With Emre on the verge of leaving Newcastle, and Damien Duff probably on his way to Sunderland, Newcastle fans may be getting a little agitated at what’s going on at the club.
Mike Ashley with fans – he knows what he’s doing
But we think the board is doing a good job of clearing the decks at the club of fringe players, and as long as Kevin Keegan is kept in the loop, we see nothing wrong with what the club is doing right now.
There’s no doubt Duff and Emre are good players, but with all their injuries over the last couple of years, it’s hard to make a case that they’ve been worth the wages Newcastle pay them, which is a lot.
We think the Newcastle board are simply moving out fringe players, particularly those on high wages, so we are ready for the incoming new players.
In the summer we expect Alan Smith to be added to the list of players leaving, because he is number 4 striker at the club right now, if you put him ahead of young Andy Carroll (and we wouldn’t), and it’s certain that Kevin will bring in another top class striker this summer. Maybe Peter Crouch or Bafe Gomis.
So as long as we can get our £6M back for Alan, which we paid to Man United last summer, he’ll also be on his way.
So players we expect to leave or have already left the club are:
Carr, Ramage, Diatta, Troisi, Emre, Duff, Ameobi and Smith.
That’s 8 players from the first team squad.
Players we don’t want to lose include Charles N’Zogbia and James Milner, simply because they are good, young and improving, and their current contracts were negotiated by the current regime last September, so we assume they are reasonable and within the new guidelines.
We’d also want to keep Michael Owen and Steven Taylor, but the club seem to be moving out some high wage earners so they can pay Owen and Taylor what they want – or at least once they know who is left, what they can adequately pay them, within the new wage limits.
That means 8 players will move out, and we have at least five new youngsters who will be in the first team squad next season in Forster, Edgar, Tozer, LuaLua and Kadar, and if we can get 5 new players in during the sumer then it will be 8 gone and 10 in. So if we rely on the youngsters filling out the first team squad and we bring 5 new top players in we should be just fine.
And the money we get from Emre, Duff and Smith (maybe £17M) will fund new transfers of players coming in.
We’ll still have a small squad, but hopefully the quality will be much improved from last season, and the new players we get will have decent injury free records at their previous clubs.
Looking at it that way , there’s definite method in the madness – well that’s probably not the best way of putting it – but there’s a definite plan behind what is happening.
Stay tuned, the Newcastle club is being well run these days, with some good thought given to the overall finances of the club – which of course will come as a shock to a lot of us, who were used to Shepherd’s reckless business model, that achieved very little success at the club.
We welcome a change, and we think it will be for the better.  😀
We’ll be OK – you just watch.
Comments welcome.
284 comments so far
Tom_Toon
Jun 1, 2008 at 5:30 PM
Comment #81We might, i heard a rumour that we have been negotiating with Coloccini for a while.
Frankieboy
Jun 1, 2008 at 5:35 PM
Comment #82Tom Toon
It wasn’t a rumour in one of the nationals was it
Tom_Toon
Jun 1, 2008 at 5:36 PM
Comment #83Just seen a fair few people say the same thing.
leavy
Jun 1, 2008 at 5:38 PM
Comment #84i have noticed we have become very boring as a football team to watch
keegan obviously wants us too play attacking football but we have no centre midfielders who have flair,or wingers who run with their heads up
i cant remember the last time a step over took place on sjp ooh maybe when man u came to town
i would love Andres Guardado just for entertainment purposes lol also i like harry kewell uses both feet good in the air good speed and stamina scores goals from range and close but is quite injury prone .. free transfer what ya think
Tom_Toon
Jun 1, 2008 at 5:40 PM
Comment #85No, hes on very high wages aswell. Guardado is good but we wont get him. Milan may buy him ths summer, or possibly Arsenal.
Frankieboy
Jun 1, 2008 at 5:47 PM
Comment #86kewell – No thanks
leavy
Jun 1, 2008 at 5:48 PM
Comment #87just because hes young
and foreign doesnt mean hes going to arsenal
also harry kewell is on high wages est 55kpw but if were not paying anything in transfer fees
also we could get him on a basic 20kpw plus bonuses e.g goals or games etc
Toon1978
Jun 1, 2008 at 5:48 PM
Comment #88KK after Arteta.
http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/Football/Premier+League/Newcastle+United
Tom_Toon
Jun 1, 2008 at 5:49 PM
Comment #89Kewell would not settle that low, he is a injury prone mercenary, and i wouldnt want him.
Guardado has been linked loads to Arsenal and Ac Milan, im not saying its becuse hes foreign he just has and he is out of our target zone atm.
Frankieboy
Jun 1, 2008 at 5:51 PM
Comment #90Leavy
Think his age and wages go against MA’s strategy.
Havin said that i stated on post last week i would not mind Lillian Thuram coming here short term.
Toon1978
Jun 1, 2008 at 5:53 PM
Comment #91Anyone else heard anything about Collocinni would love to see him arrive at the toon but Everton are also after him which may seem a more exciting place for him to go with the way the two clubs are apart ATM.
ToonKing
Jun 1, 2008 at 5:53 PM
Comment #92Arteta would be a massive signing, but i can’t see Moyes letting him go.
