The Newcastle United Blog

331 responses so far ↓

• 1 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:10 PM

  selby mag if you are there

  i am 28 from new delhi, india i support newcastle bcoz – there is no reason just love black an white.

  why am i explaining 2 u

• 2 gorgonzola // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:11 PM

  We have lost the game if Perch plays you heard it here first

• 3 jayphoto // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:15 PM

  swansea have championship level strikers – perch is a championship level defender! Aslong as Collo plays we’ll be alright! Swansea have the worst away form in the league! We should be beating them! Tiote would be a great plus tho, they pass a lot, he;d break that up nicely!

• 4 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:16 PM

  Read your “opinion” on Sh. Ameobi, have you followed Shola’s entire career with Newcastle? He has played as a squad player for over 10 years, he has consistently scored goals, created for others and been a loyal servant to this club. To suggest that HBA has come anywhere near the contribution that Shola has made for this club is ludicrous and if you believe he has then you need your head examined.

• 5 Colo-Sus // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:16 PM

  I dont mind Perch to be honest. I was at Chelsea abd he did well. We need a physical presence at the back though. We would have owned Norwich if Tayls and Colo were at the back. Lambert just got his tactics right and they dominated our small defenders. We must play Colo and Kadar at the back, Perch for me is a 4th choice DM or RB never a CB, hes an a handy backup thats all!

• 6 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:16 PM

  So we have lost if Perch plays, even if he lines up beside Colo? You don’t have much faith in our captain then do you?

• 7 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:17 PM

  sure i have got my head examined. noting wrong. shola still crap

• 8 Colo-Sus // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:18 PM

  Pards wont play Kadar though we all know that!

• 9 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:18 PM

  perch was alongside colo against forest. need i say more

• 10 Selbymag // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:20 PM

  Indian Magpie – im just curious as to how your ideas on the club / players are formed.
  Thanks for the explanation im happy to reciprocate but i know you dont care

• 11 GeordieGerman // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:21 PM

  Indian Magpie, go back to cricket. I’m fed up of reading your venom.

• 12 Sir Alan // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:22 PM

  The only reason why i can see Perch playing is because there strikers aren’t very tall- Sinclair, Lita, Dyer and he might be able to handle them for pace. Let Colo handle Danny Graham.

• 13 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:23 PM

  i dont like cricket

  @selby no worries either way mate

• 14 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:24 PM

  i am very good cricket player, just dont like it as much as football

• 15 Colo-Sus // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:25 PM

  Indian…..I have been reading this blog for years and I have to say that the piffel you spout is second to none! Now I am a critic of Shola for alot of areas in his game but Crap he is not! He was outstanding against Norwich and against Chelsea and Totteham. He is an impact player these days and is clearly a leader in the dressing room. Do us all a favour wach some football and form some proper opinions not just the inane toss you come out with currently ….That is all!

• 16 Colo-Sus // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:26 PM

  watch *

• 17 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:28 PM

  see everyone,

  you may not like me, you may even hate me. i do not like shola you may do. nothing against him as a person, but as a player i could do better. if i was born in england or spain i would be professional footballer

• 18 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:29 PM

  Well Indian, you are well and truly outnumbered by people who, perhaps, know a thing or two more about the beautiful game and Newcastle itself, so if they are telling you that your opinion is wrong, then take it as a fact, your “opinion” is wrong.

• 19 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:30 PM

  Wow, delusional as well. Any shred of integrity you may have had has been lost now Indian.

• 20 boater // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:30 PM

  @Ruddy M. Your Shola comments are well made and well put, but when you’re dealing with someone who can comes back with ‘don’t care, Shola is crap’ or ‘shola is -10 out of 10′ as IndianM likes to say, you might as well move on – you aint getting anywhere.

  Like I said, some of this lot would have been burning witches a few hundred years ago.. they just need a scapegoat, mob mentality. If it’s not shola it’s Perch or someone else.

  If Perch plays – he plays. It’s not 1st, 2nd or 3rd choice.. but stop your bleating. Man U played a run of games with no central defenders last season.

• 21 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:31 PM

  ruddy how can you say that, take it from me i am better than shola on 1 leg

• 22 Thump // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:32 PM

  No, Indian. We’re just tired of reading your poorly thought out vitriol. You’re not trying to instigate discussion, you’re simply saying Shola “isn’t good enough” – he’s good enough to have spent his career at this club and he’s still chipping in with goals and assists.

  You support Newcastle because we play in black and white? Juventus plays in black and white – go and support them.

• 23 Thump // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:34 PM

  I can’t talk for Ruddy but I can give a good guess as to why he can say that.

  Shola is a professional football player. You are not. Hence, Shola is better than you.

• 24 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:34 PM

  @boater It would almost be forgiveable if we were dealing with a teenager trying to have a debate with older people and failing but the guy is 28! haha well we all know that Shola may not be the most technically gifted player in the world but as I said he is one of the most loyal servants of the club, along with Harps, and deserves our respect. This season he has been fantastic as an impact player. The clear thinking of us know how valuable to the squad he is, the likes of Indian don’t know the value of loyalty because to them Newcastle is just a football club

• 25 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:35 PM

  fine keep rooting for shola, it took me 8-9 years to make that opinion, it wont change in a jiffy

• 26 GAZ09 // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:35 PM

  All i want for Christmas is for Pardew not to play Perch anymore!

• 27 GeordieGerman // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:36 PM

  Indian Magpie, you could always send a video to Dennis Wise.

• 28 Jail for Ashley // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:37 PM

  I know that Pards knows his players a whole lot better than we do and that is the only explanation as to why Perch is getting chosen ahead of Kadar,jimmymagpie said that Kadar was distinctly average against Bolton reserves,well Perch is disticntly useless against anybody,honestly the air of gloom that overcame the Gallowgate end against Chelsea when he was about to come on,I think if it had of been Kadar people would of said nice one lets see what this kid can do.

• 29 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:37 PM

  Thank you Thump couldn’t have put it better myself.

  If you are better than Shola then hotfoot it over here and beg Pards for a trial, you’re only 28 you could bang them in for us for a good few years yet. That is, if you are as good as you say you are. My guess would be that you are a insecure man with delusions of grandeur who bigs up his ability over a keyboard, knowing full well the people you profess to have no idea how good/awful you are. I am better than Messi, I challenge you to disprove that.

• 30 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:37 PM

  how about graham carr

• 31 Colo-Sus // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:38 PM

  Indian…. You are not better than Shola on one leg….If that was the case you would be a professional footballer….and also a member of the Indian Paralympic Football team I suppose. Shola was at one point a very frustrating player for NUFC but in recent years he has strted to come good more often than not. You simply do not know what you are talking about….Learn!

• 32 Thump // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:38 PM

  You don’t understand, Indian. We aren’t having a go because you don’t like Shola, that’s absolutely fine and it’s your prerogative, our problem is that you use absolutely every opportunity to slag him off – often with very little justification.

  You haven’t even said why he’s a bad player, your justification is based entirely on the fact that you’ve decided that he’s not good enough.

• 33 boater // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:39 PM

  Vuckic looked our best midfielder in pre-season – if he can’t get a game with so many out I despair. Abeid looks a prospect too – but I’ve seen so little of him. Without wanting to lay blame – Gosling was as much at fault for the result last week as any defender.. not just the errant pass, but the lack of discipline in his positioning.

  Surely Cabaye can sit deeper at home, if it allows Vuckic a rare start?

  I would also like to see Arfa on the wing. Ba sees more of the ball when we play 4-4-2, and someone Shola/Best to do his dirty work.

• 34 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:39 PM

  Ruddy,

  i am not even going to try

• 35 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:40 PM

  Try what? explaining yourself? changing your opinion? talking sense? or behaving like an adult?

• 36 Colo-Sus // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:41 PM

  Indian are you for real!?!?!?! Guess what I am better than Pele while standing on my head!

• 37 Thump // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:42 PM

  Eh, Colo-Sus, I saw Pele playing football standing on his head and he wasn’t that good. Not a difficult performance to beat mate haha

• 38 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:43 PM

  ruddy,

  disproving that you are anyway inferior than messi

• 39 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:43 PM

  If only we all were as good as we thought we were…we’d be a regular little dream team capable of beating Barca haha alas we’re all regular joes who like a kickabout but have no ability worth talking about, just like you Indian.

• 40 Colo-Sus // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:43 PM

  Haha…..Indian how many runs did Shola score last season? How do you rate Cabaye as a bowler?

• 41 Thump // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:44 PM

  Agreed boater, but it seems Abeid is higher in the ranks than Vuckic. I’d love to see Harry get some playing time but the kid seems to be made of glass. Also didn’t he say something about the cup runs and it being the youngsters time? Maybe there’s an agreement behind the scenes about the fringe players/youth getting time in the cup games to really challenge for the league games.

• 42 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:45 PM

  & colo

  i am not handicapped in any way,

  and i am not a professional footballer bcoz i chose not to be 1& i am still better than him

• 43 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:45 PM

  I’ll save you the effort Indian, I was employing sarcasm to prove how ludicrous your claim that you were better than Shola on one leg was. If I was better than Messi do you think I would be wasting my time on a blog here? I’d be training with Barca, soaking in the sun, not arguing with a deluded Indian.

• 44 Thump // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:46 PM

  For what it’s worth, Indian, you said that if you were born in England or Spain you’d be a professional player, right? I can’t comment on where you live for obvious reasons, but lest we forget that Tioté had a tough time of it growing up, couldn’t afford his own boots and instead played football barefoot.

  Look where he is now.

  You’re either on a wind up or you’re delusional and for your sake I hope it’s the former.

• 45 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:46 PM

  Yet again Indian I disagree with your last post, you clearly have some mental deficiency.

• 46 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:46 PM

  colo that comment has not gone down too well.

• 47 Colo-Sus // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:46 PM

  I’ll save you the effort Indian, I was employing sarcasm to prove how ludicrous your claim that you were better than Shola on one leg was. If I was better than Messi do you think I would be wasting my time on a blog here? I’d be training with Barca, soaking in the sun, not arguing with a deluded Indian.

• 48 Thump // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:47 PM

  and i am not a professional footballer bcoz i chose not to be 1& i am still better than him

  lol it just keeps getting better.

