Newcastle fans will have some questions today on exactly what went wrong yesterday, and why weren’t more players signed during the transfer window.
Here are some of the more obvious questions the Board need to answer today, but don’t hold your breath:
- Why wait again until the last minutes, when we knew from last time that deals can fall through and your are left with nothing – which is basically what happened yesterday – again.
- Why negotiate for a couple of weeks on Shay Given’s move, finally accept what is probably a low bid (because we haven’t been officially told the fee), and go back the next day (final day) and ask for Michael Johnson, and allow that bid to be rejected – which it was.
Sounds daft on the part of Newcastle.
- Where are the two loan players we were told have been agreed, one Italian and one Argentine, when the loan deals had already presumably been agreed with their clubs at around £440K each.
Other clubs, including Everton and Sunderland made loan deals yesterday.
- The big question – how come we end up up with £10M, when we were short of players on January 1st and remain short of players after the window closes.
We had only one additional net player come through the door when talk of 4 or 5 players coming in were continually mentioned.
- Why wasn’t the defense strengthened, when we went into the window short of full-backs. We do have Ryan Taylor in to help, and he looks a very good player, but he’s more of a utility player and not an out and out defender that we needed.
And there’s probably more questions, but those are some of the obvious ones.
There’s a saying in business that fail once, and put it down to a learning experience, but fail twice and it’s grounds for dismissal.
Whoever is responsible for transfers at Newcastle, bringing them in and getting them out, and we have to think that’s Dennis Wise, has not got the job done, for a second time in a row.
That’s important, because we are hardly much stronger to meet the relegation threat, especially when other relegation teams like Tottenham, Sunderland, Portsmouth and others have strengthened their squads.
We are a bit stronger, because we have two very good players in Nolan and Taylor, and they cost the club N’Zogbia and we got £2M too.
And we also have Peter Lovenkrands and he should be able to get us a few goals, once he gets fully match fit again, but he looksa very decent player. The players we brought in, on the bright side, were all very good, and all great deals for the club, but not enough.
There’s a story in The Mail this morning saying Wise is sacked, and Mike Ashley will bring in Shearer or Steve Bruce as manager this summer, but that seems like complete made-up nonsense to us.
It’s made up nonsense because the specific reporter is not even identified.
But if Newcastle announce something dramatic today, it’s to deflect from the transfer ineptitude that has again been shown by the club in January.
Comments welcome.
188 responses so far ↓
1 najikhin86 // Feb 3, 2009 at 7:42 AM
just give them another chance in the summer.. the season is not over yet.. we will survive relegation..
2 najikhin86 // Feb 3, 2009 at 7:45 AM
does anyone know who is better, between michael johsnson and danny guthrie???
3 valle // Feb 3, 2009 at 7:50 AM
Ed i agree that the transfer window showed how imcompetent our transfer team is… BUT… Be carefull not to direct it at the board. The last thing we need right now is more fan protests against MA… Hopefully he is aware of the problem he has with the guys responsible to bring in transfers and he will correct it in the summer, finally giving a good manager complete control over 1st team transfers… If that manager is Bruce, then he can wheel and deal allot for those 10 mill + player sales a season.
4 valle // Feb 3, 2009 at 7:51 AM
MA do need to come out with a (hopefully) positive statement soon, telling us of his plans tho.
5 Nick D // Feb 3, 2009 at 7:52 AM
Great site and all Ed, but you have a way of doing the same article 15 different ways. What’s done is done, let’s move on.
6 Alanmc09 // Feb 3, 2009 at 7:52 AM
Najikhin-MICHAEL JOHNSON!!
7 Norway_the_lads // Feb 3, 2009 at 7:52 AM
If we look at most of the comments beeing said on this blog the last couple of months, it’s hard to find optimism. And if we can’t seem to find any optimism, then how about our players?
It’s time we SHUT UP and start SHOUTING OUT!
Get behind the team and make the atmosphere at SJP as it once was!!
8 najikhin86 // Feb 3, 2009 at 7:55 AM
ok thanks.. dont be so mad at me.. i dunt live in UK like all u guyz.. thought it was only hype about johnson.. like always..
9 leekirtley // Feb 3, 2009 at 7:55 AM
how annoyed and pist off am i . . . . VERY . . . . what an absloute ball acke . . . . sat on here like some sort of itdiot waiting for more new on signings last nite, wahy didnt the club site just make a qwick statment to let everyone know thats all we have signed, its not even the lack of players that bothers me its the fact with all the lies of 4 players then 2 players apprently yesterday, then we get one which we knew we where getting!
10 Charlietoon // Feb 3, 2009 at 7:56 AM
Danny murphy is better than both of them. As for the Wise sacking some fella came out and said he should go and all the paper talk has come from that one guys opinion absolute rubbish. No news might be good news and even if it isn’t chin up!
11 leekirtley // Feb 3, 2009 at 7:56 AM
why*/quick*
12 Born Again Geordie // Feb 3, 2009 at 7:59 AM
What did I tell you !!!!
Everybody believes all the crap you read in the trashy tabloids and then get really p*ssed off when non of them come to fruition !!!!
MA needs to make an official statement and let everyone know his plans for ‘moving ahead in 2009′
13 valle // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:02 AM
Ed its hard to keep a discussion going when you make so many articles with the same content mate… thank god for cut and paste lol… Whoever is responsible for making sure that we have the right deals lined up and that we get a good success rate of getting those in the bag needs to be fired, they simply aint doing a good enough job… Not that im unhappy about the players we got, they are fine. But because that deadline day bids for players we dont get in the end, smacks of desperation and shows the simple fact that our transfer team simply are in too deep in this business… Before we go on, i would like to say that im behind MA and i like his idea about keeping the 1st team spending on a controlled lvl (10 + player sales a season) while building up our youths, but he is now taking the flak from his transfer team once again. Now, im not quite sure if its Wise who handles 1st team transfers, since his job is the youths right?. If it is Wise, then get rid of him now, if its not then get rid of whoever else is responsible. We then need to make a long sighted appointment on the manager post if we’re not sticking with JFK (which im not so sure we should). Rumours this morning is either Shearer or Bruce and any of those would do… Give them full control of 1st team transfer, keep somebody else in control of youth transfers and Voila!… A manager like that could stay a long time and give us stabillity while the youth system will start to cast of some (hopefully) great players.
14 AussieToon // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:03 AM
I wanted to comment this morning before I left for work, but I thought I will hold back as I was extremely angry….
I have been to work, come back, gone for a run in 30 degrees heat (sorry my UK brothers for rubbing it in) and even after all that, I am still angry.
I said at around the midway point of this transfer window that I knew the club will let us down, and stuff it up, but the way they have gone about doing that has been deplorable!
Absolutely unacceptable and this board has gone way beyond protests and boycotts.
They need to be forcibly removed!!!
Shocking and this is bordering on made up it’s just so hard to fathom!
How with the relegation crap squad can not be improved despite getting rid of 14 million dollars of talent is quite frankly not on!
If I hear one more Ashley backer I will fair dinkum spew up.
If we get relegated I want this prick to suffer, hopefully he feels it and his once billion dollar empire will dissolve into bankrupcy for himself! He deserves the absolute worst for what he is doing, the stupid fool.
If we go down, I want backers to come in for a squint of what he payed, and for him to not get back his millions he “loaned” to us.
Then he can f**k off into the wilderness and hopefully never to be seen again in public.
Had enough of the imbecile.
The Given transfer has me perplexed, honestly sell him for nothing, why? Then after we sell him we go for Michael Johnson and they reject us….bloody morons, no wonder the club is the worst it has been for a very long time.
Go F**K Yourself Mike Ashley!
15 leekirtley // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:07 AM
aussietoon im with you 100%
16 Stuart79 // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:15 AM
Well this is proof if ever we needed it that Mike Ashley plans on trying to sell the club again in the summer.
This would explain the lack of net spend AGAIN!
17 richyg01 // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:16 AM
Having a go at ashley and co now is not going to help the team, they need our support, if the players can sense unrest in the fans, it unsettles them.
We need the 12th man and that is ALL of us behind the team 110%.
Sure we failed in the window, but so much hinged on the Given and NZogbi deals, both of which were dragged out until the very last day, hence the reason why we had no activity until it was too late on the last day.
