Keven Keegan seemed less than confident yesterday of Newcastle’ s ability to attract top players to Newcastle, if the top four clubs are also interested in the player.
Kevin Keegan - not confident of attracting the very best
Kevin spoke this morning about the transfer market and was asked if he was confident of being able to attract top talent to Newcastle:
“No, I’m not confident. No, if Liverpool or Chelsea came in (for the same transfer target), I would not be confident because they can offer more than we can in terms of Champions League, top four is almost guaranteed to these clubs. But they can not collect all the pebbles on the beach,â€
“So what can you offer? Well, to some of these players who come over, regular first-team football.†“We can offer more than most. If Chelsea come in, we will not get them, if Man United come in and probably if Liverpool and Arsenal come in, if I am honest, probably we won’t get that player.â€
But after that I would back us against anyone. We can compete but we have to be sensible and have realistic targets.
That’s interesting because we have just missed out to Tottenham on Luka Modric, which was a huge blow for Newcastle’s fans this morning.
Kevin continued:
“There are only so many clubs and, after you take away those top-10 clubs around the world, we are in there with everyone else.â€
“It’s worked very well so far,†“Dennis and I talk a lot, he comes up a lot. Tony will only be involved on the financial side, so he doesn’t have to be up here, but he has a key part in it.”
“We had a meeting two weeks ago, we (Keegan, Arthur Cox and Terry McDermott) took our list in and they put theirs down.â€
Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Modric was one name on both Wise and Keegan’s list, and while a delegation from United did met the 22-year-old this week, we have missed out on this target unfortunately.
But there’s also something wrong with the system in the Premier League when the best teams only get better at the expense of the teams outside the top four. That’s a recipe for disaster in that it will reduce competition in the Premier league, which in fact it already has.
But to be fair to Kevin, he never seemed too confident that we could attract Modric to Newcastle, and of course we’d love to see the two lists.
Well, it’s sad news, to say the least about Modric, but that’s water under the Tyne Bridge now, and we’ll have to look forward to other players coming to the Tyneside club.
Newcastle can eliminate some of the disappointment over Modric by thrashing West Ham today. 
Comments welcome.
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48 responses so far ↓
1 OzZyMagpiE // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:32
i feel like crying…. i really wanted modric to sign… if he signed with Man U, Barcelona or some club like that i wud be fine… but spurs over toon is horrible… this screwed my day up.
2 sweendogg007 // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:36
Who thinks spurs are going to be the new leeds!!!??? haha, if he signed for spurs and not any of the top 4 teams then that says sumthing.
I don’t expect any big signings until we quailfy for the champions league and not UEFA cup
We only need 2/3 signings like KEV said.
We don’t need to pay over the odds for players who are going to winge like n’zog
3 sweendogg007 // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:37
Also youtube only shows the good things about a player… well unless it’s titus shambles.
I still remember when he came on as a sub against liverpool and the liverpool supporters gave him a standing ovation. very funny
4 Leo // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:37
me too, i feel like crying and cracking open a can of super lager
5 OzZyMagpiE // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:40
done that leo.. juz substituted da lager with guinness stout.. diego for toon…
6 Davies // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:42
I’m not breaking my heart about this. If we can carry the form we’ve shown over the last six matches into next season, whoever we buy in the summer will be useful. I would have like Modric to come, but he hasn’t. There isn’t anything that could be said or done to change that. At least he isn’t a Mackem (HA!).
Let’s not write Keegan off just yet. We’ll see how he’s done when the window closes, speculating before it’s even opened is pointless.
7 cloudstrife // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:42
come on KK… if anyone can bring them in, it’s you!
8 sweendogg007 // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:42
Special offer in Sainbury’s 24 carls 4 11.90, brilliant
I’ll think i’ll get 2 packs today and put them in my kids beer buggy
9 Nev // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:42
seriously .. what can we offer other than money?
liverpool , man u , arsenal , chealsea , spurs , everton , portsmouth , aston villa they will beat us for ANY player we go after for one reason ..
EUROPEAN FOOTBALL
look at the players we have at the minute .. martins, owen, emre etc they are all top quality player and the reason they came was to play european football
i can see lots of are squad wanting to leave soon … just because of they not playing in europe, its even starting to take effect on some player .. read interviews with them!
as soon as we back in top 6 .. then start talking about players like diego and van der vaart
10 Chris F // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:43
ffs lads, it’s only april.
annoying as it is that he’s opted for spurs (i guess the lure of doing shite in the uefa cup was too much for him) it’s not like he’s the only player we will be after.
