TRon

Once we are settled and start to push on, I'd like to think we'd look for a replacement for Nolan because he's the quite sizeable weak link in a midfield four of Barton Nolan Tiote HBA. Same here and that is what I was getting at. He's done brilliantly this season but if we want to get back to the sort of team which is looking at Europe then we need a midfielder who is more mobile. Just look at the difference Tiote has made with his energy and control.

Imports aren't crucial as far as staying up is concerned but there are still areas which need improving. A pacey forward would be useful but where are we going to get one for the sort of money we are looking to spend?

I am thinking we won't get anyone tbh. A couple of decent results seems to have taken all the urgency out of our transfer activity.

Forgot about that. Shame because I think the midfield trio is better than a lot of teams in the premier but the top 3 or 4 will still be a bit too good.

I like that. It didn't go down too well with Wullie in the other thread but I still feel a Tiote/Barton midfield combination could work very well. They already have a good understanding with Barton playing wide but if you could get a Bentley type on the right and a mobile forward in front, I think Barton could provide plenty of ammunition. But that would mean shafting Nolan, and cutting our nose off to spite our face. The Tiote/Nolan/Barton thing works an absolute treat and it's needless changing it. It works but it will be interesting to see how that midfield matches up against Spurs this weekend.

I like that. It didn't go down too well with Wullie in the other thread but I still feel a Tiote/Barton midfield combination could work very well. They already have a good understanding with Barton playing wide but if you could get a Bentley type on the right and a mobile forward in front, I think Barton could provide plenty of ammunition.

Alan Smith doesn't really have a position any more, he's just a clapped out footballer who's one step from the knacker's yard. But managers like him cos he's a good pro.

N'Zogbia will be the next one to leave. I know he hasn't signed yet but I can see him seething with rage even as he's signing the contract.

If Pardew's as confused as everyone else here we'll end up getting no one in this window. He doesn't want a striker any more, Barton's got the right wing spot sewn up and HBA will be the future competition for Jonas.

Peter Beardsley? Anyway I would prefer a young rising star as well, I just haven't heard that we've been linked with one.

Didn't specifically mention SWP tbh I'd rather have a player who can come in make an instant impact, than a young player who's best years are ahead of him - that's what the summer is for, January is stop-gap and we need a quick striker who can compliment Carroll and a winger who can cross a ball, and I'd rather players who have been doing it in the PL for years than one that hasn't even played in the PL - again, the summer is for that kind of signing, when we're definitely safe. Agree with this basically. While Barton's doing a sterling job on the right at the moment I wouldn't want him to be our only option there. A right sided winger or midfielder with pace would be handy, and I still think Barton has a role to play in central midfield in the longer term. Looney tunes. He's had more good games since the turn of the year on the right than his entire NUFC career in the middle. The statistics are very telling this season between the two. That might have something to do with who he was playing with when he was in the middle. Not many midfielders are going to look great next to Nicky Butt (ask Nolan). I quite like the idea of Tiote and Barton through the middle. I don't. It won't stop Barton giving away possession by dallying on the ball while looking for a pass, and it will negate his tremendous delivery. Nothing personal, I honestly think anyone who wouldn't have Barton as much a certified starter on the right as Enrique at left wing is absolutely out of their mind. He's totally changed my opinion on him this season and that is everything to do with where he's playing. Much more a Beckham than a Lampard. He's done well but whether he even wants to be considered as a right sided midfielder himself long term we don't know. It was the long term I was referring to btw, while he's doing well and is happy on the right he would start there. As for SWP, the one big doubt I have is whether he's a natural wide player anyway. He's one of those players who isn't really a forward and isn't really a winger. Scored some crackers in his time though.

Didn't specifically mention SWP tbh I'd rather have a player who can come in make an instant impact, than a young player who's best years are ahead of him - that's what the summer is for, January is stop-gap and we need a quick striker who can compliment Carroll and a winger who can cross a ball, and I'd rather players who have been doing it in the PL for years than one that hasn't even played in the PL - again, the summer is for that kind of signing, when we're definitely safe. Agree with this basically. While Barton's doing a sterling job on the right at the moment I wouldn't want him to be our only option there. A right sided winger or midfielder with pace would be handy, and I still think Barton has a role to play in central midfield in the longer term. Looney tunes. He's had more good games since the turn of the year on the right than his entire NUFC career in the middle. The statistics are very telling this season between the two. That might have something to do with who he was playing with when he was in the middle. Not many midfielders are going to look great next to Nicky Butt (ask Nolan). I quite like the idea of Tiote and Barton through the middle.

