Martins not for sale - Sam

[Nobody]

Awful article.

 

Still waiting on Derek Boateng who the Independent claimed would be our first signing! 

FYP.

This story is shite btw

[abcdefg]

I was about to say hey, why blame the Ultras, there was loads of youngsters there, it could have been any people. I'm reserving judgement for now, I'm sure loads of you are nice lads and......well, lads let's face it.

 

 

 

Also, while Skunkers can be amusing, it also tolerates some incredibly offensive threads, fair enough, free speech and that, but some of it's worth pointing out.

 

 

I realise this is off-topic, but the relevant thread is locked, sorry mods, not having a go at whoever locked it, but I needed to say things.

[Keefaz]

It could've been any bloody Boateng, it was a load of shite.

[Guest Pie]

this speculation about selling dyer and martins is worrying, not only because it looks like we need to sell before we buy, but because the two players we've earmarked to jettison are the two in our squad to possess the real pace that opens teams up.

 

Spot on with that, Johnny.

 

We run the risk of turning into a team of grafters with little in the way of pace and penetration.

True, but don't let that get in the way of a witch hunt!   Its alright getting shot of players cos someone doesnt like them but at least have a decent backup plan. Carr, Babayaro, Milner, Viduka and Butt could all be reasonably expected to start against Bolton - they are slow by any standard in their positions. Owen, has slowed up. Zog is more Laurent Robert fast than lightning fast. Geremi is steady. Bugger all there to use on the counter attack is there? Look at the top teams and they all have real pace and some in reserve too. Even coming off the bench to change things its handy. We were lightweight on that count to start with. Not good news but hopefully bollocks.

[Dave]

this speculation about selling dyer and martins is worrying, not only because it looks like we need to sell before we buy, but because the two players we've earmarked to jettison are the two in our squad to possess the real pace that opens teams up.

 

Spot on with that, Johnny.

 

We run the risk of turning into a team of grafters with little in the way of pace and penetration.

True, but don't let that get in the way of a witch hunt!  Its alright getting shot of players cos someone doesnt like them but at least have a decent backup plan. Carr, Babayaro, Milner, Viduka and Butt could all be reasonably expected to start against Bolton - they are slow by any standard in their positions. Owen, has slowed up. Zog is more Laurent Robert fast than lightning fast. Geremi is steady. Bugger all there to use on the counter attack is there? Look at the top teams and they all have real pace and some in reserve too. Even coming off the bench to change things its handy. We were lightweight on that count to start with. Not good news but hopefully bollocks.

 

Pace, particularly on the counter, was something we had in abundance for the best spells under Bobby.

[Keefaz]

Zog is quick as fuck. What you on about?

 

Edit: I think Allardyce is as keen on counter-attacking football as anyone we've had going by the pre-season matches I've seen.

[Guest LFEE]

http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/premiership/article2819544.ece

 

whoo

 

Newcastle put Martins on sale to raise transfer cash

By Sam Wallace

Published: 31 July 2007

 

Obafemi Martins is the latest Newcastle player to be told by the new regime that he can leave if the club can find a suitable buyer this summer. The Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce will have to sell players in order to raise money if he is to bring in new faces and the Nigerian will be used to raise transfer funds.

 

So far there have been few takers for Kieron Dyer, with reputed interest from West Ham and Tottenham cooling of late. Allardyce would like to move the England international out but he has not attracted the kind of interest that he would have done even two years ago and already injury problems could potentially derail the start of Newcastle's season.

 

With 11 goals last season after his £10m move from Internazionale last August, Martins is an attractive prospect although his wages, understood to be £60,000 a week, could discourage buyers from outside the Premiership. Despite his impact during the season doubts were raised over his refusal to play against Watford on 13 May - though he claimed he was injured. During an eventful summer he claimed his car was shot at when he was driving in Lagos.

 

The imperative for Allardyce to sell goes to the heart of Mike Ashley's £133m takeover. The injury to Joey Barton has left Allardyce short of fit players and there are increasing suggestions that the new manager does not see eye-to-eye with the man who took over the club shortly after he was appointed.

