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Realistic Transfer Targets January 2010

Howaythelads

by Howaythelads
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KaKa

KaKa

Posted
Posted

Thought it interesting that we were linked with Ben Watson of Wigan in that Bramble article this morning.

 

Watson was a very good central midfielder in the championship when he was at Palace and has not had a look in at Wigan. Wonder if we could get him in on loan perhaps?

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Guest bobthemag

Guest bobthemag

Posted
Posted

Why would he need videos of Simpson, Khiz and Harewood? Surely he knew plenty about them as most people on here did.

 

10p ?

 

 

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mouldy_uk

mouldy_uk

Posted
Posted

Wasn't quite sure where to put this, or if it's been posted elsewhere.

 

Why Newcastle transfer window signings suggest the club will never again be a major player

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-mcnally/Why-Newcastle-transfer-window-signings-like-Danny-Simpson-Mike-Williamson-and-Wayne-Routledge-suggest-the-club-will-never-again-be-a-major-player-The-Brian-McNaly-Column-article321167.html

 

Remember the days when Newcastle United regularly stunned the football world by signing stars of the quality of Alan Shearer , David Ginola, Michael Owen, and Tino Asprilla?

 

Contrast that dazzling array of talent with the barely-recognisable names who arrived in January - Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Wayne Routledge and Leon Best.

 

The latest transfer window made for a chilling reminder of exactly how far the fortunes of Newcastle United have plummeted under the stewardship of owner Mike Ashley.

 

The Freddy Shepherd era at St. James' Park may have been a contentious, controversial period in the Magpies history, but it was always colourful and exciting.

Click here to find out more!

 

But under the Ashley regime expectations have sunk to their lowest point for more than 20 years.

 

The scale of the Magpies fall from grace hits home when the clock is turned back just seven years to those wonderful days under the late Sir Bobby Robson.

 

Then in the January 2003 transfer window Newcastle could afford to pay Leeds United £9million for centre back Jonathan Woodgate and after a Jermaine Jenas winner against Bolton they actually led the Premier League.

 

It was a season when a memorable last-gasp goal from Craig Bellamy in Rotterdam sent Newcastle into the second phase of the Champions League and the Toon were only eliminated from the last 16 by the might of Barcelona and Inter Milan.

 

It was a campaign that saw Alan Shearer rattle in 25 goals with Bellamy and Nobby Solano both regularly backing him up in the scoring stakes, while Jenas, Given, Kieron Dyer, Gary Speed and Laurent Robert were always worth watching.

 

Newcastle finally finished an excellent third in 2003 ahead of both Chelsea and Liverpool. It seemed that the club were on the verge of something very special.

 

Alas, seven years on, the Toon Army can only dream of that time and wonder, over and over again, where it all went wrong.

 

The Magpies were knocked off the Championship pinnacle by a 3-0 drubbing at Derby this week and I fear that the players being brought into the club offer little hope for a serious assault on the Premier League.

 

Newcastle may well win promotion from a division that is embarrassingly poor this season. But Ashley has so undermined the club's infrastructure with his relentless cost-cutting that I simply can't see United surviving in the Premiership without a regime-change and a massive injection of funds.

 

Since January 2009, Premier League standard players of the quality of Shay Given, Habib Beye, Sebastien Bassong, Damien Duff, Charles N'Zogbia, Michael Owen and Mark Viduka have all departed.

 

They have been replaced largely by loan players, free transfers, Premier League reserves and Championship-standard journeymen.

 

Only Kevin Nolan and Ryan Taylor recruited from Bolton and Wigan respectively were top-flight regulars before they joined Newcastle.

 

My fear is that Ashley is running down Newcastle to the point where they will never again be a major player in the Premier League.

 

The bargain-basement buys and loan captures that manager Chris Hughton was allowed to make in the January transfer window may be able to sustain Newcastle's bid to go straight back up.

 

But in terms of ambition and building a squad fit for the top-flight I see no evidence that Ashley is looking beyond this summer and yet another attempt to sell the club.

 

Simpson, Williamson, Routledge and Best undoubtedly add depth to a shallow squad, but to my mind they do not represent a long-term strategy.

 

Newcastle have managed to supplement their paper-thin squad with a generous sprinkling of loan players this term, but they won't get away with similar sort of numbers if they go up.

 

Realistically, I think Newcastle have no more than half-a-dozen Premiership-class players and even then it would not surprise me if Jose Enrique, Jonas Gutierrez and Fabricio Coloccini left this summer.

