manorpark

No european football. No track record of success. North of England. Other options. Something of a step-down from Barcelona. We still don't have a left-back. "North of England" - Very bizarre thing to say. What are YOU ashamed of? Verlaine's a southern softie anyway. He has a point though. I love the Toon but I realise it isn't that attractive an option to your average foreigner. So, so, so wrong. See my response to Verlaine. I'm not wrong though. You appear brainwashed. It is not possible to think and say what you think and say, without that having happened to you - throughout your life. Think about it.

No european football. No track record of success. North of England. Other options. Something of a step-down from Barcelona. We still don't have a left-back. "North of England" - Very bizarre thing to say. What are YOU ashamed of? I'm just pointing out that, to pampered global superstar footballers, the far North of England isn't necessarily the most attractive of destinations. The "far" North of England, implies that there is somewhere ("the place") to be 'far' from. Your words indicate a massive sense of inferiority. England is a great place for footballers, and it is a very small place (nowhere is very 'far' from any where else). The main place foreigners have heard of is London, but they also hear (from many people) that it is a sh*thole. The big cities of England - particularly the Regional Capitals, are known as fantastic places to be, even if us in the UK itself (having suffered from lifelong BRAINWASHING from the London-based media ("London-based, you see) tend not to think of our big regional capitals as great places - though they ARE! Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, etc, etc, are great city-regions. ADD TO THAT, if they have a big football club!!!!! Regional Capital City + Newcastle United FC - is a great international attraction. That is how it is, even if the incessant 'brainwashing' from our Cockney-based media ALWAYS implies (clearly or subliminally) otherwise! Birmingham and Glasgow are f****** s****. I don't have any sense of inferiority whatsoever. I think my point was a very reasonable one. There is a difference between the North and places like London, you can't argue with that. It's all well and good to love where you live, and I commend that. However, you're talking about players who grew up in Brazil, spent 20 years in Portugal or Spain, moving to somewhere with an entirely entirely different culture and climate. Glasgow and Birmingham are good cities in which to live and to visit. It is "parochial" in the extreme to say where you live is good - just because you live there. (I lived in Hartlepool for a while you know!!). The difference between "The North" (what is that, by the way? - there are lots of wildly varying Cities, Towns, Villages and Countryside in "the North") and ""places like London" - what does that mean? Are they good differences? (of course, many of them are) or what? What do you mean by "places like London"?. You do seem to have a huge inferiority complex!

No european football. No track record of success. North of England. Other options. Something of a step-down from Barcelona. We still don't have a left-back. "North of England" - Very bizarre thing to say. What are YOU ashamed of? Verlaine's a southern softie anyway. He has a point though. I love the Toon but I realise it isn't that attractive an option to your average foreigner. So, so, so wrong. See my response to Verlaine.

No european football. No track record of success. North of England. Other options. Something of a step-down from Barcelona. We still don't have a left-back. "North of England" - Very bizarre thing to say. What are YOU ashamed of? I'm just pointing out that, to pampered global superstar footballers, the far North of England isn't necessarily the most attractive of destinations. The "far" North of England, implies that there is somewhere ("the place") to be 'far' from. Your words indicate a massive sense of inferiority. England is a great place for footballers, and it is a very small place (nowhere is very 'far' from any where else). The main place foreigners have heard of is London, but they also hear (from many people) that it is a sh*thole. The big cities of England - particularly the Regional Capitals, are known as fantastic places to be, even if us in the UK itself, having suffered from lifelong BRAINWASHING from the London-based media ("London-based", you see. They can't help it) tend not to think of our big regional capitals as great places - though they ARE! Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, etc, etc, are great city-regions. ADD TO THAT, if they have a big football club!!!!! Regional Capital City + Newcastle United FC - is a great international attraction. That is how it is, even if the incessant 'brainwashing' from our Cockney-based media ALWAYS implies (clearly or subliminally) otherwise!

Oh dear!! Was it nice on Mars? When did you get back?

No european football. No track record of success. North of England. Other options. Something of a step-down from Barcelona. We still don't have a left-back. "North of England" - Very bizarre thing to say. What are YOU ashamed of?

Not all players (especially knowledgeable, senior players) are as 'tunnel vision' as some on here (often, very often) seem to say! Many would choose us over a small or smaller club that 'just happened' to be in Europe (even if it was the Champions League) this particular season. The number of times I have read "they are looking for CL football", or something like that, on here. It is not as simple as that. They can see what is going on here (Huge club, loadsa money (our own earned income from huge fanbase) + Allardyce and players he is buying, plus MORE loadsa money since Ashley arrived, etc, etc . . . ) I think any good player would come here, if the timing was right for him.

me too actually as for deco and eto'o, i seriously doubt they'd ever come, even if barca would be willing to let them go... Our club has changed greatly in the last few months. It was always 'capable' of being very big, now more so even - people can see that. Why would they not come here??

And, maybe, over the next few years, we'll actually, say, be in Europe. This may help. I know we are not in Europe in the coming season, but we are (have been) in Europe pretty well every season since we came into the Premier League - so we are known for that, around and about. Also, I am sure it is not only us NUFC supporters, who have noticed what has been happening here this summer. It will not be only us that will see what the alliance between what we already had, plus a new billionaire with ambition, can achieve.

Yeah, but were talking about now, I have confidence in us, but not in us getting deco for gods sake. I hope they'll be oscolete too in a few years. Cant believe this threads up to 4 pages already about a story in the news of the world. It may as well have been written on tribal football. Agreed. As I say "in the next few years". But even now I would not say "never come to us" with the degree of 'certainty' and enthusiasm that some seem to say it! Also agree that this just another made up NOTW story!!

