Thoughts on this summer's transfer window

[Dave]

Despite being in this country for ages surely a years playing is much more important to a players development.

 

I think Cabaye and Marveaux can improve tbh, it's not like we haven't seen it before.

 

People like Perch will come on leaps and bounds too. Also fair enough you mentioning first teamers but as a squad I think it is worthwhile mentioning the youth being better with that extra experience

 

I'm not denying it will be useful, it just sounds like a cop-out to me. The kind of thing the club would come out with to justify a lack of investment. Our squad is young yes, but generally speaking our first team is made up of players in their mid to late twenties. They're peaking now, and that's how we managed to finish 5th in the first place. Assuming they'll perform better just by continuing to exist is a bit hopeful IMO. If we're lucky they'll do as well as last year, but it's not a given.

[Cajun]

I disagree, Colo was in many leagues, internationally and in Europe before he came here but took a little time to get to where he is now.

 

Not sure how it isn't a valid point, especially when we seem to be keeping a squad together whilst rivals lose their very best players.

[Dave]

Put it this way, when the aforementioned Bowyer summer happened, I can't remember people being content due to our squad having a year's extra experience. And that was a team that had just finished third in the Premier League.

[Hanshithispantz]

Can't remember anyone plugging this 'extra year's experience' line before. Nearly all of the first team are bang in their prime.

 

So Krul, Santon, Perch, Cabaye, Cisse + the youngsters like Tavernier, Sammy, Vuckic, Abeid and Ferguson won't be a little more developed in their premiership careers?

 

It's like foreign players and youngster settling in is some sort of myth I have made up, sorry

 

I mentioned the first team, so all those youngsters are kinda irrelevent to my point. I also excepted a couple - Krul and Santon. Krul's been in this country ages anyway like. Can Cabaye and Cisse perform any better than they did last year? Unlikely, hopefully they'll be as consistent as they have been to date but asking for more seems like a stretch. It's not like they struggled to begin with is it?

 

I stand by my point, I don't think I've ever heard it being argued before. The players from every other team also gain experience btw, we're not unique in this.

 

Also on this point, a couple of the teams around us (Spurs and Arsenal) have lost their best players so it's not unlikely they are going to be significantly weakened unless their new signings instantly perform as well as those as they replaced where as we have lost squad players?

Yeah, we've built a squad from the ground up over the past 2 year where as Tottenham and Arsenal are really trying to replace their losses.

 

We'll still improve also (and have done this window) just maybe not as fast as we would like, Simpson is a prime example, he will be replaced there's no doubt about that, but he'll be replaced in an effort to create the overall squad we are aiming for and not necessarily in an effort to improve us for next year. (We're probably onto our 10th 5 year plan or what not now.)

 

I would prefer him to just splash £40m into the club to push us right on this season but it clearly isn't going to happen

[Dave]

Can't remember anyone plugging this 'extra year's experience' line before. Nearly all of the first team are bang in their prime.

 

So Krul, Santon, Perch, Cabaye, Cisse + the youngsters like Tavernier, Sammy, Vuckic, Abeid and Ferguson won't be a little more developed in their premiership careers?

 

It's like foreign players and youngster settling in is some sort of myth I have made up, sorry

 

I mentioned the first team, so all those youngsters are kinda irrelevent to my point. I also excepted a couple - Krul and Santon. Krul's been in this country ages anyway like. Can Cabaye and Cisse perform any better than they did last year? Unlikely, hopefully they'll be as consistent as they have been to date but asking for more seems like a stretch. It's not like they struggled to begin with is it?

 

I stand by my point, I don't think I've ever heard it being argued before. The players from every other team also gain experience btw, we're not unique in this.

 

Also on this point, a couple of the teams around us (Spurs and Arsenal) have lost their best players so it's not unlikely they are going to be significantly weakened unless their new signings instantly perform as well as those as they replaced where as we have lost squad players?

Yeah, we've built a squad from the ground up over the past 2 year where as Tottenham and Arsenal are really trying to replace their losses.

 

We'll still improve also (and have done this window) just maybe not as fast as we would like, Simpson is a prime example, he will be replaced there's no doubt about that, but he'll be replaced in an effort to create the overall squad we are aiming for and not necessarily in an effort to improve us for next year.

 

I would prefer him to just splash £40m into the club to push us right on this season but it clearly isn't going to happen

 

You post that as though people are demanding such figures be spent though; barring a very few mentals they most certainly aren't.

[Cajun]

Put it this way, when the aforementioned Bowyer summer happened, I can't remember people being content due to our squad having a year's extra experience. And that was a team that had just finished third in the Premier League.

 

My point is there is a lot of talk about us having stood still or gone backwards but the likes of Krul, Santon, Ben Arfa Cabaye and Cisse (so potentially half our first 11) all had <10 games experience and Marveaux is hopefully 'like a new signing'.

 

IMO that makes a difference, can't remember our squad around the Bowyer signing but at a guess there wasn't that many first teamers in their first full premiership year.

[Hanshithispantz]

Can't remember anyone plugging this 'extra year's experience' line before. Nearly all of the first team are bang in their prime.

