KaKa

The Times says Campbell will be recalled ...

We do have a ton of strikers but I think Shak is thinking along the lines of a target man for Sam's 4-3-3, a position only Viduka and Shola can play for us, as Carroll is still young.

I'm pulling for Shola this season, but I would have been very tempted to put in a bid for Santa Cruz at the price he went to Blackburn for, £3.5 million? I think with improved fitness and more opportunities he could be awesome. Still only young at what 25? Think Blackburn got a steal there. Could have been groomed as the successor to Viduka.

Like I said though, I hope Shola comes through for us.

Swiss magpie is the best! I love his rumours straight from an alternate universe, but I love them none the less.

I believe in you buddy and that's all that matters okay 

There were rumours we had a Swiss player on trial last week though! I'm sure I heard something like that. Someone said he went by the name of Henri but maybe it was Behrami! Well anyway, that's my straw and I'm clutching it.

Anelka and Diouf upfront? or Anelka and Davies?

 

Diouf isn't being played as a winger in the 4-4-2 is he?

 

Anelka and Davies, although i wouldn't be suprised to see Vaz Te get on at some point. He's been on fire pre-season! If we play 4-4-2, Diouf will play wide. Although the way Sammy Lee likes to play, there is a lot of interchanging of positions.

Good point about Vaz Te, he has been playing well. I've always liked him, and he looks a promising player. Portugal looked so much better in the Under 21 championships after they put him in the starting 11. If they played him in the first team from the start i think they would have at least got through to the next round.

The thing is though I think both Vaz Te and Diouf are best as wide forwards in the 4-3-3 and won't be as effective as outright wingers in a 4-4-2, so it should be interesting to see what happens. Really going to be interesting to see how Bolton develops as a team under little Sam. Braaten could certainly be a shrewd signing for you if he gets his head right, and maybe even Whilelmson too.

If he doesn't at least get us the FA cup and finish in the top 4 by January, i can see him being sacked.

 

 

Wow ... glad you're not running the club.

Anyway, out of interest how's little Sam looking? Is he sticking with the 4-3-3 then? Or has he switched things around like he said he would?

 

Sammy Lee has said that the formation he adopts will depend on the opposition but for most of pre-season it's been 4-4-2.

Anelka and Diouf upfront? or Anelka and Davies?

Diouf isn't being played as a winger in the 4-4-2 is he?

He would again bring his merry band of old timers with him and we would play the most defensive, cynical, no pace football you have ever seen.

 

Are we talking about Capello or Allardyce?

That's funny ... but Capello ain't got nout on the Allah'dyce.

Anyway, out of interest how's little Sam looking? Is he sticking with the 4-3-3 then? Or has he switched things around like he said he would?

What do you think your starting lineup will be next week?

Hehe, Capello for Newcastle would be great but dont see that happening. Would also rather give Sam a chance.

Capello would be great?!!!

He would be run out of town in my opinion. He would again bring his merry band of old timers from Italy with him and we would play the most defensive, cynical, no pace football you have ever seen.

Not a fan of older Italian coaches whose main experiences have been in the Italian leagues. Don't think their brand of football would translate to the premier league at all.

With the players at his disposal now I think it will be very difficult for us to lose six games in a row. Even Roeder couldn't manage that.

 

Managers don't lose six games in a row, players do.

 

You're missing the point.

Just messing with you. I get where you're coming from.

From where i'm sitting it appears that Allardyce's misfortune was to arrive just as the club changed hands. Big businesman want to leave their mark when they pay big bucks for a club. Just look at Abramovich at Chelsea. Ranieri was doing a good job but he still got the boot because Abramovich wanted Mourinho in, so he could then claim credit for all the subsequent success. Allardyce has never had to deal with the pressure he will come under at Newcastle, we lost SIX games in a row in each of the last two seasons at Bolton! If that happens at Newcastle, he'll be out the door!

 

Difference there was that Mourinho was a clear class above Ranieri, having just won the Champions League etc. Can we can attract someone massively better than Allardyce? Not so sure.

 

Agree with your point overall though.

I think Abramovich was also hugely influenced by Pini Zahavi who would have been pushing for the likes of Mourinho.

As our new owners don't apear to be big football people I'm not sure they would have really had anyone else in mind. I think they would have been happy Allardyce was already in place. I think their focus is more to stabilize the clubs management off the pitch more than anything, Allardyce is a proven manager in this league and I doubt they will be looking to out him unless we do really really badly.

