Newcastle (Rafa Benitez) had another frustrating transfer window this summer, and it looks like we missed out in the last week on several good young players coming in.
We reportedly had a €10M bid accepted by PSG for 19-year-old PSG left-back Stanley N’Soki, but he didn’t want to come to the Premier League.
Newcastle were also reported to have agreed a deal for 20-year-old Lille left-back Hamza Mendyl, but it fell through due to work permit issues.
He signed on at Schalke last week.
Rafa Benitez – wants support and unity from fans
We also failed to bring in the 22-year-old Brazilian defender Marlon Santos of Barcelona, because of work permit difficulties.
So getting one of those players in would have been good for the squad – but again we left things to the last minute.
But we hope we can work on some possible deals and bring two or three good players in during the January transfer window – which could even be Rafa’s last at the club.
The manager has once again called on Newcastle fans to support the team like they did last season, which turned out to be a surprisingly successful season in the end – after lots of ups and downs.
Here’s what Rafa has said in the Chronicle today:
“The fans know that they were a key part of our success last year. The unity between the players and staff and fans was there.
“When you have finished the transfer window it is a little bit unsettled. Then everything is fine.”
“You see players on the pitch and can tell if they are good players.”
“I have confidence that the support from the fans to the teams will be as good as last year.”
There will be another demonstration by the Magpie Group in Northumberland Street on Sunday afternoon before the game, demonstrating against miserly owner Mike Ashley.
We don’t know what the long-term plans are – but we hope it’s not a demonstration at each home game this season – that could start to have a negative impact.
Comments welcome.
38 comments so far
Jib
Aug 23, 2018 at 9:02 AM
Comment #1Ed rather than say – but again we left things to the last minute.
It would be fairer to say
Unfortunately a WC interrupted the start of the window and the
PL chairmen thoughtlessly voted to close it early.
bettyswallocks
Aug 23, 2018 at 9:11 AM
Comment #2https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CPGTZEdWEAEvvH9.png:large
Lesh I have no idea who the person / persons is giving you and your fellow red food for thought on the Corbyn Venezuela situation. I am glad however that other people are now realising that you are using this blog to canvass support for a non patriotic , terorist sympathising deluded fool.
I know very little about Venezuela , I have not read a newspaper for years and I am not that interested in politics . What I do know however is that Corbyn and Mc Donnell are not fit to wipe my asre never mind run the country.
If your holy bible the Guardian ever features a picture of Corbyn and Mc Donnell and to make it perfect you as well, then please let me know as I will gladly buy a copy and cut it into squares , put string through it and hang it on the bog door.
RobLeenio
Aug 23, 2018 at 9:12 AM
Comment #3Jib “Unfortunately a WC interrupted the start of the window and the PL chairmen thoughtlessly voted to close it early.”
Fair points, but other clubs managed to get the business done that they wanted to
Granted, there were others who didn’t.
Benton Toon Exile
Aug 23, 2018 at 9:15 AM
Comment #4Rafa is right, and even if the club spent £200m in the transfer window the lift they can get from the terraces is one part of the success factor.
Also as a Geordie who lives in the south, none, say again NONE of these protests are reported so I doubt Ashley is even aware let alone care. If you want to get his attention you protest in front of the Sky live cameras against Chelsea during the game, which as we all know will also have a negative impact on the players, this fact is also aware to Ashley…..Like a game of chess this one.
cyprus
Aug 23, 2018 at 9:19 AM
Comment #5Your second paragraph isn’t very persuasive 🙂
RobLeenio
Aug 23, 2018 at 9:35 AM
Comment #6Benton Toon Exile, you’re right it’s a tricky one – how do we maximise the impact of the protests but minimise the effect on the players individually and collectively.
The problem with militancy is that it can easily spill over into areas where it was not intended to appear. If enough people get riled outside Sports Direct then move as a mob towards St James’, that dissatisfaction could potentially spread throughout the crowd.
That said, it seems to be the best option we have at the moment.
Whether it’s being picked up by the Southern Press generally or not is unimportant at this stage, it will be picked up on over time. Enough journos have been supporting this for it to gain momentum. Ashley will be very aware, make no mistake. At this point he’ll be mildly irritated, but that irritation will also grow over time, which is why we need to keep focused.
Jail for Ashley
Aug 23, 2018 at 9:38 AM
Comment #7Was there a world cup last January and last summer and the January before that?
lochinvar
Aug 23, 2018 at 9:40 AM
Comment #8You don’t have to be Sherlock to smell a rat when two of the three target transfers mentioned above were very late in the window and prone to issues with work permits.
Surely Charnley and co. would have known this, wouldn’t they ?
If they did then why leave the position until the fading embers of the transfer window.
If they didn’t why not ? They get paid to seek out target players and surely must check out well in advance their eligibility to work in the UK with the Agents and players.
Mendyl and Santos could yet have arrived in January if Chranley had sorted out all the paperwork. Or not as the case might be for Mendyl who’s gone to Schalke.
Policy or bad management ?
Or both.
Optimistic Panda
Aug 23, 2018 at 9:49 AM
Comment #9Ed
This blog is getting harder to read due to the discussion of politics.