Who knows, we may have emailed the FA by the 5:00pm deadline saying that a deal was in place, this information would be kept between the clubs and the FA. We will see…
HOWAY THE LADS.
Good solid signings this window, well done!
18 craig s chisholm // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:16 AM
for once i am not going to complain about the window. i am happy with the way it turned out – we goit shot of two plyers that did not want to wear our colours anymore and were probably causing unrest in the dressing room and we brought in three outfield players. making it an increase of two in the outfield. i could not care less about given leaving or zogs. nolan was a great capture and he will be immence for us this season and onwards. we were lucky barton got crocked otherwise we would never have got nolan. i am happy.
19 lesh // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:24 AM
Ho hum. Another successful period of razor-sharp wheeling and dealing over. Mr Wise did it again eh?
If the Sun’s got it right (and believe me, I want to believe it)……
‘Dennis Wise is set to leave his post as Newcastle’s director of football’.
Who’s organsing a whip round so we can express our sincer gratitiude for all the sterling work he’s done?
20 3D_Delnaja // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:24 AM
this transfer window clearly reflect MA`s total lack of experience when it comes to owning an football club of this magnitude. I mean how hard can it actually be to organize transfers when you know what`s needed & when it`s needed. The last thing we needed was to sell a world top 5 keeper, that in the end just earned the club money that we didn`t even spend nor gave us an playerexhcange or a loandeal. That`s completetely ridicilous considering our need for players & the seemingly underestimated value of Given from Wise & Co. Was it so hard getting Onohua for an extra 2 mil in a swap deal?
I don`t think so but when everything is done in the last minutes u have to wonder who`s to blame… Wise ofcourse & I would consider Kinnears influence on these matters.
He knew what we needed but clearly he didn`t have much to say in the end did he?!
We weren`t asking for much this time, just 4-5 new decent faces in the squad so we could maintain a full squad & to survive this season.
We actually got 2 very decent ones but at the cost of an outstanding keeper, the Zog isn`t a loss of my concern though, but we really needed more players in.
So what`s next? Well, since the official homepage been strugglin all morning I guess they are uploading some lame excuses or smokescreens, or as usual, not saying anything substantial to us fans, their biggest mistake so far….
& I certainly don`t agree with Danny Murphy being better than Kevin Nolan
21 ganiyu // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:26 AM
i wanted lennon
22 toonarmyuk // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:27 AM
Well, if my memory serves me correctly, I seem to to remember Kinnear saying that Ashley (the Board?) would be making a big announcement after the window closed.
Looking forward to seeing what they have to say for themselves! I would hope it would be an announcement that Wise and Llambias are being sacked. Wise really REALLY does have some explaining to do. What exactly has he done for the last 6 months since the last window??
23 ronaldeano // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:31 AM
Love the Club
Support the club
Get behind the players
HATE MIKE ASHLEY
24 ganiyu // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:31 AM
all we needed was someone to make a difference at sjp.
25 Chizzy_Toon // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:32 AM
The big announcement was something that Kinnear came out with!! so i will personally take it with a pound of salt
The guy does nothing but lie.
26 ginkoh // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:33 AM
Waiting for next story. I hope we can do well. After Strom the sky are blue.
27 Toonkistan // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:33 AM
its the Whip round what was organized at Hull game when KK left and MA never came to see and its only last week when he saw the team with his own eyes and decided to invest but may be it was too late by then….so plz no use for protest and all…Have faith in team, manager and board…Back Them to aviod relegation.
28 Raffo // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:35 AM
lol, the big announcement is………………………
there is no announcement. Chizzy, your right JFK just spawns shite. I dont believe anything I hear anymore
29 craig s chisholm // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:35 AM
there is no point just going out and blowing the ten million excess just for the sake of it is there? martins is back for next game and can partner carroll. smith is also back. once barton comes back we have a barton/nolan partnership which will be immense. it was a good window, got rid of the trouble, increased our numbers by two and got some decent quality. we have to run with it now, this is our team for the relegation run in. i think that if we can turn over WBA we will probably stay up, if we loose i think we will go down, the next game will tell us our future.
30 estechco // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:36 AM
toonarmyuk: I was just about to make the exact same point. I’m glad I didn’t imagine it!
31 craig s chisholm // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:36 AM
ED, ffs put up a more positive thread mate and lets try to draw a line under the window and move on.
32 ganiyu // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:37 AM
poulsen would be a great asset if we got him
33 craig s chisholm // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:38 AM
i see they are saying steve bruce to newcaslte in the summer. ha ha, zogs goes there and then bruce comes here, comical.
34 ganiyu // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:39 AM
if martins is fit we would avoid relegation he is the only difference
35 aus_toon_todd // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:41 AM
ed, we did aswell if not better than we should’ve. nufc has not much appeal, especially with so many injured players looking to come back into the team. if you’re moving in jan it’s usually cause you ‘have’ to get away from your current club. or you have billions.
however, i do think the full stories are yet to be heard.
36 aus_toon_todd // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:44 AM
harper
beye collo taylor jose
jonas nolan barton duff
owen viduka
martins, smith, taylor x2, shola, carrol, guthrie, geremi, lovenkrands.
when fit that’s a top 10 club right there!
37 lundypete1 // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:44 AM
It is quite clear, having read the comments above, that Mike Ashley is a business genius: he has found out how Seymour, Westwood, McKeag and Shepherd get awy with this shit year in. You lot, being eternall optimistic (I am really trying hard to be polite here), will believe any old crap, you dont believe the evidence of your own eyes, you still think he is some sort of saviour.
So you will keep spending your money in Shearers, lining his pockets, safe in the knowledge that you are the “best fans in the world” You might be, but yoiu are the most gullible.
Next transfer windowis too late, idiots. We will be in the Championship by then. So cheer away, believe what you want, but after 40 odd years I am starting to believe the southern journos: the problem with the Toon is the fans.
38 ganiyu // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:44 AM
yea i also believe bruce is the way to the next level
39 aus_toon_todd // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:45 AM
oops take taylor out and bassong in
der.
40 Chris G // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:46 AM
AussieToon – totally agree.
I’d love to see the board forcibly removed too, but I don’t think it’s going to happen – it would require a vote from the majority of the company’s shareholders.
It might be more effective if some of us aussie residents went over there and shoved a very large didgeridoo up his arse.
41 Toonkistan // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:48 AM
please put the other taylor in place of jose… and i knw u r an aussie but i’d rather have smith than viduka
:P not that i dont like viduka…its just that i like smith more 
42 ganiyu // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:49 AM
i wonder y micheal owen wasnt sold?
43 Born Again Geordie // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:52 AM
ganiyu,
Owen is injured !!!!
Fool
44 papscrunt // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:53 AM
Makes no odds if Shearer, Bruce or if even Fergie takes over. Behind the scenes is a total mess.
Ashley has been totally ill advised by a bunch of idiots who have wasted fortunes over the years.
Ashley would do well do just get advice from the right people, like David Dein a man who knows both the business side and the football side.
I’d really love to know who recommended Wise.
I bet it was Camoli?
45 ganiyu // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:53 AM
18 points coming
46 Kevin Nichol // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:54 AM
The performance of newcastle united in this transfer window has been utterly limp and inept!
I am not saying bringing in nolan and Taylor ais not god business! I think both players will make significant contributions; however it was painfully obvious that we needed a min of 4-5 players!
Our squad is simply not good enough! Our league plight tells us that! Again on sat we will be down to the bare 11!
Too little too late; let’s not forget that Nolan was signed simply because Barton was injured against Man City; would he have been brought in otherwise? I think not!
The time for me to Judge the NUFC heirarchy was after the january transfer window slammed shut and judge now i will!
1. We have failed the club, the supporters and the players.
2. Wise and the recruitment team must be dismantled. If we wanted johnson as Ed has pointed out then we should not have let Shay go until our demands were met! He was under contract and i am certain their would have been demand for his signature in the summer! ££££ pound signs must have lit up in someone’s eyes!
3. Someone at the club MUST GET A HOLD ON JOE KINNEAR’S STATEMENTS TO THE PRESS. He is telling the supporters one thing; whilst the club does something entirely different! His ramblings are becomming a laughing stock and it is giving supporters false home that something was to be done yesterday.
4. Either ASHLEY or LLAMBIAS must make a statement of intent to the fans. We seemingly have no direction, no idea on how to get our great club moving forward again. What is really going on? Are we asset stripping and still looking to make a profit? Are we serious about making this football club a force once more?
