It seems that Newcastle and transfer windows don't mix, with the window a seeming invitation to plunder the Magpies starting eleven of its best talents.
So far, its not always worked this way. While the infamous decision to sell Andy Carroll for a British record transfer fee on deadline day is obviously remembered, the bulk of the Magpies' stars have remained. The only cash outgoings recently have seen James Perch sold for £750K and Demba Ba's idiotic release clause cashed in on.
But January 2014 has certainly woken up with a problem for Magpies fans hopeful they would retain the star names. This has even come despite it appearing they'd ridden out the potential departure storm.
There's no denying the team has importance on the form and availability of Yohan Cabaye. The playmaker's two goals in his man-of-the-match display at West Ham were of humungous quality, while his influence in attack is keenly felt. Moreso than that of Hatem Ben Arfa, who can delight and frustrate in equal measure.
It was obvious such a cutting edge of attacking football would attract buyer's attention. A derisory offer from Arsenal in August was rejected and the Gunners refused to pay the £25M asking price, while interest from David Moyes' flailing Manchester United has still been reported, despite the recent £37M of Juan Mata and more money being forked upon the weekly cash palette Wayne Rooney hoovers up and spends on magic beans. Probably.
What's most annoying about the likelihood of him moving to Paris is how much talk there has been of him not moving there. At the start of January, Paris Saint-Germain denied interest in Cabaye. There has also been talk that star PSG players like Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva want Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic instead of Cabaye, and that PSG are also more interested in acquiring Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba.
Yet despite this, it looks as though Cabaye is off to PSG anyway. A derisory £14M bid had been initially rejected, which then has sent the club into panic stations, with Pardew admitting he is helpless to prevent an exit if Kinnear sanctions one.
Pardew has also said nobody wants him to leave, which is the exact tone a team with players that have played in the Champions League and ideally should be chasing these places should be going for.
Evidently, £19M-25M is his reported fee to allow him to go. This maybe in line with his valuation, but it is especially irritating at this time of year to allow a talented player that has become the cornerstone of the club's attack to depart with seemingly no replacement lined up.
People have been justifying this by saying a new replacement can be sourced, but time is hardly on the side. Even then, there is lots of skepticism and doubt at the board's willingness to spend big bucks on any possible replacement. The fact it took eight months and a relegation for QPR to even sign Loic Remy on loan is fairly indicative of the mess that is the club's recruitment policy, while there is little to no suggestion Kinnear has even approached any potential targets' parent clubs.
There is little to no trust in the regime at St. James' Park, which took 2 years to fully spend the Carroll cash on new players and in an atmosphere where fans don't know who will be in the forwards roster for the pitch next season, for one example.
Few fans expect Loic Remy to stay beyond the end of the campaign, while Shola Ameobi is out of contract and the almost-permanently out-of-form Papiss Cisse is being linked with moves to Qatar.
Throw in a Cabaye replacement and it gets worrying, not least given the regime's track record. Its arguable that had Cisse joined in the summer of 2011, we would have made the Champions League and still have a fair penny to bolster a squad so we could convincingly challenge for a top four finish.
Alas, even though we only sit seven points off 4th place Liverpool, we seem to have given up on the ambition of even making the Europa League, content to take a top 8 spot. Some fans may view the Europa League as a booby prize, not least given the awful 2012-13 season and a similarly poor campaign currently being experienced by Swansea City.
Eighth spot is certainly better than the relegation battle some pessimistic fans had dreaded way back in August after a Cabaye-less 4-0 hammering by Man City on the opening day. But it reeks of a lack of ambition, as the club should be building for greater things than to simply hoover up the Premier League TV cash.
We've already beaten Chelsea, Spurs and Manchester United this season, as well as nicking a point off Liverpool and running Arsenal and Manchester City close. So the framework is there for a team that should be aiming to challenge for a top 6 spot at least. Instead, we seem content to fall back and coast until May, where another star will doubtless be cashed in upon and leave us in trouble for 2014-15.
If no replacement is signed it robs the attack of fluidity, which is a horrible idea in the wake of the upcoming Tyne-Wear Derby - a match which Pardew cannot afford to lose after being beaten in his last two encounters against the Black Cats. Defeat there will probably instigate yet another miserable sequence for the manager, who saw the team fall into an almost fatal tailspin after Paolo di Canio's moment in the sun last April.
Given the chances of this suddenly increasing, he is an utter madman for letting this happen again. But now we'll see what he's made of, and chances are its not going to be a pretty sight. If Chris Hughton leads a limited Norwich City side to victory tomorrow night, then an already sombre mood will probably reach its usual bombastic levels of negativity.
That's not to say Cabaye can be blamed - if he wanted to move to Paris to join a team rated as among the favourites for the Champions League title, its hardly fair to stop him. But it is depressing it comes to this, and once again leaves us a mere window at what might have been and at the fact the team is going to be an underwhelming relation to the one that tore up West Ham barely a week and a half ago.
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