Jamie O’Hara kicks off Toon transfer rumours.

Posted on March 10th, 2010 | 83 Comments |

Jamie O'Hara in black and white?
Jamie O'Hara in black and white?
And so it begins. In anticipation of what many people percieve as automatic promotion the press have decided to set the wheel of their transfer rumour moving decidedly early this year. Already we are being linked with a few names that apparently we would be chasing should our promotion be ensured.

Top of our summer shopping list appears to be Tottenham’s higly rated midfielder, Jamie O’Hara. The lad is currently on loan at crisis club Portsmouth, and has been one of their shining lights in what has turned out to be a disastrous season on and off the pitch for the south coast club.

We were linked with a loan deal for O’Hara a couple weeks back, with the word being that should Portsmouth’s adiministrator decide to cull the wage bill and send O’Hara back to Tottenham then we would be first in line with another loan deal for the left-footed midfielder.

Manager, Chris Hughton, knows all about O’Hara. Our level-headed leader was one of the key figures in Jamie O’Hara’s youth development at White Hart Lane and apparently the two of them get on quite well. It is thought it would take around £3 million to prize O’Hara away from Spurs, maybe more as their manager Harry Redknapp holds him in high regard and has recently given him a 4 year contract.

I think it would be great signing. Many of us have mentioned about him before and he already has Premier League experience. We should also have a space in midfield to accomodate him as Nicky Butt is out of contract at the end of the season and probably won’t be offered another one.

Another youngster in our sights appears to be Everton ‘keeper John Ruddy. The 23 year old stopper is currently on loan at Motherwell and has managed to keep 13 clean sheets in his 26 appearances this season. Manager Chris Hughton was spotted in the crowd at St Mirren last night and ‘sources’ revealed that Ruddy was the reason for Hughton’s change in destination from Whitley Bay to St Mirren.

It seems a strange one to me. Goalkeeper is probably the one position where we are pretty much sorted for a good few years. Of course we have Steve Harper, then young Tim Krul waiting to step up whilst also having highly rated youngsters Frazer Forster and Jak Alnwick on our books.

I’m sure with the World Cup coming up in the summer then the transfer rumour mill will be working overtime so perhaps we should look towards that? I mean it’s widely known now that we won’t be spending big on one or two players so perhaps looking for players who perform well but still aren’t fancied on the world stage could be the answer?

I guess we shall just have to wait and see.

NUFCBlog Author: toonsy toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.

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Comment on this post

83 Responses

  1. I think the best we can hope for are some frees and loans, maybe one cheap buy. O’Hara would be good to replace Butt with Smith and Nolan the others who can play alongside Guthrie. Barton should be sold ASAP, either not fir, inside or causing bother. Even when he has played, he’s only had about 2 good games. If we can get him off the payroll that will be enough

  2. Spurs fan here.

    Personally I really hope we keep Jamie, he is only 21 and already look twice the player he did last year, for Pompy he is really excelling, would like to see him come back fighting for a spot, unless Harry knows he is unlikely to play, in which case loan him out for one more year, possibly to yourselves then decide.

    He is so young for this type of player. Best of all he is a Spurs fan from childhood!

    COYS!

  3. I think you will be ok Hoe, doubt we will spend the kind of money he will cost. Wouldn’t say no to a years loan though

  4. We want him back at Spurs, but it will never happen now. Another womanly issue, this one being that half the spurs team have boffed his newly pregnant bird!

  5. I think with some many clubs needing a GK that it is quite possible that either Foster or Krul will be sold. If Krul wants first team football next year as he has said, it certainly will not be here.

  7. Not factually correct. Fo a start he is product of ar5enal’s youth academy so didn’t work with Chris secondly Spurs would want £6m not £3M. He would be worth every penny qand St James fans would love him

  8. So O’Hara and Hughton didn’t work together? Thus aiding in his youth development?

    How do you know spurs would want £6 miilion, thats an assumption in itself, unless your Harry Redknapp or Levy?