It may help if you could put a football or pile of steaming turd emoji on the top of each person’s post, it’ll make it much easier to avoid the crap most don’t want to see or read.
Football = football.. Steaming turd = politics etc
Aces-of-Eights
Aug 23, 2018 at 9:53 AM
Comment #10Rafa get the team to string 5 passes together from midfield to front and the unity and support will come automatically. Otherwise fans just start to get frustrated thinking we are useless. And i dont mean sideways backwards passes in defence.
lesh
Aug 23, 2018 at 9:54 AM
Comment #11Bettys
Ffs, don’t you start posting your dross. These/ that poster appeared out of nowhere and as far as I could see and weren’t/ wasn’t responding to any recent posts.
Oh, and for information, I am not and never have been a fan of Corbyn and his crew so you might have the decency to remove references theretofore from your script – or do you need to get Paul Dakers to edit it for you?
Jib
Aug 23, 2018 at 9:55 AM
Comment #12Loch
Hamza Mendyl was being chased by Arsenal as well who lost
out to Schalke
Was that Arsenal’s Policy or Bad management ?
Jib
Aug 23, 2018 at 9:56 AM
Comment #13or both
simon376
Aug 23, 2018 at 10:05 AM
Comment #14Jail from many threads ago, Gavin Peacock was very religious well before his son Jake was born, was known as the Rev when up here with us at Newcastle, I’m the Simon who had the text read out at the end, his Cousin. Everything worked out so well for his son despite his hand, won so much doing karate and also did and coached cage fighting, now runs a gym.
Wish could bring back the days of Gav playing for us, free tickets were so much better than paying for a season ticket. Also be nice to see him more often other than just couple of times a year
Jail for Ashley
Aug 23, 2018 at 10:06 AM
Comment #15Offering 2M for a former Dutch international LB is a waste of a phone call.
bettyswallocks
Aug 23, 2018 at 10:27 AM
Comment #16It looks like Rafa has had it in in his mind for a while to use a couple of the younger lads this season. As I’ve said before there’s no point whatsoever having a youth set up if they never get a chance to play.
It’s not as though Rafa’s job would be at risk if he tried a couple and they didn’t work out , unlike other PL managers who are too afraid to risk losing a game when giving the young lads a chance.
RobLeenio
Aug 23, 2018 at 10:27 AM
Comment #17Jail, it looks like it would have been folly anyway and more ammo for Catchy et al to throw at Rafa
https://tbrfootball.com/newcastle-united-fans-will-pleased-2m-erik-pieters-bid-rejected/
RobLeenio
Aug 23, 2018 at 10:35 AM
Comment #18Mo Diame has had some very complimentary things to say about Sean Longstaff in the Chronicle. It seems like the lad is impressing plenty of people this season.
Mo is out of contract in the Summer and will be nearly 32 (he shares my birthday and that of a certain disastrous US President who shall remain nameless). Could we see Lobby step up and take his place in the squad?
lesh
Aug 23, 2018 at 10:36 AM
Comment #19bettyswallocks @16
Well well, you’ve shown that you can form your own opinion and write your own words when it comes to matters NUFC.
Now if you wean yourself off Mailspeak, you might be less offensive than when you use it’s lexicon.
Food for thought?
lesh
Aug 23, 2018 at 10:38 AM
Comment #20Whoops
*use it’s lexicon = its lexicon….
Jail for Ashley
Aug 23, 2018 at 10:47 AM
Comment #21OP,
I’ve pointed it out to Ed that carl, despite his many denials that he posts under multiple id’s is at again with his latest batch. Hopefully that’s the last we see of some of his newer creations at least, no doubt we’ll be hearing from Rebecca and Jack Root before the days out.
RobLeenio
Aug 23, 2018 at 10:51 AM
Comment #22No-mark Richard Keys bum-licker Andy Gray flapping his ugly chops in the Express, making assumptions about what Newcastle fans want, perpetuating the myth that we expect Ashley to dip his hand in his own pocket.
Ar$ehole
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1007361/Newcastle-News-Andy-Gray-Rafa-Benitez-Transfer-Fund
dig-n-dig22
Aug 23, 2018 at 11:01 AM
Comment #23Catchy/Jesper previous thread
Murphy put in some good performances last season when Rafa played him, Man City away comes to mind when he scored in a 3 1 defeat only to be frozen out again , suggesting he can’t do it at the highest level is bullshit, no doubt if we had bought the other one he would have encountered the same shit as this one.
Lascelles sells sea shells by the sea shore
Aug 23, 2018 at 11:06 AM
Comment #24Didnt Rafa say that ideally his 25 man squad is made up 22 regular first teamers and 3 youth breaking in at any one time. It’s a bit ironic that he mentions 3 that he has high hopes for that seem to be part of the first team squad with Sterry, Roberts and Longstaff.
Longstaff excites me, he has the potential to be a big unit given his frame, has nice touches and from preseason his work ethic is without doubt. Sterry seems to be doing the right things for recognition, most notably bulking up which was pointed out (and well noted may I add) by Robleenio during preseason. Roberts might be the furthest from the first team out of the 3 but he has been around the first team the longest if memory serves me right, this is his 3rd/4th pre season with the first team if memory serves me right.
lesh
Aug 23, 2018 at 11:06 AM
Comment #25If Jesper and Catchy’s anti-Rafa posts are indicative of the so called Nordic Model, Eva May should forget it!
