With today’s less than exciting announcement from Newcastle, that Barry Moat will be given more time to secure a loan from Barclays Bank, the club seems to be stuck in a time warp – and time is running out quickly.
Peter Lovenkrands – this player should be signed now!
If you back track to a week ago that was exactly the first news of the week – that Moat was trying to do a deal with Barclays to prove he could handle the £40M (£39M to be exact) overdraft at Newcastle.
So you wonder just how much progress was made last week – not much we fear.
Barry is making coming up with £100M seem to be the hardest thing in the world, and we have a right to wonder if there’s any money for new players – or any money for anything.
With 14 weeks gone since we were relegated , 10 players left and only one new arrival you have to wonder how many original Newcastle targets are still left. The answer – not many.
It seems like we’ll not even get free agent Sol Campbell, who is said today to be close to a deal for 2nd Division Notts County.
So he’ll be playing in black and white stripes next season, but not on Tyneside, it appears. But if he’s willing to play in England’s 4th division, presumably for the money, maybe he wasn’t the right player for Newcastle in any case.
We have lost a net 9 players so far, and if you believe we have 4 teenagers who have rightly earned their places in the first team squad – Tamas Kadar, Ryan Donaldson, Nile Ranger and LuaLua, then we are 5 short on the numbers we had last year.
And remember we had a small squad last year, and also we play 46 games in the Championship rather than the 38 we did last season, which is one reason to have an even bigger squad.
When you look at the strengths and weaknesses of our current squad in terms of numbers in each position – we are overladen with central midfielders – Nolan, Barton, Butt, Smith and Guthrie can all play there.
So if we have to sell players, the most saleable of these is probably Nicky Butt, with Burnley said to be interested.
And here are some players who are still available, that at one time or another we’ve had an interest in this summer, with positions and approximate transfer prices:
Mike Williamson CB – Watford £2M
Andy O’Brien CB – Bolton £2M
Peter Lovenmkrands M – free
Sol Campbell CB – free
Robert Earnshaw S – Nottingham Forest £3M
Jermaine Beckford S – Leeds £3M
Solvi Ottesen CB – Sonderjyske – Denmark £2M
Erik Huseklepp M – Brann Norway £2M
Per Ciljan Skjelbred M – Rosenburg Norway £5M
Of those we should probably strike off Campbell, but we need to see 5 net new players at least before next Tuesday, and if sell some players than that number should increase accordingly.
But this is a very dangerous game Newcastle are playing right now.
There are 15 weeks from the end of the season to the end of the transfer window, and we essentially have wasted 14 of them and now have one week left with a current net of -9 players. Unbelievable incompetence!
What happens for instance, if the weekend comes, and we still don’t know who the new owner and new manager are?
The plans of mice and men – mainly mice it seems.
Comments (and solutions) welcome.
288 comments so far
Toon Graeme
Aug 25, 2009 at 9:08 AM
Comment #281Hughton for manager anyone – lead story in the journal.
bowburnmag
Aug 25, 2009 at 9:09 AM
Comment #282lesh – you spelt ‘atrocious’ wrong. You should have quit while you were ahead. 8)
Good earlier points pal.
Lew Davies
Aug 25, 2009 at 9:40 AM
Comment #283TG – He’s done an ok job up to now. I wont be upset or shocked either.
Not too sure that it should be Shearer.
IMO the press are pushing for him, just so they can have another laugh at us when another ‘messiah’ fails. (not that he necessarily will, but they will just love it if he did!)
I have mixed feelings to be honest. Plus Big Al has always been another greedy bas with his wage demands. I think this was what scared off MA from bringing him in permanently. It was reported that he wanted £3M per year for 5 year contract. Like he needs it? Only got £30M in his bank at the mo!!!!
One day the truth will out.
lesh
Aug 25, 2009 at 9:40 AM
Comment #284Thanks for the further correction Bowburn.
Must try to get em right first time!
bowburnmag
Aug 25, 2009 at 9:53 AM
Comment #285lesh – a little irony is good for the soul. I chuckled at the line “attrocious spelling” while on the platform. (I love my new job, it brings me home everyday.)
What’s a spelling mistake here or there when you’re churning out great posts? Truth is, the only appropriate measures for keeping my spelling and grammar in check was a cane across the knuckles at school.
Only kidding, I’m not as old as Ed.
Rodzilla
Aug 25, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Comment #286WARNING!!
By the way lads, some utter, snivelling tosspot is posting under other people’s nicknames. This was NOT me last night…..
“Rodzilla // Aug 24, 2009 at 11:13 PM
Batty stop messing with my head!!!!!!!!
….just be aware.
Cheers
Rodzilla
Macas35
Aug 25, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Comment #287I would be looking to sign the likes of Lovenkrands and Campbell for free, and get in Gary McSheffrey and Carlos Edwards for cheap fees. Players that would have an impact in that division. A left back and creative midfelder wouldnt go amiss, and possibly another striker.
Nick D
Aug 25, 2009 at 1:24 PM
Comment #288Lew Davies,
Some of the best and refreshingly honest comments I’ve heard in ages.