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
HarryWorth
Dec 16, 2011 at 3:46 PM
Comment #121roshan MAGPIE // Dec 15, 2011 at 6:32 PM
IN ASHLEY WE TRUST
YOU MUG! 🙂