Are you confident in Keegan dropping the underperformers?

[Guest fraser]

I think when Allardyce went, everyone expected the s**** players to follow, namely non-footballers like Butt and Smith. So far though this hasn't happened, Keegan seems to admire their battling qualities and workrate, and his non-activity in January (plus his comments about not being able to improve the squad) seem to suggest he thinks he can polish these turds.

 

After today's capitulation though, are you confident that Keegan will drop those who were most at fault? Not so sure myself.

 

Obviously this only concerns the rest of this season. But then what about the summer? Will the clearout we are hoping for materialise?

 

I think this is an interesting question for the summer - I honestly think most people would agree that they'd like to see a ruthless cull of players next window...lets say money permitting we're talking about keeping (for example only) Owen, Martins, Zog, Taylor, Beye, Feye, Enrique, Given & Harper of the first team regulars...

 

There aren't many other players in the squad any of us would say are good enough or haven't had chance to prove themselves good enough - we all know these players can't cut it and need to be replaced.

 

Will KK be THAT ruthless this summer?  Even if he has the funds to be do you think he would?

 

Personally I reckon he'd keep the likes of Barton, Butt, Geremi and lord even Smith for their "experience".  I think he'll see it as currently we don't have a couple of genuinely class players and by adding them to the team these players will improve with their addition, if you see what I mean?

 

What I honestly think we'll get is more players being added to the current squad rather than the decimation of these wankers most of us actually want.  A Man City in the summer just gone, if you will.

 

I would keep most of these players, unless we get good offers for some of them, because we don't have the squad. He needs to bring in 3 or 4 quality players to push us back into the top 6 or thereabouts as soon as possible, adding to the current group of players.

 

David Bentley's price is going to go up and up. I'd like to think we could at least have tried to buy him in january, if not then we should have done. This is the quality of player we need to bring into the club. I'm not interested in the cost of these players. If we want to get back up the league, we simply have to pay the price and if we don't show this desire to succeed then the club is letting its supporters down ie the size of our fanbase and crowds demand it.

 

The only player I would let go is Ameobi. I'd sell him for 10 bob to be honest.  Some others for the right price too, obviously. I think that Beye is the best right back at the club that we have had for a long time. Enrique is looking better all the time, I quite like him too. I think people are being unfair on Taylor, most players at the club have had a difficult season, it would be a mistake to sell him and if he is put up for sale there will be some good clubs interested in him. I think the club should strive to persuade zoggy see the club has a big future, and also players like Edgar should be made to see he has a future at the club too.

 

Players such as Butt, Barton [good game yesterday] and Emre will stay until we have superior replacements. I think I would let Emre go for the right price. Maybe Duff if he continues to show he isn't going to be the player he was, but only when we get someone into the club to go straight into the team.

 

I'm more convinced than ever, that if Keegan is backed properly by the owner he will succeed.

 

 

 

I think you're spot on with most of that.  Newcastle don't have any depth in their squad right now, so I wouldn't sell anyone in the summer window (when there are more players available) and offload the deadwood in January (when with less players available, you may get a better fee). 

 

The point I can't agree with is the need for 3 or 4 quality players to make a push for the top 6, I think it need more like half a dozen players or more deemed to be first team starters and, even then, I don't think the quality of the squad players would be good enough for the top 6.  All of the top teams are continually improving their squads just to maintain their position and starting at such a low squad position, it will take Newcastle a lot more to make significant strides.  Finally, when the players have been recruited, it could still take them up to a season to settle into their new surroundings and start performing to the anticipated level.  I don't think Newcastle will be challenging for a top 6 position for 2 years, probably 3.  I may well be wrong but that's how I see it right now.

 

 

 

I think that you're serioulsy overestimating the quality and depth of squads outside the top four. Everton have hit problems because of the loss of form of or injury to two players, Cahill and Arteta. Aston Villa have struggled against poor opposition, notably Sunderland and Boro. Spurs themselves, even after an appalling start, may reach as high as eighth. The challenge, given that we do avoid relegation, is that we join the best of the rest, separated by only 8 points or so from each other.

[mrmojorisin75]

I think when Allardyce went, everyone expected the s**** players to follow, namely non-footballers like Butt and Smith. So far though this hasn't happened, Keegan seems to admire their battling qualities and workrate, and his non-activity in January (plus his comments about not being able to improve the squad) seem to suggest he thinks he can polish these turds.

 

After today's capitulation though, are you confident that Keegan will drop those who were most at fault? Not so sure myself.

