NUFC: This Is Not The Change We Requested

This is a very late post. But this blog needs to repeat it, as if the point hasn't been made enough.

While we wait for Newcastle's first significant signing of the summer (if there is going to be one at all), it just needs to be acknowledged that Newcastle United Football Club have arguably the worst front office in all of professional sports.

As an American, I know there are some really bad front offices here. Actually, there is a long list: The Chiefs, Knicks, Mets, Pirates, Bruins, (Arizona) Cardinals, Twins, and Royals, just to name a few.

So apparently there has been a power struggle between manager Alan Pardew and chief scout Graham Carr. Alan Pardew, of course, has recently finished one of the most disappointing seasons in recent Newcastle United history, with a 16th place finish in the table, and a staggering 45 league goals conceded.

Having signed an 8-year contract last October, it is understandable that the board would put Pardew on a short leash. But their next move has the press, fans, and even the competition confused and bewildered. The club hired former manager (and arguably one of the poorest managers in the top flight in recent years) Joe Kinnear as Director of Football.

The news of Kinnear’s appointment leaked on Sunday June 16, just a week after I returned from my annual visit to Vieques, and around the time I was hoping to hear that Newcastle was preparing a few bids for players once the transfer window opened on JUly 1. Newcastle fans remember how disastrous Kinnear’s tenure was with the club as manager. But it still came as a shock when Kinnear walked into a radio station on Monday June 17, before the club had confirmed his appointment, and declared himself to be the final word on new signings, as well as Alan Pardew’s boss. He also declared, before the official announcement, that Managing Director Derek Llambias was on his way out. Oh, and it was simply offensive and bizarre.

Derek Llambias did indeed resign. Friendly with fans, and seemingly on board with Pardew’s French and African recruiting plan for the club, Llambias’ departure set off alarms all over Tyneside.

But when Pardew broke his silence after his summer vacation on July 8, he showed no sign of wanting to quit, and expressed his commitment to the new power structure in the front office. He even said that he and Llambias didn’t work well together.

It would appear that Alan Pardew has the toughest task of any Premier League manager in the 2013-2014 campaign. He has to use the squad he currently has, plus or minus no more than 4 players total, and deliver a top 12 finish, while being overseen by one of the least successful and most despised men in all of English football. Joe Kinnear hadn’t been re-hired by any top flight club since being fired by Newcastle in 2009. His being re-hired by the club that should know how terrible he is makes this story all the more extraordinary.

It will be, in words of The Guardian’s Louise Taylor, a minefield.

UPDATE, July 21, 11:00 EDT, The Mag reports that Kinnear has just hired former Sunderland and Newcastle player, Mick Harford, as a coach. He had agreed to join East London club Milwall as a coach just last month. This probably puts additional restraints on Alan Pardew, and not just because Harford used to wear red and white stripes. These are interesting times, indeed.

UPDATE, July 22, Harford has rejected Kinnear's job offer. Smart move, Lad.

The New Google Maps

The new Google Maps is here. It's gorgeous, and more helpful. Plus, it anticipates what you like and what you search for (given that it normally relies on your Google account).

However, gone is the ability to create custom maps. The "my places" custom maps have been left behind in Google Maps Classic.

I will have to download my custom map data, or print them, as I'm sure Google will retire the classic map in a couple years time (or sooner).
 
In the meantime, wait for the updates to arrive to your mobile device, or go to maps.google.com to sign up for the new web version of Maps.
You'll see that it attaches keywords to places, based on user reviews and social media.  So for example, if you click on The Strawberry pub in Newcastle Upon Tyne, you'll see keywords like "roof terrace." Pretty cool.

What felt new in 2004 is new again.

The Most Secretive Presidency Since Nixon

 

Books will be written about this. I firmly expect Glenn Greenwald to be among those to write one of the best books. But I will say just this.

The Obama administration's record on civil liberties is the worst since the sixties and seventies, when the Johnson and Nixon crowds let loose the Feds on anti-war activists.

Obama is, allegedly, a constitutional law professor. Despite that, he appointed Eric Holder as Attorney General, a man who has refused to enforce the anti-fraud laws against the Wall Street bankers who nearly destroyed our economy. At the same time, Holder, presumably under orders from the executive branch, has employed the full weight of the Justice Department against whistleblowers who seek to reveal the crimes of the high and mighty.

Obama has a lot of supporters who have either no idea how secretive his administration is, or choose to ignore that fact. In addition, millions of Americans also choose to ignore that Obama has expanded the "War On Terror," by launching a secret drone war, and has made it a permanent fixture in our nation's foreign policy. That's not a theory; top administration officials have confirmed it.

Obama deserves the AP phone records scandal, and probably many others.

