It is unfortunately looking increasingly true that Sam Allardyce will be restricted to just ₤10M in transfer funds plus anything additional he can get from letting players go.
When you look at the current Newcastle squad one thing becomes very clear – we are overladen with good strikers.
So if Sam sells one of them he could fund transfers for our defense. We all know we don’t have enough experienced players in that department.
The obvious candidate to transfer in this case would be Oba Martins.
Oba Martins
Two things have happened in the pre-season to suggest we have more than enough good strikers at the club. Andrew Carroll looks like Steven Taylor did a couple of years ago – a budding superstar – probably too good right now to even send out on loan. It’s becoming obvious that he can do a decent job in the Premiership this season. Juventus keeper Buffon could see that on Sunday and complimented the player on his ability to lay the ball off to other players – never mind his scintillating goal.
The other is the sublime form shown to date by Albert Luque who has proved he can score goals if he gets a run of games. The Spaniard looks so much more confident on the field than last year – and dare we say it – even looks like the player we thought we’d signed a couple of years ago.
Add Ameobi, Viduka and Owen to these two and there’s five good strikers we have without Martins.
Martins could fetch ₤13M into the coffers and he is also on high wages so it would be a good sale financially for the club.  Don’t get us wrong – Martins is going to get better and he’s exciting to watch these days. His shot on Sunday that was parried by Buffon to set up Carroll’s first Newcastle goal was hit like an absolute bullet.
It will be very painful to sell Martins but if the situation is as it looks and Mort is applying the brakes on the finances this could be a solution for Sam – albeit an unpopular one. This is a way to get Newcastle out of their dilemma right now – but anyone taking a cold hard look at the playing staff – that’s got to be the conclusion one reaches about our current squad – Martins is expendable.
We know this will not be a popular decision to fans if taken by the club – and we don’t really know if this will be a course taken by Newcastle. What we are saying is that if you put yourself in Sam’s shoes this is something he could do – which helps solve his dilemma. Any other solution readers have – let us know – because it looks like Sam has been restricted this late in the transfer window on his transfers.
Oba’s been linked with Arsenal already this summer with that talk cooling a few weeks back and of course he has always expressed his desire at some point to return to Italy. The next step would be to see if any offers come in – but if Newcastle take this tact they’d have to do it very quickly so the money would be available to fund transfers of defenders into the club.
Comments welcome and if there are other solutions out there – assuming no more transfer funds from Ashley (which we still find hard to believe) – let’s hear them.
NUFC News 24/7
97 responses so far ↓
1 Tom_Toon // Jul 31, 2007 at 8:58 AM
If this was tru we needed to raise funds selling a striker, why would we sel Martins!
2 awc88 // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:05 AM
Luque sublime form wat are u talking about, he scored two taps in against a jet lagged celtic team and a penalty against a half fit Juventus, may i remind you that he scored a few goals in pre season last year and did nothing when the important stuff started
3 Rich // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:05 AM
exactly id rather sell owen than martins, this guy is going to be awesome this season, sell him and we will be near relegation, what a disgrace bring back shephard, ashley will be hated by fans soon, broken promises already what a start for a new reign?
4 doc // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:07 AM
I guess its to early to “SACK the BOARD”
give it another week !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5 shaun // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:08 AM
Ed- Doesn’t even look like we’ve got 10 million to spend, we are spending nothing at the moment. Not sure whether this Smith bid is true, if it is and we do have very little money to spend it would make v little sense. What’s happened to the tv rights money (£30 mil) and the compensation for owen? Man city and West ham are signing players left, right and centre. We’ve spend about 2M, it’s not funny
6 shaun // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:09 AM
oh and drame has signed for sochaux apparently
7 Callum // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:11 AM
I’d rather sell Owen, Martins is only going to get better whereas Owen is only going to get injured.
8 Tom Cairns // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:12 AM
Why are people so certain we have only 10m? A couple of days ago it was just a rumour by some scrap paper, now people are getting more nervous about the lack of signings it suddenly becomes fact. BSA even said that there are so few available (pretty much none) at the moment to the right standard. Could this not be the real reason behind the lack of signings of late, not the lack of money. Even Mort has said about the continued efforts to strengthen, no comment at all about selling.
Another small anoyance with these stories is that if we were to sell any striker it surely would be Ameobi; he’s not of martins, owens or vids standard but would still bring in a good amount of money. He would get the least amount of games for us and if you split our strikers but style we have three prem standard (im counting carroll even though it may be slightly early) target men.
Even if we do only have 10m right now to spend, sell dyer for 5m to make 15m and there’s no way you can convince me that we’ll need more than that for an experienced CB and a left back . Granted some more cover would be nice but we all know how shrewd BSA can be with the free transfers. At RB we have Carr, Geremi and Solano who can all play there so isnt a great urgency in my books.
Selling Martins, by far our most lucrative and talented assett, would be stupid and needless.
