KaKa

Nigel Reo-Coker like Routledge is someone who I saw a decent amount of because I was in the area when they played for Wimbledon and Crystal Palace respectively, and both emerged on the scene. I promise you that you would all love the guy. There was a lot of sceptism about Routledge and go back and look at what I had to say then, and you will see that I was accurate about him. Routledge has been great and willbe in the premier league also, mark my words.

Anyway lets talk about Reo-Coker ... this again would be a very very shrewd signing, just like Routledge was. mrmojorisin75 is very accurate in his description. Reo-Coker is  a very very strong, dynamic and mobile box to box central midfielder that plays with a ton of drive and determination going forward as well as defensively. The type of player he is, is a Scott Parker / Essien / Palacios type I would say. To get the best out of him you definitely want to give him the freedom to get up and down the pitch. He has sometimes been used as more of a defensive misdfielder, and though he can do a job, he really isn't quite savvy enough on the whole, it is essentially a bit of a waste of his better attributes, which are his drive and power going forward. Of course he isn't a perfect player either, and does have his faults. The thing he isn't as great at are the more technical aspects. His touch can be poor at times, and so he will not always get the ball under control as quickly or as well as he can, and his passing can also be off the mark at times too, whether a 5 yard pass, or a 20 yard one. These two things mean that he will lose the ball at times. The good thing is that it does make him doubly determined to fight to get it back, and he does have the speed and power to try to do so. He also doesn't hide and will generally have the right idea when it comes to receiving  the ball in the right areas and making the right passes and will hit the mark a decent amount of the time. Basically, he won't disappear like a Jenas and just play side to side / back passes all day.

So ... looking at our team setup, and assuming Nolan plays a big role next season, I would say the ideal lineup would feature both in the more advanced positions of a three man midfield, with a devensive/holding midfielder who is good technically, comfortable on the ball and who can distribute it very well - think Carrick, Huddlestone, Obi-Mikel etc. Nolan and Reo-Coker would then essentially play the roles of Lampard and Essien. However, as I mentioned earlier, you could also certainly get away with partnering Nolan with Reo-Coker in a midfield two and have Reo-Coker play a more defensive role, whcih he could certainly do, though in my opinion he isn't as efficient at this.

Character wise Reo-Coker is solid. That West Ham bling brigade rubbish was perpetuated by Ferdinand more than anything.  As I said, I lived in the area when he played for Wimbledon and he is actually related to a friend of mine. Reo-Coker is originally from Sierra Leone and moved here when he was a kid. He is very much a family guy and doesn't typicaly live the footballers lifestyle. Very laid back. Not sure what happened with the O'Neill tussle, but seeing how O'Neill didn't make a big deal out of it I'm pretty sure it wasn't all down to Reo-Coker.

Sorry if I have over done things, but this is a player I know quitye a lot about, similar to Routledge, and so just thought I would have my say.

:aww:

Would anyone here take Carew? On his way out from Villa apparently (or well, according to the media so it's probably bullshit, but whatever, the question still stands) with Fulham and Spurs chasing him.

 

He's a good player but we already have a plethora of big powerful target men. It would make more sense to target an alternative to Lovenkrands I would have thought.

Unless we are planning on getting two brand new top central midfielders I really don't think we should be looking to play 4-4-2 next season imo.

Therefore we need a quality big man who is also fast and athletic and who can play alone up top for us. Carew is the sort we will need.

Aristide Bance of Mainz is an intersting possibility and very realistic.

Hughton is sensible enough to be fine with this, especially if it will make his job easier and will allow him to focus on his strength wi=hich is coaching and organising the team.

We will need to go after a higher level of player now, and might well need someone who is a bit more heavyweight and has more contacts in the footballing world at large to attract these sorts of players.

Chris Hughton is the exact sort of manager who you might want working with a DOF, and is likely to actually appreciate the assistance. As long as it isn't a cretin like Wise I really can't see the problem. Hughton is so cool and sensible anyway, that he would probably even be able to pull off working with wise!

If this is true I'm not worried about it in the slightest. We've got a special person in charge in Chris Hughton. Won't faze him in the slightest.

Jermaine Lens

 

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2010/04/24/newcastle-target-dutch-striker-jeremain-lens-72703-26308880/?

Mounir El Hamdaoui of AZ alkmaar could be someone we are looking at. We've been linked with AZ's Jeremiah Lens, but I think it's more likely to be El Hamdaoui. He's over 20 goals again this season as he was in the previous one.

Here's the interesting bit though, he was at Tottenham from 2005-2007, and Hughton would have been coaching at Tottenham then.

Mounir El Hamdaoui of AZ alkmaar could be someone we are looking at. We've been linked with AZ's Jeremiah Lens, but I think it's more likely to be El Hamdaoui. He's over 20 goals again this season as he was in the previous one.

Here's the interesting bit though, he was at Tottenham from 2005-2007, and Hughton would have been coaching at Tottenham then.

