It is well documented that we have again been crippled by injuries this season, and for today’s game we had 7 senior players unavailable through injury, with Nicky Butt out suspended for one game, for picking up his 5th yellow card last Saturday.
Joe Kinnear – not the first Newcastle manager crippled by squad injuries
Those players injured are Ameobi, Barton, Gonzalez, Martins, Beye, Smith and Cacapa.
And over the last several seasons we have had more than our fair share of injuries so when September came around and we hadn’t brought enough players in.
But of course that was our own fault, and some terrible execution during the last transfer window. And it was rather obvious we would struggle again with injuries because of the still small squad and the resulting lack of quality.
So we now have a chance to strengthen the squad in January, and yes we know it’s not easy and all that, but our Premier league survival literally depends on it.
We also need to somehow get our unfit players playing again, as soon as possible, and somehow try to ensure they don’t pick up injuries during training, although not sure exactly how we do that.
Hughton said after the game today:
“We have got a lot of injuries at the moment. Perhaps we are not able to make changes that we would like to.”
“Last week, Hull City were able to make four or five changes, with strong players part of their squad.”
“We in some areas aren’t able to do that, but we are hopeful that in the next few weeks we will get some back.”
The excuse is running thin, and it should not exist come February – and the signs are good that we’ll be bring in Peter Lovenkrands early next week on a free transfer, and maybe even a couple of players from Glasgow Rangers too – but we need one or two to come in now to give us some momentum in the transfer market.
If we can increase our squad by 4-5 good players in January, we’ll be in so much better shape.
Howay The Lads!!
Comments welcome.
188 comments so far
RyanToon
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:12 AM
Comment #81so it will say
username:
email address:
and well have to put that in everytime we want to come on the blog?
it had a log in thing earlier on the riise article and it didnt work for me so i hope it works for me next week like
fostino
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:13 AM
Comment #82in the modern age, sports journalists are acting more like matchmakers in a soap-opera, trying to match a player with a club, thus unsettling the club the players already married with and causing alot of frustration for everyone
toony soprano
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:14 AM
Comment #83Toony is in the scratcher
M.Stockley
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:14 AM
Comment #84does anyone think the mido/smith rumour is a fabrication?
tanya toon
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:14 AM
Comment #85Ha ha 76 toony, oh hes having a shower and singing means 1 thing —i am going to be sick-BAIRNS ROOM NOW, bye lads oh fcuk off the knob that has appeared again—MACKEM suck co–!!!
fostino
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:15 AM
Comment #86re: ross
mate, if you have a degree in ‘waffle’ and you know your football, then bang, your hired to write for the NOTW, or any taibloid for that matter, the sun hires monkeys to cut back on costs
RyanToon
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:16 AM
Comment #87m stockley
cant see mido coming here but i could see smith going to boro
M.Stockley
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:16 AM
Comment #88fostino, know what u mean mate, one day ill keep a sunday paper or 2, keep it a couple of months and then consult the gossip collums to see how much of it actually happened…. its aload of crap, yet im a sucker, ill be the first to read the back pages…..
M.Stockley
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:18 AM
Comment #89ryan i suspect that bout mido, ive heard mido wants to join us but like weve touched upon the papers talk utter crap
Tom_Toon
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:18 AM
Comment #90M.Stockley – Nope, and Mido wants to come so I’ve heard.
fostino
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:20 AM
Comment #91re: M.Stockly
this is a good question that’s just been brushed under the carpet, it seems we were in for Mido, we probably offered the smoggies of few of our season ticket holders but they wanted smith, but ashley didnt want to splash out on a third NUFC jersey because his current two say 1)’1 king kev’ – in truth this jersey could cost him 8 million in the courts if KK gets his way and 2) Smith – no.17) his lucky number, but cleary did smith no favours
RyanToon
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:20 AM
Comment #92tom toon
where you hear that?
Cuzzy
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:22 AM
Comment #93Am equally struggling guys!!
RyanToon
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:22 AM
Comment #94how bout lorik cana from marseille in a swap with nGOBia?