• 49 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:47 PM

  ruddy,

  so do you

• 50 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:47 PM

  Colo…I think I said that haha

• 51 Colo-Sus // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:48 PM

  I’ll save you the effort Indian, I was employing sarcasm to prove how ludicrous your claim that you were better than Shola on one leg was.

  to quote Ruddy

• 52 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:48 PM

  Indian no matter how many people you insult you aren’t winning this one, I am part of the mob that is proving how silly you are

• 53 Thump // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:49 PM

  Indian has to be a WUM. I refuse to believe a 28 year old’s only comeback is “NO YOU!”

• 54 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:49 PM

  It’s like having an intellectual debate with Rain-Man

• 55 Colo-Sus // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:49 PM

  I know Ruddy, repetition might drive the point home….what a tool!

• 56 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:50 PM

  ruddy no worries,

  i will apologize if shola has more than 5 (goals + assists) in all competions

• 57 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:51 PM

  competitions

• 58 Colo-Sus // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:51 PM

  Agreed Thump…”so do you” Give me strength

• 59 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:51 PM

  That is a good idea Colo haha But hey what he lacks in well thought out points he makes up for in comic ability…because there is no way that a 28 year old without any mental retardation can believe what he is saying.

• 60 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:52 PM

  excluding penalties

• 61 boater // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:52 PM

  Aye Thump – their is a pecking order under Pardew which he likes to stick with. Although vuckic seemed to be in the reckoning finally before the latest injury.

  Hand on heart – had Perch been replaced with Colo who can say we would have got the points last week? With so many balls flying in, anyone would have struggled over 90 min’s.

  The guardian did a tactical review which showed we lost it tactically, from allowing to many through balls from Hoolihan left and right – we allowed something like 12 free crosses. That came from a lack of cover from a midfield anchor to deal with their formation.

  I said it before – defense is crocked aye, but we didn’t defend as a team last saturday, so it doesn’t matter who we have in there.

• 62 Thump // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:52 PM

  You mean like he had last season, Indian? He actually gave you 9 goals and 6 assists just to prove you wrong.

• 63 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:54 PM

  forget last season, this is from now on

• 64 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:55 PM

  @Boater that is an interesting point because as it was pointed out on the blog a few days ago, there is one other way to prevent being dominated aerially, and that is to prevent the crosses coming in. The midfield allowed the ball to be spread wide and the full backs failed to prevent the corners coming into the box. Perch and Simmo were like lambs to the slaughter considering the amount of balls that were being pelted into the area.

• 65 Selbymag // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:55 PM

  Indian so what carrer turned out to be a better option than the multi million lifestyle proffesional football would have given you?
  I was released in 1986 by a club at 15 for lacking pace how I was I had your good given talents

• 66 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:56 PM

  economics, data analytics regression etc

• 67 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:57 PM

  Indian Shola has NOTHING to prove to you, me, or anyone else. He has played with some of the best players we’ve ever had, he has experienced the highs of Champions League and the lows of relegation and he still stood tall for his club. What he lacks in technique he makes up for in passion for the club. He is a true Newcastle boy, a true Geordie, as well as being a player he is a fan of the club. Something which can’t be said for you.

• 68 Thump // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:58 PM

  As a group we weren’t good enough against Norwich. We might not have conceded 4 goals if we had Saylor and Colo in the back four but I still think we’d have struggled. Since Tioté went out we’ve looked a bit toothless in attack.

  Gosling, imo, was one of the worst players on the pitch. Always looking for the goal (7 feet to the left or right and he might have scored), dropping his man to chase after the ball etc. it’s almost like he suffered from tunnel vision at times, trying to do too much, y’know?

  That said, Norwich is a bloody good team and they have a lot of fight and heart in them. It’s ludicrous to put the blame on any one player because it was always going to be a tough ask. Also from what I’ve seen of him, Ruddy is one hell of a keeper when he wants to be.

  I wonder if our Ruddy with one leg is better than Norwich’s Ruddy…

• 69 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:58 PM

  Ah the playboy lifestyle of data analysis regression was too hard to resist…

• 70 Brutooon // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:58 PM

  Swansea got championship level strikers

  We got a BELOW average championship Skinny “Centre Back”

  Perch is so SHIT that he was NEVER bid by ANY TEAM – not even a league one or below team

• 71 Selbymag // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:59 PM

  Ruddy / Boater it is ften coached that midfields should be narrower when defending and provide width going forward.
  This is the approach that cost us on Saturday Jonas would have offered more protection of this nature on the left but we wold have struggled to defend the right with Obertan in front of Raylor. This could have been combated if Ryan had been in right midfield with a full back behind him.
  Im an after the event tactical genius I know

• 72 jimmymagpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:59 PM

  I was at Carrow Road, and I’m not Shola’s biggest fan, but he did well against Norwich, and there was a lot worse than him in black and white shirts, I can assure you, including Obertan and Gosling.You are all taking for granted that Colo is going to be fit for Saturday – I would wait until we hear that he’s had a training session, if I were you.

• 73 Thump // Dec 14, 2011 at 1:59 PM

  @Indian: No I won’t forget last season. Only a fool doesn’t look back to learn from the patterns of the past.

• 74 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:00 PM

  Ah…yet another bashing for one of our lads. I really can’t be having this lads so I’m off to do some work. See ya lads!

• 75 Thump // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:00 PM

  @jimmy: I thought he was back in training mate?

• 76 Selbymag // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:01 PM

  Ah Brutoon – “are you Indian Magpie in disguise” repeat to fade. Or “youre just a sh*t Indian Magpie”

• 77 jimmymagpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:03 PM

  Thump – I hope you’re right, but he wasn’t training at Benton yesterday, he was getting treatment – I was there delivering paperwork for my nephew.

• 78 Thump // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:04 PM

  Oh Christ, Brutoon is here.

  I’m off. More vitriol is on it’s way.

• 79 Hatem // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:04 PM

  Are people seeing this news about Simmo’s contract i’m hoping the board and he can overcome their differences, he’s only going to get better http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/newcastle-united/nufc-news/2011/12/14/danny-simpson-hopeful-of-staying-at-nufc-72703-29949930/

• 80 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:04 PM

  thump as i said i will apologise if that happens 5 is the magic #

• 81 Munster Mag // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:08 PM

  IndianMagpie, will you ever shut up, you silly delusional tool. Ameobi played for the Toon with a didgy hip, when others would have hidden. He’s not the best in many areas of the game, but successive managers have all found positive things to say about him. Now go back to your one legged indian football.

• 82 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:11 PM

  Haha well I just finished work and had a read through this it did put a smile on my face haha

  On topic I am very much looking forward to seeing Willo back playing a very solid defender and, imo, atleast on par with Saylor

  He was a complete steal for us as we’ll 1mill wasent it? Honest Mike welcome back lad

• 83 GeordieGerman // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:11 PM

  Some nice photo’s of the lads doing the childrens hospitals.

  http://www.nufc.co.uk/page/News/Gallery/0,,10278~2547364,00.html

• 84 ToonMauritius // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:12 PM

  Hi Lads, “to whom it may concern” we are not supporting any individual player, we are supporting a team “NewcastleUnited” with whatever player, even in the championship or any league. I know we desire to have big names in our team but thats not in our hands.

• 85 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:14 PM

  Hatem
  It all apparently on hold until summer now and I don’t blame Simmo. Apparently he won’t be sold in Jan but summer is nut up or shut up for him.

  Defenders tend to hit their top form at 27+ imo so I’d agree Simmo will just keep improving

• 86 boater // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:16 PM

  Ruddy/Selby – I have a feeling we will be better off on Saturday with a tweaked midfield, no matter who starts in defense- pains me to say it but Gosling and Cabaye looked our feeblest combination all season. I was always wary of the Vuckic hype but he looked fantastic in the early season, just sitting behind the strikers – big, strong and instinctive close control.

  I still reckon Arfa out wide is an option- especially considering Obertan’s form. Plus Ba likes playing with an advanced strike partner to play off the defender’s shoulder.

• 87 Hatem // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:18 PM

  Yeah, WWJBD, clubs actually handling it quite well, a lot of teams would just ship any contract ‘bad boys’ for whatever they can get for them in Jan. I don’t see why he wouldnt want to sign for us, he’s in our first team, and he wouldnt cut the mustard at most of the clubs around our position in the league.

• 88 -Tendo- // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:18 PM

  Indian Mag – listen to yourself -

  “and i am not a professional footballer bcoz i chose not to be 1″ really?

  You chose not be a footballer, instead you’d rather sit on a blog and slag a player off that you have probably only ever seen on match highlights or on TV. I have read this blog for about a year now but never commented, reading all your (extremely) childish posts about Shola is just embarrasing, are you really 28 because you really need to grow up…

• 89 Indian Magpie // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:21 PM

  okay lads c ya, long live shola, more evenings like this

• 90 planb // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:22 PM

  Simpson and perch cant tackle or head the ball so what use are they? get shot as soon as possible along with lovenkrands and the worst signing in the history of NUFC Alan smith a born again striker who thinks hes a holding midfielder on 65k a week nice work if you can get it.

• 91 Gash // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:23 PM

  Haven’t been on here for a while but was thinking slightly off topic. If Chelski were to give us Alex, Torres and 7 million would that be a fair exchange for Tiote. Basically a 30 million deal? I reckon MA would take that. If Torres finds his touch again , at 27 he has a resale value. Alex would fill in nicely with Colo for this season and at approx 3 mill would be a good purchase. The 7 million would buy a decent DM to replace Tiote and we could advance further in our quest for a trophy? Not that I want to see Tiote go but just a thought.

• 92 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:25 PM

  Hatem
  Club handling it well? I’d disgree for me they would be handling it well if it wasent in the papers but hey ho haha

  Its because of how little he is paid from what I’ve heard. He’s been a starter for 2 years has been solid but his pay isn’t in line with the rest of the squads so I hold no ill will towards him holding out for more money

• 93 boater // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:26 PM

  Ruddy – aye exactly. When Norwich had been made to play the ball to feet through the middle they got nowhere. So they played it like a cup game – through balls out wide, and whipping it in. For all our technical superiority (us scoring two premiership class goals) we couldn’t cope with them. It was exactly the same against Bolton and West Brom last year… they tore us apart from the wide positions. But it starts from the pass in midfield – and Tiote’s absence in those games.

• 94 Hatem // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:27 PM

  Yeah, hes defo being payed nothing compared to the other defenders, maybe aside Raylor

• 95 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:27 PM

  Simpson has a future at this club, even if the club signs another fullback he would be a more than useful squad player with the amount of experience he has. So the club really should hang on to him. I think he is holding out for the kind of wages first team players are on, and the club know that in the near future he won’t be a first teamer so maybe that is where the impasse has come from.