I love all the "it'll never happen" and "he'll never come here" comments, so many have felt the need to say in this thread! Such confidence! Hopefully the club will move forward over the next few years, in a way that will render such heartfelt comments as being old fashioned and obsolete.

I don't think he will be a backup if we get him. Like ohmelads said, we are not big enough to buy players at the age of 28 as a backup. He would be a useful squad-member / back-up type of purchase. Quite a useful one. The 'not big enough' comment is somewhat confusing. Times have moved on and many things have 'fundamentally' changed at SJP, since the end of last season. I know it is difficult, sometimes, to adjust your thinking to the new-realism, but we are in a different world now to where we were only a few short months ago. Players of this calibre are (and will be from now on, though not necessarily this particular individual) "ideal" back-up standard.

I really do not see what our league position last season, has got to do with anything!! Things have changed SO much since then. It is fairly irrelevant, don't you think? No not really no. Sam is doing the things that we have needed for so long, building a squad. Yet everyone is having a go at him and his signings already. Best fans in the world my f****** arse. Where we happened to end up in the league last season, is about as relevant to the future (as a result of Ashley mainly, but Allardyces influence, strongly, also) as where we finished in (say) 1977!! There is no connection at all. I do totally agree with you that Sam is really doing his part well (you say "Sam is doing the things that we have needed for so long, building a squad") and he will have set good foundations by the end of August - hopefully sooner, he has started well. You know, many of us (most of us) feel the same as you do and are not "attacking" Sam. There are idiots supporting every club. Sam was (pre-Ashley) the VERY best choice of manager, for me. Now (post-Ashley) he is 'even more' the best choice. He is the best English manager of his time, managing the only big club that is owned by an English billionaire. This is not a racist comment (though some idiots may see it as such - who cares!) it is just that it all "fits" sublimely well! Allardyce will deal well with the world class type of purchasing (still wheeler-dealing, no matter at what 'strata' or price-level he is dealing at) that the Ashley money (added to our own large income) will enable him to acquire - every bit as he is doing at the current 'squad-building' level. The future is brand new and VERY bright, and bears little or no relationship, or link, to either our distant or recent past.

I really do not see what our league position last season, has got to do with anything!! Things have changed SO much since then. It is fairly irrelevant, don't you think?

Just a question. Do you not think that our new owner (having spent an initial £133M and is now, according to Mort, starting to get rid of the debt) is going to make a really significant difference?

says the club insider You guessed!! (well done). I am often inside the club.

Have I missed something here? "It turns out he is not interested" . . . . sorry?? WE were not interested in HIM !!!!!!!!! Our involvement is all 'made-up'.

Is he quoted for saying the opposite? By deliberately not saying anything (he knows people are concerned about it) he is effectively "saying the opposite by omission" - YES! (Myself, actually think he is staying - but he should SPEAK!) why? Dyer hasn't, Taylor hasn't. Not the same thing. Not the same thing at all, as you know.

Perhaps. But don't you think we need to get away from the "one huge signing" (Owen / Shearer, whoever) once-in-a-blue-moon style of thing? If we mean (post-Ashley style) BIG-business, it needs to be consistently at that level (ie, 'more than one') or we should just continue the structured squad building that Big Sam is currently doing, at the financial/quality level he is currently doing it. I am very happy with what he is doing at the moment, and it needs to continue (I'm sure it will) a while yet.

Agreed. Also, in that third year we should at least "look like" we could challenge (even if its a flatter-to-deceive situation) for the title, as when SBR was here. Season 4 onward, it should be "real", as when KK was here. You don't spend £133M to sit on your ass . . . . . .

There is absolutely no reason for the progress you describe to take so long. We aint gonna win the league this coming season - but league success should not take anything like as long as you describe! In my opinion (Money available (ours earned and Ashleys) / Allardyce / existing players / our reputation) that is.

Correct, two VERY different things. Manchester's (hate-em!!) is an enviable achievement as a result of good management, the other is virtually 'fraud' on our great game. To illustrate this, Chelsea and Leeds were in exactly the same position (the figures were almost identical) at exactly the same time - one went the 'natural' way as a result (deservedly) of their own incompetence - the other . . . . ? There is no comparison, at all, between the Manchester United and Chelsea spending situations - it amazes me (constantly) how some people cannot (refuse to?) see this at all.

I think it did vanish, for a while!

Ah! Mystery solved. Is it? Was there a link to a UEFA site posted earlier? I could not get access. http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=42284.msg901199#msg901199 "Page 8 and 9 here" Page 8 and 9 where?? The word 'here' is the link mate . http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/555726.pdf CHEERS! Looks like not getting 'one more round' further, cost us £1.7M (half the 'pot' that Spurs ended up getting all of!!) Ah well . . . hopefully such things are no longer such a concern now (money-wise) . . and hopefully they are also less likely to actually even happen so often from now on (playing-wise)!!

Agree the above, obviously, but there must be more to it (more "ambitions / desires") to motivate him to buy us, than money. Put simply, if he wanted to just (continue to) make money - would he have invested in a football club?? It's not rocket science... SPORTS MERCHANDISING BUSINESS + FOOTBALL CLUB = BIGGER MARKET Yes, publicity, etc . . . it all makes sense and adds up to a need to be SUCCESSFUL. The point of this thread is, though, an opportunity was missed to provide a bit more (non-contentious) information. (PS, I am a Rocket Scientist . . . ) Information is power...power leads to fear...fear leads to the dark side. I work with a lot of people who operate like that . . . not me of course . . . How's the old anti-gravity drive going? Good enough to get me up to Level 7 more easily by August, I hope!!!!!!! I tell ya!