5. The Fans need to get behind the players; but must also begin to make their voices heard. We do not deserve to be left in the lurch like this.
I am a disgruntled supporter who feels utterly let down by the club. Where do we go from here? If we lose away at the hawthrons on sat then i fear there is only one place we are going….and it won’t be pleasent or pretty down there.
47 aus_toon_todd // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:57 AM
viduka fit needs to be in there, no-one can hold the ball like can in the entire squad. i like smith too, still think he will play his part this year. hoping.
48 Toon_Sydney // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:58 AM
Harper
Beye Collo Bassong Enrique
Jonas- Nolan- Barton
Martins- Owen-Viduka
Guthrie-Duff-Krul-Ryan Taylor-Steven Taylor-Lovenkrands
49 Born Again Geordie // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:58 AM
We will win on Saturday – we have Oba back and he will bag a brace !!!!!
Ho’way the lads !!!!
50 pk08 // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:58 AM
january is the worst time to sign players, it looks like clubs tried to hold us to ransom (toulouse, rennes), and we refused, the players we did get were reasonable prices and probably on market wages. If we’d signed fox from coventry i’m not sure he’d've been better than enrique so it still wouldnt have appeased anyone. The thing we lack is a creative midfielder, and at the moment, a good striker, but if we had owen martins viduka back people would be complaining about signing a striker – think we just have to accept it all and keep our fingers crossed.
51 ganiyu // Feb 3, 2009 at 8:58 AM
i would like to have a pphysical battle with a born again geordie
52 billy the fish // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:01 AM
really disappointed with this transfer window
we are now going to find it extremenly difficult to challenge for a place in the top 6
might make top 8 at a push
53 ganiyu // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:01 AM
this site has improved but the use of english hasnt
54 papscrunt // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:01 AM
Pk08: I’ll still complain about not having a striker even when viduka’s back!
I’ve got 2 metal hips a metal shoulder sit in a wheelchair and i bet i move more in a day than him!
Well maybe he’d beat me in a race to the fridge
55 ronaldeano // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:01 AM
@Ganiyu
B.A.G would kick your ass!
Shut your mouth son
56 billy the fish // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:02 AM
ahhhhhhhhhhhhh the blind optimism – its back after last nights depression
57 valle // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:03 AM
52 ganiyu // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:01 AM
this site has improved but the use of english hasnt
So?… Thank god that we are a club with a worldwide fanbase… Its not a spelling contest you know.
58 Yellow Belly // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:03 AM
The big question – Is Ashley here just to make a quick profit or Are his long terms plans honourable and he is just a bit green and making a few mistakes along the way that we all can and will forgive?
I am not sure myself only time will tell.
But one thing I am sure on is that Kinear is not a good manager he can not motivate players and he has no tactical knowledge. He is playing on sympathy vote and he’s getting it from Ed. If he stays every player will want to leave Wish we got some one like Zola, total respect.
59 Danish_Magpie // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:03 AM
Right lads, last night I was thinking about all the changes I want to see happen in the summer with big-wage players moving on, and bringing in player x, y, and z. For now, let’s forget about all that, and live in realities. HUGE game on saturday, which is a must-win. Jonas is suspended and lots of the lads are injured. Any news on Coloccini? If he is out I presume we will line up as follows:
…………………………Harper…………………………..
R. Taylor……S. Taylor……Bassong……Enrique
Duff…………..Nolan………Butt……..Løvenkrands
…………………….Oba……….Ameobi………………..
Carroll to come on instead of Ameobi during the game (I would actually prefer to see him start, but that wont happen).
Alternatives to the line-up above is Geremi in on RW and Duff moved to left and Løvenkrands on the bench. Similarly, Edgar could play RB, with R. Taylor moved up to RW, Duff on the left, and Løvenkrands on the bench.
I don’t think it’s a terrible line-up to be honest, and I hope it’s enough to get 3 vital vital points.
60 aus_toon_todd // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:03 AM
papscrunt, feed him a pie and he’ll score for you.
61 ian // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:04 AM
If Wise is replaced by anyone with a good manner and the ability to get on with people then it would be better, I think Wise would be replaced to help a sale not to help the club improve.
My choice would be Roeder as we have a youth policy that isnt being used and he is definately number one in that area, he also has a good manner and knows his stuff, he would help JK not argue with him.
Shearer would be a really bad idea, I still think Shearer has player favourites who arent always the best form players, more the ones he gets on well with, he just sticks by Michael Owen no matter what which isnt a good sign for anyone in football management or in fact any management, so he would be a bad idea, cant see the point in Bruce sat there, he would just be a frustrated manager.
62 ganiyu // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:04 AM
we would finish 13-16th this season.
63 Chris G // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:05 AM
ganiyu – another reason that Michael Owen wasn’t sold is that nobody wants to buy him now. Everybody knows that they can get him for free when his contract runs out.
64 Guinea Mag // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:05 AM
We need stability at our club and while we all agree JFK is not the person to take us forward, he’s not done such a bad job will the squad and current injuries.
If we bring back Chris Mort who at least talks to the fans, it would appease the mass majority.
Sacking Dennis Wise unless he really screwed up some of the acquisitions (and maybe he did???) is not the answer unless we have some one better to replace him.
We need to move forward, ensure PL football is played at SJP next season, and need the 12th man more than ever now…….
65 Troubled Toon // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:07 AM
So much for seeing someone at the airport
66 ganiyu // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:07 AM
sell all the striker except carrol and martins
67 Toon_Sydney // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:08 AM
ian- he sticks by owen because he was the one who convinced owen to come really and probably cut a year of retirement just to play with him
68 valle // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:09 AM
Danish…
First of all… hejsa
2nd of all… Its not that bad, try to compare it with West Broms… I doubt Oba will start tho, he is just comming back, so he will properly start on the bench… Its a must win tho, if we lose thise things look dire indeed.
69 papscrunt // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:09 AM
Ganiyu: Its we “WILL” 13-16th this season, not “Would”
Correct English on the site please
Aus_toon_todd: Been to Greggs its sorted mate! 6 Steak bakes should get at least one run into the channels from him.
70 aus_toon_todd // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:09 AM
shearer would only come in if there was no risk involved, too much of a reputation. god!
71 Chris G // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:11 AM
ganiyu // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:01 AM
this site has improved but the use of english hasnt
________
Your command of the English language hasn’t improved either.
The word ‘English’ should begin with a capital ‘E’ and you forgot the apostrophe in the word ‘hasn’t’.
72 Danish_Magpie // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:13 AM
Hejsa tilbage.
Yeah, it might be Carroll-Ameobi to start, and Oba to come on during the second half.. I really hope Joe doesn’t rush Oba back as he seems to have been rushed back a few times with the result being another breakdown.
We have to keep a watchful eye out for Jay Simpson on saturday. He has looked really dangerous whenever I have watched him for Arsenal in the Carling Cup and has started very well with WBA as well. Him and Bednar are a real handful, but you are right that we have more quality in the side than WBA for sure..
73 valle // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:14 AM
papscrunt… hehe
74 Prince Bassong // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:15 AM
Llambias and Wise are getting paid a fortune for doing naff all, which is what many of our players do, and have done, over the years and they are being filtered out so why not these two?
Not only that but because of their hard work we can’t get any managers better than Joe Kinnear.
We are selling players and not seeing that money reinvested in replacements nevermind trying to strengthen the club. Are they expecting to get 20 more players like Jonas and Bassong for the same price? And before people say it’s hard to buy in January unless players want to leave or are kicked out, Nolan wasn’t either.
Add to that the fact that everything that does come out of the club is complete B******S!
The club is in a complete mess and every chance there has been to fix it, Mike Ashley has rejected it yet his attempts to sell were poor at best. But he tried just like he does in the transfer markets.
I now have no faith in the Newcastle hierarchy whatsoever. That is to say, I am at a point that it is impossible for any trust to be resurrected.
I shall not put up with this setup next season. Changes MUST be made!
75 Toon_Sydney // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:16 AM
All English Team – Assuming they were fit all season how u thnk they would go?