• 96 Hatem // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:28 PM

  Gash, they would never give Torres to us, and he wouldnt want to come

• 97 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:29 PM

  Chelsea would never trade us torres, alex and money for Tiote who are u kidding? Tiote isn’t that good or needed

  Also why would Torres come here?

• 98 GeordieGerman // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:29 PM

  Torres. smirk. ROFL.

• 99 boater // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:31 PM

  Gash – Ashley won’t do deals like that. Like it or not, his philosophy is to scout young/ out of contract talent on the cheap. Whether or not he’s building longterm for Europe or grooming for resale – it’s impossible to judge so far. We will know more in January about his plans when big offers come in for Tiote and Krul.

• 100 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:31 PM

  @Boater my feeling exactly, if the balls were allowed to come into the box we were always going to struggle, however considering how far off the crossing players our fullbacks were I’m not sure if emphasis was put on that fact. The key battles weren’t going to be Perch/Holt and Morrison/Simmo it was going to be between the fullbacks and the crossers and for all those who felt Santon did well with the ball to feet, I wasn’t too impressed with his defensive display. He also looks way to light to compete physically. No doubt he is a great player in the making but he has a long way to go

• 101 planb // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:31 PM

  We let barton go for nowt a player who had his problems but always put a shift in on the pitch because he wanted 65k a week yet we keep smith who cant put a shift in on 65k a week whos running NUFC Ed miliband?

• 102 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:33 PM

  Oh and the only Torres that is a possible signing for NUFC is Sergio Torres, (that bloke that plays for Crawley) haha

• 103 Gash // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:34 PM

  I know it sounds daft but………… Torres is in a rut. He needs t l c and nurturing back to form. He would be loved up here …. a real No 9. He improves , gets back his form, helps us stay near the top 6 and is there to atract other players next season. Yes he will want wages but we are in as a good a position financially as any other premiership club to take him on. And…. shirt sales would make MA a happy chappy too. Oh and who could we buy as a DM with 7 mill?

• 104 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:36 PM

  Having watched Chelsea recently, and especially that kid Oriel Romeu I am more than convinced that Chelsea don’t need Tiote. That kid is a top top player in the making, fearless in a challenge, great passer of the ball, good at controlling the tempo of a game. His passing is better than Tiote’s and he will improve on the defensive side of his game in years to come. This guy is the business and will be Chelsea’s next Makelele, I’d be more worried about Manure coming in for Tiote than Chelsea.

• 105 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:37 PM

  Gash
  Please tell me ur having a laugh with this Torres shout?

• 106 boater // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:39 PM

  Gash – Torres aint coming. We’ve just bought a new striker by all accounts – when Maiga and Ba come back, how are we going to play them all? Torres will go to Juve, PSG, Milan or Athletico not the toon.

  For tiote’s replacemtn we will go for Brown or Ki at Celtic – reports were that is who Carr has been watching,

• 107 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:39 PM

  @Gash I agree totally on your views on Torres needing TLC to get back to his best, and he will, but it won’t be at NUFC or at any other club. Yes AVB may have lacked a bit of class the other week when he was having a go at Pards but he is a good manager who knows talent when he sees it. He knew from the off that Sturridge was immense and Ancellotti was going to let him go! AVB can’t afford to drop any more points which is why he can’t afford to play Torres, but rest assured he is in his long term plans. Torres will be firing at Chelsea before the end of the season, this 20mill cut price deal nonsense is all paper talk.

• 108 Gash // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:39 PM

  Like I said I dont want Tiote to leave I think he is a great player and asset to our club. But if MA sees a deal where he can make 7 million and appease the fans who want a striker annnd solve a central defence problem at the same time…. I reckon he’d be up for it.

• 109 planb // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:40 PM

  Torres for NUFC do me a favour the kids on 200k a week ashely would want a whole new squad for that money no its cheap foreign imports for us just like the crap ashely sells in his shops

• 110 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:41 PM

  No one in their right mind would let Torres, Alex and 7mill in cash go for one DM…it defies logic.

• 111 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:42 PM

  Those “cheap foreign imports” have got us 7th in the league planb. I’d prefer Cabaye/Tiote to Barton/Nolan 7days a week. Buying English is overrated…just ask Liverpool.

• 112 Hatem // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:42 PM

  They wouldnt give Torres alone for Tiote

• 113 Sir Alan // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:43 PM

  GG, Good photos but how awkward does Ben Arfa look holding the baby!! haha

• 114 Gash // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:44 PM

  boater- Never say never. Just when we aarent expecting anyhting at the club…. something happens. Admittedly not always good happens but its not always bad. MA is a businessman first and foremost. He doesnt understand us as a set of supporters or people. But he does understand economics and P & L statements. If he sees a profit and its not a massive gamble …he’ll give it consideration……. Do you think he will read this…lol

• 115 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:45 PM

  Cheap doesn’t mean bad but they are still bargain buys

• 116 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:46 PM

  If he did he would surely be concocting a scheme to have “fans” like IndianMagpie sterilised…he wouldn’t want to think NUFC fans are idiots haha

• 117 Gash // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:47 PM

  Ruddy- here here, totally agree. This side will develop over the next 2-3 seasons into something we probably could only dream about. They say the best time to start a business is in a recession. The first real signs of business acumen as far as MA and NUFC have been this season. They look like they are starting to get things right at the club…. Rome wasnt built in a day remember

• 118 Willo // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:49 PM

  Has Best fallen off the face of the earth? If he’s still alive I vote best to start and Shola to come on when defenders are tired in the last 25-30 minutes. Sammy starts wide left with Jonas moving right to cover Raylor who moves across to take RB Santon to LB as he can hold his own and form a partnership with Sammy for years to come. Perch with Colo at CB. If you want Abeid put him on the bench and if things go well bring him on for 15 at the end along with Vuckic. He’s simply not ready yet, even if the opposition is Swansea and not a Manchester club.

  Overall,
  Krul
  Raylor Colo Perch Santon
  __Tiote(Vuckic)Cabaye
  Jonas____________Sammy
  _______Best BA______

• 119 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:50 PM

  @Gash I totally agree in waiting to see the fruits of our labours develop, not only do we buy young,cheap and foreign but we have improve youth recruitment drastically over the last number of years. We could see an Arsenal style academy develop over the next few years, or Manure’s academy that created the class of ’93…maybe we could be talking about Newcastle’s “Class of 2015…” haha delusional day dreaming but hey it’s nearly Xmas we’re allowed to have our head in the clouds haha

• 120 GeordieGerman // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:51 PM

  Sir Alan, HBA has no kids and with all those tubes I’d be a bit nervous as well. At least he has a smile on his face.

• 121 boater // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:54 PM

  Ashley hasn’t done one single ‘player plus cash’ deal since he came has he? It’s not his style – he could have got N’gog on loan for Carroll but he wants to maximise on every deal.

  Reckon we will continue to go for carefully scouted players between 2-5 mil max and sell on for profit, and repeat.

• 122 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:57 PM

  @Boater, he hasn’t done that 2-5 mil then sell on for profit either. He sold Carroll because he got crazy money, Milner had been itching to leave nearly from the second he got here, N’zogbia was a deal that saw Raylor plus 6mil I think. Bassong was bought for 500k then sold for 8mill because he wanted to go. This opinion of Ashley as a shyster who maximises profit from cheap signings isn’t true, whilst it fits neatly into the theory that he wants to milk the “cash cow” that is NUFC it simply isn’t true.

• 123 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:58 PM

  What was the collective opinion on Tomkins? I’d be very much happy with him coming in. Always looked good when I have seen him play

  And we are a better option than the Hammers but get the feeling he is a Hammers fan so may not be possible

• 124 Dennis Twice // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:58 PM

  Krul
  Raylor Colo Perch Santon
  __Tiote Cabaye
  Obertan___________ Jonas
  _______Best BA______

  Alans choice

• 125 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:00 PM

  Young and British…usually means inflated fee though, that would be my worry. If we got him on the cheap then he would provide excellent cover, and nothing more. If he cost more than 3 mill I wouldn’t look at it, considering we could go for Mbiwa for about 5.5 mill and have a genuine contender for a starting place.

• 126 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:01 PM

  Correct me if am wrong but Milner wanted to stay and was wanted by the manager but he was told to leave because we needed the money

• 127 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:01 PM

  Not sure how reliable this website is but transfermarkt.co.uk value Tomkins at 3.5 mill, which is too much in my opinion.

  http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/james-tomkins/profil/spieler_61592.html

• 128 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:03 PM

  When he was on the season long loan to Villa he wanted to make the loan move permanent because he wasn’t getting first team footy, he got a bit more first team football when he came back but I think Villa had a special place for him and when they came back in for him there was only going to be one outcome, maybe I am wrong, but he did want a permanent move after the loan spell.

• 129 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:06 PM

  Yeah, just as I thought, he handed in a transfer request the week before we sold him, whether that was a decision made by him or forced upon him is a matter for discussion but I don’t think he wanted to stay.

• 130 davybtoon // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:07 PM

  wwbjd – agreed i think tomkins would b a great signing n on milner shepard loaned milner to villa n they were about to buy him but shepard pulled out the deal last minute from that moment on milner was always gonna go to villa ashly done deal n sold him but it was much shepard who set the thinh in motion

• 131 boater // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:08 PM

  Ruddy – No, he hasn’t done that true. It’s impossible to say if he’s building a team for the future, or if he’s got the taste for a buy in cheap/re-sale model. That’s just my hunch.

  We will find out in January when big bids come in for Tiote and Krul.

• 132 davybtoon // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:11 PM

  i wouldnt b suprised if pardew goes for jose fonte from southampton for cb if tomkins dont happen

• 133 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:12 PM

  Aye but AC ‘handed in a transfer request’ I don’t fully believe that it is always a players decision

  Davy
  Aye I reckon Tomkins would be pushing for a start in our back line tbh. He is young, English, has a point to prove and has a air of class about him. Sounds like a good buy to me.

• 134 roshan MAGPIE // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:14 PM

  I WOULD rather play simpson in center back than PERCH my back four will contain RAYLOR COLLO SIMPSON SANTON now thats good enough to conced only one goal

• 135 Rotonda heights // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:22 PM

  If Perch starts we are in trouble, just look at the stats every time he plays.

