Unbelievable

missed this one, but its spot on based on what we've seen so far. Quite amazing how some people continue to choose not to recognise it just because it means ackonwledging the old board actually did something right and soopa Mike might not be so soopa after all. Are you suggesting we never signed reserve/fringe players from the top clubs under the previous board? Think carefully before you answer. We also signed top notch players and paid the going rate, which is how we qualified for the Champs League and europe so often. Competing at the level of the likes of pompey and Blackburn isn't really how I think NUFC should be run. Stand by for years of real mediocrity if thats what you want Dave. The truth is that clubs like Blackburn are currently doing the best of about 40 or 50 teams competing at that level, thats all. Newcastle are bigger than that. I didn't spot an answer in there. If this is the only type of player we sign you'll have a point. As it is, we've also signed a player Portsmouth wanted for £8m and there's six weeks of the window left. Wtf.. They clearly didn´t or he would have been playing there wouldn´t he Dave? You are aware that was Mallorca´s asking price and no club was willing to match it, so how does that make him worth that amount? You seemed to understand this very same principle in the Arshavin thread.. what now? You've based that opinion on absolutely nothing whereas it was confirmed by the Mallorca that they rejected an £8m bid from Pormstmouth in Jan, so by that pricing it'd be fair to say that maybe he could of been worth more... I´ve checked and it appears you may be right. Apologies Dave.

I´m sold! Let´s keep him and play him every match we can! You completely misunderstood my post. Well done! What was your point?

Sad but true..

I´m sold! Let´s keep him and play him every match we can!

I feel physically sick after reading this. `A reasonable job as our battling midfielder` ffs?!

missed this one, but its spot on based on what we've seen so far. Quite amazing how some people continue to choose not to recognise it just because it means ackonwledging the old board actually did something right and soopa Mike might not be so soopa after all. Are you suggesting we never signed reserve/fringe players from the top clubs under the previous board? Think carefully before you answer. We also signed top notch players and paid the going rate, which is how we qualified for the Champs League and europe so often. Competing at the level of the likes of pompey and Blackburn isn't really how I think NUFC should be run. Stand by for years of real mediocrity if thats what you want Dave. The truth is that clubs like Blackburn are currently doing the best of about 40 or 50 teams competing at that level, thats all. Newcastle are bigger than that. I didn't spot an answer in there. If this is the only type of player we sign you'll have a point. As it is, we've also signed a player Portsmouth wanted for £8m and there's six weeks of the window left. Wtf.. They clearly didn´t or he would have been playing there wouldn´t he Dave? You are aware that was Mallorca´s asking price and no club was willing to match it, so how does that make him worth that amount? You seemed to understand this very same principle in the Arshavin thread..

I agree and I'd like to see us in for him especially if it's a battle between Villa and Spurs. Unfortunately I think he's got ideas above our station now, and will probably see those two as better bets. This. We need to make a signing that the above two are in for, because all of the signals I'm getting this summer are that we're a mile behind even these two clubs when it comes to where players would sign. Exactly. As you can see though, even Dave is resigned to losing out on a player if it comes to a 3-way fight between those clubs and us, which is incredible and would have justly been laughed off a mere few months ago. How exactly am I 'resigned to losing out' on him? I said I'd like to see us in for him, but that he may well see those other clubs as better bets than us right now, er, because they are. If you think that's 'incredible' and 'laughable' then it explains why you're not satisfied so far - you clearly feel we can get the most sought-after players with ease regardless of our current standing. Any comments on my post about Park btw? I said it wouldn't be easy to attract players off my list didn't I? You are resigned to losing out saying these other clubs are better bets. Has Shitteam taken over your account Dave? They are clubs of a similar stature as ours and as long as we are prepared to offer the wages he would deserve and maybe Spurs and Villa can't afford we would have a very good chance of signing him as long as none of the top 4 come in for him.. Not even moving for players with the potential to immediatly improve us and instead signing players below our level in the blind hope that they will somehow be gems is exactly what's wrong with us this summer transfer window so far. Re Park and you painting him with the same brush as Smith and Guthrie, well what can I say? You evidently don´t rate him as highly as I do, which was always bound to happen with a few players if you ask me to draw up a list of possible targets. Was that why you were so desperate for me to conjure up a list, so you could pick one or two holes in it discussing players you don´t rate and I do. Ah well, if you insist Park was one of the best midfielders in the CL for two seasons running not so long ago and fully deserved his big transfer move to one of Europe´s biggest clubs at a time when Chelsea was also extremely interested. At Manchester United the incredible competition for places means he is not an automatic starter, but not many players would be. Still, he has played in 83 games for them in 3 seasons, so Ferguson certainly seems to rate him as a good squad player at their level. I feel he would improve our first team significantly. Que the Alan Smith used to play good in Europe a decade ago and played for Manchester United too brigade. Well, with him I knew he was a mistake when he joined us, as a lot of us did. This is what I said when we signed him http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=43382.msg942959#msg942959

