jackflap

Anything north of 30m is too rich for Madueke Imo, has shown flashes but still very raw. Above that would sooner go for Bakayoko who going off their PSV days is a better prospect.

I'm sure there's plenty of emotion there for cute hoor Eddie to tap into and have him straining at the leash come the new season. We're gonna dole out a fair few hidings this season I reckon.

Looks like a great appointment on the face of it. No nonsense workaholic Northerner with modern methods and likes to tap into the DNA of a club...yes please. Wonder will we see a bit of business been done with Monaco.

Surely Forrest gave us a dig out with Anderson, it's a heck of a fee when you consider the straits that we were in and there doesn't seem to have been other interested parties as with Minteh. Makes me certain there'll be further dealings between the clubs in this window. It's a welcome change from clubs looking for a premium off us when the transaction is going the other way.

The club always bangs on about needing to be creative with FFP and as unpalatable as it may be selling Minteh now for a decent sum and including a buy back clause would be an example of that. Selling to another PL club would be very short sighted though unless it was a side like Palace.

We'd have to be at a very advanced stage in discussions for someone they're all in on to even consider selling him to Liverpool. Slot must know he's the real deal and it'd be a terrible look if that turned out to be the case. Safest option would be to sell him to a non PL side for a reasonable fee ~25m and include a buy back clause.

At least our interest will have hiked the cost for Chelsea, bit by bit they'll push themselves over the edge

Meh if he doesn't want to join then he's not the right player. As for Chelsea let them at it, another big wage in a position they don't have a great need, another potential source of friction in the dressing room for an inexperienced manager to deal with and can't be great for their compliance with Uefas wage cap though I'm not sure if it has any teeth to it. Can see them trying to offload him next season for FFP purposes as he'd represent pure profit but nobody will be interested in paying his wages if he flops.

Could see that being an option at home against a side playing a low block. Playing more between the lines. Think Howe said as well one of the plans for away games was to stick Joelinton LW for extra physical and aerial presence. Probably with Willock in midfield for his running. Those 2 combining was over of the most satisfying things about the CL season. Were they even on the pitch together last season?

5 year contract is nuts, basically giving a relatively unproven manager the option of retiring after 6 months with financial security for the rest of his life.

He did go off the boil after a great start last season but one of his last performances was off the bench against Dortmund at home and he looked outstanding, could see instantly the impact it was envisaged he would have in that type of fixture. Seems like a passionate bloke so hopefully he'll be itching to reward the club and supporters for sticking by him.

Of all the indictments of Bruce regularly trotting out Hendrick and Shelvey has to be up there. More legs on a rider bull.

If we keep Isak and Bruno I can see us being a nightmare to play against next season, expanded European competitions and we'll be the only side with top 4 ambitions without the extra games. Likely to be less affected than most by the internationals as well. Not to mention the managerial upheavals around us Think the nature of the season gone past will have added a steel to the side and a massive chip on the shoulders of the players. Whereas before we've looked hesitant facing the better sides particularly away from home I think we'll impose ourselves on them a lot more. A bit more luck on the injury front and I honestly think we'll be closer in points to first than 5th

If in Europe keep him if not loan him out to championship club, think he could do with dropping a level and see if he's able to influence games.

Problem with Longstaff for me and even Howe alluded to it is that he's the type of player that needs to find a rhythm to bring the best out of him, he's technically below par and his footwork is below that again. I can't see how he'd work out as a good rotational player if he needs to be playing regularly to be at the required level. Anything north of 15m I think would be good business provided there's a suitable alternative they like. I'd like to see them sign a young no. 6 with the potential to be a long term option in that position and is able to grow into the role whilst Bruno is at the club (assuming he stays) with a view to succeeding him should he eventually leave. Feel we need the option of someone tailer made with traditional attributes for that position but as it is we've enough bodies in midfield.

Guirassy is still banging the goals in for Stuttgart, granted he's 28 and will probably be looking for a big contract but with his release clause at 17.5m euros he on paper represents a good value signing.

Think he's up there with Nobby as my favourite ever Newcastle player. Sublime baller.

Do we even know it's the same knee as the previous injury?

It's not like we're fly pitchers, we can't just knock out a few more players. Hardly had a ball of success there to be relying on it as a strategy. You suggesting we'd sell a player we might not have anyway just to overpay in a deal for a development LB when we can back out.. Especially when there's an added bonus of compromising a rivals FFP position or at least maybe scuppering some of their summer transfer plans. There's no way the kid has gone from being deemed good enough to start away from home in a key CL tie to watching Matt Richie to come off the bench without there being uncertainty from the club whether to pursue the deal.

On Target giving 15m to a direct rival for a decent PL player who's already hit their ceiling wasn't great business. Villa were seeking to move on from him as he wasn't good enough for the level of ambition for the club. Think we expended so much energy on Botman and the Ekiteke pursuit Target was deemed a safe one to get in the door. Seems clear from Howes comments that the permanent signing of Hall hasn't been triggered. Still makes no sense that Howe sees him as an important player for the future, thought him good enough to start away in a vital CL game against Dortmund yet wasn't even worth bringing off the bench when we were at our bare bones and crying out for a bit of energy in the side. Wondering whether finishing last in the group and the loss of revenue changed the clubs perspective on the deal, tightened our FFP position and the club don't want to commit to signing Hall at the price agreed. I'm sure the club have downgraded their expectation for this season and will be making contingencies for no European football next season, something they may not have been doing before the season began. Howe could be being honest in saying that he does want him here for the long term but this would be something that I could see him having to follow orders on from higher up. Ironically our injury crisis could be the very reason why Hall hasn't been seeing game time.

I'm not sure a loan is what's needed, he's a silky player but looks awkward in his body like he's just been through a growth spurt. I think a year with managed appearances and a focus on strength and conditioning would be of most benefit to him.

We were a well oiled machine last season but last night we'd a midfield of Bruno who's probably in need of a rest and had to curb his natural aggression. Willock who's barely kicked a ball since last May and Longstaff who's woefully off form. Pair that with Gordon who probably also needs a rest, an 80% fit Isak and a role player in Murphy and it's easy to see why we're spluttering. Hopefully between the good break between Wolves on Saturday and Chelsea the Monday week then the international break at the end of the month revitalises us. One criticism I would make is that the team looks in dire need of an injection of energy and he's inexplicably starting on the bench most weeks.

At least the players will have to suffer it again in the morning

Hopefully we get another so Trippier can focus on trolling the crowd Stream behind fukk, out of nowhere

Poor by Schar should've caught that