Wullie

No we came off badly because we lost a Geordie striker with the potential to be the fulcrum of our side for the next ten years. We can't replace that because unfortunately the likes of Carroll come round once or twice in a generation, if you're lucky.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/9397572.stm Luis Enrique ffs.

I think we came off badly in it.

pretty sure we were linked to williamson the same window as when he moved to watford, though we are of course linked to lots of players every window. maybe it was just paper talk. http://www.nufc.com/2010-11html/2009-01robrum.html Doesn't get a mention here.

But didn't they admit in the tribunal that the 'manager has the final say in transfers' was wrong? isnt it also true that we first tried to sign mike williamson in january 09, long before hughton became manager? suggests at the very least that more than one person is responsible for identifying targets. and given how long the average manager lasts, that has to be a good thing. According to who?

We can't all have a Leon Best playing up front unfortunately. Certainly rather have Best than Defoe at the moment. *cue Defoe goal*

Really? Which rules?

Him and Daw... ah forget it.

It's quite sad there is such a split within our own supporters over such a thing as the club taking away the singing section, forcing people to move and whacking the prices right up for those that were in it. When Shepherd did it, if memory serves, the Save Our Seats campaign was supported by the majority. The current attitude from many lies somewhere in the region of "I'm alright Jack" and "Fucking charvas!" I'm not in the singing section but I am in the Leazes End and I think the atmosphere in the ground will be worse off without them. We might not agree about football but at least where our capacity to watch our team is concerned, surely we should stick together.

Different competitions. I'm sure it used to be tied for all. certain it is in FM I'm sure it was as well.

10 in 35 in the league.

The Roy Keane factor? Possibly, I know nowt about it like, just putting it out there.

What happened with Cisse at sunderland? Sure I'm right in thinking he wasn't even getting in their team by the end, and they were dire.

I remember how good she (and plenty others) said Boyd was anarl. Only just makes it onto the Boro bench these days.

Feel like I've stepped into bizarro world. People advocating spending ten million on Carlton fucking Cole to replace Andy Carroll?! I thought this money was better than having Carroll and will give us a far better team according to some on here? Cole couldn't lace Carroll's boots. I'd honestly rather have given him away for free than sign that lump. Is this the clever scouting for bargains that everyone keeps banging on about and telling me we're brilliant at? Jesus.

So we don't want the likes of him because, what, he makes mistakes like getting himself sent off? Wish we'd never bought Tiote in that case.

Didn't spot the mention of Bassong! Bought for peanuts, paid peanuts, was one of the only reasons we came anywhere near survival and was sold on to an ambitious club for nearly 10 million! He is the original Tiote, the perfect Ashley signing. But you don't want his type and you don't want expensive players either... who do you want?

Well Krul's back-up anyway so that's hardly a major leap.

I've not seen anyone advocating getting rid of Krul or Simpson, nor have i seen anyone advocating the replacement of 7 or 8 of the first team.

So who is? Wise isn't here anymore. I don't have any doubt that Hughton scouted, researched, signed CT and HBA, nor do i have any doubt that he did the same with James Perch. It's not a case of giving or taking credit from anyone, simply saying that saying 'another Tiote please' is no more valid than saying you want another Rob Lee because neither person who chose those players is here anymore. It's no more valid in fact than saying 'let's sign a Fabregas'! It's very easy to talk about using these policies, it's quite another to consistently put them into practice.

Are you going to follow me round like a puppy, yapping every time i make comment about the manager? Either make a reasonable point or find something else to do man.

BD, you're missing my point by a country mile man. We're discussing scouting and deciding on players, I'm not interested in Ben Arfa's decision making.

Spurs don't do that though do they? I'm struggling to think of spurs regulars that were unknown or not signed for big money.

The manager who signed those players is gone though. We may have got him in on loan while Hughton was here, but did HBA not sign with us permanently under Pardew? I doubt he'd do that if Hughton was the sole reason for his arrival. Indeed he did. Pardew signed Ben Arfa on a permanent deal for the next 4 and a half years (June 2015). I'm talking about finding, scouting and deciding on good players, not which personnel were in the room with them when they signed a certain deal.