Punk77

HBA is Zidane/Messi hybrid. Cannot wait for his return then 

Exactly

Ben Arfa is a very good player, but to say he could be as good as arguably the greatest player that's ever played the game is going a bit far.

Stop being a party pooper. We're trying to build some expectations here..

If we're talking about the financial running of the club alone, there's no argument that Ashley is doing a much better job.

 

The problem is that we're still in the spending bubble that means success in the Premier League is virtually impossible without taking massive financial risks or an owner investing vast amounts without hope of a return - neither of which Ashley is prepared to do.

 

Depends on your definition of success but I don't think that's true at all. I think the club would like you to think it though.

 

Well yeah, by success I was thinking European qualification and then pushing up into the top 4.

 

If by success you mean getting promoted and potentially finishing in the top half, then pushing on from there... we're already doing that.

 

Do you think Spurs are taking massive financial risks? Or even the mackems, who will probably still either bottle it or simply be caught by Liverpool, but are still very much in contention for Europe? Do you think Arsenal are taking massive financial risks?

 

Spurs and Arsenal are both very well run clubs and are not taking massive financial risks.

That's the reason why I have nothing against Spurs. . Unlike City and Chelsea, their success can be ascribed to the fact that they have a salary cap on players' salary and they have made some smart buys and sold them with huge profits. And they have picked up talents and honed them. Chelsea and City would have been nowhere if it wasn't for their owners' generosity.

Punk, I am confused as to how the game between Olympique Lyonnais and Real Madrid last year has anything to do with Ben Arfa or feints. I just don't understand the reasoning behind what you are saying with that.

 

He said this years CL, they played Auxerre.

Thank you. And I mentioned that match to prove that even Ronaldo is not able to feint in the way HBA does and Zidane did.

nufcfans NUFCfans

Just got a text from a very good friend, working as a journo in the NE: "Club talking to Aliadiere. Should be done very soon." #NUFC

Oh christ.. His goal scoring statistics is gruesome. If I remember correctly he got good work ethic and decent technique. But so few goals point towards one thing: He's not football intelligent enough, and as a consequence he's not able to position himself in good scoring positions.  But nothing would have been better than he proving us wrong..

If he learns when he should pass and when to dribble I honestly believe that he got the potential of Messi.

 

 

I'll have a pint of what you're drinking.

He he. But seriously, HBA can be that good. His feinting is very similar to Zidane: He's able to to correct his movements if he sees that the opponent is not falling for the trick he's performing. In other words: He watches the opponent while simultaneously feinting and goes in the opposite direction if the defender is not falling for his faint. Very few players are able to do this. That's why HBA can pass a player using only one or two touches (like Zidane). That's why he can stand completely still, and still mange to surpass his player. He does the opposite of what the opponent RESPONDS to all the time. Ronaldo (that c***) on the other hand is not able to do this. That's why he uses a ton of feints without being able to pass his opponent. He looks too much on the ball: A very good example of this was Real Madrid's away game in this years CL against a French team, where they were very lucky to vin.

Fact is, I can't wait for the whole bubble to burst.  It will happen as the fans will simply walk away from football as clubs try and try to extract even more money from them.  Season ticket renewal time for a number of PL clubs should make interesting read by next August as with disposable income getting squeezed and squeezed quite a few fans may just jack it all in.

Totally agree. No way todays spending can be upheld without having serious consequences. And when the bubble burst, NUFC will be one of the few clubs with a sound economical base, and then we will shine..But until then, we must have patience.

Streets ahead my left nut. Robert is criminally underrated by a certain breed of NUFC fans.

The problem with Robert was his stability. On his day he alone could win the game for us. But when he had a day off, nobody was worse either. All around I prefer players that delivers more consistently.. Ginola was absolutely fantastic, and I will never forgive Daglish for selling him. But Ben Arfa has something magical. His touch is just so fantastic, ditto his acceleration. Unlike Bale who has problems when the defense is organized, HBA has no problems taking on one or two players. It's when he goes after the third and the fourth that he runs into problems. From what I've seen on youtube his fondness for the ball is his main problem. If he learns when he should pass and when to dribble I honestly believe that he got the potential of Messi.

If we're talking about the financial running of the club alone, there's no argument that Ashley is doing a much better job.