Didn't specifically mention SWP tbh I'd rather have a player who can come in make an instant impact, than a young player who's best years are ahead of him - that's what the summer is for, January is stop-gap and we need a quick striker who can compliment Carroll and a winger who can cross a ball, and I'd rather players who have been doing it in the PL for years than one that hasn't even played in the PL - again, the summer is for that kind of signing, when we're definitely safe. Agree with this basically. While Barton's doing a sterling job on the right at the moment I wouldn't want him to be our only option there. A right sided winger or midfielder with pace would be handy, and I still think Barton has a role to play in central midfield in the longer term.

Of course it's not The key to a successful team is right the mix of skill and pace, and youth/hunger and experience. We won't succeed with a team full of young, hungry players. Plus experience will help us in the short term, and January is about the short term. It isn't the time to think about the future when we're still not safe yet - a striker and winger on loan will suit me fine. We've got enough 'experience'. We need good players now. If we'd signed an experienced centre mid in the summer rather than Tioté we'd probably be about 10 points worse off. Good luck with that then. No doubt there's a host of quality players ready to jump on-board for 15k a week all much better than SWP. Who the hell does he think he is anyway, Chelsea/City reject wot he is!??

Hmmm... Not sure I follow that logic. Bothroyd was recently an England centre forward, are you keen for us to sign him up? At least he's shown some form in the last half a decade whereas SWP has been dreadful every time I have seen him without fail. My issue with replacing Routledge with SWP would be that they are essentially the same player, except one is older and would cost a lot more than the other. I've seen absolutely nothing from SWP to suggest his dip in form is temporary. He'd be another Damien Duff. We've got rid of so many of the highly paid mercenaries, adding another to the squad will hinder rather than help. If I was Carroll and he came in on double my wages, I'd be pretty hacked off. Same for Barton, Enrique and the likes who are near the end of their contracts - why should they take a wage cut if some underperforming has been is coming in on more salary. It's not just a player for player comparison, it's the effect on the squad. Taking out someone who is obviously not one of the high earners who didn't seem to expect to start and replacing them with someone who more than likely would (and with the wages he'd expect, I'd imagine Pardew would feel he'd have to play him as Ashley would want to know what the fuck was going on otherwise). I'm not against getting rid of Routledge, but to replace him with SWP would be a pretty huge error in my view, whether loan or permanent. I'm assuming SWP would be prepared to take a significant wage cut which is what is suggested in the Journal. I haven't followed SWP's career lately so if he's lost all his ability for some reason then we should stay away. He's scored some pretty good goals in his time so I think that alone makes him an upgrade on Routledge. Isn't it possible that his acreer stagnated because he went to Chelsea and then City where the managers prefer a more hard working style? Not to mention they can afford the best players?

So do you think he's worth £18m? Ultimately, he's worth whatever Villa were prepared to pay for him but from subjectively, yes, I think he is worth every penny. He's consistently scored goals in the past few years and although it may take a little while to accept "Darren Bent: £18m - eh?", the stats don't lie. Couple that with Villa's particular need for goals then there's no surprise they were willing to splash considerable cash for him. Sunderland have got a fair price. you'll have to completly change your style to accomodate him. I think he'll suit Houllier's preferred style of play very well, i.e. 4-5-1 defensive set up relying on counter attack football.

You have to laugh at people turning their nose up at SWP. Especially when the same people were up in arms at releasing Routledge. SWP might not have covered himself in glory recently but it wasn't that long ago he was England's right winger.

They should both get it and share it with Sunderland. Then call it the Stadium of Light as in Benfica's ground because it sounds good.

Don't see why the club would even agree to that. Well exactly. I don't know why we're sending him there in the first place. Well maybe we've agreed a deal where if they get promoted, QPR will increase the fee to £8million to match what Liverpool were offering. If we are talking hypothetically at least my hypothetical crap has more substance than yours

If it gets them promoted obviously. The move will have paid for itself and then they can sell him to another Championship side once they're up on the same condition like we did. Hardly rocket science is it?

I don't know if he's mates with MON but to blatantly ignore how well he was backed financially by Lerner for two years is either sensationalism or just lack of knowledge close to the ground. Either way you can understand why he's gone from the Sunday Times correspondent to the Mirror.

Where have we heard that before?

Reminds me of the pundit crap we had to put up with after sacking Sam Allardyce. We were the villains but not one of the hypocritical bastards would have wanted him in charge of their own club.

That makes sense tbh. He'll do for them what he did for us and it works out decent value all round. He's a waste of a shirt in the premier but he's worth the fee for a side looking for promotion.