Where do you draw the line?

I've read many a comment over the last few days questioning the ambition of the club and bemoaning the fact that the club doesn't pay massive wages anymore.

So in true NUFC Blog style I've decided to take a look at it from a broader perspective and question the merits, or indeed pitfalls, of this particular wage structure malarkey.

The sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool seems to have been the tipping point for some. There is no doubt that he could have been a hero on Tyneside, but a £35 million fee (incidentally, even an inflation adjusted Alan Shearer would cost only £21.5 million) was too hard to refuse. Or was it?

It's pretty clear that Carroll was being whispered to in his ear. It happens all the time and it's called tapping up. It's also illegal but let's not pretend that the murky world of football agents would care about a small fact like that.

Basically, Carroll wanted a pay rise, which is fair enough (don't we all), but to want one that puts him on the same level of money that he is earning at Liverpool was just never going to happen at Newcastle. He was due a new deal in the summer, allegedly and couldn't wait an extra five months to negotiate. His choice, but how far do you go to keep a player? £50,000-a-week? £80,000-a-week? £100,000-a-week?

I've read some comments suggesting that the club should have given him a new deal to signal ambition, but I'd counter that by saying that our wage cap is not too far off Tottenham's, who had the luxury of Champions League football this season. Put simply, our wage cap is far from being low, especially for a team that has just arrived back in the Premier League after a brief flirt in the Championship.

Part of the problem that we have is that the club are still in the process of rebuilding the squad. We currently have players such as Alan Smith and Xisco who are on huge wages and offer little in return. It will take time to address these of course, as players have contracts and they can be worth something if they want them to be. These are eating up valuable wages that could be used elsewhere.

Our wagebill is still comfortably in the top ten in the Premier League, despite the savings that have been made. This is not a problem of course due to our income, which can cover it, but the problem is that we need to shift the focus from paying over the odds for players who offer little in return to paying wages for players who are actually worth it. As a crude example, Alan Smith (£60,000-a-week) compared to Cheik Tiote (anywhere between £35,000 and £50,000-a-week depending on what you read). Who is the better value?

If players can get more than what they can get here then fair enough, but they'll only ever get sold to the top clubs as they will be the only ones who can afford to better us, and if a top club is interested in a player then it means that they will have performed for us which will hopefully mean that we have pushed that little bit higher up the league and caught up a bit more with those above us.

People need to get over this 'we are a selling club' notion and realise that EVERY club sells players when the price is right. Even Manchester United shipped Ronaldo off to Spain for the right price. Do they lack ambition?

I just think people need to remember where we are as a club - including some of the players. Back at the start of the season it was survival that was the aim. It still is of course, but some perspective is needed. The club can't be sorted out overnight - it will require patience.

For those who are saying that players will leave if we don't pay the wages and claim that by not paying them we are lacking in ambition, ask yourself if it really is a lack of ambition or whether it's just the way of the world.

It happens. Get over it. NUFC will continue another day.