His jaw has been wired shut so he can't speak. He's no Kanye West that's for sure.

reo coker might be a good one but wages might be a problem, there might be a bit of a clearout at villa this summer anyone else there who could do a job for us and we can realisticly get? sidwell?

 

Isn't Reo Coker reputed to be a big time charlie? Last thing we need is to break up the team spirit ....

Had his name dragged through the mud as he was associated with that pillock Anton Ferdinand.

Reo-Coker is actually top notch as far as character goes. He's someone I would like to see us go for tbh. He needs to be given the same role as he had at Wimbledon when he first emerged on the scene i.e. a box to box midfield role. Not quite savvy enough to be a disciplined defensive/holding midfielder. He has tons of drive, energy and commitment, but not quite the greatest touch or passing. Around the right players in a 4-5-1 he could be really good. A poor man's Essien sort of.

So we could potentially have Kevin "poor man's Lampard" Nolan and Nigel "poor man's Essien" Reo-Coker, and we're well on our way to being as good as Chelsea already.

What about Tuncay? He's class and doesn't seem to be able to hold a starting berth at Stoke no matter what he does.

This is an idea I can support.

 

Kezman, I just don't see our coaching staff changing our system to placate a young "luxury player" as you put it. He would probaly start when we played 4-5-1, but I think to this point Hughton has favoured 4-4-2. Much like Nolan, I really think he is competing with the second striker for a position on the field. I think he might actually be a better option off the bench anyway, running at tired legs and creating.

Oga please enlighten us on the prospects of signing Mevlut Erding who we have been recently linked with in the French media. Also, what kind of player would he be?

He's doing well this season but looking forward to next season and likely promotion I can't see him making the step up. Hope he does, his pace would be useful on the counter.

 

The only time he looked Prem quality was at Palace years ago. Failed at Spurs, Villa & Pompey since then... maybe it will be different if he carries on getting regular football with you but I doubt it personally.

He's going to be very good for us next year mark my words. He was brilliant in the prem for Palace and he was just a kid then. The Tottenham move was derailed by injury, which he struggled to regain his confidence and form from, while being loaned out to all and sundry. The guys natural talent is no less than the likes of Lennon and Dyer. I would even argue he delivers an end product more consistently than the two of them.

I remember saying he was a better winger than Milner when he was available and eventually joined Villa. I thought we should have gone for him back then. I will ultimately be proved right next season.

Petrov is glass.

FYP

Maxi Lopez, formerly of Barca, has had a storming second half of the season since moving to the Italian league South America. Wonder if it would be possible to get him.

 

Probably wouldn't come cheap. Probably enjoying it at Catania, half their squad is Argentine.

Hey, we got Argentines too!

Maxi Lopez, formerly of Barca, has had a storming second half of the season since moving to the Italian league from South America. Wonder if it would be possible to get him.

Hertha Berlin look like they are going to be relegated (though they've been showing very good form lately) and they do have a few very decent players in their side. Like the look of Raffael (skilful attacking midfielder) and Gojko Kačar (midfield). The latter seemingly has some bigger clubs after him though.

 

On those lines, anyone at Hoffenheim worth bidding for? Their season has turned to dogshit too. Ibsivic(sp?) Ba etc may be worth a shot

OBASI OGBUKE!!!

I think it is Nigeria you are thinking of. We sacked Amodu after a poor (third place) Nations Cup showing. He was replaced by Lars Lagerback.

 

Funnily enough, Amodu also qualified Nigeria for the 2002 World Cup, but was sacked before he could take them there. His replacement that time was another Nigerian though. This probably has a lot to do with him being a horrible manager, but still it is a shame we can't be led by one of our own.

I've been hearing a lot of positive things about Samson Sia Sia and Sunday Oliseh in regards to their coaching. Surely one of them should be giving an opportunity at some point? Is Sia Sia still managing the juniors?

The problem is if we are playing a lesser team a centre midfield of Song - Diaby - Fabregas is good enough. But how we like to play the two deeper centre mids Diaby isn't good enough to play as a ball winner against the bigger teams.

We need another Song.

Chamakh is a done deal and he seems like a one shot one goal kinda guy so i think he could be the answer.

I agree. I think your midfield is weak. Song has certainly emerged and Fabregas is the best midfielder in the league. After that though ... it's struggling. Very dissapointed in Diaby. Just too cumbersome a lot of the time.  He's good against the more ordinary teams, but the better teams make him look really bad. As for Denilson, just wow. Hand on heart, I cannot tell you one thing he does well or even decently. He looks like  a little kid who has wandered onto the pitch by accident the majority of the time. Yet there he is game after game ... don't get it. Missing out on Felipe Melo was bad for you guys.

It really won't take much to get things sorted though. Considering the team you ended up putting out the majority of this season, i think it is astonishing that you have stayed so close to Man U and Chelsea, and of course obliterated Liverpool.

I can't believe anyone would even want us to go out and sign a 29 year old Berbatov who in the last two years is exhibiting all the signs of a player who is on the decline and worse who has lost a lot of confidence. For this guy not to be able to consistentyl produce on a team with as much talent as Man U, and yet people think he would be worth the money invested to bring him here?I just marvel at this sort of thing.