Toon1978 i didn’t know Everton want Collocinni, all i know is Deportivo said 2 english clubs are in advanced stages of the negotiation, those clubs being us and City.
Tom_Toon
Jun 1, 2008 at 5:55 PM
Comment #93Toon1978, i thought it was man city nd newcastle, everton arent mentioned anywhere.
Toon1978
Jun 1, 2008 at 5:57 PM
Comment #94tom toon my apologies yes it is city mate i didnt look properly ooh well then i think we have more of a chance of signing him.
Midjew
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Comment #95GUTTED:
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_3637519,00.html
WHY cant we get someone like this
Leo
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Comment #96id love to see how much wage’s had been reduced on the wage bill now, i bet its quite pretty to investors really…. now we can bring quality in please.
we have 4midfielders left 5 if you include barton
Tom_Toon
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:02 PM
Comment #97Midjew – Dos Santos is considered to weak for la liga, he is going to get mullered in the prem.
Geordie Gerrard7
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:02 PM
Comment #98ey, i said earlier didnt i that there is heavy rumours about arteta, and up it pops on teamtalk, normally quite a site for a good rumour. but honestly i think arteta would be absoloutley amaising for us, also heard a rumour of villa looking at montolivo. apart from kranjcar arteta is one of my top favourite players inside the prem. what do others think?
Tom_Toon
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:04 PM
Comment #99I thnk no chance in us getting Arteta and even less of a chance of Villa getting Montolivo.
Geordie Gerrard7
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:04 PM
Comment #100why do pple realy rate dos santos, i have seen a flea stronger than him.
Geordie Gerrard7
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:06 PM
Comment #101why no chance then? anyone see how good robben and sneijder looked today?
hennesey was class in between the sticks today
Midjew
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:06 PM
Comment #102http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1780_3637465,00.html
Great Article about Arteta and SWP
IF TRUE.
BUT Can you Imagine them 2 players in our starting line-up
THAT would make my day.
Tom_Toon
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:07 PM
Comment #103Cos he plays for a better team in Everton, why would he move to a lesser team.
Id love Arteta but not SWP.
Midjew
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:09 PM
Comment #104Its not JUST about Dos Santos Strength his Ball control and shots are Awesome.
SWP is Brilliant when he plays regularly and he is tiny and bit of a wimp so not much different really.
PLUS they have only paid 6.8m which is VERY cheap so its worth the risk AINT IT
Tom_Toon
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:10 PM
Comment #105SWP has no end product, and you do have to be faily strong to play in the prem, Dos Santos is just ncredibly weak, he will flop.
toonarmy08
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:10 PM
Comment #106GG7 yeah saw it mate ,thought vdv looked ok aswell.He never seems to lose the ball.Im also not amassive fan of dos santos ,very light weight ,and wouldnt cut it in the pl.Iknow Bojan was keeping him out of barca team for afair few months,and that lad is only 17!!
Hadji
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:12 PM
Comment #107I would like if we give a go for Arnold Kruiswijk cause for sure we could get him on cheap and he’s a quality player.
Midjew
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:12 PM
Comment #108Well we will see wont we but i think he will do well IF he comes.
Anyway SWP Gets ALOT of Assists when he plays so if he sets up alot of goals doesnt matter to much does it. And they aint anything to do with his strength anyway is It?
neeraj
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:13 PM
Comment #109midjew
there are better players out there than dos santos
i want team players in rather than some individualistic grts, we cant win because of one player,
plus i doubt la liga players coming to prem league,
eg: mendieta, luque, zenden and many more
Tom_Toon
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:13 PM
Comment #110Just moved to Anderlecht. (Response to Hadji)
Hadji
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:13 PM
Comment #111Terry will crush Dos Santos when they meet,he’s gonna send him back crying.
Hadji
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:14 PM
Comment #112I know,too bad we never made a move.
Midjew
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:14 PM
Comment #113neeraj – you cant name 3 players that flopped here, there are endless names who HAVE succeded.
Fabrgeas comes to mind
Geordie Gerrard7
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:15 PM
Comment #114toonarmy08- yes vdv never does, such a good player, will go chelsea, barca, inter or real next year. bojan though mate is 50 times the player of dos santos, he is like messi mark 2
Tom_Toon
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:16 PM
Comment #115Fabregas was groomed or the prem first, he never played in la liga.
Midjew
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:19 PM
Comment #116OK – Torres
Tom_Toon
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:21 PM
Comment #117Torres is an exceptional talent, im not diagreeing with you that player cant come to the prem from la liga, because they can.
Midjew
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:24 PM
Comment #118Like everyone, just want to see one guy come through our doors who is young and has potential or already is.
But HEY arent we all
The Entertainers
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:25 PM
Comment #119Hell, call me a mad man, but i’m all of a sudden feeling quite optimistic about our future. We’re clearing the decks so now we know we HAVE to buy and with a solid bid going in for Modic and strong rumours about Arda and this Argie bloke, we can at least believe we are targeting quality signings,the good times are around the corner kids
toonarmy08
Jun 1, 2008 at 6:29 PM
Comment #120my team 4 nxt season-
harper /given
beye/edgar
enrique/shorey
faye/taylor
collocini/van buyten
joaquin/milner/swp
veloso/butt
arteta/zog
owen
crouch/dukes
martins/gomis(doubt poss)