Alan Shearer has done a quick review of Newcastle’s transfer window in the summer, but Alan – like a number of fans – still thinks we have a defense that is simply too weak.
Alan does like what he’s seen so far of Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, although the Newcastle legend says it’s still too early to judge him.
Aleksandar Mitrovic – has been a threat
This is what Alan Shearer has said about what Newcastle needed to do in the summer transfer window:
“I don’t think many people can argue that they needed a new centre-back and a goalscorer.”
” That is what everyone wanted or hoped was coming in. They got the centre-forward – Aleksandar Mitrovic.”
“But my worry with Newcastle is always defensively. They don’t seem to have shored that up as yet.”
” I have been impressed with Mitrovic.” ” He has bullied defenders, worked hard, held it up, brought team-mates into the game and been a threat.”
‘But we have only seen that once or twice at the minute. It is still early days to say that he is going to be a roaring success. He has not got a fantastic goalscoring record.”
‘But you can be a great goalscorer, you still need your team-mates to create chances for you.’
We’ve had a leaky defense for three seasons now and it has not been strengthened enough and presumably Newcastle will make an attempt to bring in one or two defenders in January.
And we should do that regardless of where we are in the league at that time.
Even if Newcastle are mid-table by then we should go ahead with the transfers because it takes time for our new signings to settle in at Newcastle.
If we do that and stay in the Premier League we should have a much better start in the league than we have had over the last two seasons.
Things are not looking good at the moment, but there is still plenty of time for improvement – big improvement.
Comments welcome.
34 comments so far
JackButler
Oct 5, 2015 at 11:42 PM
Comment #1We don’t have a captain, we don’t have any leaders on the pitch and haven’t had any since Nolan and Barton were shipped out for daring to stand up to one of Ashley’s bonus policies. Our current armband wearer is only to willing to accept whatever happens, he doesn’t rock the boat, gets paid the highest wage at the club and is a champion at hide and seek with the press.
Carr preferred to waste 12 million on Thauvin than buy a proven centre half and a leader, the result is we are now bottom of the league and shipping poor goals for fun
Tsunki
Oct 5, 2015 at 11:53 PM
Comment #2Ashley Out!
Blackley and Brownlie
Oct 6, 2015 at 12:06 AM
Comment #3” I have been impressed with Mitrovic.” ” He has bullied defenders, worked hard, held it up, brought team-mates into the game and been a threat.”
‘But … He has not got a fantastic goalscoring record.”
Shearer has been reading old Blackley’s script from the other day. I was conversing with Bobbybee, saying Mitro battles hard and provides a focal point, but he and Perez would be unlikely to get 20 goals between them.
Blackley and Brownlie
Oct 6, 2015 at 12:11 AM
Comment #4When is Shearer going to state in clear terms that Colo is the man who needs to go? It’s about time he did a devastating assessment of him. Hell knows there’s ample material. Surely it won’t be long. Come on Al. Do us all a favour.
jimmysmith
Oct 6, 2015 at 12:29 AM
Comment #5Mitro and Perez are good young players, as are Widjnaldum and Sissoko. They all have goals in them, but none you suspect a hatful, which makes the lack of goals from Colback and Anita significant. We need a central midfielder to chip in too, and his current preferred line up doesn’t have one. The obvious answer is Dejong, but that of course exposes the defence. A fired up Tiote might do the holding, but obvious problems there too. We are some distance squad wise from where we need be. The talk of making our own luck is starting to look increasingly hollow. We are going to need some.
JackButler
Oct 6, 2015 at 1:55 AM
Comment #6Starting to feel that Colo is using a Jedi mind trick on everyone, either that it the guy is made of Teflon as sod all seems to stick to him.
Shearer seems to have made a considerable effort to come out and state some of the more obvious flaws with this club but he always stops short of publicly nailing the true reason/reasons for our current situation, which is a shame as his words would carry a lot of weight with the fans
Son of Geordie
Oct 6, 2015 at 2:07 AM
Comment #7Captain Quiet needs to find his voice or pass on the captainship to someone who will speak up and take some responsibility
jimmysmith
Oct 6, 2015 at 2:22 AM
Comment #8I don’t think it’s a Captaincy issue. The squad has loads of potential skippers. it’s more a question of confidence and taking personal responsibility for 90 minutes. I’d get Tiote heads right as a priority and DeJong in there with him. Colo is no Steven Gerrard, but I doubt he’s the root of this problem either.
Son of Geordie
Oct 6, 2015 at 2:38 AM
Comment #9We need those other potential captains to command some presence and take charge out there on the field.
