The Sun is reporting that Newcastle United have gone back to one of our previous transfer targets of a few years back and they are reporting we want Derby County’s 24 year-old winger Tom Ince.
The transfer fee is supposed to be around £8M and that’s maybe high for somebody who has never really been a hit in the top flight.
Today there has been news that we have dropped interest in Fulham’s Tom Cairney, after a price of £20M was mentioned and in addition Ruben Loftus-Cheek is not available for loan with Chelsea manager Antonio Conte wanting to keep 20 year-old midfielder at Stamford Bridge.
Tom Ince – now at Derby County
Steve McClaren has returned to Derby County after his disastrous stewardship of Newcastle for eight months when he was almost totally responsible for getting us relegated.
Ince has always been on the fringes of being a (very) good player for soem time, but he has never been able to show his top form for any length of time and never in the top flight.
Since he moved to Derby County in early 2015 on loan and then signed permanently in the summer of 2015 he has played 88 times with 31 goals for Derby County and that’s a good record of goalscoring.
Tom Ince has already played for seven different clubs and started his career at Liverpool where his father Paul Ince also played in what was a sparkling career for the midfielder.
Tom had a really good spell playing for Blackpool for three seasons in the Championship from 2011 and in that time he scored 33 goals in 133 total appearances, but he has struggled in the Premier League and he did nothing for Hull City when he joined them in 2014.
So Tom is a decent enough player, but it seems only in the second flight and we doubt he can make the step up to the Premier League.
Of course Rafa Benitez may see something in him and be able to get the very best out of him if the manager is really interested in signing the 24 year-old winger.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
86 comments so far
toonarmydownsouth
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:12 PM
Comment #41Gini’s massively improved the last couple of months under klopp
toonarmydownsouth
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:13 PM
Comment #42Belfast
He could go on loan the sneak back to lift the trophy at the end of the season!
Steak and Kidney Pie
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:16 PM
Comment #43Widjnaldum is a good player. Liverpool under Klopp go about things correctly and Widjnaldum is a trusted cog in their side. He probably found his season on Tyneside an entirely bewildering experience.
WWSBRD
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:20 PM
Comment #44Nar it’s just easier to ignore the invisible man when the team keep winning, he’s still as gutless as ever
ShirebrookToon
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:20 PM
Comment #45Scraping the barrel a bit aren’t we with Tom Ince!!
sparky55
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:21 PM
Comment #46OP
You have to let it go mate…fate and Ashleys pi55 poor management of the club brought Rafa into play and if it wasn’t for that Rafa wouldn’t be here.
Fates a wonderful thing…if you ask me Ashley played a blinder 🙂 🙂 LOL
sparky55
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:24 PM
Comment #47Door now open for McCarthy to leave…hope the spinning door connects to us.
toonarmydownsouth
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:30 PM
Comment #48Na, canny player who a shite mid 90’s throwback failed to utilise
SMC shouldn’t of been sacked, who should of been fired out of a cannon owa the tyne
Steak and Kidney Pie
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:32 PM
Comment #49We can get a Ritchie or a Gayle or a Hayden, at an inflated price, maybe a decent young player on loan, or a continental starlet. Rafa might just as easily look at the group he’s got and say, ok I’m gonna have faith in it go with what we’ve got, which barring injury to Shelvey remains as good a bet as you’re likely to ever get to go up.
sparky55
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:34 PM
Comment #50The missing link is Ben Afra
Ron Knee
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:36 PM
Comment #51Enter Mad Hair.
WWSBRD
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:38 PM
Comment #52I’d sooner have Sissoko back than Gini who Rafa dropped and pushed to get out the door
WWSBRD
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:40 PM
Comment #53McCarthy is a solid PL player would improve our squad but I doubt we’d pay what Everton would want
manxpie
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:40 PM
Comment #54Wiji is now playing in his proper position as a number 4??