—————Harper——————–
R.Taylor —- S.Taylor- —-Butt——–
Nolan——-Barton——Guthrie——–
————–Smith- Carrol—————–
———-Owen———Ameobi———–
76 valle // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:17 AM
Danish… True, but in the end i think its a question of us scoring more goals then them… We need a game where everything seems to go our way, like the away game at Portsmouth or the home game against Villa… Phew things are starting to get nervy indeed.
77 aus_toon_todd // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:18 AM
toon_syd, bar defence, solid.
78 Toon_Sydney // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:20 AM
aus-toon-odd: u from sydney?melbourne? good to see theres a few aussies
79 Brettoon // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:23 AM
Just bloody gutted lads
80 bennytoon // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:24 AM
I would just like to add that i think this transfer window was our best in a long time.
Cudicini
Chimbonda
Palacios
Appiah
Defoe
Keane.
Very pleased with that. Season was going nowhere(apart from our trip to wembley and still being in europe) so Levy once again backs his manager. Shame we missed out on Quaresma but at least we were aiming high.
Not to impressed with Lovenkrands, Nolan and Taylor. Dont think that will be enough to keep you up. I wonder what happened to all the players stuart79 and david craig were on about. Must have been wind up merchants. Well i did say you would be let down!
Oh and be careful on the ice sirjasontoon with your vintage bmx. Wouldnt want you to have an accident.
Yours sincerely
AO/fernando/nando/supertrooper.
81 Tony // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:24 AM
overall i think we have got two good english players in and lovenkrands who all want to play for the club and got rid of two that didnt.i like many would have liked to see a couple more transfers come in but if other clubs wont sell there is nothing we can do apart from offering way over the odds ,which was never going to happen.on the bright side we have players coming back from long injuries ,oba,viduka and smith which will feel like new signings.at least we did better than boro who failed to even attract anyone from the championship who must be surely doomed to play there next season.
82 rooks // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:24 AM
Ashley is takin the pi$$ (revenge for last years revolt anyone?). There is no other explanation for the failure to land Johnson as part of the Given deal.
and where the fcuk was the SSN ticker tape moment he referred to, probably stuck in one of his rolls of fat along with an Argentinian, an Italian, a wow signing & JFKs brain.
83 Brettoon // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:26 AM
nothing to say now either- just an immense anti climax
84 NotAGhostToon // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:27 AM
Right, i’ve not read everyone else’s views since the closing really because i was a bit frustrated and hoped for more news this morning but here’s my summary.
The players we’ve got:
Lovenkrands: Adds much needed pace, but i feel he’s not gonna get all that many games as he is not fully match fit yet and is probably not all that good any more
Nolan: Great signing, if you need anyone in a battle its gotta be him, the way he was speaking in the huddle the other day i was proud to have him and at 4m, great deal!
Ryan Taylor: Again Great signing, his versatility is essential atm, and his main position also essential, being right back. We need someone who can take set pieces etc, because we simply need goals and won games, he provides that, and again at a very good price
Outgoings:
Given: Our main man for so many years, however he wanted to go, and no matter who it is if a player doesn’t want to be here i don’t want them to be, he’s served us well but so has harper. I think harper has the potential to be just as good with more games and we do appear to do better with him in our side, just look at sunday. The price was a bit pathetic and without that money being reinvested it was useless, but hold it for the summer
N’zogbia: 6m for this idiot? great deal, end of
Summary of actual transfers: a net gain of 10m and 1 player, all 3 of the players each want to play for us whereas the other two didn’t, we’ve added versatility, set pieces, pace, leadership, and brute strength. I think overall we have improved the side, only just really, but i think the area’s we improved were ones which we’ve missed for years.
Now onto the ones that got away, i think it might be a bit harsh to go claiming that we’ve not tried hard enough, an 8m bid for johnson should have been more than enough, unfortunately man city don’t need the money, we did appear to put in a lot of bids for players that just got rejected and it sounds like this time it wasn’t particularly that we didn’t go high enough. I think were we did go wrong was how late we started in the window, and i have to agree that lambias does absolutely nothing and wise does do well with the youngsters but i’m sure a lot of other people could do it as good or better and still add to the first team. The main one i’m concerned about is why we didn’t get fox, because at worst we pay 3m for him, overpay but get needed cover?
Anyway in summary i’m bang in between, if we go down this window will be the reason, if we stay up the few signings we’ve made will be the reason, we need to win against wba!
85 NotAGhostToon // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:29 AM
Bennytoon, yet we’ll still beat you!
86 Partizan // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:30 AM
Craig Crisholm……I’ve always respected your opinion but this time you have contradicted yourself big time.
You were always saying that MA was the main reason why we’re losing our best players.
Now you’re saying N’Zogbia and Given didn’t wanna wear our colours…….why should they!!!
Given wants to win something in his life and Zog wants to become full international.
They had every right to leave….and one more thing,if this nightmare continues i personally would want all our best players to leave in search of an ambitious club where they can leave their mark.
87 aus_toon_todd // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:30 AM
benny, did (spurs) not (we) as this is not a spuds blog… bring in appiah? never heard that confirmed?
88 pk08 // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:30 AM
toonsydney, not only do you have butt at LCB of a 3 man defense, you also have 4 (appalling) strikers and no width…. so no i think it would be terrible..
89 Tony // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:31 AM
NotAGhostToon
well said mate i agree
90 ronaldeano // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:33 AM
The sad little cockney tw@t is posting under other peoples names again
Sad, very sad
91 bennytoon // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:35 AM
notaghosttoon- Might be a bit tricky when you are in a different division.
bye.
92 valle // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:35 AM
Bennytoon… Man Utd will beat you in the final and you know that if your honest, which means you wont have the added income of Europe next season… Your wages must have risen sky high? and you keep spending like there is no tommorow, yet you still lose away to Bolton and lie in a dangerous position in the table with the same amount of points as us… What exactly are you happy about?… All the spending?… We might very well end up above you this season with a net gain on transfers compared to your net spend (75 mill?)
93 bennytoon // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:36 AM
ronaldeano- i just said it was me you twit. Its sad you cant read!
94 batty // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:38 AM
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 8:23 pm Post subject: Are Newcastle United fans complete idiots?
——————————————————————————–
To save most of you the bother of reading another of my long-winded diatribes, the answer is yes. Feel free to read on if you wish to know why I think so.
I would not classify myself as particularly intelligent, so please take what I am about to say on face value, and not as delusional self-adulation, which it certainly isn’t, but:
I have two degrees, one in applied mathematics, the other in IT (both which could be described as reasonably logical subjects).
I am a manager in the IT industry (again, quite a logical vocation).
I am also Newcastle daft.
Daft.
My education centred around logic.
My vocation likewise.
So why can’t my love of NUFC be logical?
I have a golf handicap of 1, which is more than decent, so why don’t I just jack the football in and never give it another look?
Because I’m daft. Pretty much everyone on here, and the 50k that frequent SJP are too. And here’s the problem.
Ashley knows we are. And he isn’t.
He’s a hard-nosed, ruthless businessman with no heart. It’s no good protesting inside the ground, it’s no good firing insults in his direction, it is all water of a duck’s back. When he looks at you, all he sees is £££’s. Nothing more. His plan is blindingly obvious.
Take as much cash out of the club as possible through player sales. Get the minimum players in to keep the club barely afloat, and, here’s the thing, he’s taken a gamble with that. Why? Because he’s a gambler. He throws small fortunes on one spin of the wheel at a casino, and he does the same in business. He knows he cannot get the price sufficient to make a big profit, so instead, he is accepting the price will drop but taking as much out while he can. I have a friend in the capital investment world who has met him and says he’s nothing but a risk-taker. And now he gambles with our club.
His gamble is all based on us being idiots.
Before the window opened, Joe had £10M to spend + money from sales.
He got approximately £12M from sales, mostly on the last day of the window. That means net £22M to spend. He spent £4.5M (The £12M includes RT’s transfer). So what happened to the other £17.5M?
There never was, or is, any £10M. It’s in his bank. Right now, I’m trying to decide what is worse. Ashley making an £7.5M profit from the window, or the fact that, despite City wanting our keeper and branding £5M as derisory, we took £6M for the best keeper in the premiership in his prime and couldn’t ask for Johnson as part of the deal. Instead, we offer a ridiculous £8M for an unproven player who we know we cannot get (or we would have had as part of a swap deal a la Wigan) to the richest club in the land who spent £18M on a player they could have had at the end of the season for £3.5M due to a release clause (de Jong). It’s incompetant at best, insulting at worst.