9 steve // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:12 AM
yeah surely this story makes absolutely no sense. why would you sell your top scoring striker of the previous season?
why would transfer funds be so tight? it seems to make no logical sense – even if newcastle is simply a business for ashley. even if he wants to return a profit he needs newcastle in the uefa cup next season. we will be very hard pushed to make top seven with this squad. remember we have to out-muscle west ham, portsmouth and aston villa who are all spending big. nevermind the rearguard action of big spenders such as man city.
the situation is ridiculous and quite frankly mort has been shocking in completing deals. makes you wish freddy was there with his negotiating skills and wallet. ashley has two billion… where are the fu*&^%g players?
10 arnie-mag // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:13 AM
sell Ameobi rather than Martins
11 MektiG // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:22 AM
it’s all a media hoax ofc!
12 richupindisbiatch // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:24 AM
SACK THE BOARD SACK THE BOARD SACK THE BOARD
13 JEFFBRUM // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:25 AM
LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE DRAWN THE SHORT STRAW WITH THE BUYERS OF OUR CLUB !!! LOOK AT THE OUTLAY ON NEW PLAYERS AT THE OTHER CLUBS WHICH HAVE BEEN BOUGHT OUT….AT MAN . U. ( APPROX £40M ) LIVERPOOL ( £40M PLUS ) WEST HAM ( BIG MONEY ) MAN CITY ( BIG MONEY ) EVEN BCFC HAVE SIGNED 8 NEW PLAYERS. GOTTA FEEL SORRY FOR BSA – HE THOUGHT HE HAD JOINED AN AMBITIOUS CLUB !!!!! THINK OUR TOTAL OUTLAY HAS BEEN ABOUT £3M ???? ( AFTER SELLING PARKER ) COMMENTS ????
14 richupindisbiatch // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:25 AM
WHERE’S ALL DIS MONEY THEY WOOR PRMISING HUH YEH 2 FACED PIGS
15 yj // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:25 AM
This is not what we have heard when we are told that Ashley’s taking over! We heard that he wanted to make newcastle a top club in a few year’s time. The situation now is cmpletely different! It’s really disappointing. Apart from that, I think that even if we are short of funds, we should NOT sell Martins. It is foolish to sell a good striker like him. Maybe we can try to use our young players like Ramage, Edgar and Huntington in the defending department if we were short in numbers. They are good and can only be better.
16 Graham // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:25 AM
This whole Ashley thing is getting very sour if you ask me. I have read this morning that he was unaware of the £80m debt were in and is looking for a quick sale – and I have also heard that he only wants NUFC as a way into Adidas for his sport shops – we need to be buying and not selling in any department if Ashley wants to get anywhere near what he paid for the club in the first place. It seems to be right what they say – if it looks too good to be true then it probably is…
17 Dman // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:28 AM
Why Martins? Owen would be my choice, he earns more, does not want to be at the club and is an England international. Keep Martins and ship out Dyer and Owen.
18 Ed Harrison // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:28 AM
We knew this wouldn’t be popular
Picked Martins because we get 13M for him presumably – Ameobi wouldn’t fetch more that say 4M at most – and Owen 9M.
Hey – we’re hoping the situation we are in is clarified soon – at least so the fans know what’s really going on at the club.
19 nufc fo lyfe // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:30 AM
i just cant see martins leaving da club i….it will be too painful…how about if we sell dyer for 5-6 mill and maybe ameobi for atleast i think well get 3-4 mill for him…well hav a good at da very least 8 mill to spend
20 Graham // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:31 AM
Oh and by the way… anybody looking over their shoulder at 18th place this season if we dont move quickly?
21 Ed Harrison // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:32 AM
Tom – we don’t know if it’s true and when it came out on Sunday we just didn’t believe it. All we are saying is that if it is true this would be a solution – we do have a lot of strikers now. Ameobi wouldn’t bring in enough cash. I’ve rephrased some stuff near the end to make it clearer what we are saying.
Here’s our piece on the 10M story from Sunday:
http://nufcblog.com/newcastle-transfer-kitty-only-10m-we-dont-believe-it/
22 Dave // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:35 AM
Listen to ourselves! Calm down, give it time. No-one wants the club to fail again, least the people who have just bought it for millions. It’s just a lot slower than we expected.
Oba, Owen and Ameobi are all staying. If the right signing comes along we’ll get the money surely. If Sam had only been given £10mil he’d be bloody fuming and he’s not quite…yet.
Baines is still on the market btw. Wigan rejected an Everton bid of £4 mil.
23 P.collins // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:37 AM
It’s amazing now NUFC is owned by a Multi Billionaire were now more strapped for cash than we have ever been. At least BAGPUSS always backed his managers. I understand the club will have had a few debts when Ashley took over but nothing serious, but over the last couple of days it seems as if were a club in Crisis. More players want to leave us than join us. It’s coming to the stage that i dare’nt read a paper because i’m frightened who’s leaving next. It was only a few weeks ago we were talking about, DECO , & GUDJONSEN and rest of them we were never going to sign, all this mess need’s sorting out very quickly, for the sake of my health if not the team.