That’s pretty much where he plays for Liverpool
He went missing for us for at least half a season so yeah a shirker
he even had a big lip on him about not playing further up the pitch but now hhe’s at liverpool he couldn’t be hhappier playing further back
plus we did play mbemba a lot and he made quite a few mistakes but again our backup was saylor not great for a great let alone a good squad Iis it?
on lascelles he was a revelation but he did get himself sent off when he did get a game lol
but again was that a given that he would not only play well but actually tell the shirkers and players who didn’t give a shite some home truths
Because that actually happened
Steak and Kidney Pie
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:40 PM
Comment #55Ben Arfa on 40 000 quid a week, with PSG paying the rest would potentially fly from our perspective, although even then it remains a fanciful notion, but I agree, we’d win the league by ten points were he to come back, to lift the crowd and in turn to be roared on by all the adulation.
Rotonda heights
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:43 PM
Comment #56ww
did you mean epitomises?
ShirebrookToon
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:44 PM
Comment #57Steak
That’s very optimistic. Be nice though lol
WWSBRD
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:51 PM
Comment #58Rotonda
More than likely but tbf my point wasn’t lost
Chancel My MBembaship
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:52 PM
Comment #59Can’t see Terry leaving Chelsea. Looks like they’ll win the league this season and he’ll want to go out on a high I reckon. He hasn’t got the legs to play for a top flight team these days.
Chancel My MBembaship
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:56 PM
Comment #60Wouldn’t want Ben Arfa back at SJP ever again. He’s an absolutely unbelievable talent but he’s poison in the dressing room who just doesn’t perform consistently enough on the pitch. Playing four or five blinders a season isn’t enough as far as I’m concerned. He could have been as highly regarded as Messi and Ronaldo with a change in attitude. Such a wasted talent.
manxpie
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:03 PM
Comment #61Watch out ww the grammar police are always lurking 🙂
100 lines of “must try harder next time” or a caning of rotonda!
Or Mr tuff as he seems to like it
Steak and Kidney Pie
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:05 PM
Comment #62Ben Arfa really would just be far too good for Championship defences in this toon team under this manager, and would just slot into the ten position, which really hasn’t been very effective for us.
Shelvey can continue playing Gayle in, or looking to get Ritchie etal on the ball in wide areas, but with the added bonus of having Ben Arfa’s brilliance to unlock a final third that is so often packed with opposition players behind the ball.
Of course it’s unrealistic, and serves to highlight just how compromised we are as a Championship side in getting in players mid season that will actually improve the 11.
welshgeordie9
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:18 PM
Comment #63Can’t see anyone coming in before weekends match, but then again we all knew that, every team will sign a player but will we that’s the question.
manxpie
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:19 PM
Comment #64Arfa nah the problem we have had is no movement in the number 10 spot and he doesn’t move for the ball in his own words lol so that will never go well especially as it seems he again he has blown his chance at the big time
Wat a waste of talent!
Lilongwe Geordie
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:20 PM
Comment #65Only read the first few comments, but with Manx, McClaren almost totally responsible? Nonsense. There shouldn’t be a single person of influence that escapes blame. A number of gutless players, an imbalanced squad, poor tactical decisions.
Rafa had enough time to keep us up, and played all of the other bottom sides. He and the players didn’t do enough against the teams that were our major competitors at that point. We played 4 of the bottom 6 (or very close to that, from memory) in the last 7 or 8 games, win those and we stay up.
Rafa isn’t to blame, but certain players performed when it was in their interest, rather than when it was in the clubs, and were no different under Pardew, Carver, McClaren or Rafa.
WWSBRD
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:23 PM
Comment #66manx
Haha if my grammar and typos are all people have to say about my ramblings on here I must be doing something right…or wrong not too sure
Steak and Kidney Pie
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:25 PM
Comment #67I think we do have the movement, but too little space “in the hole” to effectively exploit. It’s the most thankless position on the pitch in this team, against Championship teams who pack the final third with defenders. I’m not as critical of Perez as some for this reason.
Lilongwe Geordie
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:32 PM
Comment #68Benitez values team play, work ethic and is defensive minded. Ben Arfa ticks zero of those boxes. Great when you have no interest in building a team, but not a Benitez player in the slightest. Clear talent, and should be up there with the best players of his generation, but lacks the mentality.
