There is news today that Newcastle are interested in signing former Manchester United center-back Michael Keane, a player we were interested in last summer before he went on loan to Burnley and finally signed for them full time last January.
Newcastle have hinted that they want to do some deal in January but it’s always difficultly to prise top players from clubs half way through the season, and as well as Michael, Newcastle would also like to bring in another striker in January – maybe Charlie Austin (finally) from QPR.
Mike Williamson scoring against Northampton Town in League Cup
In the case of Keane, the chances of Newcastle getting him could depend on where Burnley are placed at that time in the Championship, but Newcastle can offer a part exchange deal with Mike Williamson, and therefore Mike could be a ready-made replacement for Keane.
In fact when we signed Williamson’s from Portsmouth in January of 2010, he came straight into the side and played very well through the end of that promotion season, and he filled in well for Steven Taylor, who was injured and out for that season just before Mike was brought in for £1M.
Mike’s contract runs our next summer, and so it could be a god move for Mike in January, and Steven Taylor’s contract also runs out, although maybe Steve McClaren would be less willing for the local lad to leave Newcastle at that time.
Burnley are currently in 5th place in the Championship, after their 3-1 home win against Sheffield Wednesday, and they have 11 points from six games, just one point behind Cardiff in second place.
Chris Hughton’s Brighton & Hove Albion won again – this week 1-0 at home to Hull City, who were in second place before yesterday’s game.
The win leaves Brighton 4 points clear at the top of the Championship after 6 games played – and Chris is doing very well.
But back to Keane – it would be a good deal if Newcastle can do a part-exchange for him using cash plus Mike Williamson, who will be leaving the club next summer when his contract runs out.
Comments welcome.
144 comments so far
toon kk
Sep 13, 2015 at 6:44 PM
Comment #81To sum us up really, we have some expensive players including international players who play for there countries. But the downside is they don’t give 100%. People keep saying give them time, they’re professionals who are well payed.
I’ve just watched Leicester and I have to say I feel jealous of their hard work every player put in maybe we could learn something.
welshgeordie9
Sep 13, 2015 at 6:46 PM
Comment #82I think we have got two victor meldrews on this blog
Unfortunately.
BandB
Sep 13, 2015 at 6:47 PM
Comment #83magscar,
Talking to someone who sees things from different perspectives is nowhere near as frustrating as talking to someone who sees something you don’t see at all.
So I find myself understanding what you are describing far more than perhaps I once did. I am not saying I know anything here to be the case.
People are saying the new extension for Colo is inexplicable. But there IS an explanation, which, in the absence of it being shared with us, makes speculation fair game. And yours likely figures in their somewhere.
Sutty….Clearly someone is party to information that makes it make sense from their perspective.
WDFTTA…I don’t think we are.
SUTTY1978
Sep 13, 2015 at 6:53 PM
Comment #84Will die, i would prefer any of the defenders we were linked with over Colo, I prefer Willo over Colo. are you trying to tell me that £10m will not buy you a defender better than Colo? If so you are nuts!
Wait until Colo is injured and Willo & Mbemba play together, they will be brilliant.
magscar
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:00 PM
Comment #85BandB
The lack of effective communication since Chris Mort upped sticks is in my mind one of the major problems in Ashley’s tenure. …. And there lies another conundrum for you – what became so attractive to Mort to make him end his brief spell with us or perhaps put differently what was so unattractive about the regime that Lawyering again became an irresistible draw?
Joking aside it may be that it was always intended he cover just the setting up under Ashley but because communication became a redundant feature we never were kept informed and then as we know conspiracy theories abound. I think Ashley knows who the gunman on the knoll was but for his reason won’t tell us (that will throw those not of a certain age) 🙂
will die for the toon army
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:01 PM
Comment #86Shutty
Watever Colo did to you Guys?
Ron Knee
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:05 PM
Comment #87magscar
It was Lee Harvey Charnley.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:06 PM
Comment #88Robert Huth ! Miles better defender than Colo , couple of years younger and is a hell of a leader !! 3 million !!
Money would have been better spent on him !
SUTTY1978
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:06 PM
Comment #89Will die, he’s been a defensive disaster for two seasons! Our whole team is handicapped by his lack of pace meaning we have to defend deep.
He’s the least vocal captain i have ever seen and if he is supposed to lead by example then the example he sets is one of usually giving up and turning your back on the ball when you should be throwing yourself in front of it. No idea how anyone can respect him or think that we cant get anyone better.
bettyswallocks
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:08 PM
Comment #90I’m hoping for a good attacking performance tomorrow. The coaching staff have had a couple of weeks to mould the lads into some sort of unit. We will know a lot more about where we’re upto after tomorrow against a team we should be beating.
