There was news today that Newcastle are still interested in Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha, who has been on loan at Cardiff City since January, and will very likely leave the Manchester club this summer, after a very disappointing first season at the club.
Tom Ince – Blackpool winger a free agent in summer
Alan Pardew has been keen on the winger over the last two years, and there’s no doubt he has very good skills, but he’s a bit like one of our current wingers – Hatem Ben Arfa – and a strong part of his game is not tracking back to help out the defense.
It’s looking like Ben Arfa will leave this summer, certainly if Alan Pardew remains on as manager, and Newcastle want to sign a lot more British players, so Zaha fits the bill, and he is still only 21 years old, and would cost around £7M.
And another good English youngster is 22 year-old Blackpool winger Tom Ince, who came on for Crystal Palace as a substitute in that amazing game at Selhurst Park against Liverpool last night.
We still cannot believe that for the first time since 1990 Liverpool gave up a 3-0 lead in the league – and what a time to drop two points.
Ton Ince’s Blackpool contract runs out in the summer, and he will become a free agent, but any club that signs him will have to pay Blackpool a compensation fee, which could be as much as £5M.
Tom can score goals too, and is more of a hard-working winger than Zaha, so maybe he would be a better choice?
£5M shouldn’t be a deterrent to Newcastle in the summer, because our finances are in excellent shape, and if there was ever a time for owner Mike Ashley to spend big money at Newcastle, it is this summer.
We should be getting at least £80M form the Premier League later this month for finishing in at least 10th place, and we still have the £20M from the Yohan Cabaye sale – and of course we don’t have to spend it all – and should still try to get some good deals.
But we may have to pay a little over the odds to get our transfer targets this summer, and for the good of the club – we need to do that when its appropriate – but we would be stupid to hold out simply because the fee is slightly higher than Mike Ashley wants to pay.
Either one of Wilfried Zaha or Tom Ince would be a good signing, but we’d probably go for Tom Ince.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
287 comments so far
Lilongwe Geordie
May 6, 2014 at 4:02 PM
Comment #41TDS,
You say Blackburn fans were embarrassing. Now, having seen there fall from where they were under Hughes, to where they are now, maybe they were right in their protests, and actually the people looking in were the ones who didn’t get it.
You can check yourself with their opinion, but I wouldn’t pay it much heed as they don’t pay attention to the detail.
gaz 44
May 6, 2014 at 4:02 PM
Comment #42Surprised it’s taken till the last game of the season for fans to act.. Saturday was the first game I’ve been to since start of feb . When I realised Ashley had achieved all he needed and written off the second half the season so did I.
GeordieTwo
May 6, 2014 at 4:02 PM
Comment #43I remember wor relegation season under Ashley. All my birds would say was “Brrraaaakkkk! We’re crap! Brrraaakkk!
GeordieTwo
May 6, 2014 at 4:04 PM
Comment #44Spot on gaz 44 mate! Harrrumph!
ToonDarnSarf
May 6, 2014 at 4:04 PM
Comment #45GeordieTwo
But we’re not a crap side! If we’re a crap side then what are Villa, Sunderland, Leeds, Boro, Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth, Birmingham, Blackburn etc.? Ok, only Villa are an equivalent size to NUFC but they’re still big clubs way below where they could be.
We could be doing a lot better and probably should be too but the protests are unfocussed and don’t put us in a good light.
Mister Tuff
May 6, 2014 at 4:06 PM
Comment #46tds – I don’t like being a fan of a club when the club are insulting our fans for being unrealistic, impetuous and ungrateful.
scottoon
May 6, 2014 at 4:06 PM
Comment #47TDS – I can sympathize with Cardiff and their daft git of an owner, but what happens in the south of Wales matters not. I expect many of the people who you are dealing with are like that….supporters from other clubs who are saying that we should appreciate where we are. But they don’t live this stuff anymore than we live Cardiff stuff.