11 Midjew // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:44
oh yeah forgot damn the carlin cup
12 Spyro // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:45
midjew what are you on about, spurs are in europe next year
13 sweendogg007 // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:48
UEFA cup is all about playing against mediocre teams. . bring on the champions leaguse and give Barca another whipping.
The players we have now are as good as we are going to get and KEV will get a top 4 finish within 2years
Anyone have any links for todays match
14 Nev // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:49
just read on tribal football that we had £18.5mil rejected … spurs offer £20mil .. thats accepted .. if were haggling over £1.5 mil wise/vetere/jimenz all need to be shot!
15 sweendogg007 // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:50
If the KING thought he was worth it he would have bought him.
16 faustino // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:52
WHY DO THESE THINGS GET TO PRESS IF WE AREN’T GETTING THE PLAYERS!!!!! YET AGAIN WE ARE ‘95%’ ON SIGNING SOMEONE AND HE GOES TO SPURS!!!!! PURE DODGE!!!!
We’re in for a hiding if this keeps happening. Someone at the club needs to get hold of the club PR and sort this out. It’s either agents leaking info, which means we’re being far too forward or it’s over-zealous/confident staff going to press to early. In any case it’s totally pathetic and embarassing.
I’d rather have no one come in than spend the summer being touted and then failing spectacularly.
17 Hadji // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:52
What i like about KK is that he can create something out of nothing.We dont need to pay that much for someone from Croatian league.For Christ sake,Barcelona paid 26 mill euros for Ronaldinho to PSG.
Now compare Ronaldinho at 22 of age with Modric.
18 robertsa // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:58
lets just hope the modric to spurs deal falls through. I cant believe that like, we were after him for months and f**kin spurs are gettin him. We have no luck with transfers luque was shit kluivert was shit owen got ingured loads and now this .
19 Taiwantoon // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:59
Let’s face it. It is clear that the current board might just be a bit too tight over the possible transfers. Spurs beat us on signing players not only because they offer European football, but they are showing more ambitions.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s good to control the bugdet but most transfer rumours that we’ve involved are not with top rated players, and this is not a good message to sent to our potential targets. We must show people that we mean to do business, unfournately, like the Spurs has been doing over the last few years.
I am gutted, but I still have faith as it’s still not summer yet, is it?
20 robertsa // Apr 26, 2008 at 11:01
well said hadji but it would have been nice to get him
21 Spyro // Apr 26, 2008 at 11:20
Hutton - 9mill
Woodgate - ?
Gilberto - 2.5mill
Modric - 15.5mill rising to 20.5mill
22 Spyro // Apr 26, 2008 at 11:21
how much did tottenham get woodgate for?
23 Simon P // Apr 26, 2008 at 11:24
We don’t know the facts about Modric. He may have been visiting his cousin Viduka when he came to St James !!
If not, and we were very interested in signing Modric, then something has gone amiss.
But we need to know the facts first.
if we have been outbid by a couple of million, then that is sad, because a signing of this calibre would have been a statement of intent by Mort and Ashley, and it would have been worth paying the extra.
We just have to hope that Keegan has a plan.
My major worry is that we buy a bunch of second rate squad players with Premiership experience in the summer, while mid table teams like Blackburn, Tottenham etc…push on and pay good money for top talent, and we fall further behind.
24 ronaldeano // Apr 26, 2008 at 11:25
Where will Zog go now!!!!
25 Spyro // Apr 26, 2008 at 11:32
i dont think spurs will play him on the left and i only said that in a previous post to try and make myself feel better, they will probably instead use modric to strengthen thier weak midfield that, over the years, has lacked a man who can dominate the middle, modric can do just that and in fact is best in this position. That is why Spurs were so desperate to get him. N’Zogbia can still go and play on the left but to tell the truth i dont think Spurs see him as their answer, and they will probably try to sign a better left winger or maybe just sign him as back up
i can see Spurs going in for David Silva and Diego Capel in the summer
26 HammerzFan // Apr 26, 2008 at 11:34
Alreet boyz and girlz? Just wanted to wish you all the best for today’s match. Even if you don’t get Modric (I wouldn’t be surprised if he still ended up at Chelsea or somewhere wonderful like that
). This is a West Ham (little Newcastle to you lot) fan saying that I have a horrible fear you are going to stick six by us today. Jamie Tomkins being blooded in defence against your front three is a pretty scary prospect to most of us. No abuse, no hard feelings; just genuine sincerity. May the best team win. All the best,
West Ham
27 Bill F // Apr 26, 2008 at 11:40
Still plenty of good players out there and don’t forget all the good youngsters we have bought in. We don’t necessarily need to buy young players either. There are a whole raft of very good older players who would be happy to come to us. Just look at how Del Piero (I am not saying he would leave Juve) is playing. Juninho is one who might. And there a lot of players who are underperforming in other teams who could be much better under KK. E.g. someone like Rochenback is wasted at the smoggies.
