Geordie_once_removed

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.

46 minutes ago, ste_ne24 said:

 

 

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.

9 minutes ago, Nucasol said:

The whole “Daniel Levy-Shrewd Operator” thing has lost a lot of gloss. He got absolutely ridden roughshod by both Mourinho and Conte and his treatment of Kane would make me think twice if I was a player potentially looking to join them.

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.

2 hours ago, Shays Given Tim Flowers said:

Pretty sure it's linked to other deals hence the hold up.

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.

6 minutes ago, cubaricho said:

 

Absolutely the same. I think it's maybe a bit different since I'm an American, but it feels so small time to have a thread about a completely irrelevant club down the road from ours consistently at the top of our football forum. But to each their own.

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.

7 minutes ago, Shearergol said:

 

He's massively prone to huge errors, but otherwise he's class. Entertaining anyway.

Barthez mark II?

18 minutes ago, Geordie_once_removed said:

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.  

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. 

4 hours ago, BlueStar said:

Mitro doing a local news compo face photo for the reveal

 

 

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

4 hours ago, Manxst said:

Putting a league record over medals

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

37 minutes ago, The Butcher said:

Tbf I'd be really surprised if we spent big on two midfielders. Fully expect us to sign another CM, but probably a cheaper one.

 

Hope we go heavy in on a RW and a LB, especially the former.

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...

So that's about £170 million on Rice and Havertz. Which is the last player Arsenal got serious, above 30 million, money for? Surely they'll be at their FFP limits now. 

Rice seems like a good move, but someone needs to explain Havertz to me. He's not a bad player but I just don't seem what he adds to an already very good team, especially as I feel they have a few alternatives who all are good and similar.

3 hours ago, Orphanage said:

 

Almost perfect. 

Just add 'our' to the "in a Fiat with our Dan" to make it fit the line better.

I like Southgate, apparently stick me in a suit and I have a passing resemblance to him. So if England win something under him there is a potentially lucrative side hustle as a look-alike of him.

He's a good coach/manager but not a great one. Eddie Howe actually highlights quite well his shortcomings. Howe has all those good communication, man management skills Southgate excels at but combines them with a (respectful) ruthless streak Southgate lacks. As well as the ability to have a clear footballing philosophy that he is able to adapt to the opposition and the situation more than Southgate.

That's is why Howe is showing signs of being a great manager while I suspect Southgate will only ever be good.

3 hours ago, Smal said:

nice movement and finish

 

The size of the bobble on the turf the ball takes on the trough ball! Not seen that since the 90s.

A new LB is 3 or 4th on the priority list for me. My order is CM, RW/RWF, then RCB or LB.

I love Burn but when you look at the stats playing him makes us a bit one dimensional and places a lot on Trippier not getting injured. If you have someone with more attacking treat down that side, with Trippier fit you can vary how you attack more. If Trippier gets injured then you can play a similar way to this year but switch the focus to the left.

We also arguably have out best attackers on the left and this could help us get more out of them.  Finally we could in some games switch to a back 3 with attacking wing backs. It just gives us a lot more options.

2 minutes ago, Tiresias said:

 

In fairness it is also how Brighton attract all their talent, come to us we will look after you will then won't fight too hard to keep you after you've been in shop window for a while

I've read this several times too.  It's just another example of how they are a really smartly run club.  As an emerging player this must be a major draw.

If Leicester really are asking for £60 million for Madison consider how that approach differs. They won't get that, it'll drag on so they can't buy to replace and people who they might buy will be questioning if it is a good idea to go there as they too might end up trapped. 

1 hour ago, SEMTEX said:

 

Everything is photoshopped beyond belief in retail innit. But yeah they clearly decided to go a bit mental with it this time. It's pretty terrible. My guess is that nee1 arranged any proper photoshoot with players and they just went rogue.

I can't believe that image of Bruno controlling the ball is real. I thought it was a commercial tie in with the new EA Sports football game or something.