We gave come to think over the last month or so that Mike Ashley and Derek Llambias really do want to build a top side at Newcastle.
Mike Ashley and Derek LLambias – want to build good side
Part of that is the excellent summer transfer window, that we didn’t realize was that good, until we saw how good players like Cabaye, Demba Ba and young Mehdi Abeid really were.
We think Newcastle now have a huge advantage over a lot of other clubs because of their excellent scouting network and we have to hope Graham Carr and his scouts are identfyiny top new players, who will not cost much for Newcastle, which will please Mike Ashley. 😀
And we were really pleased to see that Newcastle went after 22 year-old James Tomkins of West Ham last weekend, even though the initial bid of £2.5M was turned down.
And we’d love for the club to increase that offer and go back in for James, but we cannot see Sam Allardyce selling, at least not next month.
Newcastle will finally bring Mobido Maiga in next month from Sochaux, and the biggest priority in January is to bring in another quality center-back.
Newcastle have now proved that having three quality center-backs in the squad is not enough, and we need four, just like we need four top strikers.
Alan Pardew said this morning that owner Ashley had already asked him which center-back he was thinking of bringing in, and there’s another comment from Alan which suggests Mike and Derek are as keen as anybody to get another central defender in next month.
This is what Alan said today:
“I don’t think I need to strengthen my hand.” “I think you would be surprised – Mike and Derek are probably more keen to bring in a central defender than I am, so don’t worry about that.”
And in retrospect the two big decisions the two took that simply shocked Newcastle fans, have turned out to be okay moves.
The first was the unfair firing of Chris Hughton last December, and the subsequent hiring of Alan Pardew, and the other was the selling of Andy Carroll to Liverpool for £35M, and to put it politely Andy has not looked a £35M player at Liverpool, well not yet anyway.
And Newcastle are doing their level best to keep their top players, with right-back Danny Simpson still holding out on his new deal, which Alan talked about today:
“We will just run to the summer and see where we go then.” “I’m not disappointed or hopeful about it – it’s just business. He either does a deal here or he doesn’t – and if he doesn’t do a deal, we will get somebody else.”
The news this morning on Simpson was that he had agreed the wages on the new contract, but not how they would be paid – and that’s the latest on that, but presumably negotiations could now be held in abeyance until the summer.
And the negotiations are ongoing to get a new five year deal for captain Fab Coloccini, and that’s extremely important that we keep the Argentine at Newcastle.
Fab is not only an excellent player but is a great guy and a very good captain, and in own quiet way has an enormous positive influence at Newcastle.
So all in all, the top two are doing a decent job of improving the strength of the Newcastle squad over the last six months or so, even if they will never win a popularity contest on Tyneside.
But we all want to see is Newcastle grow into a top side again, that’s all, and now to get all 3 points on Saturday.
Comments welcome.
121 comments so far
JackButler
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:13 PM
Comment #81seantoon
Its not the sale of players that bothers me too much, Carrol was/is never worth 35mil, not even half that, but if you sell top players for stupid money you need to reinvest that money, putting out BS about agents fee’s and the rest do nothing to the squad, and after the last run of suspensions and injuries its obvious to everyone how weak our squad as whole is and that where the money needs to go
GeordieGerman
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:13 PM
Comment #82WWJBD, yeah and we don’t want to upset Obertan.
seantoon
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:13 PM
Comment #83I mean since we found our new star striker ba
JackButler
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:14 PM
Comment #84GG
its the reinvestment of the money that irks me, not the sale as its part of football
WWJBD
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:18 PM
Comment #85GG
Good God no he looks like that happy imagine what he’d look like angry, kids got eyes of a nutter
WWJBD
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:20 PM
Comment #86See the toffees are getting their star yank back for a loan spell come January
GeordieGerman
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:20 PM
Comment #87JackButler, my car my money. His club his money. And lets face it. How many goals has Carroll scored since he left and how many has Ba scored since he came to the PL? I think a lot of clubs will be looking to us/Ashley as a role model.