 

 

Is It Posh Assholery Or Projection?

Niall Furguson is perhaps the closest thing the UK has to Ann Coulter. He's not a real economist or historian, despite his teaching privileges at Harvard. He's a right wing television commentator with a particular mean spirited, provocative style. He loves to push the buttons of his political and academic opponents.

On May 2nd, speaking to over 500 financial advisors at the Tenth Annual Altegris Conference in Carlsbad, California, Mr. Furguson once again attacked the greatest, most influential economist of the 20th Century. No transcript is available, but he essentially said that the motivation behind Keynes' famous quote, "In the long run, we are all dead," stems from his being both gay and childless. The argument that Keynes' alleged homosexuality weakens or invalidates his economic theories has been a staple of anti Keynes criticism for seven decades.

This is not Ferguson's first homophobic slur against Lord Keynes. As long ago as 1995, in an article for Spectator, Furguson asserted that Keynes opposed the 1919 Treaty of Versailles (which formally ended WWI) because he was sexually attracted to the German representative at the negotiations. That was to argue that Keynes was literally gay for Germany. Then, famously in a 1999 book, he accused the greatest economist of the twentieth century of picking up young men in London.

What is it with all these personal attacks on a man who can't defend himself? Could it be projection? Isn't it always?

I noticed that the Harvard History Department was unavailable for comment on Ferguson's latest nasty remarks. Apparently his nose is broken because the American public refuses to embrace the imperial project he believes the Unites States must pursue in order to be true to its destiny. Poor Niall.

NUFC: A Summer Of Change Is Required

I have wanted to write about Newcastle since their dreadful, historic loss at home against the Mackems. But I've spent too much time being nervous about relegation.

It was too late for Newcastle to make any tactical changes late in the season. They just had to win one more match between April 14 and May 19, and they just got it done against QPR on Sunday. Now we cal all relax a bit. Bit there is so much to be done betweeen now and the end of July.

It is clear to every knowlegible supporter that Newcastle United is a squad full of talented players. But the tactics and player slections were off the entire season.

There are also clear talent gaps. The squad can't afford to have wingers who cannot cross. I'm sorry, Jonas, but you have to go. You also have to go, Tioté.

In the current campaign, this squad has consistant difficulty delivering the ball to the strikers. The combinations are off. They have scoring machines up front. But it's all for nought if the team can't contruct sustained attacks. Giving up the first goal of the match is not the way to 60 points either.

It hurts to think that if this team had gotten just three more wins, they would be sitting in eighth place in the league, right behind Liverpool. That's not a spectacular finish, but very respectable, and away from the cluster of poor teams at the bottom. But what this means is that they are a poor squad. The club needs a lot of rebuilding, and they are going to have to help themselves.

Also, assuming Alan Pardew is given another chance to make things right, he needs to stop saying silly things. Someone get the Silver Fox a public speaking coach.

There really isn't much to say until the summer transfer window is well underway. So I'm going to enjoy a week in Puerto Rico and then hope I return to mainland to news of players bought and sold. This was the case in 2011, when the team bought Marveaux, Obertan, and Cabaye around mid June.

This team needs a bigger, better squad so that it can compete in both the Premiership and in tournaments. That's where the money is. If Newcastle is to reamin a big club (the biggest football club in the world north of 53.5 north latitude, in fact!), then they need to be far better than this.

So Many Ways To Derail Bush's Legacy Rehabilitation

It was impossible to avoid coverage of the George W. Bush presidential library opening yesterday (a Thursday, always a good day to invite weekend visitors).

It was also painful having to watch three Democratic presidents (two former and one current) say generic, nice things about the man. But this is what politicians do. They are good actors. But then again they are all part of the same club. It doesn't get any higher for these guys. So members of that club can and do get along. How else could Clinton honor Nixon when he passed away, or Obama say anything positive about Bush 43?

There has been at least one great book about his presidency.

Here's a very recent blog post by Jonathan Chait, reminding everyone of how the library treads lightly over so much that went so wrong. Namely, he was never good, and he was never smart.

There are countles ways to deny Bush any positive legacy. There is no positive legacy to be found anywhere in his two terms. 

Actually, he was the worst president in my lifetime, and arguably the worst EVER.

As the linked post above makes clear, he was not smart.  One only has to remember the following true story.

In 2000, candidate Bush asked former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney to conduct a search for a suitable vice presidential candidate for the ticket. Cheney came back a few weeks later, presumably after an exhaustive review of the Republican Party's luminaries, and told Bush that he had discovered the perfect running mate.

And who was this paragon? Right, Dick Cheney!

