It seems that Newcastle were not the only club interested in Wolves striker Benik Afobe who they signed from Arsenal for £2M last January, and it seems that Norwich City have already out in a £8M bid for the 22 year-old Englishman.
That’s more than he’s worth and we though that if Newcastle could get Benik in for around £5M that would have been a good by for the club – and we could even have then sold Papiss Cisse.
Benik Afobe – £14M – Wolves had to be kidding
But news in the Mirror today that Wolves have slapped a £14M price tag on the 22 year-old – who has never played in the Premier League – what’s that about English players being far too expensive?
That’s a really ridiculous price for the 22 year-old – who looks a promising player but not for £14M – and if Newcastle desperately still need another striker, we could get Charlie Austin for that – and he’s a proven PL goalscorer.
But we don’t think striker is now a priority at Newcastle – and we have Aleksandar Mitrovic, Papiss Cisse, Ayoze Perez and Emmanuel Riviere as out-and-out strikers.
We also have Gini Wijnaldum, Siem de Jong, Florian Thauvin and Rolando Aarons, among others, who are more than capable of scoring goals from midfield.
So we seem to be OK in that particular position – as long as we now keep Papiss Cisse for the season.
And even if Mitrovic starts the games this season, Papiss last season showed us how good he is at coming off the bench and scoring goals, and though he started very few games – he still scored 11 goals in just 22 appearances.
Papiss Cisse should stay at Newcastle and then we should be OK up front – and the only position we still really need to strengthen is center-back – although we are also short of good full-backs.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
143 comments so far
SPRINGY
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:05 PM
Comment #81jazzy
is that confirmed or looking likely?
martoon
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:08 PM
Comment #82Just received the clubs personal Email – this week it is from Steve Black. He explains his philosophy and thinking – quite interesting actually.
jazzyp
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:15 PM
Comment #83Get French Football ?@GFN_France ·
Breaking: BeIN Sports reporting that Aymen Abdennour’s next club will be Valencia.
Ian Toon
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:15 PM
Comment #84Steve Black
We’re evolving things together
Dear
I’m very pleased to be writing to you this week as we look to take the momentum of two positive results into the game with Arsenal this Saturday.
As part of Steve McClaren’s new backroom team, I firstly want to say it’s wonderful to be back in the North East, to be home. I’m biased but there is incredible passion for sports here and especially football. It’s in the blood.
As a coaching team, we are evolving things within the club together. Steve and I have a great relationship and have known each other for a number of years. He has a good mind but first of all, he’s a good person and that means a lot to me. He’s a very good football coach and importantly, he wants to get better. That drives standards.
My role is simply to help people to become better at what they do – to act as a supporter, a catalyst, a mentor, a coach, an advisor. On a day-by-day basis, I work with the players, Steve, the coaches and the medical staff to create a winning environment; an environment of excellence.
When I first arrived, I saw a team that had a lot more talent than results suggested. That was my first impression. Another was that if we could get them organised, find out what was driving them and get them motivated – which doesn’t happen overnight, we could move towards creating a probability of success rather than just a possibility.
To achieve that, we have been talking to players about their personal quality control and team quality control. We ask what they want to achieve and we talk about how they can go about doing that.
We want to create good habits. If you use your time wisely and have quality control that ensures you meet your expectations and ambitions, you can’t go far wrong. You need to do the right things and to do them effectively and efficiently.
In my career, I have been fortunate to work across lots of sports and with lots of different athletes. The common theme is that it’s about coaching people. I have an obsessive love of sport but a lot of the messages I want to to convey and questions I ask could be applied in sports, in business, across all sorts. ‘How hard have I worked? How high have my standards been? How eagerly have I interacted? Have I enhanced my standing in the group? Have I enjoyed my work?’
You need to glean from sports science how to treat individual players in a bespoke way and gel that to produce team performances.
Ultimately, ‘well done’ is better than ‘well said’. We have to walk the walk and so far, our physical statistics are excellent. We’ve seen a group of people who have awoken their desire.
Invariably, great teams show incredible ambition when they’re attacking and unbelievable spirit when they’re defending. Against Manchester United last weekend, when we had the counter attack at the end, it showed incredible ambition at that stage in the game and I was delighted we really went for it.