JackButler
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:26 PM
Comment #88GG
Trust me if I owned the club and Liverpool came offering 35 mil for Carrol I would have taken it to, and I was one of the few who was over the moon that we got Ba in during the summer even going to point of arguing with a good few on here that Ba would get 20+ goals for us this season. But with a squad thats full of holes Ashley did not do enough. We all new that Jose would be off and yet we only have one left back at the club and only three centre halves of any note, and thats my point with the reinvestemt. I’m not advocating spending ridiculous money as Tiote and Cabaye have proven that we dont need to
puretoon
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:30 PM
Comment #89Hate to say this guys but Ashley wouldn’t know a CB if one punched him on the nose! bearing in mind there’d be a q lol
I read that about this supposedly talk Pards had with Dumb and Dumber and thought it a right load of bollox which it is. I think what Pards is trying to do is make Ashley sound like he knows what’s going on and what position the players play in, but in all reality Dumb hasn’t a fucking clue!! personally I think it’s pathetic. And even if Collo signed a new contract, who’s to say he still own’t be away-if Ashleys got owt to do with it-and he will.
We’re going to end up with a lot of Euro players mixed with mostly third rate championship players, which isn’t good for a big club like this one.
Ashley will sell ANY player if the capangoes are right.
Mc abaye
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:35 PM
Comment #90lads have any of you heard about this young kid weve signed saphir sliti taider??
WWJBD
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:36 PM
Comment #91Just a thought Carroll/Ba partnership how many goals would that of netted us so far? Dominating knock downs and set plays whilst also being able to play well on the deck
GeordieGerman
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:37 PM
Comment #92JB,real left backs don’t grow on trees. We lost one we got a new one. The scum have played ?? years without one. I’m not an Ashley lover but I do think he has the ability to learn. I could imagine AP screaming that we need this and we need that and Ashley sitting there with a smile on his fat mug and thinking. “Yeah yeah”. And now thinking “OK, Pards was right.” The man’s a multi millionaire. I don’t think he got there by not listening, by not learning.
GeordieGerman
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:38 PM
Comment #93WWJBD, from Krul to box and sod the mid-field?
JackButler
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:40 PM
Comment #94GG
Time will tell mate, I hope your right and he has learned from his mistakes, but I don’t think I’ll hold my breath 😉
WWJBD
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:41 PM
Comment #95GG
Huh?
GeordieGerman
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:44 PM
Comment #96WWJBD, if we had Carroll and Ba up front it would be hoof ball all the time. I.E. from Krul to box.
GeordieGerman
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:45 PM
Comment #97So up early tomorrow. Night lads.
WWJBD
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:46 PM
Comment #98GG
We dont play hoof ball to Ba now (well not constantly) and Carroll has more to his game than just being a target man, he isnt as bad as many assume with the ball at his feet
t00ntime
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:46 PM
Comment #99@WWJBD lol who do u think we are stoke?? I guess we wud have… no more goals then now 😛 I saw carroll hit the post bout 5 yds out… and it was an open goal lol
I wudnt be confident with him lol, besides if u had 2 choose between carroll or a fit ben arfa?
WWJBD
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:46 PM
Comment #100Night GG
JackButler
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:47 PM
Comment #101GG
Night mate
JackButler
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:49 PM
Comment #102How many time do you see Liverpool get te ball out wide and cross it in to Carrol?
Thats why he’s struggling there, everything is going through Suarez, which begs the question – Why pay that amount of money for someone and then not play tp their strengths?
JackButler
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:51 PM
Comment #103Oh, sorry I forgot this is the man that sold the likes of Ginola and brought in Des ‘Bloody’ Hamilton
WWJBD
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:51 PM
Comment #104t00ntime
Playing for Liverpool he is a different player than when he played for us.
As for HBA or Carroll well depends what u want from a striker, goal scoring or silky skills
Ruddy Marveaux-lous
Dec 15, 2011 at 10:55 PM
Comment #105Well HBA and Carroll are totally different players. HBA is a second striker linking the play from mid to attack, not a goal scorer. Carroll is a lanky long ball magnet who, for us at least, was good for goals under the long ball.
