was the case for Liverpool….
Finally, so what if Arsenal have never won the CL? PSG hadn’t and the pressure was immense. Madrid hadn’t won their tenth for many seasons until it became an albatross around their neck.
You should be happy the pressure is so high, it means you’re doing quite well, just not well enough.
Dan Mallerman
…I enjoyed Rich AFC’s mail , my take on it would be that Arsenal need ‘to compete’ and over a period of consistent competing, if they were to win a league or a European trophy then wonderful.
I was too young to remember their 1971 double but have good memories of the sunny cup finals under the twin towers against Ipswich Town , Man United and then West Ham all in their dazzling yellow and blue away kit.
After that it was a while before two league titles in three seasons completely changed their trophy landscape including the famed ‘it’s up for grabs now’ one , 40 days and 40 nights after Hillsborough.
But then another while until Alsation Arsene rides into town and wins three titles in six years . ( not quite as good as 5 in 9 ninety years ago though ) .
If Arsenal were undisputed third biggest English team since the mid seventies then perhaps the ‘financially doped blue cartel’ (11 champions league semi finals between them ) have drawn up alongside – all in equal third place. Seen through that prism of realism then a European Cup semi final and league runners up is definitely ‘competing’ .
If Arteta were to walk away whilst continuing to compete it would be a bit silly. Francesc Fabregas may well be able to take their good young players to glory but it’d be against the odds and the old betting shops certainly know their onions.
Where could Mikel Arteta manage and do more than compete? Has he blown his chance to follow Pep at City? When Madrid sack Alonso would he be on Florencíto Perez’ short list?
The Italian league then? I could see him at Juve for example. Competing and maybe, just maybe a few scudettos .
Peter (Reijnders for player of the year – kneejerkery) Andalucia
No but…
Arsenal fans do love generating a bit of internet content. It’s no wonder that sites look to trigger them, it’s so easy and pays the bills. What I want to know is who this Norbit is? They are constantly banging on about Norbit, at least since the Wenger days. If they can sort out who ever this Norbit is they could be alright…
Did you win the league? Norbit we finished second.
Wasn’t it the lowest 2nd place score for 20 years? Norbit we haven’t lost against the top 6 in 800 days!
Didn’t you lose to Newcastle a few times last year? Norbit it’s the big 6 as per the Deloitte money league rather than the actual Premier league.
Didn’t Man Utd knock you out of the FA cup? Norbit I only mean Premier League games.
Didn’t you play a rapist for a year? Norbit he was only being investigated not charged.
Didn’t you call the ref a disgrace when he correctly allowed a goal against you. Norbit what his legal team explained was that he actually meant a similar Spanish word meaning unfortunate.
Are you in top echelons of Champions League winning clubs? Norbit, we’re in the second one.
Aren’t you a pathetic excuse for a football club who’s only objective is to fleece their fans and stuff their billionaire Yankee owner’s pockets? Norbit we’re better than Spurs.
Aren’t Spurs more successful in Europe that you? Norbit, our Stadium is redder.
If only they could figure out who this Norbit is…
Gooners, are you the Norbit?
Alex, South London