 

I believe the Magpies will go up this season but an instant relegation is very much on the cards unless Ashley finds a buyer or a new investment partner.

 

Unless there is a Geordie Abramovich out there I am afraid the long-term future for Newcastle looks bleak.

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Minhosa

Minhosa

Posted
Posted

Wasn't quite sure where to put this, or if it's been posted elsewhere.

 

Why Newcastle transfer window signings suggest the club will never again be a major player

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-mcnally/Why-Newcastle-transfer-window-signings-like-Danny-Simpson-Mike-Williamson-and-Wayne-Routledge-suggest-the-club-will-never-again-be-a-major-player-The-Brian-McNaly-Column-article321167.html

 

Remember the days when Newcastle United regularly stunned the football world by signing stars of the quality of Alan Shearer , David Ginola, Michael Owen, and Tino Asprilla?

 

Contrast that dazzling array of talent with the barely-recognisable names who arrived in January - Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Wayne Routledge and Leon Best.

 

The latest transfer window made for a chilling reminder of exactly how far the fortunes of Newcastle United have plummeted under the stewardship of owner Mike Ashley.

 

The Freddy Shepherd era at St. James' Park may have been a contentious, controversial period in the Magpies history, but it was always colourful and exciting.

Click here to find out more!

 

But under the Ashley regime expectations have sunk to their lowest point for more than 20 years.

 

The scale of the Magpies fall from grace hits home when the clock is turned back just seven years to those wonderful days under the late Sir Bobby Robson.

 

Then in the January 2003 transfer window Newcastle could afford to pay Leeds United £9million for centre back Jonathan Woodgate and after a Jermaine Jenas winner against Bolton they actually led the Premier League.

 

It was a season when a memorable last-gasp goal from Craig Bellamy in Rotterdam sent Newcastle into the second phase of the Champions League and the Toon were only eliminated from the last 16 by the might of Barcelona and Inter Milan.

 

It was a campaign that saw Alan Shearer rattle in 25 goals with Bellamy and Nobby Solano both regularly backing him up in the scoring stakes, while Jenas, Given, Kieron Dyer, Gary Speed and Laurent Robert were always worth watching.

 

Newcastle finally finished an excellent third in 2003 ahead of both Chelsea and Liverpool. It seemed that the club were on the verge of something very special.

 

Alas, seven years on, the Toon Army can only dream of that time and wonder, over and over again, where it all went wrong.

 

The Magpies were knocked off the Championship pinnacle by a 3-0 drubbing at Derby this week and I fear that the players being brought into the club offer little hope for a serious assault on the Premier League.

 

Newcastle may well win promotion from a division that is embarrassingly poor this season. But Ashley has so undermined the club's infrastructure with his relentless cost-cutting that I simply can't see United surviving in the Premiership without a regime-change and a massive injection of funds.

 

Since January 2009, Premier League standard players of the quality of Shay Given, Habib Beye, Sebastien Bassong, Damien Duff, Charles N'Zogbia, Michael Owen and Mark Viduka have all departed.

 

They have been replaced largely by loan players, free transfers, Premier League reserves and Championship-standard journeymen.

 

Only Kevin Nolan and Ryan Taylor recruited from Bolton and Wigan respectively were top-flight regulars before they joined Newcastle.

 

My fear is that Ashley is running down Newcastle to the point where they will never again be a major player in the Premier League.

 

The bargain-basement buys and loan captures that manager Chris Hughton was allowed to make in the January transfer window may be able to sustain Newcastle's bid to go straight back up.

 

But in terms of ambition and building a squad fit for the top-flight I see no evidence that Ashley is looking beyond this summer and yet another attempt to sell the club.

 

Simpson, Williamson, Routledge and Best undoubtedly add depth to a shallow squad, but to my mind they do not represent a long-term strategy.

 

Newcastle have managed to supplement their paper-thin squad with a generous sprinkling of loan players this term, but they won't get away with similar sort of numbers if they go up.

 

Realistically, I think Newcastle have no more than half-a-dozen Premiership-class players and even then it would not surprise me if Jose Enrique, Jonas Gutierrez and Fabricio Coloccini left this summer.

 

I believe the Magpies will go up this season but an instant relegation is very much on the cards unless Ashley finds a buyer or a new investment partner.

 

Unless there is a Geordie Abramovich out there I am afraid the long-term future for Newcastle looks bleak.

 

Not an unfair article but footballs changed alot since the days of Robson etc.