24 Dave // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:37 AM
I’d like to hear what ‘keep oba’ has to say – where are you
?
25 apan // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:38 AM
if we sell ameobi we get 4m then i guess 14m is enought for at least 1 or 2 defenders right, get bosingwa and baines heck bring silvestre!
i beginning to get annoyed and irritated by the board, how come he doesnt know that newcastle is 80m in debt, he doesnt know how to read the files isnt he? MA needs to learn how to communicate now or else, i recommend him to play Football Manager or Championship Manager first and then learned the difficulty to acquired players with that limited budget and get an euro spot, then compared it to the real life il be he wil be sweatin lmao
26 Dave // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:41 AM
P.Collins – it’s the press man, don’t believe all you hear. OK the owner has done a strategic review and the transfers aren’t zipping along at the apce we’d like but the noise from the club, the manager and the players has hardly lived up to the press frenzy we are seeing.
The papers love a Toon scandal and when they are thin on the ground they start to make em up!
Is anyone with me on this or am I just blindly optimistic?
27 Rich // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:46 AM
Is no one else up in arms??
we have just been bought over by a guy who is not willing to bankroll the sucess of this club?
should we not be calling for his head???
Id rather have the defense we have at the moment and keep Martins.
If we sell Oba Martins i seriously think im going stop paying attention to NUFC and football in general for a while.
Ive been a solid supporter for 22 years of my life, but if weve just been bought over by a stingy recluse who thinks we have to sell our best players to do any better then im giving up, seriously, freddy shephard was annoying but at least he bankrolled us.
Mike Ashley, your a complete & utter **!**!*!*!**!*!*!*!*
can anyone tell me what happened to over £30+ million season pay out? or has that just gone directly into sports direct?
ffs, im completely fed up now.
28 apan // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:48 AM
Dyer hate campaign Jul 31 2007
NEWCASTLE United have rejected a £5m offer from West Ham for Kieron Dyer, but he seems unhappier than ever at St James’s Park after his car and home came under attack from disgruntled fans
I pity him , but yet again he deserved it i guess? but i dont think the actions will bring any good coz player will be scared to come to tyneside and spoilt the reputation of newcastle united as a professional football club
29 apan // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:49 AM
Dyer hate campaign Jul 31 2007
NEWCASTLE United have rejected a £5m offer from West Ham for Kieron Dyer, but he seems unhappier than ever at St James’s Park after his car and home came under attack from disgruntled fans
I pity him , but yet again he deserved it i guess? but i dont think the actions will bring any good coz player will be scared to come to tyneside and spoilt the reputation of newcastle united as a professional football club and well that will drive him off further. We need instant money west ham wants to paid up after he had played 50 games wtf just pay!
30 doc // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:51 AM
Is ASHLEY a secret mackam???
31 D. // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:51 AM
Not sure how reliable this Independant report is, but still: “Newcastle put Martins on sale to raise transfer cash“
32 shaun // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:54 AM
Agree with you Rich – We can see with our own eyes and by what Sam is saying that the new Ashley is not backing Sam with hard cash, we don’t need to belive or not believe the press, it’s painfully obvious – pick up your pitch forks, light your torches and lets get down there!
33 Steely // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:56 AM
Oh dear! I mentioned this £10m thing last week and got rubbished by some fans saying it was too soon to be having a go at the club! Well I wasnt having a go at the club then, but it’s looking like some very sour grapes somewhere at the club! Regardless of what Ashley wants to put into this club in the early stages, we should AT LEAST expect around £20m to spend from the TV rights alone!! On top of that we have the money from Parker so that takes us to almost £30m to spend!! We have spent a very small portion of that so I dont know if Ashley has just decided pocket the extra cash or wot!?
Is the man stupid if he thinks we are going to win the Premiership in 4 years….we’ll be struggling to win the Championship in that time coz the way we’re going with the numbers in our squad that’s where we could end up!
The whole thing stinks in my opinion and the signing of that idiot from ManUre (Smith!) will not sweeten one little bit!
Does anyone else think they are looking to save the money for next season and sack BSA at the end of the season??
34 JEFFBRUM // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:57 AM
……NO MATTER WHAT WE HAVE SAID ABOUT FAT FRED IN THE PAST , AT LEAST HE ALWAYS BACKED THE MANAGER FINANCIALLY WITH ‘BIG MONEY’ AND EVENTUALLY GOT US A GOOD ‘TOP NOTCH’ AMBITIOUS MANAGER…..WOULDNT SURPRISE ME TO SEE HIM CHUCK IT IN ! PS. WHY ARE WE LOOKING TO SIGN ‘SMITHY’ ??? ITS THE DEFENCE WHICH NEEDS MONEY SPENT ON !