So you will have your evidence over the next few weeks that we are indeed idiots as shown by our attendances, both home and away, all nicely hidden behind phrases like…
“Club first, everything else second” or
“Greatest supporters in the land” or, my personal favourite…
“This club’s bigger than Mike Ashley”.
It isn’t actually. If he so desired, he could burn it to the ground and put a shopping mall there. Only his greed would prevent him from doing so.
We’re idiots, pure and simple. For those that doubt, ask yourself this: if we only continue to go because the “lads” (or alternatively, overpaid second-rate heartless millionaires) will only perform with our support, how is it that clubs with poor support, the Bolton’s and Wigan’s of this world, continue to exist in the PL?
This 12th man rubbish really is just that, rubbish. If you’re like me, you are all desperate not to be mocked for holding out hope that NUFC can rise up again. The club is dead under this man. Force him to sell. How? Don’t attend. Don’t buy merchandise. Don’t drink in Shearers.
Protesting and vitriol only put off potential buyers. Empty seats will not. Real businessmen, the sort that do due diligence, will study spending statistics and attendance figures and buy the club on that basis, not on whether fans have stayed away in protest of the current asset-stripping champagne-swilling owner.
If you want to save the club, stay away. If not, join Ashley and gamble with the clubs future.
Be daft. Be laughed at by the rest of the footballing world. Shield yourself in a banner of self-righteous “best fans” drivel.
Be an idiot
95 valle // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:38 AM
bennytoon // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:35 AM
notaghosttoon- Might be a bit tricky when you are in a different division.
bye.
True… But even tho your in the championship, we can still draw you in the cups right?
96 ronaldeano // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:38 AM
Your mams shit in bed dickhead
She told me you have a very small willy, and you cry about it all the time?
That true?
97 valle // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:41 AM
Your mams shit in bed dickhead
She told me you have a very small willy, and you cry about it all the time?
That true?
i can confirm that it is, his mum rang me to ask for advice and i told her to tie a brick to his p*nis to give it some lenght… Sadly it fell off in the end.
98 ronaldeano // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:41 AM
lol valle :p
99 GetStuffedASHLEY // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:43 AM
Oba Martins SHOULD BE TOLD to avoid doing sommersaults everytime he scores!!! NOT saying he shouldn’t do it, but at least for now whilst still recovering properly, he should curb his celebrations!
Ashley would win back alot of fans if he SACKS WISE!!!!! But as for Shearer or Bruce coming in, in the summer, that would not happen, as he offered Joe Kinnear an improve contract remember!!!!
100 Born Again Geordie // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:45 AM
ganiyu,
Bring it on son!!
Get your sorry ass to SJP any Saturday we are at home and I will kick it for you !!!!
101 batty // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:45 AM
AussieToon well sed m8
102 Rem // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:46 AM
I understand that Ashley doesnt have loads of money.
I agreed with the 20 mil a year, that is alot and it is sustainable.
But where the F is it, since he has been here we have never spent moeny on transfers we always get money,
I dotn care if he has to pay for old transfers, he should have done due diliegence and known that, his fualt not ours, why is he punishing us!!!
I always supported Ashley till now, where is the 20 mil a year, we better have at the very least 50 mill in the summer, for the two 20s and one 10
103 richyg01 // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:47 AM
Thats whgy we didnt spend the extra £10mil we got, its Wise the Worm’s payoff!
104 coxonfamily // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:48 AM
for those happy with ashley & this piss poor window, are you excited about travelling to southampton next season??? id rather we didnt have supports like you!
105 Born Again Geordie // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:50 AM
@ Ganiyem,
Physical has only one ‘p’ not two.
Tut tut – English !!! :lol)
106 Stuart79 // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:50 AM
I don’t think we can confidently say that we are going in the right direction under Ashley. Some on here will come on and spout the rubbish about what he’s done ect.. I would say he’s done more things wrong than right!
It’s not his fault that he hasn’t got the money he had, but judging by his first transfer window in the summer of 07 spending big was never his plan.
The club, NO CLUB can survive in the PL by always bringin in more money than they spend a la Wimbledon. Times have changed but we don’t have any credible people at the club with regards to football, so nobody can explain this to Ashley.
IF we do manage to stay up this year the one thing we can say is that we will have only put off the inevitable. Carry on with the non investment and there’s only one place were going!
Ican hear all the Ashley lovers saying, he’sdone this, he’s done that! The fact is he hasn’t done enough!
He needs to sell the club and he will sell it if he was willing to accept a reasonable price and take a hit himself. Why should he? you’ll say, because if he carries on running he club the way’s he running ie no investment he’ll lose a hell of a lot more at the end of either this season or next with relegation to the Championship!
107 stevep // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:51 AM
bennytoon – you’ve signed a lot of players but lets look at them.
Defoe – you sold him because he wasn’t very good then paid twice the price tio get him back when you realised he was better than you thought.
Keane – he cried like N’Zogbia to go and you lot cried Judas when he went, however alls fair in love and money and you welcomed him back at 22 million and a wage increase ( 12 million cash plus the 10 million they still owed you written off)
Cudicini – was once a great keeper but now just a keeper
Chimbonda – errrr even the mackems didnt want him
Palacios – good buy and I would have taken him – you def paid a bit over the odds but thats January for ya.
Obviously ENIC isn’t just giving Spurs the money and they’ll want it all back with interest in the near future, most Spurs fans I know are more than worried that it’s all gonna blow up when the next bank goes under and ENIC need cash
108 THE MAGPIE // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:51 AM
If Mike sells the club for 233m he breaks even. and his short and long term plan is to do just that. He clearly believes we have enough to survive in the Premiership and then in the summer he will try and sell again and if he cant he will look to survive in 2009-10 and try and sell again etc etc.
109 Paul P // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:53 AM
simple fact of the matter is, aslong as the club stays as it is, there is no manager out there who would touch the managers job with a bargepole. things need to change dramitically such as wise removed, llambias removed, manager has full control of transfers, players contracts like any other manager should. You have to admit though it is sickening to see us bring no one in. they bid 8m for johnson, lets be honest, we could have had bullard for 5m who is a better player altogether. I honestly can say i do not think the club is going to go anywhere under ashley and its time he found a buyer and let them take us on to the next level.
110 batty // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:53 AM
dus any 1 think OBA will be off in summer
111 Chris G // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:54 AM
bennytoon // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:24 AM
I would just like to add that i think this transfer window was our best in a long time.
Cudicini
Chimbonda
Palacios
Appiah
Defoe
Keane………………………………….
Yours sincerely
AO/fernando/nando/supertrooper.
_________________________
I’m sure that none of us are the slightest bit interested.
Will you ALL please go away. Take your schoolboy humour somewhere else.
112 craigcoozy // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:55 AM
mike ashley if you read this why dont you quickly steal stehen appiah from under noses off spurs???he on trial for last 2wks and they havn’t sgned him yet???
113 bennytoon // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:56 AM
I bet Oba cant wait to pull on the black and white jersey again. It must be great playing for a manager that doesnt rate you and tried t swap you with Spurs Darren Bent who is a sub at best.
Thank god Harry said No to the deal!
114 valle // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:56 AM
Rem… Come on mate, we dont need 50 mill (and BTW wasnt it 10 mill a season?)… If we get rid of Viduka, Owen, Geremi and Cacapa we will have gotten at least 300k a wek of our wage bill with the guys we sold this window.
Then we need a winger, a left back, a centre back, a midfielder and an attacker.
I would say that could be bought for 30 mill… Thats still a high amount, but with the wage bill down and in the light of us loosing Owen i hope the club will realize that its needed.
115 RyanToon // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:57 AM
well,well,well, ashley, yove even suprised me this window, i really thought youd put your money where your mouth was but you shafted us yet again! fuming!
116 aus_toon_todd // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:57 AM
cox, i’am a realist and understand our situation, we have an owner who won’t invest. so what i’am saying is… given those circumstances it was as good as we could’ve hoped for.
nolan is a good signing. i have faith we can stay up with the current crop, then with any luck ashley sells at seasons end, and we all move on.
know any arab billionaires?
117 ronaldeano // Feb 3, 2009 at 9:58 AM
That was a load of tosh anyway bennytoon
Martins is WAY better than Bent
118 Born Again Geordie // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Chris G,
Well said mate and I totally agree – no one on here is interested in what spuds are doing !