 

So Krul, Santon, Perch, Cabaye, Cisse + the youngsters like Tavernier, Sammy, Vuckic, Abeid and Ferguson won't be a little more developed in their premiership careers?

 

It's like foreign players and youngster settling in is some sort of myth I have made up, sorry

 

I mentioned the first team, so all those youngsters are kinda irrelevent to my point. I also excepted a couple - Krul and Santon. Krul's been in this country ages anyway like. Can Cabaye and Cisse perform any better than they did last year? Unlikely, hopefully they'll be as consistent as they have been to date but asking for more seems like a stretch. It's not like they struggled to begin with is it?

 

I stand by my point, I don't think I've ever heard it being argued before. The players from every other team also gain experience btw, we're not unique in this.

 

Also on this point, a couple of the teams around us (Spurs and Arsenal) have lost their best players so it's not unlikely they are going to be significantly weakened unless their new signings instantly perform as well as those as they replaced where as we have lost squad players?

Yeah, we've built a squad from the ground up over the past 2 year where as Tottenham and Arsenal are really trying to replace their losses.

 

We'll still improve also (and have done this window) just maybe not as fast as we would like, Simpson is a prime example, he will be replaced there's no doubt about that, but he'll be replaced in an effort to create the overall squad we are aiming for and not necessarily in an effort to improve us for next year.

 

I would prefer him to just splash £40m into the club to push us right on this season but it clearly isn't going to happen

 

You post that as though people are demanding such figures be spent though; barring a very few mentals they most certainly aren't.

Ner I'm not, I'm posting it as that's what I personally would want (figure pulled out me arse like), I would love to wake up to 3 new top quality signings.

 

I don't really like the approach we're going for as it takes time and I'm impatient, it undoubtedly also saves money though which is why I cannot complain and why I think it's been a good window all things considered.

[Dave]

Anyway I'm not nearly as bothered as I used to be, what happens happens and there's no point getting worked up about it. I just don't remember ever seeing 'well the players have a year's more experience' being used before to mitigate a lack of investment. And having spent just £2.5m that's what this summer undeniably represents to date IMO.

[Doctor Zaius]

Not sure how people can say our squad has improved enough. Our actions in the transfer window so far dont consistute to improving with regards to a European campaign. We'll be playing twice a week and we simply wont be able to handle it with our squad whilst maintaining the form of last year, it simply will not happen, especially with another African c***ing nations in january; where Senegal aren't gurantee'd to go out early again.

 

Our back 4 is the same back 4 we had last season and we still ended up James Perch, who is in no way, shape or form a good enough centre half playing. We even had Danny Simpson in their at one point, now if that doesnt scream 'thin at the back' then nowt will and thats before you factor in European games man.

 

The one area of the team that blatantly needed improving prior to the end of last season was Right full back. We've had an opportunity to sign a top class full back and thus far havent. It doesnt even seem like we've looked at anyone else. If you want to push on and improve the side you need to be improving on the weak links. We havent.

 

Bigi and Amalfitano will give us a bit of depth in the midfield which we needed and along with Anita im more than happy with the midfield. However up top it's a different story again. We're short up top, we've got 3 strikers; 2 of which disappear for a month in August and the other, lets face it, isnt good enough to be starting on a regular basis,. especially if we want to push on.

 

I think people are underestimating how much this European campaign will take it out of the side, look at all the teams around us, they've all got more first team players. The fact is, we've been gifted a superb opportunity for this club to push on and really improve, a chance to have another crack at the top four with a bit of ambition and as it stands, it looks like we dont have the ambition. Has this transfer window made us look like a club that really wants to improve? I think not.

 

I dont think it's being a drama queen nor do I think people are over reacting, I think as fans of this club we're entitled to feel a little frustrated with our business this window so far and you have to question the ambition of those at the top.

 

[SteveMc]

It's been shit hasn't it.  There's no point bleating though - one or two this week and it'll be decent.  None and an outgoing and it'll be catastrophic.  Judge when we're full of beer and regrets at 11pm Friday

[Dave]

Senegal have to win a play-off against Ivory Coast first like.

[colinmk]

My thoughts so far are that all our rivals have strengthened significantly bar spurs, although they seem to be just about to do so. We haven't strengthened very much, centre mid that's all. As long as we don't lose anyone though we can still compete.

[thorin]

My thoughts so far are that all our rivals have strengthened significantly bar spurs, although they seem to be just about to do so. We haven't strengthened very much, centre mid that's all. As long as we don't lose anyone though we can still compete.

 

Are you serious? You really think Saylor will run a whole season without any injuries? Or anyone else from our central spots?

[Vinny Green Balls]

I suppose I am done being pissed off about the transfer window.  I honestly don't think it will be a zombie apocalypse if nobody comes in though.  May well be a serious chance lost, but I thought the last summer was going to turn out problematic.  Seriously curious to see how Marveaux pans out this season.

 

As for Simpson, yes, he is something of a liability, but he is not the absolute worst back I have ever seen.  We survived Warren Barton during our Robson-Renaissance after all.  And I remember all the static he got on this site back then.

