Meltdown: Newcastle’s £71m wage nightmare
Shock: Newcastle fans just can't believe they will be playing in the Championship
If Alan Shearer needed evidence of the mess he had walked into when he took over as Newcastle United manager, he had only to study the club's annual £71 million wage list.
One contract must have stood out among the names of highly paid millionaires without a care in the world, and certainly not a care about Newcastle United: Xisco, a six-year contract, £50,000 a week (no relegation clause), a deal which will cripple any prospective Championship club.
The Spain Under 21 international striker was one of Dennis Wise's many dubious summer signings, added to the Newcastle squad without Kevin Keegan's knowledge while the then manager was preparing what he had thought was his squad during pre-season.
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He had never heard of the Xisco Kid, but he wasn't alone. Then again, it was clear he had never heard of Fabricio Coloccini, Jonas Gutierrez or Ignacio Gonzalez either.
After the £8 million flop that was Albert Luque, you would have thought even a new Newcastle United board would have learned the lessons of signing Spanish strikers from Deportivo La Coruna. But apparently not. And now Mike Ashley must pay a very heavy price.
Xisco made his Newcastle debut against Hull City, one of only three league starts he made all season. And he even scored in that shock 2-1 defeat to the rampant Tigers that September afternoon. Well, the ball hit him from a rebound off the post and crept over the line.
That was the day the fans turned on Ashley and his Cockney Mafia and they were warned to stay away from St James's Park.
The players, Xisco included, were called in for a brief meeting with Shearer and Iain Dowie at nine thirty yesterday morning. They departed with strict new fitness regimes for their summer break and were told to report back for pre-season training on July 1, even though it was also made quite clear that they will not all be Newcastle United players by then.
With the possible exception of Kevin Nolan and Ryan Taylor, none of the players have relegation clauses, so no one, not even Joey Barton, can be expected to quit the club without a pay-off, and there are certainly no plans among the players to take a pay-cut, no matter what soundbites they produce about loyalty and devastation.
Damien Duff and Steven Taylor, two of the few assets, say they want to stay.
They want Shearer to do the same if Newcastle is to have any chance of returning next season.Duff said: `I am as loyal as they come - whether the gaffer stays or not - but if there is one man to get us back up it is the gaffer.
And Taylor added: 'It is starting to sink in now we are a Championship team and we have to deal with it.'I know there are going to be changes but we want to be back. We are a Premier League team so we need to be back up there.'The only person I think can take us back up is Alan Shearer. He has been fantastic to work with and let's hope I get the chance to work with him again.'
WHO WILL GO AND WHO WILL STAY?
WORTH KEEPING:
NICKY BUTT £60,000 a week — a leader who will be needed.
STEVEN TAYLOR £40,000 — a proud Geordie who will want to make amends.
DANNY GUTHRIE £40,000 — will do well in Championship.
SHOLA AMEOBI £40,000 — Football League is his level.
STEVE HARPER £30,000 — deserves a run as No 1.
RYAN TAYLOR £30,000 — should pick up in lower level.
ON THEIR WAY:
MICHAEL OWEN £105,000 — out of contract, needs a new club.
DAMIEN DUFF £70,000 — says he wants to stay (yeah, right).
OBAFEMI MARTINS £70,000 — on the first plane out of Tyneside, never to be
seen again.
ALAN SMITH £60,000 — strangely has a list of clubs who want him.
MARK VIDUKA £60,000 — Aussie beaches beckon.
GEREMI £60,000 — odds on for a Turkish club who need a 40-plus player.
JONAS GUTIERREZ £50,000 — cost £5.6m but no use now.
HABIB BEYE £50,000 — one of few to leave with integrity intact.
IGNACIO GONZALEZ £50,000 — who indeed?
CACAPA £40,000 — one of the worst Brazilians ever.
SEBASTIEN BASSONG £30,000 — one of Newcastle’s few assets.
PETER LOVENKRANDS £20,000 — brief loan spell to end.
KEVIN NOLAN £50,000 — January signing which backfired.
HARD TO SHIFT:
JOEY BARTON £60,000 — who would be mad enough to buy him?
JOSE ENRIQUE £60,000 — cost £6m, which was £6m too much.
FABRICIO COLOCCINI £60,000 — he was frighteningly bad.
XISCO £50,000 — an expensive flop.