  Christmas wish list

  Outs

  Perch
  Smith
  Loven

  Ins

  Taiwo
  M’Biwa
  A good striker

  Please stays

  Tiote
  Colo
  Krul

• 136 ross armstrong // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:23 PM

  just spoke to pardew this is the team for sat

  krul
  raylor simpson colo santon
  obertan cabaye gutierez
  benny ba
  best

• 137 ross armstrong // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:25 PM

  i wish lol

• 138 Rotonda heights // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:29 PM

  Plan B no one wants smith, we’re stuck with him and his crazy wages. thanks allardyce

• 139 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:32 PM

  Roshan capital letters makes me feel you are shouting at us. It doesn’t give your comment any added weight or significance so ease up there buddy. This week we are facing a different animal than Norwich, we are playing a very quick and technical side. We really need Tiote back as I feel the danger that Joe Allen poses needs to be addressed, he sprays the ball well for the wide men, who are another problem and he works well with Graham. They get quality ball into the area, as well as running directly at defenders. I will feel a lot safer with Colo in the lineup but I think with the ball on the ground Perch can cope with what they have to offer. It will be won in the middle, not at the back.

• 140 seantoon // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:39 PM

  Has anyone heard about us signing a young lad on a short term contract from bologna? He’s called sliri taider. Don’t know whether there’s any truth in it it may just be a rumour on a website I saw. Just thought it would be a bit random of someone to make it up.

• 141 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:44 PM

  Seen the rumour on http://www.football-rumours.co.uk

  says a pre contract deal but there doesn’t seem to be much else other than speculation at the moment.

• 142 roshan MAGPIE // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:44 PM

  RUDDY playing simpson in center will give the pace and he IS better than perch in defending what do you think

• 143 foxyflint // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:45 PM

  Indian Magpie if you are as you say better than shola why aren’t you playing in the new indian soccer league ?

• 144 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:46 PM

  Don’t like the thought of having Nathan Dyer or Scott Sinclair running at Raylor at RB if you are playing Simpson in CB. Perch is a fast player, if it is pace and just pace you are looking for in that role then I would stick with Simmo at RB to deal with Sinclair, Colo dealing with Graham, Perch alongside him and Santon dealing with Dyer at LB.

• 145 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:47 PM

  To clarify my back four would be

  Simpson-Colo-Perch-Santon

• 146 roshan MAGPIE // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:49 PM

  i read somewhere that man united will try to buy both Tiote and cabaye for 30 m£ i think its fairly low i thought Tiote alone will cost that much

• 147 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:54 PM

  There is no way that sort of deal would be struck, that is newspapers responding to the news that Fletcher is out, thus combining United’s supposed interest in both Tiote and Cabaye and throwing in a random figure. We as fans have got to stop responding to every nonsensical article the journos put out there.

• 148 roshan MAGPIE // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:56 PM

  well ruddy that is a fair back 4 but i dont think Pardew will drop raylor

• 149 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:03 PM

  I do defend Pardew’s take on keeping faith in players who consistently perform and raylor has done a good job. But he is conveying an air of stubbornness by keeping Raylor in the team when he is not playing particularly well.

• 150 roshan MAGPIE // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:09 PM

  Well there is chance of perch playing in holding mid field role

• 151 DJM TOON // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:09 PM

  01 Dec 2011 11:41:42
  On the club website – Scott Brown has agreed a 4 year Contract with Newcastle United. The deal has been signed today and to be processed in January. He will arrive in the Toon July 2012.

  from trnafer rumours

• 152 Jesus1983 // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:10 PM

  I’m pretty shocked that Shola is so loved in here….he is a very poor footballer in my opinion. Fair enough he deserves some respect for the loyalty he has shown the club….but if i were a player of his quality i would never want to leave a huge club like Newcastle United either.

  Fair enough he is a true Newcastle boy, a true Geordie, a very passionate fan but so am i….can i have his wages?

• 153 DJM TOON // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:10 PM

  as for lopez ruddy… woudl love the guy but cant see it happening to be fair. lyon paid 20 odd mil didnt they?

• 154 DJM TOON // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:11 PM

  jesus… are you indian by any chance?!

• 155 mattnufc // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:12 PM

  Pardew has said we will sign 2 players, most likely a striker and a defender, and only more if anyone leaves. So I think some need to turn down the dial a bit on their expectations, we can all remember last January.

• 156 mattnufc // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:13 PM

  @151 Ameobi is not loved, even though he did something for once last week and set up a goal.

• 157 DJM TOON // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:14 PM

  its inevitable matty… silly seasons warming up. people are obsessed with building things up… they must love the drama it brings to their lives

• 158 tails // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:15 PM

  I’m a british indian and i have to say that Indian Magpie’s comments have gone from comical to just plain stupid. I’ve watched the toon for 8 years now and before that I was cricket mad!! I played cricket for my county untill i was 17…im 27 now and started playing cricket again this year…having said that every saturday at our cricket club the banter is always about football!! Must admit I love following the toon and watching football….I would of loved to play football but i cant kick a ball to save my life!! What im saying is we as supporters cant just say a player is useless…think how much training they have to do to become a pro footballer especially in england (leagues are so tough) also if shola was that crap why did Sir Bobby play him alongside Alan Shearer, I’ll admit shola hasnt lived up to his potential probably due to injuries more than anything else, and yes he frustrates me too at times but id never say hes useless and imo i dont think Indian Magpie can play football at all let alone be better than a prem footballer. Just saying.

• 159 roshan MAGPIE // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:15 PM

  Lisandro lopez is the type of striker we require pacey with lots of technic and eye for goal

• 160 AP's Black & White Army // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:15 PM

  Lovely to see the haughtiness expressed towards Indian. Pat yourselves on the back lads (sarcasm incase you missed it).

• 161 GeordieGerman // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:21 PM

  Nicely said tails.

• 162 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:25 PM

  DJM Toon I never uttered a word about Lopez haha

  @AP Black and White Army How is anyone being arrogant in their dealings with Indian? He came out vitriol towards a Newcastle player, love him or hate him there is no need to constantly berate him, especially when he has played well in his last few games. When challenged on his opinion he resorted to name calling and then insisted he was a better footballer than Shola on one leg and that if he was born in England Spain or Italy he would be a pro footballer. Then when challenged on that he resorted to more name calling and more ludicrous claims. He formulates opinions like my 4 year old cousin, if it is “haughty” to challenge that then aren’t we a haughty bunch.

• 163 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:26 PM

  *came out with vitriol that should say

• 164 Toonboy_84 // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:28 PM

  I’m a really haughty boy I am

• 165 DJM TOON // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:32 PM

  it was in the link you posted???

• 166 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:36 PM

  I didn’t see the reference to us going in for Lopez I was referring to the rumour about us going in for Saphir Tadier haha completely missed the Lopez link

• 167 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:42 PM

  Hahah “Chris Smalling to join Newcastle on a 1 month loan deal until a suitable replacement for Taylor is signed” what a load of bull!

• 168 roshan MAGPIE // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:48 PM

  HA ha smalling on loan for us they are already short of defenders and mid fielders due to injury

• 169 GeordieTwo // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:56 PM

  No way Man U would loan Smalling to us with Vidic out for the season.

• 170 seantoon // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:56 PM

  Where’s this rumour come from?

• 171 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 4:59 PM

  http://www.newcastlerumours.co.uk/

  some awful garbage on it though

• 172 GeordieTwo // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:02 PM

  Let’s get some discussion going. I think the current crop of injuries and drop in form for us should be a big warning to the club about the dangers of getting into the Europa league next season. Can you imagine the state of our threadbare squad if we had already played as many games this season as Stoke has? With an owner lacking in ambition and having to balance buying players with selling players we are always going to be thin on talent. Sure we have a very good starting 11 but beyond that we can see we have very little depth with just the normal number of injuries. Spend some money on players and you will more than earn it back with European football Ashley. Oh and by the way sack Llambias ASAP. Is there a more incompetent managing director in English football?

• 173 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:07 PM

  GeordieTwo I agree with your assessment in how threadbare our squad is, just look at how Stoke’s Premier League form has been affected by their participation in the Europa League, so I can see where you’re coming from. I am living in hope that if we find ourselves having earned European football, and along with the departures of Smith,Lovenkrands and perhaps Perch and Simpson, heavy, heavy investment would be necessary. I mean 10 new players, minimum would be required, even considering the youth that is coming through, we would still need 10 players to beef up the quality of the squad.

• 174 max // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:08 PM

  cant u see… everyone doesnt want perch to play. give chance to kadar..

• 175 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:13 PM

  Max you’re making a general sweeping statement there. Kadar is obviously not impressing Pardew due to effort or attitude and I for one don’t want to see any player who is potentially disruptive to the first team anywhere near it. His comments about Kadar having a chance was perhaps a rocket up his backside to tell him, “your career is in your hands, buck up your ideas and earn it” He sent a strong message by not even including him in the squad to let us fans know that Kadar isn’t earning his place in the squad and Perch is. If Pardew believes Perch deserves his place over Kadar then who are we to disagree, after all the only person who knows all the facts is Pards, and not us.

• 176 JAMSHA // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:15 PM

  is da game against swansea live world wide? if yes cnt wait. bt da name of pearch haunts me . i would play

  santon-danny-colo-raylor/fergi

• 177 GeordieGerman // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:19 PM

  max, not sure if AP reads this blog.

  GeordieTwo, I’d say 8 players would need to be brought in. 1 GG, 2 FB, 1 CB, 3 MF and 1 striker. Guess what? I think Ashley would buy. Because of the world wide advertising Sports Direct would be getting.

• 178 GeordieTwo // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:20 PM

  Ten new players would be fantastic Ruddy @173 but highly unlikely. I agree with who you would want to part with also. I think the owner will continue to attempt to balance what he spends with what he earns from player sales except when there is a blockbuster deal like the sale of Carrol. Those monies have not and will not be spent. Looking at the rest of the buying last summer it was exactly balanced by player sales. With this in mind I would think we will buy Maiga in January as predicted, bring in a cheap fill-in centre back such as Ridgeway, then stand pat until summer unless a really big money offer comes for Tiote which the owner will grab with both hands. Hate to be cynical but we have seen it all before unfortunately. The board are just a bunch of puppets and Llambias will do whatever he is told by Ashley the puppet master. The club will be a fine income source for Ashley for years to come but silverware will continue to evade us sadly.

• 179 GeordieGerman // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:25 PM

  Decisions decisions. Do I listen to Legends or do I watch Besiktas v Stoke?