35 D. // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:02 AM
Smith will be a replacement for Martins, should the rumours and bad press about his inevitable sale turn out to be true. He’ll cost some way less than half of what we’ll bring in for Martins, and can play in a number of positions with reasonable success.
As for Shepherd, I think people forget that he has left the club with crippling debts. Continuing to bankroll managers in the same blind manner would have ran us into the ground entirely. Remember Leeds United?
36 Steely // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:03 AM
JEffbrum….totally right about the defence!! Why the frig is BSA even comtemplating looking at the midfield at the minute????? week and a half to go till the season starts and he just be putting EVERY LAST SECOND into tying up defenders…..SPECIFICALLY A BASTARD LEFT BACK……and he’s sat wasting time on the phone to get some Leeds has-been who will add nowt to our squad!! Come on Sam…get with it!! The fans hated all the previous managers after Bobby (and even him to an extent) because they all acknowledged our defence was toss, but then didnt have the guts to change it all! I was soooo happy when he chucked Bramble & Co out, but that was when I thought he had a good enough cadre to attract replacements….perhaps I was wrong!!!???
37 Steely // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:05 AM
D. Bank rolling managers in the same manner as Shephard would be a bad idea I agree, but to see the squad so thin – he must be bonkers not to realise that if we go into the season without more numbers then we’re gonna be in DEEP trouble!! Even an idiot can see that we need at least 4 players, and unless he is content to get in a handle of mediocre players and risk it, then he must stump up the cash!!
38 shaun // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:06 AM
Steely/jeffbrum – I don’t believe we will sign smith as I don’t believe Sam is being given any money, neither will we sign a quality (costs money) left back(s) or CB.
39 Dumers // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:06 AM
If Alladyce had any sense…he would get rid of ameobi and not martins you could easily get 4-6 mill for the striker by selling him to sum1 like wigan!! that way we hav enaough to buy a decent left back!! get faye in and a centre half like big sol and we are set..losing martins will be stupid!!
40 Mac // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:07 AM
Smith seems to be on his way for 6 million,hhhmmmm let me think that makes no sense,for a team with no money and an abbundance of strikers why would we buy another,we wouldn’t, We have money and we have the backing,everyone calm down and lets just see how this plays out. If we don’t have 4 yes that’s right 4 quality players in by the end of August i’ll show my arse in Fenwicks window
41 nightfall // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:13 AM
i think that’s just trash talk… the problem is we have a lot of very good strikers… i think sam has made a mistake by bringing viduka to the club…he didn’t count on carrol (and luque)… martins surely won’t go… if we look at his last performances i think he’ll be in first 11…
42 nightfall // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:13 AM
about smith…why him if we have so many good strikers and we’re short on funds?!?!
43 iain // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:14 AM
mike ashley is certainly not making any friends amongst the followers of nufc.
the whole situation just doesnt make any sense. everyone knew we were in debt around 80m quid it was in every paper often enough.
i cant see how ashley can be looking for a quick sale as hes not going to get anywhere near the money he paid for the club, especially if hes wanging on about debt levels. theres only him owns the club now and thats only in favour of the buyer if they know he desperate for a sale, as selling so soon after buying would indicate.
like people have said despite all the spending going on in the pl all clubs are doing as spending the new tv money. so if sams only getting 10m then whats ashley doing with the oher 20m pocketing it ??? using it to clear some debt ??? fine if its going to clear debt at least tell us that the case.
were not stupid its not like people havnt noticed theres 30m a club extra this summer. you cant pretend like its not there.
44 nightfall // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:15 AM
noone will leave…maybe carrol on loan…but not likely…
45 evil dick // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:19 AM
settle down man, I can’t handle all this negativity!
46 Tom Cairns // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:25 AM
Everyone needs to calm down, see how worried everyones gotten just because for once we’re not healdine news everyday (usually in the past for the wrong reasons). Its actually slightly reassuring that we have some sensible people in charge who are taking their time rather than FS who threw money at rubbish then put us in the state we are now.
All these stories about Smith, Batista, Martins and 10m are all just speculation because the media are getting stuck for stories to make about us. Dont rise to them or the papers will just be getting the reaction to rubbish they wanted.
Everyone is blaming Mort and Ashley with absolutely no proof behind it, did no one think that maybe the reason we havent made any more signings since geremi is that BSA is taking his time to make sure we have the best we can get?
Everyone needs to go chill out, its summer after all, go outside and have a few beers in the sun.
47 Greg B // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:25 AM
How does £6 million + Chiellini (Juventus want around £7 million for him) sound for Martins? Then buy Smith with the £6 million who can play as striker or attacking midfield (replace Dyer?).
That would leave us free to sell Dyer and buy a center back with the money (£5 million?) we receive for him.