ToonDarnSarf
May 6, 2014 at 4:07 PM
Comment #48jesper
You do realise that there’s a lot of room for opinions between wanting Ashley and Pardew to go rot in a gutter somewhere and being delighted with the club and thinking the sun shines out of their arses?
Why would I be happy with a boring mid-table finish, no cup runs, no Europe, no exciting signings, no derby wins and no superstar youngsters breaking through? But it doesn’t mean I’m going to go and throw out the baby with the bath water.
ToonDarnSarf
May 6, 2014 at 4:07 PM
Comment #49lesh
It’s gonna happen mate, you know it!
Average_Contents
May 6, 2014 at 4:07 PM
Comment #50Tds
See how others see it? Do they have a close relationship with the club? Get lied to on a yearly basis? Constantly have their best players sold and the money not re-invested? See us play shite week in week out? Listen to the puppets excuses? Listen to the puppets bullshit every Thursday/Saturday? Didn’t think so! All they see is 9-10th place with a manager who they feel sorry for, when in fact we are quite realistic fans! We just want some investment, I believe shearer summed it up best on MOTD so go check it out
Lilongwe Geordie
May 6, 2014 at 4:08 PM
Comment #51TDS,
We aren’t a crap side, but have looked one for the last few months. That has been the straw that broke the camels back. As some other pundits who have worked/lived/know the area better have said, we have actually been incredibly patient with them.
GeordieTwo
May 6, 2014 at 4:09 PM
Comment #52You know you lot are being a little picky I feel. We’ve got some tremendous players just itching to get into the first team! Some real beauties. Why……..we’ve got……ummmmmm. We’ve got Obertan! Yes! There’s Obertan! And…….Marveaux! He’s just waiting for his chance against the bindippers! And there’s……Saylor! And Raylor! And all you lot can do is whinge. Harrumph!
ToonDarnSarf
May 6, 2014 at 4:09 PM
Comment #53Lilongwe
Their owner was a complete disgrace and that was obvious, but the disgusting hatred directed at their hapless manager was the embarrassing thing. He was miles out of his depth and just trying to do his best when nobody else would. If he’d have resigned, they wouldn’t have got anyone better and then they sacked him when doing quite well in the championship! And fell down the league afterwards…
ToonDarnSarf
May 6, 2014 at 4:10 PM
Comment #54Mister Tuff
Two wrongs don’t make a right mate. I don’t think the club has said quite what you’re stating…but Pardew has come up with some pretty stupid things I agree.
the_besty_show
May 6, 2014 at 4:11 PM
Comment #55‘A strong part of his game is not tracking back’.
In what way is that a strong part of anyone’s game.
Blogs lost so much credibility over last 4 months
gaz 44
May 6, 2014 at 4:11 PM
Comment #56Tds I see where your coming from and I like reading your posts but if the fans just let it be. Ashley/pardew are getting away with it.
If you were to buy goods from Argos and didn’t live up to expectations you’d complain, this is why I feel the fans who are paying week in week out are entitled to voice there opinions.
Mike's Iron Curtain
May 6, 2014 at 4:11 PM
Comment #57TDS
Bore off with your facile analysing. Our situation cannot be compared to that of Blackburn, Hull, nor Cardiff, they’re all different stature clubs with different problems requiring different solutions. Hull have never had a problem with the owner beyond the proposed name change, in fact they’re pretty much unanimous in their gratitude and support for him, aside from that isolated misjudgement, which they did in fact protest about vociferously all season, whilst the manager remained neutral, not being drawn into it and concentrated on his players, which has led to their most successful season ever – qualifying for Europe for the first time, FA Cup final for the first time and PL survival.
So no, uninformed opinions, including yours, hold no sway.
Online Guy
May 6, 2014 at 4:11 PM
Comment #58Newcastle supporters discussing Football ..thrashing things out ..hope’s and dream’s ..don’t loose sight of the fact we are not run as a Football club ..
We are set up to win nothing, and we don’t go for any Cup competition’s ..
This is Ashley’s revenge, for the way (he say’s) his Family was threatened with Violence ..and the Keegan abuse stick we Gave him effected him badly, He was shocked by the, so called, level of abuse.