• 180 GeordieTwo // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:26 PM

  GG @ 177 I hope you are right. Is GG a goalkeeper? If so I pretty well agree. I don’t think some of our young ones have progressed nearly as well as hoped. In particular Vuckic seems to always be an injury waiting to happen. For me Ferguson is a fine young player but too light weight to be a full back. Sammy has progressed well and seems to have caught the manager’s eye. Hard to tell with Abeid. I hear glowing comments but we have yet to really see anything from him. Gosling’s play is spotty at best. Kadar seems to be lost in the shuffle. Not sure about Tavernier either but at least he is getting playing time on loan. If the owner will spend I definitely think we could get into the Europa league but we’re already dropping points we shouldn’t (Norwich was a predictable fiasco). Good to hear from you GG.

• 181 GeordieGerman // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:28 PM

  GeordieTwo, sorry meant GK. Just love to see my initials

• 182 roshan MAGPIE // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:30 PM

  JAMSHA the match IS in ESPN at 8-30

• 183 GeordieTwo // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:33 PM

  Could we not start a “Sack the owlheed” campaign? It would certainly be well worthwhile. I have no confidence in him after last summers late window dealings. What exactly were we trying to do in the last 48 hours or so? Make it look like owlheed actually does something? A half-hearted effort for Ridgewell and that ridiculous Ruiz story with the helicopter rumours was just laughable. Don’t waste our time Llambias. Make proper offers for good players and stop whinging about agents’ fees. As if every club doesn’t have to pay agents.

• 184 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:36 PM

  I disagree entirely with you on the cynical way you view the club’s owner. I can understand why you might feel that way though. Ashley has only ever accepted a mega money transfer once, and it was a ridiculous offer for Carroll that any owner would have taken. He rejected offers of 15,20,25,30,35 in instalments and it was only when the 35 was offered up front was it accepted. All the other players that left under his regime either, jumped ship following relegation/refused to accept cuts in their ridiculous wages or simply wanted to leave. Yes we have operated at a negative/near negative outlay in the last few windows but I feel that is just to finance a more sustainable financial model. Once we have removed the high earning players of no value to the squad, i.e Smith, and freed the wages of Lovenkrands, and with the potential outgoings of Simmo and Perch we will need to supplement the squad and that is where Pards and Carr come into action. Just because a transfer may be cheap does not mean the player in question is not good. Next summer is when Ashley has to answer big questions about his ownership of the club, whether he harbours ambitions of Newcastle being a big club or whether he wants to make as much money out of us as he can without spending much. I don’t fear the latter as I believe we are on our way to somewhere good as a club in the long run.

• 185 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:40 PM

  Now Spurs are the next club in a long line of clubs linked with Tiote, no sources, no quotes just pure guesswork from the Journos. Transfer time must be the easiest time of the year for these hacks as they can just throw out nonsense and people will believe it.

• 186 GeordieTwo // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:48 PM

  I hope you are right Ruddy but I heard the same comments about the last summer window. Everyone said that was a big test for Ashley’s ambition for the club. Then we balanced buying with spending and didn’t get the striker and centre back we needed. Now we are in the brown stuff with no cover at centre back. Everything looked fine until the injuries started to happen but now we will struggle because Saylor is gone for the season. I agree not all cheap buys are bad buys mainly thanks to Carr but I just don’t see the ambition from Ashley. He can’t even be bothered speaking to the supporters directly anymore for fear of putting his foot in it. And having a drinking buddy for a managing director? Just ridiculous for any owner with real ambition.

• 187 drongo // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:48 PM

  afternoon Gents

  Just on the Norwich game – and particularly looknig at Boaters comment @ 61. Yes there were too many crosses coming in, and so yes you ask questions of your wingers for not keeping their fullbacks ni their own half – however – that still comes back to our own defence.
  Until we play with genuine fullbacks who can hold their own, our 2 wide forwards will keep getting pinned back, letting oppos fullbacks overlap and send over cross after cross. Having 2 outstanding CBs and the best GK in the league has let us withstand that so far, well that and the fact that most teams play a 4-3-3 these days so we havent often had to deal with doubling up fullbacks and wingers.
  Take out our CBs and a team playing with orthodox wide midlfielders and attacking fullbacks can get to us very easily.

• 188 Dannyo // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:56 PM

  @MsiDouglas
  Mark Douglas
  Been told Maiga switch ‘moving in the right direction’. Never know but unlikely to be announced til Jan 1/2 tho. #nufc

  Now lets talk about that one

• 189 GeordieToon89 // Dec 14, 2011 at 5:57 PM

  Spurs dont want Tiote thav got.. Parker/Sandro/Huddlestone who in my opinion would all be ahead of tiote

• 190 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 6:00 PM

  GT89 my point exactly, journos don’t even seem to bother researching the validity of their stories.

• 191 toonLYF // Dec 14, 2011 at 6:23 PM

  think we’ll win 8-4 on saturday like lads, you heard it here first

• 192 Jail for Ashley // Dec 14, 2011 at 6:38 PM

  Ruddy
  You say that all the players that have been sold wanted to.leave or refused to take a paycut,if you remember all of the players were signed without clauses in their contracts,so ya likes of Guti and co weren’t wanting to go anywhere to play for less

• 193 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 6:39 PM

  Jail you’re gong to have to clarify your point.

• 194 Jail for Ashley // Dec 14, 2011 at 6:46 PM

  Just your comment that everybody that has left wanted to or refused to take a paycut,isn’t really true as they were all picking up.their prem wages whilst in the championship

• 195 mattnufc // Dec 14, 2011 at 6:58 PM

  I’m being Dr Cynical, but is Cabaye not allowed to leave in January as he joined a new team at the start of this season?

• 196 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:01 PM

  I never said that everybody left because they didn’t want to take a paycut, in fact Mike Ashley subsidised the high wages to keep the high earners at the club so they could get into the Prem. I am referring to the likes of Barton and Nolan who refused to take a paycut when we were in the Prem, the so called loyal servants just wanted to continue collecting their over inflated wages and were quite rightly told where to go.

• 197 GeordieGerman // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:05 PM

  mattnufc, as far as I know a player has to be at a club for a season before being sold on. Probably explains why Carroll is still at Liverpool.

• 198 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:06 PM

  @GG that’s the only possible explanation

• 199 JAMSHA // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:07 PM

  tnx roshan nw all i need is to giv.my tv set up box for repairng n get it by saturday

• 200 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:07 PM

  Ruddy
  When did Barton or Nolan not agree to take pay cuts? That was never the issue

  Also MA couldnt get rid of the high earners while we were in the Championship tbf and they didnt have relegation clauses so he had to pay them what theirs ‘over inflated wages’

• 201 Jail for Ashley // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:08 PM

  Mike Ashley didnt have any other choice but to pay the wages of those than didnt want to leave they were under contract and had to be paid.

• 202 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:10 PM

  WWJBD Nolan wanted a 5 year deal, I believe the offer was 2 years with less wages, Barton was always a nuisance for the club, I grouped him in the “refused to take a paycut” when I should have put him in the “refused to shut his mouth and respect the people who are paying a distinctly average player over inflated wages” category

• 203 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:12 PM

  Jail he ploughed in his own money so we could pay the wages of those players, if you think Prem clubs wouldn’t have taken the likes of Nolan, Jose, Barton and Colo from us if we couldn’t pay their wages then you are so far off the mark. It was a decision by Ashley to keep those players, not a decision by the players to stay, if they were told they had to take a paycut to stay they would have jumped ship, but Ashley decided to put in his own money to make up for the loss in income so he could pay their wages.

• 204 Jail for Ashley // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:12 PM

  Ruddy
  You seem to make things up to back up your arguments when defending Mike Ashleys policies.

• 205 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:13 PM

  And WWJBD if you think 65k a week would be good value for players of Nolan and Barton’s quality then I think we’re on different wavelengths.

• 206 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:16 PM

  Ashley putting in over 100mill of his own money in interest free loans isn’t an invention, it’s true. It was done to subsidise the wages. That too is also not an invention. Nolan wanted a 5year deal and when he wasn’t going to get it he was off, also not an invention. Barton was forever critical of the owner and brought the club into disrepute and deserved to get shipped off. So which of what I said was invented?

• 207 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:18 PM

  Ruddy
  It was a contract length that was the issue never the pay cut as both stated they would take a pay cut to keep in line with the wage policy however Nolan was insulted by his contract lenght and tbf rightly so. Barton stuck up for his friends and was shown the door.

  Also it really wasent MA decision to keep those players while in the Championship he simply had no choice as they didnt have relegation clauses and no one wanted to buy them

• 208 Jail for Ashley // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:22 PM

  Ruddy,
  How do you know for sure other premier clubs would have took them off our hands and paid them equal wages,look how long it took to get rid of Duff who was screaming to get away,nobody would have touched Barton with a barge pole and ya likes of Collo Guti and Nolan weren’t really rated enough for somebody to come an pay them what they were getting here

• 209 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:23 PM

  Would Nolan be playing first team football before Cabaye and Tiote? No chance. So you think we should be paying 60k+ a week to a squad player for 5years?Because we’ve already got one cheerleader, we don’t need another one. It was a good decision, there can be no doubt about that. Barton was far more trouble than he was worth, I am so glad to see him gone.

  If we transfer listed the likes of Jose, Nolan, Barton, and Colo when we got relegated clubs would have taken them.

• 210 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:25 PM

  Duff who was screaming to get away?

  http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2009/05/26/damien-duff-wants-to-stay-at-newcastle-61634-23709368/

  Now who is inventing things to fit their own arguments?

• 211 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:28 PM

  Well Tiote has been injured for a long time now and Nolan would of slotted into either that spot with Cabaye sitting deeper or HBA spot where he would of gotten goals. As for Barton being more trouble than he is worth that is ur opinion and one I dont share

  So u dont think any of our players were touted around to other clubs when we went down? OK

  Colo and Jose were pants back then lad, Barton had just come out of jail and fallen out with Shearer and Nolan wasen’t ever rated highly so imo no club would of taken them. Specially with the wages there were on

• 212 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:29 PM

  Can’t trust your integrity in a debate now Jail

• 213 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:31 PM

  This is what Damien said :

  “It was well documented that my three years at Newcastle didn’t work out so it was a massive move for me to come to Fulham to get my career going again.”

  “I knew the gaffer from my Blackburn days so it was always going to be exciting.” ”Working with him has sparked me again – I’ve loved every minute of it and it’s been really enjoyable.

  “It’s just what I needed after my three years at Newcastle. It’s been a great season.”

  Rather more backs up JfA’s point am afraid to say

• 214 Jail for Ashley // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:32 PM

  Ruddy,
  I think he kissed his badge once he was obviously loyal to the core.