That would mean Martins + Dyer out and Chiellini, Smith and a £5 million center back in. All our bases covered (although not as much as we would ideally want) and please the scrouge like board as no money (except wages) would need to be spent (although Martins and Dyers combined wage would probably support a small country for a year!)
48 Soren // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:26 AM
I’m afraid……………..
49 Nick Stafford // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:28 AM
The Club will be once again be the laughing stock of the premership. Where has all the big ideas gone. Muppets!!!!!!
50 Craig // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:29 AM
I still find it hard to believe how we have ‘limited resources’, however, when you look at Big Sam’s previous comments over the past couple of weeks its clear he has become frustrated with the board. The fact that he said that talks over players have broken down due to money not personal terms suggests we have little money to spend. I think we’ve all been taken for a ride by Mr. Ashley. Just the idea of him not being a huge fan of football makes me worried. At least Shepherd gave a shit.
51 bob // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:29 AM
this is the stupidist load of bull shit there is no way same would sell martins who is only 22 and is gonna be a star of the future !!
52 Chris // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:30 AM
Me and my camera are ready and waiting Mac!
53 Chris // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:32 AM
As frustrating as it is, it doesn’t come as a suprise that the money is slow in coming. If you take a look at Man Utd, Liverpool and even West Ham the clubs were not immediately bank rolled when took over by billionaries. It took time before they dished out the bucks. It only Abromovich and that Thai ganster, sorry i meant president, thta have started dishing oot the cash from the start…….Still pish like mind.
There can be no way that MA has only recognised an £80m debt. This fella is a billionaire for being a good businessman. Only a bloody idiot would look at the books and miss a figure like that. On top of that even with a debt as such, owning a top 20 earnintg club like the Toon cant be that much of a worry. We must still be in a far better situation than the majority of clubs.
I would be very suprised if we even had 10 million quid to spend, otherwise we would not be looking for signings of around £2 mill or less.
54 bob // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:33 AM
oh yeah one other thing i doubt sir john hall would have sold his shared to MA is he didnt show him that he was gonna back his manager and give him the money to do so altho i think the money is less than what we expected i doubt it is as little as 10 mill otherwise i doubt sam would have bid 6mill for alan smith. nothing is making any sense anymore!
55 Dumers // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:34 AM
Its just papaer talk, we have nothing to worry about!! martins will stay, a couple of fresh faces will come in soon!! BSA knows what hes doing, he will have funds to buy suitable players, there is still time, there is no need to hit the panic button just yet!!
56 D. // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:38 AM
Perhaps the complications are in the structuring of the debts rather than the debt itself, which would be harder to notice on a first pass.
Anyway, people are right. All this is pure speculation, but it would be in the interests of the board to come out and state their intentions, even if it’s not necessarily what we want to hear. At least we’d then know what was going on.
Who is going to this question-and-answer session with Allardyce and Mort? It should be interesting to see what subjects are labelled as being off-limits before it begins.
57 Steely // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:39 AM
Tom Cairns. We’re not worried becaause we’re not headline news every day, we’re worried because we have no bloody defence!!!!
Are you in dreamland or something….we need players…end of story!!
We were thin on the ground last season, and we’re effectively 2 players down on that at the moment….3 if Dyer goes!!
58 Greg B // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:42 AM
Did anyone know that Sam had permission to speak to Silvestre at Man Utd but Silvestre wasnt interested as he had no intention of joining us when we had signed Barton.
Apparently Silvestre and Dabo are good mates.
59 Tom Cairns // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:46 AM
Ye but just because things arent in the papers doesnt mean that things arent happening, they dont need to let us know every little thing they do, its ok for them to actually act like professionals. We still have a month for signings, granted sooner the better. Im giving it two weeks before i start getting worried.
60 col // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:48 AM
say what you like about freddie shepherd…he always backed the managers with cash..no matter who they were…mind you there were some really bad buys in there….the window is open for 4 weeks still…dont press the panic buttons quite just yet. mr ashley would need to get the proverbial finger out though and give his manager the much needed funds. ps.. i wish we had a chairman who knew something about football, chris mort seems to have no idea as regards transfers and the value thereof. and no…dont sell martins.
61 kash // Jul 31, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Bad feeling deep inside my stomach! It’s not becuase my Dog has died, it’s because i’ve been shafted by the people who run my football club once again!
What Next Mike Ashley/Chris Mort, are you going to bring Graeme Souness back as manager?
62 Ryan // Jul 31, 2007 at 11:03 AM
Martins will only get better, everyone’s always saying it takes a year to get used to the prem and i can only see Martin’s becoming better. In my opinion he should start over Viduka though i do see why he wouldn’t want want Owen and Martins up front together. Perhaps he can find a way to put the 3 of them up front together. DO NOT SELL!!!
As for our transfers or should i say lack there of I am very upset and do wonder what the hells going on. Ashley needs to come out and do an interview and let the fans know he’s fully behind NUFC and BSA. We need defenders and another midfielder but if that midfielder turns out to be Alan Smith i will probably cry myself to sleep for a month.