Weak minded and a really sad example of a player who failed to fulfil his talent and potential and failed to make the most of an incredible natural gift. Players with far less talent will be remembered for far longer because they actually put the effort in to develop and make the most of less ability.
manxpie
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:35 PM
Comment #69Well ya doing something right if that’s all rotonda is on ya case about lol
lilo exactly for me apart from the obvious set up of the club (club policy) the players have a lotto answer for
Wiji “was so upset he couldn’t talk about relegation”
Which actually translates as I couldn’t give a fusk now leave me alone so I can find a new club and quickly
same goes on for sisko and janmaat
and townsend in the end
shirkers and mercenaries the lot of them
manxpie
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:41 PM
Comment #70Jimmy sorry but diame does not move much in that position regardless of how crowded it is
tbh i wish we could clone shelvey as his movement of the ball is exceptional so him passing to him would be ideal
Lilongwe Geordie
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:41 PM
Comment #71Steak,
The ‘hole’ is the most thankless position? I presume the ‘hole’ means no.10? They are overly glorified more often than not. The space a no.10 plays in is often created by other players movement. The best do create their own space, but many work in the space created by others.
Defenders and keepers have a far more thankless task. A great tackle/interception is overlooked far more often than one great pass by a no.10, but a mistake at the back is highlighted far more than the numerous misplaced passes a no.10 makes. Goals win games, defences win titles – sure I’ve heard that before, but no idea where. If not, I’m claiming it.
Ben Arfa is too talented for this league, but he would be as damaging on the togetherness of the squad as Sissoko was last year.
Lilongwe Geordie
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:49 PM
Comment #72Manx,
I don’t understand how anybody could blame 1 person. From Ashley down…. the directors, management, coaches, scouts and players….. All have a share of the blame. That squad should have been good enough to stay up. McClaren made errors, but players were disinterested and played for themselves. We undercooked the transfer window despite money spent, and we lacked experience to help out young players and to help new arrivals.
Pearson was a number of peoples choice for our manager if Rafa hadn’t stayed, McClaren is making him look totally incompetent with Derby. The entire set up with McClaren was wrong and undermined him. He made errors and wasn’t able to deal with the pressure the NUFC job brings. Blame certainly lies at his door, but it’s spread throughout the club.
Lilongwe Geordie
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:52 PM
Comment #73Odegaard to Heerveneen on loan for 18months……. Would have been a gamble for us, but it would have been really interesting to see more of him and take a closer look at a player who was deemed such a prodigious talent
toonarmydownsouth
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:53 PM
Comment #74Pearson was absolutely nobody’s choice of manager at any stage
Average_Contents
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:56 PM
Comment #75I can blame one person.
Yeah he might be jumbo sized and seem like two but the leech wins it hands down for me.
Ashley out
Average_Contents
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:57 PM
Comment #76Tads
That’s not entirely true – munster wanted him lol
Lilongwe Geordie
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:58 PM
Comment #77As for Ashley, so far there is zero evidence that anything has changed. Last time we went down he pumped money in, this time we are potentially looking at a profit.
Yeah, we appointed Rafa, but we will only know that Ashley has changed his outlook if he finally bolts his horse to, and repairs, the cart that currently has a nice new glossy coat of paint, but still has issues with the wheels and axles.
Lilongwe Geordie
Jan 10, 2017 at 11:00 PM
Comment #78Tads,
Blackley as well. He came second or third on the polls on this blog and the Ronny (after Rafa) most times at the end of last season.
Not saying he was preferred to Rafa, but he was certainly up there as the second choice for a lot of people… Not mine btw.
manxpie
Jan 10, 2017 at 11:02 PM
Comment #79I don’t disagree lilo i mean it was on the cards for a while and especially when he was purposely named head COACH
as i said earlier as soon as we got injuries we turned to shite even 1 in a lot of positions
even under pardew the first 11 did well all fit and on form but a slight loss of form or player (s) it went to shite
and it continued under the same policy
Anyways finally on the actual topic yes he’d add to the squad and has potential and help us out and if he ain’t great if we go up we ain’t gonna lose much but would still prefer Hughes and would pay double that for him
Lilongwe Geordie
Jan 10, 2017 at 11:03 PM
Comment #80AC,
Ashley is top of the tree, and is a key figure in the blame game. But even with his lack of ambition and running of the club, the players and coaches should have been enough to keep us up last season. Blame can be and should be apportioned to all involved.