Wallace

They've got no decent strikers below Suarez & Carroll. If that's the case, then I don't understand the need for Wickham. £9million is a lot for a relitavely unknown quantity, especially at the top level. If back up for AC/Suarez is a priority, then this just seems like a mega gamble to be fair, especially when the likes of Gameiro/Sturridge are apparently on the market within this price bracket and would probably improve their side anyway. Liverpool also have Raheem Sterling coming up through the Youth ranks and there are very high hopes for him so if they do get Wickham as well, they probably won't have to worry about strikers for a long time. Also, heard something yesterday on the radio where they reported that Guardiola had said that outside of Barca, Liverpool now had the best youth set up. That may well be Rafa's legacy to them as he completely revamped it.

Have to admit I am concerned about the players we might lose. It is just such a risk to hope all the new players have the same kind of impact as Tiote did. And even if they start off well, they might tail off like Chamakh did. I would rather the team evolved than to be overhauled at this stage. And whereas I think Pardew might have a say in his preferred signings, I don't think he has much say, if any, if the club decides they want to sell players. And if they are sold, the fact that he constantly said he wanted to keep them gives him even less credibility. I just see the club as becoming a bigger version of Wigan where we attract players to the club on the basis of introducing them to the Premier League and then selling them on for a profit within a year or two. And I guess Colo and Jonas, if they are still here at the end of August, will know it will be their turn to be shown the exit door next year.

To think we have another 2 and a half months of this.

If this is true then it would make sense that they no longer have an interest in M'Bengue and instead are looking at Neil Taylor as a back up for next season and then perhaps to be first choice the following season.

Why would he want to drop to a Championship club at this point in his career. He knows he can still do a job at this level and if we did want to sell him, then I am sure he would have other options. Wonder if Pardew has a say in any of this.

Maybe the club are asking too much money and by saying this, he is trying to get them to lower the price. If he does stay and still wants to move on next year and with his ambitions to play for Spain, it would not be in his interest to play poorly. And if he does perform, perhaps there will be better offers out there for him to consider and if he has still not been called up for Spain after a couple of good seasons in the Premier League, then it would only confirm to him that the has no option but to move on.

I definitely would keep him for next season and see how the new players integrate and perform. If the new signings are a success then there will be less need for him the following season. I just think it is too much of a risk to get rid of all of the experience in the dressing room in one go.

There is no way Barton will drop down to the Championship - he is far above that level. If he does decide to leave this Summer, I can imagine it will be late in the transfer window.

There was an interview with a skills coach today called Alf Galustian on talkSPORT. They were talking about youth development post the latest England fiasco. Apparently he has worked with Wenger (since Japan) and at Clairfontaine but he said he also does a lot of work at Newcastle. It did sound as if we were were putting a lot of effort into developing the youngsters and so maybe we are following the Arsenal model after all.

It's got nothing to do with players being irreplaceable. We're telling players that once you get to a certain age we'll ship them out, even if they love the place and want to settle here. Like Wenger has done his entire time at Arsenal? Did he really? Berkamp, Adams, Campbell, Lehmann, Pires suggest otherwise imo. All of them offered reduced contracts and one years deals, if not accepted they were moved on. But it is Wenger's decision rather than the people above him. All the signs indicate that Pardew wants him to stay in which case it points to him having little influence in such matters which is not a good thing.

There is a Sportman's Dinner with Kevin Keegan at The Ramside Hall Hotel on 30th June.

A Dutch reporter has just been on talkSport raving about Krul's MOM performance against Brazil.

Journal's Chief Sports Writer Not for much longer. Moving to the Telegraph (I think).

I think Nolan has been very careful not to criticise the board. He has always given the impression that what happens behind closed doors stays there especially where NUFC are concerned because if it doesn't (as has happened before), it contributes to the air of instability that is normally associated with the club. A lot of what is quoted as being said at talk-ins is exaggerated or put in a way that is open to misinterpretation. At the more high profile talk-ins there are usually people present there from the club - there certainly was at Joey Barton's at the Hilton as well as reps from Puma. In this day, when players are accused of being remote from the supporters, I think it is good that they do these things especially when there is little effort from the club to engage with the supporters.

I recently watched a couple of the early games from the Championship season and Ranger looked pretty good in them - much better than he has at any time this season IMO. He has just not kicked on - whether the Championship is his level or the 5 year contract made him lazier, who knows.

Not sure whether Pardew is building his "own" team or whether he is being presented with incoming players and told who won't be getting a new contract. At the moment, it looks like he isn't getting much of a say especially with existing players.

I think your best bet for standing will be the south east corner I am on row X in the middle tier and there is one row behind me.

http://twitter.com/#!/Football_Agent9 Glad to announce that Cabaye and Gervinho will be Newcastle players this season! Both fantastic players and should light the Prem. #NUFC 3 hours ago Charles N'Zogbia has been told he can sign for Liverpool after Wigan have accepted a £12 Million pounds bid. Quite interesting to read about other club's transfers on this site - whether they are true or not.

Well he is in town at the moment so chances are it was him.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/250504/Michael-Owen-out-of-Toon Wonder who is telling the truth in this article. Shepherd says we were paying him £90k a week whilst Llambias claims it was £133k a week. Owen's salary was usually always quoted around £100k.

Ashley and Dekka will be pleased as they will be able to sell him for a higher price now.

It will be interesting to see if he plays the same type of football at West Ham as he played here, whether the London press will continue to think quite so highly of him. Certainly our local press have very little good to say about him.

Spot on. Agree. There is no guarantee that new players coming in will adapt to the Premier League or settle in Newcastle and if they do well, they might want to move on to a perceived bigger club ASAP. It would be a huge risk to remove the experience from the squad. The team needs to evolve rather than be radicallly overhauled each year.

I think it is very telling that the players themselves don't really seem to have a problem with Ashley but refuse to discuss Llambias when asked. (At least at the talk-ins I have attended).

Can Ireland ever replicate his form from a couple of years ago? And is he mentally tough enough? We know can well Barton can perform. Anyway, they are not the same kind of players.