Last week we were talking about Kevin Keegan arriving back from his US holiday, and that this week things would really start to move in the transfer market.
Kevin Keegan – pointing to where Newcastle are going – upwards!
They haven’t, in fact this has been the quietest week surrounding the Newcastle club for quite some time.
Nothing from the club whatsoever, as far as transfers are concerned.
That’s not necessarily bad of course, but pre-training starts a week come Monday, and we would have thought that we’d have at least a couple of players join the club before then.
On the other side of things we’ve done a very good job of clearing out fringe players and those who have left the club this summer include Diatta, Troisi, Ramage, Carr, Emre and Rozehnal. We expect Shola Ameobi to join WBA or some other club within a matter of days.
So that’s 7 players from our first team squad who have been moved out, and the wage bill will have been reduced nicely, and those players were either on the fringe of the first team, were way overpaid, or both.
So the club has done a decent job of moving out fringe players, but the most obvious player that hasn’t yet been moved out is Alan Smith, who is already probably our 4th striker behind Owen, Martins, Viduka and Carroll, and we ‘ll have another top striker coming in before the end of August.
Because Kevin has said he will only use Alan as a striker, we just don’t see how Alan can get a game next season, and remember he didn’t even score last season.
With no announcements coming from the club at all, they’ve just got to be hard at work on who the club can bring in, from their long list of targets. And Mike Ashley will also be involved with the transfers.
Arda and Arshavin are gone, and are probably far too expensive now in any case after the Euro 2008 Championships, in which they both played very well.
But we are still upbeat about Newcastle’s ability to bring in top players this summer, because there are a lot of players out there who can do a good job at the club for us next year.
And certainly, on the positive side, the 3 we didn’t get but were at least tracking- Arda, Arshavin and Modric, were of the very highest quality.
And in 12 months time we should be in a much stronger position to attract even better talent to the club, when hopefully we’ll at the very least be back in the UEFA Cup.
Then our goal will need to be somehow breaking into that elusive top 4 – and Kevin can take us there.
Let’s not worry about Kevin’s outbreak after the Chelsea game – he was just frustrated at how badly we played in that second half, if the truth be told.  😀
Yes, maybe silence is golden right now at Newcastle United – while the real work gets done.
We certainly hope so.
Comments welcome.
98 comments so far
craig chisholm
Jun 28, 2008 at 4:47 AM
Comment #81I couldnt give a rats arse about signing any of the fancy foreign crap to be honest, they are too much of a gamble and have let us down too many times. The only one i would want would be aimar simply cos we all know he was once the best in the world and at 28 he is in his physical prime, if we could find a way to get him hungry again he would be awsome, he can control matches, match after match, it would be as good as cantona when he went to manure. the bloke is great. Other than that, Stick with what we know. SWP, Bridge, Crouch, mcfadden, dunne etc plus spear etc for the next season and onwards. I still think wise is a dick though and always will.
The Entertainers
Jun 28, 2008 at 5:53 AM
Comment #82I suppose we’re all entitled to our own individual opinions regarding players and clubs and blogs like this one give us a platform to express those views.
There are players i’m not impressed by and even at Newcastle there have been and will be players who dont impress me.
But whilst wearing the black and white and give 100%, i and the majority of fans will support the players, coaches and boardroom.
Regarding our position of not being a top 4 team, i think if you ask most sober Newcastle supporters about our current position, you will hear that we are indeed just a top 10 club at best at the moment. HOWEVER the one thing about being a Newcastle supporter is that we all KNOW that we can be a top 5, even top 4 with the right running and backing. In the past we have had good managers without the backing and then the backing without good managers!
We’re hoping that under Keegan and Ashley, giving time this will be the right formula.
Its an old argument but a valid one. Here at Newcastle we expect big things and this may have to do with there is only ONE club within Tyneside and Northumberland. No wonder the expectation are huge!
Ben
Jun 28, 2008 at 6:19 AM
Comment #83How the premiership has changed over the years. I personally believe that the premiership title will be a two horse race between United and Liverpool, with Chelsea third . That s providin of course, Liverpool can bring in some quality wide players. Name a better central team than Carragher Gerrard Torres.
Anyway, more to the point, Newcastle.
If we re to finish above the likes of Everton Spurs Villa and Pompey, obviously we need to act fast. We need :
Most importantly, an experienced, quality centre back…Sol Campbell comes to mind, although ageing, could teach alot to young Taylor and co. Beye Enrique Taylor are good enough although depth is needed and this season will reveal just how capable they are at this level.
Midfield, Butt is too old now and should only be used as a squad player. We also need a creative midfielder to give Zog competition..Milner is a winger, fullstop. His delivery from crosses and ability to cut inside fullbacks is extraordinary and i think he’ll have a great season. Hopefully we can bring in Lennon/or SWP, we dont need both. As well as Engelaar and Aimar.
Strikers, get rid of Smithy, likeable guy but just didnt have a position and shud be playing for a club like BOLTON. funny that big sam signed him.
So, Campbell, Boulahrouz,Engelaar, Aimar, and HESKEY…no only kiddin , HUNTELAAR!!! altho wise and the boys wud have to do ALOT of convincing/
any thoughts?
Hadji
Jun 28, 2008 at 6:30 AM
Comment #84Spyro….Its 18 mill for your information mate and that is nothing compared with the 31 mill for the most overated player on this planet…Rooney.Can you imagine 31 mill in 2004,If that transfer happened in 2008 for sure Man Utd would have payed 40 mill at least.ATM Spyro cause i’m being very realistic….we can only dream to bring someone like Jo in our team.I’m a big big fan of Newcastle but i’m not brainwashed from MA cheap demagogue.
