Slow news day: Erdinç, Routledge and non sequitur logic
Posted on July 30th, 2011 | 20 Comments |
It’s Saturday, which as all people of a certain age know is Tiswas day and I think everyone in the football world is out flinging flans at people because there’s absolutely no news at all.
Elements of the press yesterday suggested that we wanted – nay, demanded – that Mevlüt Erdinç make up his mind about whether or not he wants to become a Toon player by the end of the day. For all I know we might have dispatched Graham Carr to attack electrodes to his nether regions and already have his decision, but any decision by Erdinç isn’t public knowledge if it has been made.
If we did get Erdinç or some striker of similar stature, do you think he’d get the number 9 shirt? I don’t. I think Pardew will most likely follow Hughton’s lead and ensure that the shirt earned by a player’s efforts on the pitch for us rather than bestowed automatically to someone who merely looks like he might knock a few goals in for us. I suppose it’s conceivable that someone like David Villa might be handed the shirt on entry if we were to sign him but, let’s face it, that’s somewhat unlikely!
As for Erdinç, my guess is that he won’t come to the Toon and we’ll have to turn our attentions elsewhere in the hunt for a new striker. I can’t see the club paying Reading’s £8m asking price for Shane Long either and I doubt Reading will drop the price to a level that Newcastle would consider, so we could be looking at strikers who have not yet been mentioned in relation to Newcastle.
Other news – Wayne Routledge is reportedly a ‘step closer’ to signing for Swansea after the Welshies secured the services of Leroy Lita for £1.75m from Liverpool. Swans boss Brendon Rodgers said:
“I have spoken to the chairman and the bottom line is we need a good squad. The two players will help us stay in the league. They have both played in the Premier League and are hungry to push on. They also both have pace.”
Rodgers is apparently keen to secure the services of Routledge before Swansea’s pre-season friendly against Celtic on Wednesday.
Just to backtrack a minute, but I like the way the press report that player B is a ‘step closer’ to signing for a club simply because player A has signed for it. A classic example of the ‘Non Sequitur’ logical fallacy.
And that really is that in terms of news for the moment. I could regale you with quotes from my up-coming thriller ‘Death By Toaster’ but perhaps it’s just better if I shut up with the rambling and clear off. So, I will.
Have a good weekend Geordies.
NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen
I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10).
Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.
hugh,i remember tizwas,it was brilliant,never forget one of my heroes on there.good owld buster blood vessel,eating his pickled onions.