KaKa

I think Martins might struggle on the occassions when he is out wide and he needs to deliver a telling pass or cross.

He would have to play there if he came back I imagine. Allardyce used Diouf (who was an out and out striker) and Anelka in the wide positions of a front three and Bellamy's skills suit that position. If he really wants to come back to Newcastle as the papers claim then he would have to be open to playing in that position I imagine.

I honestly believe Bellamy is on his way back to Newcastle with Owen going the other way and here's why ... I don't believe Allardyce is going to turn his back on his 4-3-3 formation which brought him all the success he had at Bolton, and Bellamy rather than Owen is far better suited to this formation. I could definitely see Allardyce wanting to use Bellamy on the right side of a 4-3-3 which is probably Bellamy's ideal position for the skills he has, rather than as an out-and-out striker. Bellamy could create a lot of opportunities from this position while still being a legitimate goal threat. The link to Tuncay Sanli is an interesting one also because he plays on the left side of a front three in a 4-3-3 for Fenerbache, and he too has the ability to create opportunities from this position whilst being a legit goal threat too, he also does a good job of running directly at people with pace and causing them problems like Bellamy does. I could easily see Allardyce prefering something similar to the following to any 4-4-2 formation featuring either Owen or Martins beside Viduka. I imagine Martins will be gone also. --------------------------------Given--------------------------- Solano----------Ben Haim----------Taylor----------Baines --------------------------------Butt----------------------------- ------------------Barton-------------------Emre--------------- -----Bellamy------------------------------------------Sanli----- -------------------------------Viduka-----------------------------

Owen and Martins make this formation almost impossible to play. Everytime I see people's formations with Martins and Owen as wide forwards in a 4-3-3 it makes me cringe, as they are not the type of players who can play in that role.

If Liverpool offered Cisse, Hyypia and £5 million for Owen who would have that?

Cue the headlines on Sky Sports tomorrow ... "Joey demands loyalty payments in cash wrangle with Man City" After all the positive spin by Newcastle on his move it makes the club look a bit silly. If this drags on and gets too ugly it's not impossible for the new owner to pull the plug on this and ask Allardyce to go for someone else as we can clearly afford to. Joey needs to be very careful.

Really dissapointing all of this. He has just agreed a move to a new club on a new lucrative deal and everything has been looking a bit more positive for him, but he decides to get involved in what appears to be a very petty argument. More negative headlines which he really doesn't need.

What is tedious is you stalking me ... I just found it embarrassing that people were trying to imply that only Newcastle and Birmingham were after him and therefore he wasn't that good, when hardly anyone has seen enough of him and none of us could ever really know which clubs were chasing him. That site clearly shows that there might indeed be much better clubs who are also interested. I am surprised you needed me to spell that all out for you, as it was fairly obvious really. Then again you are clearly an idiot.

So much for just Newcastle and Birmingham chasing him ... I wonder if some of you pessimists change your tone now. Real Madrid Watching Tuncay Şanli Closely Real Madrid will send scouts to watch the Turkish derby encounter between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe this weekend to monitor talented midfielder Tuncay Şanli. The Spanish giants may be embroiled in a battle for the title with FC Barcelona, but that has not stopped them laying the groundwork for next season. Şanli has been on Madrid's radar throughout this season as the 25-year-old has continued to impress for Fenerbahçe and Turkey since moving from Sakaryaspor five years ago. With his contract expiring at the end of the season after he rejected a new deal, Madrid could be ready to make their move and snap him up on a free. Villarreal and Olympiacos are also said to be monitoring the situation, but the Bernabéu-based outfit would, undoubtedly, have the upper hand in any negotiations. After being instrumental in helping Fenerbahçe win the Turkish Super League this season, the club were desperate to tie Şanli to a new contract, but could well admit defeat if Madrid come in for him. Şanli can operate on the left wing, as an attacking midfielder or even as a forward and that versatility has attracted the Spanish outfit as they look to send José Antonio Reyes back to Arsenal in the summer. http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=305896

Barton's demand for City loyalty money delays deal By Andy Hunter Published: 09 June 2007 Joey Barton's proposed transfer to Newcastle has been delayed by his demands for a £300,000 "loyalty payment" from Manchester City. The England international agreed in principle to join Newcastle in a five-year deal worth £60,000-a-week on Tuesday, having also requested permission to speak to West Ham United when both clubs triggered the £5.5m release clause in his City contract. However, his St James' Park contract remains unsigned because of a dispute over his departure from City and his current employers are adamant the midfielder will not be sold until he backs down. Barton, who has been suspended on full pay for the past six weeks following a training ground incident that left team-mate Ousmane Dabo requiring hospital treatment, insists he is entitled to the payment from City as he never handed in a transfer request. For their part, the club contest he lost his entitlement to any loyalty money when he requested permission to speak to Newcastle and West Ham once his release clause was activated. There is also a ground-swell of opinion within City that Barton has received ample support from the club throughout his chequered career - they paid for the 24-year-old to receive anger-management lessons from the Sporting Chance Clinic last year, for example - and that a £300,000 payment on their part would, according to a source, "go beyond the pale when he has exercised his right to speak to other clubs and is on the cusp of a contract said to be worth £16m". Sam Allardyce had hoped to make Barton, who is currently on police bail over his alleged training ground fight with Dabo, his first signing as Newcastle manager but remains confident the impasse can be broken over the weekend and that the midfielder will follow Mark Viduka into St James'. Thaksin Shinawatra's proposed £90m takeover of City, meanwhile, is edging closer towards a successful resolution with the former Thai prime minister reportedly on the brink of tabling an official offer to chairman John Wardle. A senior source close to Thaksin moved to reassure supporters over the current delays last night, when he told The Independent: "The deal is absolutely on course and could go through at any time. Next week is looking the strongest possibility. Fans should not be dismayed that it's taking a long time. It was in the public domain long before it should have been and these deals take time. As it is, from start to finish it will be quicker than most takeovers." The same source also revealed that no firm offers have been made to a potential replacement for Stuart Pearce as manager since the first-choice candidate, Claudio Ranieri, elected to join Juventus this week, with the Thais anxious to avoid an awkward repeat. "[There will be] no serious talk on that until the paperwork for the takeover is signed and sealed," the source said yesterday. http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/news/article2636194.ece

