Shak

Trezeguet, another player who has never impressed me at all when I've watched him yet he seems to be as good a goalscorer as there is out there.

Eh? I doubt they're expecting him to be the guy we're going to build the team around or anything, not all your signings are going to be superstars. do people see that much difference between enrique and warnock like? personally given their age(s) i don't so what's the point in warnock then? seriously? 3-4m say for a 26(?) year-old who'll have no sell on value later versus a player already on the books, younger and with more potential, not to mention someone who put in the effort to establish himself last season amidst difficult circumstances - be a right boost for his confidence this signing eh? zog/duff anyone? as i said, not a single thing i understand about it unless (as i suspect) warnock is comfortable in both FB positions, that being the case i can see the method behind the move, if he's only a LB then it's pointless If Enrique was properly established in the team then I'd agree with you, but the lad is still in his early 20's and is still pretty much new to the league, he's far from a sure thing as regards being a dependable LB for us next season. What do we do if he struggles next year? N'Zogbia is a liability at left-back so we'd have nobody capable of replacing Enrique should his form not be good or he gets injured. I like Enrique, but it's nothing like the Duff/Zog situation at all.

Does he turn 31 in the next week?

Eh? I doubt they're expecting him to be the guy we're going to build the team around or anything, not all your signings are going to be superstars.

Can't agree with that. N'Zogbia was coming off a season where he was one of our best players, and Duff was always going to command a regular starting spot regardless of form due to his reputation. We also had a nice compliment of wingers at the time to that deal never made sense IMO. On the other hand Enrique, while looking to have potential, was hardly fantastic last year by any means and I think it'd be daft going into next year relying on him to be our first choice left-back with no Plan B. Warnock also doesn't come with Duff's reputation either so you would imagine the spot will be up for grabs and the better player will start, based on the fact that Keegan isn't a spineless coward like Roeder.

Fair play to Spurs, a truly wonderful football club.

So the club get the blame for what is probably some nonce making shit up on the internet? I'm sure there'll be one or two who will see it that way. Happens all the time though and not just at Newcastle, so it's hardly an unfathomable notion that they may have let a rumour or two slip out is it?

I'd nearly gaurantee it's just a club generated rumour to generate interest. Coloccini will probably be unveiled, but nobody else.

Having a laugh surely?

Shit post tbh Baggio.

Because it's a position that isn't restricted to a central role, see Barton playing there last season for an example. I don't think i ever once saw Barton getting to the touch line, which is where Jonas is meant to be most dangerous. The whole point of a 433 midfield is that the 3 make up for the 4. I.e in the defensive sense he would be doing a pretty similar job, tracking back and protecting the full back. However, in the attacking sense we can't afford to have two centre mids playing on the wings because that leaves one in centre. In the premierleague you can't get away with that, even against the likes of Hull. If Jonas is going to be used effectively he is going to have to be played in his position i.e on the wing, in a 442. Otherwise we might as well not have bought him. For the record i liked the formation we ended the season with. From the bit we've seen of Jonas so far he looks very comfortable playing tucked in and seems easily solid enough from a defensive role to play the position that Geremi filled last year at the end of the season. Also would appear to have the engine to get wide from that position and still give us something on the flanks. With Owen playing so deep I think it gives plenty of license for the flankers in the 3 man midfield to get wide without the center getting exposed, and if we go with the 4-3-3 again as I hope we will I think Jonas will do very well in it. I would say that Barton didn't get wide both because it's not really his game and he was on the left so there was scarcely much point in him doing so as he's very right footed.

Take N'Zogbia out and put Damien Duff in, then you're right. Is he fuck. Duff should play up front if he's getting a game at all, and with Martins, Owen and Viduka already in the team I'm not sure Duff fits.

This, maybe putting Milner or N'Zogbia in in place of Barton in certain games. I really think we're a CF away from having a nice squad. Someone to compete with, learn from and ultimately replace Viduka and we're ready to go IMO. Deridyok would make sense in this respect as he wouldn't command an automatic first team place by any means if brought in.

When I played as a youngster I used to copy Tino's cartwheel. Caught one of the lads square on the chin with my studs as I went for it once and he tried to jump on my shoulders.

I Feel Like Chicken Tonight.

And by Baptista I mean that Deridyok guy.

Taiwo and Baptista.

Not been watching, what sort of formation are we playing with, who's playing where?

