chicago_shearer

Why? Because you know exactly what to expect. With new transfers there is a bit of mystery....Gutierrez could turn out to be the new Ginola and Guthrie could seize the opportunity of being first choice (looks like it anyway) at a big club and develop into an excellent midfielder....hope springs eternal. But unless you are completely credulous, you know exactly what to expect from the regulars. The same weaknesses they had last year aren't going to disappear under new management. You can't coach quality. A player either has it, they don't, or they lose it with age.

The "I'm not worried in the least bit me" sunshine brigade are annoying me more than the hysterical doom & gloom crowd at the moment. Common sense says you should be concerned if you want an improvement next season. It was a struggling team last year, and it is essentially the same one minus any depth. Keegan means improved team selection, more aggressive tactics, but the essential weak points of last year are still there. The first team squad isn't good at all, and I've seen little to convince me that they are capable of jumping 4 places in the table (an improvement of 14 points based on last seasons 8th placed finisher, the FA Cup winners). I'm excited for the football to start up again and hopeful, but I don't expect anything like the sort of improvement we would need to secure 4th - 8th. Not without new faces.

Also, for what it's worth (very little), "Niko" and the Blackburn crowd reckon that we're doing a Duff for Warnock swap.

Senderos. http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/sport/football/article-1038869/Wenger-fights-6m-Senderos-Four-gone-Adebayor-wavering-Arsenal-boss-win-latest-battle.html?ITO=1490 Jesus of Nazareth wept.

It seems like a fair number of the U-19s in the tournament had a handful of senior appearances to their name. Seeing as we hardly have any players anyway, it wouldn't hurt to give him a few games this season. He can hardly be worse than Smith/Ameobi.

We don't have much real evidence that the DoF/transfer set up have been poor. It's difficult to start blaming the owner, the London based team or Keegan until we can be sure a) who was targeted, b) how much money has been made available and c) who has the ultimate responsibility. We can be reasonably sure that Aimar and Modric were real targets that we failed to obtain, but its hardly fair to blame the DoF set up in those specific instances. Spurs were a more attractive destination because of European football, and Aimar probably didn't fancy playing in England. Maybe we lowballed Aimar, or maybe we weren't prepared to pay inflated wages for a player that may not have been worth the asking price. We just don't know, and arguing about the performance of Keegan or Wise or Ashley is stupid when all available information is made up by British sports journalists, the scum of the earth. The only thing we know for sure is that we are in (like most other clubs) a generally slow, overpriced market for players. And we know that our business so far has been done under the radar. I'm prepared to be patient, so long as they get the job done in the end. If we then reach midnight on Aug 31 and all we have to show for our summer is Guttierez, Guthrie and a couple of defenders then they (the entire club) will have totally failed. It doesn't matter when or how they do their job, just so long as they do it. Sticking with most of the same players that made a good go at relegation as recently as this April and then weakening the squad by allowing 6 or 7 out the door is totally unacceptable. I'm not committed to big names or a specific amount that needs spending as a benchmark for success....I just know that we need far more quality than we have, especially in midfield. Spend 2 million or spend 200 million, just get some adequate players in the fucking door.

Looks like that might be a bit sore tomorrow.

And he's just come on. 30 min left. 0-2 Germany.

Italians are 0-1 down to Germany in the U-19 final. Zamblera still on the bench.

I hope so. It might be the hangover talking, but I've got the worrying feeling that we'll sign a centre-half, possibly Warnock as a replacement for Enrique (or "cover") and then that will be it. We will be in store for another magical season of the craft, guile, speed and precision that IS Nicky Butt and Geremi. And who knows what variations we'll see. The return of Alan "the new Roy Keane" Smith to midfield? Milner the wonderboy moved in the center? Maybe Barton will recover from his nightly bumming in time to play some part. What an embarrassment of riches.

That was depressing.

Someone needs to tell Guthrie and Owen that wearing a men's size XL isn't fooling anyone. They would look better and save a bit of money if they went with a Youth size L. In the club shop as on the pitch, Habib Beye heads and shoulders above the rest. Makes sure he gets the gold chain in the picture.

Looks like Derdiyok could be off to Fenerbahche. Get the fuck in there and sign him!

as much as we all get slated for saying it: basically - this You said you want a net total of 8 signings. How many of those need to be in the 6-15 mil bracket in order to demonstrate ambition?

I thought we were aiming for squad signings. I'd be over the moon if we ended up with Collocini.

Of Chicago. It is a real shame some European team didn't snap him up about 10 years ago because he could still do a job for some top sides.

I will nod and smile if we sign a few more defenders, but I will not be happy or satisfied until we sign a top class attacking midfielder and a younger, upgraded version of Nicky Butt. Our options in central midfield are appalling.

Feel so sorry for him. RIP Mrs. Martins. Not that it helps much, but I bet Kev is the best kind of boss to have around at a time like this....the sort that genuinely cares about his players and will go the extra mile to help them out.

They might be signing average, overpaid mid table cast-offs but it's still a tad depressing that they are getting a squad together while the top Newcastle story of the day is "Owen Has Mumps".

Silly money then yes. Goalkeeper is the only position where we could possibly let anyone else go.

I considered that possibility. But why do wingers like Pennant, Lennon and Downing have a much higher % than Milner? Young is comparable, but he has 14 assists to Milner's 2, so at least he's doing something with his 69%. Petrov is passing sideways is he?

James Milner, 66%> Clint Dempsey, 65%

Out of Fabregas' 2318 attempted and Duff's 352.

I've got my headset on and everything. 66% might actually be one of the lowest in the league. I have yet to find one lower.

The fact that he can't reliably pass a football to his teammates might be a problem, but I'm sure that relatively minor impediment will be overcome by his hard work, honesty, youth and Englishness. Passing Accuracy in the Premiership: Joey Barton - 75% Geremi - 79% Michael Owen - 84% Damien Duff - 84% Danny Guthrie - 78% Nicky Butt - 75% Steven Taylor - 78% Alan Smith - 71% And the wooden spoon... James Milner - 66% http://sport.setanta.com/en/Sport/Football/Team/?facets/sport-space/football/great-britain-locale/Newcastle/Barclays-Premier-League/&section=squad&player=5442