There are reports coming out of Italy that Lazio are interested in signing Newcastle winger Florian Thauvin, and it seems a number of clubs are interested in the 23 year-old, who hardly did well for Newcastle in the Premier League in the first half of the season.
Only a couple of days ago there were reports in Football Italia that Inter-Milan were interested in signing the French U21 International this summer.
Florian Thauvin in action against Aston Villa
This latest report is in Corriere dello Sport and Thauvin is said to be one of the flair players Lazio are considering signing in the summer.
Whether Thauvin is sold or not depends on whether Newcastle are still in the Premier League and if we are not then Thauvin will be sold or else sent out on loan so at least another club pays his wages for next season.
The report suggests Lazio are thinking they may be able to get a good deal on Florian if we are relegated.
But Newcastle paid (overpaid) a massive £13M for this guy and we don’t want to lose too much money on him, in what has turned out to be another poor buy by Chief Scout Graham Carr.
If Newcastle stay up, there is no way Florian will be sold until Rafa Benitez can take a look at him in pre-season training.
And we would expect the 56 year-old to be able to get the best out of the 23 year-old, if he decides to keep him at the club.
But all of this is dependent on a couple of important things – whether Newcastle can survive in the Premier League and if Rafa Benitez will continue on as the Newcastle manager next season.
Comments welcome.
135 comments so far
Jib
May 4, 2016 at 1:51 PM
Comment #41Good god this Florian Thauvin chappy is getting very popular .
Valencia and Spurs are after him now !
http://www.footmarseille.com/news-31556/tottenham-et-valence-dans-la-course-pour-thauvin-.html
magscar
May 4, 2016 at 1:52 PM
Comment #42job
If you are a long time reader or only the last few days you must get the connection. Any new poster ( or even one everyone has forgotten about if not posted in a while) is going to be treated suspiciously.
Not sure how you go about proving your bona fides in current climate. Ignoring or querying the assumed connection is not likely going to convince any doubters.
Bobbybee
May 4, 2016 at 1:54 PM
Comment #43LGFUAD, i think defending is a much maligned skill. Is there much better than a good defender timing a tackle perfectly and taking both ball and whoever else gets in his way? Does a good hard well timed tackle not produce a large cheer from the crowd? More to the point, if you don’t concede, you never lose a game. We did neglect defenders ahead of a glut of midfielders/wingers and are paying that price with our curent position. Rafa won’t allow that to happen whilst he’s in charge.
BandB
May 4, 2016 at 1:56 PM
Comment #44LGFUAD
If the defence could look after itself, we would not have to employ two stoppers in front of them.
I think the ideal for Rafa would be to play with two deep midfielders, but each with more than one string to their bow, and each with a different role. That gives both solidarity at the back and a springboard to initiate and join attacking play. It means the front four can then concentrate primarily on creating and scoring chances, which is their job.
Jib
May 4, 2016 at 1:56 PM
Comment #45I remember Shoot on a Sunday lunchtime whenever they showed Boro at Ayresome Park the ad for “Marske Engineering” always used to catch my eye .
Hail Wor Ashley
May 4, 2016 at 1:57 PM
Comment #46Only advert that’s distracted me is that fairly recent dog one, makes it look like there’s a canine pitch invader, but couldn’t tell you who the advert is for.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
May 4, 2016 at 1:57 PM
Comment #47The difference between Thauvin/Cabella and Mahrez is pace !
Mahrez is one of the fastest wingers so he can get away from fullbacks pretty easy Thauvin and Cabella are pretty slow in our league which is for me the main reason they struggle because they cant get room to play because full backs in our league are pretty quick!
Think it was Thauvin against West Ham and Tomkins was playing as an emergency right back and he just dominated him and Tomkins is not even that quick !
Cabella could maybe play as a no 10 with pace around him but again he is also soft and was afraid of the physical challenges !
If we could get decent money for them both and Benitez could bring in 2 players with pace that he would play then that would be a bonus
Jib
May 4, 2016 at 1:58 PM
Comment #48Nowadays when they show Burnley it’s always Dave Fishwick that’s eye catching
Toonfan8
May 4, 2016 at 1:58 PM
Comment #49Isn´t Cabella already sold to Marseille? I thought he had buy-out clause….