• 215 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:36 PM

  Nolan would have been a squad player at best and wouldn’t have been worth the wages, especially not for 5 years. Barton played well for half a season in the Prem and was good in the fizzy pop. Never been the same Prem player since his City days, but I accept we differ on that point. Jose and Colo were pretty shocking. Clubs would have taken Guti, S.Taylor wasn’t on high wages and was/is a solid English CB, so there are a few examples of players who could have been sold but had wages subsidised, along with the likes of Barton and Nolan who may or may not have been touted to other clubs. I suppose we will never know if any clubs came close to signing the likes of Nolan Barton or Colo when we got relegated and how much of it was MA keeping them or no one wanting them.

• 216 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:37 PM

  WWJBD that is what he said after he signed for Fulham. After we got relegated he professed his undying loyalty to the cause and said he would see out his career at Newcastle. I think he was a pillock who obviously didn’t care for Newcastle but he wasn’t screaming to get away.

• 217 Alinufc // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:42 PM

  guys just noticed something, on that thing on the home page about staff at newcastle it has “football adviser: Kia Joorabchian”. Is he not Carlos Tevez’s agent. I was sure of this and looked i t up and found this http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15187855.stm . Does anyone know any other players? teams that he advises for, cos if hes got top players like Tevez coming to him, might have been, dare i say it, a very clever move by ashley!

• 218 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:43 PM

  If we had kept Nolan and Barton we would not have got we were paying for, combined their wages were over 120k a week for two players who wouldn’t be playing week in week out. While I acknowledge and appreciate their contribution to the team both last year and the year we were in the Championship, they are not the kind of players we need to take us forward, especially not for lengthy contracts. In 2 years time Nolan will be half the player he is now, never mind 5 years. West Ham will have their very own Alan Smith.

• 219 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:45 PM

  Tbh mate I think ur argument that MA wanted to keep them in order to bounce straight back up to the prem is let down by the fat mans actions in the fact he tried to sell the club multiple times.

  Imo he was never in it for the long haul, he saw a oppertunity to buy a football club have fun with it for a year or two then flog it for a profit but he cocked up royally, realised his mistake and hired friends to advise him rather than people who knew about football and it ended in tears for us and money loss for him.

  Whether he has learnt from that is yet to be decided

  As for Duff I recall him trying to get a move as soon as he could but that could be my memory tbh. But lets be fair on the players who left they had no reason to stay, the club was in a utter shambles and we were, once again, a public joke but thats neither here nor there really

• 220 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:48 PM

  Who cares how much they are paid? 120k a week means bog all to me, not like the saving from them are helping the club in anyway

• 221 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:51 PM

  Well the anger that was directed at the owner, which extended to death threats, following the club’s relegation meant that he felt his position as owner was untenable, not because he wasn’t in it. He was not responsible for the club’s relegation, the cockney mafia he assembled was a wrong call but surely KK should have got his head down, worked with the players he had instead of bottling it and leaving us in the lurch. The then questionable decision to sign JFK was laughable but he was stabilising the club, his record wasn’t that bad, certainly not relegation form. And with all the uncertainty and shambles the club was in the players failed to do it on the pitch which got us relegated. The players and the owner have responsibility for the issue of relegation but I don’t see people like Michael Owen, Mark Viduka and Claudio Cacapa receiving death threats. So for all the MA haters it would be nice to freshen the perspective and readjust your interpretation of what happened.

• 222 Rotonda heights // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:53 PM

  Funny how people like spending other people’s money !!!

  Paying the likes of owen 110k a week like we were @ 5m a year can very soon bankcrupt a club, especially when it is unsuccessful.

• 223 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:54 PM

  WWJBD that just says it all. You can criticise Ashley but if you can’t accept that the club is not going to pay huge wages for average players then of course you found it hard to accept seeing Nolan and Barton go. The club is a business and not a plaything, something that Fat Freddy may have confused you about considering he has signed shocking players for daft wages. Like I said, readjust your perspective, realise the way things are done now and you will see it is much better than it has been for a long time.

• 224 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:56 PM

  WWJBD I think you’ll find a lot of fans will care what their players are being paid, look at the amount of people disgraced by the fact Smudge still lifts 60k a week. Nolan would be another cheerleader in a years time and I for one wouldn’t want to be paying his wages for 5 years. I’m glad West Ham are stupid enough to do it.

• 225 ToonDownSouth // Dec 14, 2011 at 7:59 PM

  Ashley tried to sell the club long before relegation season…

  Llambias said that the only reason Keagan was hired, was because potential Arab buyers wanted him as manager.

• 226 ToonDownSouth // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:00 PM

  Well… at the start of relegation season.

  I meant “long before relegation”

• 227 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:02 PM

  The clubs was relegated solely down to MA actions. He sacked managers, hired figure heads, undermined managers, appointed friends, played football manager, ignored warning signs, demotivated the team and lied to fans. Had all been well in NUFC we would never of been relegated hell lets face it we wouldnt of gone down if Shepard stayed owner imo

  Yes he shouldnt of recieved death threats and the like but crap happens. Am sure football owners recieve them all the time. As for the players am sure quite a few recieved death threats etc as well

  I dont hate MA blindly he has done some good financially and possibly with the youth set up but he refuses to learn from his mistakes and he doesnt care about the club or the fans he cares about the business which is a different thing completely in my eyes

• 228 Jail for Ashley // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:02 PM

  Rotunda,
  How much do you pay to support the Toon,I like. To see mine and other people’s money getting spent,and Ruddy whatever Kks misgivings have been in the past in his last tenure he was repeatedly lied to and if you dont believe that it was proved in a British court of law,would you work for a firm that treat you and its customers in such a way.

• 229 t00ntime // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:07 PM

  the problem is with our (MA) idea is that football clubs cannot be successful and make money. now we are so called self running (no more annual loss) what you are forgetting is that this includes the carroll money that was invested in to the club. Which means we have no transfer funds avaliable if we want to stay self sufficient. And MA wants that.

  The problem with this being we will have to sell players (including there wage) to buy players (including there wage) so as example we buy maiga and get rid of smith, fair enough

  but once we get rid of the fringe players who goes?

  to get a number 9 striker we wud need to sell one of our players, and a good striker costs BIG money… Tiote…

  the next problem is if we sell a player for every player we buy, our squad wont get any bigger and we will always have that problem

  This works for man utd as they have enough players so if they replace them with younger better talent it works out fine

  for us this will result in a younger and younger squad and no depth: meaning no success.

  so watch out in january cause for every pence we spend MA will want 2 pence back (cause he wants profit)

  so maiga 7 million?? who do we sell worth 14 million (also wages so smith is worth 60*52 per year)

  thinking about it it’s like communism it sounds great:equality for all. but it will never work

• 230 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:09 PM

  TDS he put the club up for sale because he was threatened following Keegan’s RESIGNATION, he wasn’t sacked he walked out on us…again. Fans protested against Ashley instead of the “hero” Keegan who then tried to milk us for 20mill compensation and people here still think Keegan is a god. Keegan was/is a muppet. Interesting how people change facts to support the popular opinion…and how fans protested because Shearer wasn’t given the job full time, even though he has clearly demonstrated on MOTD that his tactical nous is terrible. Call me an apologist or whatever I don’t care. What I do care is about average players collecting big wages, I care about the long term future and financial stability of the club and I believe in the intentions of the owner, he has won me round and I think will win a lot more people round too.

• 231 ToonDownSouth // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:10 PM

  toontime

  I know what you mean, and agree with much of it. But the figures released actually said that they did not include transfer dealings. If you include the players bought and the sales, then we made a fair profit.

• 232 ToonDownSouth // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:11 PM

  Ruddy

  Did you actually read my post?

  “Llambias said that the only reason Keagan was hired, was because potential Arab buyers wanted him as manager.”

  Does that not indicate that, PRIOR to the entire Keegan saga, Ashley was looking to sell?

• 233 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:12 PM

  Rotonda
  As can taking over a business without correctly understanding the debt u are buying into, something which a apparently savvy business man would of done if he had taken his purchase seriously

  Ruddy
  When did I say I dont accept us having a wage structure? Also ur assuming what u think of a players worth (or how their form will change) is gospel but again thats neither here nor there. I wasent trying to argue with about Nolan and Barton staying or leaving merely pointing out what u think they left for is incorrect imo

  If u want to be pro Ashley thats ur right and quite frankly I dont care either way there is plenty opinions on MA many very different but to say he kept pouring money into NUFC by choice baffles me

• 234 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:14 PM

  This is a sensitive topic to a lot of people but the truth of the matter is that we won’t know if the owner has learnt from his mistakes until we see him operating in the next few transfer windows. People believe that because we haven’t spent big in the last window that we are worse off. We aren’t. We’re better off, with better players for less wages. Being thrifty doesn’t mean we cannot still be effective. Remember the buzz around when we signed Owen, the hype created by a big transfer creates a feel good factor but at the end of the day the player has to still perform. Demba Ba didn’t get the same hype but has played better in the last 4 months than Owen did in 4 years! If the owner doesn’t want to spend much money so be it, but if we can progress year on year as we are doing without spending money even better!

• 235 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:15 PM

  Ruddy
  Did u follow the KK court case or the verdict?

• 236 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:16 PM

  TDS where did Llambias say that? and I would be wary believing anything he says so regardless I don’t accept that theory. Ashley first put the club up for sale a few days after Keegan left.

• 237 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:18 PM

  MA learning from his mistakes isnt entirely down to the transfer dealing its the club on a whole which he clearly hasen’t learned a lot about imo considering how he goes about his business

  Also Owen played well for us when he was fit the issue was he wasen’t ever fit

• 238 ToonDownSouth // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:19 PM

  It was during his bizarre rant to Newcastle fans recently, which was leaked in a few papers. Wouldn’t be hard to find I’m sure.

  I didn’t say anything about any of the other stuff you posted lol, was just pointing that out

• 239 t00ntime // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:19 PM

  ok TDS I cant find the link anywhere xD but somwhere our operating losses were 30 million or something like that, and then they said next expected to be plus 5 or 6 million I know they are paying less wages but surely no 35/36million

  (which cud be the carrol money (which wasnt reinvested in new player and wages and training field etc)

• 240 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:20 PM

  Yes I know the signing of Ignacio Gonzalez over his head resulted in “constructive dismissal” but he still walked out. Keegan was still holding out for 20 mill though…while we were in the fizzy pop too!