Not so many at once that the team is confused who to listen to though, there is the old saying “too many cooks spoiled the broth” but at the moment we have one cook colo not being heard.
brklyngeordie
Oct 6, 2015 at 2:40 AM
Comment #10The problem with the club is simple I don’t care what sport you prefer but if your team/club is lacking this 1 fundamental characteristic it will trickle down and that is AMBITION!! Yes we have players who may have there own individual ambition and an owner who obviously has his own but it is well known during the Ashley era we are stepping stone club so all that are brought in look at as just that and aren’t to bothered by results because they have ambition to move on to clubs that actually want to win something not balancing the books…
So we know what the answer is but always stop the only way out of this nightmare of an era Ashley Out!! Protests are needed ASAP!!
terencelim
Oct 6, 2015 at 2:50 AM
Comment #11So apparently Colo is the latest scapegoat of the man behind the scene.
Truth is, nothing would change until the decision maker is gone.
jimmysmith
Oct 6, 2015 at 3:45 AM
Comment #12Top 8, a Cup, Europe, that’s reasonable ambition for Newcastle, if you assume he’s on the level, and you can’t, but acknowledge he might be, then the bigger question is, is he capable. That seems more unlikely. Spurs and Liverpool, bigger clubs, have tried and failed.The Bale and Suarez money spent without any great benefit. He wasn’t a great owner for seven years, but he reigned in the bleeding and assumed the debt, and now he’s spent 50 mill and will clearly need and has pledged to do more. I’d say there’s little to be done, other than to cut the clubs some slack and see how it unfolds. It’s not as if the other clubs aren’t trying tooth and nail to stop our progress. They are.
sickandtired
Oct 6, 2015 at 4:40 AM
Comment #13@JimmySmith – reigned in the debt? Oh my, you actually believe that? The club ‘owes’ Ashley 129 Million, or perhaps that has passed you by? He didn’t assume that himself, he transferred it to the Club! His entire ownership is geared up to make sure he doesn’t spend anymore of his own actual Billions.
What, other than 3 mins on Sky, makes you even begin to believe he’s ‘on the level’? 50 million is only part of the money the club generated (or rather Sky has) and it was spent in accordance with HIS wishes. Badly, as ever. You know the model, it’s been clearly explained, and it clearly as hell still doesn’t work in football terms!
9 seasons of this – and you still want cut him some slack??? Unbelievable!
Klam3r
Oct 6, 2015 at 4:58 AM
Comment #14Colo out!
jimmysmith
Oct 6, 2015 at 5:32 AM
Comment #15Yeah I do. He’s spent 50 million, pledged more and we are making a profit. I’m prepared to see what he does next. You can do as you f@cken please pal.
cyprus
Oct 6, 2015 at 5:39 AM
Comment #16So it’s Colo eh? The easy target is of course Ashley, because then you don’t have to be specific: evil plans, greedy, stingy, fat etc.
Still I do ‘like’ the new ‘it’s the defence’ focus, as the numbers confirm it, it’s not like Ashley hmself is playing at CB. But I’m not sure it’s so specific. Congrats to toonbrother for your obsessive-compulsive campaign man 🙂
The thing is, although you may be right, we really are poor in most those positions. Janmaat is great going forward, but fast forwards easily skin him and, if you see goals concede, he’s often out of position. Mbemba I think is our best defender, but he too has been at fault for goals. Learning the trade, a good student. On the left, we haven’t been settled since Enrique, whom we should’ve begged back, instead of Cabaye as (don’t read on Ed!) Winji is better than him.
cyprus
Oct 6, 2015 at 5:42 AM
Comment #17concede=conceded
cyprus
Oct 6, 2015 at 5:51 AM
Comment #18On my last point, I’m open to discussion Ed, as to why Palace have done so well. I’ve watched them plenty, and I have no secret desire for Pards to do poorly. On contraire. Palace were doing well before Cabs.
That team has a solid basis, nothing amazing, in fact this ‘basis’ is generally stronger at NUFC, barring the defence! (see above) But, they do have two amazing tricky, superfast, scary game changers in Bolasie, Zaha… We just have Perez, who has some of those characteristics.
PS. Zaha was available but we, Carr, the blog 😉 didn’t want him
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Oct 6, 2015 at 6:18 AM
Comment #19Cyprus…I think it has more to do with the fact that there are consensus being those who run the business side of it and those who run the football side of it!
…it’s the same goals! The fact that you run a professional football club with ambition transpire to the players!
At least that is what I think. That and Palaces’ team is more balanced (not better)
cyprus
Oct 6, 2015 at 6:34 AM
Comment #20Jesper,
not sure I understood that. Are you saying NUFC don’t have ambition?
If yes, it’s very possible, but I’d be surprised. Successful people have ambition, by definition. Ok, mixed with pragmatism.
cyprus
Oct 6, 2015 at 6:38 AM
Comment #21On team balance, surely that’s it. But I think no one, not even toonbrother (!) can really put their finger on the problem. I think we need two superplayers, game changers. They aren’t necessarily expensive as those Palace players can affirm.
