Wil

Nice to hear. Haven't heard anything but positive about him so far.

Vuckic in the hole is interesting

Does seem to reinforce the version that Ashley is interested only in keeping us in the prem on a minimum budget, rather than pushing the boat out even a little bit for some extra proven quality. One suspected it, but it's all pretty clear in this deal v Barnetta last couple days. Hope the lad does well though, obviously.

Seems to fit. A cheaper option than Barnetta. As for the lad himself, sometimes it just doesn't work out at a club, and he's had a hell of a lot of competition to fight his way through there. So hopefully he'll do it for us. I think he'll be well motivated to try to succeed this time. And will obviously be integrated in no time at all!

Thought Pardew was impressive in a tricky situation, there.

Caulkin's point... "One thing about Ashley regime at #NUFC - with odd exception, don't like playing the agent game & try to bypass as much as possible." implies for me it's pretty much a lottery who we're going to get through the door, and waters down even more any hitlist that the manager may produce.

Trying to play hardball but made to look rank amateurs again, it seems. It's pathetic, and a bit worrying now that there is some real urgency in getting players in.

Takes free kicks as well, so we will be well fixed in that department.

Absolute gold dust for the hacks, this.

Not sure if this was flagged up yesterday but Mail journo who writes a NE blog seems pretty confident we've missed out on Long. Sorry if already posted.... ".....though they have also missed out on Reading’s Shane Long, a striker of Championship repute who might have been man enough to take on the mantle of the famous No 9 shirt. Long preferred Leicester." Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2021686/Newcastle-United-fans-shortchanged-player-sales.html#ixzz1U0RfESx7

Haven't got any names to offer, but it's a pretty big fucking call from Pardew.. I know that much. If he has any say in it that is..

Just won't get anyone quite like him. Keep trying to suppress the memory of that goal v Forest. Those times seem a fucking age ago right now.

Barnetta and a cheaper striker than Erdinc is my prediction. Could even have been why we pulled out.

Think he had to go, unfortunately. The negativity couldn't go on into the season. Guess there was always going to be a huge fallout once the Nolan/Barton axis was broken.

It's the reality, unfortunately. And each year of the CL the divide will get greater. The best thing for football in this country would be for the top clubs to leave to play in a European super league. Hopefully it might happen someday. Still, on the positive side we do have a great club to support, and even under the current ownership we can compete within the top ten and occasionally turn over one of the bigger boys. Maybe that's all we can realistically hope for at the moment....and perhaps a cup! What would be the point in the best teams leaving? I never quite understand that argument - all that would mean is that we might compete for a completely undervalued and pointless league - knowing that there are 4-6 teams in England that are better than us? I suppose I feel that the competitiveness of the league has been corrupted, probably for good. Almost obscenely. Similarly in other countries. So I'm not sure I feel it would be pointless if other clubs had a somewhat fairer ground to play on. Probably will never happen anyway!

It's the reality, unfortunately. And each year of the CL the divide will get greater. The best thing for football in this country would be for the top clubs to leave to play in a European super league. Hopefully it might happen someday. Still, on the positive side we do have a great club to support, and even under the current ownership we can compete within the top ten and occasionally turn over one of the bigger boys. Maybe that's all we can realistically hope for at the moment....and perhaps a cup!

Disappointment softened by the fact we've got someone with promise in Marveaux to look forward to. Just don't think we would ever have paid the money for N'Zogbia, and it would have felt a lot worse.

If this is true then its good news. Never could quite understand why he didn't deserve to be kept on. This story surfaced a few weeks back, and a simple denial from the club was all that was needed - both for fans, and it seems the player. Just don't get why they can't be arsed to communicate on this kind of thing. Ba, Best, Shola and hopefully Erding would be a decent strikeforce going into next year.

The waiting game from Dalglish according to this from the Mirror. Always a likely scenario I guess..... Dalglish waiting for right moment to make cut-price Enrique offer Published 23:00 26/07/11 By David Maddock Kenny Dalglish is prepared to play a waiting game to land Jose Enrique. The Liverpool boss has been put off by Newcastle’s vastly inflated valuation of the Spanish international left back, and has resisted the temptation to make a formal offer. But Enrique has just a year left on his current deal, and has indicated he has absolutely no intention of renewing after the club failed to make him an improved offer. Newcastle have already been looking for a replacement for the Spaniard, and have intensified their efforts after Enrique criticised their lack of ambition this week. The player was fined for that outburst, and Magpies boss Alan Pardew has drawn up a shortlist of potential successors, with Manchester City misfit Wayne Bridge a top target. All that has persuaded Dalglish to wait for the right moment to make a reduced offer for the player, whom he values at around £5million. Newcastle won’t want to go into the new season with the risk of losing him on a free, which would happen should they fail to sell him before the summer transfer deadline expires. And that should see them reduce their asking price significantly, as the end of the transfer window looms at the end of August. Liverpool are prepared to wait that long. Enrique himself is desperate to move, and would welcome the chance to go to Anfield, given the club’s obvious ambition.

Agree with that. My hunch is we've been holding out for too much money for him behind the scenes and this will get him his move.

Just really pleased it's looking pretty certain he's staying another year. Definitely feel more confident going into next season knowing he'll be at the club and giving us some continuity amongst the changes.

Looks like the words out among other journos as well.... http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3706037/Newcastle-are-back-in-the-hunt-for-Paris-St-Germains-Mevlut-Erdinc.html

Refused visa...... http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3691526/Joey-Barton-will-miss-Newcastles-pre-season-tour-of-the-United-States-this-month.html

Holloway might be good for him.

Reassuring choice. Expecting him to have a great season, he'll be well proud.