• 241 JackButler // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:21 PM

  To put my two peneths worth in.
  Ashley will sell the club at any time and to anyone if the price is right, but the story regarding Keegan being brought in because of Arab interest in buying the club is true,

• 242 t00ntime // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:22 PM

  @ruddy it was the same time he said shearer is over rated and arrogant (before we go in to this again for me shearer deserves to be arrogant yet I dont think he is arrogant he seems kind of down to earth only the managerial thing isnt really his thing, he shud become a striking coach for us )

  I wonder what it wud of been like.. kevin keegen incharge… as rich as man city… hmmm we cud of been 1st now ( and sold our naming rights to our manager so he can pump in money with nobody to stop him )

  aw well lol

• 243 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:23 PM

  Do u understand what constructive dismissal means fella? And he mainly went to court in order to make the full matter public

  As for him wanting 20mill so? He wanted to hurt the man who tore apart a club he loved and tried to destroy his reputation. In the end he settle for 2 mill

• 244 Sir Alan // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:24 PM

  Clyne, Tomkins, Zaha or Sordell? If you had to choose 2…. Clyne and Zaha this January and i would be delighted.

• 245 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:24 PM

  My point is that, I know MA is not perfect my god he is far from it. But he has shown, much like Daniel Levy, that he won’t bow to player pressure in terms of contracts and that he will let any player go who doesn’t fit into the system in place. He has also shown that he won’t sell the club’s assets unless it is for crazy money, and it was never said that the 35mill would be reinvested in one window, so there is still potential for further reinvestment in the next window and subsequent windows after that. We are assembling a quality side quietly and prudently and there is nothing wrong with that, in a few years time Liverpool will fall foul of their expenditure while we will be in a much more stable position with perhaps an arguably better side but that depends on how we are strengthened. I know I have said a lot which you may disagree with and maybe I am wrong to put this much faith in our owner but I want to be optimistic about the future of the club.

• 246 t00ntime // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:27 PM

  facts are facts and u cant say keegen was bad because he is the best manager we have ever had (apart from SBR )

  as for MA unless sumthing happens where he shows he does care for the club, u can rip on him all u want. lol maybe if he shows the generosity sir john hall did… (“I went in and asked kevin what player do you want, he looked at me and said, any player?
  I replied yes, name a player at any price and he will be yours
  kevin instantly said to me shearer, the battle was on and we all know who won”)
  what a guy lol

• 247 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:27 PM

  Quick question…if you guys had to choose between having Keegan in charge or Pardew in charge who would you go for?

• 248 ToonDownSouth // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:29 PM

  Ruddy

  This is completely hypothetical, but what would you think if, in 8 months time, St James’ Park is still called the SDA under the pretence of advertising the availability of naming rights?

  Everything seems to have gone strangely quiet on that front – it’s amusing all the stuff people were spouting about Nike, Virgin, O2… And now it’s all gone quiet because it’s no longer a topic of debate, and so there’s no need to make up stories about it!

• 249 JackButler // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:29 PM

  @Ruddy

  To be honest mate you sound a lot like I did 4/5 months ago, you want to see the positives in what Ashley is doing, but the truth is that the negatives far outway the positives.
  We were told that the Carrol money would be reinvested, but over time that came out as improvement to the training ground/stadium and lets not forget the astronomical agents fee’s that we were led to believe have taken up most of the Carrol money.
  In short the lies will get to you and you will see that Ashley views OUR club as a cash cow for himself and he has little or no concern at all for us

• 250 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:30 PM

  Keegan had an owner with an open cheque book, and can’t operate with an owner who doesn’t work like that, the football was exciting but at times reckless, and I for one prefer a much more solid defensive strategy, the last team in the Prem who played like that was Blackpool…playing like that is a quick way to the Fizzypop! haha although we had way better players

• 251 t00ntime // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:30 PM

  ruddy ( the 35 million is already re-invested it was into players agents, signing on costs, the training field, the new contracts for jonas and colo (sign up ) and for the wages for the length of there contracts, the rest was put in to the clubs other wages etc meaning nor more 35 million, every player we buy now will have to be earned back by selling one, atm that doesnt matter though as perch and smith have to go so thats our defender and striker )

• 252 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:30 PM

  Keegan if he was fully in the game mind set and had the backing of the owner

  TDS
  Yeah I had noticed how deadly silent the naming rights little story had gone recently

• 253 ToonDownSouth // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:31 PM

  Ruddy

  Depends if we were spending money or not. Pardew appears (although it’s only 15 games in) to be doing very very well with VERY limited resources.

  Keegan was absolutely fantastic for us, but I don’t think people realise quite how much money he spent because everything has been inflated so much in the last 15 years.

• 254 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:32 PM

  TDS if in say 12months time there is nothing on the naming rights front and it is still the SDA and the SDA logo is on our stadium and our shirts then I will be the first to admit I was wrong, I’m a proud guy but I know when to say I am wrong. That is the most crucial thing in terms of showing he means what he says. That would be a lie too far.

• 255 JackButler // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:33 PM

  WWJBD

  With the naming rights its like everything else that happen at our club, at first everyone is up in arms screaming and shouting but within a day or two we forget, and yet we wonder why Ashley gets away with everything???

• 256 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:33 PM

  JB
  Ah I recall u lasted about 2 weeks longer than I did on that positive side of the fence before u joined the dark side

• 257 ToonDownSouth // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:34 PM

  Also, I don’t think Blackpool are a good example of a team that played like the Entertainers.

  The current Spurs side are a good example in my opinion. Absolute rubbish at the back.

• 258 JackButler // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:35 PM

  WWJBD

  You lead the charge mate and I followed (eventually)

• 259 t00ntime // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:35 PM

  ruddy I cant believe ur comparing keegens tactic’s to that of blackpool, the only reason we played like that was cause it fitted us, we had no out and out defensive players (part from batty lol) and 9/10 out and out offensive players, to score 1 or 2 and then defend wud of been ludricous for us so we went blitzkrieg lol

  blackpool were an average team not great going forward and not great staying back, Ian shud of done what swansea are doing now

  also name one good manager who can make a CL team with no open cheque book(who can still compete for FA and carling cup) ? I cant name one… all the best had money
  SBR, SAF, the special one, that barca manager

• 260 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:35 PM

  JB
  Aye stories die quick when the papers realise they arent helping flog their rags then MA quietly goes unnoticed like a rat in the sewers

• 261 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:36 PM

  Ashley is not foolish enough to believe that he can create a team competitive enough to get into Europe by working on a negative outlay in every window. He will eventually have to spend money and that doesn’t necessarily mean that we will have to sell players to be self sufficient. Selling players is the most obvious way to create funds but that is what the naming rights thing is about, opening other revenue streams so we don’t have to sell players to operate like that.

• 262 JackButler // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:38 PM

  Ruddy

  This is the point where someone dressed all in black is supposed to say to you

  ‘Ruddy, I’m you father, give in to the dark side and learn to harness you power’!!!!

• 263 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:38 PM

  Haha JB I think the Nolan sale started my rot back into the dark side then Barton-gate kicked me straight back into touch

  U held on for as long as u could though so fair play to ya haha

• 264 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:38 PM

  T00ntime the tactics of reckless abandon are very similar you must admit I hadn’t realised that we were trying to create a CL team…are we? If that’s the case then f**k his tactics get the chequebook out MA!!

• 265 ToonDownSouth // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:39 PM

  Jack, Ruddy & WWJBD

  Any of you guys listen to Football Weekly? They made a great point on the naming rights front.

  They basically said that if the club had announced in October that St James’ was being renamed to (for arguments sake) The Nike Arena, then Nike would have got terrible terrible publicity.

  But the way it’s been done, using The SDA for half a year, basically means that Ashley takes all of that negative publicity on himself, and now if/when it gets bought, we’ll just be relieved it’s not the SDA!

• 266 JackButler // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:39 PM

  WWJBD

  Mate I was clutching at straws for so long I lost part of my sanity

• 267 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:39 PM

  JB I’m standing firm…well for now haha I’m giving him one more chance but I too am honestly one more lie away from crumbling into the dark side too

• 268 JackButler // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:41 PM

  TDS

  I honestly believe that selling the naming right for the stadium is the first part in the sale of the club, we are now in a very good position in the league and we are a far better option now in the open market

• 269 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:42 PM

  TDS you must admit that MA is intelligently using his (awful) reputation with the fans to benefit the club in the long run, it’s still ST James’ to us but if it gets us 10mill extra revenue then so be it. (is that per year?)

• 270 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:43 PM

  JB that’s where I’d disagree. I think he now wants to be over this new period and restore his damaged reputation…

• 271 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:45 PM

  Ruddy
  U know what I hope u are right and I am wrong. I hope MA does turn out to be the clever owner u believe he is turning into but I will believe that when I see some proof of it

  Been kicked in the gut once too many times by the portly gentleman from down south with illegitimate lineage.

  TDS
  Yeah I did listen to that one and its a fair point but only makes sense if we end up with a new sponsor…which am not convinced we will haha

  JB
  Haha we have all been there bud but hey its not so bad on the dark side we have cookies

• 272 JackButler // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:46 PM

  Ruddy
  The man is all about money, not football, well not unless its Spurs anyway, if he can get the price he wants then he’ll take it I think and selling the naming rights is the first stage as 10mil a year to him is nothing

• 273 JackButler // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:47 PM

  Oooooohhhhhhhhhh Cookies

• 274 t00ntime // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:48 PM

  @ruddy ur right within 5 years we wanted to be in europe that also inculdes the europa forgot about that lol

  and seen so were in a good postion now we just have to hope that all the players we bring in are financed by our fringe players who gou out 8 points clear of 7th and tiote + colo are back for swansea… surely we can start kicking away from the crowd again (o and I hope the winner of the league cup is in the top 4 and both FA cup finalists are also in the top 4 top 7 and europe here we come lol)

• 275 gstadt // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:50 PM

  I’m with Ruddy on this – think we’re in the best shape since SBR last full season when we were 5th. Financially, we’re light years from the shepherd era of mortgaging season ticket earnings vs mercenarys (kluivert/owen). Long may it continue.

• 276 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:51 PM

  Hahahaha dark side perks JB dark side perks

• 277 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:52 PM

  Can I just ask who on here is excited for the Jan transfer window?