Whoever we get I reckon we are going to be much stronger and better prepared for the start of next season.
28 OzZyMagpiE // Apr 26, 2008 at 11:43
david silva? r u out of ur mind… hez spain’s best prospect atm.. Valencia will nvr sell him… let alon to spurs.. if wud take major bucks to buy him.
29 Spyro // Apr 26, 2008 at 11:47
i know that ozzy, but Valencia are in a terrible state at the minute and Tottenham will be well aware of that, they will also know that signing Modric will help them lure other top players to them. Tottenham seem like a team willing to spend anything this year. They have spent over 30 million already. I believe their main goal next year is to win the UEFA Cup, then get into the top four the year after
30 Dnae Bull // Apr 26, 2008 at 11:57
anyone heard anythin on the two lists??
31 ronaldeano // Apr 26, 2008 at 11:59
I visited Valencia last year. Their ground is a shithole!
32 shearer4pm // Apr 26, 2008 at 12:04
we just need to have 1 good season next season get into europe
then the top players will look at us as a destination,till then we wont get a look in, but when we attract players then we can build a team, continue getting into europe, continue building, its a circle, just bneed that 1 push, but its harder now cus other teams like everton and spurs(twankers) are steps ahead of us,
but king kev can do it come on the lads
souness’s fault, if he didnt screw thimgs up when we were in europe we wud be fine and ahead of spurs and everton
souness strikes again
33 Kristófer // Apr 26, 2008 at 12:05
Spurs are shit, I am sure we are going to finish above them next season….
I´m not going to be dissapointed, i m just going to trust Keegan, i´m sure he wil excite us with some signings, as for modric he is going to have a hard time when he plays at St. James next season for sure. He will see what he missed out on.
White hart lane is shit compared to St. James and the spurs fans are terrible…
34 S Mogg // Apr 26, 2008 at 12:05
If there is a roomful of single women and a load of rich single gadgeys trying to tap them up, there is always a little ugly one in there who keeps trying but rarely pulls, thats Newcaste United in footballing terms. Deal with it!
35 IanG // Apr 26, 2008 at 12:11
I think I need convincing that the Wise and Jiminez combo is going to work.
There was no doubt that Modric was a top transfer target for Newcastle. he went to Spurs. Woodgate went the same way - albeit not a top target - but a target all the same. It comes down to what I have been saying for some time…… ambition.
Spurs seem to have more.
I think unless we have a grand plan we all better get used to the fact that having a billionaire owner doesn’t mean we’ll be in any better position that the likes of West Ham and Aston Villa not even to mention Spurs and Man City when it comes to getting our target men.
Let’s cross our fingers for that grand plan.
36 Michael // Apr 26, 2008 at 12:11
When I read the article about Modric this morning I felt gutted, but the way I see it, I knew little about him before the interest, so I shouldnt be too disappointed if we didnt get him. Its a bit annoying that its Spurs though.
37 robertsa // Apr 26, 2008 at 12:30
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR shit now that modric is unavailable we are all going to be on about arshavin again
38 M. Stockley // Apr 26, 2008 at 13:04
just hopefully kk will pull off a major coup or 2. its annoying that the modric storybecame public knowledge,it possibly encouraged spurs to get in there quickley!
im confident about the summer though. we have just gotta set our standards high in the market and if we get turned down then f** it we tried.. i thinkif/when owen and oba sign new deals it would help us to attract a little.
39 micepie // Apr 26, 2008 at 13:34
For a while now evetyone on this site has has been hoping for Arshevin - surely another good option seeing as he’s already expressed interest in the Toon.
Personally, I can honestly say that if I were a top player I’d be more excited about joining a team like Newcastle than the “big 4″. The challenge of trying to reach higher goals is something I’d relish, whereas the big 3 or 4 have already made it so it takes some of the polish off. Mind you, I’d also give a lot of my wages to charity (like, 30%) once I’d got enough of a wad in the bank so, er…I don’t think I’d be a typical player!