Arsenal reject went to a lower league club and came here for less than £2 million. http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/4953/andycoleeg1.th.jpg Exactly the type of signing we need to be looking for. We have no chance of getting players that played at Euro 2008 (unless they were s****) and young british players who are already being talked about in the press (like that lad from Cardiff that Arsenal signed). Somehow we have to get lucky and unearth a couple of gems (Rob Lee is another of this type) then we can push on and in a couple of season become an attractive propostion for the better known talent Geez, and they call us, the ones calling for a bit of ambition, doom mongers. After reading that I think we've all got it the wrong way around.. The people in the positive mood camp are not positive at all, they are mentally prepared for mediocrity.. On a more serious note, we are still a very attractive Premiership club and many players would jump at the chance to join us, no matter how much Shitteam will have you believe otherwise. It's just a matter of the people in charge of the club showing the required level of ambition in attracting new players, i.e. ones that will allow us to move forward.. How were Andy Cole and Rob Lee mediocre ? I didn't say that, did I? I refered to your 'we have to get lucky and unearth a few gems' mentality.. Err, we are not Hull City you know, we are Newcastle United. We have a big name, a good reputation and a billionaire owner, hence I think we can afford to set our sights a little bit higher than attracting relative nobodies for pennies in the hope that they turn out to be the next Rob Lee or Andy Cole. Capiche? Capiche ?? I am leaving this conversation now. Arrivederci!

Arsenal reject went to a lower league club and came here for less than £2 million. http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/4953/andycoleeg1.th.jpg Exactly the type of signing we need to be looking for. We have no chance of getting players that played at Euro 2008 (unless they were s****) and young british players who are already being talked about in the press (like that lad from Cardiff that Arsenal signed). Somehow we have to get lucky and unearth a couple of gems (Rob Lee is another of this type) then we can push on and in a couple of season become an attractive propostion for the better known talent Geez, and they call us, the ones calling for a bit of ambition, doom mongers. After reading that I think we've all got it the wrong way around.. The people in the positive mood camp are not positive at all, they are mentally prepared for mediocrity.. On a more serious note, we are still a very attractive Premiership club and many players would jump at the chance to join us, no matter how much Shitteam will have you believe otherwise. It's just a matter of the people in charge of the club showing the required level of ambition in attracting new players, i.e. ones that will allow us to move forward.. How were Andy Cole and Rob Lee mediocre ? I didn't say that, did I? I refered to your 'we have to get lucky and unearth a few gems' mentality.. Err, we are not Hull City you know, we are Newcastle United. We have a big name, a good reputation and a billionaire owner, hence I think we can afford to set our sights a little bit higher than attracting relative nobodies for pennies in the hope that they turn out to be the next Rob Lee or Andy Cole. Capiche?

I agree and I'd like to see us in for him especially if it's a battle between Villa and Spurs. Unfortunately I think he's got ideas above our station now, and will probably see those two as better bets. This. We need to make a signing that the above two are in for, because all of the signals I'm getting this summer are that we're a mile behind even these two clubs when it comes to where players would sign. Exactly. As you can see though, even Dave is resigned to losing out on a player if it comes to a 3-way fight between those clubs and us, which is incredible and would have justly been laughed off a mere few months ago.

