Newcastle United: The Pie Chart of Blame
So the Toon are all but doon, with only the most giddily optimistic of fans believing that the lacklustre team can win three of its remaining four fixtures, the next of which is Liverpool away. But who is to blame for Newcastle United’s crushing downfall? The answer is complicated, but let’s simplify it by drawing a pie chart.
Of course it has all been downhill since Kevin Keegan and then Kenny Dalglish led the club to two consecutive second-place Premier League finishes in 1996 and 97. But the depths the club finds itself wallowing in now can be traced back to 2004, and the departure of Bobby Robson.
It’s one of the many baffling myths associated with Newcastle United that Robson was sacked when the club were 5th in the league. In fact they were 16th, and Robson, struggling to deal with a squad full of brats and prima donnas, probably had to go. Unfortunately, the club did not have a suitable replacement lined up, and that is where our blame game begins…
Freddy Shepherd. Dismissed Robson without a suitable replacement, then appointed Graeme Souness – a man said to be days away from the sack at struggling Blackburn. Subsequently appointed Sam Allardyce. Backed his managers with transfer funds, but racked up crippling debts, paying cash for purchases but accepting instalments on sales, and failing to ensure players’ contracts had crucial clauses such as those that would allow pay cuts on relegation.
Graeme Souness. Disassembled Bobby Robson’s Newcastle just as he had disassembled Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool, but the self-styled hard man failed to deal with troublemakers like Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer. Made a series of terrible signings – Jean Alain Boumsong, Amady Faye et al – and plunged the club into mediocrity. Won just 16 out of 56 Premier League games.
Glenn Roeder. Made a fist of things during his first few months in charge, with Alan Shearer alongside him for support, but crumbled the following season. Still has a better win ratio than any other manager since Robson.
Sam Allardyce. Brought in scores of coaches and sports scientists, but no good players. Today’s squad was shaped, in many ways, by Sam Allardyce. Showed arrogance bordering on bloody-mindedness by making the same mistakes match after match, and the team moved from mediocre to pathetic. Won only a third of his Premier League games.
Mike Ashley. Rightly sacked Allardyce and appointed Keegan, but then failed to back his manager with transfer funds. Appointed Derek Llambias to run the club, and Dennis Wise to recruit players. Backed Wise over Keegan on transfers, precipitating Keegan’s walk-out. Appointed the inadequate but largely blameless Joe Kinnear, then failed to back him in the transfer market. Delayed replacing Kinnear when he became seriously ill, leaving the club managerless for two months until the temporary appointment of Alan Shearer.
Kevin Keegan. Difficult to attribute any blame to KK, but, whatever the circumstances, he did walk out on his job, and the club would not be in the position they are in now had he knuckled down and got on with things.
Joe Kinnear. Was never the right man for the job, and it showed – he won just 4 out of 19 Premier League matches before being sidelined by illness. But he was handed a poisoned chalice, and can’t take much blame.
Derek Llambias. No relevant experience when it comes to running a football club, but Ashley must shoulder the blame for that. Unknown how much input he had into Ashley’s bad decisions. Got the club’s PR stance very wrong, but was saddled with a very difficult job.
Dennis Wise. Brought in to sign world beaters. Signed Coliccini (for £10 million), Xisco, Gonzales, Nolan, Taylor… Got a few all-expenses trips to Brazil and £1.5 million pay off out of it, so not a complete waste of time then.
The Players. Not all of them, of course. The likes of Nicky Butt, Steve Harper and Habib Beye don’t deserve any criticism, nor do the youngsters trying to learn their trade in difficult circumstances, but the remainder of the senior squad can largely be divided into three categories: Not Good Enough, Not Committed Enough, and Not Fit Enough. They don’t deserve the support they continue to receive.
So what does the future hold for Newcastle United? The best case scenario would be a consortium buying the club, removing Ashley and Llambias, appointing a capable manager, and clearing out much of the playing squad. Even if that does happen, a recovery for this club could take years. Those named above must shoulder the blame – the pie does not lie.
[UPDATE 26/05/09: View the NUFC Venn Diagram of Shame]
My book, about supporting Newcastle United in happier times, is Black & White Army.
Good analysis in that it points to a multi-factor explanation. That seems right intuitively as Newcastle’s recent history is complex in origin if simple to see in outcome. Ashley has played a good hand very badly although he does appear to have tried to do things right (often with the wrong people) and to have acquiesed to the wishes of the fan base. (Who else would have appointed Keegan and then Shearer?)
Amongst those who might accept some of the blame but missing from your pie chart are the fans. Their willingness to decry and/or boost managers can be shown as less than rational but it is their capacity to disillusion to the point of seeking an exit a man willing to blow £250 million (even these days a very considerable fortune) on his hobby with the aim of bringing joy to himself and all other supporters that carries most opprobrium. How much blame do they share is hard to gauge but to those who deny some responsibility rests with the fans, consider whether their collective voice and actions have helped or hindered.
The best case scenario you give is fair enough but in these recessionaty times unlikely. Newcastle has caught itself up in a downward spiral of failure and arresting then reversing that will require fresh thinking and attitudes that maybe Ashley, with support from all parties and many fresh faces, can bring. Maybe not though
@Paul Geddes
Thanks for the comment. You are probably right in that a minority of fans should shoulder a sliver of blame, but not, I think, for the reason you mention. If Ashley had been forced out after Keegan’s exit, no matter who had come in to replace him, it is hard to see how the situation could be any worse than it is now.
As for the fans, at one extreme you have the boo boys. I’ve got no problem with criticism after the final whistle, but booing the likes of Shola and Enrique (actually one of the better players this season) during games helps no one. At the other extreme you have the clapping seals, willing to put up with any old crap the club serves up, “Never mind lads, better luck next time”, then off to the club shop to load up on merchandise, before feverishly devouring every word of a Ryan Taylor match programme interview on the bus home.
The majority of “us”, I think, fall between these two extremes, so for that reason I didn’t include fans in the pie chart of blame. The fans are, after all, pretty much the only thing keeping the club going.
@Paul
How about blaming the NUSC then? Organising demonstrations before important matches, issuing pathetic statements to the press. As much to blame as most.