119 Wiser_than_wise // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:05 AM
dont worry guys when owen,viduka,martins,guthrie,cacapa,beye,smith&barton come back they will be like new signings,
see 8 “new” signings
120 RyanToon // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:06 AM
1611: “Denilson on his way to Newcastle on loan for rest of season – was already a done deal, pending Arshavin deal.”
this was on the bbc deadline thingy yesterday
121 neeraj // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:07 AM
bennytoon
firstly u said you would never come to this blog if nufc signs a player on a perm deal…..
secondly- this is a list of all players u once sold and you are taking them back, its like going to the last season…..
defoe- already injured
keane- he would flop this time round, trust me…
chimbonda- i am havin a laugh
cuducini- for how many yrs he has not played 10 matches in a row….
palacious- one decent buy….
so enjoy with ur recalls…..
122 Toon Graeme // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Just a few people with the hump this morning eh?
The facts speak for themselves.
If you read the articles in the Journal (no doubt Ed will put up later) they sum up the situation.
Strange how the entire newcastle fans base can see where we need players to fill and NUFC dont seemingly go out and get them.
Then again – if no one is selling – TRUST ME – that is the line they will use. So what was the excuse last xfer window.
Im waiting for this interview and question session as I know now its gonna be a pile of balls.
I dont know what else to say about it.
Fighting and being hard on here is not the answer though.
As for the wind up spud – just ignore.
I am sh*tting bricks for Saturday.
123 Stardust // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:13 AM
An ode to Mike Ashley – courtesy of Theodore Roosevelt
“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”
Ignore the Mob Mike for they are cowards of the highest order.
124 craig s chisholm // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:13 AM
partizan, the only reason i am happy enough with the window is cos we got more out of it than i thought we would. i thought we would have got 1 or 2 dross loan jobs but through default we managed to actually get two very good players. we got taylor through default of zogs leaving and we got nolan through default of barton being shagged again. otherwise we wouyld have got just lovenkrands in and given out.
with regard to given and zogs leaving m8, the bottom line is they WANTED to leave us. when that situation arrises you have no option but sell. look at zogs man, he was fighting on the training ground with his own players, slagging off jfk in the open to press, bypassing the newcastle chain of command and gobbing off in the french press all the time – he had to go, end of. as for given, this may sound daft to you but i think our back four work better with harper in between the sticks. given is a great goalie for sure but lets just say for a second that he arses off the defenders in front of him – they dont end up working as a team – which we havent for the whole season. i was at the game as ususal at the weekend and i was heartened by our spirit and also quality in the second half. the SMB’s were never in it and really we should have killed it dead but for the shite finishing. OBa is now back, as is smith and soon the vid. we can have vid and oba up front next game and play the long ball taylor as a wing back too. i think we look ok as long as we dont have any serious injuries more than we have at present.
as for ashley. nothing has changed partizan, i think he is playing a very risky game, we might well get relegated this season, its a very real danger. i think that its a risk he is prepared to take. he is looking at the wages all the time. i think with viduka, owen and geremi defo leaving in the summer we should get some decent players in and whats more, we wont miss the three of them as they never play ffs.
i think that IF we stay up and then dump jfk and wise for next season then we will be ok again adn alot more stable. will we stay up though??? who knows, very tight.
125 waddler // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Ashley will balance the books! Anyone earning above a ceiling of 40,000 I would guess will be sold or part/exchanged.
This will mean Owen, Viduka, Smith, Martins, Enrique, Duff etc will no longer be at our club next year.
We will be expected to live within our means and develop youth to build a side capable of returning to and staying in the premiership.
Recent talk of Steve Bruce taking over when we are relegated would in my opinion be our best option, a huge degree of patience will be needed by the supporters to allow youth to develop and become integral in the first team structure.
I think we are looking at a medium term development plan lasting 5 years before we are re-established as an medium level premiership team.
Two things could throw a spanner in the works one being the supports lacking patience for the project to come to fruition and the second being a new owner going down the wow signing route and blowing the whole project off course.
Ashley may articulate his plans soon, but its more likely to happen in the summer after we have been relegated and harsh reality has decended upon the supporters.
Steve Bruce’s name has been mentioned as the next manager and I see no reason to oppose this view, I know he played for Man U but he is a Geordie with lots of experience and would jump at the chance to build the club from the foundations, it could be a very exciting time for the supporters once the disappointment of relegation has been swallowed and they get behind the project as they must to push the club back into the premiership.
126 batty // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:17 AM
OBA WILL GO IN SUMMER
127 magforlife // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:17 AM
BATTY – Good post and cant argue with anything you have said but we all know what we are, we wont abandon ship and become Man U or Chelsea fans just because they are successful. Its not nice for you to do a post mortem on our football souls but you are honest, i hate Wise and co with a passion but i have to put that to one side and keep hoping we can get through this nightmare in one piece until things change, its no good us all tearing each other apart and the team needs our support or it will properly go tits up.
128 Yellow Belly // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:20 AM
I think we will loose against West Brom for sure. Why they will be up for it and organised, we will not be organised and be a bunch of individuals not a team our only tactic will be to hoof the ball up and hope a tall striker gets on the end of it. (Wimbledon tactic). With Butt in the heart of our midfield we are doomed, With Kinear as manager we are doomed. Remember Derby away last year we were crap.
The only blessing for loosing against West Brom is that Calderwood might take over then we have not a game for 2 weeks that may gives us time to get players fit again.
JFK has got his excuses ready already, If only I had a fit squad blaa… poor poor Joe.
And why have been top of the league on injuries for 3 years now? Is no one anaylsizing it?
129 sirjasontoon // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:20 AM
najikhin86 // Feb 3, 2009 at 7:42 AM
just give them another chance in the summer.. the season is not over yet.. we will survive relegation..
Listen fella you are a plastic fan from overseas that has very little knowledge of what is like to be a real fan born and bread in the city..just like the idiot ganiyu..you place names into a hat and pick a team unfortunately you picked NUFC.
Another disastrous window,and Mike fills his pockets in another episode of blatant asset stripping.
130 Partizan // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:21 AM
Stardust…..I think you have just insulted 90 % of the NUFC fans.
If we get relegated Stardust(may god forbid) will you stll back Ashley or you gonna say its our fault for being relegated,or maybe you’ll just change you nick and join the 90 % of the fans pretending that Ashley is a s**m.
The whole world knows that Ashley will do us no good and you still back him.
131 Paul. // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:21 AM
good comment craig
right abotu harper and given bit, imo 8m for given is a great deal…and i think harper can keep us up….having the keeper putting confidence in the abck for, means the back for play better, which then puts confidence int he midfield to push up, which makes the strikers push up..and the team play better asa whole instead of not trusting the defence and having most of the team staying back to try and cover…
132 bennytoon // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:22 AM
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n132/safclad/Funstuff/AntiToon/kevden.png
133 Stardust // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:22 AM
No Partizan – you insult yourself with the hysteria of cowards – life isnt easy – deal with it.
134 sirjasontoon // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:23 AM
Anyone flirting with the idea of Steve Bruce as manager beware,I live in Birmingham now and my best mate and business partner is a blues season ticket holder since he was a boy…don’t go there he is awful.
135 magforlife // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:23 AM
Yellow belly – your name says it all
136 bennytoon // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:25 AM
sirjasontoon – Did you get into work ok today on your vintage bmx????
137 batty // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:26 AM
PARTIZAN i wouldnt bother replying to him m8 and this big red bus what he keeps on aboot lost two ov its wheels yesterday and the other two wheels have punchtures
138 robbbov // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:26 AM
Ryantoon
Breaking News: Zenit Confirm Arsenal’s Andrei Arshavin Signing
Zenit St. Petersburg have confirmed that star man Arshavin will be a Premier League player…
Where is the confirmation on Denilson?
139 Sav // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Is it still called ‘disappointment’ when you really knew something was not going to happen all along?
I know Ed has tried to take what he considers to be the responsible tack and urged fans to give Ashley and his mob a second chance. I read Joe Kinnear saying the same thing – well I guess he has to unless he wants to have a showdown like Keegan did. And we know what happened then…..
I’m all for forgiving mistakes and giving second chances but if things keep on happening and you don’t learn from them, learn about who you are dealing with; if you don’t weigh up the facts in front of you, then you are merely being gullible, not charitable but stupid.