  10. martins lavezzi and dorrans one ecstatic toon fan bit of flair for the woork men like players we already have come the toon

  11. Thing is Martins was never prolific, Lavezzi is out of our self imposed price range and Dorrans will no doubt be wanted by West Brom.

  12. O’Hara would be a quality addition to any squad in the Premier League, he’s young, English, full of both skill and spirit. I hope he comes back to Spurs and gets a chance, as i’d rather see him there next season than Jermaine Jenas. If he leaves he’ll be in demand, he’s definitely the sort of player that would do well at a club like Newcastle and i think your fans would love him. He doesn’t hide on a football pitch, I wish there were more players like him in football generally..finally, I think he’d cost somewhere upwards of £5m for anyone looking to take him on a permanent basis because of his age and homegrown status, worth every penny for anyone that gets him.

  14. dyo rekon toonsy? I think we’d stretch to around 6mill for the right player, to be fair mike owes it to hughton after he worked miracles and prevented his investment from nose-diving. Chris will have saved him millions and millions of pounds if he gets us promoted at the first attempt! 6 mill for o’hara and I’d be a happy man.

  16. darthbroon, its already been anounced that season tickets for next year wether in the premiership/championship have been frozen if you buy them before march 31st. it will be interesting to see what funds are available next season as we will have gauranteed 35m tv money owed almost 15m from part transfer fees for milner given and nzogbia. new northern rock deal new kit sponsor deal with puma a wage bill halved and still to go down further when butt’s contract runs out and i think a couple more high earners will also go atthe end of the season.

  18. You lot are deluded. Particularly the spurs fans. He’s rubbish. He’s good enough for Newcastle but not the lillywhites. And also to correct a few of you. He’s 23 years of age and he captain hughton’s reserve side for two seasons. Know your stuff gentlemen.

  19. @TOONGUY

    I know about the price freeze. The prices should be coming DOWN.

    I’m not paying top dollar so they can save up for a rainy day! ;)

  20. I agree, when I heard three million mentioned, thought it would be a steal.
    Having watched him a number of times, was impressed, the kid for his age is an engine room, runs the team, puts his foot in does it all, exactly what this team needs, get Dorrans to join him inside midfield solved, boy would I like to see that happen.
    Would be a force to reckon with.
    ______________Harper_____________
    Beye___Taylor_______Colo____Enrique
    Routledge___Dorrans_O`Hara____Jonas
    _________Best_____Lovenkrands _____

    Believe these guys could play football
    With a backup of.
    ______________Krul___________
    Simpson__Williamson__?_Van Aanholt(loan)
    ?__Barton____Nolan ___?
    _______Shola______Carroll_______

    Flog the rest and bring in a couple more on loan.
    Believe that would ensure PL survival, plus we have the kids also.

  21. why would he swap a club thats going down for one thats gonna struggle in the prem next season???never gonna happen oh and 3 million your having a laugh nearer 6 mill and lets be honest newcastrle dont have that type of money

  22. best ??? , chuck is just on the two occasions you take amstel….when your sober & when your drunk.

    ..give ya heed a shake man.

  23. Realist
    with a few right buys this club may just surprise a few teams in the PL next season(counting my chickens)

  26. Komfort
    Howeh man, gis a break like, jus cos a have a few Amstels does`nt mean a divin kna what gannin on like.
    Serious I like what I see in Best , hard worker team player and though he has`nt managed to bury anything yet it will happen, i`m sure.

  28. aye chuck , you entitled to your opinion but i dont like what i see..

    ….but three cheers for the beers !

    :)

  31. Forget O’Hara.

    Spurs will want at least £5m for him and we know the days of us spending that amount are long gone.

    Llambias’ statement is the most depressing statement I have heard about our future for a long, long time.

    I respect Ashley for what he did in January but I’m afraid in the PL we will be doomed unless we manage to get Arsene Wenger in as manager with his network of scouts. Although lets not forget Wenger did have to soend a fair bit to get in a position of strength.