63 ToonKing // Jul 31, 2007 at 11:07 AM
Thank you mister Mike Ashley, i took up drinking again.:)
Seriously now i’m 100% confident this is just paper talk. Ashley is a businessman, hell, i could be a 6 year old kid and look into NUFC accounting and ask ” Hey mama what does this mean -80M ”. No way Ashley just suddenly noticed an 80M dept, it’s insane to think something like that. And nobody buys a fookin’ footy club and not invest in it . He will get the money, but just by reading his biography one can tell that his a very meticulous and savage businessman, i imagine him not giving a cent if he doesn’t know what will happen with it, and it takes him time to understand how football business works.
However he better understand fast and back Big Sam or i’m gonna get on a plane and land it in his bedroom.
PS : sorry for the pissed of language………..but as u know i drink again……a lot …..until we sign a LB!!!!!!!!
64 steve // Jul 31, 2007 at 11:14 AM
I can’t believe BSA has only been given 10 million to spend, we need to look at who’s available and wether they actually want to come to a team near relegation last season and can’t even offer inter-toto, in case you’re forgetting we haven’t won owt in years and don’t have the anonimity of London or the bright lights – just look at how Dyers been treated over the last few days, that along with the fact there are now plenty of other teams willing to pay high wages puts us down the pecking order when it comes to decent players wanting to sign for a new club
65 HulioGeordio // Jul 31, 2007 at 11:14 AM
You don’t sell your best strikers/ players and Martins proved last season he is one of them. He can only get better. We need defenders and the money should be supplied byMort and Ashley. We have increased tv revenue and compensation for Owen. We have only spent £2m at most. Why should we even contemplate selling Martins when Sam spent the last month persuading him to stay.
Something is not right in toon at the moment and if it’s not sorted quickly then we will be in trouble come the end of the season. The new Board have to either Back or Sack Allardyce. It makes sense to give him the money to build for this season, in order to be in with a chance of Europe next season!!! The new owners are showing their naievity when it comes to running a football business.
Whats worrying is that we were going great guns on the transfer front until huge share losses were reported last week on Sports International Direct, with millions wiped off after flotation!!!
66 Shut Up You Idiots // Jul 31, 2007 at 11:17 AM
Here we go again! Typical! Slagging off all and sundry at the club! For the countless years I have supported the Toon, the Southern Media types have all wanted to keep us down! And it’s because of idiots like the people posting here who believe the garbage that bring the club down, people who have probably never set foot in St James’. Nobody knows what’s really going on! We are about £80m in debt not far off doing a Leeds, so let’s not spend ridiculous ammounts on mercenary players, you don’t have to always spend big! Look at our spending over the years, we achieved nothing with big signings, we need down to earth grafters! As for Oba, stop watching youtube and highlights lads, the bloke has a lot to learn about football, I’d rather see young Andy Carroll have a go this season! And the calls of sack the board already!!?? I hope it’s a joke or you really do have an illness! Loser! Cheerio
67 Ed Harrison // Jul 31, 2007 at 11:22 AM
We don’t mean to slag off the club at all – we just want Newcastle to be successful – in whatever way we can. The good thing is – if we do have no money then Sam is the master at getting good players in regardless – that’s in our favor. You’re right we don’t know what’s going on – wish we did.
68 Steely // Jul 31, 2007 at 11:25 AM
Everyone’s saying “dont worry, we have 4 weeks till the transfer windown closes”….fair enough, but what rubbish is going to be left then??!! And that also means that you’d be prepared to start the first couple of matches with a bare-bones squad! Not to mention how long it might take the new arrivals to gel with the rest of the squad….this is why the window open so early before the start of the season!!!
69 Dingo // Jul 31, 2007 at 11:30 AM
We should be more concerned about so called fans making Dyers life a misery…. attacking his car and pelting his house with eggs… bunch of twats…. we have a reputation in Newcastle of a great fan base that gets behind the team but this for me is one step too far……. Bomma isnt going anywhere and even if he does who is gonna come here to be attacked in thier car and home????????????????
man i tell ya it has made me madder than all this speculation put together!!!!!
70 Steely // Jul 31, 2007 at 11:41 AM
Dingo, damn right about the abuse towards Dyer…it’s terrible! If the guy wants to leave then fine! I admire him more for coming out and playing so well rather than not turning up to games like some players when they get pissed off (Oba and Zog to name a couple from last season!).
Leave the lad alone!! I for one, would love to see him stay….I reckon he’s just about to hit his purple patch!!
71 Rich // Jul 31, 2007 at 12:13 PM
im just trying to tell myself to wait for the start of the season, but every day the gossip gets worse and worse and i cant help but start to pull my hair out.