I wonder if he's at the game himself?

why not...and heres a novel,blue sky,out of the box type idea.....have two box to box midfielders,who do it all ? Sounds great in theory but they need to develop a very good understanding for that to work. You can't have two guys bombing forward all the time getting into the box, get it wrong and you'll empty out the midfield and get bummed on the break all day long. I'm all for having good all-round midfielders who can interchange and not be just restricted to one role, but I do believe it's beneficial to have one guy who is instinctively more likely to sit and one whose more inclined to get forward. as opposed to having a defensive midfielder sitting back all game and not taking opportunities to get forward. the game is now more about movement than anythiong else and some people are trying make subbuteo players out of flesh and blood. Some are I guess, others would just like us to see us sign a player who can actually dictate the play a bit, as it's something we desperately need if we're going 4-4-2. "Attacking midfielder" is just a general term for a center midfielder who can offer a bit of quality going forward, as far as I'm concerned anyway, and that's a type of player we don't actually have IMO. Personally hope we sign a forward and stick with the 4-3-3 myself, anyway.

why not...and heres a novel,blue sky,out of the box type idea.....have two box to box midfielders,who do it all ? Sounds great in theory but they need to develop a very good understanding for that to work. You can't have two guys bombing forward all the time getting into the box, get it wrong and you'll empty out the midfield and get bummed on the break all day long. I'm all for having good all-round midfielders who can interchange and not be just restricted to one role, but I do believe it's beneficial to have one guy who is instinctively more likely to sit and one whose more inclined to get forward.

If we are going to play a flat 4-4-2 then we really do need a top signing to make it work. None of our current central midfielders to me seem capable of being the man to link midfield and attack, being our primary playmaker who most of the play goes through, to allow the wide men to stay wide and do their damage there. Furthermore, none of our strikers are really that suited to dropping off into the hole and pulling the strings either, so if we're going with a 4-4-2 then I don't think we have the personnel to make it work at all. Whether it's an "attacking midfielder" or a striker who drops off the front and pulls the strings and makes the team tick from there, we need someone, as we've nobody capable of it at the minute as far as I can see. The problem with this though is that you can then rely on that player to make you tick too much, which is why I'd prefer we stuck with the system we used at the end of last season. A sitter, two box-to-box engine room types either side, a player floating between the midfield and attack and then two strikers. Doesn't really overly rely on any particular player to make it work, and is a vastly better fit for the players we have at our disposal at the minute. If there's anything in the Taiwo rumours (though I do tend to doubt it) then we'll have a much better suited full-back to make it work as well, so we'll see. Anyway, I think that we'll make one more first-team signing, either a CM or a CF. That should prove a very good indication of what sort of setup we'll be going with next season.

I see what you're saying but long-term it can only be a good thing to have the defense sorted for the next few years, leaving us free to build upon our strong foundation in years to come. Assuming we got Taiwo and then he and Coloccini actually work out, of course.

Can't say I agree with this. I think that with a couple of good, first-team quality signings we'd have plenty of cause for optimism for the coming season. Obviously our preperation for the August schedule isn't very good, but realistically anything more than 3 points from those 3 games would be fantastic, so it's not as important as most years. I think we're set for keepers and in defence, assuming Collocini comes in and maybe a squad player who can play left-back. The key is what system we're playing IMO, if it's the 4-3-3 we finished last year with then one more signing would do me. In midfield we've Butt and Guthrie to fight it out for the holding role, with Barton, Milner, N'Zogbia, Geremi and Spiderman vying for the spots flanking them in the midfield three. Then up top we've Viduka, Owen, Martins and Duff (I hope to see him used as back-up to Martins, in a sort of wide striker role with a target man ala Viduka to play off). If we can sell Smith and get in someone to challenge Viduka for his spot as target man then it's not too bad by any means. Baptista, if available, would be perfect because he could play up front or fill in for Owen in the deep striker role should Owen be absent. If we're going for a 4-4-2 then we need a starting quality CM rather than a forward, and then also a 4th choice striker, but I hope that won't bethe case personally. Guthrie doesn't look physical enough to be a holding player, at least not yet. Butt, along with Geremi and Barton are either too old or too slow to be playing week in week out in the same team. Duff isn't a striker and Viduka won't play much, so there's plenty room for improvement to that squad. There's always room for improvement of course, but it's hardly a bad situation is it? Butt, Barton and Geremi did pretty well in the same team at the back end of last season as it happens, and now all three will have a fair fight on their hands to even get a place in the team. So I think it's fair to say we've improved there surely? As I said an alternative to Viduka is absolutely crucial, and if we don't get it we're in trouble. As for Duff, I'm not advocating playing him as an out and out striker by any means but as part of a front three I think he can be alright, drifting wide to help provide a bit of width. Played some of the best football of his career in that position for Ireland.

Oh dear, some of those "trophy signings" under the old board aren't looking so bad now are they? Still anything's better than Fat Freddy, right? :clap: