TRon

I still think Milner was a decent sale, he's still overrated. Agree with that tbh. Nothing to do with his ability, he's got most everything, but I still have doubts whether he mentally up for the big games. Similar to Guthrie, doesn't produce on a consistent basis.

I think it's probably Sturridge. Wasn't there some talk of a possible £14m signing this week?

That's quite a tasty looking line up right now...and we're still in June. A lot would depend on who comes in if Barton and Enrique leave though.

Those three are pretty good reasons why the resale value should in most cases be taken into account. I'm sure there could be well considered exceptions.

Also I don't quite get the digs at the policy of buying players with resale value. If their value goes up it means we've bought a good player. Does anyone have regrets that we only paid £3.5million for Tiote?

I'm sold. Fucking Mike Ashley. He just can't resist a quick buck. Where you off to? Glory Glory? he's N-O's very own "Alan Smith" Aye, there's more chance of getting rid of Shola than me tbh

You're right and the risk is that we will lose out on him last minute and be left short of players. There's a reason clubs like Man Utd pay that bit extra and get them in early. Added bonus being that the player has a whole pre-season with the club, is better integrated in the dressing room, training etc, has more chance to work on his role in the team and also has less chance of injury. We've done the right thing getting players in early but we've also signed two bosmans, triggered a transfer clause and are targetting another transfer clause (Neil Taylor) to replace one of the best left backs in the league. I think people have a right to wonder why the club would drag its heels over bringing in a player such as N'Zogbia who is available at very good value and would command an important place in our first team. I know that a club like ours has to be slightly more wily than Man Utd in the transfer market but just as the Carroll and Milner sales left us short on players, I'm wary of it happening again. Ashley likes a game of brinkmanship but if bigger clubs miss their targets they will take a look at N'Zogbia - it is not a simple case of just sitting back and making Wigan sweat. If we get him on deadline day for 2m less then fair enough but is it worth risking a weak squad til January, or signing an inferior player, just to do so? Successful clubs generally don't think this way. So it's not to have depth at left back then? Also you say successful clubs don't wait to the last minute, then point to the sale of Carroll at the last minute that left us short, funnily enough sold to one of the most successful clubs in British football history to replace a player that was sold to one of the most successful British clubs of the last decade. Chelsea and Liverpool had no problem waiting so why judge it by what Man Utd have done? And look at the form of Carroll and Torres since, without a pre-season with their new teams they have been poor. Both were widely seen as panic signings. They may come good next season but when you look at the money spent, they bloody well should. Both are an example of what happens when you do your shopping on deadline day. As for Neil Taylor, I'd be happy as anyone if Enrique stays but at the moment it looks unlikely. Carroll was injured and Torres was out of form before he went there, do you honestly think if they bought them earlier in the window their form would have been any different? Look at the likes of Berbatov and Ashley Cole, both clubs were happy to wait until the window was nearly closed to push through the signings they want so the example that Man Utd get it done early isn't always the case. Ideally all of the new players would be here already but it just doesn't work like that, that's the same for any club too and not just Newcastle and the thought of paying an extra £2 million to get someone through the door a few weeks earlier is daft IMO. Btw if Enrique goes that doesn't mean Taylor will be the only left back brought into the club. Well Carroll and Torres were signed in the January window not the summer window. When they have had a full pre-season with their clubs then yes I predict they will fare better. Of course it's daft not to wait a few weeks, if the player is convinced to come to us. But is he? I can see him being in demand and it may be the club that pays more that gets him, that's business. At what price do we wait on these kinds of players, when the selling club is willing to do a deal at a decent price? There is logic in both arguments, either is a risk. You would risk losing out on the player late on and chase a replacement, fair enough. I'd risk paying that bit more to make sure I have a top player and don't lose him to a rival. I guess it depends how much the player wants to come here, as to how the club can swing it in our favour. The Carroll, Torres and Berbatov deals are fair examples but in all cases those clubs were reluctant to sell which dragged the deal on, not because the big clubs buying were holding out for a lower price. I don't think Wigan are reluctant to sell N'Zogbia, they've basically said he can go. As for Neil Taylor, I'll be amazed if we sign two new left backs. Most likely whoever comes in will be Enrique's replacement and Ferguson would be used as cover or a converted right back. If Neil Taylor came in then I would expect him to be the Enrique replacement. But anyway that's for a different thread. Last I heard from Wigan they wanted £3 million more from non champions league clubs so there's no way I'd pay that. Realistically we will have a feel of what N'Zogbia wants to do through his agent and if we know we're his preferred choice then we can afford to hold out to get him on more favourable terms than paying more than we would if we were in the CL, I think the Ben Arfa deal is a good example of this. That's how I read the situation. All the talk of Liverpool or Sunderland is coming from Wigan if you ask me to try and get us to pay more. I don't think he wants to be anywhere else unless it's a big club who'll pay him much more.

