AyeDubbleYoo

When will the Chronicle stop printing this unadulterated crap and give Anal the sack? It's getting beyond a joke now, so Dyer 'looked upset' after the Pools game so he's joining to West Ham? The Chron are going to have to watch what they're printing if they want any credibility at all.

If by sceptisicm you mean "a method of intellectual caution and suspended judgment", then I'm happy to be called a sceptic. The thing is, there's nothing happened so far (wrt transfers being made) that would not have happened under the old board anyway. Yet if the manager had complained about the slowness of the board to act on transfers under the old regime there would be uproar. There have been very few actual statements or actions from the club, so what exactly are these "signs of progress" that are giving you and others such a positive feel about Ashley?. I've seen and heard pretty much nothing, so there's nothing to give me either a positive or negative feel, but the lack of any communication whatsoever is not IMO a good sign. At the moment it feels to me a bit like the Emperor's new clothes. I agree partly, it's ultimately too soon to make a judgement on Mike Ashley either way... that's half the point. I suppose I'm just naturally optomistic. However, I also think that those statements (e.g. the Mort interview), and actions (e.g. a number of fairly low-key but quality signings, the internal review) that we have seen are signs for the better. I don't think we can expect much communication from the club under the Ashley regime, the guy is historically very cautious with the media. I think that's another thing we can be thankful for after the Shepherd years.

I'm not talking about anyone on here personally, I don't want to get into the sort of thing we've just seen for the last 5 pages. If your scepticism is about how he wants to run the club then that's sensible. I think the signs are all good so far though, and the caution over signings could even be considered as further evidence of the reviews and thorough going-over the club is being subjected to by Ashley's team. I just thing there are more signs of progress than signs of anything to be worried about.

It's incredible that so few on here seem at all bothered, and in fact celebrate the fact, that Ashley will soon delist the club and take it into private hands. We still don't know anything about his intentions, and very soon there'll be no transparency, very little information about what's going on. It's exciting to get rid of a crap chairman and bring in a billionaire, but it's healthy to ask questions. I guess it is a double edged sword, really. You want a billionaire owner who will invest shit loads of money in the club? OK, but you're going to have to put up with the fact that he can do what he wants with the club with practically no scrutiny. You're going to have to live with the fact that being a billionaire's play thing is something we've all wanted for our clubs, but the flip side is that you are subject to his every whim. This is great when things are going well, but it is going to be interesting when things get tense. We're still on the extended honeymoon with our new owners, your marriage hasn't even started yet, but I think that expecting everything to be rosy is naive. The only way we'll be able to judge them is on experience, and that means what happens over a few years, not what they do in the first year (look at Magnusson at West Ham, desperately trying to buy instant success and appreciation - would you want to be run like that?). Until then, a little healthy scepticism can be a good thing. True enough, but I don't see any evidence (yet) to believe that Newcastle will be treated as a 'plaything' by MA. More likely he sees it as a business that has acheived some success but has immense untapped potential... not to mention the links in with his other sporting companies. We can't deny that we don't know a lot about what Ashley is like, so let's not get carried away. But at the same time I think a lot of the scepticism is over the top and comes from the fact that people have unrealistic expectations about the signings we should be making/have made.

So what's he been doing the last 8 years? Even if Dyer turns a corner I'll still hate the cunt for the last 8 years of fuck all. I'm not making excuses for him, I know he hasn't done the business so far. But I do think a lot is down to injuries and the horrible teams he's been a part of can't have helped. I suppose in the last 8 years he's earned a number of England caps, played in the Champions League, and been generally more successful than 90% of English footballers. I know he's never really set the world alight for us, but not as bad as some people are saying.

I I hope he has a good season for us but at the end of the day the lad has had so many false dawns its unreal. Artciles like the above I tend not to pay much attention to. Fair enough, I know what you mean... just hopefully Sam's fitness regime can keep him fit - and having some decent goalscorers to play with can't hurt either.

Dyer looked sharp against 'Pool, I really hope he'll be a big player for us this year. I don't see why anyone would hope otherwise.

Dyer looks fairly lethal in that video, although obviously he is skinning Hartlepool players. Troisi's assists are intelligent and pleased to see Owen get a goal, although can't really tell if he touched it or if it was an OG. All in all positive, will be good to see the rest of the new boys.

At least they had a fictional source though, most people just write whatever transfer 'rumours' they feel like without any information at all

I think our right fullback can afford to be more attacking due to the cover he can receive from hard workers like milner/Solano in midfield, but I'd say we need to err on the defensive side with any left backs we sign due to the attacking nature of NZogbia/Duff/Luque and their need for freedom to bomb forward.

Don't think we'd made any. Duff was mid-July if i remember correctly... Just thinking, I'm getting impatient as well, but we've actually handled this transfer window much better than the last few. Just the nagging issue of the defence to sort out is getting me on edge!

What signings had we made this time last summer?

He would be a decent signing for them if they weren't Sunderland and Chops wasn't an ex-Newcastle player I reckon. How can he hold that shirt though? Inexplicable...

It just makes sense to give Luque a chance, we're basically a completely different club now and he represents a significant investment that we should do everything possible to see a return on.

Like always, I completely agree with you thirdeded

Shame he's just signed for Barcelona for £16m really then. Obviously not that underrated!

Exactamundo, if you want real journalism take a look over at the Austria Training Camp thread!

Explain what you mean by 'bollocks' from Gartside? The staff in question asked for and got 12 month rolling contracts. He's perfectly entitled to ask them to work their notice. He happens to be chairman of BWFC not NUFC, so why should he do you lot any favours? Well obviously if they really have 12 months notice periods then they will legally have to work them, there's nothing Sam Allardyce can do about it is there? Incidentally, a 12 month contract doesn't always mean 12 months notice period - it looks as though since they have 'handed in letters of notice' that they have shorter notice periods than he is suggesting to the press.

This bollocks from the likes of Gartside and Roeder just goes to show that we are moving in the right direction and other lesser clubs/coaches don't like it. I feel good inside

Probably, a good motivational technique to highlight the fact he'll be out the door if he doesn't start performing - and that time is running out to do it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/6269102.stm Big Sam talking so much sense it's amazing. As much as I think Babayaro is useless, he could potentially be a decent player for us again if he takes up Sam's challenge.

He's still probably the most exciting player I've seen, at his peak unstoppable. I really hope he has his fitness back and will do the business next season.

Pure speculation from the knackers at the Chronicle, I bet they don't know anything new.

True. I had a bit of sympathy for Roeder as he obviously wasn't taken seriously by the board, players or the fans - but this only serves to make him look even more pathetic. I can't see him getting another management job in a while.

I'd say he'd be better off playing for newcastle than peddling free SIM card scams.