Segun Oluwaniyi

Rabiu Ibrahim http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/Pappoe/FUTBOL%20ADICTO/RabiuIbrahim.jpg Star of the World champion Nigeria u-17 team. Considered to be the natural successor to Jay Jay Okocha. Currently at Sporting Lisbon Macauley Christantus http://www.scoutingtalents.com/images/chrisantus2.jpg Leading scorer of that same champion Nigeria u-17 team, good powerful striker. Currently at Hamburg Dele Adeleye http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/1967/deleadeleyeir2.jpg Very powerful young defender from my hometown club, Ibadan Shooting Stars. Went to the Olympics to mix with the older players, and was definitely one of the standout. Has reportedly already attracted Premier League interest. Currently at Sparta. O'Brian White http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2008/0829/ncaa_white_412.jpg Don't think he'll ever quite make it at this level, but he went to the same university I am at, and I got to know him a bit. Just drafted by Toronto Fc. There's also a very tall and powerful 18 year old Nigerian cenreback at that same university, who goes by the by the pseudonym, "babatunde", and has plenty of "Black Power". He's a very clumsy player who collects many many cards, but I think Newcastle (or any other club in Europe) should give him a chance.

Ebondo and Mbia any day of the f***** week! I appreciate that Nolan and Taylor have Premiership experience and that is needed. So it's not like I'm too unhappy with the sigings, but M'Bia especially is a different class to Kevin Nolan. I watch alot of Ligue 1 and I've seen the boy plenty of times these last few seasons. He is the midfield powerhouse we have been crying out for. Ebondo isn't a special player, so I don't care that we've gotten Taylor instead of him. However, M'Bia, in my opinion, would have been a very dynamic signing that really could of changed the team.

Wiafe Danquah

jonas is the replacement, the problem was finding someone for the right...which is still the problem Duff and Mr. Lovern Lovern for the left side. Jonas and Ryan Taylor for the right side. Why should we employ our best winger in his weaker position? We should doing our best to ensure he's on the left instead of shifting him to the right.

People don't like him because he's picked up a reputation as a dirty player, but yeah, he's improved drastically from the pudgy kid that arrived in London under shady circumstances. His own countrymen underrate him because they remember him as this Riquelme like player from 2005 u20 WC. But he's taken those skills and used them to become a top class holding player. Essien hasn't regressed by the way. He's a brilliant player. I sincerely hope the injury hasn't changed him.

I'll add Ryan Babel to this discussion. He just isn't really that good. He ought to be, but he's not.

Jagielka has been a brilliant signing for Everton. Would be a surprise if he's not in the next England friendly squad. Should have been in every squad over the last year. How the likes of Upson & Mancienne have been picked ahead of him just boggles the mind. Everton have bought very well. Yobo, Lescott, and Jagielka were all bought in for 5 million pounds or less, yet Everton probaly have one of the best group of centrebacks in English football. All three of them are better than any centreback we've had for quite along time. Very sensible affordable signings that have worked out great for them.

Berbatov is the second most expensive player in the history of British football I believe? On that basis he is overvalued and maybe overrated despite being a very talented footballer.

I'd only agree with Bentley off that list. Think Cech has genuinely been back to his best most of this year (after being shaky the two previous), and Defoe is what he is, a player who has a bit of pace and can finish. Nothing special, but very useful. edit: And honestly everyone knows Bentley is poor now.

Or Rennes, although Florence is a lot nice for a weekend trip away. I don't get why we even offered £12m when Fiorentina would take 9m Euro's for Donadel. You can tell you want to be a journo, it was 8m Euro's the other day and they are diffefrent players who offer differentr qualities. definite mirror material But they play the same position don't they? Essien and Xavi have totally different qualities to, but they still play the same position, so I don't see the point of what you are saying.

Granted his form has dipped this season, but prior to that he was absolutely immense for Chelsea. A phenomenal centreback in the Premiership who if anything is underrated becasue he's not done as well on the international and European stage, where he seems to be more vulnerable against a combination of a slower style of play/buildup and nippy, skillful, intelligent footballers. In the Premiership though, although he's slow, he positions himself exceptionally well to compensate, added to which his anticipation is top rate. He frequently seems to be a magnet for balls and crosses into the box. There are different types of defenders in the game, I would say Terry is probably the best "beast" class centreback in the Premiership, alongside Vidic. Don't get me wrong, Terry is a good player, and as you say is very physically dominant. But I just don't think he is even the best centreback at his club never mind in the world (as some people make it out to be). I would say that he has also shown a decline over the past two seasons. His lack of pace, and/or ability to read skillful players seems to be exploited alot more often recently.

If you're talking overrated players at Chelsea, the answer has to be John Terry. Very Brave. Very Strong. Very Mistake Prone. Very Slow.

Taylor's a left back.

Why would he want to go to Bolton at all though. Someone should show him a tape of a Bolton match or something. Him playing for Bolton is like Kevin Davies playing for Barcelona, he wouldn't fit in.

Why do I even read the Newcastle transfer rumors? Wise and co. have shown a penchant for just signing random players out of the blue that we haven't even been linked too.

Bassong wasn't steady. He was pretty terrible. His distribution of the ball is poor.

how's that worrying? He's been our best player since he signed for us, Exactly. Anyone giving Martins grief can f*** off. Lets sell him for 10m and buy 4 players for 2m eh? That would be fuckin class. He;s comfortably our best player once Shay goes. I'm talking about the player that will win us the most points. He's absolutely indispensable and he's massively underrated by nearly all our fans. You should study your maths. But yeah fully agreed with your post.

I like to repeat that we had our 5th choice striker and a midfielder playing up front or 70 minutes today. Also, Man U, like Chelsea played pretty poorly against us.

gah....what the f*** man...confused the hell out of me.

The thing with Keegan is, he only did well when he had the players fit. As soon as Oba and Fat Arse Aussie Man came back, we were a totally dfferent team. It's the same with Kinnear I feel. When Oba, Beye, Barton, etc. are fit it's generally been good results. When this has not been the case, it's been dreadful.

It's ridiculous that we had to field our 5th choice striker and a midfielder as our strikeforce for the majority of this game. I know folks complain about squad depth, but that's just ludicrous.

Newcastle have only managed to win two of their 22 Premier League games without Obafemi Martins since he joined the club in the summer of 2006. Copied that stat from the other thread. We really do need this one back. Hope Barton's injury is short term, because we look 10x better with Martins (WMD) and Joey inthe team.

So....why aren't Xisco/Lovenkrands on the pitch? Jonas should have started to begin with. But when you have a striker go off at 1-0 down....you surely should put another on.

Will be watching Marseille instead of this, but good luck to the boys today. I think Coloccini will do very well in midfield. I however am very concerned about the back line. Edgar....may God have mercy on your beautiful soul. I just don't think he is a player for this level. Let's hope this is like that game against United two years ago, where we had nothing left but managed to get a an amzing point, or maybe today even all three.

I'm not saying I wouldn't have Veloso at Newcastle. He'd be an obvious improvement. But I do think he'd be a poor signing for 10-12 million pounds.