 

Obviously this only concerns the rest of this season. But then what about the summer? Will the clearout we are hoping for materialise?

 

I think this is an interesting question for the summer - I honestly think most people would agree that they'd like to see a ruthless cull of players next window...lets say money permitting we're talking about keeping (for example only) Owen, Martins, Zog, Taylor, Beye, Feye, Enrique, Given & Harper of the first team regulars...

 

There aren't many other players in the squad any of us would say are good enough or haven't had chance to prove themselves good enough - we all know these players can't cut it and need to be replaced.

 

Will KK be THAT ruthless this summer?  Even if he has the funds to be do you think he would?

 

Personally I reckon he'd keep the likes of Barton, Butt, Geremi and lord even Smith for their "experience".  I think he'll see it as currently we don't have a couple of genuinely class players and by adding them to the team these players will improve with their addition, if you see what I mean?

 

What I honestly think we'll get is more players being added to the current squad rather than the decimation of these wankers most of us actually want.  A Man City in the summer just gone, if you will.

 

I would keep most of these players, unless we get good offers for some of them, because we don't have the squad. He needs to bring in 3 or 4 quality players to push us back into the top 6 or thereabouts as soon as possible, adding to the current group of players.

 

David Bentley's price is going to go up and up. I'd like to think we could at least have tried to buy him in january, if not then we should have done. This is the quality of player we need to bring into the club. I'm not interested in the cost of these players. If we want to get back up the league, we simply have to pay the price and if we don't show this desire to succeed then the club is letting its supporters down ie the size of our fanbase and crowds demand it.

 

The only player I would let go is Ameobi. I'd sell him for 10 bob to be honest.  Some others for the right price too, obviously. I think that Beye is the best right back at the club that we have had for a long time. Enrique is looking better all the time, I quite like him too. I think people are being unfair on Taylor, most players at the club have had a difficult season, it would be a mistake to sell him and if he is put up for sale there will be some good clubs interested in him. I think the club should strive to persuade zoggy see the club has a big future, and also players like Edgar should be made to see he has a future at the club too.

 

Players such as Butt, Barton [good game yesterday] and Emre will stay until we have superior replacements. I think I would let Emre go for the right price. Maybe Duff if he continues to show he isn't going to be the player he was, but only when we get someone into the club to go straight into the team.

 

I'm more convinced than ever, that if Keegan is backed properly by the owner he will succeed.

 

 

 

I think you're spot on with most of that.  Newcastle don't have any depth in their squad right now, so I wouldn't sell anyone in the summer window (when there are more players available) and offload the deadwood in January (when with less players available, you may get a better fee). 

 

The point I can't agree with is the need for 3 or 4 quality players to make a push for the top 6, I think it need more like half a dozen players or more deemed to be first team starters and, even then, I don't think the quality of the squad players would be good enough for the top 6.  All of the top teams are continually improving their squads just to maintain their position and starting at such a low squad position, it will take Newcastle a lot more to make significant strides.  Finally, when the players have been recruited, it could still take them up to a season to settle into their new surroundings and start performing to the anticipated level.  I don't think Newcastle will be challenging for a top 6 position for 2 years, probably 3.  I may well be wrong but that's how I see it right now.

 

 

 

I think that you're serioulsy overestimating the quality and depth of squads outside the top four. Everton have hit problems because of the loss of form of or injury to two players, Cahill and Arteta. Aston Villa have struggled against poor opposition, notably Sunderland and Boro. Spurs themselves, even after an appalling start, may reach as high as eighth. The challenge, given that we do avoid relegation, is that we join the best of the rest, separated by only 8 points or so from each other.

 

got to agree with the lad jol 100%...if we keep all of the current squad (bearing in mind carr and ramage are actually coming out of contract anyway as far as i know) and we only add 3-4 players it will simply not be enough

 

all of the teams currently with bigger squads and better players than us will be adding 3-4 i'd say therefore theoretically we'll be in more or less the same position

 

we need a minimum of 6 players assuming we keep what we've got

[Guest Knightrider]

I actually think the squad has good depth, we just lack real quality in key areas and a balanced squad that is all. Depth wise though we have one of the biggest squads outside the top 4 I reckon. Villa, Everton, Blackburn et al all have decent first-teams that seem finely balanced but they lack depth to their squads. With us it's the opposite in my opinion and this is why I'd like to see us buy players for the first-team only in the summer which will only serve to improve the overall quality and depth of the squad anway as current first-teamers will be demoted to the bench.