And what did Bush do? Did he laugh in Cheney's face, tell him this suggestion must be a joke, point out that if he had thought Cheney was the right match he would have asked him in the first place? No, he named Cheney as the man who would be a heart beat from the presidency. Smart?  I rest my case.

And so will many, many others, for years to come.

The 2014 Jeep Cherokee Is Awesome

Allow me to cut to the heart of the brewing Jeep Cherokee design controversy. If this were unveiled as the 2014 Jeep Liberty, there wouldn't be as much outrage. It has an A pillar and sloping front door line reminiscent of the Kia Sportage. It has a rear windshield and taillight setup similar to the Subaru Tribeca. So what? Seriously. So what? There is no rule that the Jeep Cherokee needs to look like this:

Just as there's no rule that forbids a Range Rover from looking like this:

Jeep already has a vehicle in its lineup, the Patriot, that looks slightly retro, like the XJ Cherokee (1984-2001).

It's the year 2013. Jeep has only one body-on-frame truck in its lineup, the Wrangler. That's their most capable off road vehicle. Every other new vehicle they lunch is going to be a car-based unibody design. The Compass? I didn't see much hate towards their female-friendly, comfy crossover, based on the Dodge Caliber. The Patriot? It comes in a Trail Rated trim, but it too is based on the Dodge Caliber, and originally had a CVT transmission.

Jeep has a flagship that people love - the Grand Cherokee. It's challenge is to make a desirable intermediate SUV that won't compete with either the Wrangler or Grand Cherokee. 

And so, after Fiat acquired Chrysler, they immediately put the Fiat Viaggio platform to work in North America. The first product was the new Dodge Dart. You remember the Dart name, don't you? In the 60s and 70s, the Dart was a well powered compact car, which back then was still a car over 100 inches long. It is Stephen King's favorite Dodge of all time. Now it's back as a contemporary compact sedan, built on a front wheel drive, Fiat platform.

The 2012/2013 Jeep Liberty

And so the Jeep Liberty, while popular with both rental chains and Jeep fans since 2001, was not delivering what the majority of crossover buyers want in North America. They want more smartphone integration. They want a more ergonomic driving position. They also want a quieter ride and improved fuel economy (the Wrangler is not good in either category). Simply put, Jeep, seeing a large sales increase since the acquisition by Fiat, wants to keep the momentum going. And while the second generation Liberty is a big improvement over the first, it only has a three percent market share in the intermediate SUV segment – the most popular car segment in the USA. With this third generation vehicle, they think they can compete with the Ford Escape, both in the rental chains (which they already do) and the driveways of the suburbs. With four trim levels, two engines, and three all wheel drive systems to choose from, the Cherokee might be the vehicle to help Jeep push past the 1 Million units sold mark within a fiscal year.

Chrysler was expecting a fan backlash to this new design. But so far, they are unapologetic

The Cherokee won't compete against the Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Honda CR-V, or Toyota RAV4. While the four cylinder versions of the Cherokee will have thee engine positioned horizontally with a front wheel drive bias, the Trailhawk trim can go far off road, leaving those vehicles, plus the Ford Escape, on the pavement.

In the commercial vehicle market, the current Liberty competes very well against the Ford Escape and Chevy Captiva. The Captiva is popular with the US Government, and the Escape is popular with small businesses. Liberties are seen all over cities, including New York. But I suspect this redesign will not make it a popular choice among plumbers. Jeep is aiming straight at the active small family set.

The press won't have any first drive reviews until at least May. Jalopnik was the website that first revealed the new Cherokee rolling off the assembly line. Most writers at Jalopnik who have written about it have defended the design and return of the Cherokee name in America (the Liberty was sold in other markets as the Cherokee). Matt Hardigree has already explained how the KL Cherokee is technically superior to the XJ Cherokee. Here are more reasons:

The 2.4 liter Tigershark inline 4 engine is Chrysler's replacement of the World Engine project co-developed with Hyundai and Mitsubishi. Ford and Hyundai's best engines are small displacement I4 turbos that use regular 87 octane. The Tigershark uses Fiat's “multiair” intake and variable valve timing technology to recycle a small amount of exhaust back into the intake cycle, resulting in a dramatic increase in fuel efficiency.

I just mentioned fuel efficiency. Here's something that will make it even more impressive: a 9-speed automatic transmission. Jeep purists already lament the lack of a manual transmission in the KL Cherokee. But this is the market. This is the 21st century. And this is the first 9-speed transmission in any mass produced vehicle. This means that even the Trailhawk version, with its full time “Active Drive Lock” 4X4 system, should still get over 30 miles per gallon using the Tigershark engine and the rear axle disconnected (which makes it the first 4X4 Jeep to offer that ability). This should translate into a 45% improvement in fuel economy over the outgoing Liberty.

