Newcastle wanted to sign Everton midfielder James McCarthy in January and also winger Andros Townsend from Crystal Palace, but we were not successful – and one thing that has puzzled us is why we haven’t aggressively gone after either of these two players this summer.
What happens when you don’t aggressively pursue your targets is that other clubs come in for them and would you believe that Leicester City are now interested in signing the 26 year-old Everton central midfielder who we think would be a great buy for us.
And Leicester have more funds to meet the asking price for James – £20M or £25M – whichever reports you believe.
26 year-old Everton midfielder James McCarthy
We have wanted James since last summer and if we had managed to stay up Rafa would probably have gone after him at that time.
We definitely need another playmaker in the team and we found out last season that Jonjo Shelley is not enough – when he’s injured or suspended and out of the team we looked poor.
A cheaper alternative to James is Manchester City central midfielder Fabian Delph, who is available for £12M with Stoke City looking like the main competition to Newcastle.
27 year-old Manchester City midfielder Fabian Delph
Is it too much to ask that they decide which player they want between the two of them and then go all out to sign him.
We can get Fabian by bidding the £12M City want for him rather than going in with £8M and then waiting a week or two and then raising it to £8.5M – you know – that kind of thrifty nonsense that gets you nowhere fast.
That’s the type of stuff that dragged the Florian Lejeune transfer out to more than six weeks.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
183 comments so far
toontaff2
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:27 AM
Comment #161Cannot fit them all in. Rafa can only pull so many off at half-time – the rest will have tosettle for an orange 😮
Sterry injured ~ d’oh!
Darlow, Woodman, Lazaar, Hanley, Ginger Pirlo, Murph, Arma and Jesus!
toontaff2
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:28 AM
Comment #162We could easily field 3 teams.
Maybe probables, possibles and deadwoods?
Bobbybee
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:32 AM
Comment #163Jack, the other day the blog was almost happy. Rafa spoke to the press. The journo he spoke to passed on his comments and noted he was far from walking. The blog was reassured, until a regurgitated story appeared again and instant meltdown. This, despite Rafa’s reassurances that they were working hard to get signings in.
Honestly, I don’t get this neediness. It smacks of desperation and people wonder why fans of other clubs rip on us.
Rafa came out, in his own words, from his own mouth to reassure us that despite the drawbacks of silly prices, they were working towards getting people through the door.
If it was the last week of the window I could understand the worry, but it’s WEEKS before it shuts. We’re not the only ones struggling with silly prices.
Rafa wants certain players to do a certain job. He had his eyes set on them, but prices have scuppered that. Therefore he has to look for the same type of players but within our price range.
Every other club has more money to spend, EXACTLY how it is every season for those coming up. It’s nothing new is it?
He simply can’t come out and address every single time somebody writes a negative story. He hadn’t time, nor I imagine inclination.
He’s doing the job he signed a contract to do. He’s happy with the money Ashley offered him, because he gets the finance side of football. He agrees in principle with the blueprint of running the club. What more can he say?
toontaff2
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:33 AM
Comment #164Morning, Runaway, lad!
The sun is oot, here, today!
There’s something not right, but not sure it’s terminal, yet!
Shame there’s no home friendly until next month, but if we have no signings in by then, the atmosphere will be interesting!
Jib
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:33 AM
Comment #165According to the Corriere dello Sport Napoli are still looking for a replacement for Pepe Reina so that could be the hold up there (he still hasn’t signed a new contract).
Stories linking us with Jesus Navas have quietened down but Rafa was supposed to be really keen (it’s between us and his home town of Sevilla – we are offering much bigger wages)
Team for Spurs ?
To tell the truth I am not convinced we need as many new signings as the media would have us believe.
cyprus
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:33 AM
Comment #166In a hurry, we signed some duds last year and in the years past. Obviously, Rafa wants to make sure he improves on the squad with the new signings. He knows we need like 3-4 starters, or it will be a long relegation threatening battle.
My point: we could sign 3-4 players today, thus appeasing the masses. There are thousands of players out there with going rates: pay the rate, he’s yours. But that’s not what we want. We have time.
Should nothing work towards the end, we’ll do just that, with whomever is left. Or we’ll pay over the odds for a very good player.
Masses appeased. Fingers crossed, proceed.
toontaff2
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:34 AM
Comment #1677 weeks to go, Bobby! 😀
toontaff2
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:37 AM
Comment #168You missed oot our star striker, JIB!
Riviere 😮
toontaff2
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:40 AM
Comment #169I’m waiting to hear ‘Udder9’s take on his 2 other clubs’ signings and how he’ll feel about things when Sigurdsson heads off to either Everton or Leicester.
If we take out the top 6 and Everton, there are very few signings made by the rest that we would really have wanted or needed.
magscar
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:40 AM
Comment #170Hibbit
I think it is coming to the stage where either another transfer is over the line (hopefully one that shows season is back on track!) or Rafa will have to make some reassuring comment about the rumours. Most clubs hate to respond to paper talk unless it suits them because once you do that it inevitably leads to more need to or face claims that silence confirms the speculation.
