Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear says Charles N'Zogbia lived in 'fantasy world'

06 February 2009 10:39
Kinnear branded N'Zogbia a fantasist who needed bringing down to earth after the French midfielder criticised his former boss's man-management techniques following his move from Newcastle to Wigan. [LNB]'It's laughable,' Kinnear said. 'He lived in a fantasy world, let's put it that way and I told him so. [LNB]'There was not a day when he didn't add some Mickey-Mouse story about a club that wanted him. [LNB]'First of all, he came in and told me Arsenal wanted to buy him, then the next week it was Villa, then the next week it was Man U, then the next week it was Real Madrid, then the next week it was Lyons. [LNB]'And each time he came in, he made it clear he did not want to be at the club so in the end, there was only one thing I could do – send him to Wigan!'[LNB]Their rift came to a head last week after Kinnear referred to the player as Charles 'Insomnia' in a post-match TV interview and after vowing to go on strike he left St James' Park in a £6.5 million transfer that saw Ryan Taylor head in the opposite direction. [LNB]Kinnear added: 'To this day, for the first time he came in, it was Arsenal, I said 'I'll let you go.' Any club he said, I told him 'I'll let you go but come in with your agent' but still to this day, I have never even seen his agent. [LNB]'He has come in and I've said 'then bring you agent in tomorrow, we will sit down and talk about it.' OK but no agent. I personally spoke to Arsenal myself 'they don't want you so can we put it to bed now and just concentrate on playing for us.' [LNB]'Then the next time it was Aston Villa. OK, I've spoken to Martin O'Neill, it is not Villa. 'You are wasting my time and I don't know why you are inventing all these stories'. [LNB]'So I said get your agent in and if you have something to say and it is cast iron, then I will definitely let you go. There is not a problem with that. That is how it works, I said. [LNB]'I would love to let you go so all those names – Lyons was the last one, he was going back to France and that was like four days before he joined Wigan. So I said OK get it on board. [LNB]'I would like to see their team, their sheet everything else, I'll swap you. I don't particularly need the money, so I will swap you for another player, simple as that. Anyway, glad to see he joined Wigan.'[LNB]The former Wimbledon manager said the members of the old Crazy Gang would have sorted N'Zogbia out. [LNB]'Is N'Zogbia the most awkward, most tiresome player I've have ever had?' Kinnear continued. 'I would not say awkward. Tiresome? I had plenty at Wimbledon, didn't I? But the thing is he would have got sorted out by the players. [LNB]'He just needs bringing down to earth. There is no denying he is a good player but you cannot be serious going in to see a manager once a week saying what he says. [LNB]'You have got to question whether his heart is in the club or if he wants to play for us. [LNB]'I can assure you no-one tried to stop him going. [LNB]'We were very tight for players, not blessed with a big squad so even though I knew he did not want to be here I had to talk to him, control him, put my arm around him and say look you are still earning your money. [LNB]'You have to do the best for the club, the best you possibly can and if someone does come along, I will let you go. [LNB]"I never denied the fact I was going to sell him because he made it clear and he had to previous managers so it is not personal, it has been an ongoing thing.'[LNB]

Source: Telegraph