[Martin Lol]

I actually think the squad has good depth, we just lack real quality in key areas and a balanced squad that is all. Depth wise though we have one of the biggest squads outside the top 4 I reckon. Villa, Everton, Blackburn et al all have decent first-teams that seem finely balanced but they lack depth to their squads. With us it's the opposite in my opinion and this is why I'd like to see us buy players for the first-team only in the summer which will only serve to improve the overall quality and depth of the squad anway as current first-teamers will be demoted to the bench.

 

I wouldn't have said there was good depth in Newcastle's first team squad.  Your official site shows a squad of 28 which includes Rosehnal who's out on loan plus Ramage, Edgar, Forster, Troisi, Lua Lua, Carroll and Tozer.  I'm not saying those I named are poor or not good enough, just (in the main) untested.  In Spurs' first team squad of 43 there are 27 that have played for the first team this season.

[Guest fraser]

I actually think the squad has good depth, we just lack real quality in key areas and a balanced squad that is all. Depth wise though we have one of the biggest squads outside the top 4 I reckon. Villa, Everton, Blackburn et al all have decent first-teams that seem finely balanced but they lack depth to their squads. With us it's the opposite in my opinion and this is why I'd like to see us buy players for the first-team only in the summer which will only serve to improve the overall quality and depth of the squad anway as current first-teamers will be demoted to the bench.

 

I wouldn't have said there was good depth in Newcastle's first team squad.  Your official site shows a squad of 28 which includes Rosehnal who's out on loan plus Ramage, Edgar, Forster, Troisi, Lua Lua, Carroll and Tozer.  I'm not saying those I named are poor or not good enough, just (in the main) untested.   In Spurs' first team squad of 43 there are 27 that have played for the first team this season.

 

You'll know best how many of the 27 played because they're good enough. What I can say is that even as a casual observer of Spurs I could pretty accurately predict Ramos' selection on a week to week basis in terms of the sixteen; what's more you had to buy a defender in January who's already a regular. As you say sixteen of the Spurs squad haven't played at all in the Premier league and eleven have less than ten appearances (although in fairness this includes Bale, King and Woodgate). I stand by my original statement that the best of the rest (I include Spurs) are not blessed with quality in depth.

[Yorkie]

The most concerning thing coinciding with the bad results, management-wise, was that Keegan was doing nothing differently to Allardyce. He's doing that now and the results, so far, are coming. I didn't think he'd drop the likes of Duff and Smith but he is doing. Gettin.

 

Henmania.

[Martin Lol]

I actually think the squad has good depth, we just lack real quality in key areas and a balanced squad that is all. Depth wise though we have one of the biggest squads outside the top 4 I reckon. Villa, Everton, Blackburn et al all have decent first-teams that seem finely balanced but they lack depth to their squads. With us it's the opposite in my opinion and this is why I'd like to see us buy players for the first-team only in the summer which will only serve to improve the overall quality and depth of the squad anway as current first-teamers will be demoted to the bench.

 

I wouldn't have said there was good depth in Newcastle's first team squad.  Your official site shows a squad of 28 which includes Rosehnal who's out on loan plus Ramage, Edgar, Forster, Troisi, Lua Lua, Carroll and Tozer.  I'm not saying those I named are poor or not good enough, just (in the main) untested.  In Spurs' first team squad of 43 there are 27 that have played for the first team this season.

 

You'll know best how many of the 27 played because they're good enough. What I can say is that even as a casual observer of Spurs I could pretty accurately predict Ramos' selection on a week to week basis in terms of the sixteen; what's more you had to buy a defender in January who's already a regular. As you say sixteen of the Spurs squad haven't played at all in the Premier league and eleven have less than ten appearances (although in fairness this includes Bale, King and Woodgate). I stand by my original statement that the best of the rest (I include Spurs) are not blessed with quality in depth.

 

Nor would I disagree with that, in fact, I would totally agree.  Spurs' squad gets a little stronger, qualitywise and numerically each window, but it still comes far short of providing the depth and quality of the big 4, which tbf, is one of the reasons why they at the present time are so far ahead of the chasing pack.  That said, every time a club changes a manager, there will be players who were untouchables according to the outgoing manager and now bordering on inept according to the new one.  I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were 7 or 8 new signings for Spurs, some to fill obvious vacancies in the squad and others to replace current starters who Ramos rates far less than Jol. 

[Nobody]

Sod dropping the underperfomers, get them to perform instead!!