There is news in the Journal today that Newcastle’s transfer goal is now to bring in one more player in this summer – a striker – but there will be no defenders brought in unless a defender moves out.
Loic Remy – on loan last season at Newcastle
So that would mean we have the same defenders – apart from Daryl Janmaat for Mathieu Debuchy as we did last season – – and we didn’t look strong in defense, and even worse the season before that.
The two striker targets we have remain as Loic Remy of QPR and Alexandre Lacazette of Lyon, although neither player is actually talking about wanting to come to Newcastle – neither player seems too keen to join the Magpies.
As far as Remy goes, he may wait until the last few days of the window and see what his options are – and if it’s between QPR and Newcastle he may come back to Newcastle, but maybe only on loan again – and we’re not sure that’s what Newcastle want.
And as for Lacazette, that news about agreeing a £15M fee with his club, that was reported in the Independent yesterday, is probably not true.
And if the Journal report is correct we will not be going after center-back Virgil van Dijk of Celtic, who is available for £8M and would be a very good addition to the squad.
If we could sign Virgil we could then try to sell either Steven Taylor or Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, or even send them out on loan, since they both seem to have trouble with their consistency during the season.
There’s still a possibility that a defender could be brought in near the end of the window, if Mapou or Steven are moved out – but central defense has been a problem for the last two seasons, and we haven’t done much to correct that problem this summer.
But there’s still time left in the window, and good players could become available before September rolls around.
Here’s hoping.
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24 comments so far
Markaccus
Aug 8, 2014 at 8:52 AM
Comment #1Slank
I also agree it’s not ALL nufc’s fault. It just seems he wasnt directed very well after his first few games. He was used as a Lb, lwb and a lw and i looks to me like no one took him aside and said “if you work on -xyz- then you will be a good -Left blah-” I agree we don’t need him, and he has to take some blame for not being able to force his way into the Brum team.
keeganjr
Aug 8, 2014 at 8:55 AM
Comment #2So stupid… My cats can run a club.. cant people see that we have the worst defence in the league??? medicore here we come
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Aug 8, 2014 at 8:55 AM
Comment #3Slank/Mark…when we sign a young player don’t you think we have a responsibility to develop him?
…keeping a player at the club far too long when he should have gone out on loan (not just to any club or league) is not taking care of our players.
Maybe we could learn a thing or two from other clubs?
Markaccus
Aug 8, 2014 at 8:56 AM
Comment #4Personally i agree with Beatroll. He should have startedas a LW in place of Jonas, and Jonas could have been used to his strengths
I.e coming on to see out a game by keeping posession with 15 mins to go.
Markaccus
Aug 8, 2014 at 8:59 AM
Comment #5Jesper
I agree (on fergie at least) see my comments 😀
Yes we do have responsibility. We partly failed in fergies respect. However fergie has to accept responsibility for himself too. He couldnt get into the Brummy side. Thats not NUFCs fault
firebug666
Aug 8, 2014 at 9:02 AM
Comment #6I read somewhere that the manager at Birmingham had claimed that Ferguson was struggling to get his fitness levels up, and that’s why he was left out of the side.
Beatroll25
Aug 8, 2014 at 9:02 AM
Comment #7Slank
My goodness you have no idea about football have you.
No, Pardew didn’t pick the team at Birmingham but by that time I’m afraid it was already too late for young Ferguson.
The opportunity to play him in the first team at NUFC and retain the momentum he had built had been lost. Some players managed to regain that form some do not. But it is the duty of a manager to strike when the iron is hot.
Take Rolando Aarons for example. He is in a prime position now to get a few substitute appearances, a start in the league cup and then play if he shows form. I don’t doubt that Pardew though will continue to pick Gouffran a reduce Aarons to sporadic appearences.
Then if he is shipped off on loan, lacking confidence due to this mistreatment and only makes a handful of starts during his loan then is Pardew absolved of any blame. Has Pardew been vindicated or has he made a vital error in man management and player progression.
If Fergie was a one of case then you could say yes, perhaps Pardew isn’t to blame and Fergie simply isn’t good enough. But look at the U21 players that have struggled under his management here at NUFC and you will see a trend.
I fear for Darlow and Lascalles.
Geremi's Prosthetic Leg Fund
Aug 8, 2014 at 9:03 AM
Comment #8Well without a CB prepare for a disappointing season.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Aug 8, 2014 at 9:04 AM
Comment #9Mark…Vuckic has been kept at the club on far too many occasions as well.
Should have been at a Champ club at a younger age. He is made of glass, but players does seem to pick up quite alot of injuries at NUFC 😉
martoon
Aug 8, 2014 at 9:05 AM
Comment #10I’ve got some friends who are Birmingham supporters and they really were not impressed with Fergusson at all – mind you they hate Lee Clark also so maybe they are biassed.