Arsenal reject went to a lower league club and came here for less than £2 million. http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/4953/andycoleeg1.th.jpg Exactly the type of signing we need to be looking for. We have no chance of getting players that played at Euro 2008 (unless they were s****) and young british players who are already being talked about in the press (like that lad from Cardiff that Arsenal signed). Somehow we have to get lucky and unearth a couple of gems (Rob Lee is another of this type) then we can push on and in a couple of season become an attractive propostion for the better known talent Geez, and they call us, the ones calling for a bit of ambition, doom mongers. After reading that I think we've all got it the wrong way around.. The people in the positive mood camp are not positive at all, they are mentally prepared for mediocrity.. On a more serious note, we are still a very attractive Premiership club and many players would jump at the chance to join us, no matter how much Shitteam will have you believe otherwise. It's just a matter of the people in charge of the club showing the required level of ambition in attracting new players, i.e. ones that will allow us to move forward..

Absolute nonsense and you know it.. Now a top class player for 12 million and we would be having a different debate.. i don't think its nonsense at all. i think he's absoloutely spot on. Well we haven't splashed out 12 million for him have we, so it's a complete non debate. Personally, if we would have thrown away 12 million on a player of his credentials I would have been far more unhappy than I currently am about signing two 'meh' players when we really need to inject some quality in the side.. What are his credentials? How much have you seen him play? In his mid twenties, never caught the eye of a big European club, a complete fringe player for his country and no outstanding statistics in terms of goal scoring or creating. If we would have paid 12 million for a relatively unknow player with those credentials I wouldn't have been happy.. Would you? That's a "never" then. Btw you've just described one: http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/350/robertnew2wf1.jpg and we paid £10m for him seven years ago and he was f***ing brilliant. You've also described David "tug tug tug" Bentley as well. And Andrei Arshavin. That's fair enough Wullie. Some players take their time to blossom and as I've said before, Gutierrez may turn out to be a very good player for us. I certainly hope so. Doesn't mean any player with those questionnable credentials will be a success does it?

Absolute nonsense and you know it.. Now a top class player for 12 million and we would be having a different debate.. i don't think its nonsense at all. i think he's absoloutely spot on. Well we haven't splashed out 12 million for him have we, so it's a complete non debate. Personally, if we would have thrown away 12 million on a player of his credentials I would have been far more unhappy than I currently am about signing two 'meh' players when we really need to inject some quality in the side.. What are his credentials? How much have you seen him play? In his mid twenties, never caught the eye of a big European club, a complete fringe player for his country and no outstanding statistics in terms of goal scoring or creating. If we would have paid 12 million for a relatively unknow player with those credentials I wouldn't have been happy.. Would you? Is it not you who would say in Keegan we trust so he must have seen something others have not which makes him worth 12 million.. As I have said time and time again, it's not about the money, it's about the level of player and the more importantly our ambition. This argument about spending money to shut up the people with concerns is only made by people who are perfectly happy with our signings so far. I'm fairly certain most people who remain concerned are of this opinion: by spending money you show ambition, but there is no need to spend more money than you need as long as you get the right targets in. The problem at the moment isn't the former, it's the latter..

Good shout.. Doesn't seem physical enough from what i saw of him for chelsea That must be why the nicknamed him the canibal in the German league, which is known for being very physical..

See Smith, Alan. You're having a laugh.. Please dig up my comments when we signed this fuckwit you mention for reference.. He may have been in a side that was in the CL semis, but that doesn't mean he's in the same bracket as Park..

Good shout..

The Park that was PSV's best player for two straight seasons in which they reached the quarter and semi finals of the Champions League, earning him a transfer to one of the biggest clubs in the world where he has done reasonably well? Yes, I think he's a step above anything we have in midfield at the moment and not entirely unrealistic..

Absolute nonsense and you know it.. Now a top class player for 12 million and we would be having a different debate.. i don't think its nonsense at all. i think he's absoloutely spot on. Well we haven't splashed out 12 million for him have we, so it's a complete non debate. Personally, if we would have thrown away 12 million on a player of his credentials I would have been far more unhappy than I currently am about signing two 'meh' players when we really need to inject some quality in the side..

