madras

So am I. But I would like to add that if we are looking to actually attract these players we may have to bid them a little more financially to make up for our lack of attractivity due to not playing in Europe and not looking likely to break Europe next season either. If we lose out to our targets because we are more concerned about the checkbook than about the quality of our squad it feels to me like we are being pennywise, but poundfoulish. The stock of Newcastle United has fallen over the past few seasons, and unless we bend the curb it will only become more difficult in the future to attract the players we need to make up for lost ground.. Well we'll see. As me and the 'blind hope/head in the sand/Ashleyite/optimism' crew have been saying all along. Any comments on madras' point about chasing Coloccini for three months btw? Not trying to catch you out, just wondering whether you believe it. I haven't seen it mentioned (source?), but if it is true than it may follow suit that we have also worked on other targets for months. You will say it is possible we are still working on them, and I will retort we may well be, but it is also very likely some deals (Modric? Arda? Gomis? etc) have failed because we have not been very decisive in the transfer market (unless you call negotiating for 3 months decisive?) Also, would you not say with the start of the season fast approaching many teams will be loath to let go of their best players if they don't need to, because it will be that much harder for them to attract quality replacements for the players they are letting go? only modric was in any way confirmed and not many moved before the euros and it seems that (the euros)may have pushed up perceptions of players worth on both fees and wages (arshavin and arda yet to move after being priced too high so far ?). i'll try and find the quote from the agent but it won't be easy. realistically..we'll find out by sept 1st

100 pages on a player we haven't yet signed............................this can't be a good omen

not yet

but in your case the first time was accident...the others were deliberate

So am I. But I would like to add that if we are looking to actually attract these players we may have to bid them a little more financially to make up for our lack of attractivity due to not playing in Europe and not looking likely to break Europe next season either. If we lose out to our targets because we are more concerned about the checkbook than about the quality of our squad it feels to me like we are being pennywise, but poundfoulish. The stock of Newcastle United has fallen over the past few seasons, and unless we bend the curb it will only become more difficult in the future to attract the players we need to make up for lost ground.. Well we'll see. As me and the 'blind hope/head in the sand/Ashleyite/optimism' crew have been saying all along. Any comments on madras' point about chasing Coloccini for three months btw? Not trying to catch you out, just wondering whether you believe it. i don't even know if i believe it but it's one of the few occasions whehn any of our transfers have been commented on by a directly attributable concerned source.

So am I. But I would like to add that if we are looking to actually attract these players we may have to bid them a little more financially to make up for our lack of attractivity due to not playing in Europe and not looking likely to break Europe next season either. If we lose out to our targets because we are more concerned about the checkbook than about the quality of our squad it feels to me like we are being pennywise, but poundfoulish. The stock of Newcastle United has fallen over the past few seasons, and unless we bend the curb it will only become more difficult in the future to attract the players we need to make up for lost ground.. at the same time we don't want to get players by offering them ridiculous deals that means we can't get shot of them if need be. it calls for finding the right deal. we don't know how many times this has failed and if any negotiations with others are on-going.

it's quite bad

We have a paper thin squad containing a number of notoriously unfit players, some players made from glass and a fair number of players who just don't qualify for the level we should aspire to (strangely, these are mainly the fitter ones). We've known this for months. If you believe injuries will be a valid excuse for poor results be my guest, but not for me they won't, as it has been glaringly obvious for quite a while that this squad needed some major reconstruction work done to it, not just a new layer of paint.. I am still hoping we are getting the work done that needs doing (i.e. being patient like you and others have been saying time and time again we should), but it sounds to me like the optimists themselves are starting to doubt whether the club will do what is needed and are trying to get some excuses in early. And oh, I don't think any game is a write-off before a ball is kicked. An ambitious club going places should certainly not be worried about going away to clubs that finished higher than them last season, because there shouldn't be too much pressure and with some positivity why would an upset be impossible..? on the other hand would you want to buy players in just to have players in "now" as opposed to getting the players you want and padding out the squad later. Well, if you had a list of players you had scouted and found to be suitable, would you start by approaching your first choice candidates or rather start at the bottom? if the agent was true in saying that the coloccini deal was started 3 months ago i'd say you could be right in saying they started with the top target (and may still be doing so in other cases)

when the truth comes through that he's failed his mediacl it will be considered a wind up.

We have a paper thin squad containing a number of notoriously unfit players, some players made from glass and a fair number of players who just don't qualify for the level we should aspire to (strangely, these are mainly the fitter ones). We've known this for months. If you believe injuries will be a valid excuse for poor results be my guest, but not for me they won't, as it has been glaringly obvious for quite a while that this squad needed some major reconstruction work done to it, not just a new layer of paint.. I am still hoping we are getting the work done that needs doing (i.e. being patient like you and others have been saying time and time again we should), but it sounds to me like the optimists themselves are starting to doubt whether the club will do what is needed and are trying to get some excuses in early. And oh, I don't think any game is a write-off before a ball is kicked. An ambitious club going places should certainly not be worried about going away to clubs that finished higher than them last season, because there shouldn't be too much pressure and with some positivity why would an upset be impossible..? on the other hand would you want to buy players in just to have players in "now" as opposed to getting the players you want and padding out the squad later.

You've posted that about eight times now across a ton of threads. aye ...you nearly got sued after putting it in the "maddie" thread

i'm scared about what will happen if this thread reaches 100 pages

unless he's a 20 goal a season left back

even with the best defence in the world you're going to struggle with no protection in front. butt was in and out last season,guthrie unknown. i'm still looking for two rob lee/gary speed types.

They could make a flm about that. Anyone think of a good name for it? "that snakey b******"

pre season is the next two ganes if most of the first teamers who haven't played so far are fit enough to play.also i'd be surprised if there wasn't at least 1 full scale behind closed doors game scheduled for next week.

his metaphorical plane doesn't crash until he lands here

trying to educate some posters Ozzie lad. As for the boards laughing stock........ BTW, have you dished the dirt on the club you say you support to any cockney journalists lately ? Although no doubt you'll claim it as intentional mackems.gif no it wasn't. But I've explained that I've always valued this type of signing, no matter who does it, unlike numerous others, he's clearly not reading posts again. It was quite a deliberate question I asked him though, obviously. but as i've previously pointed out there were seasons when the previous board didn't back their manager in the way NE5 describes.

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trofeo_Teresa_Herrera&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=2&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DTrofeo%2BTeresa%2BHerrera%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1T4GZAZ_en-GBGB253GB253 have you seen teresa herrera ? i'll play

no thanks. not at that price

while you're still here did you see much of jonas gutierrez ? we've recently taken him from mallorca.

Obviously taller on a free transfer. i was thinking andy reid....they don't come much bigger

"bigger targets" ?

just ove £8.5mill then some add ons

better still....in english.......http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.marca.com/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dla%2Bmarca%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26hs%3D60B%26sa%3DG then click the 6th badge