I really think Willo is underated on this blog – When you watch him at the match his reading of the game and positioning is pretty good and he makes some timely tackles. Agreed his distribution is poor but just give the ball to somebody who can pass!
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Aug 8, 2014 at 9:06 AM
Comment #11And now we are sending Campbell to a League 1 team and probably keeping Armstrong!
…alot of our youngsters don’t even seem to make it at Champ level because they are not farmed out to the right clubs / level at the right time in their career!
That’s my stand point on this matter 🙂
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Aug 8, 2014 at 9:07 AM
Comment #12martoon …Ferfy is what 23 now?
…the train has passed him – he should be playing regular in the Champ along time ago instead of sitting on our bench – getting the occasional game i Europe or a cup.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Aug 8, 2014 at 9:08 AM
Comment #13*Fergy
Markaccus
Aug 8, 2014 at 9:09 AM
Comment #14Jesper
Vuckic would have been loaned more had he not kept dislocating his socks 😀
Maybe he will get a few cup games in the no.10 spot this year. People seem to think thats his ideal position.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Aug 8, 2014 at 9:09 AM
Comment #15When a player have showed he can cut it in the Champ then he can get a place on our bench – not the other way around!
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Aug 8, 2014 at 9:10 AM
Comment #16Mark…I have said my peace on this 😉
martoon
Aug 8, 2014 at 9:11 AM
Comment #17Beatroll25 -@7 – Wait a minute – the manager is under pressure to win every game and if plays a youngster and they are responsible for us losing then the manager gets a hammering so of course he plays his experienced players like Goofy. If Pardew plays the youngsters in cup games then he is accused of not taking them seriously. The ideal time is to bring themon when we are a winning a game comfortable but unfortunately that doesn’t happen too often 🙂
Slank
Aug 8, 2014 at 9:11 AM
Comment #18Jesper,
The club have a responsibility and the fact that he got games in the reserves and the first team at different positions can be argued that the club tried their best to find his optimum position but it didn’t work.
Frequently a player’s success can be down to luck. Right place at the right time.
bills-son
Aug 8, 2014 at 9:13 AM
Comment #19I’m not saying we don’t need another CB but defending starts from the front ie., from the forwards.
In the season we finished 5th we had conceded the least number of goals in all four divisions after 10 games. And that was down to a team effort starting with Ba and (especially) Best up front who constantly closed down opposing central defenders trying to bring the ball out.
Obertan (hugely under appreciated for his role) and Jonas did the same on the wings and tracked back covering the advancing full backs and wide men.
We also had two full backs – Simpson and Raylor who rarely went over the half way line.
That meant Tiote and Cabaye could hold their central positions in midfield without being pulled out wide.
Fast forward to the last two seasons….
No closing down from Cisse either when he played CF or out wide, No closing down from Ben Arfa. Santon and Debuchy bombing forward without wide men dropping back – leaving acres of space for the oppo down the flanks.
That space meant Cabaye, Tiote and the two CH’s were constantly pulled wide to cover runners leaving acres of space in the middle.
Result – goals conceded left, right and centre.
Any fan who thinks leaking goals is all down to bad defending by the defence only is wrong.
tweaked
Aug 8, 2014 at 9:16 AM
Comment #20get rid of taylor he is useless…
ToonRich
Aug 8, 2014 at 9:37 AM
Comment #21Beatroll, hopefully Darlow and Lascalles will continue to perform at Forest this coming season and then come straight into the first team! I can see Krul being moved on and Darlow becoming #1, and most would agree that Lascalles is already better than we have at the moment! These guys are already in many respects improvements, so wont need sent out for further development.
James RS
Aug 8, 2014 at 11:15 AM
Comment #22We’ll still be leaking goals like mad without a good tall centre back; so 8th at very best probably lower is all we can expect. Who will be increasing our corner goal tally this season? and free kicks for that matter.
James RS
Aug 8, 2014 at 11:22 AM
Comment #23Agree with you Bills Son…Obertan under appreciated for his effort in the unbeaten run ; Jonas who tracked back to cover and Simpson who defended at the back allowing Cabaye and Tiote to hold those centre positions and once that changed we started leaking goals.
MassiveG
Aug 8, 2014 at 3:04 PM
Comment #24we have been lacking in central defence for 2 years – how about 20 years?? lol apart from Colo, Woodgate who was class and Bassong who we couldn’t keep, we have always been weak…..umm Cacapa, Rosenhal, Dabizas, O’Brien, Boumsong, Onyewu, Saylor, Willo, and on and on….