Id rather stick with the defense we have than sell Martins, he is a toon legend in the making.
again, id like to think that we are just taking our time to get the right players because you just have to look at the sort of papers reporting our cash shortage i.e. the sun, the daily star etc… not very credible.
when this transfer window is closed, and we still have Martins ill be so happy, before i was depresed we havent signed anyone but i dont care anymore as long as we keep oba!!!! he is the key!!!
72 Rich // Jul 31, 2007 at 12:20 PM
Hold the phone guys…. new story on NUFC.co.uk puts my mind at rest:
http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~1081924,00.html
Big Sam saying their is no way we need to sell Oba for funds… ahhh… i have a calm soothing feeling now… i was starting to look for the cyanide capsules this morning.
I cant take anymore of this, just please can someone close the transfer window early??
73 Ivan // Jul 31, 2007 at 12:20 PM
yo check this out
http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~1081924,00.html
74 Dingo // Jul 31, 2007 at 12:30 PM
Well its 12:27… just about the time Alan ‘potty mouth’ Oliver uploads his stories to the icnewcastle site….. I wonder what is gonna happen next. Does anybody remember the flop soap “Quaysiders” ???? They got the wrong subject matter, I propose a remake just based around SJP…. got to be soap opera gold.
Cummon Alan shows what ya got!!!
75 Dingo // Jul 31, 2007 at 12:34 PM
Steely… i concur… he played his socks off the other night and he gets rewarded with abuse… when owen scores a hat trick against man U are they gonna pelt his car with kababs and put dog shit through his letter box.
Bunch of cocks. If id seen it id have set about the little huckles.
76 Bosck // Jul 31, 2007 at 1:04 PM
superb piece of journalism by Alan Oliver on the icnewcastle site…
just as Big sam rubbishes the rumour on the official newcastle website, Oliver uploads a long article about martins being for sale and off to portsmouth who have signed 2 strikers already this summer with kanu likely to stay as well.
Alan, if you want to be a journalist stop printing baseless rumours especially after they have been denied officially by the manager!!
77 Ed Harrison // Jul 31, 2007 at 1:09 PM
Bosack – That’s what we were thinking – Alan Oliver says this is what Sam is going to do – you would think the local press would be more in the know – but guess not.
78 Steely // Jul 31, 2007 at 1:17 PM
Quote Alan Oliver:
“SAM ALLARDYCE is ready to sacrifice Obafemi Martins in a bid to try to sign a couple of top-class defenders.
The word is already out in football that United will listen to offers for their little Nigerian striker – and this will leave many supporters dismayed.”
This man speaks the biggest amount of bullshit I have ever seen! On newsnow the stories almost side-by-side were the one above and also one from BSA calling the story complete tosh! Who the hell agrees to been Oliver’s wages….coz they’re mugs!!
For the stories to be so wildly different I would think that the club have severed any remaining ties they may have had with the doddering old bastard after his constant negative (factless) reporting last year.
I loved his mystic meg-like prediction in yesterdays stories about how the next signing would be an experienced defender….nice and vague there then Mr Oliver! You numpty!
79 MektiG // Jul 31, 2007 at 1:27 PM
Big thanks to BS for putting my mind at ease!
80 Lin // Jul 31, 2007 at 1:29 PM
I think we should keep Martins. If it’s necessary then sell Owen. And I think Dyer should be sent out for the transfer fund and then we will have 15m. It’s not a large sum but not small either. I think 15m is enough for Sam to sign 3 or 4 good players as he can always find some unknown and inexpensive players abroad , who turn to be good for EPL.
81 Bosck // Jul 31, 2007 at 1:37 PM
Unfortunately Drame has just signed for Sochaux
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/6923908.stm
82 Dinko // Jul 31, 2007 at 2:10 PM
I don’t belive it, and nobody should. Sam simply can’t decide between Rio Ferdinand and Terry. We have 56,44 millions to spend. Sam himself told me those things yesterday. hah it should be funny but i know it is not. We are sitting infront of cumputers for hours every day and waiting for some good news, but all we heard untill now are bad news. BAD NEWS every day and we must be pesimists. But again I am not convinced in anything untill I hear it from Sam himself and he doesn’t say that he hasn’t money. I think we just can’t atract some realy good players now and that is reality. And Sam is trying but without any succes. some people haven’t anything else to put on the papers and then write this bullshit. We are going to sign some player in next week or two and if we can’t sign top class players we will sign some decent players. They shouldn’t cost more than 10 millions( or 15 if we are going to sold dyer)
83 Dinko // Jul 31, 2007 at 2:12 PM
…to sell dyer.
sorry i am from bosnia.
84 Lin // Jul 31, 2007 at 2:21 PM
The EPl is on the corner. If we have adequate foud, please act quickly in the transfer market.
85 Steve // Jul 31, 2007 at 2:28 PM
Rubbish, utter rubbish
Some newspaper reports on Tuesday morning suggested the Magpies boss would have to sell Martins to raise transfer cash.
But Allardyce himself described the speculation as “complete and utter fabrication”, and says the striker is going nowhere.
