Newcastle currently have a very poor defense and we have the third worst defensive record in the Premier League with only Norwich and Sunderland conceding more than the 41 goals we have conceded in our 23 games.
Last season we conceded 63 goals, the second worst only to relegated QPR, so you cannot accuse us of having a good defense – but we don’t see much effort being made this month to bring in some new defenders.
Joel Matip – available as free agent this summer
And yesterday we had only four fit defenders available and had to alter the formation of the team because of that.
So even though injuries are again starting to decimate the squad like it did last season at this time, there seems no urgency by those at the top to bring in any new defenders in January.
We have been linked for a while with Schalke’s top center-back Joel Matip, who becomes a free agent in the summer, and we were also linked with Lorient center-back Lamine Kone – and both would cost a low £5M this month.
However, it doesn’t look good for us getting Matip, as the Liverpool Echo is reporting today that Matip is high on Jurgen Klopp’s transfer targets and they want to sign him when he becomes a free agent this summer.
They could even get him to sign a pre-contract agreement this month and then have him sign for them officially in the summer.
Why aren’t Newcastle actively after him, because he would be a very good value as a free agent?
Of course with us being 3rd bottom of the Premier League our negotiating stance has taken a big hit this season.
We will probably unload the likes of Mike Williamson to Wolves although on the positive side Steven Taylor is returning to fitness and was on the bench yesterday.
Just so that we have some back-up cover in case of injuries, we’d like to see Mike Williamson stay at Newcastle until the summer when his contract runs out and he will leave Newcastle.
We can unload other players like Sylvain Marveaux, Manu Riviere and Yoan Gouffran to open up places in the Premier League list of 25.
It’s just surprising that no effort is being made to bring in some defenders this month.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
264 comments so far
Ian Toon
Jan 24, 2016 at 6:52 PM
Comment #241Belfast – Hope everything is grand in your world.
Saw your post on Macca being a better choice than you had anticipated. Or am I misquoting you yet again?
toonking
Jan 24, 2016 at 6:54 PM
Comment #242JFA
I think you missing my point in a way. What i’m saying is even a relegation with palace will not stop this argueing and posting over pardew. If he were to remain at palace people will still continue talking because now they’ll start putting posts up about his championship form and if he were to get the sack you’ll see people raving on about him no longer being in a job or being manager of a lower league club and mentioning how bad they might be.
It’s hard to think how people will stop raving on about pardew because palace could get CL and you’d have munster and mag52raving on about him and you can see palace relegated and you’ll have RH and catchy continuing to rave on about how crap he’s been and what his future will be.
JackButler
Jan 24, 2016 at 6:55 PM
Comment #243I hope our interest in Townsend has died down as we need a striker before we look to add another over hyped English man. Townsend doesn’t score and its goals we need cause the lack of them is the thing that’s going to see us go down
GeordieTwo
Jan 24, 2016 at 6:56 PM
Comment #244Just saw the game. We showed some fight for part of it. Their first goal was clearly offside. Still, not enough from us. Shelvey’s passing was off and we don’t have that cutting edge up front. We can’t head the ball to save our lives. This looks ominous. Five wins from 23. Wake up Ashley.
Ian Toon
Jan 24, 2016 at 6:58 PM
Comment #245Townsend wouldn’t come cheaply. Probably command a higher wage than Tiote. We could always come to an arrangement to pay off a number of players’ contract early but at a discount. Would meet FFP requirements but cash flow is king with Ashley!
JAMSHA
Jan 24, 2016 at 6:59 PM
Comment #246dont understand why people blame Carr…his job is to scout an hand out the list of players….but its Lee who want players cheap an not stars
Rotonda heights
Jan 24, 2016 at 7:01 PM
Comment #247Jib
I just can’t understand it myself. 3rd bottom you’d think we peasants would be dancing in the streets. And this isn’t a new phenomen either as we’ve been royally treated over the last 8 years.
check the toastie
Jan 24, 2016 at 7:02 PM
Comment #248has a lot to answer for Graham Carr like, has signed some crap on very long contracts.
Saivet stinks of the next one on his production line of mediocrity. French league can get gems but some rogue ones over the years have arrived for sure.
Rotonda heights
Jan 24, 2016 at 7:03 PM
Comment #249jamsha
yeah cos the scouting guy at leicester has spent so much on Mahrez, vardy, Kante, Fuchs etc
JackButler
Jan 24, 2016 at 7:03 PM
Comment #250Jamsha
Because so many of the players Carr has put in the list are simply no where near good enough – he may not make the final decision, as that is always based around the financial restraints imposed by Ashley, but he is the man that puts the players forward to be chosen.
Jib
Jan 24, 2016 at 7:03 PM
Comment #251I’m watching Depor v Valencia.