Depends whether you give a toss about actually playing or not I suppose. He had been playing before hadn't he..? If it was just about playing he would have signed a new contract with Bolton. He went away to move up in the world and he did. Take Guthrie, are you saying he shouldn't have signed for us when we offered him a contract, because he is not likely to figure in the first team much next season? Should he have gone to Fulham because they would have probably guaranteed him a first team place, or did he make the right decision to come here and take a chance? Chelsea - some of the best players in the league if not the world in Ben Haim's position. Newcastle - Geremi, someone currently in jail, Butt, er...Smith? Spot the difference. I thought you were convinced we were going to be bringing in some first team players for the midfield? I am pretty convinced, yeah. Do you think Keegan told Guthrie that when trying to get him to sign? In any case, they're still not going to be the midfield equivalent of Terry and Carvalho, are they? I would hope that for an uninspiring signing that Guthrie is (below average Premiership midfielder with supposed promise due to his age) the competition for his place that we are trying to bring in will be at least as much of a quality gap as there is between a very good Premiership defender and a world class defender, otherwise we're fucked..

I think it's fair to say we would have been and probably were willing to pay them at least the same wages Chelsea do considering they are squad players. What will they be on, somewhere near the 50k mark, that's what we pay players of their calibre as well. They went there to be part of a top football club in the world, possibly win a few trophies and have the chance the dreamt of as little boys to play at the highest possible level. Is it really that painful for Newcastle fans to consider players would rather go to a better club if offered similar wages than come here? I would find that slightly irronic considering money is one of the few things we've got going for us when it comes to attracting players nowadays. Is there something wrong with being ambitious and wanting to earn good money while trying to constantly improve at what you do, because if there is count me in as being guilty,,

Depends whether you give a toss about actually playing or not I suppose. He had been playing before hadn't he..? If it was just about playing he would have signed a new contract with Bolton. He went away to move up in the world and he did. Take Guthrie, are you saying he shouldn't have signed for us when we offered him a contract, because he is not likely to figure in the first team much next season? Should he have gone to Fulham because they would have probably guaranteed him a first team place, or did he make the right decision to come here and take a chance? Chelsea - some of the best players in the league if not the world in Ben Haim's position. Newcastle - Geremi, someone currently in jail, Butt, er...Smith? Spot the difference. I thought you were convinced we were going to be bringing in some first team players for the midfield?

Depends whether you give a toss about actually playing or not I suppose. He had been playing before hadn't he..? If it was just about playing he would have signed a new contract with Bolton. He went away to move up in the world and he did. Take Guthrie, are you saying he shouldn't have signed for us when we offered him a contract, because he is not likely to figure in the first team much next season? Should he have gone to Fulham because they would have probably guaranteed him a first team place, or did he make the right decision to come here and take a chance? I reckon Guthrie will get a lot more chances than Ben Haim has at Chelsea. We will see, but if he does indeed you have to wonder if we as a club are moving in the right direction..

Absolute nonsense and you know it.. Now a top class player for 12 million and we would be having a different debate..

Depends whether you give a toss about actually playing or not I suppose. He had been playing before hadn't he..? If it was just about playing he would have signed a new contract with Bolton. He went away to move up in the world and he did. Take Guthrie, are you saying he shouldn't have signed for us when we offered him a contract, because he is not likely to figure in the first team much next season? Should he have gone to Fulham because they would have probably guaranteed him a first team place, or did he make the right decision to come here and take a chance?

Can't say he's ever looked that good to me. Would have taken him on a free the other year but he chased the cash like Sidwell IMO; never stood a chance of getting in before Terry and Carvalho. That´s easy for us to say on the sidelines isn´t it? As a player you just want the chance to prove yourself at the highest level possible and, yes, maybe earn a decent wage while you´re at it. People go on like going to Chelsea is just about the money way too much. It´s not like a top player going to a Middle East club when they´re competing for every trophy around is it..? A cynic would argue players that cho(o)se us over other clubs went for the money rather than for sporting reasons.. As a free transfer from Bolton, if he honestly thought he would get in the Chelsea team ahead of club captain John Terry and £20m Ricardo Carvalho - one of the best defenders in the world - I wouldn't want him as he's clearly a mentalist. You'd have to be a mentalist to not move from a club like Bolton to a club like Chelsea when given the chance..