That’s a sign of team ambition manifesting itself. We were sharp, bright, alert, we saw things first and we got there first. We smelled opportunity and threat. We did a lot of things well and over time, that will get better.
On Tuesday evening, we wanted to give Northampton the utmost respect in our cup game against them and the best way to show that was to go out there and do a really good, professional job. To show ambition and spirit. As the fans who were there with us on Tuesday will testify, we did that.
It’s important that we don’t get carried away in victory or defeat. Our professionalism should transcend that, so straight after the game, our focus turned to Arsenal.
We have a general strategy of how we want to play but that has to adjust and adapt to each opponent. We obviously want to accentuate our strengths and our opponents’ weaknesses and we’re now working hard on that ahead of Saturday’s game at wonderful St. James’ Park. I hope to see you there.
Steve Black
Newcastle United
SPRINGY
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:17 PM
Comment #85sounds like its done jazzy
jazzyp
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:18 PM
Comment #86Springy
I would say looking more likely by the day mate.
Most French media outlets are reporting the same thing now which is usually a tell tale sign.
His own Monaco team mates have stated he is moving to a big club. So I guess that rules us out
SPRINGY
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:20 PM
Comment #87dont think we had the funds left in the kitty to get him anyway tbh
SUTTY1978
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:21 PM
Comment #88So much for Stones being worth £40m, hope Chelsea pull out and Everton are stuck with an unhappy player.
lochinvar
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:30 PM
Comment #89The developments concerning Berahino come on the day we learned Spurs have reservations about making a third bid for the West Brom striker. We also understand they are now considering other options.
Tonight Berahino has stopped following West Brom on Twitter – what an idiot some of these players are.
West Brom have had two bids rejected for the forward – the most recent being a £22m offer. But at the same time West Brom are lining up a bid for Austin who Pulis is keen on and if they get £22m for Berahino they’ll pay the £15m QPR want to keep their fans happy.
Not needed at Newcastle. Bet his missus will be happy about living in Brummie land.
Jail for Ashley
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:30 PM
Comment #90Hail for fatso,
You wouldn’t last five minutes with a name like that if it wasn’t a send up of mine, so be a bit more appreciative !
martoon
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:30 PM
Comment #91Damn you Ian – master of the copy and paste 🙂
will die for the toon army
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:31 PM
Comment #92The first time the emails came it looked like a wrong way to communicate but now it is a good thing emails from different people. It’s a good thing.
Big Up Chanely.
will die for the toon army
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:34 PM
Comment #93lochinvar
Thats why I like NUFC never stand in the way of the player. Cash in amd we move on.
Ian Toon
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:36 PM
Comment #94martoon- you did headline it with “quite interesting” so I thought I would help out.
It’s good to communicate!!
Brummie
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:40 PM
Comment #95My crazy team for the Arsenal game…………
__________________KRUL_____________________
__JAMMAT___COLO___TAYLOR__HADIRA___
__________________MBEMA___________________
__SISSOKO________ANITA_______WINALDO__
___________________PEREZ____________________
__________________MITROVIC_________________
krijo
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:51 PM
Comment #96Team Vs arsenal
Krul
Janmat colo mbemba haidara
Anita sisso
Wini
Thou mitrovic aarons
Lindisfarne
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:53 PM
Comment #97My contribution to the greatest squad debate (to face Arsenal):
THAUVIN—————MITRVIC———-PEREZ——
————WIJNALDUM———-SISSOKO————-
HAIDARA————–MBEMBA———JANMAAT
————-COLLOCCINI———-TAYLOR————–
——————————–KRUL—————————
will die for the toon army
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:53 PM
Comment #98Everton is being beaten. Sh&t
Lindisfarne
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:56 PM
Comment #99When Dummett returns fully fit, who would be better partnering Collo? Dummett or Taylor
hibbit
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:59 PM
Comment #100die 4 i think your a wum i dont think your from uganda more like usworth
ronaldo aarons
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:00 PM
Comment #101I like that email from black, very good.
Spurs look to be forgetting about berahino and going for son instead. Don’t blame them as he’s quality.