That Aymen Abdennour , Central Defender , that Valencia pipped us for from Monaco in the Summer looks OK.
Belfast
Jan 24, 2016 at 7:04 PM
Comment #252Well if like me you where expecting Mick Harford or a Mark Robins or some other head in hands appointment you’d have been slightly relieved when McClaren turned up.
Could have been much worse, could have been much better. That was my opinion at the time.
Belfast
Jan 24, 2016 at 7:06 PM
Comment #253Opposing conspiracy theory nearly
GeordieTwo
Jan 24, 2016 at 7:08 PM
Comment #254I don’t see many of our players showing enough concern and fight. We are hopeless away from home. Six goals scored. The structure of the club is all wrong. I don’t see us recovering from this so it’s relegation at the end of the season. Then many of the best players will leave. Poor effort from the top down. Sack yourself Ashley.
GeordieTwo
Jan 24, 2016 at 7:09 PM
Comment #255And by that I mean sell up and may we never see your face on Tyneside again.
Rotonda heights
Jan 24, 2016 at 7:11 PM
Comment #256lesh at 199
if there’s four of him I’m sure he is visible
GeordieTwo
Jan 24, 2016 at 7:11 PM
Comment #257We had three of four opportunities for headed shots that should have been on net but weren’t. Made it easy for their goalie for most of the game. We don’t take our chances well enough. That screams out striker needed for me.
Belfast
Jan 24, 2016 at 7:11 PM
Comment #258I think nearly everytime Saviet won a tackle yesterday he gave it away straight after it lol
Seen somebody post he had a 55% pass completion rate. Wasn’t surprised at that.
nearly
Jan 24, 2016 at 7:17 PM
Comment #259belfast im not sure what to make of it ,i think they will go for townsend and try and get thauvin out on loan or do they take a hit on him now or the summer either way we are going to loose money on him
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Jan 24, 2016 at 7:19 PM
Comment #260Graham Carr
Got a funny feeling McLaren wants Townsend and Berahino whatever the price but I think Graham Carr is behind the stalling of the deals because it will push his nose out of joint.
Any-way anyone know who does the scouting in this country ?????
beefman13
Jan 24, 2016 at 7:21 PM
Comment #261Mclaren says we are playing terrific stuff, that’s his inflated opinion even though we are having our moments, trouble is if we can’t win playing well then it can’t be anything else but a real battle for survival.
That said I don’t think we are as awesome as Shteve thinks we are, there is plenty of self pity going on there for me.
Any and every team know that Curly top has limited pace and they always seem to play off that, that is a major problem that should gave been sorted and gas not, it’s a real weakness in our team, in fact at one stage he almost gave up yesterday. Charnley this should have been first priority, ee are and will continue to get punished for this lack of foresight, we are getting what we deserve simple as.
catchy in norway
Jan 24, 2016 at 7:24 PM
Comment #262jail.
i dont understand what you mean, my stance is the same is the same but different?
my stance is the same regardless, and if you cannot grasp it, then thats your problem not mine.
but i will try one last time.
its all about the football, the football and the philosophy. under P45 we had no system style philosophy, it was more about individual bits of skill, things he did not and cannot teach, he defends a nil-nil because he has a point, but he never tries to actually go out and win a game, home or away it was the same, poor football but with amazing goals when we scored. he also sapped the life out of the players, turning them into robots that had no minds of there own
now then there is Shteve, who is installing a sense of lets get the ball down and play it, we pass and move, we create chances from open play but just dont finish them off, for me the football is good to watch, regardless of who is playing, he gives the players a freedom to try and express themselves but also within a team structure, people slated HBA for being greedy, yet nearly every one of our goals scored were individual efforts under p45, Shteve has it the other way, some great team goals, but as OP pointed out, im baffled by his Subs and when they take place, the formation yesterday did not suit the players we have and thats why we lost the game, he should have played Chancle at LB and kept the rest of the team as they normally play, rolando had to much to do and was lost, but i do see him as our LW player..
my praise for Shteve is purely based on what i have seen this season, good football, and yes there have been some poor games too, but i would say more than half of them have been of a very good std where we have been unlucky not to win, we batted Sunderland, the ref spoiled it, as did he spoiled it vs man u,
P45 was never unlucky, because he never went for the win, he shut up shop way to soon.
expatmag
Jan 24, 2016 at 9:47 PM
Comment #263Yeah TUFF
Stop bullying poor bloggers, you bad big bugger, you………..lol
dannitoon
Jan 25, 2016 at 4:53 AM
Comment #264The problem is.. 95% of toon fans think a good player cost £15m+.. look at the agro when we baught perez… £1.2m = lack of ambition… FFS imagine the tears if we spent £400k on mahrez….