Yorkie

Aye, if that actually was what Allardyce had asked for, i'd agree with you. But it's not - he asked for five years to be a trophy-winning side.

Aye, but there's Geremi who can play down the left - Duff can fill in there aswell. Ramage too! I'd let Carr go and hang onto Baba.

Hmmmmm... If Cole gets back to his form of a year or 2 ago, there's not a LB in the League who gets near him imo. Bridge is good, Cole (generally) is better. Wouldn't disagree. But last season, for me, there was no question that Bridge performed better when he was in the team, than Cole. If we can sustain Bridge's form in a good side with consistent football, we'll have hit the jackpot.

This'll be my second list in this thread, as when it was first posted, i had... ... as my list. Quite proud that me and Sam are on the same wavelength, too - Geremi and Baines not even in the picture at this point. Anyhow, now, it won't really have changed too much. Honestly now, if Sam were to not touch the midfield and attack once more in this transfer window, i'd be more than content. We should reserve some budget for January i reckon, because we already have a very healthy front six. Performances can be reviewed in a few months time and if there is anything to change, the money's there. I'd be more than happy to see us go all out for the defense now, seeing as we've bolstered the attack signinficantly with three very shrewd signings. (Mark Viduka) - £0 (Joey Barton) - £5.8m (David Rozehnal) - £2.9m (Nijtap Geremi) - £0 Habib Beye - £3-4m Sol Campbell - £2-3m Wayne Bridge - £4-5m The four signings so far are ace, offering versatilty and many options formation-wise. I know very little about Beye, but he's highly rated, experienced, and i like the sound of his versatility aswell. His ability to play right-back week-in, week-out is very appealing, seeing as we only have two players at the moment who can play there, and they're both makeshift. And considering Taylor's inexperience, Campbell's age, and Rozehnal's questionable ability - Beye would be a great member of the squad seeing as he favours a central role. I know, it's more money being spent on an 'over the hill' defender. But Campbell's just got undoubted class for me - i like him even more than Tony Adams tbh, he's my favourite English centre-back of my lifetime. At the time of around Euro 2004, when he was playing at his peak for Arsenal, he was one of the best centre-backs in the world, and i can think of no other Premier League player better to bring Taylor on, than Campbell. Test the water with a £2m bid, see what Pompey say and see if we still appeal to the fella. Bridge replaces Leighton Baines in my list, simply because he's seemingly available, whereas he wasn't beforehand. He's a top class left-back and is better than Ashley Cole nowadays. He shone in the first half of last season, playing regularly in a good team. He can play left-wing aswell as left-back, offering more prised versatility to the squad, and where Baines lacks experience, Bridge revels in it, in spite of a relatively young age. Starting line-up in that case being: ----------------------------------- Given ----------------------------------- Beye ---------------- Taylor ------------ Campbell ------------- Bridge ------------------------------------ Butt ------------------------------------ --------------------- Barton ----------------- Emre ----------------------- -- Milner --------------------------------------------------------- Owen -- ----------------------------------- Viduka ---------------------------------- Subs: Harper, Geremi, Rozehnal, N'Zogbia, Dyer, Martins, Ameobi Lots of experience, lots of versatility, lots of options and lots of good players.

Think he's joking. I lolled anyway. On another note, does anybody have any info on loanages? I think all we've heard we regarding this is that Huntington might go to Hartlepool, and Krul might be off to Holland (both good moves)... I suppose Allardyce will probably just wait and see what his squad looks like come August, before he has his players hitching rides to the lower leagues.

Aye... don't see why it's different to European football.

Bridge shits all over Cole nowadays tbh. Would be an absolutely brilliant signing.

We'd have to offer double figures for either Yobo or Lescott for Everton to even consider, tbh. Not that they're worth that, just that Everton would never, ever let them go for £9m, and they wouldn't leave. Would jizz if we got someone like Yobo, like, but it's never going to happen. You're being slightly unrealistic, TT.

He'll do well at Villa. Not my cup of tea but good signing for them.

I'm sure he's a good player, i don't watch much La Liga, and personally i really liked him in the World Cup (that goal against Ukraine possibly my favourite of the tournament), but that's a colossal gamble for such money. Bet he'll never be worth that.

