Hughesy

Because maybe King, Koumas and Aghahowa cost less than Owen, Luque, Coloccini, Boumsong, Barton, Smith etc? Just a guess.

I would be happy with survival next season. Then hopefully progress over the next few seasons to be being a top 8 team. Anything more than that at this stage is unrealistic. And for the record - I hate what Ashley has done to this club and hold him almost entirely responsible for our current position. But we are where we are and can't expect miracles. Certainly throwing money at the team that we can't afford is no way to guarantee success.

Good answer.

I think it's ambition you're looking for, there's nowt wrong with setting your sights high so long as you don't lose sight of the fact it's not possible to get there overnight. Setting your ambitions too low, as you appear to be doing, is just as bad as expecting a miracle that we win the title. I'm all for ambition - I'm just reluctant for us to make the same mistakes again that clubs below the top 4 often make.

I suppose the short answer to your question is 'yes'. Not sure why you are focussing on Wigan per se, but not sure how you can argue that it wouldn't have made more sense to have bought players like Valencia, Palacios and Figueroa than Luque, Boumsong et al. For next season and future seasons I would like to see us develop our scouting network and make sensible purchases.

Sorry... I may have missed something - you think we should be comparing ourselves to Chelsea and Man Utd? You think that is a valid comparison in any way, shape or form?

congratulations on setting your sights as high as Wigan Initially that's where our sights should be set. We can't expect to waltz to a top half position next season you know? I know I'd be pretty damn happy if we bought players like Figueroa, Rodellaga, Cattermole. Scharner and Valencia. I don't know quite where you have got the idea that big signing equate to success though?

I think Routledge and Williamson will prove to be decent signings. What I am more focussing on is the undeniable fact that Newcastle could stay up next year by buying 'cheap' players. It would be quite easy to come up with a sizeable list of players who have been bought over the last 2-3 years for small amounts (ie max of 3 million) by Premiership clubs that would keep us up. There is absolutely no footballing or economic need to make big signings for next season.

This type of comment irates me, surely as Newcastle supporters we all understand that money does not equate to success. If that was the case, then surely the 5th biggest wage bill in the Premiership would not have finished 18th last year? A lot of Ashley detractors have been harping on about how he's not willing to "splash the cash", yet that automatically implies that spending a lot of money on players ("We need at least a couple of £10million players in if we hope to stay up", etc). Surely spending wisely and accumulating a reasonably well stocked squad of young, hungry players is far more conducive to long-term success and stablity than spunking £20mil + £££wages on some 'established players'? At least if the 'cheaper' players aren't up to the job, it's relatively easy to shift them on to someone else or give them a free? Then we're not 'stuck' with the likes of Butt (past his prime, nice lad though), Smith (maybe not worth his £60k~/week wage), Barton or Owen being paid far more than their on-pitch contributions would suggest. Bassong, Williamson, Simpson, Ranger, Kadar, Lovenkrands, Pancrate, Ryan Taylor, Routledge, Nolan (if only for his goals), Jonas and Guthrie would all appear to be relatively sensible signings given their 'accepted' transfer fees and 'accepted' wage bracket. Even Leon Best would fall into this category, hasn't done anything scincilating since joining but was apparently £1-2mil and had at least shown he could cut it at this level. Colocinni (debatable), Xisco and the early Allardyce signings: Smith, Viduka, Geremi, etc., would be the players who remind me more of our Shepherd era signings (high transfer fees and wages based upon their reputation and/or supposed potential). As more of the former style transfers are coming through and with some level of success, why do Ashley detractors still bang on about signing 'cheap players'? lots of speculative people around here. Have you tried telling Chelsea and Manutd your formula for success ? Cheap players are cheap because they are by and large crap ie not good enough other than the odd success. Who have we bought recently that isn't cheap ? The statement about cheap players is quite amusing.

You only have to look at some of the buys that other Premiership clubs have made over recent years to see that it is quite easy to get great value in the transfer market. You don't need to spend vast sums to stay up, you just need to spend sensibly.

