PonToon – Newcastle’s official 2011/2012 squad
Posted on September 4th, 2011 | 39 Comments |
Newcastle United have named a 21-man ‘official’ squad for the season, as required by the Premier League. Rules state that up to 17 of the squad can be anybody (although preferably a footballer), whilst the remainder – up to a maximum of 25 players in total – must match so-called ‘home-grown’ criteria. Players under the age of 21 can be played anywhere and anyhow and do not need to be included in the list passed to the Premier League.
Our list for this season is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Harper, Krul & Elliot.
Defenders: Coloccini, Perch, Simpson, Saylor & Williamson.
Midfielders: Ben Arfa, Cabaye, Guthrie, Gutierrez, Marveaux, Obertan, Raylor, Smith & Tiote.
Strikers: ShAmeobi, Ba, Best & Lovenkrands.
However, we can additionally use any under-21’s (specifically, they must have been under 21 on 1st January 2011) for ‘free’, which includes the likes of: Santon, Abeid, Vuckic, Ferguson, Gosling, Ranger and Sammyobi.
To be honest I can only see Alan Smith playing a bit part this season, although I’m not entirely sure which bit or which part. But it will be interesting to see if a ‘preferred’ midfield emerges, particularly when Ben Arfa returns from injury. We have no less than 13 midfielders competing for 5 places at the most.
Then again, if our injury record continues in the vein of previous seasons we might need them. We’ve only played pre-season and 4 games and our 21 listed players is down to 17 through injury.
With a bit of luck Ameobi and Harper should be back in time for our trip to QPR next weekend but we could have to wait 4 and 6 weeks respectively for Ben Arfa and Williamson.
And now for a story …
Let’s say I need a new car. I want something young, reliable and capable of going on for a decent spell without breaking down. So I go along to a car dealer and spot a nice two year-old Beemer priced at £20k. Okay, so it’s not an Aston, but neither is a it a clapped out 2CV. So I go up to the car dealer and say “Hello chief,” for he was once a Red Indian, “surely you can do me a better price than £20k.”
So we haggle a bit and I get him down to £19,800. But here’s the thing: I am of the opinion that cars simply cost too much in general. I have decided that this Beemer is only worth £12k, regardless of what the market says, and I unilaterally take it upon myself to correct the overinflated car prices in the market. I stubbornly stick to my £12k offer and refuse to budge, so of course the car dealer eventually tells me to sling my hook and gets mechanics Bob and Jerry to rough me up a little on the way out for my cheek.
Never mind, I stuck to my principles, eh?.
Ah, wait a minute though. I now have to walk to work or catch what laughably falls under the guise of public transport here in the sticks. My kids have to walk to school. Barefoot, because I happen to think shoes are overpriced too. My wife upped sticks and ran off with the postman even though I told her I did try to buy a car, my sheep died of mange, my left leg fell off and my house was swallowed up by a passing black hole.
Woe is me and woeful am I. Perhaps I’ll have another crack at that car in January.
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.
arfas the “ace” when hes fit