ABOVE: Cabaye will not be happy with ‘Kebab’ insult and could leave
There will be big names saying, ‘Get me out of here’. Yohan Cabaye is the best player Newcastle
Malcolm Macdonald
TOON legend Malcolm Macdonald fears a mass exodus of stars out of St James’ Park after Joe Kinnear’s embarrassing gaffes.
Newcastle’s new director of football stunned
the listening nation with a radio rant following his controversial
appointment by his pal, owner Mike Ashley.
Kinnear’s
short reign has already claimed its first victim in manager director
Derek Llambias, who he referred to on air as ‘Lambezi’.
Now,
Supermac has concerns over the futures of Yohan Cabaye who Kinnear
called ‘Kebab’ and Hatem Ben Arfa who was incorrectly pronounced ‘Ben
Afri’.
Macdonald believes they are insults
which will have infuriated the already puzzled dressing room and lead
to Cabaye heading for the exit door, with relegation a massive worry.
Ben
Arfa might follow him, with Newcastle’s legendary No.8 left
wondering if Kinnear’s cock-ups were a ploy to get some of the big
earners off the wage bill. Cabaye and Ben Arfa would net Ashley around
£35million in transfer revenue which would soften the blow of losing the
talented duo.
The faithful, though, would be up in arms.
And
Macdonald said: “I really can’t believe what’s happened. I think it’s a
friendship taken beyond extremes. But why pluck Joe Kinnear from
obscurity?
“Is it because they chat in the same pub and have a pint together?
“Did he feel sorry for Joe? But is that how you run a multi-million pound company?
“Ashley doesn’t do stupid things. He might be bizarre but he’s not stupid.
“But you don’t help your mate out by putting your own managing director’s nose out of joint.
“Alan
Pardew has given the simple line that he will continue at the club and
has no doubt consulted his lawyers as to what constructive dismissal
is.
“That leaves Kinnear doing all the talking. But why did he go so sloppily and heavily into that radio interview?
“He booted people up the arse and smacked them
over the head. Ashley has seen and heard that and surely he’s got to
say, ‘Joe, I’m not having that’.
“He hasn’t. So it’s all got to be playing a game. They’re not idiots. There’s got to be a masterplan.
“You don’t become a billionaire and then be perceived to be acting like a buffoon. Or employ a buffoon.
“Everything Ashley does, he does for a purpose.
“So I can only think what’s been done and been said has been designed to hack off a lot of people, enough for them to move on.
“Look
inside that dressing room, for instance. There will be big names
saying, ‘Get me out of here’. Yohan Cabaye is the best player Newcastle
have got and is insulted by Kinnear mispronouncing his name as Kebab.
“Ben Afri, too, instead of Ben Arfa. Were those gaffes done on purpose?
“Cabaye will think, ‘I’m not impressed by that. Would I be better looking away from here?’
“Was it designed to get the high rollers out of St James’ Park?
“Surely it’s got to be planned. There’s certainly no better way to get players to go than by insulting them.
“In my mind it’s definitely a set-up. And I fear it could lead to a mass exodus of big signings.
“They will get the high earners off the wage bill, reduce costs and rake in massive transfer fees.
“Because of all this, it’s a side that could be relegated.”
But
Macdonald still believes that Ashley would weather that horrendous
storm because while the Toon Army would be utterly devastated, they
would still march on St James’ Park in massive numbers, even in the
Championship.
Macdonald told the Daily Star
Sunday: “Newcastle would still benefit from the Premier League
parachute payments, spend money on new players and then come back with
promotion at the first attempt.
“So if Newcastle
go down, which they will if the good players go as I expect, then that
will leave those loyal supporters kicked in the teeth again.
“Ashley
knows if Newcastle get relegated they will still fill St James’ Park
every week in the Championship with 50,000-plus crowds.”
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