Mark Linley
@marklinley.bsky.social
UK. Humanist, soft-left socialist. Politics, history, Liverpool FC, scifi, games, IT (architecture). From the People’s Republic of South Yorkshire to leafy Cambridgeshire. RefuXee. Keep fiddling with my profile.
My guess (and everything can only be a guess) is that Ekitike was our long term priority and that Isak is more 'opportunistic', then complicated by Diogo J (and the need to move on Nunez).
We must still have an alternative to Isak, which (if needed) would leave a mess for NUFC and Isak.
We must still have an alternative to Isak, which (if needed) would leave a mess for NUFC and Isak.
August 12, 2025 at 12:52 PM
My guess (and everything can only be a guess) is that Ekitike was our long term priority and that Isak is more 'opportunistic', then complicated by Diogo J (and the need to move on Nunez).
We must still have an alternative to Isak, which (if needed) would leave a mess for NUFC and Isak.
We must still have an alternative to Isak, which (if needed) would leave a mess for NUFC and Isak.
But with 'other players' I meant prospective signings, rather than current teammates. Until you make that transition from 'stepping stone' to 'destination', young elite-talent players want to know they can move on, as well as earn money, etc.
August 12, 2025 at 12:50 PM
But with 'other players' I meant prospective signings, rather than current teammates. Until you make that transition from 'stepping stone' to 'destination', young elite-talent players want to know they can move on, as well as earn money, etc.
I don't disagree with any of that. Noises seem to suggest Isak feels promises were made & broken by previous executives, but impossible to know the truth. Regardless, having been through Suarez, Coutinho and Mascherano doing similar, we do get the frustration with how they act.
August 12, 2025 at 12:48 PM
I don't disagree with any of that. Noises seem to suggest Isak feels promises were made & broken by previous executives, but impossible to know the truth. Regardless, having been through Suarez, Coutinho and Mascherano doing similar, we do get the frustration with how they act.
Issue I think for NUFC is that players talk; agents talk. Being tough with Isak makes other players wary.
LFC finances until ~10 years ago - also saw us as more stepping stone than destination. PIF vs PSR leaves NUFC still with that hurdle to overcome (and it takes good commercial mgmnt).
LFC finances until ~10 years ago - also saw us as more stepping stone than destination. PIF vs PSR leaves NUFC still with that hurdle to overcome (and it takes good commercial mgmnt).
August 12, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Issue I think for NUFC is that players talk; agents talk. Being tough with Isak makes other players wary.
LFC finances until ~10 years ago - also saw us as more stepping stone than destination. PIF vs PSR leaves NUFC still with that hurdle to overcome (and it takes good commercial mgmnt).
LFC finances until ~10 years ago - also saw us as more stepping stone than destination. PIF vs PSR leaves NUFC still with that hurdle to overcome (and it takes good commercial mgmnt).
You weren't the only club following Ekitike - and Diogo J died. We were always looking for more than one forward this summer (possibly still looking for two). Diogo, Diaz, Nunez all needed replacing. Elliott/Chiesa may also yet leave, but didn't play so many minutes to replace.
August 12, 2025 at 9:12 AM
You weren't the only club following Ekitike - and Diogo J died. We were always looking for more than one forward this summer (possibly still looking for two). Diogo, Diaz, Nunez all needed replacing. Elliott/Chiesa may also yet leave, but didn't play so many minutes to replace.
The point was they're all a week or two short of the level of physical readiness they'd normally have. Dom is just naturally fitter than Jones, so was the one out of those two to play 90.
August 11, 2025 at 10:29 AM
The point was they're all a week or two short of the level of physical readiness they'd normally have. Dom is just naturally fitter than Jones, so was the one out of those two to play 90.
I think the substitutions - in what is essentially a friendly - were pre-determined by fitness and readiness. The death of Diogo - apart from the emotional impact - disrupted pre-season training and they're clearly a week or two behind om where we'd like to be. We were fading before the subs.