Bobbybee
May 4, 2016 at 1:59 PM
Comment #50Jib, Shoot?! There’s a blast from the past. It does make you wonder why firms pay money to advertise, because the response so far is that nobody really notices them. Still, take their money i suppose, every lityle helps.
Bobbybee
May 4, 2016 at 2:05 PM
Comment #51Ha ha! That bloody dog! 😉
shaun83
May 4, 2016 at 2:07 PM
Comment #52Bobby – it’s the sub conscious that they’re after. You may not think you know any of the advertising but your sub conscious will have it all, next time you make a buying decision that seems spontaneous or devoid of influence you can almost guarantee you have been affected by marketing in one way or another.
manxpie
May 4, 2016 at 2:07 PM
Comment #53On this villa protest didn’t someone pop up last week and say it was gonna be a mass pitch invasion?
If so and the game gets called off surely there won’t be enough time to replay it so we’ll get awarded the win but was wondering Wat the scoreline would be in said win? Might help our GD if it’s an automatic 5-0 win or something?
Bobbybee
May 4, 2016 at 2:07 PM
Comment #54Right, need to go. Try to control yourselves in my absence – you know who you are! 😉
bettyswallocks
May 4, 2016 at 2:07 PM
Comment #55BandB……and Bobby. That has a nice ring to it(just saying like)… Agree with you about Gini. He’s shown a few flashes of brilliance but I think the intensity of the PL and the pressure of our predicament has taken its toll. Hope he stays and gets used to playing with less time and space.
Bobbybee
May 4, 2016 at 2:11 PM
Comment #56Shaun, i buy what i need mate, they’re wasting their time! 😉
Manpixie, i think if a game is called off due to fan protests, there’s something in place that awards a 3-0 win to the opposition. I might have that wrong though, it just seems to ring right re something i read. Need that clarifying though, coz i might be miles off.
BandB
May 4, 2016 at 2:14 PM
Comment #57betty,
We seem to have found some common ground again in recent days. I’ve missed it. Pax.
Mister Tuff
May 4, 2016 at 2:17 PM
Comment #58Just checked the Villa protest site.. They say on the 74th minute they will be facilitating the mass release of romantic nourishment.
Haven’t a clue what that means – certainly does not sound like a pitch invasion.
manxpie
May 4, 2016 at 2:19 PM
Comment #59Cheers even if it’s 3-0 will help us out, because I really can’t see us winning by that much
Ibiza which players do you think have improved under rafa? Just curious because I don’t think any have its more that there’s a much more rigid system in place and the return of tiote and a defensive LB?
Mister Tuff
May 4, 2016 at 2:20 PM
Comment #60Dog advert – first time I saw it I did think it was a stray running down the line. A bit distracting though.
bettyswallocks
May 4, 2016 at 2:28 PM
Comment #61BandB pax is good for me. I have to tell you that I’ve only just got over the giggles from Friday night. How childish is that. I won’t mention the “T” word but I can’t look at one now in the same light.
Tsunki
May 4, 2016 at 2:32 PM
Comment #62Ha ha I remember Shoot! When play got a bit boring and all you could hear us the ball being punted up and down a muddy field to the odd echoey cough and whistle my mind would wander to reading the ads for scaffolders, steel fabricators, builders merchants and….kitchen fitting companies. Can’t remember too many games but I ended up pretty God at building and stuff ha ha. Adverts work on some level whether you like to think it or not.
Tsunki
May 4, 2016 at 2:32 PM
Comment #63Well, good but not God. That’s probably stretching it lol
bettyswallocks
May 4, 2016 at 2:36 PM
Comment #64Jib….. Is that the Bank of Dave guy?
Essex Geordie Bill
May 4, 2016 at 2:38 PM
Comment #65Happy Star Wars day everyone!