Do you need three pictures of Allardyce in your avatar thingy? Whats that got to do with punctuation? Do you need three pictures of Allardyce in your avatar thingy? Whats that got to do with punctuation? I dunno ... what does Penny's boat have to do with Newcastle or football? For fucks sake. Here man, stop making thread titles appear as if they've been done by an over-excited autistic foreigner. Okay I will ... as soon as you stop making avatar thingys appear as though they've been done by a horny geek that wants to bum Allardyce.

Do you need three pictures of Allardyce in your avatar thingy? Whats that got to do with punctuation? Do you need three pictures of Allardyce in your avatar thingy? Whats that got to do with punctuation? I dunno ... what does Penny's boat have to do with Newcastle or football?

Seems like we were battling West Ham for Viduka, Pompey had quite a free run for Campbell, no real interest in Ben Haim etc... I agree though, he is just a good player and won't come over here as the turkish Ronaldinho It wouldn't be a bad bit of business if Owen left and he was replaced by Sanli. Would be very shrewd. Martins, Viduka, Sanli and Shola is still pretty sexy, and we would have an extra £9 million or so in the kitty.

Do you need three pictures of Allardyce in your avatar thingy?

Nihat? Sanli is the one who scored the hat-trick against Man U in the champions league a few years back. He has always been at Fenerbache. edit: Damn I was slow on that one

Shola should be sweating right now ...

Very believable in my opinion. He is good, he is versatile and he is free and he would definitely feel comfortable coming to us with his fellow countryman here already.

Fellow Turk innit! He's been in Sam's ear mate. Told him about his pal Tuncay innit.

With Michael Owen, Obafemi Martins and Shola Ameobi at his disposal, Sam Allardyce, the Newcastle manager, has a formidable striking quartet, but the club are also monitoring Tuncay Sanli, a 25-year-old forward, who is comfortable on the left wing and is out of contract at Fenerbahçe. Sanli is also attracting the interest of Birmingham City. Tal Ben Haim, the centre half, is also available for no fee and Allardyce will step up his pursuit of the Bolton Wanderers player once the administrative details of Joey Barton’s £5.5 million transfer from Manchester City have been attended to. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premiership/middlesbrough/article1907109.ece Woohoo! Emre's been doing some good work it seems! Another free signing if we pull this off! What a squad we would have and it seems it will almost cost us nothing!

Mark Hughes really is a prick. What an absolutely selfish human being. This is a huge tournament and it would have been a great stage to see Bentley on and could only have done him good in his bid to show how valuable he could be to the first team. England had an outstanding team and it would have been really exciting to see them win as I though they were the favourites. This stunt just starts things off on a bad note and they've essentially lost their best player. I really dislike Hughes and I am so happy he never came close to getting the Newcastle job. Can you imgaine if he was in charge and he pulled Milner and Taylor out! Bentley will regret not going and I think it will affect his chances for the first team. If Ashley Young or Milner come back as the player of the tournament and England win, everyone will be pushing for them to get in the first team. Hope this backfires big time. Hughes is mental.

I certainly hope that's not the way Allardyce is thinking. If he thinks Brown is better he should go for Brown.. Going for an inferior player just to save a million or so is ridiculous, especially now.. Um no ... I was thinking more along the lines that Sam thinks they are both of a similar level.

Optimistic nut ... What a bizarrely innappropriate name.

It would be unbelievably funny I must say! Nowt more than a breeding ground for Man U. To be fair though they could replace him with Bent and they would still be alright, but it would just be such a blow mentally though, as it once again re-inforces the fact that they are very much a selling club. No doubt Chimbonda will be off to Chelsea next. How depressing for them. It's funny though because with all the links to Bent and the fact that Keane penned a new contract I had a feeling Bent was being lined up to replace Berbatov. Turns out this might indeed be the case! Tee hee ...

Still being linked with us and Liverpool, but he is meant to be a life long Liverpool fan so I doubt we will get him if they are interested.. He wants to get into contention for England apparently, and so it would make more sense to come to Newcastle and play every week. He's got Riise and Aurelio to compete with at Liverpool.

Barton scored 7 goals in each of his last two seasons with Manchester City, who to be fair haven't been very good at all. Considering the team Allardyce is putting together, I would fully expect Barton to be able to grab at least three more goals next season. So I would expect Barton to get us the 10-12 goals from midfield. Especailly, as Allardyce has already come out and stated that he wants Joey to get him goals from midfield, so this is clearly going to be Bartons focus.