  32. Will everyone actually be happy if their prophecies of doom come true, i hope so.
    Shit! it is so waring.

  33. Lads why do’s everyone presume MA wont buy a player at say 5-6 mill if the player is what we need and worth it I think he would buy that type of young class player. I take it the trophy signings that has been talked about are 10 + mill for over the hill ‘STARS’ on 100k a week wages, which im glad them days are behind us

  34. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    March 10, 2010 at 9:27 pm

    Actually I think you’ll find that everyone who thinks it’s a bleak future will be absolutely delighted if we finish in the top 10 after a summer of minimum expenditure on new players and a lower transfer budget than Stoke, Wigan, Sunderland or Bolton.

    Does that fill you with confidence?

    Not me I’m afraid.

    I’m sick of all these people saying we don’t have to spend alot of money to stay up.

    Look at the history of the PL before people make stupid statements like that.

    Stoke and Brimingham are probably the only teams who have stayed up after spending little. In 20 years that isn’t a good record…

  35. I’m with you Big D.
    That sounds a bit closer to reality.

    Let’s sack the doom off, hey?

  36. Big Dave says:
    March 10, 2010 at 9:31 pm

    I couldn’t agree more about the 100k a week £10m for a old player, but I don’t think Ashley has them players in mind when he says the big spending days are over.

    How can any club prosper only buying players under 26? It’s a complete and utter joke! You need some exprerience with quality in the PL.

    If we go down the route that is being stated we will struggle like mad!

  37. Stuart,
    look at ALL of the history, if y’gonna though.
    Not many, if any, have had a stronger team than us coming out of the championship either, have they?
    hull, stoke, brum, s*land have all stayed up recently & with weaker teams.
    Yea?

  38. We’ve got some experienced players already.
    Harper, Nolan, Smith, Lovenkrands, Coloccini, Jonas etc.

  39. “Actually I think you’ll find that everyone who thinks it’s a bleak future will be absolutely delighted if we finish in the top 10 after a summer of minimum expenditure on new players and a lower transfer budget than Stoke, Wigan, Sunderland or Bolton”.

    No they won’t mate.
    They were all saying we were going nowhere this season, yet we’ve been top most of it, & they are still far from happy.
    I digress.

  40. I’m not sure about o’hara – he’s a grafter but I think we need a creative mid, he never impressed that much for spurs hence the crook loaning him out, he’s def better than butt but he’s off in the summer anyway and the ast thing we need is another grafter…….. unless we sell smith of course

  41. “Let’s sack the doom off, hey?”

    Why? If that’s how it looks, this is the place to say it isn’t it? No one here is slagging the team off.

    If you’re finding it wearing, skip the bits you don’t like – or or argue against them.

  42. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    March 10, 2010 at 9:44 pm
    We’ve got some experienced players already.
    Harper, Nolan, Smith, Lovenkrands, Coloccini, Jonas etc.

    Couldn’t disagree more with this comment or no 37.

    Nolan and Smith aren’t good enough to be in centre of midfield in the PL imo. Too slow and Smith isn’t even a midfielder in my view.

    The others aren’t proven quality in the PL. Colo had a mare and while I’m prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt it’s a risk. Jonas too wasn’t great but I think he is one of the only players we have that will prosper in the PL.

    We don’t have a proven goalscorer at that level and that’s what keeps you up – Although we even if we had one we would need to create some chances.

    Our defence still conceeds more than enough chances, there just not taken in this p1ss poor league.

    I really believe people are being blinded by the fact we have had a good season. This league is as bad as it’s ever been and when I watch the PL I just cringe with the pace of it. Our team will be over ran and battered so hard it will be more embarrassing than last time.

    Look at the Mackems. They have had Darren Bent scoring 15-18 goals and their still struggling.

    It’s going to be hard with the players we have – Their not good enough.

    All my opinion off course.

  43. Fair enough Darth, i take y’point.

    Right, y’bastar………………………………..

  44. Stuart, you never listen to a word anyone says man.
    You’ve your own f****** agenda & you live in a F******* bubble.
    Now go back & read what i wrote.

    You said we need experience.
    Those players have EXPERIENCE, i didn’t say they were any good.

