When Newcastle were losing game in March and April – in fact losing every game we played – John Carver put it out that he had seen the players Newcastle were going after this summer and they were very good.
But there is a huge difference what your targets are and who you can get into the club – especially with the complete mess Newcastle looked to be in this year – where incompetence at all levels of the club almost saw us relegated on the last day of the season.
Aleksandar Mitrovic – 20 year-old Anderlecht striker
Not for sale
We’d be surprised now with Steve McClaren coming in, if we can get any of our top targets in this summer.
As one example free agent Burnley striker Danny Ings is being linked with Liverpool and Tottenham, and Newcastle are hardly mentioned as a potential club he could join – at least not in the national press.
And now we hear that a target all this season, Anderlecht’s Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has 28 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions for Anderlecht this season, is not for sale – at least according to his Belgian club.
A few weeks ago Dragan Duric, the former President of Partizan, one of Mitrovic’s former clubs had said a deal had already been made between Newcastle and Anderlecht for £15M – if was supposed to be a done deal.
Yesterday the Anderlecht General Manager Herman van Holsbeeck had this to say:
“At 20, Mitrovic has scored 20 league goals this season.” “He scored against Arsenal, Dortmund and has also played for Serbia.”
“This is a striker who you know can improve a side.” “Therefore, we have decided against selling him. Mitro is aware and he wants to stay.”
Not sure whether that statement is to drive up his price, but Anderlecht is not a rich club and £15M is big money.
But with it now likely that Steve McClaren will become the head coach at Newcastle with John Carver as his assistant next week, Newcastle have completely blown their chance to show the fans they are ambitious – and not many good players will want to come to Newcastle this summer.
It’s likely to be hard grind for Graham Carr and Lee Charnley to get many good players through the door, and unless the club changes the way the club is run, Newcastle will continue to struggle to make the top half of the Premier League.
We’ve only achieved that twice in the last eight years.
Comments welcome.
8 comments so far
Grafton83
Jun 5, 2015 at 7:47 AM
Comment #1Is Shola available, if we could only raise our ambitions a little we could attract strikers like Shola, we really could. I’ve also heard that Shefki Kuqi maybe available
Bambams
Jun 5, 2015 at 7:49 AM
Comment #2As days go on reality kicks in….
There is no difference to how he has ran the club for the last 8 years. …
What little optimism I had has slowly gone.
He will spend probably 30 million on 10 new players who are crap
MrMojoRisin76
Jun 5, 2015 at 7:52 AM
Comment #3Firebug
Imo the very fact he is still employed by this club after what happened last season should point to the fact that he is Jabba’s human shield.
geordieboy83
Jun 5, 2015 at 8:09 AM
Comment #4Ed, you do realise mclaren has won more and achieved more than the vast majority of our targets, and our previous managers with the exception of sir Bobby and kenny
lochinvar
Jun 5, 2015 at 8:18 AM
Comment #5The big conversation
“Aleksander – would you like to have tea with John Carver ? ”
No thanks
” How about Steve McLaren ? ”
No thanks
” Supper with Chanley ?”
No thanks
“How about a drink with Mike Ashley ?”
Nah .
” ok , goodbye”
sickandtired
Jun 5, 2015 at 8:33 AM
Comment #6Same as every other year then. We are drip fed stories about who we are allegedly going after, then told they couldn’t be gotten ‘over the line’.
Cheap option for a HC, and we’ll end up with cheap options once again for players with some loans thrown in.
It’s called making your own luck, don’t you know! Equally, it’s why we have none and are shyte.
sickandtired
Jun 5, 2015 at 8:51 AM
Comment #7@Geordieboy – who exactly are the ‘vast majority’ of people Charnley is going for? There is no evidence that he has actually considered anyone except McClaren and Carver since Pardew left. But if you choose to believe the press on targets then –
M Laudrup: Danish Supercup; Danish Cup; Danish SurperLiga runner up twice, and winner once; Danish Manager of the year twice; Spanish La Liga Cup Final runner up; Swansea, LC Winner.
R Garde: Coupe de France; Trophee Des Champions
D Moyes; Man U, Community Shield; Preston NE, saved from relegation, League runner up then winner.
Plainly you don’t know what you are talking about, lad.
mactoon
Jun 5, 2015 at 5:08 PM
Comment #8But:
1. showing yes man Carver a list of top players the club are ‘trying to get over the line’ in the knowledge that he will flap his lips in public hoping he can get to ‘coach’ them..
and:
2. actually pursuing them after fans have renewed their season tickets
are miles apart!