I lol be enjoying the day anyway, win , lose or draw.
SPRINGY
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:11 PM
Comment #91sutty
i dont think you’ll have to tolerate colo much longer age is catching up and his days are numbered
will die for the toon army
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:13 PM
Comment #92The League is separated as Follows:
1. Top 4 – Chelsea, Man City, Manure, Arsenal
2. Top 6 – Liverpool, Spurs
3. Top 8 – Swansea, Everton, Southampton
4. Top 10 – Stoke, Crystal Palace
5. Below Top 10 – NUFC, Westham, Leicester, WBA, Sunderland, Watford, Aston Villa, Norwich, Bournemouth.
Now I think u see where we lie those are the teams we will get points from. I think right now we havent yet played our league so if we dont get points from those games then we r in danger.
SPRINGY
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:14 PM
Comment #93hope he has a go the morra and plays 2 up front…not expecting it tbh,,,,,but hoping
SUTTY1978
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:14 PM
Comment #94Also to those saying give it 10 games, what if we are on 3 or 4 points after 9 games or still on 2 points after 6?
Don’t like the way McClaren is writing off 1/4 of the season. We’ll need to be bloody brilliant in the middle set of games to not be in a relegation fight going into the last 10 games.
Other teams with the same upheaval as us are not having the same issues, I wouldn’t mind if i could see us building towards something but we were better in the last game of last season than we have been in any game this year.
The only one positive thing anyone has been able to point out is that Anita is dropping in to take the ball off the CB’s, that’s it, bloody hell what a revolution, everything else looks the same.
SPRINGY
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:18 PM
Comment #95will die
im not to panicked over the start we have made…weve actually got more points then did last season out of the same games..and possibly conceded less goals as well(unsure of this tbh)..just hoping for an attacking game 2 morra
terencelim
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:19 PM
Comment #96In short, Ashley out.
will die for the toon army
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:20 PM
Comment #97I cant believe we started winning last season after 8 games went unbeaten in 7. it was amazing. But came very late
SPRINGY
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:21 PM
Comment #98leicester’s attitude today and work rate was a class above….great example to sides like ours who have had poor seasons last year
magscar
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:22 PM
Comment #99Sutty
The Willo/ Mbwia partnership had it’s moments and I can see why you might wish for a similar one with Mbemba. If Colo can recover his drive then he remains a better CB than Willo who despite his honest endeavor is a liability on the ball.
It seems McClaren is trying to build on possession and Will is very limited when receiving the ball. There have been signs in pre-seasom that the coaches had been working on that with him and with others by showing for the ball deeper and quicker. This is of limited effect as it does slow our play down and make CM drop deeper. However if he has to play then I welcome that solution above his aimless hurried punts down the channel or repeated returns to Krul whose biggest fault is his distribution as well.
Last season we invariably gifted the opposition possession from Krul’ and Willo’s kicks. I have noticed that coaches are working on this aspect and as Bobbybee mentioned the other night in his summary of U21 game Darlow avoided long kicks forward and instead looked to play out from the back. Willo is an honest professional but he is a liability when he is expected to play a role in confidently moving ball out from the back.
Having said that I recall someone mentioning a recall would be a good idea if Carroll looks to be playing tomorrow and he has previously done well against him but given how we are trying to build up on our possession game I wouldn’t pick him solely for one game. Carroll can be unplayable and key as with most big strikers is to restrict crosses in, legally impede him and look for second ball. If he gets a clean header though it will usually be on target. Has yet to do well against us, WHU are yet to win at home and we all know what that adds up to!!!
John Tudor
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:23 PM
Comment #100you know who is the tenth game
SPRINGY
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:23 PM
Comment #101dont think that has much to do with ranieri…they were playing like that at the of last season to be fair
Ian Toon
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:25 PM
Comment #102I have long seen Liverpool as a club that has form for wasting fees received on player sales. They bought Carroll with the Torres transfer fee and Balotelli , Lambert, Lovern and ( someone else ) with the Suarez fee.
You don’t really know whether you’ve got the better of the deal until the money is spent. Rodgers is not known as Bodgers for know reason. He’s made countless mistakes simply by trying to appease fans. Price and Worth are two different things. KK had the right idea selling Andy Cole in a January window and identifying Ferdinand as his replacement and signing him in the following summer.
magscar
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:28 PM
Comment #103Those holding Leicester up as a great example to us have perhaps forgotten that up until January they were certs for relegation and struggled to put 2 wins together.
