Relegationometer

[Big Geordie]

As things stand, we are knackered. A club that consistently sells it's best players is only headed in one direction.

[ChrisMcQuillan]

We won't go down, barring any huge injuries.

 

But we'll not finish above 14th. 

[Decky]

At least wait until September until the window closes and we see the team play a few games before deciding we're doomed lads Theres no doubt things are bad here again and our manager doesnt exactly fill us with confidence, but I still think there are worse teams in the league than Newcastle.

[Big Geordie]

Decky - that's what was said by some fans consistently during 2008/09. Ignore the past at your peril, especially when it is so fresh in the mind.

[alexf]

i think we may be lucky that the shit teams are guna be shit and the good teams are guna be strong again this year

 

What i mean is last season anyone could beat anyone on their day. This the big boys have spent plenty or will do in Chelsea's case and the teams that have come up are not as strong as WBA and we were,plus blackpool blew everyone away early doors (went down anyway)

 

Swansea, Norwich and QPR really don't have any money to spend and unless something strange happens then they all should be odds on favourites to go straight back down again. QPR are losing there stand out player from last year so are even weaker than they were last year.

 

But if this season is as strong as last (which it wont be) we would be have been in serious trouble as things stand right now.

[adam1]

'nailed on' whatever that fucking means.

[David28]

Still don't think we'll go down but if we do we'll not come back up this time. Nee chance.

 

One of my worries as well. No group of lads like we've had last time.

[ChrisJbarnes]

For me, Ashley has had several (feeble at best) "excuses" as to some of our recent failures. The Keegan Fiasco- inexperienced, made a mistake. Relegation- unforgivable but he thought we could stay up with the players and make a permanent appointment next season. sacking Hughton- obviously wasnt the manager he wanted long term.

 

He's had several "last chances", but this transfer window for me is surely the last of last chances. He has picked his own manager, he's got money in the bank from Carroll's sale and the club is in a more stable financial predicament with high earners Nolan and Barton heading off. He has absolutely no excuses if he fails this time. He has just under 1 month to buy some more of my patience. In this month, he must assemble a team that is capable of competing at a decent level (consistently top 10) in the Premier League. If we manage to sign these players on free transfers then so be it. If we manage to promote youngsters and they are capable of performing then so be it. At the moment, our squad is threadbare, and if Barton and Enrique are to leave, Ashley will have to fork out for arrivals. If he doesn't, then I will be firmly in the Ashley out camp come September 2nd.

 

 

[TRon]

For me, Ashley has had several (feeble at best) "excuses" as to some of our recent failures. The Keegan Fiasco- inexperienced, made a mistake. Relegation- unforgivable but he thought we could stay up with the players and make a permanent appointment next season. sacking Hughton- obviously wasnt the manager he wanted long term.

 

He's had several "last chances", but this transfer window for me is surely the last of last chances. He has picked his own manager, he's got money in the bank from Carroll's sale and the club is in a more stable financial predicament with high earners Nolan and Barton heading off. He has absolutely no excuses if he fails this time. He has just under 1 month to buy some more of my patience. In this month, he must assemble a team that is capable of competing at a decent level (consistently top 10) in the Premier League. If we manage to sign these players on free transfers then so be it. If we manage to promote youngsters and they are capable of performing then so be it. At the moment, our squad is threadbare, and if Barton and Enrique are to leave, Ashley will have to fork out for arrivals. If he doesn't, then I will be firmly in the Ashley out camp come September 2nd.

 

 

 

You've summed up everything I feel in that one post. Still biting my lip for four more weeks then that's it.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Even I'm surprised about the low level of spending really, although that statement should be saved for the end of the window.

 

I never expected Ashley to spend all of the Carroll money on transfer fees this summer, and I agree with him that our financial situation means we need to be restrained, but even so I thought outgoing fees of about £15m would be acceptable.

 

If we end up bringing in only cheap contracts and free transfers even I'll de disappointed.

[Dave]

Four weeks left, but at what point do prices become 'out of our range' because other clubs don't want to sell their best players so late? They've told us  this before when justifying not buying, so why would the stance have changed? We've had fucking months to prepare and no international tournament in the way, it's a joke.

[Guest ObiChrisKenobi]

Well, Dave has finally flipped. Sad day for N-O.

[Dave]

 

O2.

[TRon]

Four weeks left, but at what point do prices become 'out of our range' because other clubs don't want to sell their best players so late? They've told us  this before when justifying not buying, so why would the stance have changed? We've had fucking months to prepare and no international tournament in the way, it's a joke.