...because Coloccini has done more this season, is the simple answer. Did or didn't Taylor play very well this season up until his knee injury? Williamson has looked better than Taylor alongside Colo in my John Humble. That said I've always been a bit of a Taylor sceptic. He seems very good at talking the talk but as a centre back I do believe he's guilty of always looking for the Hollywood tackle. Probably something that a lot of supporters don't want to admit but true nonetheless. Doesn't mean that Taylor has done badly, just brings a bit of perspective to the debate. we are a different set up at home since dropping the smith or butt idea. that may be part of it. I just think that Williamson is a more dominating centre half especially in the air, which compliments Coloccini well. I agree, I do like Taylor though and am not sure about this whole "yeah good, glad the cockney got knocked out" stuff that is starting to appear. Ok he is the "all action hero" a bit of a tit but a harmless one and I think his heart is in the right place so I don't understand why some sections seem to really have it in for him. Taylor is a Jack of all trades but master of none at the moment. He's the Aaron Hughes of this generation which is why we get seasoned posters suggesting he play right back. I still see him as a good prospect at CB but he's got way above himself. Whether he's worth what he thinks he is I highly doubt. Is that the Aaron Hughes that we should never have sold and ended up replacing with invariably inferior players??

Not sure if anyone has posted this already and it's probably a load of rubbish...but thought I might as well post the link. http://www.newcastleunited-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/carroll_and_taylor__the_inside_info_509851/index.shtml

Hilarious Skrg, you do this for every 'story of shame' that comes out of Barrack Road, but strangely enough, your crusade for morale superiority and human decency goes unnoticed by the king-makers in the glass tower. When will you accept that the life of a Premiership professional footballer is riddled with the type of immoral and indecent activity that has plagued our society for the last twenty years? Carroll and Taylor had some sort of fight, it's not up to the fans to be judge and jury, nor should we really be bothered about what goes on at Longbenton, so long as the 'culprits' are putting their shift in at SJP. Those of you joining Skrg on his crusade should take a step back and some of your posts. It's like reading the Daily Mail. Especially Hakka. What are you on about??? I have never read such a load of rubbish in one post. Are you struggling to understand the joined up sentences? I can break it down if you like... Chris Hughton is the manager, he makes the decisions as he sees fit in order to manage his squad. Coming down hard on Carroll, as many on here are suggesting, could be detrimental to the squad or certain key players. We don't know this, only Hughton knows. If you don't like Andy Carroll, or any of our other players, feel free not to get his name printed on your shirt, or sing his name when he next plays and scores. No trouble with joined up sentences here. Essentially what you are saying is that this kind of behaviour can be tolerated as long as the team is doing ok. I'll keep this simple for you. No, it can't be tolerated.

Hilarious Skrg, you do this for every 'story of shame' that comes out of Barrack Road, but strangely enough, your crusade for morale superiority and human decency goes unnoticed by the king-makers in the glass tower. When will you accept that the life of a Premiership professional footballer is riddled with the type of immoral and indecent activity that has plagued our society for the last twenty years? Carroll and Taylor had some sort of fight, it's not up to the fans to be judge and jury, nor should we really be bothered about what goes on at Longbenton, so long as the 'culprits' are putting their shift in at SJP. Those of you joining Skrg on his crusade should take a step back and some of your posts. It's like reading the Daily Mail. Especially Hakka. What are you on about??? I have never read such a load of rubbish in one post.

Love the way how people have seen the odd highlight of Pele and Maradona, or at best a few full matches, can make remarks about Messi.

As everyone on here knows I am a massive fan of Messi and I think he is brilliant and there's no doubt he's the best player in the world. However I find that statement absolutely incredible. Why won't he be? Explain why Pele, Maradona et al are better than him.

Always love the inevitable ' the Newcastle fans were really quiet' comments...

Was staying at the same hotel as the team on Friday night - quite interesting to see Butt come down for breakfast and sit down with Hughton and Calderwood. None of the other players were down, just backroom staff - was wondering if some sort of coaching role for Butt is in the offing? Or maybe he just wanted his full English breakfast too much and couldn't sleep for the excitement.

Definitely Inter as my 1st choice to win. Mainly because of Mourinho being awesome.

I think even when he first starting playing in the 1st team, he clearly had the potential. His technical ability, whilst not great, has been massively underplayed by some on here.

Was just going to say - every single team seems to have a Zidane story. The Blackburn one is the one that usually gets trotted out.

I can't now remember when Robson wanted to sell Shearer, but bearing in mind Shearer scored 22 league goals in 37 league games in 2003/04, I would suggest that any reports of his demise at this point were somewhat wrong. Bearing in mind, we had no-one to replace within the club (no... Kluivert should not have been playing instead of Shearer...), it would have been madness to have sold Shearer then.

I think O'Hara or Kevin Prince Boateng would be good signings. Is there a list accessible on the Internet of players who are out of contract this summer?

Absolute rubbish that Kaka is overrated.

If only we could unearth a Beardsley now.