I'm sold.

Just pull your finger out and buy a striker Pards. A good one.

Yes the category stuff is bollocks. Even so I've put him in my own personal "I don't want him" category which is totally unrelated to the previous category discussion.

So if they sell Berbatov does that means he's not good enough to come here either? There are two categories of players who get sold by Man U Category 1: the likes of Ronaldo and Beckham Category 2: Smith and Butt Gobson belongs to category 2 IMO. Which category would you put Rossi and Pique in? - Miscellaneous

So if they sell Berbatov does that means he's not good enough to come here either? There are two categories of players who get sold by Man U Category 1: the likes of Ronaldo and Beckham Category 2: Smith and Butt Gobson belongs to category 2 IMO.

Hmm I think the quotes are quite consistent there. Is that why you highlighted them? I'm slightly bemused.

Maybe the thread title should be changed to Gibson because there's fuck all chance we are in for Sissoko. Never really noticed Gibson before, probably because he's not one of their key players who actually make things happen.

Could be because they lack the technical skills which our counterparts abroad have...... I think Ireland has plenty of technical ability, that's not the issue for me. It's whether he's still quick enough or prepared to work hard enough that I wonder about.

Ireland's £2million price tag is probably starting to look more tempting by the day.

Looks like he'll be the cheaper alternative to Erdinc. That would be his main attraction I suspect.

Smells like a Wigan/Mersey attempt to turn Zoggy's head from coming back here. The "north west sources" are probably Liverpool fans who want their club to have first pick on all their targets.

My major concern as well. Not sure how he'd fit in to our supposed new fast raiding style. No doubt about his ability otherwise though.

Fits nicely with the complete lack of effort in the 2nd half v WBA. Exactly what I was thinking. No wonder there's a purge of the old guard underway.

because he believed that Shearer would be giving the job? He only became disillusioned when things were going way too slow. Like Duff and Bassong, he had a decent offer from a Premiership club and wanted to go. 90% of players would make the same decision in that situation. Exactly. People talk about the loyalty the players showed to us when we went down but how many of them would have stayed if they had the chance of a move to a Premiership team on similar wages in front of them? I can't help but think that its a tad naive to assume the players just sat twiddling their thumbs hoping a club would make an offer for them. Agents are there to sound out interest and I find it hard to believe that someone with CL experience would have no suitors whatsoever. Same goes for a highly rated Spanish U21 left back. If there was interest in any player we'd of heard of it, no question. The fact we didn't suggest that perhaps they were loyal, to an extent at least. So you presume people were interested but the reason we didn't hear about it is because they shot the interest down before it got to the club or papers? Or perhaps that the players didn't seek out a move like they easily could have done?! Colo and Jose struggled in our relegation season. They wouldn't have had many offers on the wages that they were on. They both improved a fair bit during that year in the Championship. No, sorry I just don't buy it, not only do I disagree about Jose being poor (Colo was) but I just don't buy into the idea that those 2 in particular with their calibre knew they weren't gonna get a better offer so didn't bother courting interest. Not hearing of any interest suggests that the agents didnt put the feelers out suggesting that perhaps they may have stayed out of loyalty. What is your point exactly? We know players have agents but even the best agent won't get a shit player into a good club.

He might not even be worth £1million tbh. Jordan-Henderson-tastic.

There's some players who relish the big stage and lap up the coliseum atmosphere of St James. Beye was one of those for me and no one will ever convince me otherwise. The fact he still has a house in Darras Hall says everything.

Don't know why that's a problem, we were relegated, Shearer wasn't given the job. It was inevitable the best players would leave assuming there were buyers.