Extract from an article in the Mag:

"Lee blasts United foreign legion"

Rob Lee has launched a stinging attack on the club's foreign legion after slamming them for being more interested in money.

Lee says he is fed up with too many overseas players arriving at SJP more interested in collecting the cash rather than helping the club in the Premier League.

The former England international believes that the club will also have to sign British players, rather than their foreign counterparts, if the club are to spend big over the summer. He said: "The fans are getting sick of buying players who don't want to play for the club. I agree with them. Newcastle fans want players who want to play for the Club, and not people who want to come here just for the money."

"To get into Europe every year and challenge for honours we need four or five quality players who can slot straight in. We need good players - and that means British players in my opinion. If you go out and buy foreign players, then go out and buy the best ones."

Lee is now hoping that Newcastle vice-chairman Douglas Hall fulfills his pledge that the club have £100million to spend over the next two seasons. Lee added: "Douglas has said we have plenty of money and we need to spend it. If we do then I think we can go forward at a good pace. If we don't I think we will stand still - it's as simple as that."

Right on Rob - don't think he'll find many fans disagreeing with that brutally honest and realistic assessment.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2001

Answers

God Clarky, where was this? Can you believe journos just sit on their fat arses taking small sections of articles in isolation & making up a story to fit around it?

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2001

bollox!

he should look at his own form and commitment and those of the other british players before he even THINKS about driving YET ANOTHER wedge between the 'them and us' attitude that pervades at SJP.

Thanks for confirming that it's the 'old guard' Rob. You've had your day, now step aside and let us move forward be they british, foreign or from mars, i don't care where they're from.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2001

If that article is correct, their must be a dreadful atmosphere between the players.(:o|

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

Yeh great, Nice one Rob you prick!

Jingoistic tosser. Don't blame the current crop of foreigners blame the man who bought/picks them. Not so forthcoming with the views now I presume.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

I saw this on Teamtalk DaveLF - reportedly from The Mag! I understand you know them so why don't you ask them how genuine it was?

The article may not be diplomatic, but IMHO his main points are spot on, AND in sympathy with the majority of Toon fans, although clearly not all of them.

I very much doubt he's referring to players like Solano and Baasedas - but toss-pots like Maric, Domi, Andrea Andersson, Hamman and Goma - and feel sure he's already made that clear to them.

Lets start facing the facts - the present squad is hopeless - a failure. Do we want a Club of mealy-mouthed diplomats, or do we want people with influence within the Club to tell it like it so we can hopefully move forward?

Another thing, I'm fed up with the anti Rob Lee rethoric on here, which seems to be largely based on the fact that he's no longer the imperious player he was 4 or 5 years ago, and that the detractors believe he shouldn't be in the team any longer.

Firstly, let me say, I agree that he shouldn't be in our 1st team at this stage in his career. However, it is isn't his fault that the buffoons who run the club haven't effectively replaced a man who at 35 is still the best m/f player at the Club, and one man who you can guarantee will play his heart out, and runs his bollox off in the cause every time he pulls on the shirt.

Our pathetically weak midfield performance on Saturday provided all the evidence you should need to assess the facts of the situation - and even at 35, players like Bassedas and Acuna are frankly not fit to lace RL's boots.

Finally, and I'm sorry to have to say this min, but to even dare to question this man's commitment to NUFC is beneath contempt, but is hopefully just down to you not actually having seen the team and RL's performances over the last couple of seasons.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

Forget his playing attributes (I agree with most of what you say Clarky).

This sort of crap doesn't do the club any good. Players have to realise that this will have a negative effect on the foreigners at the club whether he directed it at them or not.

We have had enough crap in press statements this season to last us a lifetime, including Aaron Hughes' "We have the better players" bollocks and Speed, Lee or Barton spoouting off about how important the next match is and how they shouldn't let down the fans blah blah.

There is already a hint of division in the camp with Bassedas's comments in the Mag, for which I also deplore him, and with the comments from Goma, Domi etc etc this is the last thing we need.

From the outside Newcastle are starting to seem anything but UNITED and who is going to be happy joining this club in the summer? Nationwide League journeymen that's who.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

What has he said that is so bad? That the likes of Marcelino and Maric are/were happy to get paid for f all? That they would gladly go missing in a game? 12 weeks for a broken finger for crying out loud.
Rob Lee has always said that he doesn't mind not playing or being on the substitues bench if there are better players but we don't have anyone better. Maybe if we signed that bloke from Forest, Guardiola and Nicky Butt we would have players to take his place (though in Butts case I'm not too sure) but the fact remains there is nobody good enough. We all say he's lost a couple of yards of pace yet he still reacts a lot quicker to the pace of the EPL than the likes of Acuna and Solano.
We need British players, we need players who know what it is like to play for Newcastle United, we need players who understand what it is to play for Newcastle United and we need players who want to play for Newcastle United.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

I don't think Lee's comments had any jingoism or antagonism attached. Basically, most consistently successful sides will have a core group of players from the home nations. They tend to know how our own fast paced, physical and less artistic take on football works and are far better placed to absorb the local intricacies then someone from the other side of the world...or Sunderland.