The interior is welcoming, ergonomic, and beautiful. They really thought it out. It has a back seat 110-volt AC outlet for tailgaters. It has “hill” motifs on the insides of each door. There are plenty of leather and stitching options. It has an 8” entertainment and information center available. It looks like instlling interior LEDs will be easy. And it has a storage compartment on top of the dashboard – perfect for hiding that E-ZPass.

A full size 110v outlet faces the rear passenger seats in the Trailhawk and possibly other trims.

And I have one more reason to love it. Mango Tango! Yes. Mango Tango. Can't wait to see this color on the Cherokee.

Mango Tango on the Dodge Challenger

In Defense Of The "Boring" Cars At The NYIAS: Part 2, The 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek

Another car that isn't going to excite many people, but ranks high on the value meter is the Subaru XV Crosstrek. This car was introduced at last year's show, but it took a year of reviews and comparisons to cars in its class to grow on me. Why? Well. I wanted to give the Hyundai Elantra GT (i30) a fair shake. It has nice features, a good transmission and a very good engine. But the cost cutting in the rear of the car is obvious. Hyundai didn't send the wagon version of the car to the US (as they did in 2009 with the Elantra Touring), and the rear suspension has been downgraded to torsion beam. Most drivers won't notice or care. But I prefer independent rear suspension. Car makers took away the fun of rear wheel drive from us, but at least let us car buyers choose a superior suspension setup. Fortunately there are plenty of other cars out there.

The Crosstrek XV is the better value compared to the Elantra GT. The increased ride height is not for everyone. Nor is the CVT transmission. But the utility features, the slightly larger cargo space, the better stock wheels, and sportier cockpit should win both singles and young families alike. More important, it has a longer list of standard features, especially the heated seats, a feature that I believe Subaru offers standard in al of its cars sold in the US.

 

Car aficionados lament how Honda got rid of its tradition of using double wishbone suspension on all four wheels. That was and still is a premium, superior suspension design. Subaru has retained double wishbone rear suspension in all of its current US lineup. That's an engineering advantage over cars with torsion beam rear suspension.

Subaru unveiled a hybrid version of the XV Crosstrek at this year's New York International Auto Show. It has a driveshaft, so the rear wheels are not electrified as they are in Subaru's Viziv concept, which they unveiled this past February. The verdict on this more conventional hybrid is that the additional fuel savings probably won't justify the higher price tag. In fact, if anything, it will highlight just what a good value the gasoline-only XV Crosstrek is. Zac Estrada over at Jalopnik points out that the XV Crosstrek hybrid only get 10% better fuel economy over the slightly more fun, and lower priced gasoline model.

Like the Outback Sport before it, the XV Crosstrek is a lot of car for the money, and is Subaru’s best value. It comes well equipped at $20,000.

Subaru's global head of sales and marketing, Tomohiko Ikeda, revealed that Subaru's next two milestones are to electrify the rear wheels in future hybrid models (using independent electric motors, one for each wheel), and then full electrification for all non “performance” models (the BRZ and WRX). But until then, we have Subarus like this. While not nearly as fun to drive as the models that used five speed tradtional transmissions, these will do until the electectric vehicles arrive. At least the Crosstrek brings back some of the quirkyness that made Subaru such a lovable brand.

Another Great History Of The Subaru WRX

Now that we've had a preview of where the Subaru WRX will go within the next 24 months, Mate Petrany over at Jalopnik put together a fine, tight history of a favorite street legal rally car. I tried to do it last year and got a little carried away.

This story of an all new WRX began back in the Spring of 2011, when Subaru told the press at the New York International Auto Show that the Impreza and WRX would go separate ways. They have kept their promise. At this year's show, they told the press that all non-perforance Subarus will one day be fully electrified. I think they will also keep that promise.

My Impression Of The Geordies

My first impressions of the Geordies. Written, mostly on board a cramped Boeing 757 fron Edinburgh to Newark.

Let me state that I am still getting to know the Geordies. I've hung out with them for 10 years, and I have only just seen their city of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (on a dismal, cold day with intermittent sleet and snow showers). And I'm not some Yank who wants to portray the Geordies as natives who need to be studies or rescued. Pft. But I just want to share my thoughts. So with apologies to my Newcastle friends who might be offended, here goes.

Newcastle is a magnificent iron gray city on an iron gray sea. It's small, about the size of Worcester, Massachusetts. maybe a little smaller than than Providence, Rhode Island. English people compare it to Pittsburgh, which is also fair. It's reasonable to think that if you lived there all your life, you'd eventually know people who collectively know all the local people you don't know. One or two degrees of separation. And therefore, it is correctly called a Town. "The Toon."