Deep456 is a good laugh tbf. --- Personally, i'd rather Allardyce stuck to what he knew. ----------------------------------- Given ---------------------------------- Geremi ------------ Taylor -------------- Rozehnal ------- Babayaro ----------------------------------- Butt ----------------------------------- -------------------- Barton ----------------- Emre ---------------------- -- Milner ----------------------------------------------------- Martins -- ---------------------------------- Viduka --------------------------------- Subs: Harper, Ramage, Solano, N'Zogbia, Dyer, Owen, Ameobi Only one controversial choice in there, but i just don't see Owen working as a wider forward - which is why i'm gradually beginning to think we should flog him for someone who 'specialises' there. IE - Anelka or Diouf (preferably Diouf). Although, i think Martins probably could do. I'm looking forward to seeing a 4-5-1 formation, because it's what Sam's been successful with, he shouldn't change his winning formula. We shouldn't have to continue with a 4-4-2 (something we've worn out bigtime) just to accommodate Owen. But we might do, so in that case: ----------------------------------- Given ----------------------------------- Geremi ------------- Taylor -------------- Rozehnal -------- Babayaro Milner ----------------Emre --------------- Barton ------------ N'Zogbia ---------------------- Viduka -------------- Owen ------------------------- Subs: Harper, Ramage, Solano, Butt, Dyer, Martins, Ameobi ... would be my preferred 4-4-2 line-up. It's fantastic to have so many options. It feels great to have absolutely no idea what's going to happen, in all honesty. I couldn't predict what Sam wants to do, with any confidence whatsoever. There are things that he's more likely to do, but what his virtual line-up is, none of us know.

No defensive midfielder? Barton? Fucking hell.

Do you get to many games? Just wondering whether the 723 from Durham picks people up in Bahrain. From all the matches Newcastle Fan will potentially have seen, his analysis of Pattison is spot on. Regardless of whether he's from Bahrain or not. I've probably seen just as many outings as Pattison as Newcastle Fan has, through the tele also, and he's not once looked up to it - other than in his full debut. I don't see reserves and i don't see youth games - but Pattison is clearly not up to the standard, as he has displayed no attributes whatsoever that even warrants him a position in the Premier League, never mind a starting place. As i said earlier in the thread, you have to give the guy credit for coming back from two of the most hurrendous injuries you can ask for, and at such a young and naive age, but he isn't good enough. If we can get a fee it'd be very good business.

Well, that's the general hope with any loaning of youngsters; i reckon that's probably what his thinking is, aye.

3-5-2 always sounds ace on paper, doesn't it. I think the reason for why Allardyce is bringing in versatile players, is so that we have versatility in the squad. I know, sounds daft, but that's all it is imo. This is the main point with any meat to it. He can chop and change during a match whenever he wants, thanks to the versatile squad that he's building. It's something we've very rarely had in our squad - the option to make a sudden and effective change to a tactic during the match. Nor have we had the manager with the ability to pull off any attempt to do so, Bobby being a strictly 4-4-2 man. That's all it is i reckon, just some added versatility to the squad. Can't imagine he'll risk a 3-5-2 when it's had a history or never working in this country, both with the national squad and in the Premier League. Like Ohmelads said, i don't want us to be his failed experiment, and why would we be? He'll stick to what he knows, i hope so anyway.

Difficult to disagree.

I thought Todorov went to Wigan... was that only a loan?

We did last season. Predominantly due to a lack of creativity in midfield, and all we've done there so far is replace Parker with Barton. A good attack and an average defense will get you into Europe. A good defense and an average attack will stop you getting relegated. The return of Owen/Shola and the signing of Viduka might help a tad. Attacking midfield would be my second choice, absolutely, but i'd love to see us focus a hefty segment of a budget on a defender, a la Woodgate. I mean, when Woodgate played, he was arguably technically the best centre-back Newcastle have ever had (going off what people on here have said). It'd be great to have that again under Allardyce. Still, like i say, i wouldn't be disappointed if an Arteta or someone came through the door. PS - how you feel that an attack containing Michael Owen, Mark Viduka, Obafemi Martins, James Milner, Joey Barton, etc as average; is absolutely shocking in my point of view!

Pompey won't have any strikers.

S'alright - we were monumentally fucked for January anyway.

Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool would all finish above us anyway, though. They're the three biggest teams in the league (by an absolute landslide) - it's their right to have better players. Besides, if someone offered me Bale and Bent for close on £30m, or Viduka, Barton, Rozehnal and Geremi for about £9m - i'd pick the latter every day of the week. Spurs will probably finish above us, but we've got the potential to rip them to shreds within two seasons.

A centre-back. We shouldn't struggle for goals next season...

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Well no, it had absolutely naff all to do with that. There was a photo of Ramage looking totally gormless, and a picture of Milner with a goofy smile, and i put "Duhh..." cos i thought it looked quite funny. For the record, i think Milner's a good player with great potential, and i think Ramage is utter shite, with the potential to do well in League 1. Regardless of what they look like.

I had a photo of him on with a funny goofy smile, next to a pic of a gormless Ramage, with the quotation: "Duhh...". That's all! And even if i was against their intellectual abilities ( ), what the hell has that got to do with their footballing capabilities? Come on, man!