August 10, 2025 at 11:13 PM
I think the substitutions - in what is essentially a friendly - were pre-determined by fitness and readiness. The death of Diogo - apart from the emotional impact - disrupted pre-season training and they're clearly a week or two behind om where we'd like to be. We were fading before the subs.
Wages to turnover, an allowance for cash injections allied to stronger 'fit and proper' ownership conditions and a football regulator all in combination should be a better way forward. The deferred new rules should be a step towards that.
August 9, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Wages to turnover, an allowance for cash injections allied to stronger 'fit and proper' ownership conditions and a football regulator all in combination should be a better way forward. The deferred new rules should be a step towards that.
Part of the rationale for PSR - which I don't think it's actually very good at delivering - was to protect clubs from owners splashing cash they don't really have, leveraging against club assets (LFC under H&G, or Everton under Moshiri). I don't think max spend is a fair or effective alternative.
August 9, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Part of the rationale for PSR - which I don't think it's actually very good at delivering - was to protect clubs from owners splashing cash they don't really have, leveraging against club assets (LFC under H&G, or Everton under Moshiri). I don't think max spend is a fair or effective alternative.
We wasted that historic success for over 2 decades. We had pitiful commercial revenues from the start of the PL until the club took it seriously 10 years or so ago - and couldn't compete for top players with ManU, Chelsea, City, even Arsenal. It takes effort to run a club well.
August 8, 2025 at 11:58 PM
We wasted that historic success for over 2 decades. We had pitiful commercial revenues from the start of the PL until the club took it seriously 10 years or so ago - and couldn't compete for top players with ManU, Chelsea, City, even Arsenal. It takes effort to run a club well.
Yeah - I still hope that the wages bubble bursts at some point. A lot of this is based on an assumption that wage inflation means pretty much a doubling of wages in the 4 or 5 from one contract to the next. The wages now are obscene, and pretty much pointless. They can't rise like this forever.
August 8, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Yeah - I still hope that the wages bubble bursts at some point. A lot of this is based on an assumption that wage inflation means pretty much a doubling of wages in the 4 or 5 from one contract to the next. The wages now are obscene, and pretty much pointless. They can't rise like this forever.
My first post on the subject an hour ago said manager pull was overstated, so we agree on that. I don't think it's only money - the relative opportunity to win stuff does come into it, when a player is going to be earning big money regardless of which club he chooses.
August 8, 2025 at 11:48 PM
My first post on the subject an hour ago said manager pull was overstated, so we agree on that. I don't think it's only money - the relative opportunity to win stuff does come into it, when a player is going to be earning big money regardless of which club he chooses.
I think there's already a replacement of PSR agreed (max % wages to turnover), but was delayed by a year while the results from City's charges comes out.
A flat max spend is *not* fair to well run clubs with solid finances and revenues based on success, though!
A flat max spend is *not* fair to well run clubs with solid finances and revenues based on success, though!
August 8, 2025 at 11:46 PM
I think there's already a replacement of PSR agreed (max % wages to turnover), but was delayed by a year while the results from City's charges comes out.
A flat max spend is *not* fair to well run clubs with solid finances and revenues based on success, though!
A flat max spend is *not* fair to well run clubs with solid finances and revenues based on success, though!
Not yet, but the Saudi route is still quite a 'novel' one and until the last couple of years was only attracting players past their sell-by date. It will be interesting to see if players like Duran or Nunez can make a return to a big European club (in Darwin's case, it won't be back to LFC).
August 8, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Not yet, but the Saudi route is still quite a 'novel' one and until the last couple of years was only attracting players past their sell-by date. It will be interesting to see if players like Duran or Nunez can make a return to a big European club (in Darwin's case, it won't be back to LFC).
That's the point though - we weren't selling to Serie A, because they weren't offering any money for him. It's not only down to the player.
August 8, 2025 at 11:41 PM
That's the point though - we weren't selling to Serie A, because they weren't offering any money for him. It's not only down to the player.
Darwin's confidence is shot, he's unusually sensitive to criticism for a footballer and wanted out of England, the only other interest was a couple of Italian clubs who'd want to loan him with no obligation to buy.
