The Evening Chronicle (Alan Oliver) is reporting today that Newcastle are on the trail of Wolfsburg’s German under-21 international striker Ashkan Dejagah.
Ashkan Dejagah – reports we are interested in 22 year-old German striker
It seems that Dennis Wise, who is still very unpopular on Tyneside, but attended the Reserve game last night at St. James’ Park, is still hunting young stars for the club. We shouldn’t be too surprised – since that’s his job.
It turns out Dennis Wise was watching Nice’s French winger Loic Remy, at the Under-21 game between France and Germany a couple of weeks back, but he was impressed with the 22-year Dejagah.
Ashkan moved to Wofsburg from Hertha Berlin in 2004, and has played 34 times for the German side, scoring 9 goals, and he has represented at Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 sides. He played 35 times for Hertha Berlin scoring 3 goals.
However, we do seem to have plenty of young strikers on our books right now. 22 year-old Xisco was just signed on September 1st, and we have Gateshead-born Andrew Carroll, who still looks a very good prospect.
Add to them impressive 17 year-old Nile Ranger, who we signed form Southampton in the summer, and is scoring goals for fun in the Reserves and Under-18 side, and also our 18 year old Italian striker Fabio Zamblera, who is also a very impressive youngster.
Dennis Wise had talks last Wednesday with interim Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear, and Joe did say he had started working closely with Dennis for the January transfer window.
It would appear that Xisco has little future at Newcastle, if indeed we do bring in another young striker, and we hope we can recoup the almost £6M we paid for him so recently. That’s especially true because of Ameobi’s much improved form, and we would expect Joe to keep Shola, if he is still in charge come January.
Kinnear has hinted he would try to sell 22 year-old Xisco to a Spanish club and bring in other players, maybe even from the Championship, where he has lots of contacts with scouts, many of whom used to play for him.
We’d certainly like to see him improve our squad in both quantity and quality in the new year, and he seems to be in the best position of anybody right now, to make transfer decisions.
What do you think?
Let us know – comments and opinions always welcome – but please keep them decent – thanks.
43 comments so far
Tom_Toon
Nov 5, 2008 at 1:18 PM
Comment #1Hmmm, not sure if we need Dejagah, if we play 4-3-3 he is good because he is really a wing-forward.
rutehh8
Nov 5, 2008 at 1:24 PM
Comment #2he is a pretty descent player but probably not good enough for the EPL
on a other note … he looks exactly like Hameur Bouazza
Nickies Butt 1000
Nov 5, 2008 at 1:24 PM
Comment #3Xisco needs to go he just can’t fit in with the English game:( Ameobi has been terrific lately and I would keep him at the club. A few people have been saying we should dig in the free transfer market for Ronaldo but he is way past his best now and would he be able to cope in the premier league? But we do need another striker but get a well known or proven one as if we get another Xisco I won’t be happy.
Ageordiedoonsooth
Nov 5, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Comment #4This sounds very fishy. If Ashley is selling the ckub why has he got Wise scouting for players. I think we will be stuck with them both for a good while yet.
Temuri K's Shiny Bonce
Nov 5, 2008 at 1:33 PM
Comment #5There’s only one stand out player in the championship and it’s Michael Kightly of Wolves I’d possibly have Seb Larsson but I cannot think of anyone else playing in the championship that would make us any better!! As for that fella erm who? Why can’t Wise take the hint and f*** off back to the smoke with Lambs Arse and Fatty. We don’t need OUR money being splashed away on junk like Xisco and the invisible Nacho
UTD111
Nov 5, 2008 at 1:33 PM
Comment #6Ed – you forgot to mention we also have Viduka and Smith to come back LOL
The last thing we need is a forward – this is typical of the poison dwarf……..wish somebody would grab him by the neck and scream “LEFT BACK” in his lug till he turned purple or better still “WHY DON’T YOU JUST BUGGER OFF?”
broon ale
Nov 5, 2008 at 1:34 PM
Comment #7Xisco has been terrible. He looks overweight and terribly slow.
Ed harrision, have you ever seen Fabio Zamblera play? you probably havent! he is awful! He doesnt even make the squad for the reserves these days so I’m afraid you wont be seeing him challenge for the first team anytime soon. As for Andy Carroll! I have seen nothing to suggest he will make it!
Irish John
Nov 5, 2008 at 1:34 PM
Comment #8well the reason we might be looking for strikers might be because Owen will fcuk off somewere else in Jan..If he’s not going to sign a new deal we should get what we can and sell in January. Thats if someone wants to pay for something they could get a for free on a agreement 6 months before hand.
Irish John
Nov 5, 2008 at 1:36 PM
Comment #9agree broone ale..Carrol is definatley not prem quality..
