Good luck and farewell...

Today seems a fitting day to write my first blog, just hours after the most frantic deadline day that football has seen in years.


From a personal point of view, the sale of Andy Carroll was the story that I had followed closely throughout the day, waking to headlines of "Newcastle United reject £30million bid from Liverpool for striker Andy Carroll". My stomach sank, knowing that one of the best talents to come out of Newcastle in years would almost certainly have a new club by the end of the day. The rest, as they say, is history.

Happier days on Tyneside

£35million is a staggering amount of money for somebody who is only just playing his first full season in the Premiership, putting massive weight upon his broad shoulders. After all, this makes him the 7th most expensive player in the history of the game.


From comments I have heard either in the media or amongst my friends, no-body agrees that Carroll is worth this apparently 'absurd' amount of money, and I (to an extent) agree.


At 22, Carroll has the world at his feet. So often described as "not being the finished article yet", this potential alone can't surely justify such a lofty price tag, can it?


The price tag that he now carries, I would suggest, is more a reflection of how important a player he was to Newcastle United, than the potential that current boss Kenny Dalglish sees in him. Having scored 11 of Newcastle's 36 goals so far this season, he was the focal point of their direct and ruthless style of play - how many of Kevin Nolan's 10 league goals has Carroll been involved in?


£35million doesn't necessarily dictate how good a player Andy is, more that Newcastle are essentially selling the way they play. Or certainly plan A.


Having said that, Newcastle aren't a one man team, and what I've written in this post was never meant to sound that way. That would be an incredible insult to the rest of the squad that have performed admirably.

Cole/Carroll - similarity?

This transfer has a similar feel to that of Andy Cole's shock departure to Man Utd in 1995 (which also broke the British transfer record), although I feel that the fans ultimately will forgive the management team should that money go back into the team and not into the wallet of the owner.


Truly I am saddened to see such a talent leave the club, but, like a good fan should, I'm grateful for what Carroll has done for Newcastle. All the best Andy, you can be a star.