TRon

What has he done to deserve a new contract btw? The only reason you can say potentially to give him one is how thread bare the squad already is, as especially as I can't see Viduka and Owen staying. But he certainly doesn't deserve one based on his performances over the last couple of seasons. My reasoning is that he wouldn't be on big money and he can come in and do a job as a target man if the first choice like Viduka is unfit, however likely it may sound. I would say we picked up some important points during Shola's spell in the first team and for a stand-in in he did a decent job.

Can those saying no give their reasoning (try and make it a bit more helpful than 'he's shit')

I know he's not good enough, but he's proved a useful stand-in while Viduka's been injured. I doubt he'd be on much money if Ipswich and Norwich can afford him and we could probably get a fee if we needed to sell him on once he's tied down. Along with Butt, Harper and Owen he is in the last year of his contract. For me Butt should not be a first team regular either but he's probably on a lot bigger contract.

Well, this is something NUSC is concerned about. We've been told several times that something will be have been decided/everything will be clearer by a certain date. We've got to that date and absolutely nothing has happened. It's a massive worry because we're being lied to and we're five weeks away from the transfer window opening. We're probably not going to be in the hands of new owners, unless things start happening quickly (which I admit is possible). We don't know if Ashley is going to provide some funds if he is still the owner. I'll say that I'm genuinely frightened by the prospect of January because we need new faces in, we have important players whose futures are very very uncertain and could leave in January. We're already right in the thick of a relegation battle and other clubs will use January to strengthen their squads. Meanwhile we're completely in the dark as to what's happening and I'm very concerned. Tom what do you think should happen if there are no buyers interested even at a "reasonable" price? I think that is the crux of the matter though, how hard is Ashley trying to sell the club? The last figures suggested by Keith Harris for a sale of the club were around £280-300million, which in a buyer's market in current financial conditions is very high. Why does he need to make such a large profit if he's genuinely wanting to get rid? If he doesn't want to invest in the club, he should drop his price and get the sale done. No one is suggesting he should lose money, but if he gets his money back or makes a small profit at least it allows the club to move on and no one loses. If he holds onto the club and doesn't want to invest then he is taking the piss quite frankly.

I don't mind him wheeling and dealing, it's the players he's likely to sell to raise funds which worries me. If it's Smith, Duff or Butt no problem.

The bit about his friendship with Bassong strikes true for me. I think if he was playing regularly, or at least getting the odd start now and then Zog would be very content here. If he's not being used then of course he's going to look for a move, I doubt it would be different for anyone else. If Michael Owen sits on the bench two games in a row stories of unrest start to appear, I'm not sure it's fair to single out Zog as being stroppy for this.

I say its the endless running with his head down until he runs into a defender loses posession and the whole team gets caught on the counter. Or maybe the going to sleep at leftback costing goals regardless of his natural position. He doesn`t score many and for some reason like the rest of the team can`t take a corner or cross spectaculary. If we get good money I won`t mind at all. Agree with this. And if that money doesn't get reinvested? I don't think there's enough evidence to suggest it will be. I'd rather hang on to the first team squad we've got right now than watch decent assets get hived off tbh. its aposition in which we have strngth though and it does seem like gutierrez's stronger side. like every player at every club, he'll have a price. There is strength until we have an injury or two. Yes like every player he'll have a price but my real point is people are getting excited about doing "good business" for Zoggy. Its only "good business" if the squad sees the benefit by reinvestment of the funds. I'm not convinced that we have that situation going on here right now - despite what JFK may be saying. he's one of the few we'd get decent cash for without weakening the first 11. Says it all. It does...I'd love to see us get offered decent money for good lads like Duff, Butt or Smith but because they're such top players no doubt they will be beyond the budget of most clubs. Incidentally great post Shak, sums up my position entirely. While I can see Zog has some flaws in his game, If I had to name five players I wanted to move on from the club, Zog wouldn't be on the list. With a squad full of one-paced journey men he's one of the few who brings something different to the table, and wouldn't look out of place at a decent club.

Larsson from Birmingham might be worth another shot. Especially as we still don't have a proper right winger.

"The last player we want to sell is James Milner. I am sure he will not be leaving St James' Park." If PSG want to pay 12m on the other hand.... Anyway, love the way some are harping on about a few decent goals (out of numerous appearances) as an example of Charlie's amazing potential (and the continued comparisons to Ronaldo are frankly an embarrassment). Can we point out the goals scored by Duff and Smith from 3-4+ seasons ago to support their continued inclusion in the squad? They've both scored some belters in their time too. No first touch, no composure, no vision, not that much speed, not that much technique, all of those are the key attributes that make Ronaldo the player he is and are the most starkly lacking attributes of Charlie's game. He has some good attributes (aggression, directness/takes players on and can pass) and i'd prefer if he stayed if he was happy to. However, if we could get a decent price, i'm sure we could find a player that adds more value to the side. We are of course required to sell to buy this window, as we all know. That bolded bit is what I am skeptical about. Wide players who produce quality consistently are out of our price range or over the hill such as Beckham and Geremi. I think I'd prefer to see Lua lua given a chance rather than waste money on more Duffs or Smiths if Zog is going to be sold. In a nutshell, I don't believe he will be replaced by someone better but I'm happy to be proven wrong on that one.