 

I've made my views on signings like Leon Best previously but I do think there's a happy medium to be found inbetween signing nobodies and superstars.

 

Also, I think it's pretty clear that there is not a 'Geordie Abromovich' out there - otherwise he'd be leading us back into the Premiership right now.

 

Ashley gets a kicking in that article but there's so much more to it than just a lack of ambition.

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Guest BooBoo

Guest BooBoo

Posted
Posted

Pretty much agree with that to be honest. If we go up, we have a massive challenge to avoid being completely humiliated. The players who have done well this season will have to be jettisonned as the vast majority aren't capable of cutting it in the top flight. Keegan did it at the end of 92/93 when he ditched David Kelly despite him being our top scorer. KK knew Kelly was a second tier player. Fat Ash of course will almost certainly decide that this team is good enough and I would expect further small potatoes style buys. I'm not worried about relegation next year if we go up, I'm worried about the very real chance if us "doing a Derby."

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steve_69

steve_69

Posted
Posted

What  that toilet roll of a newspaper fails to point out is that the likes of Portsmouth, West Ham, Liverpool, Man Utd, Hull etc. are in serious financial jeaopardy through spending beyond their means or just generally poor financial management. Football is changing and although we may struggle in the short term to reach the heady heights of European Qualification, we will at least rejoin the Premier Legaue in a better financial position than when we left it. 

We may be scraping the barrell in terms of signings but at least we're not looking over our shoulder at the possibility of administration like many other teams. 

It's about time these rags supported those clubs who are spending sensibly and congratulated them on being self-sufficient rather than suggesting they're second rate because they don't make senational big money signings.

Following Newcastle at the time we were splashing the cash was f***ing brilliant but innevitably we shafted ourselves.

 

That article just stinks of a sports journalist who's bored as f*** because we're not giving him anything to write about any more.  Well how about earning your crust reporting about how well Everton, Fulham, Birmingham and Arsenal have done by adopting a pragmatic attitude and investing shrewdly you unimaginative jobsworth prick!

 

Before any of you morons suggest this is a pro-Ashley post, it f***ing isn't alright.

 

 

 

 

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Colos Short and Curlies

Colos Short and Curlies

Posted
Posted

Pretty much agree with that to be honest. If we go up, we have a massive challenge to avoid being completely humiliated. The players who have done well this season will have to be jettisonned as the vast majority aren't capable of cutting it in the top flight. Keegan did it at the end of 92/93 when he ditched David Kelly despite him being our top scorer. KK knew Kelly was a second tier player. Fat Ash of course will almost certainly decide that this team is good enough and I would expect further small potatoes style buys. I'm not worried about relegation next year if we go up, I'm worried about the very real chance if us "doing a Derby."

 

So in 93 we had a squad good enough for promotion but not the premier league and therefore had an overhaul in the summer.

 

In 2010 we have a squad (theoretically) good enough for promotion but not the premier league. Who's to say we wont do the same again?

 

I'd stick my neck out and say that our keepers are good enough, at least 3 of the first choice back 4 are strong enough with one good sub centre half and Simpson who wouldn't look out of his depth in the top flight (not saying he is top drawer, but good enough for the first season back up.

 

Jonas and Routledge are good enough wingers and Barton should be able to hold his own in the middle if fit (of course).

 

That leaves one first choice centre mid, two strikers and then squad padding - should be enough to having a fighting chance of staying up and then looking to consolidate.

 

We're not going to finish in the top 6 next season, but it has always been an anomoly when a promoted team does, and even more so now with the money at City, Spurs, Villa.

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Pilko

Pilko

Posted
Posted

That article is bollocks. We're having to cut our cloth accordingly in the Championship and bring in lower-echelon players. How on earth does that mean the club will NEVER again be a major player? :lol:

 

you could add "...under the ownership of Ashley" to the title and I might agree with it.

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midds

midds

Posted
Posted

That article is bollocks. We're having to cut our cloth accordingly in the Championship and bring in lower-echelon players. How on earth does that mean the club will NEVER again be a major player? :lol:

 

you could add "...under the ownership of Ashley" to the title and I might agree with it.

 

This, basically. If it were any other club the wanker who wrote it wouldn't have batted an eyelid about who we've signed.

 

Still not worth getting annoyed about though. It's exactly what they want. 

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Guest Heneage

Guest Heneage

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Posted

8 years back we played a Man City teams who's main threat was Darren Huckerby.

You don't need to go 8 years back, I remember when they were employing Dickov and Bernado Corradi.

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