Cabaye Situation Shows Worrying Pattern

To  master life, we need to choose a goal and go for it. Once we achieve that goal what do we do? Sit in our laurels? No, we set ourselves another goal. 

We can of course choose not to master life and resort to drugs, drink, sex, gambling to distract ourselves from a commitment to self – but I suggest that this doesn’t apply to the likes of Yohan Cabaye.

He arrives at Newcastle who in his first cavalier season finish 5th. Hordes of agents steam in and promise him £80K+ a week and Champions League football.

But he’s signed a contract with someone who quite legitimately wants say £25M for him.

He has a setback season. Claims he is suffering from depression from the exertion and disappointment of international football. Mmmmm I wonder?

He’s injured for about 40% of the season and never gets anywhere near his former form. 

The same goes for Tiote and Colocinni (who had a mountain of a personal problem to resolve).

There is one common theme to all these issues – and we’ve seen it decade after decade at Newcastle. We sell our best players (ie Ba – and who’s next?) and fail to replace them. It’s why McDermott, Gascogne, Beardsley and Waddle all left the north east to play their best football elsewhere. And note we soon got relegated.

Newcastle lack the ambition and thus the talent to play at the top level. The only exception to this sad state of affairs was during the John Hall era, who is a man of vision and prepared to invest to reach it. 

Bobby Robson had Newcastle punching above their weight when he first arrived. We got in the Champions  league and did well for a season or so. Then what? We start signing ‘free’ players eg Bowyer et al and it all starts going pear shaped. 
It’s heresy to speak ill of Robson, a wonderful man. He signed Bramble, Cort, Viana, Jenas, Bassedas, Fumaca, (I discount Bellamy) all of who for me were dud signings. 

We need to buy wisely and for the first time again since the Hall/Keegan era, Newcastle had ( until the arrival if JFK ) a good nose for buying talented players between Carr and dare I say Llambias.

So where are Newcastle now? 

1. A team that does not have the managerial talent or ambition to match its top players aspirations  – who will thus seek to leave.
2. Top players who are neither challenged nor need to be better than they were. Bottom line – they’re bored with the old style tactics and rhetoric.
3.  A team that is tactically naive. It doesn’t know how to attack or defend in numbers. Has been found out and resorts to long balls to a centre who can’t hold the ball up.
4. Has made no significant change in staff or players (JFK apart – sic) since finishing 5th of bottom.

Need I go on?
Is there a less motivated team in th Premier League?
Is there a worse managed team in the Premier League?
Who? Please tell me.

Comments Welcome