 

The problem is that we're still in the spending bubble that means success in the Premier League is virtually impossible without taking massive financial risks or an owner investing vast amounts without hope of a return - neither of which Ashley is prepared to do.

Exactly! And it is a huge problem that the football is heading in that direction imo.  When you have all the money in the world, like City, the feeling of accomplishment must disappear significantly when they win a silverware. The success is not achieved through hard work, sensible strategies and supporter relations but through using huge amounts of money, and nothing else. In the same way, I feel such a pride when Tiote is having one of his usual displays, because we only bought him for £3.5 and his success can partly be attributed to the club's scouting. If we on the other hand had purchased him for £20 mill, Tiote's current display is seen only as mandatory for a player with such a price tag.

I'm not particularly concerned about the average age or sex of Man U supporters tbh.

 

The above Luque quotes are proven bollocks, at very least in respect to the transfer fee, but if you want to go there:

 

Lombilla also denied there had been a bid from Tottenham, who yesterday banked £20.3m from Liverpool for Robbie Keane.

 

And he insists Coloccini is desperate to join Newcastle, who are prepared to double his Deportivo wages.

 

Lombilla added: “The player is wanted in several places but the English league is what seduces him the most in both senses: economic and sporting.

 

“It was proposed to Fabricio a five-year contract with a salary that’s doubling his current wages. There wasn’t any other offer that was not coming from Newcastle.

 

“I know Ramos personally. I have a good relationship with him and there was great interest but no offers.

 

“The only one exceeding 10m, which I knew that could satisfy the president, was the one of Newcastle and it was also interesting for the player.”

 

The only club in for him and we offered to double his wages. I guess this was Shepherd's fault too? Remind me again, which one of Luque's or Coloccini's wages affects our current finances?

Colo's wages was of course sanctioned by Ashley. But obviously, the man had not much experience in running a football club. My point is that Ashley has turned the ship around, economically. If Colo signs a new contract, he will of course not be given the same luxurious terms. Fat Fred on the other hand, never learned. And he had intimate knowledge about the club's finances. Still he managed on a consistent basis to hire and fire managers (£5 mill buyout on Big Sam alone) and in same style repeatedly paying way too much for mediocre players that were rewarded with insanely good contracts. Ashley took over a club with a debt of £100 mill that had already used sponsor money in advance.

Did we not?

I must say even for this board that is mental.

 

Have read a couple of articles and nobody has mentioned a buyout clause. We're injury plagued so we need him regardless, but I hope of course that we have reached such an agreement..However, I have found no information about it. Anybody else who knows?

 

 

That said, Ireland would probably be available for a decent price as they're probably desperate to get rid of him.

Are you sure? If Ireland rediscovers his form, they have a very good midfielder. Why would Villa then sell him to us, unless they are handsomely rewarded?

Did we not?

I must say even for this board that is mental.

Have read a couple of articles and nobody has mentioned a buyout clause. We're injury plagued so we need him regardless, but I hope of course that we have reached such an agreement..However, I have found no information about it. Anybody else who knows?

 

The fact is that Ashley hasn't taken anything out of the club, he's continuously put money in to support our losses.

This interview with Luque is a very good example of how disastrously Fat Fred managed the club. The worst thing is that he continued to put money in his own pocket, despite the fact that it went with record losses. Please notice the writing in bold.

ALBERT LUQUE last night gave a damning insight into the cash-crazy reign of Freddy Shepherd which nearly destroyed Newcastle.

 

New chairman Chris Mort has already blasted Shepherd for leaving the Toon in a state of financial ruin before Mike Ashley’s millions rescued the club.

 

Mort, who took over in July, insisted last week the club were “close to folding like a pack of cards” before reclusive billionaire Ashley took centre stage.

 

And now super-flop Luque has shown just why.

 

The Spanish striker revealed his pure astonishment after plucking a monumental wage demand out of thin air — and hearing Shepherd say ‘Yes’ with no hesitation.

 

Luque, who pocketed around £85,000 a week, admits he just joined for the money in 2005 and left for Ajax in the summer simply appalled at the way Shepherd ran Newcastle.

 

He said: “No one could understand why I joined Newcastle but I got an offer I couldn’t refuse.

 

“I had a meeting with the chairman Freddy Shepherd and he asked me what I wanted to earn.