We have done ‘due diligence’ on Ashley and his cronies. I think we have the facts to assess him by. Anyone who thinks swapping Given and Zog for Nolan, Taylor and Lovenkrands is a good deal is fooling himself. Once again, we have been made promises and fallen short. I don’t blame Kinnear, who is in an invidious position. But clearly he has his own serious doubts about this regime or he’d have signed that contract. Heaven knows he’s desperate for the job.
Ashley, Wise and Llambias are not the axis of evil. But Ashley is not a serious man. He is given to whim, to ego and popularism. His focus is his wealth simply because without it, he’s just another fat bloke. That is the kick he gets from being down in the stands while knowing, of course, that he owns the whole shooting gallery. How sweet! Where better to almost touch the envy of his 52,000 new friends? And of course, he hoped to make a few bob out of his venture into football.
He bought a club in a haste and thought it could be a part-time pastime. He put a few lads he knew in charge. Of course, he had to have team managers, who knew about something other than making money. In fact, their agenda seemed almost the opposite and he didn’t like them or trust them because his wealth is just a tool to them. Sam, KK and JFK are judged by results.
If the club were serious about improving, they’d have spent the money needed last summer, in Keegan’s time. If they were really aware of what relegation will mean, they’d have made a few decisive fixes in the winter window. Instead, they’ve cashed-up, told lies to JFK and the fans and done nothing for the plight of the club. Even if the same purchases (Taylor and Nolan)were made on the 1st January it might have given us a few extra points by now – and may have seen Given or Zog still with us. Those 2 have both gone because they didn’t believe it any more, either.
If we go down, I will be taking some consolation, in spite of myself, from the financial kick in the nuts our tuppence ha’penny owner will receive.
140 bennytoon // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:27 AM
sirjasontoon- so you are a plastic fan who doesnt live in the area yet you have the cheek to mock najikhn. How is your market stall fairing in the credit crunch?
141 Partizan // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Ameobi and Carroll is the worst combination…..i hope those 2 will never ever play together.
He should have started with Lovekrands & Carroll instead.
142 valle // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Partizan… So true, why on earth wont he give the Lion a chance?
143 sirjasontoon // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Partizan,we have Ameobi to look forward to for the next 3 years haha
144 Geordiedoonsooth // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Let’s cheer up & move on. I think we stand a great chance of winning something next season……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….The Football League Championship
What a mess
145 Danish_Magpie // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:32 AM
OK I can’t resist. All we need in the summer is:
Daniel Fox: 3m (15k a week?)
Kyle Naughton: 3m (15k a week?)
Stephen McManus: 4m (25k a week?)
McGeady: Duff + 3m (35k a week?)
James Harper: 4m (30k a week?)
Reo-Coker: 8.5m (50k a week?)
Darrent Bent: 9m (50k a week?)
= 34.5m
Added wages: 220k
Out:
Cacapa: Free (save wages of approx 30k)
Edgar: Free (save wages of 5k)
Barton: 5.5m (save approx 60k)
Butt: Free (save approx 40k)
Smith: 3.5m (save approx 55k)
Viduka: Free (save approx 60k)
Owen: Free (save approx 110k)
Shola: 1m (save approx 30k)
=10m
Wages saved 390k
Net Spending: 24.5m
Net Wages: -170k (Saving 2 million a year!)
Squad:
GK: Harper, Krul, (Foster)
RB: Beye, Naughton
LB: Enrique, Fox
LCB: Bassong, McManus
RCB: Coloccini, Taylor
DM: Reo-Coker, Harper
CM: Nolan, Guthrie
LW: Jonas, McGeady
RW: Ryan Taylor, LuaLua
ST: Oba, Bent, Carroll, Xisco, (Ranger)
Formidable squad, right ages, right attitudes, right wages, and we are ready to push for top 6 again!
146 robbbov // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:33 AM
We are in this situation because F.Shepperd put us in this situation not M.Ashley. Stop pointing fingers in order to find a culprit. We’ve changed managers, owners, players and we are still in trouble. We need to think strategically instead of emotionally.
Ashley is in for the long run as long as he doesn’t see that he can make a profit on the club. He will not tarnish the Newcastle Brand because it will be the value of his earnings he would be decreasing. We need to back to boys all the way independent on who’s on the pitch.
Stop naging guys! Big buys in January has never helped Newcastle and it wouldn’t had done this year either.
Support what we have!
147 najikhin86 // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:34 AM
@sirjasontoon: you may brag about being born and bred as a geordie, or at least an englishman.. i maybe a foreigner that live 6000km from newcastle. but i do not mind spending 1000pounds travelling to newcastle last season against derby, which actually end up 2-2 draw, in which i expect a 3point in a bag wif martins scoring a hattrick. sad thinking bout it, when u have one chance ein a lifetime to watch your fav club, but it ended with shitty performance. but i dunno why i still support this same shit team, when almost 99.9% of my friends supporting the big4 teams.
but do i complain??? no! am i sad?? yes!
sirjasontoon, dunt you dare question my loyalty to this club!
148 Yellow Belly // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Sav – spot on
149 Partizan // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:35 AM
No Stardust…..Life is how you make it.
Its OK man….i’m not worried too much about Ashley,cos for sure we’ll have a new owner in the Summer.
150 Stardust // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Robbbov – at last a ray of light shines through, the blog is full of hissy fitters and knee jerkers today
151 Dragonera // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Ed Harrison
I am getting increasingly worried about all of this propaganda…
152 Dragonera // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:42 AM
We tried to get a few in, we didn’t get them, stop crying about it. We got three in decent players in and got rid of a player who unsettled the team every transfer window. Look at our relegation rivals. Who did Pompy, Boro, Blackburn, Mackems, Stoke and West Brom sign that we should be worried about?…No one! We did some of the best business down at the bottom.
153 Partizan // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:43 AM
valle…..We would have won for sure if we had Lovenkrands teaming up with Carroll……or at least we would have had more shots on goal.
I think that even San Marino defenders could have dealt easily with Ameobi and Carroll.
154 THE MAGPIE // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:43 AM
You have to understand the transfer window in the context that there was no new money available-Wise had to sell 1st and he tried to sell Enrique, Xisco, Geremi but because of their high wages there were no takers.
After 2 weeks of this Joe decided to call an emergency meeting and notice it was with Ashley and Llambias-Wise seems have been sidelined-but its clear the outcome was only if he sold could he spend. From then the Given sale was a done deal and only when the money was in the bank from Given and Zog sales did we try for Johnson.
No Manager is going to come to Newcastle without control over transfers and no money to spend so i expect that Joe will be Manager next season.
Has he done a good job-4 wins in 20 games isnt great.
155 Stardust // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Dragonera – I have advocated on many occassions that Ed might not be all that he seems – he seems for a “supporter” – to revel in undermining and destabilising the club.
He plays the tune and the mob dance to it.
Perhaps an agenda with evidence on this occassion.
156 najikhin86 // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:44 AM
@dragonera: the others wont understand..
157 RyanToon // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:49 AM
to all you mike ashley lovers, tell me this!
why can wigan spend nearly 15m this window and we cant??
ashley is taking us down, and some of you need to wake up, BIG TIME
158 Born Again Geordie // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Dragonera post # 152
Good point and well said ! Now ‘insomnia’ is gone, lets hope we can build a good team spirit again. I think Kevin Nolan is the type of player that will galvanise our squad and prepare us for the fight over the next few months !
Ho’way the lads !!!
159 Dragonera // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:51 AM
RyanToon
Because Wigan made 14million from one player.
160 Partizan // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Kevin Nolan is not the answer to our midfield problems…he’s not creative enough.
But all in all i like his fighting spirit.
161 RyanToon // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:54 AM
dragonera, we got 14m aswell! dont stick up for ashley this time, you sicken me and alot of toon fans feel the same way!
162 valle // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:55 AM
Partizan… He does have a good shot from outside the box tho, which might be of more value than creativity in a team low on confidence i reckon.
163 THE MAGPIE // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:55 AM
Stardust if you dont like the blog go somewhere else or set up your own-its like TV if you dont like it turn it off.
164 neeraj // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:55 AM
stardust
what abt ashley addressing the fans after the window, joe talked abt it…..
any idea
165 najikhin86 // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:59 AM
@sirjasontoon: u said you born and bred in the city, yet you spelled ‘bred’ with ‘bread’.. silly..