RobLeenio
Aug 23, 2018 at 11:08 AM
Comment #26dig-n-dig22, yes, no doubt Josh would have hit the same issues, Rafa would still likely not be playing him regularly and some people would still have been saying we bought the ‘wrong’ Murphy because they’re impatient.
Jacob is a cracking young player, but Rafa doesn’t yet see him as an integral part of his 1st 11. He rates him highly though and his time will come. When Murphy starts moaning in the press or on tw@tter is when we should worry.
Jail for Ashley
Aug 23, 2018 at 11:11 AM
Comment #27dig n dig,
Frozen out. It just so happens that Kenedy and Ritchie are ahead of him. We’ll see him get 90 minutes against Forest next week.
Pottsclock
Aug 23, 2018 at 11:19 AM
Comment #28Regarding the wrong Murphy, I think even Eddie Murphy would have given Manquillo the run around. Way too early to judge but I would say that our Murphy did put in some good performances last year and he has 100% the right attitude. A run of games to boost confidence would do no harm (cups etc.) and I’d probably prefer him on the bench to Atsu to be honest.
AncientC
Aug 23, 2018 at 11:30 AM
Comment #29I see carl has been reported, hopefully that will nip it in the bud. Just a last word on the matter. Try reading something by somebody qualified to speak on the matter: https://www.opendemocracy.net/can-europe-make-it/jonas-fossli-gjers/jeremy-corbyn-mainstream-scandinavian-social-democrat
Then we have betty who admittedly isn’t interested in politics—but feels confident enough to come on the blog with half-baked attacks and slanders out of nowhere. If you are not interested in politics, why even bother. You don’t have to counter any arguments I have made because I don’t come on the blog smearing politicians.
Btw, lesh, I have told betty previously of your stance, not that it’s really any of his business, but it can be a struggle getting through to him. With a little bit of hope maybe betty will just drop it. It doesn’t seem to be doing his blood pressure any good.
Lascelles sells sea shells by the sea shore
Aug 23, 2018 at 11:32 AM
Comment #30Just to weigh in with the Murphy debate, I think the same issue would have arisen if we had signed either Josh or Jacob. I think the shirt wears a little heavy on him given his ‘boyhood fan’ title. This will lift with more game time and as experience grows, there is no boubting that there is great potential with young Murphy, it’s just unlocking it at the moment but he’s in good hands with Rafa as boss… This isn’t his first rodeo developing a young signing.
Slank
Aug 23, 2018 at 11:37 AM
Comment #31lochinvar,
From a previous post.
The Sydney bridge was officially started on 28 July 1923 whereas the Tyne bridge was started in August 1925.
However, the Tyne bridge was officially opened on 10 October 1928 whereas the Sydney bridge was not complete until 19 March 1932.
It’s a pub quiz question which was first. Tyne bridge was first as the Sydney bridge was still a building site, even though it was started before the Tyne bridge, when the Tyne bridge was officially opened.
Here’s another pub quiz question.
Which Geordie Newcastle United supporter (almost certainly) was one of Russia’s greatest spies ?
The overrated Frenchman
Aug 23, 2018 at 11:52 AM
Comment #32I’ll have a guess Slank. Ed Harrison.
Jib
Aug 23, 2018 at 12:02 PM
Comment #33Rudolf Abel, whose real name was Vilyam (Willie) Genrikhovich (August) Fisher,
and was born in Clara Street, Benwell, in Newcastle
DubaiMicky
Aug 23, 2018 at 12:12 PM
Comment #34Slank, Rudolf Abel, i watched “Bridge of Spies” the other day, pity the guy playing him has a Scottish accent.
Lindisfarne
Aug 23, 2018 at 12:13 PM
Comment #35Its all down to ‘Murphys Law’!!!
Am lookung forward to the second string banging a few in against Forest and putting a fire under the squad as a whole.
Slank
Aug 23, 2018 at 12:21 PM
Comment #36Well done jib and DubaiMicky,
Abel went to the same school as me in Whitley Bay and lived in the street opposite where I lived, albeit years apart.
lesh
Aug 23, 2018 at 1:24 PM
Comment #37AncientC @29
Cheers and as you say, when someone’s so preoccupied with the Daily Heil’s view on things, time and energy’s wasted – all round!
bettyswallocks
Aug 23, 2018 at 2:08 PM
Comment #38Lesh…….. You are obviously either illiterate or too stupid or stubborn to absorb what I write.
To reiterate:- I have not read a newspaper for years and back when I did it was never the Daily Mail.
Your sad obsession with relating things that are posted on a footy blog to what newspaper people might read and become influenced by, what political party they might support , bashing greedy capitalists particularly Trump and you never miss an opportunity to link these issues to whatever is being discussed.
Not to mention your constant pathetic attempts to try and suggest Communism is the way forward for our country.
You really are a sad predictable individual .