SpartanChris
Nov 5, 2008 at 1:37 PM
Comment #10I actually think we do need another striker as considering what we have:
Owen – Injury prone and may leave soon
Viduka – Very Injury prone
Smith – Injury prone and can’t score
Ameobi – Back into some form but not consistent
Carroll – Will not make it in Premier League
Ranger – Future Prospect
But I think we need a proven goalscorer and not another under 21 prospect for the future.
toonoholic
Nov 5, 2008 at 1:38 PM
Comment #11he looks like smith from the middle east
Spyro
Nov 5, 2008 at 1:39 PM
Comment #12Ed i find it quite ridiculous that you have written off Xisco already. He hasn’t had anywhere near enough games to warrant comments like, “Xisco has little future at Newcastle”. So far people on here are judging him on a few sub appearances and maybe one or two 90mins, and that is just not fair. It is his first season here, get off of his back.
ali
Nov 5, 2008 at 1:43 PM
Comment #13Not seen anything from Carroll. However, think dreadfully unfair to write off Xisco. He arrives to a new club, new country on deadline day…the manager quits….then he gets told the manager quit ‘cos he didn’t rate him…what kind of an intro is that? Hard enough at 22 to adapt. Give the lad a break. He may be crap but we don’t know yet.
Punk Skunk
Nov 5, 2008 at 1:48 PM
Comment #14Agree with spyro & ali!..
UTD111
Nov 5, 2008 at 1:52 PM
Comment #15Don’t follow the logic of “give Xisco a chance” but don’t give Carroll a chance?? He’s just a bairn and needs time to develop before anybody even thinks about writing him off?
Or is this because he’s a local lad and didnt cost any money……
azim
Nov 5, 2008 at 1:58 PM
Comment #16I cant agree more than Spyro…we gave chance after chance to Ameobi and why no Xisco??
Ed I’m suprised u wrote this and u infact are too happy with just 2 results…remember Glenn Roeder( started well and finished poorly)
broon ale
Nov 5, 2008 at 2:01 PM
Comment #17we should agree to disaagree for now on the issue of carrol and xisco. To me they look like they have been cut from the same cloth and I dont forsee either of them making the grade. I will be delighted if I am proven wrong!
As for Zamblera. Doesnt even make the subs bench for the reserves and he is 19. Nile ranger on the other hand is only 17 and he has already made the first team subs bench and is scoring goals for fun for the reserves.
Zamblera has scored 2. Both penaltys!
irish_al
Nov 5, 2008 at 2:01 PM
Comment #18I think Xisco should get some reserve team games under his belt, when (if) he does well in those then considered for first team
looked poor so far but hard to tell how much he can improve
Kash
Nov 5, 2008 at 2:01 PM
Comment #19I hate to say it, but I agree with Spyro…..GAG
Xisco has hardly had a chance, the kid is young and in new surroundings, and hasn’t really had the chance to shine. The last thing we and him need is someone shipping him off. He’s in the mix and pushing for a place, and if anything he’s added competition for places which is helping other strikers to perform better.
Shola has started to play with some intelligence lately. I’ve been impressed with his hold up play and his battling for aerial balls.
Did anyone notice his shearer-esque winning of free kicks against Laursen on Monday. I think he did learn something from the Legend after all.
Sholas finishing is rubbish, but his battling and hold up play deserve alot of credit. He could be what Heskey is to England, the big lout that works like a dog!
Kash
Nov 5, 2008 at 2:08 PM
Comment #20As for Carrol, well if he doesn’t make an impact at first team level by the end of NEXT season, then i’m afraid his TOON career is over.
As for our other young and up and coming stars, I agree with Broon that Nile Ranger is a total cracker jack and the type of player who could really excite us fans. As is the young French lad who’s injured his ACL. Zamblera and Carrol are never gonna be anything more than big pwerful target men, and these type of players take alot longer to mature into first team players.
Look at Peter Crouch, he went from club to club before making an impact at Portsmouth (1st spell), and what about Luca Toni, he only rose to fame due to his scoring exploits with Palermo. Before that he was a nobody!
Tez131
Nov 5, 2008 at 2:11 PM
Comment #21Shola is finally using a bit of Strength in gamers but to be fair he is still not a great player.
His positioning is awful, he always seems to have to run into a high ball rather than be in the right position early so he is not giving away free kicks and instead winning them as the defender needs to get him out of the way.
His finishing is not great but I will agree his is currently playing decent (his best).
I really disagree that Xisco should be shipped off he is only new to the league, he is young and needs to adjust.
What do you think of having Owen and Martins upfront? can we play with two smaller strikers? Is are midfield good enough to pass through a team to get to strikers or do we still need the big striker to hoof it too?
Punk Skunk
Nov 5, 2008 at 2:19 PM
Comment #22433 with Oba & Owen up front along side a big ‘un!..
Aggi
Nov 5, 2008 at 2:23 PM
Comment #23Don’t write Xisco off i have a feeling he will be more prolific for us than the likes of Alan Smith(he already is), Viduka and Ameobi although Ameobi has been in good form lately one has to wonder how long he can play at this level. I for one have never been a fan of Ameobi and i’m not today, I think he commits fouls way too often, has never been able to run and his runs are often pointless and meaningless.
Punk Skunk
Nov 5, 2008 at 2:28 PM
Comment #24Aggi,
while i agree generally with your synopsis on Shola…He gets a lot of fouls awarded against him unfairly, the villa game bein’ a perfect example of this…
skin d
Nov 5, 2008 at 2:34 PM
Comment #25must be a slow day at the chronicle so anal oliver is writing more crap,f##k off i,m asking the chronicle to sack this moron once and for all.