Goals in an easier league might give a route back to Europe in a couple of years.
Goals in an easier league might give a route back to Europe in a couple of years.
August 8, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Darwin's confidence is shot, he's unusually sensitive to criticism for a footballer and wanted out of England, the only other interest was a couple of Italian clubs who'd want to loan him with no obligation to buy.
Goals in an easier league might give a route back to Europe in a couple of years.
Goals in an easier league might give a route back to Europe in a couple of years.
Those are factors, but are your owners really trying to overcome them? Other clubs (e.g. Chelsea, Forest, City) have been 'creative' around PSR. Your owners haven't taken opportunities to increase commercial revenues. Nobody is stopping you appointing a CEO and SD to help get deals over the line.
August 8, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Those are factors, but are your owners really trying to overcome them? Other clubs (e.g. Chelsea, Forest, City) have been 'creative' around PSR. Your owners haven't taken opportunities to increase commercial revenues. Nobody is stopping you appointing a CEO and SD to help get deals over the line.
Fair. I don't like any sort of state ownership involvement in football, but fans of other clubs (including ours) can't just hold NUFC to that particular standard while flogging our unwanted high earners (and he's only the most recent) to the same source.
August 8, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Fair. I don't like any sort of state ownership involvement in football, but fans of other clubs (including ours) can't just hold NUFC to that particular standard while flogging our unwanted high earners (and he's only the most recent) to the same source.
But in that time when 'other clubs signed number 9s', NUFC tried to and couldn't. Delap, Pedro, Mbuemo, Ekitike? Maybe Isak & agent only 'went public' to force the issue out of frustration with NUFC seemingly unable or unwilling to actively replace him.
August 8, 2025 at 11:18 PM
But in that time when 'other clubs signed number 9s', NUFC tried to and couldn't. Delap, Pedro, Mbuemo, Ekitike? Maybe Isak & agent only 'went public' to force the issue out of frustration with NUFC seemingly unable or unwilling to actively replace him.
Yep, I'd half expected our bid today (say, £125m+ £10m/£15m). The acceleration & widening of Newcastle's search for a replacement swings this back toward 'very likely', so get it done sooner rather than later. Maybe waiting for Wissa to be done, or one of the younger options to progress to 'bid'.
August 8, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Yep, I'd half expected our bid today (say, £125m+ £10m/£15m). The acceleration & widening of Newcastle's search for a replacement swings this back toward 'very likely', so get it done sooner rather than later. Maybe waiting for Wissa to be done, or one of the younger options to progress to 'bid'.
Lots of things about modern football aren't exactly appealing; player power, the astronomical wages, the power of agents and the fees they suck out of the game. But this has all been the case for a while, now.
August 8, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Lots of things about modern football aren't exactly appealing; player power, the astronomical wages, the power of agents and the fees they suck out of the game. But this has all been the case for a while, now.
On Isak - I don't think he's essential for us, though Slot obvs wants him and it's new to see us really 'flexing' from a position of strength. But we don't know Isak's perspective, other than hints that he was promised a new contract before last summer, until Mitchell came in (and then left).
August 8, 2025 at 10:39 PM
On Isak - I don't think he's essential for us, though Slot obvs wants him and it's new to see us really 'flexing' from a position of strength. But we don't know Isak's perspective, other than hints that he was promised a new contract before last summer, until Mitchell came in (and then left).
Except for absolute elite players choosing between two elite clubs, I think the 'manager pull' is often overstated. Newcastle's problem this summer is the lack of CEO/SD and not putting feelers out on players, via building relationships with agents and intermediaries, months in advance.
August 8, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Except for absolute elite players choosing between two elite clubs, I think the 'manager pull' is often overstated. Newcastle's problem this summer is the lack of CEO/SD and not putting feelers out on players, via building relationships with agents and intermediaries, months in advance.
ChatGPT still on 2 points for a win?
August 7, 2025 at 10:52 PM
ChatGPT still on 2 points for a win?