    Look, i’ve been supporting the Toon for decades man & i have a memory that works too.

    & finally,
    i can’t believe that you’re scared of pap like:
    burnley, hull, bolton, west ham, wba, forest, s*land, wolves, blackburn et al.
    Get real in your fear at least.

  45. We’re not even in the Prem yet and already we haven’t got good enough players, we’re not going to sign good enough players, we’re doomed to relegation, our players are either too old or too young, and we need to find players who arnt cheap, but don’t cost alot either. If we had the sultan of Brunei as owner and the special one as manager some people will still bloody moan. Please just support the lads for hopefully getting the club back to where it belongs and judge our players at the close of the transfer window, how many of us expected us to sign routlage? Now that we’re on a sound footing we can slowly progress, but it must be a slow rise within a 50% wage bill to turnover ratio. Not even promoted yet and people complaining about us being shite next season, being a drummer for spinal tap must be an easier job than running our club, I’ll be supporting the lads on the pitch! After a few beers in rosies anyway :)

  47. what if promotion fails.lets wait and get the promtion first before anything ea ELSE.A Drop of h20 forms an ocean

  48. what if promotion fails.lets wait and get the promtion first before anything ea ELSE.A Drop of h20 forms an ocean.

  49. jay jay,
    Now that’s what i’m talking about. :)

    Darth,
    :)
    Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh!
    War cry!

  51. why does everyone think we wint spend about 20 mil in the summer we r goin up fact ashley got rid of 35+ mil of talent last summer to suit the ccc now surely swings and round abouts 20 mil summer three players
    attack midfielder= dorrans 5 mil
    centre forard martins 8 mil
    flair players laveezzi 7 mil
    ashley owes us to spash the cash ffs man given beye bassong ab faye nzogbia duff parker emre dyer owen martins this is the calibre of player we have let leave stj park under him ashley do the right thing 20 mil budget for summer and we stay up simply.

  53. jay jay
    :)

    Mate, it’s just daft writing ourselves off when we haven’t even got there yet.
    We proved to ourselves this season that we’re collectively crap at predicting ‘what happens next’.
    So, who knows what’ll happen next season.
    I don’t mind people making their predictions, but, they should hold their hands up when they get it totally wrong.
    That’s fair, isn’t it?

  54. I wouldn’t want anyone who left in the summer returning to the club, bunch of spinless overpaid, injury feigning, lazy, gobsh1tes. Either bad attitudes or bad ability.

  55. I agree.
    No more going back, either for players, managers, owners.

    Forza Newcastle!

  56. Clint @53

    You’re right mate, last time we got promoted I remember people saying andy cole won’t score many goals in the premiership. WRONG!

    Darth, very funny mate, it just does my head in when people are writting us off for next season when this one isn’t over yet.

  57. “Darth, very funny mate, it just does my head in when people are writting us off for next season when this one isn’t over yet.”

    Show me where I’ve said anything like that.

  59. jay jay,
    this bunch of players that have stuck around, knuckled down & give us an excellent chance of getting back will have a totally different attitude next season.
    We’ve become a team again.
    First time since SBR.
    They’ll be so much more grateful to be premiership.
    Who was Rob Lee when he came to the Toon?
    Y’right, who suspected Cole & Pedro?
    I’m not suggesting we’ll be that good, but at least there’ll be hunger to do well for a change, instead of complacency.

  60. Darth I wasn’t refering to you personally, but people posting on the blog who are giving us no chance next season. Im sorry if you thought my rant was aimed at you darth, that’s not the case. And I’m not usually this moody mate :)

  64. toon will win the league next year.

    im just wondering if we can pop a cup in their as well?

  67. Llambias has already said the days of spending big (for the minute) are a thing of the past, so people talking multi millions for one player, have a word eh and get back to champ man.
    I say stick with what we are doing, and why not? Bassong, 800,000? Williamson, 1m? We have done ‘some’ decent business and i hope/think it will continue.You dont need big names, i can only name around 3 of Birminghams players! Beckford is free in the summer, Ledley is free in the summer, i think we will get some decent, cheap buys in the summer,even Ashley can see that its needed, surely………….?