M.Stockley
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:24 AM
Comment #95mido would be good though….how do people feel bout darren bent?
fostino
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:25 AM
Comment #96re: Stockley
too right mate, everything else is pure rubbish 🙂 i no, they really can get away with murder because it’s called the gossip column…..its genius because i too am i sucker for it!
Tom_Toon
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:27 AM
Comment #97Just through the grapewine, little whispers here and there.
Ryan – No chance in that swap.
Stockley – Bent is a nice lad, played badminton with him before, but not for us I dont think.
fostino
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:29 AM
Comment #98i hear mido came on for the boro today and barely moved a muscle, the lad can be a right sulk sometimes, im not so sure on him, even tho i would quite like a little and large combination!!
bent is too like martins in my humble opinion, fast, hit and miss shot, except our toon speedrunner is much better, i wouldnt see the point in splashing millions on bent to be honest
RyanToon
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:30 AM
Comment #99no to darren bent for me
fred from lyons available for 4-5m i think lyon said, would you want him
RyanToon
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:32 AM
Comment #100mido is good when fit but he is to tempremental and wouldnt really want him
oh tom toon
carroll played well today didnt he
RyanToon
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:35 AM
Comment #101how bout stephen hunt from reading,hes a good player IMO
Tom_Toon
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:35 AM
Comment #102Aye, seems to be improving every game.
M.Stockley
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:38 AM
Comment #103i 2nd that for hunt, i really rate him, we just ideally need to get in someone who can play on the other wing… we need a decent right winger….
Chrise
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:43 AM
Comment #104Never thought Hunt was better than championship standard tbh!
RyanToon
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:44 AM
Comment #105tomtoon
you hate carroll, you always slag him off on 606, good to see you changed your mind.
hunt would be dear for 6m id pay 3m max
RyanToon
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:47 AM
Comment #106i wouldnt mind riquelme on loan, ha ha
Tom_Toon
Jan 11, 2009 at 1:58 AM
Comment #107Ed, the news comments policy is perfect.
Cant believe I have made almost 5300 posts!
Spyro
Jan 11, 2009 at 2:02 AM
Comment #108Finally no more dupes!
RyanToon
Jan 11, 2009 at 2:03 AM
Comment #109ive signed up now, sorted!
RyanToon
Jan 11, 2009 at 2:04 AM
Comment #110nice one ed
Spyro
Jan 11, 2009 at 2:04 AM
Comment #111Looks like somebodies trying to change my password already….
Ed Harrison
Jan 11, 2009 at 2:04 AM
Comment #112Is the Login facility working now? Tom – I sent you a note a few mins ago.
Login using Tom_Toon
kajman
Jan 11, 2009 at 2:05 AM
Comment #113today was not great but we got a point ..ffs we need new players
Tom_Toon
Jan 11, 2009 at 2:06 AM
Comment #114Yep Ed, but It seems you can change your display name, that could cause he same upset again.
RyanToon
Jan 11, 2009 at 2:08 AM
Comment #115ed it wont let me log out for some reason, ive signed up to it though, you sent me email, whats happening mate
Ed Harrison
Jan 11, 2009 at 2:12 AM
Comment #116RyanToon
Do you need to log out? – if it’s still not working I can disable it until I sort the thing out .
It’s the basic login capability in WordPress 2.7
Dragonera
Jan 11, 2009 at 2:12 AM
Comment #117TT
Why don’t you ask Spyro a question so that you know that it is the real one and not a fake.
Not an obvious one though mate 😉
Tom_Toon
Jan 11, 2009 at 2:14 AM
Comment #118Spyro – What uni do you go to/did go to?
Dragonera
Jan 11, 2009 at 2:14 AM
Comment #119Ed Harrison
Thanks a lot. You have just regained a blogger 🙂
RyanToon
Jan 11, 2009 at 2:15 AM
Comment #120ed
its saying
you are trying to log out, please try again,
log me out mate if you can, will it be working for tommorow, do you think?