 

Most of you are not familiar with the likes of Josh Bornstein or Mike Burns, the great legacy of utter shit fullbacks the U.S. has produced.  We will survive Simpson.

[Decky]

I'll be really disappointed if we don't make at least 2 signings before 11pm on Friday. Our squad is so thin that if we pick up injuries and suspensions we're in trouble. There are areas that have been crying out for improvement for ages now i.e. RB. We've needed a new CB for ages as well and we haven't addressed it and we now need another forward player as soon as possible given the departures of Best and Lovenkrands. The biggest thing on my mind is that we might just hold on to all our best players, which is something a lot of people thought we wouldn't be able to do. It would be a huge shame if we didn't improve with new signings while keeping those players because January and next summer are two more periods when we're vulnerable to the bigger teams weakening us. Signing the likes of Debuchy now would be unreal given that we've kept our best team together and improved. It might not be so good next year if we lost the likes of Cisse and Tiote in the same window.

[ATB]

It still baffles me how anyone can be content with Simpson at RB and come up with pathetic excuses for our lack of ambition.

[Vinny Green Balls]

It baffles me how some people here haven't just gone out and offed themselves, given their stress levels.  A lot of good bridges going to waste.

[oldtype]

The thing for me is that I've passed the point where I trust that the people who run the club are competent and acting in the club's best interests. If they can't make necessary signings, I tend to assume that they have a pretty good reason for doing so rather than that they've suddenly turned incompetent or malicious.

 

The club is in a good place right now on all levels, the squad, youth development, the business side etc. It's not perfect but it's certainly far and away the best state I've ever seen us in as a Newcastle fan. I value the principles that brought us here more than I would an extra player or two.

 

What I absolutely do not want the club to do is to start caving in and paying that "extra 1~2 mil"  or buying a player we haven't scouted sufficiently just because they feel like they need to "make progress" every window or the fans are pressuring them to sign somebody. Anybody.

 

Every time we compromise on our principles, it takes this club one step away from being one of the best run clubs in the league and one step closer to the likes of Sunderland, QPR, West Ham and their ridiculous unsustainable transfer policies. The very same policies that we adopted not so long ago on the path to financial ruin and relegation.

 

It may not be much fun in the short term, but keeping our best practices in place are much more important for the long term future of the club than signing a better RB or a new striker.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Great post, at least now when the club do something I don't like I at least try to understand why it might have happened. Not to say I think Ashley is perfect, and obviously fans and owners have quite different standards and priorities.

[Hanshithispantz]

Pretty much my feelings Oldtype, and admittedly I've changed massively in regards to how I view the board over the past year and half. I don't think the next 6 months, or even the next year come into Ashley's mind when he sanctions the signing of a player, which is why we've seen us go into a season with players not replaced before and with a seemingly weak squad, long term stability and indeed resale value come first so he'll never cough up the cash for a quick fix (which is what we sort of need now). Ultimately I think it's a bit of a calculated gamble that should see us continue to steadily improve across the next couple of years.

 

It's still a shame when we miss out on players like Debuchy though because of this model, they will know more than us but he seems to be a player in the Cabaye mould where Pardew and the board will/should be surprised that the player actually wants to come here, he could improve us tenfold going into this season, but at £6-7m they'll be thinking cheaper and/or younger if and when the opportunity arises.

[Jack Flash]

We can compromise our principles (Robert Palmer) and still improve our squad. Spending the extra £1-2million to get Debuchy, a player who we clearly want, will improve us and have had scouted for a long time, isn't going to send us into bankruptcy.

 

Spending a little bit more than we want to might be the difference between 6th and 5th or 5th and 4th. Having the famous scouting network is pointless if we're not going to trust it with an extra few million here and there which, in today's terms, is nothing.

[pi_D]

Would like to echo old types sentiment, completely agree

[oldtype]

We can compromise our principles (Robert Palmer) and still improve our squad. Spending the extra £1-2million to get Debuchy, a player who we clearly want, will improve us and have had scouted for a long time, isn't going to send us into bankruptcy.

 

Spending a little bit more than we want to might be the difference between 6th and 5th or 5th and 4th. Having the famous scouting network is pointless if we're not going to trust it with an extra few million here and there which, in today's terms, is nothing.

 

It's not as simple as a little extra money on one player though. Once we allow selling clubs to know that we're susceptible to brinksmanship, other clubs will be more liable to move the goalposts on us like Lille have done.

 

Right now we project a very strong image as a club who will not negotiate too far beyond our initial price and who will not have our chain dragged around by unreasonable sellers or dodgy agents.

 

Once we lose that, it'll just become even harder for us to sign the players we want in the future.

[SUPERTOON]

Don't prices generally get higher for players, the closer the deadline comes? Surely makes us even less likely to sign anyone now tbh.

[oldtype]

Don't prices generally get higher for players, the closer the deadline comes? Surely makes us even less likely to sign anyone now tbh.

 

Goes both ways. The selling club is pressured as well because they're faced with the process of having an unhappy player stuck on their books with nothing to show for it.