  69. O’Hara would be a chance to come to us. Tottenham have already got about 5 central midfielders that would be above him in the pecking order.
    most players want first team action (unless they move to chelsea)

    and you’re right. Hughton would have most likely worked with him at tottenham. they would have been there for a few years together when O’Hara was in his late teens.

  70. I am not lokking into any of the transfer rumours..from our recent tranfser season,we have bought players whom we were no linked with…i do believe this summer will also be like that…hughton already have found his targets…and he wont be talking about his targets to any of the media…..

  71. Deluded geordies!! Nobody with any ambition will join a yo-yo club like yous. You only attracted players with 100k a week salaries, now you cant afford it you better get used to dross like Carroll and Shola. Do yourselves and everyone else a favour and stay where you are, its where you belong FACT

  73. Off thread but I think loosley relevant to current players, potential signings and most crucially at this stage of the season, player morale.

    It’s clear that the usually hostile southern press is about to embark on a non-substantiated mission to scupper us. The Mail’s at it already and there appears to be no real substance to its views.

    Absolutely disgraceful and they know that at most there’ll be a ‘no comment’ from the club and that of course adds fuel to the fire!

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1257029/Newcastle-squad-forced-pay-cut-win-promotion-Premier-League.html

  75. bowburnmag
    no mate, not really into non league footie, an old lecturer of mine, who is a nuts judo teacher, he was once the body guard for the guy who invented judo (true story) said that football brings out the arogance in people, especially at the lower levels, since then ive always noticed it and he is right! used to play in the league at the eldon square, a bloody kick around 5-side league, used ot go for a laugh, but instead used to get into fights every match cause people took it so seriously! so stay away these days.
    why you ask anyway, think we may have some scouts at spartans this weekend? :-D

  76. 8) No, just recognised the name via admin and put two and two together and made seven.. :oops:

    Aye, that 5-a-side league is a bit naughty.

    I’ve got to find out what the crack is with my knee but I’d considered chucking 11-a-side and playing daft 5-a-sides like that. Since I started working in town again, I went to watch two mates who play in the business league. Savage isn’t the word.

  77. aye, ive got a common name like, apparently its a nightmare to find me on facebook hahaha

  78. richie – O Hara left Arsenal’s academy to join Tottenham’s at 15. So in reality he is a product of both academies.

    I think the fee for O Hara would be between £5 and £6 million. Roy Hodgson was sniffing around him last Summer at somewhere near that sort of price and I think his stock has probably gone up since going to Portsmouth and playing consistently well there.

    Stevep – O Hara isn’t really a grafter. Yes he does put in his fair shift, but he is actually quite a creative player. Decent on the ball, two footed, has a good eye for a pass and scores goals too.

    Personally I think O Hara is exactly the type of player that Ashley would spend 5 or 6 million on after you’ve been promoted. He is young enough so that his transfer fee isn’t likely to reduce if sold after 2 or 3 years, and his wages are such that the overall package wouldn’t be too high.

    I think you lot will have no problems surviving next season. St James Park is never an easy place to go and get a result and I think your home form will easily see you home and allow you to build up to being a top ten Premiership team again.

    I’m looking forward to a good away trip next year. A trip up to Newcastle was always one of those you pencilled on the calendar as early as possible.

  79. Jay Jay your comment 45 – well said, my thoughts exactly, not even promoted yet, and it whine, whine, bloody whine from SOME ‘supporters’

  80. Re: My comment @ 25

    It’s nice to see MOST of the other fans return, there appears to be exceptions ;)

  81. Yeah you got that right Luke, the guy is still quite young and can only improve and what i have seen of him there`s not much missing in his abilities, a dynamo, can score,pass , put his foot in, we sure could use someone like him to boss this side.
    I`d say he will go for at least 4m.
    Dont know if Ash. would spend that much ?

  82. TIME will tell.

    O Hara to me is a much skillful creative Alan Smith.

    Not really the Gerard or lampard style of player.
    Danny Guthrie is more closer.

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