Did I mention iron gray? It's amazing. Taking the train from Edinburgh to Newcastle, that's the color of the North Sea. Then you enter Newcastle, and it is gray as well. There's Georgian, Edwardian, and French architecture, and it's almost all light gray. The streets as well as the giant headstones in St. Andrew's churchyard, are the iron gray color of the North Sea, as is the Tyne Bridge. 

Where's the color? Colors come out at night in the nightclubs and bright cocktails the lassies drink. They are in the "student clubs" (which strikes me as an odd name for bars with female dancers, either barely clothed or topless). There are warm colors in the old pubs like The Beehive, The Old George, and The Black Boy. There are brighter reds, blues, and yellows in the lights and drinks (many of them frozen) in places like Sinners (a "trebels bar" with poles and dancers), "Student Bars," (which are similar from what I've seen), and the popular chain restaurant, Revolution. I had dinner at Revolution, before I left the Toon, which occupies the lobby of what was once a hotel or bank.

The Geordies seem to be, at least to me, the descendants of the people the Romans left behind in 410. It might have been that the Romans, who remembered sunny Italy, could never fully adapt to their northwestern frontier. But the people born there? They adapted. And they stand their ground. That's a big takeaway I have from there.

The last 600 years, in particular, explains their story. The world's first coal trade originated in Newcastle in the 16th century. Newcastle was selling coal long before it's full potential was realized in the industrial revolution. The 17th century featured nearly 40 years of war, both internal (the English Civil War) and external (invastions, both acutal and threatened, from Scotland).

But by 1715, Newcastle had come of age. The town had played a key role in quelling the jacobite rebellions and was the only northern town to pledge its support to the new English king, George I (hence, the nickname, Geordies). Byt the Victorian era, the city was a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution, leading europe in mining, engineering, railroad engineering, industralized glassmaking, and shipbuilding. Newcastle's character as a working class town continues to this day despite a sharp postwar decline in industry.

Then Newcastle rode a great wave, from one of the centers of the Industrial Revolution, to a post industrial, post manufacturing city, anchoring English culture in the nation's north. 

Geordies remind me of Brooklyners. They are both tough and friendly. They have strong accents. And they can be your friend quickly if they see something they like in you. If you're a good listener and have a drink with them, then you're off to a fine start.

And can they drink. The vodka and beer flows like a river every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. 

Newcastle lost a lot in the last 50 years. But it has kept one thing - football. It has had a united, profressional football team since 1892. A legendary and great team. One of the six largest in the nation, in terms of finances, fan base, and home ground size. A private sports franchise does not take the place of an industry that employs thousands. And I cannot say that football is all Newcastle has, because that is not true. But I did sense that the football club is a major compoenent of the glue that holds this town together and keeps its morale high. This town really does rise and fall with the club, emotionally. That's evident. And it's something I want to take in more next time I visit in February or March 2014, and hopefully annualy going forward. 

The riverfront has been revitalized, and I hope development continues. I hope Newcastle booms again, somehow. But most residents would agree the city looks a lot better than it did 20 years ago (see the 1988 film, Stormy Monday, back when Newcastle was synonymous with urban corruption).

More observations next year. But Newcastle has left a strong impression on me after just a few hours there.

How the GOP Lost 2016 In One Day

The GOP lost the 2016 presidential election in a single day. Here's how:

1. Marco Rubio voted against renewing the Violence Against Women Act.

2. On the same day, he delivered an incoherent speech that recycled Mitt Romney talking points. The speech even made the insane claims that Obama is anti-business and has borrowed more cash than Bush. The speech was clearly not written by Rubio. It even mentioned "Solyndra."

3. In that same speech, Rubio made a bizarre lunge for a bottle of water and chugged it on camera. 

Triple fail. 

Folks, I don't like the Democratic party, either. But Hillary has a red carpet to the Oval Office in 2016. She would have to bite off the heads of kittens to blow this one.

A January Transfer Window Wishlist For Newcastle United

It's been a painful two weeks for Newcastle United. We supporters all saw it coming. We didn't expect any wins between Boxing Day and January 5th. But each loss was a blow to the squad's confidence, morale, and greadually, the supporter's faith in manager Alan Pardew (who knows what the players think of him).

This post Christmas run has seen three league losses, and a crash out of the FA Cup Third Round. Newcastle now have a week to recover before a trip to Norwich, where the Canaries have been inconsistent, but have scored more goals than the Magpies this season. Because Norwich is in 12th place in the league table, and Newcastle are barely in 15th place, this upcoming match is a virtual must win for the Magpies. It's no easy task. But with one or more key midfielders set to return from injury, and their new right back, Mathieu Debuchy, set to make his debut as the replacement of Danny Simpson, the Lads are yet again, on paper, the superior team. Except that we have seen time and time again this season that have a superior squad sheet means nothing if your team cannot score first, or score and hold a lead.