Essex Geordie Bill
May 4, 2016 at 2:43 PM
Comment #66As for us being awarded a win if the match is abandoned I can’t see that. Can you imagine Sam’s reaction to that and also Norwich’s.
magscar
May 4, 2016 at 3:04 PM
Comment #67As regards pitch invasions I can’t find anything specifically relating to what follows other than a replay.
Problem is a pitch invasion can range from one disgruntled fan or a streaker to a deliberate mass one or the again simply an over exuberant one at end of match when you stay up. Very difficult to have one blanket rule.
Although Villa do have some previous ( as do many clubs) towards or at end of last season there were only a few mindless fans involved (cup game?). I think fines usually apply.
If a game is stopped by ref or police then I think it is intended that it is replayed but it could presumably go to PL Board to determine depending on the circumstances.
One game many of us will remember involving a pitch invasion was Forest FA cup tie at SJP which was replayed several times before we finally won 1-0 at Goodison I think. That game was actually finished with NUFC turning over a 1-3 scoreline with 10 men to win 4-3 after Forest had agreed to play out game only to then complain after result. FA then ruled result as void and apart from ordering replay at neutral ground banned us from playing Home ties at SJP the following season.
This will not set any precedent for PL games of course or even FA cup games ( only 1 replay now) but I think it was determined by a committee as no actual rule to cover eventuality.
It may be similar for PL faced with an abandoned match but there are clear complications – what if we are drawing or losing rather than winning? What would Mackems or Norwich do if points awarded?
Having said that I am dubious that this is what is being planned but if emotions are running high who knows what could be sparked of in 74 minute?
School run calls – off now
YoungMagpieFromBurnley
May 4, 2016 at 3:08 PM
Comment #68Hey…
martoon
May 4, 2016 at 3:09 PM
Comment #69Tuff @58 – It’s a reference to something Randy Lerner said:
https://sports.vice.com/en_uk/highlight/randy-lerner-claims-to-take-romantic-nourishment-from-his-memories-of-ashley-young
However I’ve still no idea what they mean?
lochinvar
May 4, 2016 at 3:19 PM
Comment #7074 minutes – if they have any sense the Villa fans will empty the stadium, lets see.
However with all the news of protests in circulation the club will have to have the place crawling with stewards and police to avoid any problems – if they don’t the FA will have them over a barrel ( or a hostess trolley – RIP Victoria Wood )
Mister Tuff
May 4, 2016 at 3:20 PM
Comment #71martoon – snap – just read your link – does not make any sense or give any clues as to what Lerner meant by it or what the protest group are quoting it for.
They’ve done the shouting and placard waving so really do not know what they can come up with to trump what they have already done.
Unfortunately, bit like the Toon, there is really not much that can be done to get rid of poor quality owners.
firebug666
May 4, 2016 at 3:41 PM
Comment #72Well I think we will beat Villa comfortably, and at the end of the season, up or down as long as Rafa stays I couldn’t care less who else stays or goes. Rafa will build a team that can actually compete in whatever league we end up in.
Average_Contents
May 4, 2016 at 3:43 PM
Comment #73Firebug!
Where the fcuking hell have you been?
Glad to see your back mate
Average_Contents
May 4, 2016 at 3:44 PM
Comment #74Just OP now. Anyone heard from him?
firebug666
May 4, 2016 at 3:47 PM
Comment #75AC
Was a little busy marra, but thanks for asking. Hope all is well with you and yours.
Didn’t realise others were missing, maybe we were all having a sneaky party. 😀
BandB
May 4, 2016 at 3:50 PM
Comment #76Firebug!!!
Don’t mention the PARTIES…..!!!
They were a secret!
Welcome back.
firebug666
May 4, 2016 at 3:53 PM
Comment #77BandB
Thank you.
Did I mention Parties? I only got to go to one, spent the last two months tied to a tree in the New Forest 🙁
BandB
May 4, 2016 at 3:56 PM
Comment #78Can I hazard five guesses why?
BandB
May 4, 2016 at 3:57 PM
Comment #79It was your stag night, and no-one could remember a thing next day?
firebug666
May 4, 2016 at 4:01 PM
Comment #80Maybe just the party goers didn’t want me to continue the conga around the UK.