As Bobby has said Rafa has in a low key way tried to show it is business as usual notwithstanding his frustration and may think that is sufficient. Press conferences will lead to more direct questions from press which simply deflecting may fan the flames. Better that he gives an unequivicable statement that whilst he can’t respond to talk of individual targets it is simply business as usual amongst all the difficulties in the market a when the Club have some definite news they will broadcast it but until then it is no more or less than “business as usual”
Unfortunately I don’t think this would hold back Ty he conjecture for very long without a reasonable size signing
toontaff2
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:43 AM
Comment #171Except him, of course 👿
http://www.swanseacity.com/sites/default/files/styles/focal_header_image_wide/public/image/2017-06/Erwin%20Mulder%20hero_0.jpg?itok=oHHeai7J
Jail for Ashley
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:47 AM
Comment #172Bobby,
Nobody is talking about boycotts or walkouts, a few people discussing an article on a normally reliable web site and you go off accusing people of being weak. God knows what response that would have got if anybody levelled that at you. What’s happening in your world with me and jazzy P?
carl,
Give it a rest will you, I’ve been nothing but positive so far, an article I read last night has made me feeling uneasy.
Ron Knee
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:49 AM
Comment #173If Lee Ryder is right, most of the business will be done towards the end of the window. Not ideal for us if Rafa plans on bringing 4-5 new players in.
Bobbybee
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:51 AM
Comment #174Hibbett, I’ve been counting mate 🙂 The seven times isn’t this season, it’s in the short time he’s been our manager. Every time there’s a hiccup, the same people come on and insist this is the final straw, he’s definitely leaving us this time.
I don’t trust Ashley. I really don’t know how many times I have to repeat myself on that, but it appears because I don’t share the obsession about Ashley, that somehow means I’m his best buddy ffs.
Made it clear many times, I prefer to ignore the man. He’s the owner of the club and as such a necessary evil, but you know how many good owners we’ve had in our lifetime and you can count them on one finger, let alone one hand.
When he came in he didn’t have a clue how to run a football club and frankly, I still don’t think he does. That said, maybe he’s learned from his mistakes, as good businessmen do.
He’s passed it over to Rafa to run the football side of it and I do trust him. I also trust him to tell us IF Ashley goes back on his word. But they get on. They’re not fighting all the time, that’s just BS. They’re working together. Rafa even said they both want the same thing.
You can’t live your life fretting about things that haven’t happened yet. Nor can anybody expect day by day comfort from Rafa. He’s said his piece and until that changes, why would he keep repeating himself?
If Ashley messes this up, THAT’S the time to deal with it, but unless that happens why worry about it? It’s not like we can do anything about it, can we?
Anyway, I’m done with this now. I’m bored to death with it. If it happens it happens and we deal with it at the apt time. Until then, I see nothing in Rafa’s demeanour that concerns me.
Said my bit and not being dragged into other people’s insecurities any more. Let them cry and whine and demand to their hearts content. It makes not a scrap of difference anyway.
Jail for Ashley
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:52 AM
Comment #175Cyprus,
What players signed in a hurry lol. We didn’t sign any once for eighteen months, the Gomis saga went on for a year, the only one I can think of is Riverie who was the result of us missing out on several more suitable targets.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:53 AM
Comment #176Rafa is not going to tell the press he’s unhappy…he’s a professional!
He’ll keep it in house or leak it if it suits him…but he’s not going to tell a reporter he’s unhappy!
Serious people!
RUNAWAY777
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:54 AM
Comment #177Toontaff2 Newcastle tops her £10 can’t tell the difference f@ck Ashley with his £50 I would always buy a original but not when he not help our club just his pocket bro
Bobbybee
Jul 13, 2017 at 7:59 AM
Comment #178Jail, behave yourself. Have you heard some of the things thrown at me ffs? Far worse than weak.
Anyway, like I said, said my bit and if people can’t work out my stance from that then they’re not just weak but stupid to boot. I don’t like Ashley, I tolerate him because I don’t have 400m smackers to buy him out. He’s the last thing on my agenda, not my obsession. As long as Rafa’s happy to work with him, then I’m happy for him.
Jib
Jul 13, 2017 at 8:03 AM
Comment #179Runaway
Slags SportsDirect for their cheap shite
Then buys snideys from a Turkish market
Two-faced wretch or what ?
sing in the corner
Jul 13, 2017 at 8:05 AM
Comment #180My theory (best guess) is this:
Rafa has been quiet this close season. He’s not happy, like everyone else, with the problems signing whatever targets. But there’s probably a wrangle going on behind the scenes over budget and releasing the right amount of money, right?
Rafa comes out and tells everyone all is well and he’s here for the long term, guaranteed, then Ashley can relax and keep that knot in the purse.
So he keeps relatively quiet and keeps Ashley ‘honest’ as he can.
Maybe…
hibbit
Jul 13, 2017 at 8:13 AM
Comment #181Bobbybee
that’s the question that needs an answer “is he happy to work with Ashley”
you’re guessing he is but plenty others are guessing he’s not
Rafa owes the fans that backed him an honest answer he said he stayed because of the fans nows the time to prove it
Phil K
Jul 13, 2017 at 8:51 AM
Comment #182Theres been so many duds mentioned. McCarthy mentioned here isn’t one, but not what we need. He’d help in midfield but he’s not worth half of what Everton are demanding. The Senegalese in Turkey IS one of the duds. A run of the mill foreign player and we’ve had too many of those to start with. Any better than what we already have ? NO.
Teams like Benfica Porto etc thinking of a number, doubling it, then doubling it again aren’t the route we should go either. Benfica setting a ludicrous price on a has-been they want shot of.
Yes, prices will tumble at 10 to midnight on the last day of transfer window. But whats left we won’t want. The last thing we want is another Rivierre or Saivet or Jesus Gamez or whatever
Phil K
Jul 13, 2017 at 8:53 AM
Comment #183And what the hell happened to signing Fernando ?????????????