40 sirjasontoon // Apr 26, 2008 at 14:35
Roll the steptoe theme tune again dum dum dum du dum da dum dum…HAROLD !!
Listen Newcastle will not be buying any big players..yes we will be linked with lots of quality signings as is the case in every window..but Ashley is not a big spender like Fat Fred, he is a shopkeeper above all else and a very shrewd one at that.
If you think he will be splashing millions on players it just isn’t going to happen under this new regime..the guy is clearly tighter than a nuns…bracelet.
I am as dissapointed as any about not getting Modric so I hope he gets a serious injury and his family die in a freak accident…only joking.
41 sirjasontoon // Apr 26, 2008 at 14:39
IanG
Sorry but Wise is a little beedy eyed thug..how could he sell the Newcastle dream to players..the whole recruitment set up is a joke.
WISE OUT!!
42 Yahya Ahmad // Apr 26, 2008 at 17:37
I hope Keegan has 100 million kitty to spend on world class players such as new defenders new and new midfieders. Disappointed to see Modric sign for Tottenham, that is just gut turning.
43 ToonDaft // Apr 26, 2008 at 18:14
i am genuinely shocked that he has opted for Spurs over the Toon and not coz of my obvious bias either - yes, the Spuds can offer Euro footie next season but in all reality is that really THAT much of a draw - of course, the CL is a major draw, but is the UEFA Cup, playing very average teams for the majority of it that enticing? Also, Spurs current team is NOT much more of a sexy option than the Toon - poor keeper imo, decent defence yes, BUT King and Woody are seriously injury prone and are the hub of that defence - would it surprise anyone for them to go missing for huge parts of any given season? They boast a very average midfield which of course Modric will boost. Berbatov, their number one star player and attraction is almost certainly going to be leaving in the summer as well!!!! Bent is disgustingly overrated on top of that! Lennon, one of last seasons most terrifying players, looks also set to be shipped out. So, all in all, unless Spurs are confident in signing several other Modric-calibre players this summer, i really don’t understand the attraction - their stadium aint as good, nor is their fanbase, and I mean no disrespect here, it is just reality. I genuinely think Modric may have made a bad move for his career if he has opted for Spurs over us - they are no more guaranteed Euro qualification than we are next season - maybe it was the lure of London - if so, fair enough and wish modric all the best but lets be honest, if he lives up to his potential he will be off in two seasons to a top top team
but, moving on, upset as I am, there are other players of equal and better ability levels in the sea that we may be pursuing - i just hope we have the ambition to at least test the water with the likes of Diego, Van Der Vaart and Moutinho - if we fail, we fail, at least we tried to sign top class players - just to throw a name into the ring that i haven’t really seen us linked with - Ronaldinho - thoughts? seems he would prefer Premiership footie than Serie A and if Man City is a realistic option for him, then why not us - thoughts?
44 ToonDaft // Apr 26, 2008 at 18:23
also, keep up the good work Ed, this is the best Toon site on the web - I have been looking at this site for ages but the Modric fiasco has inspired me to join the debate - lol - excellent work!!
45 Tom_Toon // Apr 26, 2008 at 18:28
So much aggression. I was happy at beng linked with him, but wasnt to hopeful. How do we know we were even after him?!?!? Its kight have been a ploy to raise his price. Hes not worth over 12 mil IMO.
46 51times is joining Hamas // Apr 26, 2008 at 18:59
We are now competing with football powerhouses like Wigan Athletic and Blackburn Rovers.
47 scotty // Apr 27, 2008 at 8:16
One player lost and you lot are already getting the razor blades and paracetemol out!!!
This season hasn’t even ended yet and it’s all doom and gloom for next season already - with the likes of “WISE OUT” comments.
Sometimes i get annoyed reading the posts on this site as a lot of you seem to have a mental age of 7.
There are 100’s of players out there, and i’m sure KK will get the very best out of them - whoever he signs!!!
48 scotty // Apr 27, 2008 at 8:23
Sirjasontoon - your comments are childish, immature and boring. You have no grounds to slag off Wise already on the basis of not signing Modric.
Nor have you the right to do the same to MA. Come back with your comments about him after the transfer window has closed.
It’s so called fans like you who give other fans from other clubs to have a go at us and question our loyalty…….
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