Newcastle have lost too many leads this season. In their Boxing Day match at Old Trafford, they lost three leads in a single, heartbreaking defeat. Newcastle have shown distressing patterns all season long. They fail to win when they concede a goal first. They have much difficulty holding on to leads. And they have too many scoreless halves, especially the first half, thus making it all the more likely that they don't score the first goal in a match. There is a lack of football fundamentals. The lobs and crosses into the box, required of any team that scores goals and aims high on the table, are simply not happening. They say Tyneside loves goals. But these are not the days of Ferdinand, Beardsley, or Shearer, when Newcastle scored a ton of goals to finish near the top of the table two decades ago.

The reasons behind this decline appear to be the continued use of tactics that have been proven to be ineffective, a broken attacking partnership at the front, and most important, the lack of new signings in the summer of 2012.

Alan Pardew set a theme in June 2011, when he signed four players with French names (three of them are actual Frenchmen). It signaled a “French strategy” at Tyneside, and a renewed focus on the midfield, both of which seemed to reflect all that Pardew had learned in over ten years of managing. He signed star midfielder Yohan Cabaye, Italian defender Davide Santon, and reserve midfielders Gabriel Obertan and Sylvain Marveaux. Today, all four of them are crucial first team players, due to injuries and suspensions this season. Plus, Marveaux had a very productive December, putting him in competition with Jonás Gutiérrez for the left midfielder starting role.

Sylvain Marveaux had a breakthrough month in December 2012.

In that same month, Pardew signed Bemba Ba on a free transfer after he was released from West Ham. Seven months later, he shocked the EPL with the signing of another Senegalese striker, Papiss Demba Cissé. He and Ba formed a productive tandem that almost propelled Newcastle United into the Champions League.

Injuries to defenders Ryan Taylor and Steven Taylor in 2011/12 should have been a warning to sign or rent additional defenders. With only Mike Williamson, James Perch, and Danny Guthrie as the available defensive utility players, the Magpies were thin in the backfield. Pardew released Guthrie in June, 2012, highlighting this fact.

But in the summer of 2012, there were just two reservist midfielder signings, Gaël Bigirimana and Vurnon Anita. Again, both players are on the first team today due to injuries and suspensions. But at least one of them probably wouldn't be traveling with the squad if they weren't so unlucky. 

Newcastle went into 2012/13 a very vulnerable team. Losing one of the Taylors would negatively effect their goal differential (they have lost both to injury). The partnership of Demba Ba and Papiss Cissé fell apart as Ba refused to let Cissé run down the middle, his preferred, natural position. Johan Cabaye was failing to produce chances as promised (Ba might have had something to do with that), and fell to injury himself. He's expected to return soon.

The current January 2013 transfer window is a chance for Alan Pardew to make up for the giant lost opportunity that was the summer of 2012.

Here is my very amateur, obvious, and FIFA video game influenced wish list for this month:

Mathieu Debuchy, right back. They signed him last week. He replaces Danny Simpson, who coincidentally fractured his tow last week. Already, Newcastle's defense is stronger heading to Norwich.

Loïc Rémy, striker. He will have to play next to or behind Papiss Cissé. He will have to get along with Cissé. He should get along with fellow Frenchman Yohan Cabaye. Newcastle have been watching him for at least a year, and now is the time to make a bid. They need to replace Demba Ba, and Remy needs to be their top priority order of business this coming week. Remy's club, Marseille, have reluctantly agreed to sell him, so long as a big club bids at least ₤11 Million for him. Alan Pardew would have prefered to spend ₤9 Million. But with QPR and other teams likely to make a bid for Remy, his price will creep towards ₤15 Million. If Pardew thinks Remy is the best replacement available for Ba, he has to act now.

Douglas Franco Teixeira (“Douglas”), center back. Newcastle scouted him in 2011, I believe. He has expressed a strong interest in playing Germany or England. Why not make a bid? Pardew would have to request more transfer funds from Mike Ashley, but these are despirate times, and Newcastle needed another center back a year ago.

Mahmoud Abdel Razek Fadlallah (“Shikabala”), attacking midfielder. I am aware of the spotty history of Egyptian players in the English Premier League. They don't usually blossom in England. Also, they are not usually big enforcers, as English attacking midfielders should be (I always felt that Wayne Rooney would make a better midfieder than striker, due to his body type). Shikabala is another player Newcastle have scouted in the last two years, and he might fill the attacking midfielder role left vacant by Joey Barton (and Johan Cabaye has not yet filled). He can also be a backup striker who could replace both Ranger and Xisco (how and why is Ranger still on this team?). Who knows? Why not approach Zamalek about buying him when he returns from loan in June? 