We are only a financial institution now, and really not run as a Football Club. That is a fact.
He keeps us in Debt ..it never comes down,,despite getting the perk of free advertising for sports direct, said to be worth £12million a year, if that space was rented out to various companies.
I cant support this financial institution any more ..Ashley has taken away any dreams and hopes I had for Newcastle United .
I cannot support a Football club that is set up to win nothing… and that’s all there is .
We have Been Clubnapped , there’s a new word for uz ..Clubnapped .and we cant pay the ransom.
Feel sorry for all the innocents on here talking about Football…There is no football…Your watching a commercial every time you attend . Clubnapped
GeordieTwo
May 6, 2014 at 4:13 PM
Comment #59TDS mate they are crap sides also! It’s a bunch of crap in the bottom 12 sides or so. We have no excuse with a big ground, transfer money to spend, huge support etc. etc. But we’ve been turned into crap by lack of ambition throughout the club! One thing I like about TDS is that he really gets things going on here! Beautiful!
Lilongwe Geordie
May 6, 2014 at 4:13 PM
Comment #60TDS,
A lot was also directed at the owners mate. We aren’t much better off. A manager out of his depth, an owner, who at best is indifferent to our league position.
Given our run since Boxing Day, Pardew should be thanking people for not abusing him.
Average_Contents
May 6, 2014 at 4:14 PM
Comment #61Oh and TDS if you read alot of national newspapers not associated to us as a club you will find that the worm has indeed finally turned about the perception of fatty and his puppet!
Plenty of damning articles put there now which hasn’t happened in the past
ToonDarnSarf
May 6, 2014 at 4:15 PM
Comment #62scottoon
But there are 20 teams in the PL, a limited number of sponsors, a limited number of top players and a limited number of cup winners and European qualifiers. It’s not as if we can expand any of the above, we’re competing for a limited pool of these things.
Surely only fans of Liverpool, City (if they win the league), Everton, Southampton and Palace will feel genuinely happy about this season? Should fans of the other 15 clubs be miserable?
I feel very sorry for Cardiff fans and they’ve conducted themselves with dignity. It does matter what other fans do because this is all happening in the same football world.
ToonDarnSarf
May 6, 2014 at 4:16 PM
Comment #63Lilongwe
I want Pardew to move on, I really do. As you say, his total inability to deal with the unavailability of one player is just not good enough. Are you telling me Tony Pulis couldn’t have changed the style if he was manager and Cabaye left?
I still don’t think it justifies the walk out though.
Spoof
May 6, 2014 at 4:17 PM
Comment #64TDS, we have had civilised discussions in the past, we usually disagree, but hey how thats what its all about, debate, but now I do find it a bit more difficult, 2 year ago we kept what we had and got Cisse, we did not get CL, that happens, but this time around as we were 2 years ago we sold Cabaye which assured no Europa League football, Ashley has gaurded against anything which could affect his Sky windfall which is Premier league, surely you can see that bonny lad.
GeordieTwo
May 6, 2014 at 4:17 PM
Comment #65Spot on Online Guy @58!
Online Guy
May 6, 2014 at 4:18 PM
Comment #66Its selfish to own a Football club for the wrong reasons.
Ashley is wasting away the time, and live’s, of Supporters, He’s a greedy man ..and a greedy man never know’s what he’s done.
ToonDarnSarf
May 6, 2014 at 4:18 PM
Comment #67Average_Contents
But some of that is absolute bollox! Our best players don’t get sold on a regular basis! We sold a prospect for £35M (he was not our best player), we lost a free transfer via his release clause and we sold Cabaye which was a big mistake.
So boring hearing the same old fans tripping out the same old lies and accusing the club of telling lies.
GeordieTwo
May 6, 2014 at 4:19 PM
Comment #68It’s clear to everyone now that Ashley was hatched from an egg in Satan’s underpants. Harrumph!
kevymartins
May 6, 2014 at 4:21 PM
Comment #69@Online guy I think he knows rightly he is sitting on 6.5 billion.
