BottledDog

The Journal are suggesting that the money for the new signings (£13m) came from Ashleys pocket, not the clubs. Is that even possible? Surely the money has to go through the club somehow?

Delighted. Kept hold of the big guns for now, and brought in some top players for positions where we were weak. Well done to all concerned.

Yes, that would mean staying up, and that is all that matters in our first season back.

Roeder out scouting again? Everybody needs a hobby.

Emerton spotted.

They are being applied for as examples, the sports direct logo if it does go up (which I doubt, whoever puts up the cash will get the spots) will be temporary.

Since when? Northumbria Police confirmed they'd never advised him anything. He never said that was where the advice came from. That is where the papers went with it. If you don't think he felt, and by extension his family were threatend and he was adivised that that was the case, then that is bollock imho. Threats were made to him, iirc on some of the main supporter sites for a start, christ knows what the press office got.

That includes the 'we don't care' song, despite people bleating that it's not about Ashley but about how we care for the club and nowt else.

Thanks westamfan, good to be back. /can't see us getting anyone else in. Just hope we don't lose anyone decent now.

Tuesday surely?!? The only reason I stand out there in my trackys, mugging the Sky cameras, is as an excuse to miss the social workers visits. You'll not get me down there on me holipops.

Twatteratti stating that Villa have made a permanent cash offer. TBF they have been spot on for the most part.

And the most disturbing avatar award goes toooo... http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/avs/avatar_10258.png

Muntari to Tottingham?

Nope, but I swear to God, if we have the chance to and we don't sign someone called Van Wolfswinkel, we need shooting.

Toon made last gasp bid to tie down transfer-listed Taylor Brian McNally, The Mirror Newcastle's top brass made a conciliatory contract concession to Steven Taylor in a final bid to persuade the centre back to sign a new deal before slapping him on the transfer list last week. Owner Mike Ashley offered to exclude the former England under-21 skipper from a clause significantly reducing salaries on new contracts in the event of relegation. But after the player’ agent, Paul Stretford, declined the deal, Ashley immediately listed Taylor, now in the final ten months of his contract, ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline. The Taylor camp now fear that the injured player will be frozen out at St. James’ Park after leaving the club’s near £40,000-a-week offer lying on the table. Relationships between Newcastle and Stretford are severely strained. A Newcastle source revealed: “Newcastle simply ran out of patience with the protracted negotiations involving Paul Stretford. “Ashley believes Newcastle made a very fair offer that involved wages images rights and was prepared to forgo the relegation clause that applies to future contracts. When that failed to produce a breakthrough he put Taylor on the transfer list. “Taylor genuinely wants to stay at Newcastle but is upset at being transfer-listed and the only solution to the impasse may be that he moves on.” That is likely to mean Taylor not being given one of Newcastle’s 25 squad numbers and perhaps being loaned out to to get at least part of his present £30,000-a-week salary off the wage bill. And if Newcastle manage to ship out Taylor either on loan or in a permanent transfer that will free up cash to allow the Magpies to part fund their bid to take Spurs striker Robbie Keane on a season-long loan. The two sides have clashed over exactly what was on offer to 24-year-old Taylor, but the Sunday Mirror understands it was around £36,000-a-week with extra payments for image right bringing the total close to £40,000-a-week. That near £2million-a-year deal would have meant Newcastle breaking the wage ceiling imposed last year as part of their wage-cutting policy which has seen the salary bill slashed from around £74million-a-year to below £50million. But, despite an offer that Newcastle believe is generous in their difficult financial circumstances, Stretford insists his client, even with the new deal, would have remained well behind big Toon earners such as fellow defenders Fabricio Coloccini and Jose Enrique. There have been claims that Taylor’s representatives were asking for up to £69,000-a-week, but sources close to the player insist that he would have accepted far less had Newcastle been prepared to accept a series of incremental, performance-related rises over the four-year period of the deal. Several top clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have been monitoring Taylor over the past 18months, but three serious injuries this year have dramatically reduced his options. He has played just one Premier League game in 2010 against West Brom in January and his only other competitive appearance was in an FA Cup replay against Plymouth the same month. A shoulder injury in a pre-season friendly at Carlisle has ruled him out until October. But his future now looks far from bright at St. James’ Park after Ashley’s decision that he expendable. Newcastle want to add Keane and Marseille midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa to their squad before the window closes. But they still have some work to do on the Keane deal to find a way of funding his £65,000-a-week wages and the North London could subsidise some of their potential outlay as they did with his Celtic loan last term. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Steven-Taylor-turned-down-Newcastle-s-last-gasp-bid-of-a-new-contract-offer-article567035.html

Good God, that almost sounds like you're suggesting we should be almost grateful to him for helping sealing our fate so we could rise again, Pheonix like from the fizzy pop. Whatever he did in the past, and yes he was a craking keeper for us, he forfeited all that when he engineered a move away when we needed him the most. I care about the club, certainly not players whos last act was to harm us. Fuck him.

Why's Bassong not been playing? Is he injured?

I don't think I have ever seen Brummiemag have anything positive to say about the club recently. Come on mate, stop fixating on how mediocre you think we'll be in the years to come, and start enjoying the feeling that after promotion we look to have a pretty good chance of staying up this year. I hope not, but who knows, your nemesis Ashley might not even be here by the end of it.

Love your description of Roberts style. Anyway, good stuff, looking forward to seeing him on the pitch.

That's the problem, nobody wants to be just cover. Hopefully Kadar and Perch ("and even Jonas!"- Maradona) can do a job unless Jose gets a long tern injury. Yeah i agree - whoever we would want to cover Enrique would obviously have to be considered good enough to fill his role if he was to become injured. Therefore, the cover would obviously have to be a good player and would want to play every game. I mean Kadar will have to learn sooner or later. If not i wouldnt mind seeing Van Aarnholt back at the club. Aye me too, but Van Aarnholt would have the same problem, it's only worth going on loan if you're going to get games.

From Twatter: Arsene Wenger asked about Hatem Ben Arfa on TF1. "Some of the things he's capable of are Maradonesque." Ben Arfa asked on TF1 if he knows about Joey Barton. "Yes. He'll be a friend, a team-mate." He's a psychopath! "No, he's a good player."

So what's all this about Xisco going?