Now for a paid journalist to sum it up, and this was just before Newcastle were dumped out of the FA Cup.

Lee Ryder, Blog On The Tyne:

Pardew's troops need seven wins from the remaining 18 matches before we can start to think about anything other than mere survival...fasten your seatbelts, the black and white roller-coaster is ready to depart for 2013.

NUFC: Trying To Right The Ship

19 year-old Gael Bigirimana scored his first ever Premier League goal on Monday, December 3rd.

For most of the 2012-2013 campaign, Newcastle United have not found their form, or shown us what they can do. Their pattern in nearly all of their matches has been slow starts. Most of their goals have come in the second half. Three of their matches featured late equalizers. And three of their drawn matches involved poor calls that went their way and a fair amount of luck.

Their October 4th victory against Bordeaux in the Europa League briefly broke that pattern. Newcastle came out running, passing, and shooting. Scoring once in each half, they put together a perfect game, while keeping three of their best midfielders rested for the next match against Manchester United.

Then things fell apart for nearly two months. Suspensions, injuries, and some of the worst defensive play the club has seen since their 2009 relegation season put them on a long winless run. That winless run happened to coincide with the extrodinary 8-year renewal of manager Alan Pardew's contract. 

But on Monday, Newcastle got their first Premier League victory since October 28th with an easy triumph of 10-man Wigan. The vicory was a gift. It was a lifeline. 

Today, Newcastle have yet another chance to string two victorys together and show if they can carry momentum through squad and tactical changes. They are in Bordeaux today for their sixth and final Europa League group stage match. A win would secure the top of Group D. A draw or loss would probably send a team of equal caliber their way when the Europa knockout stages begin in February (teams like Lyon and Viktoria Plzen come to mind).

Newcastle supporters thought that the club was finished with Nile Ranger, who has not been able to stay out of trouble and arguably should have been released long ago. But Alan Pardew has chosen Ranger to start as one of the forwards today. It could be a last chance for him to prove he is worthy of wearing the black and white stripes. 

Newcastle strategy, I would think, would be to score first, and then give the younger, reserve players a chance to hold the line. The senior players need to rest and heal before Monday's trip to Fulham, in what will be Newcastle's second globally-televised (ESPN) game in as many weeks.

Bordeaux are slight favorites today. But Their defense is not as strong as Premier League opponents. Pardew wants to win, but I suspect he also wants to see what his reservists can do. And so, two young midfielders, Frenchman Yven Moyo, and a home-grown prospect, Conor Newton, are on the bench today, available to make their senior squad debuts.

Score first. Hold the line. That's fundamental football. And Newcastle need to re-master the fundamentals before they can work on getting back into the Premier League top ten. There were bruises suffered in Monday's victory. Newcastle need to recover as bigger tests are just days away.

Now onto the more professional Newcastle blogs.

Lee Ryder, The Evening Chronicle:

Another highlight of the night was midfielder Sylvain Marveaux’s sparkling display as the French ace shone for long periods and set up Bigirimana’s wonder goal.

Black & White & Read All Over:

The clinching goal, when it arrived, came from a most unlikely source. Master T [Bigirimana] touched the ball to his left before walloping a splendid left-foot shot into the top corner of Al-Habsi's net. A fine way for the teenager to register his first for the club.

Julian Assange Addresses The UN Via His Friends At Russia Today

While I don't entirely agree with his assertion that President Obama is exploiting the 2011 Arab uprisings for political gain, I do agree with everything else he says, especially his strong points on Bradley Manning:

Bradley Manning, science fair all-star, soldier and patriot was degraded, abused and psychologically tortured by his own government. He was charged with a death penalty offense. These things happened to him, as the U.S. government tried to break him, to force him to testify against WikiLeaks and me...As of today Bradley Manning has been detained without trial for 856 days. The legal maximum in the US military is 120 days.

 

Update: January 15 2018: Video of his appearance is no longer available, but here's a typical Assange TV appearance from the same year.

 

New York's Middle Class Has Shrunken

The penthouse at 15 Central Park West, which was purchased by the Rybolovleva family in December 2011 for the full asking price of $88 Million. Their 22 year old daughter, Ekatarina, now lives there following her stint at Harvard.

Last week's New York Times story about nealry one third of New York city’s income going to the top one percent of the city's earners is not surprising. What was once the leading manufacturing city in the United States has been transformed into a huge financial casino, with the gamblers at the top reaping all the rewards. Who cares if they nearly brought the economy to its knees, and blighted the lives of millions of Americans? And who is really concerned that they’ll do it again if they’re not prevented? How fitting that Mike Bloomberg should preside over this carnival!

