Shearergol

Maybe Dawson's new contract involved a clause allowing him to join us if Milner left?

Messi and Modric

Was there an award for best penalty takers in shit conditions?

Unlike us then?

Righto. The club revolves around James Milner. I've heard it all now.

No Japanese! Then I'm back on Beasley. You're American, right?

I personally think Sunderland won't be too far behind us this season. Pretty decent squad they're putting together. They were missing a goalscorer last season, and now they've got one.

Zero chance, but lovely idea.

No, we needed 6 or 7 before we let Carr, Roz, Faye, Emre, Ramage etc go. OK, they're not very good, but they're numbers. Carr was dogshit and made the team worse. For Ramage see above. Rozehnal was already gone. Emre was always injured. No loss at all. Faye has been replaced by Bassong (though I'd have kept him tbf). I see your point, and I still think we need three, but honestly numbers don't mean anything when the players are that useless. If that's the case, why do clubs bother with squad players at all? Why not just pick the best 11 players you can get your hands on and then put 7 young lads on the bench? Why's John O'Shea still at Manchester United for example? Pretty shit player, especially by their standards, yet is often called upon. Signing better players BEFORE you get rid of the shit is the way the successful teams work. John O'Shea's not that bad though, not to mention the fact he cost them nowt and Fergie has schooled him the way he needs to be able to chuck him in and know he will fill the gap temporarily. I'm not saying we don't need squad players, just that we have them already. What we need are first-teamers to push them out or at least compete, and those are the hard signings to make. The players we're going for now are for the first team, I'm certain of it. So why are people talking about things being ok when Barton and Viduka etc are back? Which first team players are you thinking need replacing?

Great call. Then get Saviola and Di Maria.

Something inside me dies every time I see Butt's name on the teamsheet.

No, we needed 6 or 7 before we let Carr, Roz, Faye, Emre, Ramage etc go. OK, they're not very good, but they're numbers. Carr was dogshit and made the team worse. For Ramage see above. Rozehnal was already gone. Emre was always injured. No loss at all. Faye has been replaced by Bassong (though I'd have kept him tbf). I see your point, and I still think we need three, but honestly numbers don't mean anything when the players are that useless. If that's the case, why do clubs bother with squad players at all? Why not just pick the best 11 players you can get your hands on and then put 7 young lads on the bench? Why's John O'Shea still at Manchester United for example? Pretty shit player, especially by their standards, yet is often called upon. Signing better players BEFORE you get rid of the shit is the way the successful teams work.

To be fair, I think I'm more worried because I get can't get the Rossi, Sibierski and Bernard signings out of my head

No, we needed 6 or 7 before we let Carr, Roz, Faye, Emre, Ramage etc go. OK, they're not very good, but they're numbers.

That's the crux of it, even KK is far from certain that we'll get the players in. If he's concerned, I think we have every right to be too. Just because he said in a few quotes that he's less optimistic, doesn't mean nothing will happen. At the end of the day, it's not the end of the world if we don't get anyone else in. We're still playing good football. Reckon we can get through until January with the same 12 or 13 players on form with no injuries? We need squad players. We've just had a great start to the season while missing Viduka, Barton, Martins, and others. When they are back I personally believe we can get through to January OK. Ideally we need another 3 players, but it's not the end of the world. Of course it's not the end of the world, but last season we were nothing short of awful in midfield, and we've not even spoken about a central midfielder since the Modric story. People have gone from the "we need 6 or 7 players" before half of the squad left to "a couple should do it". Why? Because people kneejerk claiming we need to spend £150 million to get into the top 6, and that only a few of our players are good enough for a top half team. Our squad is no smaller than the likes of Man City, Portsmouth, Everton, Villa or Blackburn. We've actually got quite a big squad, but you wouldn't want half of them near the first team. After Martins, Owen and Viduka, there isn't a striker in the squad who could make an impact. All three of those are generally injured, as is being shown now. I know it's gonna take time to ship out the rubbish and replace them with decent players, but if we get injuries to any of our first teamers we're going to end up around 12th or 13th, which is going to mean a wasted season and transfer window in my opinion. That's the same for the majority of clubs, look at the likes of Everton, Portsmouth or Blackburn past their starting 11, they're fucking rubbish. Our problem has been we've suffered with injury prone players, but the majority of the players we've lost hardly played anyway, that's not me saying that we don't need more players but 2 or 3 would be easily good enough. I agree that we only need 2 or 3. I'm saying that it would actually be a problem if we didn't get anyone, especially if Milner goes. Big chance that Smith is still leaving too, which although they're both pretty average, wouldn't leave us many players to put a team out in the carling cup without using our regular 11.

Bet he outscores him this season, regardless.

