- Odysseas Vlachodimos takes swipe
- Newcastle United broken promises
- Magpies must learn from Alexander Isak debacle
Newcastle loanee Odysseas Vlachodimos has opened up about his time at the club. The goalkeeper has made strong claims that the Magpies made promises to him which were later broken following his £20m move from Nottingham Forest last summer.
Vlachodimos was sent out on loan to Sevilla, having made just one competitive appearance for the Magpies in the EFL Cup. The deal was regarded as merely a PSR ploy, given Elliott Anderson went the other way.
However, Vlachodimos’ comments would suggest he was assured playing time that was later not fulfilled, raising pertinent concerns around how the club dealt with the situation.
Vlachodimos’ damning Newcastle United comments
Vlachodimos said: “There was a plan for me. A week before the first match, the plan changed, and the things they had told me didn’t happen.
“Despite this, I felt very good and so did my family at Newcastle. The thought came that you have to give something extra every day. That’s what I tried to do.
“From morning to noon, I was in the gym. Every day I wanted to do something different. I certainly wasn’t happy because I wasn’t playing. They told me something else. I was angry, but I worked. Ultimately, I do it for myself; I don’t do it for them. Every footballer wants to play.
“I had the goal of going to the World Cup with the national team, and that was what kept me going.”
In the wake of Vlachodimos’ remonstrance, Newcastle fans have been quick to jump to his defence. The majority of online discourse has been in condemnation of the Magpies’ actions.
Many have raised concerns about the way the club treated the Greek goalkeeper. It has been deemed as complete lack of compassion and care, essentially derailing a player’s career for the sole gain of balancing the books for PSR.
Magpies must learn lessons from Alexander Isak saga
This isn’t the first time player dealings have become an issue for Newcastle United. Spanning back to the Isak saga last summer, the club has repeatedly failed to navigate player relations successfully.
Whether the claims around Isak being told he can leave were true or false, there is no doubt the situation could have been dealt with better.
If Newcastle United had merely opened the door to offers and the possibility of letting the forward leave when he first showed interest in a move, the Magpies would have likely secured the signing of a first-choice replacement in Hugo Ekitike, and received a large sum for Isak. The Swedish international then wouldn’t have left in the disgraced fashion he did.
Not only that, but a plethora of targets fell through due to the club not dealing well in negotiations and failing to move at any sort of reasonable pace.
Take James Trafford, for example. Newcastle United had been close to signing him for the best part of a year but took too long to finalise a deal, so Man City activated their first right of refusal clause. Somewhat understandably given the shambolic nature of the Magpies’ attempts, the goalkeeper chose to sign for City.
Why Newcastle United must change
Vlachodimos is arguably worse than either of the other two mentioned examples, as he was seemingly lured into signing under false pretences. In simple terms, it seems as if, the Magpies barefacedly lied to the shot stopper.
If the aim is to become a club consistently challenging the elite by 2030, as discussed by the hierarchy within, the lack of professionalism that is consistently shown in player dealings must subside.
Not only does it cause large problems for the manager’s and player’s ability to perform on the field, as shown in the hangover from Isak’s departure.
But it creates a rather unwanted reputation on a global scale and majorly dilutes the allure of joining Newcastle United for potential targets and signings.
In other news, Newcastle United sent clear update on £120m Elliot Anderson transfer.