Smithfield Opens In New York City

There’s no shortage of Irish pubs in New York City. As ubiquitous as pizzerias, they are easy to find. It’s finding the quality ones that takes time.  In my 17 years in New York, I’ve found a few. The Piper’s Kilt in Inwood. Several in Woodside, Queens.  The Penny Farthing on 3rd Avenue. Ulysses in the Financial District. St. Andrews and The Long Room in midtown. Lunasa in the East Village. Slainte on the Bowery. All of those rise above the fray with above average food and drink selections.

And in the last 17 years, we’ve seen the rise of football (soccer) bars. Beginning with Nevada Smiths in 1995, and then exploding sometime around the 2002 World Cup, New York football fans have seen a renaissance of the sport’s acceptance and popularity in the USA.  We’ve also seen the rise of so-called “gastro pubs,” where the focus is on gourmet, rustic pub food, and less on televised sports. West Village establishments like The Spotted Pig and Highlands lead that segment.

Smithfield is a new pub built by veterans of this business. Partners Tom, Ken, Kieron, and Gavin have created a special place that combines elements of the football bar, traditional Irish pub and lounge, and fine restaurant into a beautifully designed and thought out package that is unique, friendly, and quite affordable.

I know Kieron from his days as a senior bartender at Nevada Smiths under Tom, the former co-owner of New York’s original football bar. After a split on the Nevada Smiths ownership, Tom began to develop plans for a football pub of his own, while also running the fine Lunasa in the East Village. Smithfield is the product of nearly two years of hard work, and I’m already a big fan.

I love the details. The use of reclaimed wood and re-use of vintage hardware and original architectural details make this place special. For example, all the bar surfaces are made from wood that is nearly 300 years old which was found in a Chelsea warehouse. The tables are made from New York water towers.

Downstairs is set up like a modern soccer bar, not unlike Amity Hall or Puck Fair downtown. Bright LED flat panel displays seem to float over a shelf taken from a Pennsylvania barn. And beneath that, the main bar, featuring massive stainless steel pipes. There are two of them, and each host ten brews on draught. Smithfield has gone the extra distance to ensure that they have a branded glass for each of the ales and lagers on tap. Details like that have made me an instant fan. Smithfield was designed with care by guys who really love their work.

Upstairs, the tone and décor changes a bit. It’s closer to a genuine Irish or English pubic house, where conversation takes precedence over televised sports. An original wood fireplace, revealed behind drywall when the space was acquired, gives the space a dash of coziness. In fact, this is only the third pub I have been to that has a fireplace (the other two being Molly’s on Third Avenue and Johnny Foley’s in San Francisco). The 300 year old bar surface is reprised in smaller form here, as there is a compact bar opposite the fireplace, as well by the windows overlooking West 28th Street. During warm weather, the windows swing open wide – another nice touch.

Two Jameson barrels from Dublin decorate the space here along with the fireplace. Jameson whiskey is distilled in the Smithfield area of northern Dublin, hence the establishment's name. And from the second floor, a sky lit mezzanine room is visible above, which is quickly becoming the Wallace Room, named after William Wallace. Now that’s a detail a Scottish American like myself can appreciate. I envision that room as a VIP lounge, where one can sit in a big leather chair and sip whiskey. I look forward to seeing how it is used in this magnificent three-level pub.

And the food? From the four dishes I’ve had so far, it is well above the average pub grub in New York City. Executive chef, Paul Garey (of Tonic and the former Truffle on Third Avenue), is off to a strong start. The Jameson wings are sweet and spicy. The lobster mac and cheese is a good, local alternative to the buffalo mac and cheese served at other establishments (like The Penny Farthing). The burgers are high end, especially their signature burger with candied foie gras and tiny truffle shavings. It’s a perfect juicy, fatty, crispy, salty creation. And my favorite, their steak frites, is worthy of a French bistro. I’m a sucker for hangar steak, and it’s quickly my favorite hangar steak dish in town. Everything is well presented and the portions are refreshingly smaller than what I’ve seen lately in other pubs and (especially) chain restaurants.

This is one fine drinking and dining establishment, run by an exceptionally friendly staff. I hope they get a glowing review in New York Magazine or Time Out New York soon. This place deserves a bright future. So to all my friends in town, and to anyone visiting New York happening to find this review, I hope you can stop by Smithfield soon. It’s top class! 

Smithfield

215 West 28th Street (between 7th and 8th Avenue)
New York, NY 10001

+1 212-564-2172

hello@smithfieldnyc.com

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