@WWJBD the difference in Carroll playing for us and playing for them is that he scored goals for us and can’t buy one for Liverpool haha
WWJBD
Dec 15, 2011 at 11:01 PM
Comment #106Ruddy
Funny thing is he is probably on enough at Liverpool so that he could buy a few haha
t00ntime
Dec 15, 2011 at 11:03 PM
Comment #107hey JB ginola wasnt that good…
haha what am I saying he WAS that good lol
but kenny dog, just wanted to ruin us lol he is a scouse jock he wud never want nufc to succed thats like giving SAF the man city job lol
JackButler
Dec 15, 2011 at 11:06 PM
Comment #108I hate talking about Dogleash as every time his name is mentioned I remember stephane guivarc’h:(
t00ntime
Dec 15, 2011 at 11:16 PM
Comment #109well in a week’s time carroll is getting a 120.000 pound loyalty bonus… yet he didnt go for the money -_-
soundoid
Dec 15, 2011 at 11:26 PM
Comment #110No Carrol went because he was promised a ride in a helicopter, next thing he woke up with a sore arse a massive cheque and a red shirt. WTF….
Poor andy and he can’t even come back to toon for christmas dinner with his granny because we will throw rocks at him…
Ruddy Marveaux-lous
Dec 15, 2011 at 11:56 PM
Comment #111Spare a thought for those less fortunate than yourselves at Christmas. For just 35million quid you too can have your very own lanky, money grabbing waste of space, scoring absolutely feck all and warming your own bench.
AP's Black & White Army
Dec 16, 2011 at 12:02 AM
Comment #112Carroll is a twat. I hope he ends up playing reserve team football at Rushden & Diamonds.
soundoid
Dec 16, 2011 at 12:18 AM
Comment #113http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16210882.stm
Ruddy Marveaux-lous
Dec 16, 2011 at 12:32 AM
Comment #114Clever words from Hughton, anyone else notice how media savvy Hughton is, by saying those kinds of things he is probably trying to put other bigger teams off him and make the lad himself think that a move away from Birmingham wouldn’t be in his best interests. Well played Houghty…well played.
LGFUAD21
Dec 16, 2011 at 12:37 AM
Comment #115My view on Tiote is the same as it was with Carroll. If we get a huge offer it makes sense in a way to sell at a huge profit. At least until financials are sorted.
BUT. PLEASE DONT SELL IN THE JANUARY WINDOW HALFWAY THROUGH A SEASON. IF CLUBS WANT TIOTE THAT BAD THEY CAN WAIT TIL SUMMER> THEY WILL STILL BE INTERESTED. JUST AS WE ARE STILL INTERESTED IN MAIGA
soundoid
Dec 16, 2011 at 12:47 AM
Comment #116Just like CH on Carrol always played him down… mmm.
stuart no9
Dec 16, 2011 at 12:56 AM
Comment #117all good words from ash, however , that old motown hit comes to mind ” you just keep me hanging on……by the way ed , theres no evidence yet ,
davis_toons
Dec 16, 2011 at 5:23 AM
Comment #118Even if AC turns out tobe a great player down the road,
it will be well rewarded for us if we can make good use of this money.
100% worth!
(If well invested, of course not all eggs will hatch, improvement on the club n players is what Newcastle is after!)
BillBurch
Dec 16, 2011 at 9:13 AM
Comment #119It seems to me that Ashley bought NUFC more to further his Sports Direct business interests than any love of football! He seems content for us to remain in the Prem but not particularly bothered about going any further than mid-table! You’d think that he would aim for CL football which would open his business to a bigger market. To his credit, Ashley resisted bids of up to £35M for Carroll but couldn’t resist the second £35m bid and who could blame him? However, he needs to ensure that NUFC are always in contention for european places if he wants to further his “real” business interests!
Wandering Geordie
Dec 16, 2011 at 9:31 AM
Comment #120I’m still scratching my head over the quandry over the payment to Danny Simpson of his wages.What’s so hard about paying wages?
Heres the options
By BAC’s transfer
Paypacket
Cash in hand
One of those” cash the cheques in town “shops
in Camels or chickens?
How else can he be paid?…….sexual favours ? who knows