All said and done, Rob Lee is a footballer and not a politician refusing to sign up to the Commission for Racial Equality - bit of context here lads, eh.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

DB,

If this Club was in good shape and competing for things I would agree 100% with you. The reality is the Club is not in good shape, many our performances this season have been a bloody disgrace, and we've flirted with relegation three seasons running.

I'm dissatisfied with the status quo, and I'm delighted to read that Rob Lee is dissatisfied with it also. If he ruffles a few prissy feathers, then tough sh*t! Things need to be changed at NUFC and changed quickly, or the downward spiral will continue.

Rob Lee is expressing his personal opinion, for a reason; everything he says I agree with - particularly the following:

"To get into Europe every year and challenge for honours we need four or five quality players who can slot straight in. We need good players - and that means British players in my opinion. If you go out and buy foreign players, then go out and buy the best ones

."

READ THE WORDS. He is not being overtly jingoistic; he is being honest, he is only saying what most of us believe, and he wants only the very best for the Toon. I only hope the people running the Club are listening to what he has to say.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

It's done it again. I did close the tag, honest!

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

Everyone knows it so why draw un-needed attention to the fact. The Club is indeed in need of a few organisational changes so why spout off the obvious and kick the club when it's down. The timing of the statement is my point.

Does Rob Lee think that Shepherd, Robson, the fans or anyone outside of the club doesn't think what he is thinking? Will Lee walk up to Shepherd and say, "Freddie, let me tell you a thing or two about signing players". FFS! we've had enough bad experiences to know this more than most clubs.

Pointless, presumable prompted article. The Mag should know better and Rob Lee should see through it all.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

With reference to the Forest Bloke(wish I could remember his name) that Kegsy mentioned. The good old NOTW ran a little paragraph saying that it was a done deal at 3.5 million quid. They had a little comment from David Platt to try and give some clout to the story. Now I know it was the NOTW, but has anyone heard anything on this?

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

Only reports that Platt is resigned to losing Prutton in the summer and we are inevitably linked, having watched a couple of games in which Prutton has played.

Strong, hard working defensive midfielder isn't he? £3.5 million is not a bad price especially if we could offload Serrant or Hamilton as part of the deal!

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

Anyone seen any other rumours over the weekend?

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

NoTW also linked us with Jon Harley of Chelsea but said that Chelsea were going to offer him a new contract.

Sunday Times and Telegraph both linked Dyer with Manure and claimed that the Newcastle board were keen to cash in.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

Is that John Harley the left back?

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

Yep - a good prospect and British to boot :-))).

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

Pal of mine who goes and watches Forest isn't convinced on Prutton. He says he may make it but that Platt has put lots of pressure on him by playing him all over the place and not givng him a chance to settle in. I asked if he was a poor mans Michael Carrick and he didn't argue. He has 13 bookings and a sending off so far this season.

Apparently Forest are pretrified they get into a play off place and get promoted as they are in a bad way financially and don't have much in the way of players. The reported £3.5m seems high.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

John Harley is an excellent prospect, and would be a terrific acquisition, but I'd be very surpised if Chewsee let him leave. However, I don't know what his contractual situation is, and he may be brassed off having to sit as 3rd choice behind Le Saux and Babayaro at a time when he should be making the transition to the PL.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

This is the actual text-

So what do you think we need to get back up there, you mentioned earlier that we need to buy four or five players in the summer - "we have got some good kids coming through but for our squad to get into Europe every year and challenge for honours we need four or five quality players who can slot straight in, good players, British players in my opinion. If you go out and buy foreign players, then go out and buy the best ones. When a top player becomes available we should be in there challenging for him not saying we haven't any money which is the case at the minute"

I don’t particularly agree with all he says, but it ain’t as bad as made out.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

Thanks Dave - you did suggest earlier that his word had probably been elaborated upon. Teamtwaddle twerps!

I still agree with what he (really) said!

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

clarky,

i'll ignore the 'you can't have seen them' jibe.

Good way to get a discussion going though eh? Where DOES all the team disharmony stem from? It's increasingly obvious from comments of current and ex players that it's been a 'them and us' situation. So they're both EQUALLY to blame in my opinion. That goes for whether they're Geordies or from Europe or from Mars or whether they've played for us for an eternity.

To ALLOW petty squabbles or personality clashes to get in the way of the bigger picture [NUFC] is not JUST the manager's fault, but also the responsibility of highly paid PROFESSIONAL footballers.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2001

I've re-read the interview and it's been appallingly slanted - what a surprise. The actual quote is "Newcastle fans want players who want to play for Newcastle United and not people who want to come here just for the money". Nothing about foreigners. I can scan the whole article and e-mail to anybody who is interested.

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2001