 

Reports over the weekend of a comeback for Kevin Keegan as director of football with Alan Shearer in a coaching role may not be as far-fetched as they sound. There has been a reluctance from the new owner to spend any serious money on transfers until the strategic review of the club - undertaken by the board - has been completed.

 

Slow news day. All just guess work. If you break it down it is nothing new. I'll put my house on Oba playing in the final 2 friendlies. Plus he has just come out and said how happy he is.

 

It would cost more to replace him at todays prices. Doesn't make sense. Just papers filling space till 1 Sep.

[Kimbo]

Christ i hate the transfer window, roll on september says i!!

 

Amen. This summer is turning out to be a lot less enjoyable than we all anticipated. Freakin' papers!

 

It's only less enjoyable if you're daft enough to believe even half of the absolute horseshit that the paper's have been coming out with. As someone's already pointed out as well, Martins would be on his bike if a top team came in with the money to activate the clause in his contract, so this article is pretty much pointless and is very likely a load of s*** to fill up the sports pages.

 

I don't believe this article, infact i don't believe 99% of the crap i see pasted over the internet and tabloids. But that doesn't stop it being irritating.

[Pantu]

Christ i hate the transfer window, roll on september says i!!

 

Amen. This summer is turning out to be a lot less enjoyable than we all anticipated. Freakin' papers!

 

It's only less enjoyable if you're daft enough to believe even half of the absolute horseshit that the paper's have been coming out with. As someone's already pointed out as well, Martins would be on his bike if a top team came in with the money to activate the clause in his contract, so this article is pretty much pointless and is very likely a load of s*** to fill up the sports pages.

 

I don't believe this article, infact i don't believe 99% of the crap i see pasted over the internet and tabloids. But that doesn't stop it being irritating.

 

Fair point, it is pretty annoying.

[Willow]

Load of bollocks and NO QUOTES as usual.

[Wullie]

Sick of the press trying to unsettle our players. Jason Burt from the Indy has been trying to get rid of Martins all summer, he's had him signed for Arsenal about five times.

 

Wankers.

[Guest Pie]

this speculation about selling dyer and martins is worrying, not only because it looks like we need to sell before we buy, but because the two players we've earmarked to jettison are the two in our squad to possess the real pace that opens teams up.

 

Spot on with that, Johnny.

 

We run the risk of turning into a team of grafters with little in the way of pace and penetration.

True, but don't let that get in the way of a witch hunt!  Its alright getting shot of players cos someone doesnt like them but at least have a decent backup plan. Carr, Babayaro, Milner, Viduka and Butt could all be reasonably expected to start against Bolton - they are slow by any standard in their positions. Owen, has slowed up. Zog is more Laurent Robert fast than lightning fast. Geremi is steady. Bugger all there to use on the counter attack is there? Look at the top teams and they all have real pace and some in reserve too. Even coming off the bench to change things its handy. We were lightweight on that count to start with. Not good news but hopefully bollocks.

 

Pace, particularly on the counter, was something we had in abundance for the best spells under Bobby.

I know. We also pushed the fullbacks on - limited they may have been but Bobby constantly harped on about them having to overlap. Robert, Dyer and Bellamy complimented the players around them. Now we have Sam wanting a tight back four which isnt a problem except when we have a team of mannequins ahead of them. He has used Anelka and Diouf at Bolton who are both quick and we know he wanted to keep Dyer and Martins. Maybe there is some truth in the strategic review comments. The accounts suggest the debt and wage to turnover was far from clever.....He may well invest at some point but maybe this review is slowing stuff up. Sam seems to think so. Maybe Sam Wallace just had the same thoughts I did and wrote them in a national newspaper?

[Guest Pie]

Zog is quick as f***. What you on about?

 

Edit: I think Allardyce is as keen on counter-attacking football as anyone we've had going by the pre-season matches I've seen.

Zog is quick. Quick as fuck? Nope. Not in the Bellamy, Dyer league at all.