Not rubbishing their clear achievements under firstly Pearson then Raneri but simply saying they for whatever reason it took time to put things right – doesn’t automatically follow that we will do same of course but I will be giving McClaren and co the benefit for now.
John Tudor
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:34 PM
Comment #104you should know margret
Ian Toon
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:37 PM
Comment #105Points and performance wise , 2015 is everything for them that it isn’t for us. It’s daft for some to draw a comparison based upon us both having new managers.
SUTTY1978
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:40 PM
Comment #106Magscar, without Willo in the team and playing a possession based game we have so far managed the lowest amount of possession in the premier league, also the lowest number of passes!
I’d prefer a CB that can defend rather than one thats good on the ball.
We’d all love someone who can do both. I’m not overly set on having Willo in there, as Taylor is currently not crocked he could go in there, did well against Man U. At the risk of sounding like Toonbrother i just don’t see us winning with Colo on the pitch unless we get lucky!
magscar
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:40 PM
Comment #107Iantoon
You are right about Cole sale but what some younger fans may not realise was that KK was forced to confront irate fans on SJP steps to explain sale. Communication at it’s best and very effective in calming fans who heeded his plea to trust him and club. I believe that he had been expecting Ferdinand to arrive as an immediate replacement but QPR held out but unrest had been quelled until summer.
I remember the day well as I had an argument at work with a Man U fan who returning from lunch told me the news and I wouldn’t accept it until I returned home and saw Sky Sports – no internet then! If it hadn’t been KK involved I don’t know that I could have put so much trust in being sanguine about selling our top scorer with so much more to come to our then biggest rivals.
welshgeordie9
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:45 PM
Comment #108I rest my case
Ha ha ha
And it’s Margaret.
John Tudor
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:50 PM
Comment #109shows i dont use google then
creep
BandB
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:52 PM
Comment #110It’s quiet today.
Matchday booze-up?
Ian Toon
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:55 PM
Comment #111I am a younger fan but have a good handle on our history, particularly the K K era. There have been a number of troughs and not too many peaks. I have seen the photo of KK on the steps explaining the delayed spending of the fee received. Communication was something Kevin was all about and Hall talking about his dream of the toon having 11 Geordies. Didn’t we have just Colback recently.
Jogging on Ferdinand was sold just prior to Shearer being badly injured in a pre season friendly and we couldn’t pull out of the sale. I think this was now the Dalglish era.
welshgeordie9
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:55 PM
Comment #112Don’t have to use google, have you used a dictionary before.
magscar
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:58 PM
Comment #113Sutty
I trust you are not suggesting that with Willo in team our points haul would have been greater. I think others have pointed out there were other salient factors at play in those first 4 games which made it difficult to change our game. If Willo had been in the team then I seriously doubt we would have picked up a point at Man U. Only my opinion of course but I honestly believe it is too early to make any realistic assessment of McClaren (wasn’t my choice but then again neither were Dagleish Souness Gullit Alladyce Houghton Pardew but I give my support to all until it was evident that the wheels were coming off).
I prefer a fit Taylor to Willo mostly because he will carry ball out of defence. Willo isn’t anywhere near to being the best “defender” (if that is your measure) at club in my view as he also has problems with pace and out muscling forwards in air and on ground despite his size. Not wishing to sound like a Willo hater as I respect his professionalism and also subscribe to the view that it isn’t his fault if he is still one of the few regular CB choices available to last 4 managers.
John Tudor
Sep 13, 2015 at 7:59 PM
Comment #114you can spell it any way you like
John Tudor
Sep 13, 2015 at 8:00 PM
Comment #115have you used your brain
John Tudor
Sep 13, 2015 at 8:01 PM
Comment #116Margret Elizabeth Rey (May 16, 1906 – December 21, 1996) was a writer and illustrator, known best for the Curious George series of children’s picture books that she and her husband H. A. Rey created from 1939 to 1966
John Tudor
Sep 13, 2015 at 8:02 PM
Comment #117my cousin ewe ignorant so and so
magscar
Sep 13, 2015 at 8:03 PM
Comment #118Ron
I take it it is some long lost American cousin of our respected CEO ( or whatever he is) you are referring to as our Lee would have been nowt but a bairn or even a twinkle way back then 🙂
Jail for Ashley
Sep 13, 2015 at 8:04 PM
Comment #119BandB,
I’ve been grafting all day on the house !
Ian Toon
Sep 13, 2015 at 8:05 PM
Comment #120Welsh – Your boys cost me. That’s how to play with 10 men.