Matthew
Jun 28, 2008 at 6:51 AM
Comment #85The Sun say Keegan wants Johnny Evans from Man Utd and Baptista from Madrid.
Matthew
Jun 28, 2008 at 7:02 AM
Comment #86“whos job is it then as you already have said it isnt anything to do with Vetere either?
We have a board which consists of no-one who signs first team players? Possibly you have the reason why no-one is signed to date.”
………………………….
Jeff Vetere is our European scout and has no involvement in the transfer process, his job is to spot talent.
Dennis Wise’s job is to control all areas of the football club apart from the first team, his role in transfers is finding out if clubs are interested in selling the player we’re after.
Tony Jimenez is the man who negotiates transfer fees and wages, he only works for the club part time between transfer windows.
It’s Keegan’s job to convince players to come here and Terry Mac has already confirmed he’s been talking to potential targets this summer, people got the wrong end of the stick when he said he wasn’t involved in negotiations as he was referring to negotiating contract extensions for existing NUFC players.
Dan
Jun 28, 2008 at 9:06 AM
Comment #87Ed write a new thread please
ANON
Jun 28, 2008 at 9:12 AM
Comment #88Mathew, and are you in on these negotiaitions as you seem to know a helluva lot about them.
Or are you just guessing like the rest of us, and spouting sh*te????
Steve
Jun 28, 2008 at 9:48 AM
Comment #89Keegan and others have outlined Matthew’s opinion on various occaisions. Matthew is correct. At least on first glance, I see no inconsistency…
Dan
Jun 28, 2008 at 9:50 AM
Comment #90I’m f*cking sick of everybody blaming Mike Ashley, what the hell has he done wrong!?!
He came in and immeadietly cleared the 100mil debts, he was also willing to pay the money for luka modric, the fact of whether he came or not isn’t down to Ashley as we did offer more money. I can also understand him wanting to cut the wage bill as you have creeps like Duff and Viduka on a lot more than we earn a year. All i’m saying is give this man a chance as he didn’t make his sports world empire out of nothing did he?
He will deliver!
Dan
Jun 28, 2008 at 9:51 AM
Comment #91and before you ask, I don’t work for him
Chris
Jun 28, 2008 at 10:34 AM
Comment #92Well said Dan, there’s so much negativity around here lately!
Davey G
Jun 28, 2008 at 11:56 AM
Comment #93Dan its not what he has done wrong, its what he hasnt done so far!!
i for one am not knocking him, I would just like to know what is going on at the mo.
No one at the club needs to mention names or anything, just a small atatement of intent…
“We have irons in the fire or even we are starting to look now, or even no, we havent started yet”
Anything!!!
They are expecting us to fork out an extra 10% for season tickets so is it too much to expect to ask what are we gettinbg for our money????
Would you walk into comet weigh over 1000 and say there you go, just give me a telly for that?????
clinta
Jun 28, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Comment #94‘and we ‘ll have another top striker coming in before the end of August.’
will we?? you heard something the rest of us haven’t than ed? and like i said on an earlier post, i wouldn’t be so confident that smith will be out the door, first you need to find someone who wants him? someone who will meet the transfer fee and i’m assuming the club wioll want most of there £6m back, and a team that will meet his obviously overally inflated wage demands?
hardly a sure thing, and i can’t see it happening without us taking a decent loss.
but i’d still welcome it!
Davey G
Jun 28, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Comment #95Dan and Chris, people are negative coz they are P*ssed off matey!! Price increases, players leaving, no signs of anyone coming in, little or nothing coming from the suppliers, some people will get Peed off and negative, human nature!!!
This board is for +ve and negative comments.
We all get a bit doon sometimes, BUT hopefully this time next year we will all be sitting with grins the size of Tynemooth on our chops…….
Dan
Jun 28, 2008 at 1:56 PM
Comment #96But lads, look at us we’venever publicly voiced our transfer ongoings before so y start this summer?
Ian
Jun 28, 2008 at 3:14 PM
Comment #97Matthew it is strange that you say that when Mort actually said;
Dennis Wise will assist the board on football related matters including the development of the club’s academy AND PLAYER RECRUITMENT he will report to the chairman. Tony and Jeff will also assist in player recruitment.
Keegan has the last say in who will go in or out of the first team.
So either they told fibs or you have got the wrong end of the stick.
To me it seems like the scouts find the talent, Dennis, Tony and Jeff are in charge of landing them not Keegan, the chairman and owner will ok the purchase.
So sorry but Wise looks like he may be one of two for the push if the transfers dont come in.
Ian
Jun 29, 2008 at 1:21 PM
Comment #98dan, I hope you are right.
However already i think Ashley is making a massive mistake and this is around not involving the fans, public and the city.
Like it or not the club is a business and it needs customers, he needs to keep the fans enthusiasm going to keep the funds rolling in so he gets what he wants from the club.
He definately is not rich enough to fund the club as a bit of fun for himself without the fans and media money. if the media thinks it is going to be a boring club they wont pay to cover many matches as they cant be sure anyone will tune in. Tickets sales will drop like the rest of the country as will merchandise money, remember as well things may be tight for everyone this year, if the club is on the up then people will pay for escapism, if it is dull they may decide to save the money and just watch the highlights on match of the day. Then Ashley will not make a fortune and may be stuck with the club forever.
Anyone who is rich enough can buy a club and pay off the debt, it is what he does with it now his chosen people are in place, at the moment it is nothing, but the transfer window opens next week.
All businessmen who have gone in to football have struggled with player sales and purchases and none have found it easy no matter how succesful they have been in the past. I doubt he will be no different, Chelsea just paid more than anyone else.