[Keefaz]

Zog is quick as f***. What you on about?

 

Edit: I think Allardyce is as keen on counter-attacking football as anyone we've had going by the pre-season matches I've seen.

Zog is quick. Quick as fuck? Nope. Not in the Bellamy, Dyer league at all.

 

Possibly not, but they're the two quickest players we've probably ever had! Very quick, all the same. Think Sam'll want to keep pace, anyway.

[Baggio]

Zog is quick as f***. What you on about?

 

Edit: I think Allardyce is as keen on counter-attacking football as anyone we've had going by the pre-season matches I've seen.

Zog is quick. Quick as f***? Nope. Not in the Bellamy, Dyer league at all.

 

N'Zogbia has quick acceleration but he can't maintain it over distance like Bellamy, Dyer, Martins etc can.

[Guest KeithKettleborough]

Whether its true or not there have been a few things happening or rumoured that give me a feeling of "here we go again!"

 

Fisrt of all there was the knowledge that one of our new signings was going to have a break as he was playing for the Aussies. Not exactly good for team building. Then on top of that there was the injury situation.

 

Another of Ashley's companies, Sports Direct suffering a share collapse and profit warnings, made me think that perhaps we have someone who will struggle running a business he is completely new to.

 

The appearance of Steve Harper in open play in a friendly game smacked of lunacy as the possibilty of him being injured was not worth the laugh it generated and smacked of unprofessionalism.

 

The rumours of the return of Keegan is not what we wanted and even less so that of Shearer. We won nowt with this man when he was an influential figure at the club and he needs to be forgotten about until he does become manager. I suppose that could apply to KK too but at least it was a period to remember.

 

The need it seems to sell before we can buy is not what we needed. Surely the revue of the club should have been done before they bought it and they should have been ready to do what was necessary to strengthen a weak squad during this transfer window, not in a future one.

 

The vibes are not great it appears to me and some worrying aspects are either happening or rumoured to be happening. Hopefully it all works out well in the end but it would just be our luck to be taken over and end up even worse than we were before.

 

Maybe we need our old chairman back. Come back Lord Westwood, I quite enjoyed some of the 60's and 70's.

[Guest unrealterrorist]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=471958&in_page_id=1779

 

 

I really dont get all these cheap players or on free's just because sam has this wheeler dealer reputation i wonder if they dont trust him witrh the cash because of the report or they dont want to release the funds because he's not the manager they want if or its just because the Papers are full of crap.

[Dave]

Bet NE5's loving this.

 

 

[Guest Pie]

Zog is quick as f***. What you on about?

 

Edit: I think Allardyce is as keen on counter-attacking football as anyone we've had going by the pre-season matches I've seen.

Zog is quick. Quick as f***? Nope. Not in the Bellamy, Dyer league at all.

 

Possibly not, but they're the two quickest players we've probably ever had! Very quick, all the same. Think Sam'll want to keep pace, anyway.

Well there are players at clubs we are competing with who have that type of pace. In my view it isnt wise to get shot of the real pace we have without replacing it like for like. Laurent Robert was quick and I think Zog is similar. Compared to scary pace like SWP, Lennon, Dyer, Bellamy etc we have nowt. I think youre right though, sam does seem (like all recent managers of NUFC) to want to keep Dyer. Its cos of his pace, running off the ball and quick feet. Its an asset. Despite what the loopers will tell you. Similarly those above may have a shit game but other teams cant settle with them about. That sort of pace and the quick feet that those players have is valuable. Even if it is coming off the bench. Martins isnt quite as quick off the mark as them but after 5 yards he may well be quicker. For that reason I think we need him. His touch is nowhere near as good as the players mentioned but he is going to be the only one with that type of threat we have. For the record, I am not necessarily saying we need that pace but its bloody handy to have. Chelsea, Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal have all had it and all currently have it from various players - whether as squad players or first teamers. Fergie has always used it with the likes of Kanchelskis, Giggs, Ronaldo etc. Think we will be missing that asset if we lose both players.