Strangly though going by forbes he is down $59 million today?
ToonDarnSarf
May 6, 2014 at 4:21 PM
Comment #70gaz 44
I agree mate. I just don’t agree with the way that it’s being done. I think it’s detrimental to the players, to potential new players and to sponsors. I think it paints NUFC in a bad light when 2 groups can’t even agree what minute to walk out on and then a small minority actually do and I hate it when the local press join in with their opinions to get more readers rather than just reporting news.
Sazzer
May 6, 2014 at 4:21 PM
Comment #71“I would not go to Barcelona. It is very difficult to be a coach there. What can you teach players like Messi and Iniesta ? Probably they need a manager rather than a coach, but I’m a coach than a manager.”
Sazzer
May 6, 2014 at 4:22 PM
Comment #72Guess who said?
Lilongwe Geordie
May 6, 2014 at 4:22 PM
Comment #73TDS,
Whether the walk out was the right way to get the message across or not, every fan who participated felt it was the right option in the same way those who stayed and continued to hurl abuse at the regime thought that was the best course. Both displayed their disgust at what has been going on, and to be perfectly honest they were perfectly entitled to.
If fans from other clubs don’t get it, then that is exactly what it is, they don’t get it. It shouldn’t effect how any fan of ours views the club as we follow it far more closely and with far more interest then any fan of a London (or any other place) club.
gaz 44
May 6, 2014 at 4:23 PM
Comment #74Tds I’ve never had a problem with selling the players if the price is right.
The issue I have is that it was evident once cabaye was sold we NEEDED a replacement, I believe pardew even said it would take 2-3 players to replace him. We got no one . If players were replaced I’d have no issue but we have basically just wrote off the second half the season. People are paying large sums of money to wTch rubbish
Lilongwe Geordie
May 6, 2014 at 4:23 PM
Comment #75TDS,
If the club bring out a DVD for this season, buy each of these anti NUFC commenters a copy, fast forward it to the Arsenal home game, and make them stay and watch the rest. They will soon understand.
GeordieTwo
May 6, 2014 at 4:23 PM
Comment #76The summer is going to be horrific. Benny will run screaming out the door. Remy is already packed and ready to go. I’ll help de Jong pack if he likes. Marveaux will be gone as will Obertan (there’s always a bit of good news to discuss). Krul will be sorely tempted and will be gone if the money is right for splash the cash Ash. We’ll fumble around in the transfer window and then bring in somebody like Jack Colback. Hilarious except that we’ll have to watch a bunch of sad sacks play next season.
ToonDarnSarf
May 6, 2014 at 4:24 PM
Comment #77GeordieTwo
The top 5 clubs (City, Chelski, Man Utd, Arsenal and Liverpool) are streets away bigger than us so finishing above any of them should be a damn miracle. We should be competing with Everton, Spurs and Villa for 6th to 9th really. Everton and Spurs have been in the top 10 of the league for a long time now and Villa are worse off than us.
I 100% agree that there are some serious things wrong with NUFC but our league position is really not that far off where it should be.
Average_Contents
May 6, 2014 at 4:24 PM
Comment #78So Carroll wasn’t one of our best players out of the group at the time? That is in fact bollox mate! Conveniently forgot Enrique there too! Oh wasn’t he that good? How else can I put it…..here goes…..WE CONSTANTLY SELL OUR BEST PLAYERS! There that should do!
GeordieTwo
May 6, 2014 at 4:25 PM
Comment #79Sazzer did wor Alan say that mate?
scottoon
May 6, 2014 at 4:25 PM
Comment #80TDS – my point is I do not care how other fans perceive us. I don’t want to think our supporters, no matter how they choose to voice or display their anger, would do so in a manner that brings the club into disrepute (like punching a horse) but nothing the supporters have done recently reaches that threshold. We are all dismayed at the state of things, and whether other fans understand it or not is immaterial.