 

Pardew said in the last week that August was the month we would see real movement with other clubs doing deals. Well, I am giving him the benefit of the doubt (again) and will see if this movement of players will see us bringing some players in rather than shipping them out. I'm now assuming we have plenty of potential deals ready and waiting for the pieces to fall into place. Four more weeks. That's it.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Well, Dave has finally flipped. Sad day for N-O.

 

The decline of Dave has been one of the saddest things about Mike Ashley's reign TBH.

 

[Mick]

 

Pardew said in the last week that August was the month we would see real movement with other clubs doing deals. Well, I am giving him the benefit of the doubt (again) and will see if this movement of players will see us bringing some players in rather than shipping them out. I'm now assuming we have plenty of potential deals ready and waiting for the pieces to fall into place. Four more weeks. That's it.

 

Pardew said.  Those two words could be followed by any other combination of random words and have as much chance of being true.

 

Pardew said we'd have a player in before we went to America, didn't he?  He talks shit.

[Dave]

I hope you're right Tron, but in the meantime we are putting at risk nine valuable points (including away to the mackems) and a Carling Cup match. Then we have to hope these new players fit in straight away or that's more time wasted. Considering the resources we have at our disposal (you can't tell me that because we've waited other clubs have simply forgotten about the money we received for Carroll), our team/squad's urgent needs, the farcical US tour which has seen our 'best team' fragmented virtually all pre-season and the amount of time that has already passed, they're already out of excuses IMO.

[TRon]

 

Pardew said in the last week that August was the month we would see real movement with other clubs doing deals. Well, I am giving him the benefit of the doubt (again) and will see if this movement of players will see us bringing some players in rather than shipping them out. I'm now assuming we have plenty of potential deals ready and waiting for the pieces to fall into place. Four more weeks. That's it.

 

Pardew said.  Those two words could be followed by any other combination of random words and have as much chance of being true.

 

Pardew said we'd have a player in before we went to America, didn't he?  He talks shit.

 

Whatever. I don't really care what Pardew says or what his detractors say, I don't have any agendas. I'm only interested in what the first 11 will look like by Sep 1st.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

If there's one thing that every single football manager, player, chairman and media person talks shit about on a regular basis, it's transfer deals. I don't see why Pardew is treated as so much worse than them.

[Mick]

 

Whatever. I don't really care what Pardew says or what his detractors say, I don't have any agendas. I'm only interested in what the first 11 will look like by Sep 1st.

 

You're only interested in what the first 11 looks like on September 1st.  I take it you're not going to the Arsenal and Fulham games, or Sunderland away.

[BlueStar]

If we keep Tiote and Colo we might be OK.

[TRon]

I hope you're right Tron, but in the meantime we are putting at risk nine valuable points (including away to the mackems) and a Carling Cup match. Then we have to hope these new players fit in straight away or that's more time wasted. Considering the resources we have at our disposal (you can't tell me that because we've waited other clubs have simply forgotten about the money we received for Carroll), our team/squad's urgent needs, the farcical US tour which has seen our 'best team' fragmented virtually all pre-season and the amount of time that has already passed, they're already out of excuses IMO.

 

I agree in principle, but this seems to be the norm for even the best teams with the biggest budgets. Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea still haven't done their serious business in the window so it just seems to be the way these things work. Laughable though it seems I will still wait to see if this applies to us. It would beggar belief not to.

[Mick]

If there's one thing that every single football manager, player, chairman and media person talks s*** about on a regular basis, it's transfer deals. I don't see why Pardew is treated as so much worse than them.

 

Agreed, Hughton did it all of the time so we should expect it from Pardew.

[Wilson]

 

Whatever. I don't really care what Pardew says or what his detractors say, I don't have any agendas. I'm only interested in what the first 11 will look like by Sep 1st.

 

You're only interested in what the first 11 looks like on September 1st.  I take it you're not going to the Arsenal and Fulham games, or Sunderland away.

[TRon]

 

Whatever. I don't really care what Pardew says or what his detractors say, I don't have any agendas. I'm only interested in what the first 11 will look like by Sep 1st.

 

You're only interested in what the first 11 looks like on September 1st.  I take it you're not going to the Arsenal and Fulham games, or Sunderland away.

 

I might well go to the Arsenal and Fulham games, probably not the Sunderland one. If we've signed no one by then I might give the Arsenal game a miss because I'm not going to watch us getting stiffed voluntarily.