We need players with a point to prove, with some hunger in their belly, who would see moving to Newcastle as an exciting opportunity. Just look at the attitude and excitement Routledge came to the club with and the difference it made for goodness sake.

I heard they're going to give all 16 to Kevin Nolan.

 

I've heard that they've already informed Nolan that there won't be any chocolate inside of the gold shiney medal.

Won't stop him trying to eat them though.

 

Best inform him there's no chocolate inside pronto.

Deary me ...

This midfield issue is going to be absolutely massive for us. We definitely need a lot more mobility and drive in there. Otherwise we are just going to get run ragged again.

Reo-Coker and Kevin-Prince Boateng are some names we should at least be thinking of. Put these two alongside Nolan in a midfield three and it would make a world of difference.

Pompey's Marc Wilson been linked a fair bit as well. He actually prefers to play the defensive midfield position, so wondering if that is where we would look to play him.

Senderos on a free is too good an opportunity to pass up, so we should go for him. Hopefully Taylor will play more at right back next season also.

Primera Division

Juan Ángel Albín (Getafe)

Pablo Ibáñez (At. Madrid)

Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid)

Kalu Uche (Almería)

Cosmin Contra (Getafe)

 

Premiership

Martin Petrov (Manchester City)

Morten Gamst Pedersen (Blackburn Rovers)

Philippe Senderos (Arsenal)

Liam Ridgewell (Birmingham City)

Tamir Cohen (Bolton)

Nathan Delfouneso (Aston Villa)

 

Serie A:

Mario Alberto Santana (Fiorentina)

Nicolás Burdisso (Inter)

Per Kroldrup (Fiorentina)

Marc Bresciano (Palermo)

Andrea Consigli (Atalanta)

Martin Jorgensen (Fiorentina)

Cristian Brocchi (Lazio)

Diego López (Cagliari)

 

Bundesliga:

Thomas Hitzlsperger (Stuttgart)

Paolo Guerrero (Hamburgo)

Jaroslav Drobný (Hertha Berlín)

Aaron Hunt (Werder Bremen)

Jan Simak (Stuttgart)

 

Ligue 1:

 

Kim Källström (Olympique Lyon)

Jimmy Briand (Rennes)

Mouhamadou Dabo (St. Etienne)

Loïc Perrin (St. Etienne)

Sofiane Feghouli (Grenoble)

Younousse Sankharé (PSG)

 

Have deleted all the ones i a) dont know at all, b) have no desire to see near us and c) simply no chance be it age/wages.

 

Obviously i have left a few unrealistic ones and some who may now be garbage since i last saw them but would hope we have a chance of at least some of them.

Nice one. Whats the deal with Jimmy Briand? Was a lot of hype around him not long ago. Seems to have gone a bit quiet with him now especially considering he's on a free this summer.

Great list. Lots of good players on there. We need to play our cards right this summer. We can't mess this up.

The Championship looks to be his level. I still hope we sell him, as bar a miracle of Biblical proportions, there's no way Ashley is going to sanction signing a first team central midfielder to go directly into the first team on first team wages whilst Nolan sits on the bench with even bigger first team wages.

 

At this point in time, because he's pretty much a cast iron certainty to be a starter next season, I'm anticipating us playing with 10 men every week against the decent Premiership sides, with gaping holes in midfield being exposed by their players running freely at our defence. Whilst Nolan jogs back casually of course from striking positions, prior to giving up the chase of his gazelle-like midfield opposite number (ala our relegation season when him and Butt often just stood near the centre circle watching opposition midfielders pass the lube around before doubling up and molesting our centrebacks). And all we get in return are a few Nolan goals agaisnt the s*** teams that we're favourites to beat anyway, courtesy of him spending most of the match in the penalty box. Plus the odd assist, accompanied by the trademark vociferous Nolan-fist-pumping-on-his-own-and-aimed-at-crowd-to-make-sure-we-all-know-he-got-the-assist™ (Stuart Pearce ought to sue him). Plus the constant sound bites in the press about how the team must do better, a great tactic for masking an individual's own ineptness.

 

I hope I'm really wrong on this and he does make the grade next year.

I love this post because it is so damn accurate. Of course in the media our centrebacks were then portrayed as being hapless as usual. While the real culprits like Nolan and Butt were hailed as our best players. Ridiculous.

donno if they want rid of, but if yossi benayoun is up for grabs maybe take a shot at him.

We're always so late with everything. I remember when Yossi was at Racing Santander and was being very strongly linked under Souness, and he apparently went to watch Yossi play for Israel against Ireland (?) I think it was, and Yossi was really good that night.

Should have gone for him way back then, but no one ever wants to take a risk. I mean the guy cost like £3.5 mill in the end I think. Most fans were as usual claiming he wasn't good unless he would have moved to a bigger club already. So irritating.

Now people want him when he is on his way down? Nah. Still decent , but no way. Just sick of this same old formula. How about the scouts earn their money and identify a similar player who still has something to prove.