I'd take him. I seem to remember you agreeing with me that Keegan would make him a top player a few months back too. You remember wrongly I'm afraid. Nah. http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=50015.msg1268673#msg1268673 Missed the bit about me saying I'd rather get someone from abroad, who would be better value? Lennon for £3m-£4m maybe, but not at the £10m we'd have to pay to get him!

That's the crux of it, even KK is far from certain that we'll get the players in. If he's concerned, I think we have every right to be too. Just because he said in a few quotes that he's less optimistic, doesn't mean nothing will happen. At the end of the day, it's not the end of the world if we don't get anyone else in. We're still playing good football. Reckon we can get through until January with the same 12 or 13 players on form with no injuries? We need squad players. We've just had a great start to the season while missing Viduka, Barton, Martins, and others. When they are back I personally believe we can get through to January OK. Ideally we need another 3 players, but it's not the end of the world. Of course it's not the end of the world, but last season we were nothing short of awful in midfield, and we've not even spoken about a central midfielder since the Modric story. People have gone from the "we need 6 or 7 players" before half of the squad left to "a couple should do it". Why? Because people kneejerk claiming we need to spend £150 million to get into the top 6, and that only a few of our players are good enough for a top half team. Our squad is no smaller than the likes of Man City, Portsmouth, Everton, Villa or Blackburn. We've actually got quite a big squad, but you wouldn't want half of them near the first team. After Martins, Owen and Viduka, there isn't a striker in the squad who could make an impact. All three of those are generally injured, as is being shown now. I know it's gonna take time to ship out the rubbish and replace them with decent players, but if we get injuries to any of our first teamers we're going to end up around 12th or 13th, which is going to mean a wasted season and transfer window in my opinion.

That's the crux of it, even KK is far from certain that we'll get the players in. If he's concerned, I think we have every right to be too. Just because he said in a few quotes that he's less optimistic, doesn't mean nothing will happen. At the end of the day, it's not the end of the world if we don't get anyone else in. We're still playing good football. Reckon we can get through until January with the same 12 or 13 players on form with no injuries? We need squad players. We've just had a great start to the season while missing Viduka, Barton, Martins, and others. When they are back I personally believe we can get through to January OK. Ideally we need another 3 players, but it's not the end of the world. Of course it's not the end of the world, but last season we were nothing short of awful in midfield, and we've not even spoken about a central midfielder since the Modric story. People have gone from the "we need 6 or 7 players" before half of the squad left to "a couple should do it". Why? Because the players are playing well. Regarding the CM thing... we've bought Guthrie, and Jonas can play there. As I say, it's not ideal, but there is every chance we will get the few players in. Sorry, I worded that badly. I meant a creative midfielder.

I'd take him. I seem to remember you agreeing with me that Keegan would make him a top player a few months back too. You remember wrongly I'm afraid.

That's the crux of it, even KK is far from certain that we'll get the players in. If he's concerned, I think we have every right to be too. Just because he said in a few quotes that he's less optimistic, doesn't mean nothing will happen. At the end of the day, it's not the end of the world if we don't get anyone else in. We're still playing good football. Reckon we can get through until January with the same 12 or 13 players on form with no injuries? We need squad players. We've just had a great start to the season while missing Viduka, Barton, Martins, and others. When they are back I personally believe we can get through to January OK. Ideally we need another 3 players, but it's not the end of the world. Of course it's not the end of the world, but last season we were nothing short of awful in midfield, and we've not even spoken about a central midfielder since the Modric story. People have gone from the "we need 6 or 7 players" before half of the squad left to "a couple should do it". Why?

That's the crux of it, even KK is far from certain that we'll get the players in. If he's concerned, I think we have every right to be too. Just because he said in a few quotes that he's less optimistic, doesn't mean nothing will happen. At the end of the day, it's not the end of the world if we don't get anyone else in. We're still playing good football. Reckon we can get through until January with the same 12 or 13 players on form with no injuries? We need squad players.

Hope not, simply because he isn't. He's marginally better than Milner, but it's close.

Are people taking the piss when they say they want to sign Lennon?

We don't need another hero! thanks for the input I agree we don't need another CB, Fullback's and cm's are required. striker, striker, striker not 3 strikers, just one good one and a CM we can worry about FB's later imo nailed on. Even a blind man can see it. thirded it's obvioust to all and sundry, and i think in that department, Keegan is looking for someone like Cole as opposed to signings like Shearer or Ferdinand. As in, taking a chance on an unknown rather than spending big and going for a big gun or two. I say this simply because in Owen, Viduka and Martins we already have 3 relatively big names, and adding a fourth right now may not be a viable option wages/transfer fee/availability wise. Andy Keogh and Billy Sharp. Sorted.