Barcodes bid for Woodgate?

Nate

Poached vegetables a speciality
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Woodgate: a step too far?


Newcastle have made an official bid for £10-million rated Leeds defender Jonathan Woodgate.

Bobby Robson has made no secret of his desire to bring the England centre-back to Tyneside, but Elland Road boss Terry Venables has always remained insistent that Woodgate would stay put.

Venables has seen the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Robbie Keane disappear since his arrival last summer as Peter Ridsdale and his board seek to balance the books.

The frustrated former England boss has hinted that selling Woodgate could be a step too far and says he has Ridsdale's assurance that it will not happen.

But with just days to go before the transfer window shuts until the summer, and with the proposed sale of Seth Johnson to Middesbrough now a non-starter, Newcastle have tested the resolve of Leeds' money-men.

"I can confirm that Newcastle United have made a bid for Jonathan Woodgate and would consider it to be a fair price," said Magpies chirman Freddie Shepherd.

"We are now waiting for Leeds United to respond. However, we are not prepared to get involved in their internal politics."
 
This tasteless subject belongs in the transfer forum.
 
Tasteless?

<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laugh Out Loud]" /> <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laugh Out Loud]" /> <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laugh Out Loud]" />
 
Me thinks Marching isn't happy....

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<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laugh Out Loud]" />
 
Marching, while I can see the appeal of Newcastle to Woodgate (CL football, Top 5 team, ability to compete for an england spot in a decent team) I'm still heartbroken.

I refuse to support a team that contains no CB's and that's what Leeds will have if they sell Woodgate. Rio was OK as at least we had one CB left but selling Woodgate is the last straw for me.

Dare I say it I feel Woodgate owes the fans something but Bowyer had no qualms on that front so why would Woodgate?

What I can't fathom though is why Leeds put their fans through 2 years of torture, bile from opposing fans and the press, ruined their (tenuous) image for the trials, and ended with DOL getting sacked, financial ruin, and being a laughing stock to keep Bowyer and Woodgate when they have now got rid of them for next to nothing.

Why didn't we just flog Woodgate and Bowyer at the first available opportunity in January 2000 and saved ourselves 2 million pounds in court fees, 3.5 million in compensation to DOL, and a hell of a lot of heartache to finally see Bowyer go for $500,000 and Woodgate for 7 million?

To make matters even worse does anyone remember the headline after the first game Leeds played after Woodgate was found guilty and Bowyer innocent? It was a 4-3 loss to Newcastle after Leeds had lead 3-0 and the headline was 'The battle of good versus evil'. The Guardian writer went on to say just how happy he was Leeds had lost and why it was justified. In addition the Newcastle fans gave it to Woodgate and Bowyer with everything they had. Now they would happily accept Woodgate into the fold, support him for an England spot, and laud him as a great Newcastle player.

Am I hallucinating or was it Woodgate who was founf guilty of affray or the collective club of Leeds because Woodgate seems to have escaped any censure for this and the Leeds fans and the club will forever be tarnished by it, with or without Woodgate.

I want Woodgate to stay as Leeds need any type of defence, especially with Harte in the team.

I cannot understand the absolute hypocrisy of teh media and Newcastle fans for forgetting the headlines of two years ago to welcome the 'evil' to Newcastle now.

I don't condone what Woodgate did, I never have, but I don't understand why Leeds fans had to suffer for it and now it's OK because he'll be a Newcastle player. Can anyone explain that to me because it's really putting me off being a football supporter.
 
Hi elmo and a belated
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Football clubs are just like any other business and footballers are just like any other employees whether they work for Ford, HMV or Leeds United and as such all they are interested in is their wage packet and the success of the company.

Woody is no different and he sees the attraction of moving to a club with a better prospect of CL football that the one he is at currently.

It is worth noting that financially NUFC are in the shit too - the only thing saving them is CL football and we all know what happens when that is taken away.

We are all wiser with the benefit of hindsight and I am sure IF back in 2000 the Leeds board knew what they know now they would certainly do things differently.

I live in Newcastle and have friends that are following the Woodgate deal closely - they are pleased that he looks destined to join them and all thoughts of the trial and conviction are long forgotten. The only thing wrong with Woody as far as they are concerned is that he comes from Middlesborough which is only one step up from Sunderland - They will sing his name as loudly as the West Ham fans are singing for Bowyer.

To me the selling of Woody is far worse than the selling of Keane, Dacourt or Bowyer - it gives completely the wrong impression of what the club should be all about - but money makes the club go round and Leeds need lots of it.

As such Woody looks likely to be sacrificed and it will be a sad day but life goes on and I will still be a Leeds fan...an angry one but still a fan.
 
There's just no sense in Leeds transfer dealings. First you've bought in haste, too many for too much, and got into big debts partly because of it.

Now when you try to clear the debt, you're selling without thought, hugely disturbing the football team. Without Woodgate you could find yourself back in the red area of the table.
 
There's sense in what they're doing now - the financial sense that was lacking before. They need money desperately and Woodgate to Newcastle is the best single financial transaction available. In due course Newcastle themselves will face up to financial reality and be happy to sell Woodgate for half the price.

We should put in a bid for this Milner youngster.
 
Thanks Marching! I feel a bit better now...even after getting up at 7am this morning to watch us lose by an own goal to bloody Chelsea of all teams!

If Fowler goes I will be happy as I think that will satisfy the debtors enough to not have to sacrifice Woodgate...for now.

I think by next season Kewell will be gone...the word from his advisors in Oz is that there is no way he is signing a new contract and he is unlikely to leave on a Bosman so.......maybe if there is a good bid there I'd be prepared to see him go instead of Woodgate...we need another CB with him not to sell him!

You think this talk of selling Woodgate is just a ploy to then have Leeds fans happy to keep him with no additional signigs when we need them?

At this stage it's looking like it is going to take YEARS to build this team back up again. Unbelieveable 18 months ago.
 
Originally posted by elmo:
<strong>Thanks Marching! I feel a bit better now...even after getting up at 7am this morning to watch us lose by an own goal to bloody Chelsea of all teams!

If Fowler goes I will be happy as I think that will satisfy the debtors enough to not have to sacrifice Woodgate...for now.

I think by next season Kewell will be gone...the word from his advisors in Oz is that there is no way he is signing a new contract and he is unlikely to leave on a Bosman so.......maybe if there is a good bid there I'd be prepared to see him go instead of Woodgate...we need another CB with him not to sell him!

You think this talk of selling Woodgate is just a ploy to then have Leeds fans happy to keep him with no additional signigs when we need them?

At this stage it's looking like it is going to take YEARS to build this team back up again. Unbelieveable 18 months ago.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I was pleased we made as much of a game of it as we did at the Bridge - I was expected to lose more convincingly.

It was interesting reading your comments on Kewell - here his agent has said he is happy at Leeds and wants to sign a new contract. So who knows what to believe?

If Woody stays I think our team is OK...the squad is a bit lightweight and we really need a new midfielder and fullback but overall I will be relieved when the transfer window shuts.
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It appears that the Newcastle and Leeds chairmen met last night in London - NUFC want Woody for £11m of which £8m will be an up front payment.

Man Citys chairman has now resurected the Fowler deal by withdrawing his stupid clauses about the payment structure of the deal.

I presume Leeds would rather Fowler go than Woodgate...watch this space <img src="graemlins/nervous.gif" border="0" alt="[Nervous]" />
 
I'm hoping PR realises he might face a lot of fan anger if Woodgate is sold and Fowler will placate the debtors for now.

It will be tought when the season ends though.
 
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