 

“So I said an absurd, completely ridiculous amount and he immediately said it was OK.

 

“The next day he spoke with Augusto Lendoiro, the chairman of Deportivo La Coruna, and in that meeting it was exactly the same.

 

“He asked what the price was and Lendoiro said 15million euro and the deal was done.

 

“In both cases, Shepherd didn’t even negotiate.

 

“Twice, he said ‘Yes’ and in 24 hours my whole life changed dramatically.

 

“It was bizarre. I was going to earn a gigantic amount of money at a club I had never followed in a city I didn’t know.

 

“From all the players at Newcastle, I had never heard of them — and I hardly spoke any English.”

 

The Spain international endured a nightmare spell on Tyneside after being signed by former Magpies chief Graeme Souness for a whopping £9.5m two years ago.

 

He left for Holland before the transfer window slammed shut for around £1.5m, joining the likes of Jean-Alain Boumsong and Marcelino as the biggest wastes of money during Shepherd’s rollercoaster 10-year reign.

 

Luque, 29, made just SIX Premier League starts in TWO years and hated working with former Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder.

 

In his time at St James’ Park, he scored just three goals in all competitions — while earning the best part of £9MILLION.

 

Luque has already hit two for Ajax to help them go top of the Dutch League.

 

He added: “It is a wonder I held out that long. In that period I was often asked about returning to Spanish clubs but being perfectly honest nobody could match my contract.

 

“I earned so much at Newcastle and you don’t let that go so easily.

 

“But this summer I told myself that money wasn’t everything and isn’t important. So I’ve chosen for life and for football and to feel like a player again.

 

“In between, Newcastle have a new chairman and I told him that for me he could keep his money as long as I can go.

 

“For the club it’s good that Shepherd and Roeder are gone.

 

“I still had a contract for three seasons so I’ve lost a tremendous amount of money.

 

“But that doesn’t interest me one bit right now. I was fed up living like a tourist in England. I just left for Amsterdam and didn’t want to stay one day longer in Newcastle. It was an awful time and that’s why I’m glad of the challenge that’s awaiting me.

 

“I am happy now. With my wife we’re living in the middle of Amsterdam and that’s in contrast with a village outside Newcastle.

 

“In the morning when I open the curtains I see people while, in Newcastle, it was only trees.

 

“My father is so proud that I’m now playing for the club where his hero Johan Cruyff became a star. Ajax is a choice for my life.”

 

Joey Barton is another player who has hardly set Newcastle alight — but not through choice.

 

Barton quit Manchester City for Tyneside in the summer but has been out with a broken left foot.

 

The £5.8m midfielder played for Toon’s reserves against City this week — his first game since suffering the injury in July.

 

And he insists he deserves some of the credit for City’s amazing revival under Sven Goran Eriksson.

 

He said: “I hope they appreciate the job I did last season.

 

“Were it not for myself, Micah Richards and Richard Dunne they wouldn’t have had Thaksin Shinawatra, the Premier League and Sven Goran Eriksson. They could easily have gone down last season but for a couple of results.”

 

Eriksson has led City to third in the Premier League, thanks partly to the millions of new owner Shinawatra.

 

But Barton, 25, insists he has no regrets about joining Toon.

 

He said: “Hopefully, we’ll get the kind of investment they got at City and get a similar result.

 

“Newcastle can be as big as they want to be. No disrespect to City but, in Manchester, Manchester United will always be top dog.

 

“As much as City want to believe it, it is not going to be.

 

“The big thing about Newcastle is there is only Newcastle.

 

“Newcastle could be a big side and turn it from a big four into a big five.”

No doubt about it, Ashley has made his share of mistakes. But everything was set in motion by Fred. Economically I think NUFC is one of the few clubs that is going in the right direction: Cutting down on wages and focusing on talent. The next step should be to lower the ticket prices. The German League has followed this strategy.: lowering wages, renewing stadiums and lowering wages, which has led to the possibility to reduce the ticket prices. One match ticket may now be available for 8 EUR. The result: highest average attendance in Europe. It's a great concern that the average supporter attending a game at Old Trafford is male and well into his forties.

Any words/hellos from Ireland yet?

 

I think people are being far too harsh on the lad.

 

If he can get his head sorted we'll have a cracking player on our hands.

