TRon

he's been making noises about wanting away for at least 2 years now Maybe if he'd started more games at left wing ahead of Duff it might have been different.

I don't hold it against him if he wants to move in order to get first team football. Given and Owen want away and they are manager favourites, not to mention first names on the team sheet. He shouldn't be allowed to leave on the cheap under any circumstances, he only signed a new contract last year so the money will have to be right.

It's not about individuals so much as it is about creating an effective unit. Villa's effective unit obviously doesn't include past it chuggers like Butt or Geremi. They are buying our promising youngsters while we are targeting has-beens like Ferguson.

He's on a different level. Modric looks like a pygmy in comparison and that's not an insult.

It would be interesting if Villa were one of the buying clubs. That would mean they would have targeted two of our recent wide players, both who have come in for criticism while here. Pompey have also targeted Joey Barton so the only midfielders who have had no interest shown in them are Nicky Butt and Damien Duff. Does this give an indication where our real midfield problems lie?

If Smith is still here after the Jan window then the only position he should be considered is defensive midfield. I know he's shit there but at least he can run up and down the pitch and keep up with play which is more than we can say for Butt. Given a choice of two crap players with no skill I'd go for the one with some legs.

There is a saying that what goes up must come down. The question here is if Newcastle United can sometime soon reverse the downward spiral that is taking the club deeper and deeped into the shit? On a more positive note.....I think Carroll deserves more than one game before he is slaughtered, I mean on another day he would have scored that header at Hull and everyone would priase him. Come on, lift the toon on Sat!! Scoreline: the infamous 2-2 Nothing wrong with giving Carroll a timely booster but if in the same breath you are going to say Carroll and Owen are our only two fit strikers, then obviously you are going to look clueless. I'm assuming Xisco is still fit and available here btw. It might well be that Carroll is the better bet to start but what purpose does it serve to treat Xisco like a leper?

What would be the point in selling Barton now? We've wasted our money paying him while he's been locked up/injured, now that he's approaching fitness again, we sell? Barton's a tosser but we have few options in midfield, he is definitely one of the better ones.

In that case why make such a song and dance for months about making signings in the Jan window? I am taking Joe at his word, I'm assuming he's got some idea that Ashley will back him and bring in faces. Although I am having a job keeping a straight face even as I type this.

I am waiting to the end of the window before I give any final verdict one way or the other. It would be a bit daft to start spouting off and then see 3 or 4 signings landing a couple of days before the deadline. What I will say is this: Kinnear has been talking about signing in this transfer window since he was on a monthly contract. It won't look good for him or the board if that turns out to be hot air.

Good luck to the lad but if he's starting the next two games it's not enough to look promising or be a handful, he has to score goals or play a big part in someone else scoring. I'd like to be optimistic but if Guthrie's out we don't have even one specialist midfielder, thereby cancelling the positive news of Butt's suspension.

I said earlier on in this thread that i didn't see what he offered that geremi doesn't. Both has-beens who will get over-run in most matches in the premier. I'm going to wait to see if it actually happens before saying too much though.

I think Mido probably would come, Newcastle must seem like Barcelona compared to boro. The problem is going to be shifting that spongeing cunt Smith.

Yes I would definitely agree I would start Berbatov ahead of Martins every time at Newcastle.

Not just down another body, also in one of the key areas of the pitch we are already short of quality. Not that Barton has been of much use in this regard at Newcastle as he's never available, but if he goes I have serious doubts whether we will replace him.

Would be a smart choice IMO.

I would say we are fast reaching a crossroads. These are tricky times for a lot of clubs and it's easy to overlook how many are in real trouble like West Ham. But Ashley has to invest some serious money in the squad to keep us a competitive force. There's been some decent work in the transfer market but we are obviously still weak in some areas and we can't keep blowing season after season due to not being able to cope with injuries.

Ditto. I have my doubts about his injury record but I've always thought he's a useful squad player. I can't imagine he's on a big salary, but he offers an option on the bench to cause real problems to defenders. One of the reasons we beat high flying Villa this season was the battering he gave Laursen who isn't a bad defender.

TRhat's who we'll probably end up with in reality.

He's a confidence striker which means his form can be patchy, but as a striker he'd give us options we don't currently have. A pacy target man allows you to play with one striker if the need calls for it.

My gut feeling is that Kinnear's public ridicule of Xisco from almost day one has probably put the lad's nose out of joint a little bit. It's not easy coming to a new country and the quality managers are good at handling the players and making them feel part of the squad. JK seemed more put out that Xisco is Johnny Foreigner who doesn't understand the lingo. Gor blimey Guv!

Owen v Oba arguments aside, it's a big blow. For all his lack of polish, with Martins on the pitch we look a far more threatening team.

I always thought that too, in fact I can remember questioning Martin Jol about him on these forums. Jol seemed stunned that anyone had even noticed him

It's been said already, but any players brought in will have to be approved by Wise - and more than likely they'll be his players in any case, so there's no reason not expect new signings. It wouldn't surprise me if Kinnear's being told he has to sell to buy, and then he watches dumbfounded as Wise's players are brought in over his head for good money. If Ashley doesn't spend in this window he's not only risking relegation, he's in danger of making the club look 2nd rate. That will make it harder to sign decent players or a good manager, and it will disillusion the players we already have. Not that I'd lose sleep over most of them packing their bags overpaid tossers that they are.

It really depends on what happens this transfer window. If Ashley was to invest some decent money on strengthening the squad, there's every chance we could attract a decent manager. At the moment though, the manager pretty much fits the make do and mend approach being taken by Ashley so we should have a better idea come February. If we haven't spent £15m or so in the transfer window I'm pretty sure Kinnear will stay on.