he would say that...wouldn't he. To me that translates as "he won't be leaving on the cheap so if PSG or anyone else want him they'll have to stump up serious cash"

We are crippling ourselves unless we are serious about either selling the club or running it properly with some reasonable investment. If either of those should come to pass by January then I don't see any need for protest. If not...well then Mike Ashley can go fuck himself tbh. If he wants to hang around and watch the club bleed to death he will deserve everything that comes his way. care to elaborate? I don't know at this stage but if you want a stab in the dark it could be more vocal protests....or possibly a bouquet of crysanthemums and roses.

http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2008/11/25/frenchman-could-find-exit-door-opens-soon-61634-22330045/ In any case, we need to start giving more first team experience to Lua Lua, who I think will turn out to be a much better player. Is he a left winger? He doesn't need to be when both Duff and Jonas can play on the left. I forgot about Jonas tbf. In which case Zog is definitely more expendable. If it was down to me though, I would keep Zog and sell Duff in an ideal world. Duff and Jonas are hard working but neither has goals in them. While i expect someone will show me some stats at this point it won't really change my view: I believe Zog is a goal-scoring midifelder in a team playing well, so he offers something a bit extra. We might have seen only glimpses of it since he's been here but it's there IMO.

We are crippling ourselves unless we are serious about either selling the club or running it properly with some reasonable investment. If either of those should come to pass by January then I don't see any need for protest. If not...well then Mike Ashley can go fuck himself tbh. If he wants to hang around and watch the club bleed to death he will deserve everything that comes his way.

The bottom line is if we sell Zog, that leaves us with Duff as our only left winger. No matter how good a lad he is, I don't believe in Duff, I can't see him as being anything other than a loser playing for a losing team in the long run. I would love it if we sold Butt, Smith and Duff in January. As it is I think we'll get more for Zog than we would for all three if they were put up for sale.

I am loathe to suggest any type of upheaval while the team is getting relatively good results, but if it gets to January and Ashley hasn't sold and we start selling players of any value rather than getting rid of players that no one wants, it might be the time for NUSC to start flexing their muscle. Until now, we have been given the impression Ashley is doing everything he can to sell the club - except drop the price to a reasonable figure. If he's not prepared to do that, or plough funds into the team then NUSC will have been proven right and for me it's open season on Mike Ashley after the New Year. He's got till the end of the Jan transfer window.

It's ok, we will get decent transfer fees for our young foreigners, Enrique and N'Zogbia who are obviously much worse than those two fossils. We should rename the ground to Jurassic Park.

Agreed he does have those drawbacks. On the plus side, you have pace, power, explosive shooting, dangerous crossing, ability to run past players and can tackle. What you have to weigh up is who will bring more to the team over a sustained period on the left wing, Duff or N'Zogbia. I think Dave said it best when he said Duff works hard for the team in the same way as Smith does. Fill your team with Duffs, Smiths and Nicky Butts and sooner or later you will have to come to the same conclusion as Keegan did last season; it will end in relegation unless changes are made.

http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2008/11/25/frenchman-could-find-exit-door-opens-soon-61634-22330045/ In any case, we need to start giving more first team experience to Lua Lua, who I think will turn out to be a much better player. Is he a left winger?

of all the managers we've had I'd have liked to see Zog under SBR rather than anyone else. Anyone who could put up with Robert's laziness because of what he brought to the table would have loved someone like Zog.

Do you think Ronaldo would be the same player he is now if Fergie had binned him and replaced him with Damien Duff after his first season (where he showed little more than Charlie did bursting onto the scene here)? Why do you think he didn't? Why hasn't Wenger replaced Fabregas with Nicky Butt? Funnily enough I was just thinking that yesterday watching the Sunday Supplement when the journos were saying that Arsenal didn't have a defensive midfielder who could break up play. Nicky Butt's in the last year of his contract, if he's half as good as his reputation, why don't Arsenal snap him up for £1.5m in January? Answer: because they don't want their midfield to start developing rust.

It's laughable that we put out midfields that get totally over-run by every other side in the division yet left back is considered a major problem. He needs to overlap more at home, but other than that Enrique's a solid enough defender and we have other areas which need looking at more urgently if you ask me.

Maybe he should have another look at Xisco then. Someone must have seen something in the lad before spending £5m in the summer.

I reckon Xisco & Enrique will go out on Loan to Spanish sides, and we'll sign Warnock. While I know we'll be able to offload both Spaniards easily enough, I doubt we'll spend the money required to sign Warnock. It'll be Riise on loan more likely.

I don't think we'll sell Enrique as he's in the first team and we'd be pretty stupid to get rid of him on account of Riise coming in on loan for a few months. Xisco will be the scapegoat I reckon. He's not likely to get a chance to show what he can do with some decent players around him and Viduka looks like being back in a couple of weeks.

I know why Charlie doesn't get picked by a lot of managers, it's because he gets in a strop when he's not played first choice left wing. It's not even that he's such a fantastic player, he doesn't 'play for the team' as much as Duff does. But while we got a great result yesterday, we never looked like scoring and safe reliable (but shit) players like Duff are the reason why. That's why N'Zogbia will be head-hunted by decent teams while Damien Duff will stay here being a good lad and picking up wages for fannying around for 90 mins.