[Keefaz]

Best propaganda campaign since Goebbels, the papers this summer.

[Guest Micktoon]

Whether its true or not there have been a few things happening or rumoured that give me a feeling of "here we go again!"

 

Fisrt of all there was the knowledge that one of our new signings was going to have a break as he was playing for the Aussies. Not exactly good for team building. Then on top of that there was the injury situation.

 

Another of Ashley's companies, Sports Direct suffering a share collapse and profit warnings, made me think that perhaps we have someone who will struggle running a business he is completely new to.

 

The appearance of Steve Harper in open play in a friendly game smacked of lunacy as the possibilty of him being injured was not worth the laugh it generated and smacked of unprofessionalism.

 

The rumours of the return of Keegan is not what we wanted and even less so that of Shearer. We won nowt with this man when he was an influential figure at the club and he needs to be forgotten about until he does become manager. I suppose that could apply to KK too but at least it was a period to remember.

 

The need it seems to sell before we can buy is not what we needed. Surely the revue of the club should have been done before they bought it and they should have been ready to do what was necessary to strengthen a weak squad during this transfer window, not in a future one.

 

The vibes are not great it appears to me and some worrying aspects are either happening or rumoured to be happening. Hopefully it all works out well in the end but it would just be our luck to be taken over and end up even worse than we were before.

 

Maybe we need our old chairman back. Come back Lord Westwood, I quite enjoyed some of the 60's and 70's.

 

Kind of agree i'm starting to get a little twitchy as well. The season starts in a couple of weeks and Darlington have more depth than we have.

 

I know people say wait theres plenty of time left in the window but if my memory serves me correctly this is exactly what everyone was saying at the same time last season, then we had a bigger squad than now.

 

I remain opimistic but.................................

[Guest Pie]

Bet NE5's loving this.

 

 

Anyone but Freddie!   Gemmill had it right though. NUFC are not a profit making organisation in the mould of Ashleys recent acquisitions. He isnt daft though. He stated his intention for a strategic review and the finances recently have suggested one was long overdue. I think a lot of the £40m+ garbage spouted was just that. I am certain money is available as we have been told Sam is actively in the market. Just maybe they are holding back til they sort out the shower of shite they were left!

[Baggio]

Interview with him just gone up saying he's in talks over a new contract!

 

http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/sports/july07/31072007/sp531072007.html

 

After scoring one goal and assisting another in two pre-season games for Newcastle, Nigeria striker Obafemi Martins says he wants to better the 17-goal tally he racked up last season and give manager Sam Allardyce a selection headache.

 

“It’s always good to score goals and for me, it is important to improve every season,” Martins told KICK OFF. “I scored seventeen goals last season so this season maybe I should be looking at doing better than that. Twenty goals is possible and I hope I can do that.”

 

The Nigerian is expected to face stiff competition from Michael Owen and Mark Viduka for one of two starting places in the Magpies forward line but says he is up to the challenge.

 

“Both of them are great players and it shows that the manager is serious about achieving something this season. But I want to play all the time and as long as I am scoring goals, I think I can make it hard for him not to play me. And even when I am not scoring, I can make myself a problem for the other team and allow my team mates to score.”

Martins has finally committed his immediate future to Newcastle after a summer of speculation linking him with Arsenal, but the striker says there was no contact at all.

 

“Like I told you before, everything I knew about the Arsenal thing was what I saw in the media. I am a Newcastle player and my part is to score goals for Newcastle and I am happy to be doing that.”

 

It was learnt that Martins is currently in negotiation with Newcastle over a new contract, the finer points of which should be sorted out later this week but the striker was keeping his cards close to his chest.

“We are talking, that is all I can say for now.”

[Decky]

Its kinda like SA selling Anelka for funds at Bolton, it just doesnt work, selling a top player for other players when he can work on a small budjet? not even a small one, one at £5million, the price of selling Dyer if it comes to that.

[Guest geordieracer]

I'd guess this has as much truth in it as Ronaldinho playing in black and white stripes next season