Guinea Mag
Nov 5, 2008 at 2:37 PM
Comment #26Xisco deserves a chance. Maybe now the team is playing better, he may look a decent player…..
He’s young, needs to get used to the PL and deserves this chance especially at 5M!
skin d
Nov 5, 2008 at 2:43 PM
Comment #27i,ll never understand why xisco was signed in the first place,we didn,t need him.
basically his signing was a waste of time.
Punk Skunk
Nov 5, 2008 at 2:46 PM
Comment #28Get stuck in skin d!.. Lol!..
skin d
Nov 5, 2008 at 2:53 PM
Comment #29if shola was staying,and at that stage we didn,t know the duke was going to be out why did we sign xisco?.
probably wise and jimmenez taking bonuses for setting up deals.
if we were going to spend money it should have been on the fullback we needed,as our defence had more holes in it than sharon stones knickers.
skin d
Nov 5, 2008 at 2:56 PM
Comment #30maybe xisco was brought in because carroll is a much use as a puff with piles.
Kaveh
Nov 5, 2008 at 3:25 PM
Comment #31He is originally Iranian and is considered as one of the best prospects in German football. Would be a good addition to NC.
The Entertainers
Nov 5, 2008 at 3:52 PM
Comment #32I peronally believe we do need another striker.
We did in the summer and the arrival of Xisco and reameargence of Shola has not diluted that fact with me.
We have:
Oba:
If he had a brain he’d be a world beater (mean that in the nicest possible way)
Owen:
A genuine world beater, but rarely fit!
Viduka:
On his game another world beater, but those days have gone and his injury record is worse than Owens!
Shola:
For me he has shown signs of improvement, but hes 26 not 18! The lad will always flatter to decieve! Hes at worst a below average PL player and at best a top Championship player!
Smith:
For me still has a lot to offer and would love to see him full of confidence in a confident team. We have seen niether since his move.
Xisco:
I still cant see why we bought him? He had his moments in Spain, but wasnt even considered 1st choice at Depo. If he for the future fine (bit of a hefty fee when Vokes at Wolves went for a fraction of the price), if he was bought for the present….mistake.
Carroll:
Hes running out of chances for me. I do see things in him i like, but prehaps not enough.
Zamberela:
Havent seen enough to make an opinion. Havent heard enough positives to make an eductated guess, would suggest hes struggling. But i could and hope i’m wrong. Still has time on his sie.
Ranger:
Very excited about this fellow. Hope we look after him and give the right exposure. The other problem could be his attitude. Been suspect at South’ton, when he signs his first big contract and is earning silly money, the young lads attitude may well be tested!
Thats 9 strikers i’ve mentioned and cant believe it we still need another. Derdiyok would have been my choice, but then again Ashley and Wise made there bed in the summer.
Punk Skunk
Nov 5, 2008 at 4:42 PM
Comment #33That’s a pretty good appraisal entertainers!..
…Tho’, for the money we paid for Xisco, i’d be inclined to give him longer to settle in like!..
Toon_Ksk
Nov 5, 2008 at 5:22 PM
Comment #34I won’t even count Viduka as our striker. Maybe he signed for Physio FC or has signed a part-time contract.
Ben K
Nov 5, 2008 at 5:41 PM
Comment #35Lay off Viduka, if he’s fit again he would walk right back into the side. Look at the results last season when he was fit! He wants to prove that he can still play premiership football, and maybe tried to come back from the Achilles injury. Xisco, on the other hand, is absolute garbage and should not see the pitch for NUFC ever again. Recoup some of the investment and send him back to Spain.
james L
Nov 5, 2008 at 5:55 PM
Comment #36if we are selling any strikers then we should be selling
viduka free
smtih swap to middlesboro for mido or tuncay
carroll 1million
ameobi 2 million
for me xisco hasnt been given a chance he started one game and scored in it.
Keegan Jnr
Nov 5, 2008 at 6:08 PM
Comment #37I can’t believe it but i don’t disagree with any comments on hear. I find myself feeling particularly indifferent.
Tom_Toon
Nov 5, 2008 at 6:09 PM
Comment #38Y right would Boro swap Tuncay or Mido for Smith, hahahah/
Tuncay is amazing and Mido is very good when fit.
Smith is crap when fit!
CHUCK
Nov 5, 2008 at 7:12 PM
Comment #39Bit racist “ENTERTAINERS” if he had a brain etc. and you mean it in the nicest possible way ?
Thats an oxymoron you moron !
The guy just scored two excellent goals and with the right partner would be unstopable And tell me how do you come to the conclusion he has no brain, care to justify your argument.
And you also are of the opinion Smith has a lot to offer, think you will have to look hard to find anyone who will agree with you there.
Apart from the above I agree with most of the rest, apparent as it is to everyone.
toon head
Nov 5, 2008 at 8:50 PM
Comment #40we need a quality centre midfielder we have barton butt an guthrie none of them hav the abilyty to pick out a killer pass