Absolutely agree. But if he finds his form, he will be pretty expensive because we didn't manage to negotiate a clause enabling us to buy him at the end of the period at a fixed sum..

Please don't post football clips/highlight reels/showboats or any other such s***. That's 2 already this morning I've binned. The next one gets a week's ban.

Sorry about that one. Misunderstood the rules, thought it it was only Pl-clips and not old ones for other leagues...Won't happen again..Promise.

My reaction too..I almost got a bulge in my pants

This free kick is f***** unbelievable. And the best thing is: he does it on purpose. Discussion settled now?

< the next one gets a week off. >

I recommend that you search on HBA skills on youtube..The boy is insane.. Can't believe that we got him..

 

I wish I'd saved that Everton video when it was knocking about, can't find it now (NOT THAT I'M REQUESTING A LINK!).

 

His acceleration and control in that game was unreal.

I got it on my computer

I recommend that you search on HBA skills on youtube..The boy is insane.. Can't believe that we got him..

He's the most average player i've ever seen playing for us, and thats really saying something, i'd have almost any striker in the league instead of him.

 

Just stop it.

 

Are you seriously defending Best? He's w***, I'm sorry I missed the West Ham match, but I have never seen such a bad striker at this club. Mind I started watching matched regularly 12 years ago but still. He's an awful footballer and we should've considered selling him after his hattrick. I perform better than him, and I'm not joking. I would do a better job than him on the football field, and I don't even earn money playing football. Come on.

Best  got some inherent quality such as good finishing skills, decent technique and pace. But he seems very remote when he's on the pitch: his body is there, but not his mind. And in the world's fastest football league, that's not good enough. As Mame Biram Diouf pointed out when took the step from the Norwegian Tippeligaen to PL: the league is so fast, that he has to think two/three steps ahead all the time.  This does not apply for Best..But it should, the man is 24 years old.

Harsh to judge Ranger against the Fulham defence, I was there when Fulham played us at home and Carroll didn't get much change out of them either, and they were a lot weaker then.

Valid point, but I think both attackers should have had much more movement. To dismantle a good defense, you must have move continually. But Best and Ranger seemed uninterested in that department. Because the attackers did not move, they created no room for the midfield and the midfield had few passing alternatives because Best and Rangers did not create space between themselves and the defense. Both did not move at all unless the ball was heading towards their direction. An attacker must make a run, regardless, because when he moves, he stretches the defense and makes room for others. And that requires football intelligence, which Best and Ranger do not have, for now.

Ranger is fast, strong and tbh VERY unlucky not to have scored. I'd take him over Lovenkrands and Best any day.

Got to disagree with you. Ranger is first and foremost an impact-player. He got a physical awareness that scares the opponent. But he got few other abilities to the games right now. The game against Fulham showed that he got a lot to learn, especially when it comes to making the right choices on the pitch. He made the wrong initiatives and only taking runs when the ball was passed in his direction. He got no technique (yet) and his finishing skills are just horrendous. Lovenkrants on the other hand is very good in beating the offside trap. He will have a clean breakthrough during the game. The problem is that our midfield is not able to play on this particular strength of his. He never or seldom gets any breakthrough ball. I've seen some good runs from his side that would have taken him straight to  the goal, but the pass never arrives.  However, Loven needs to play in a 4-4-2 system, preferably with Sholadinhio, but he's now injured.  Best on the other hand got technique, but he obviously suffers from some mental problem: His body is on the pitch, but not his mind, his not focused enough, which I think has hindered his development.

However, I agree that Ranger got potential. But he needs to play day in and out on a lower level to hone is skills. Carroll was rubbish before he got one whole season in Wankership, and this is also the solution for Ranger. We have no attacker with possession skills to play with Loven in 4-4-2, and when Ben Arfa, Gosling and Ireland is back, we have no attacker to play in a 4-5-1 role, because that formation also requires an attacker that is able keeping the ball so the rest of the midfield (and Nolan in particular) can move upwards. In other words, we to strike gold on the free transfer market asap

Ginola had skills that was unheard of in his day. But HBA got greater potential. If he sorts his heads out, the sky is the limit for him.  Robert was too inconsistent. On his day the most entertaining winger in PL, and vice versa..

This is good news imo. Yong, low risk and probably sees nufc as a career enhancement.  A text book signing.