• 278 t00ntime // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:53 PM

  the only real problem of the MA era is the lack of communication (yet again we heard what hppens when we have it, our legends get slagged off so prob best with out it haha)
  and that our squad has no depth, fill it up and we will be fine

  also only problem with AP is that he is banging raylors mum so want drop him ( no but seriously how is he still on the pitch as a defender lol)

• 279 JackButler // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:54 PM

  http://www.sportsvibe.co.uk/news/football/man-united-plan-30m-double-swoop-for-newcastle-midfielders-14249/?

  And so the madness begins

• 280 JackButler // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:55 PM

  WWJBD

  The seconds the widow opens I’m turning off the power to the house, throwing the laptop out the window, burning my mobile and taking a hammer to the radio until the 1st of Feb as I’m not going through what happened in the summer and last Jan

• 281 t00ntime // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:56 PM

  haha what if all of this maiga talk was a big cover for us bringing in tevez?? how sweet wud that be

  o and while I’m at what if we brought in RVP to lol

  santon-colo-saylor-pieters
  ben arfa-tiote-cabaye-jonas
  ——–RVP-Tevez

  now thats a team

• 282 GeordieGerman // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:58 PM

  WWJBD, wouldn’t say I’m excited. Just relieved that it’s 1 month and not 3-4 months.

• 283 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:58 PM

  http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/evening-chronicle-news/2011/12/14/newcastle-united-stars-visit-local-hospitals-72703-29952288/

  Really made me smile these photos

  JB
  I wish I could do that but I will get sucked into it again and there will be tears shed am sure. Least I have assignments to keep me mostly occupied until mid way through….after the 16th though I am gonna be glued on here again

• 284 daztoon // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:59 PM

  Tiote will be sold jan to fund long contracts for Cabaye and Krul so they can be off loaded in the summer for big money too.Everything is to quiet on the Ashley front and we know he loves to be hated

• 285 Offkey // Dec 14, 2011 at 8:59 PM

  JB – Thats worse than madness, Tiote is worth more alone.

• 286 GeordieGerman // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:00 PM

  t00ntime, I can’t work out why people dream about big name, big ego signings.

• 287 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:01 PM

  GG
  Very good point hopefully it will go over very fast and NUFC will be very quiet throughout it…..haha yeah right.

  Shall we take bets on which player is fined a weeks wages first? My bets on Sammy haha

• 288 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:01 PM

  I’m dreading January…let it be a week so we can bring in Pieters, Maiga and a CB and then close it haha

• 289 xmindcrimex // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:02 PM

  Cabaye will of course not be sold this January. Tiote might be, but I doubt it.

  £50M and they’re probably gone though.

  If Cabaye goes, then it’s probably enter Marvin Martin instead.

  So there’s always some good players waiting in the background.

• 290 JackButler // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:04 PM

  WWJBD

  I know mate its like a drug that keeps drawing you in, no doubt I’ll be glues to every news paper, web site, radio show and TV program that have the slightest bit of news or gossip.

  Offkey

  I know mate, sometime these journo’s make me smile, the best one has been Old Dirty Harry to offer 4 mil for Krul. if De Gere is worth 19 mil then Kruls value is even beyond City’s financial might

• 291 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:05 PM

  Ruddy
  Agreed bud haha

• 292 t00ntime // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:05 PM

  big name big ego? RVP only cost 2 million lol maybe if we double it we can presuade wenger lol
  (besides pardew said we deserve a number 9, as a player who has lots of talent. Surely more talent then maiga who imo adds nothing more then Ba and lets be honest.. I think Ba is keeping his place lol

  simpson-colo-wil-santon
  ben arfa-cabaye-tiote-jonas
  ————–Ba–maiga

  is hopefully what we see after the ACN but I’m afraid raylor will be there over santon and obertan over ben arfa

• 293 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:06 PM

  JB
  Haha I will be glued to Colins twitter feed hahahahaha

• 294 JackButler // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:08 PM

  WWJBD

  No mate, anything but Colin, I’ve never wanted to hit someone as much as him during the last window, I’m amazed that he hasn’t been named in the News of The World scandal

• 295 JackButler // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:11 PM

  By the way did anyone ever get round to letting Barnetta out of that hotel room???

• 296 Jail for Ashley // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:11 PM

  Even I was softening my stance toward him at one point I was allowing him a single cell,two bar electric heater and a mobile phone with unlimited texts and calls to landlines,but since the Tiote rumour ,which yes, is only a rumour it seems to have stirred up a lot of ill feeling again .

• 297 JackButler // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:12 PM

  http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/sport/9420001.Spurs_linked_with_Tiote/?

• 298 WWJBD // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:14 PM

  JB
  Aye but he is now part of my transfer windows haha his comic value is irreplaceable

• 299 JackButler // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:14 PM

  Any truth in the story that we’ve offer 2.5 mil for James Tompkins???

• 300 boater // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:21 PM

  I thought Cabaye was safe due to the UEFA ruling about not switching clubs twice in a season. Could be wrong like.

  At least the ‘tiote is overrated’ backlash hasn’t begun in ernest on here yet.. only a matter of time though eh.

• 301 daztoon // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:21 PM

  would like Tomkins,Hooper and van holt to start and maybe a big name suprise signing oh well can dream

• 302 daztoon // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:28 PM

  If you were manager and Ashley said you can have 4 players in jan window not super stars who would they be i would go for Sturridge,Baines,Tomkins and adam johnson

• 303 boater // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:40 PM

  I’d like us to try for Alex. Taylor has missed half a season, three seasons running now – poor lad.

• 304 GeordieToon89 // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:41 PM

  boater – Cabaye can leave mate you can sign for as many clubs as possible in one season but you can only play for either 2 or 3 of them

• 305 Geordie-Jake // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:42 PM

  I wish we’d bought Luc Castaignos, looks class (Dutch striker), he only cost Inter Milan about 3.5 mill

• 306 t00ntime // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:44 PM

  @daztoon

  luuk de jong, sturridge, taiwo and pieters/alex

• 307 thai-mag // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:45 PM

  daztoon you are dreaming no way we will get any of them players, NO WAY

• 308 GeordieToon89 // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:46 PM

  daztoon – Whos Van Holt mate? or do you mean the young dutch lad we had on loan from Chelsea? Van Aanholt a think?
  also daztoon – them 4 players would cost about £50million haha

• 309 daztoon // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:51 PM

  @GeordieToon89
  yep thats the one.Obviously its hypothetical I`d be amazed to get one

• 310 GeordieToon89 // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:52 PM

  daztoon – My players:

  Pieters, Shawcross/Cahill/Samba, Hoillet, Maiga

• 311 Offkey // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:53 PM

  Thai-mag – Tomkins is realistic……..who would have thought we would have got HBA and Santon.

• 312 GeordieToon89 // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:53 PM

  daztoon – we’d never have a chance of Sturridge but the rest you says a reckon we could get if we wer prepared to pay the right price

• 313 GeordieToon89 // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:55 PM

  thai-mag – did you read his full comment mate, if not go back and read it again you’ll see that he wasnt saying wer going to get them or that we should we should get them

• 314 daztoon // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:57 PM

  GeordieToon89
  Like them all but would you take Maiga over Sturridge not seem him play is he better

• 315 Offkey // Dec 14, 2011 at 9:59 PM

  GT89 – I think if it was only us who would pay the price but I could see many others after Baines…..maybe less so Johnson…….come to think of it, if I was Liverpool I would have bid 20 mil for Johnson instead of Downing

• 316 Toon Tang // Dec 14, 2011 at 10:00 PM

  unlucky fulham. they scored a couple of corkers.

  ive said it before and i will say it again, zamoras hold up play, first&second touch and the way he brings players in to the game is shear class. He just cant buy a goal to save his ass.

  This is england time i think haha ’88 was a good year

• 317 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 10:04 PM

  Wouldn’t remember Toon Tang…I wasn’t born until 1990 haha

• 318 daztoon // Dec 14, 2011 at 10:05 PM

  Did anyone catch the Real-Barca game Iniesta looked class

• 319 GeordieToon89 // Dec 14, 2011 at 10:07 PM

  daztoon – Trust me mate Maiga will score us plenty of goals and will form a formidable partnership with Ba and Ben Arfa he’s exactly what we need plus he really wants to play for us, Sturridge is someone that only wants to play for the club that pays him the most and he’s not an all round player.. must say a like Luuk De Jong aswel but think it would take about 2 years for him to settle and get used to the league

• 320 GeordieToon89 // Dec 14, 2011 at 10:09 PM

  was the end of 89 for me so a probz wasnt even thought about in 88 ha

• 321 Offkey // Dec 14, 2011 at 10:09 PM

  Without wanting to get political – every year I have been alive and the conservatives have been in power has been a bad year – 88 included.

• 322 GeordieToon89 // Dec 14, 2011 at 10:09 PM

  infact a was probably an accident anyway ha =]

  daztoon – Ayee a watched it mate a love Iniesta to be fair

• 323 daztoon // Dec 14, 2011 at 10:11 PM

  GeordieToon89
  Sounds good to me cheers buddy

• 324 GeordieGerman // Dec 14, 2011 at 10:12 PM

  Offkey, you pick the years that you live?

• 325 Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Dec 14, 2011 at 10:13 PM

  Aye for 13 years he was cyrogenically frozen haha

• 326 Offkey // Dec 14, 2011 at 10:14 PM

  GG – Thats how I roll

• 327 Offkey // Dec 14, 2011 at 10:17 PM

  very sadly I might add…….

• 328 Howden Mag // Dec 14, 2011 at 10:21 PM

  I recall we had a decent team when Keegan was manager second time around. We had a cracking start to the season. Ashley upset him and no matter how many dummies or toys he gave Kevin, he wouldn’t return. Keegan won his court case but also stated that at the time he walked away, again, the team moral was great. Would we have been relegated had Keegan stayed, even on though on very good wages and worked with a great set of players? Where would we be now, 7th? Just a passing thought.

• 329 daztoon // Dec 14, 2011 at 10:28 PM

  If Keegan had been backed by Ashley i think we would be in europe at least by now and his football was open yes but not reckless after all we only conceded 9 at home in the 95/96 season

• 330 GoalsBringSmiles // Dec 14, 2011 at 11:41 PM

  Howden Mag

  why the attack on KK? Why rewrite history? I suggest you read the tribunal report notes, the ‘commercial’ signing of Gonzalez was a major factor in KK leaving along with the sale of Milner and his disillusionment with his apparent role at the club-as was proven in the court case he was misled into a position of inferiority to a certain cockney midget.

• 331 GoalsBringSmiles // Dec 14, 2011 at 11:41 PM

  and isn’t it spelt Howdon?