And Leicester are getting gray from Birmingham, for 4.7 million. Bargain and how did we not go for that especially with his release clause being so low.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:02 PM
Comment #102@Ronaldo
Why are we never in for these domestic bargains?!?
Huth for 3 million Weimann for 2 million Gray for 4.7 all of them could have replaced Gouffran, Obertan and Williamson !
Rotonda heights
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:04 PM
Comment #103ronaldo
yes i enjoyed the letter from black too. communication does seem to be improving at the club, not before time.
hibbit
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:05 PM
Comment #104why all the tinkering what’s wrong with you lot moving players round like its chess why
will die for the toon army
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:07 PM
Comment #105Evertton vs Barnsley entertainers.
ronaldo aarons
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:08 PM
Comment #106Lee at 102
No idea, the gray deal shocks me because since he is English you could sell him for 20 odd million in a couple years time. Not that I am advocating the buy low and sell policy we’ve had.
the broons
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:13 PM
Comment #107lindifarne
Neither, Mbemba is our best centre back.
ronaldo aarons
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:15 PM
Comment #108Rotunda at 103
Yeah definitely is improving which can only be a good thing. I like the nufc 24/7 episodes they have been doing also, hope they continue with that.
SUTTY1978
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:17 PM
Comment #109Looks like the fee being agreed for Gray is BS. Cant see why brum would sign him up to a new contract with a really low release clause, doesn’t make any sense for them to do that.
the broons
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:20 PM
Comment #110Can anybody enlighten me with this Gray that seems to be the topic of conversation?
I presume its Demarl Gray from Birmingham who I pointed out a while ago, who is the club close to signing him?
Also think that Holgate that ended up at Everton may prove to be a missed opportunity.
SPRINGY
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:22 PM
Comment #111team i would like to see sat
krul
janmaat mbemba colo haidara
anita geordie winegum
perez de jong thauvin
mitrovic
team i think will play sat
krul
mbemba taylor colo haidara
anita colback
sissoko geordie winegum perez/thauvin
mitrovic
SUTTY1978
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:25 PM
Comment #112Broons, there was some info around earlier that Leicester had agreed a fee of £4.7m
ronaldo aarons
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:26 PM
Comment #113Broons
Yes that’s the one, Leicester have supposedly met the release clause of 4.7m which is a bargain in my eyes. I can’t judge on Holgate as ive not actually seen him play. I don’t watch league 1 football and have only started take an interest in it for Armstrong.
Jib
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:28 PM
Comment #114well done Siem
Mr Funk
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:30 PM
Comment #115Would buying Gray impede the development of Aarons and roberts?
SUTTY1978
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:33 PM
Comment #116Funk, he’s about five divisions better than Roberts
ronaldo aarons
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:38 PM
Comment #117Mr funk
Fair question but I don’t think it would. Roberts is at least 2 years away from being first team ready. As for aarons, there’s no guarantees he will sign a contract plus there is no harm in having 2 wingers for each side, aarons and gray if we pursued him with thauvin and Sissoko (only saying him as that’s where we see him playing this year) on the right.
the broons
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:38 PM
Comment #118SUTTY1978/rolando aarons
if 4.7 million is the fee qouted then that does seem cheap for someone who’s price is only going to go up in value.
He reminds me so much of Nathan Redmond while he was at Birmingham its uncanny! bags of pace and loves taking on the defenders.
And by the way Redmond has started this season on fire, I think it would take a fee close to 20 million to convince Norwich to sell now.
Jib
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:38 PM
Comment #119SUTTY1978 // Aug 18, 2015 at 9:01 PM
Buying Thauvin is mental and shows Graham Carr has too much power, he’s the only one that wants him.
99% of the fans are at best not fussed one way or the other.
He was half decent for 6 months 2 1/2 years ago but has been utter shite ever since,
he’s about the same quality as Obertan and will fail spectacularly in the premier league.
What a frickin waste of money, it disgusts me, another player with zero creativity,
carr only looks for players who take pot shots, never looks at the players that set them up. Awful, awful signing
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Aug 26, 2015 at 9:39 PM
Comment #120@Mr Funk
Hes got the same amount of potential as Aarons except hes played more first team games nothing wrong with a bit of competition !! Means we could loan Roberts out to develop