Geordie_once_removed

Pretty easy that. Remember the start of the season where we drew a number of games and lost others unluckily, De Bryune's eye of a needle pass for City to equalise and Isak's offside goal and the extra, extra, extra time winner for Liverpool stand out for example. Also the January to March period where we just couldn't score. A rub of the green here, a bit more quality there from new signings/players getting better and we win those games. I also think we hit the bar and post more than any other team.

Wasn't that as we had to pay huge fees to get rid of Bruce. A final parting gift if the Ashley era.

I wonder if we're paying more to avoid this as well as get it as a loan with obligation to buy which helps us sting in late for a RCB.

Caicedo at that price can never be class as a great signing. Even in this market it feels £50 million over priced. That fee impacts their ability to strengthen elsewhere, something they need to do if they are to match their ambitions and given that their team still looks unbalanced. Signings are only 'great' when all the pieces fall into place which with this one I don't think they do. I would argue he's semi proven at this stage, in that he has done well, not for that long, in a team that is well coached and has a specific style of play that suits him. You can't be sure how this will translate. He's also never played in the Champions League, so at that level he is firmly unproven.

My 2p's worth is that he has been good under pressure and breaking up the odd bit of play, but I've not seen much creativity from him.

How did Carlos look? Been curious about how he'd do in the Prem after he almost signed for us.

No one can hate Miggy, he's just so lovable.

Willock, Anderson and Murphy have to be considered as at least decent "in an emergency" options for a wide forward/winger on either side. All of them would be 3 choice of lower for either wing (maybe not Anderson as we're not sure what will come from him). Because of this I'm pretty sure were not actively looking at wingers and I think that is the right approach. Next summer with Miggy one year older and other positions addressed we can spaff a load of money at a "wow" signing on the RW. We're just not able to do that right now.

I can't watch highlight videos like this, they make me feel like I'm having a seizure.

While I wasn't opposed to the signing I wasn't particularly excited but the penny has dropped for me. Howe and team are signing players not just to have two strong 11s but also the ability to play 3 or 4 different ways and Barnes seems to fit this strategy really well. For us and our needs I think we got the right relegated Leicester player even if Maddison might be the more talented player overall.

Agreed. It seems such a small time attitude and lacking faith in yourself and the set up you have created. Rather than backing yourself to adapt and grow with the money it brings in, he's determined to hang on to the diamond that fell into his lap at all costs. Even City let players go at the right price and when circumstances merit it. I know ASM isn't Kane but I think how Newcastle's leadership approached his leaving verses Spurs and Kane just shows a more mature and ultimately ambitious structure is being put in place at Newcastle. I think we'd act the same for Bruno, Isak et all. We'd have our price but we'd let them go and would have pre selected 4/5 potential players that would help us continue to grow. The only thing I can think of in Levy's defence is he might have been burned by how they squandered the money the sale of the last world class player they had (Bale) brought in. Still a bit of a small time attitude.

I think it will be a similar team and system to the one that ended the season. So Tonali won't start. A big factor behind him being the No 1 target I think is that he will allow for a wider variety of tactical changes/system to be applied before and during games. I see him playing this off the bench game changing role in this game.

He was looking good in the few appearances he made in the second half of the season too. Him, Miley and the new version of Gordon hopefully give us a few more options.

Provided Watford are paying 60% plus of his wages this is about the best the club could do. I still think there is a solid player in there, but given his recent form and injuries no club would risk a permanent signing. For him I hope he has a good season and restarts a career that Bruce and Ashley's Newcastle killed. For the club I hope we can then flog him for a few million next summer, I doubt we'll ever see him in a Newcastle shirt again.

Is it just me or has ASM leaving been discussed so much on this forum that a little part of my brain feels like it has been willed into happening by this disccusion. So I find myself oddly annoyed at the forum for being responsible.

I think there is a solid player in there it's just the club have never been in the right place for him to develop. First we were turbo sh#te and toxic under Bruce and Ashley. Then we needed seasoned pros to get us out of the mess the above had got us into. Now, while he still has potential, we're too good for him or can't afford him the playing time to get him up to the level needed even for back up. I hope he gets a good move and can restart his career, he's always seemed like good professional.

I thinks it more us playing hard ball. We have a price we won't exceed (that is below Leicester's valuation) and a player who wants to come here over all other clubs. It's now a case of who will give in first. I fancy our chances of 'winning' this one and getting him for our valuation.

Agreed. Even if you have a real dislike for them (I don't as my family is from Heaton but I've never personally lived there) there can be no greater diss than just ignoring them.

Barthez mark II?

Was meant for the Barnes thread.

I think we have our price (probably around the £25 million reported) we have communicated this unofficially while getting the player on board. Now we'll sit back and wait. We've seen Man City and the like do this before and they usually get their man. It's really gratifying to see us in the same boat already. We know we have an exciting project, a fantastic coaching team with a proven record of improving players in place and that this sell us to players so they won't want to go anywhere else. This is much like the prospect of working with Guardiola does for City.

If he had played mainly RW I'd be all in. We just seem so well stocked at LW I don't get it and can't get excited. To my (ignorant) eyes LW seems arguably our position with the most strength in depth, don't all of the following class to some degree as LW players: ASM Gordon Joelinton Anderson Isak So depth seems good to excellent and only aided by the fact that they do slightly different and good things.

Is it just me or does Mitro look a bit like he is taking fitness advice off our illustrious former manager/professional salad dodger?

It's not even really a record in the top flight unless you think football in the UK started in 1992.

I'm see the priority as RW, RCB and then LB. If Schär is injured the drop in quality to our next RCB is bigger than from Burn to Targett. I know a more attacking LB would give us a better balance, but due to his age and propensity for knocking himself out on a football pitch I feel relying on Schär is too much of a risk. Obviously I want both but if we can't have it all...