From where i'm sitting it appears that Allardyce's misfortune was to arrive just as the club changed hands. Big businesman want to leave their mark when they pay big bucks for a club. Just look at Abramovich at Chelsea. Ranieri was doing a good job but he still got the boot because Abramovich wanted Mourinho in, so he could then claim credit for all the subsequent success. Allardyce has never had to deal with the pressure he will come under at Newcastle, we lost SIX games in a row in each of the last two seasons at Bolton! If that happens at Newcastle, he'll be out the door!

With the players at his disposal now I think it will be very difficult for us to lose six games in a row. Even Roeder couldn't manage that.

Managers don't lose six games in a row, players do.

 

He's got as long until the FA come calling when McClaren gets sacked imo. Then he'll be off

I'm not so sure you know. I think he was only so eager to get the England job because he was still at Bolton. Now he is at Newcastle, which is a club with greater potential and far more resources than he had at Bolton, I think he would rather be involved with club football and have a chance to challenge the top four on more of a level playing field.

If he does go on to manage England I think it will only be after he has achieved something with Newcastle, and has been here for at least his initial three years.

Should be allowed the length of his current contract at the minimum. As long as we aren't in a relegation scrap I think he should be given the time to implement all of his plans, which go beyond what takes place on the football pitch.

I think with the type of things he is introducing both on and off the pitch, things will only get better over time as these methods become more familiar to the players.

Rhain Davis?

“I am happy in Sevilla but the English offer is very important in all aspects, not exclusively in terms of money,”

 

“It really is very complicated to reject the chance to join Newcastle.”“I have always wanted to play in England, the league is strong and for men like me the physical aspect is not a problem.“I know English football and Newcastle is one of the historic clubs and the objective will be to fight for a European position.”“The coach (Sam Allardyce) tried to sign me for Bolton during my stay in Belgium (with Standard Liege) so I am not unknown to him.”

Sounds to me like he is leaning more towards joining us and isn't concerned about the lack of European

football.

If we were buying a playmaker then we wouldn't have bought Smith IMO.

Agree.

Laryea Kingston

Fkn hell people say I am over reacting at what I saw, some of the responses to what I posted ARE way over the top..

He could have been down about anything though!

Maybe he was upset because his wife left him.

Maybe he was upset because Jose Enrique is the new Spanish kid on the block.

Maybe he was upset because his wife left him for Jose Enrique the new Spanish kid on the block.

Now I think it is a lot clearer why Sam was so nervous about the transfers. From what he has said the pursuit of players is completely down to Mort. All Sam is doing is identifying them so he can never really be sure about what is really going on once he has handed the names over to Mort. Also, the fact Sam wasn't informed of his budget probably had him unsure as well.

It looks like Mort has come through of late though which is great news, and I'm sure Sam will be more confident of being backed from now on. Very good sign of things to come. Looks like the new owners want to be in complete control of the transfers so that there is no more confusion or suspicion of the managers involvement in any possible bungs.

Allardyce is definitely doing a good job of dispelling the long ball myth so far. More power to him. We probably will play that way a little bit more of the long ball when we get down to real business, but I'm sure we will mix it up sufficiently.

Given is breaking down a lot now it seems  Not good news at all.

So who is currently our third goalie at the moment?

Geremi is a star. It's funny how he ended up as a right-winger at Borough and then a right-back at Chelsea!

 

Originally a defensive midfielder at Real Madrid and actually excelled there for them, and only played out wide for Real occassionally.

 

Really excited that he is still so comfortable playing in the middle of the park and hasn't lost his instincts having been moved around so much at Chelsea.

 

To think he has been sitting on Chelsea's bench all this time and never played in midfield for them. I mean, did they really need Sidwell? Surely Geremi is a better player?

 

They just got Sidwell so we didnt

Well it certainly worked out for us then! We probably wouldn't have gone for him if we got Sidwell.

Geremi is a star. It's funny how he ended up as a right-winger at Borough and then a right-back at Chelsea!

Originally a defensive midfielder at Real Madrid and actually excelled there for them, and only played out wide for Real occassionally.

Really excited that he is still so comfortable playing in the middle of the park and hasn't lost his instincts having been moved around so much at Chelsea.

To think he has been sitting on Chelsea's bench all this time and never played in midfield for them. I mean, did they really need Sidwell? Surely Geremi is a better player?

This is all just based on Anal's story from Saturday. Simple as that.

Do Everton not have Fernandes anymore then? They didn't make the move permanent?