166 Partizan // Feb 3, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Dragonera…..You cant compare Newcastle to all those teams cos they dont have so many injured players as we do.
Currently we’re on top of the injury list table in the whole EPL.
We needed 3 more players at least….but its ok for Ashley-”Why make it simple when you can do it risky”
167 THE MAGPIE // Feb 3, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Kevin Nolan 2 years ago got very near the England squad he then got overweight and his form went-so far not returning. He seems to have a strong character and that is probably in the coming months going to be as important as his ability on the field.
The judge and jury of everything will be whether we stay up or not and i have never felt so close to the Championship-dont mind going there-been there before, the games would be more affordable but i could see the club been there a long time.
168 Dragonera // Feb 3, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Ryan
Get a grip and stop whinging like a baby. We spent 4million and tried to sign another player for 8million. It didn’t come off because they didn’t want to sell, grow up.
By the way, we allegedly got 6.5million for Given and 6.5million for Zoggy. That is 13million.
169 Partizan // Feb 3, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Can KN play DM??
170 Stuart79 // Feb 3, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Stardust
You try to come across on this blog as a very successful man who in your own words can be arrogant and aloof.
I would suggest you’re the complete opposite, it’s a lot easier to be something your not when nobody can see you.
As for your comment re Ed, I think you call it telling it as it is!
Maybe you should take a leaf outof his book?
171 Stardust // Feb 3, 2009 at 11:05 AM
No Neeraj – I have no idea.
THE MAGPIE – I make no apology. I stand by the club, I fight for the club, my loyalty is to the club – i will make observations and comments in light of known facts, not speculation or conjecture.
172 Dragonera // Feb 3, 2009 at 11:05 AM
You know what, i am HAPPY they didn’t come off. We dont need Richardson OR Johnson. We have Lua Lua to step up for RM and why do we need another CM to add to Guthrie, Barton and Nolan? If we had missed out on a decent DM worth 8million then it would be different.
173 Stuart79 // Feb 3, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Dragonera
I think peoples frustration isn’t with the fact we only signed three players but the fact that the club had 33 days to buy Johnson and left it until 4pm on the last day to get an answer from City.
Surely if they were serious about him they would have asked for a deal to be done when Given was going the other way? Would that not have been more sensible?
174 Macas35 // Feb 3, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Robbbov – I think you’ll find that a lot of the high wage earners we are trying to get rid of were brought in under Ashley’s regime. You cant blame Shepherd for everything.
As for the comments about Ed, he poses the questions 99% of sane Newcastle fans want answered. Yes, we understand the club is currently running at a loss and we cant bring in high paid superstars anymore, and that youth development will be inportant in the long term. But the main gripe I have is that those in charge come across as totally incompetent. As has been mentioned, why move for Johnson on the last day of the transfer window??? Why move for Richardson, who we had no chance at all of getting. What happened to the fantastic scouting network we allegedly have? If we did indeed have £10 million for transfers, why did we wait until the end of the window before trying to spend it? Is it because Ashley didnt actually want to spend any money and only use income from players sold? Surely its obvious that we are being run by clueless incompetents? Relegation would be a disaster for this club, and of all the teams in amongst it we had the finance to do something about it. That we failed speaks volumes about Ashley and Co. However I’m sure there are those on here who will still be backing him if we get relegated, saying we can build the club up again from scratch or something similarly ridiculous.
175 Dragonera // Feb 3, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Stuart
Fair enough, but PERSONALLY i don’t feel Johnson was our first choice target. The whole thing just seemed like we missed out on our no.1 target for one reason or another and MA felt he had to make a signing after making his return. This is where Johnson and Richardson came in. I dont think MA would have returned if he didn’t feel we were going to make some decent signings, but obviously things didn’t go to plan and i just hate the fact there are many on here blaming people when they don’t know the facts.
176 valle // Feb 3, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Great article in the times
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2009/02/the-biggest-dan.html
Good paper IMO
177 Stuart79 // Feb 3, 2009 at 11:16 AM
Dragonera
I think people are frustrated that it seems they make the samemistakes every transfer window!
When are we going to be run like a football club with football people? What dos Llambias and Ashley know about buying players ect? They look like they know a hell of a lot about selling players though.
I think the general rule of thumb in football is you don’t let a player go until you have a replacement in. Well we do it the complete opposite.
It is very frustrating, that we’ve now had four transfer windows with the regime and everyone has been dissapointing.
You must surely agree with that?
178 bowburnmag // Feb 3, 2009 at 11:23 AM
I think to sum it up I agree totally with The Magpie’s post 167 and some of what Macas35 and Stuart are saying. Dismayed, slightly worried about the future but not surprised by the incompetence. Although disappointed we haven’t learned any lessons. Particularly JK and his ridiculous statements. Say nowt Joe, it’s a lot easier. Also happy on the whole with who came in and who went, even though I’m gutted Given has gone but because of injuries to Barton and Owen, we should have been able to use the last few days to put contingency in place. Not sure our plans were that structured though and therein lies part of the problem.
179 Dragonera // Feb 3, 2009 at 11:24 AM
I am not treating this window as a disappointment because imo the only position we didn’t get cover for was DM. I suppose we can get a better DM for a better price in the summer and that may be why we didn’t go all out for one in this window. e.g. M’Bia will be available in the summer but his club were adament he was not up for sale in January.
However, i do understand you frustration with previous windows.
180 Dragonera // Feb 3, 2009 at 11:29 AM
bowburn
The reason NUFC fans are more annoyed than Boro fans even though we did the far better business is down to the comments JK has made. His contradictory nonsense has only added to the frustration and confusion. He has good intentions but just needs to shut his gob.
181 cashley_out // Feb 3, 2009 at 12:05 PM
This should be the line up for wba
——————harper————————-
s.tylor———–colo———–bass——–enrique
r.taylor———nolan———butt———-j.gut
——————–martins——shola——-
subs:foster smith carrol ranger and more!!!
182 cashley_out // Feb 3, 2009 at 12:07 PM
some gossip is talikng about adding the tw untill today 5:00pm is it true
183 cashley_out // Feb 3, 2009 at 12:08 PM
????????is it true?????
184 valle // Feb 3, 2009 at 12:11 PM
cashley out… First of all Jonas is suspended and 2nd… S. Taylor in our team ahead of Løvenkrands, your joking right?
185 Davies // Feb 3, 2009 at 12:12 PM
The window is closed. Stop crying like women.
186 bluecat // Feb 3, 2009 at 12:13 PM
I do try to be optimistic, but there is absolutely no point in believing that Nolan will save us; look at any of the Bolton W. fansites – he’s overweight, slow, turning circle of a supertanker and in short, a shadow of the player he was two years ago.
Bolton fans can’t believe they were given £4 million for him.
Neither are Wigan fans upset about losing Ryan.
187 Michael12 // Feb 3, 2009 at 12:55 PM
Well I must agree with the number of players we have for two important reasons:
1. We are out of all cup competitions and so do not need such great depth in strength.
2. If the squad was any larger particularly with new players,. it was no doubt going to take time for kinnear to find the most congruent team and with 14 games to go this season time is not on his side to find one such a team.
If one considers the principals of monte carlo methods one may understand my 2nd argument. With so many options (players and player combination), and factors affecting those options( i.e. skill, pace, mental strengths/weaknesses, physical attributes e.t.c) and combinations, surely it would take kinnear months of chopping and changing and changing and chopping before finding the optimal starting 11.
Now many may say simply put the 11 best players but that is not optimal as the most obvious example is England concerning Gerard and Lampard. Both individually very talented but statistics and general consensus show that the team does not play well when they are both included.
Instead bringing in a player of inferior skill may at first seem as defeating the purpose but putting in say Barry shows that the team plays better both statistically and by consensus.
Team congruence is more important than star players. Another interesting article featuring Enrique explaining why kinnear plays Jonas on the left rather than the right hints at my theory. Communication is a player attribute and it is synergistically exploited when Jonas plays on the left with Enrique.
So by having less options allows Kinnear to come to an optimal team sooner rather than latter when it may well be too late in a season of a finite number of games. Remember there are no friendlies at this stage of the season and with 14 games to go there is little time to waste.
188 Tom_Toon // Feb 3, 2009 at 1:23 PM
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