The Nigerian was a big hit during his first season on Tyneside, netting 17 goals following his £10million transfer from Inter Milan.
Allardyce told the Toon’s official website: “This story is complete and utter fabrication. There’s nothing in it whatsoever.”
Last week Martins had told Newcastle World: “I am very, very happy here so I am not going anywhere.”
86 apan // Jul 31, 2007 at 2:56 PM
Alan Oliver is crap, dont trust anythin except the one posted on http://www.nufc.co.uk lads!
87 Steely // Jul 31, 2007 at 3:30 PM
http://www.nufc.com tend to separate the crap stories from the good ones as well.
88 Keep Oba // Jul 31, 2007 at 3:45 PM
Stupid
89 Ed Harrison // Jul 31, 2007 at 3:51 PM
Please take a look at our comments policy. The comments are getting a bit too raucous in terms of bad language and we cannot always catch them before they are submitted. Please try to make your points with decent language.
We know for a fact that we have youngsters accessing this site and we want to keep it that way – Thanks .
90 Obafan // Jul 31, 2007 at 4:41 PM
What a news. First we bid for Smith then we need to sell Martins to raise funds for building our defence. When will the truth be out. I’m angry with all those stupid paper talk. The stories just don’t fit together.
Leading the chase for Faye and offering £6m fo Smith and on the other hand needing to sell a £13m player cause we don’t have funds to buy a descent defender. What is all this. Don’t know what to believe anymore. Just being completely frustrated about the way things are going. If we have to start with those players untill January, then we can be in the middle of the relegation battle. Not because we don’t have quality, but just because we have a very small squad and our defence needs to be rebuild.
I wonder howShay will feel now (after he recently explained his frustrations about a small squad).
91 doug // Jul 31, 2007 at 5:10 PM
Sell owen
92 kieran // Jul 31, 2007 at 5:46 PM
its a little off topic but i just read this article regarding the left back position
http://www.fansfc.com/newcastlefootballclub/news.asp?newsid=170864
93 kieran // Jul 31, 2007 at 5:48 PM
hers another:
http://www.fansfc.com/newcastlefootballclub/news.asp?newsid=170908
94 kieran // Jul 31, 2007 at 5:49 PM
and finally:
http://www.fansfc.com/newcastlefootballclub/news.asp?newsid=170907
95 michael // Jul 31, 2007 at 9:16 PM
lies lies lies
fansfc.com what a bunch of lies! We have never heard of any of these players and either has Sam. SO it’s just all lies.
Alan Oliver has obviously been frozen out of the NUFC circle and will be sitting in a pub writing whatever ideas pop into his dole monkey friends heads at the time. Lies spew forth
Top ten Alan Oliver Lies this year!
1. Newcastle must sell Oba Martins to but defenders. – Embarassingly this was denied by BSA by the time Oliver got his drivel into print.
2. Owen or Martins to go to Arsenal – Both had clauses, and extortionate wage packages. Needless to say that despite days and days of AO insisting OM was on his way Wenger didn’t even think to mention this link…. ever!
3. El Hadji-Diouf for Toon – Never going to happen really.
4. Sol Searching – AO exclusively reveals in Jan 2007 that Sol Campbell can’t wait to sign up to Glen Roeder’s magpies in the Summer. Eh….. No I didn’t see him sign either?
5. Roeder unfazed by job debate – In May 2007 AO gives “the ordinary one” the vote of confidence. According to AO those meetings were about securing his transfer targets nice and early. (This despite BSA being 3-1 on at the bookies to replace him.)
6. Roeder relishing Birmingham FA cup game – In an article were Alan Oliver proclaims (and I jest not!) Glenn Roeder to be “the hardest working newcastle manager in recent history” our hero journo talks of our impending victory. We lost 5-1 to a team a division below us!
7. Parker happy in Newcastle – Jan 2007 AO has a quiet “chat” with Scot Parker. Apparently all his family have moved up to Newcastle. So he didn’t move down to London for family reasons then.
8. 9. and 10. will follow when i get home from work in about half an hour.
96 michael // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:13 PM
And the countdown continues
8. 7mill bid? – Our mysterious seven million pound bid which never ever made into any tabloid was followed quickly by….
9. Skint? – Mike Ashley the Billionaire recluse who is known to have at least 1 billion quid of his personal fortune tied up in cold hard cash, is only going to allow Sam Allardyce (NUFC’s best manager in years, and a man he has publically supported and pledged cash to through his “face” chairman Chris Mort) a paltry 10million pounds to buy players and includes wages in that amount.
10. That he is a reliable journalist – Possibly AO’s most heinous lie. Pity the editor who actually pays the merchant of falsehoods.
I hope that this settles a few nerves.
97 totsy // Jul 31, 2007 at 10:33 PM
BSA has just come out and said that a signing should be made very soon
here is the link:
http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~1082380,00.html
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