08Feb

Newcastle benefit by removing emotion from transfer market

by Alex Ferguson

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With football becoming increasingly business-like, does the modern game need to detach itself from the emotions of its fans? The relative success of Newcastle United this season suggests it possibly should.

At no club does emotion pull on the heartstrings of its fans quite like Newcastle. In recent years, under the stewardship of Mike Ashley, the Toon Army’s blind faith has been severely tested – recovery from relegation was followed by the distasteful sacking of Chris Hughton and the sale of some of the club’s best players.

Local lad and talisman Andy Carroll was sold to Liverpool one year ago for £35m, much to the anger of the Geordie faithful but equally to the delight of those on Merseyside of a red persuasion.

Following Liverpool’s takeover by FSG in late 2010 they responded to the fans’ demands by replacing manager Roy Hodgson with club legend Kenny Dalglish, before arming the Scot with a transfer war-chest. With Fernando Torres departing for Chelsea, Dalglish sought to appease the disgruntled fans by replacing the Spaniard with marquee signings. Liverpool fans rejoiced as Carroll and Luis Suarez arrived, followed by, among others, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson in the summer.

Meanwhile on Tyneside, Newcastle fans disappointed with the lack of investment in the transfer market, asked ‘Where is the £35m?’ The question only intensified throughout a summer that saw more of Newcastle’s best players sold. Kevin Nolan, Joey Barton and Jose Enriqué all followed Carroll out of the club.

Fans called for the transfer money received to be reinvested and many demanded the club sign marquee players to replace the departed. It wasn’t and they didn’t.

Instead, cheap replacements arrived. Ba, Cabaye & Santon all joined for a total outlay of approximately £10m. The fans were initially underwhelmed and the ‘Carroll money’ question remained beyond the close of the transfer window and into the season, but not for long. Newcastle’s eleven-game unbeaten start silenced the doubters.

Twelve months on from Carroll’s acrimonious departure, the tables have turned. Whilst Carroll struggles to justify his British-record fee at Anfield, Demba Ba’s 16 goals have ensured that the Carroll money is barely mentioned anymore on Tyneside.

Simultaneously, Newcastle’s discount central midfield partnership of Cabaye and Cheik Tiote has earned rave reviews. The pair cost the Magpies a not-so-grand total of £8m, less than a quarter of the fee received for Carroll.

Add to this the recent acquisition of Ba’s international colleague Papiss Demba Cissé – second only to Mario Gomes in the Bundesliga’s scoring charts in the last two years – and it seems that patience is also a key factor in Newcastle’s transfer strategy. Freiburg valued Cissé around the £14m mark in the summer yet Newcastle were only willing to pay two thirds of that price.

Rather than throw money at any striker purely to satisfy the fans and fill the vacant number nine shirt – as Liverpool arguably did with Carroll – the club bode their time, content to wait for the right striker at the right price to become available.

For whatever reason, Freiburg lowered their demands in January and Newcastle pounced. The Senegalese striker marked his debut against Aston Villa at the weekend with a spectacular winner, already going some way to rewarding the club’s patience in their striker pursuit.

The differing approaches of Newcastle and Liverpool could not be more marked. While Liverpool operate an expensive transfer market strategy that satisfies their fans, Newcastle under Ashley have ignored the opinions and emotions of theirs.

Prior to Ashley, big name signings for exorbitant fees were the norm at Newcastle yet took the club nowhere. It may not have proved popular initially, but ask Newcastle fans now for their thoughts on the club’s revamped transfer policy and the response will be overwhelmingly positive.

All of which begs the question, is there room for emotion in the transfer market? Evidence at Newcastle suggests, no, there is not.

Posted by Newcastle fan Alex Ferguson

Follow Alex on Twitter @tartoonarmy