Jonas Gutierrez deserves a new Newcastle United contract, but not for sentimental reasons
Mick Quinn was encouraged by Mike Ashley talking before Newcastle United's crunch clash with West Ham, but insists jury still out
Jonas Gutierrez of Newcastle United celebrates scoring against West Ham United
For as long as I have been writing this column I have been imploring Mike Ashley to speak to the Newcastle United supporters about what he's actually doing with their club.
Eight long years he's been on Tyneside now and for virtually all of it we've been left second-guessing him. He's done some mad, bad things in the name of Newcastle United and I have thought for a long time that he owes the supporters some explanations – and some clarity on where the club is going.
Well Sunday was a start. Now I didn't buy all of it, and I don't think that the garden is suddenly rosey simply because he put himself in front of a microphone, but at least we have some idea of his thinking now.
I liked the fact he took the blame for what had gone on – but he couldn't really do anything else, could he? It was good to hear him talk up investment too, although the proof will be the quality of the line-up that Newcastle send out on that first day of the new season.
Saying he wouldn't sell until he won something felt like a win-win situation. Either we get rid of him one way or another or we actually win something – can you imagine that after everything we've been through with him?
I wasn't convinced by him saying the head coach decision was totally down to the football board though. If that was the case, how do you explain Joe Kinnear getting a job a few years back? Make no mistake, he'll have a say in that call. It's his business, you don't appoint a senior manager without him having a big say.
There was plenty to raise an eyebrow about and I think it's safe to say the jury is still out on Ashley and the way he runs Newcastle – to put it mildly. I'm not exactly holding my breath for Jurgen Klopp to walk through the door, but this isn't a week for Ashley bashing.
Not when he has done something that we wanted him to do, anyway. Let's hope that interview is the start of a new era, because it has to be.
Sunday was a massive relief and the supporters helped to drag Newcastle over the line. I think the fans fed the players, and in turn their raised levels of effort gave the supporters something to cheer about. That's how it should be at St James' Park – and the big question is why it hasn't been like that for so many weeks.
Should Newcastle United keep Jonas Gutierrez?
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West Ham were poor but Newcastle bullied them and out-worked them. You watched it and after the relief there was still a little bit of that anger that they hadn't done it at any point since February.
But let's be a little bit positive because it was a good day for the club, and Jonas Gutierrez's goal and story was the highlight of the season.
I've always liked Gutierrez, who is my kind of player. He's a heart and soul-type footballer who gives you everything and I didn't ever really understand him getting dropped after the Sunderland game.
Maybe it was something to do with his contract, which is up next month. Now I don't believe in sentiment but I would seriously think about giving him another one, maybe for a year or two.
I don't buy that because of his story and his goal he deserves another deal. That's rubbish – football is a multi-million pound business now and you don't make decisions based on that kind of thing.
I'd give him a deal because he's versatile, he's kept himself in good shape and he's an experienced head in a dressing room that hasn't got many of them. You know what you'll get with Gutierrez – 100%. The sad fact of the matter is there are too many in that dressing room who you couldn't say the same about, which is why he could be an important addition to the squad.
Newcastle got away with it a little bit this season but it's magnificent that they're going to be in the Premier League again. I can't overstate how important it was that they didn't drop out of it, so I'm mightily relieved that they did enough.
Jonas Gutierrez
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