It just would be amazing if Ashley somehow, destroys a team during a 15′ break. If he can do that, hats off.
Ron Knee
Oct 6, 2015 at 6:39 AM
Comment #22A good article from Wiz in The Mag:
http://www.themag.co.uk/2015/10/the-two-things-that-drive-mike-ashley-at-newcastle-united/
firebug666
Oct 6, 2015 at 7:08 AM
Comment #23It’s easy to pin point what’s wrong with this club…EVERYTHING!
From the very top to the bottom, It seems that we have no team work at any position within the club, everyone is just out for themselves.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Oct 6, 2015 at 7:09 AM
Comment #24*being those = between those ( damn phone 😉 )
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Oct 6, 2015 at 7:12 AM
Comment #25Cyprus…from what I see yes! Newcastle does not have ambition and that lack of drive gets transferred to the players!
It’s the saying “you get back what you put into it”!
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Oct 6, 2015 at 7:14 AM
Comment #26Good morning Ron…read that article last night!
Ron Knee
Oct 6, 2015 at 7:18 AM
Comment #27Morning, jesper. Trying to get inside Ashley’s head is not a pleasant task!
toon kk
Oct 6, 2015 at 8:31 AM
Comment #28What makes Palace Successful is there pace and the fitness and ability to keep it up for the whole match. Also every position is far more balanced. Not too mention those player’s want to win.
Something our lads don’t seem to care about.
hibbit
Oct 6, 2015 at 8:31 AM
Comment #29the next 2 games will decide if Mc has any hope of keeping the fans at the ground board……. a lot of the players are just not good enough the squad is not strong enough no leaders on the pitch in fact every thing that could be wrong is wrong……. i think shearer is on the money with his assessment of the club
gorgonzola ( former Pecorino former to gorgonzola)
Oct 6, 2015 at 9:00 AM
Comment #30Relegation beckons
The overrated Frenchman
Oct 6, 2015 at 9:19 AM
Comment #31I think maybe the biggest mistake McClaren has made is thinking that he can turn all the sow’s ears we are stuck with into silk purses. Coloccini, Tiote, Sissoko, Cisse, Gouffran, Anita etc. etc. – all damaged goods in their own way and beyond reviving. Riviere, Williamson and Marveaux waiting in the wings and no doubt we’ll see them at some point. God help us. He inherited a crummy squad but has taken the easy option of hoping for the best rather than making drastic changes. Not that he could anyway, maybe. I don’t know. It’s all bad, that’s the bottom line. It’s always a love-hate relationship with this club, but hate seems to win out so much of the time.
John Tudor
Oct 6, 2015 at 9:39 AM
Comment #32he certainly has kept them bored
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Oct 6, 2015 at 9:43 AM
Comment #33I think that would have been one of the conditions of the job to get the best out of players that were already on the books
Mclaren looking from the outside with his coaching team would have thought on paper this looks a decent team with full internationals
He knows all the Dutch players , Sissoko , Tiote , Colo, Cisse , Perez and Colback all look potentially good on paper and he must have thought he could coach them into a team
The club were so sneaky getting rid of Jonas and Raylor before Mclaren took the job I am sure Mclaren might have wanted pre season to have a look at them
Still cant believe he got rid of Abeid especially when he said in an interview he thought he was a good player but couldn’t see him getting many games !! He would be one of the first names on the team sheet at the moment!!
Lynxie
Oct 6, 2015 at 12:38 PM
Comment #34Simple fact is, that if you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you’ve always had.
The owner has NOTHING to do with the cowardly defending and gutless collapse we witnessed on Saturday, so lets just leave the ‘bogeyman’ out of this. The clear and blatant truth is that certain PLAYERS need to stand up and be counted, take responsibility, and have some pride in the shirt. Collocini was nothing short of a disgrace to his profession on Saturday, just as he was when he disappeared last season and wanted out of the club (should have sent him packing).
Sissoko needs to PROVE that he is good enough for the Champions league or simply shut his hole.
Tiote needs to buckle down and start screaming to be in the side, because otherwise he is a liability (more often than not) who shouldn’t be there anymore.
Thauvin is the biggest mystery to me. What the actual f*ck did Carr see in this divvy?
The derby match is a big worry if these impostors don’t show up once again, and Shteve needs to be stronger with the lot of them, starting with the curly haired one. Janmaat or Gini to be made captain with immediate effect, shake Harpo Marx up a bit, although he will probably go in the huff again, or (more than likely) get himself red carded against Norwich to conveniently miss the mackems game. Oh yes Fabrizio, we haven’t seen you do that before have we? Desertion of duty…..watch this space.