Surprise, surprise! No striker for Newcastle United
Posted on September 1st, 2011 | 85 Comments |
A day of deadline drama, in which saw United lodge a “bid” for FC Twente’s Bryan Ruiz, has ended up falling flat on it’s face as Newcastle, for reasons unknown, decided to try and bring in a striker by submitting a bid 4 hours or so before the close of the transfer window.
Mr. Ashley had a helicopter ready to swish our man from the clutches of Martin Jol’s Fulham waiting in the capital, but (shock horror), the inevitable news from David Craig was that “unfortunately” United just couldn’t quite seal the deal for Ruiz, and also defender, Liam Ridgewell.
This ‘bid’ seems slightly reminiscent of last January’s “attempt” of bringing in a player (Charles N’Zogbia) just hours before the window closed. So after fans have endured a summer of rumours or “smokescreens” as I’d prefer to call it, Newcastle have failed in their quest to find a striker.
I’m afraid this is totally Unacceptable.
A summer in which we were promised that “all the £35 million will be invested in the team” has now passed, and Newcastle United have failed to fill the position which needed the most attention. Yes, Newcastle have signed some players of good potential, but they have also sold some players of huge importance to the club if you are to analyse the statistics of last season.
Striker, Demba Ba, has of course been brought in to the club, but you are kidding yourself if you believe he is the man to fill the gap up top, and from recent comments by manager Alan Pardew, he doesn’t believe Ba, Best, Ameobi or Lovenkrands are enough to score the goals for the Magpies. He has reiterated all summer that Newcastle “need a striker” and he has put his trust in Mike Ashley, Derek Llambias and Lee Charnley to get the players he feels the club need “over the line.”
The striker position has been the most important to sort out since the end of January. Are any of you really surprised at this failure to sign anyone? Demba Ba does have questions over his knee, but regardless of that, he will most likely be away on international duty with Senegal in January. If Shola Ameobi gets called up to the Nigerian squad, he will also be unavailable during January, and he too has a question mark over his fitness. So, we are likely be stuck with Leon Best and Peter Lovenkrands, the same duo who got us through the back end of last season.
Leon Best has started the season well, but Lovenkrands is not good enough in fairness, and shouldn’t be in our team at all. It pains me to say that about Lovenkrands because I do like him, and feel he has been a good servant to the club, but he isn’t the man who will score us the goals we need.
Oh, we could just wait until January though, couldn’t we? Well, if you honestly believe that we can easily get a striker in then, I’m afraid I can’t agree. Prices will be jacked even higher at that time in the season and I’m afraid, like every other NUFC transfer window under Ashley, that the £’s we are allegedly bidding for players now, like the £10 million we allegedly bid for Ruiz, will mysteriously disappear and it will be a “have to sell to buy” scenario.
I am happy with the majority of the players we have bought in, but what pains me the most is the fact I think many of us knew this would happen. It’s been a summer of talk and little action in regards to the striker hunt, and below I will give you some examples.
Here are some recent snippets from the shy and retiring Alan Pardew for your viewing pleasure about the striker search:
#1. “We are trying to make the club stronger, as it stands, I’d say we are not in that position yet.”
#2. “The board know where I am. I want two positions filled before the window shuts. I feel we will do that” – A left-back and a goalkeeper I presume?
#3. “It’s obvious we’re looking to get a striker in. We’re not just playing lip service to it. We have made bids.”
#4. “We’re still confident of bringing a striker in. It makes me laugh when people say time is running out-the deadline isn’t until the end of August.”
#5. “I don’t want to really mention names, but all strikers who are available we are keeping a close eye on. It’s important we keep bolstering the team as best we can. We have obviously been looking for a striker-we are still bidding for a striker as we speak-so we are doing all we can to get the right players for Newcastle.”
#6. “We’re trying to make this club stronger than it was last year. As it stands, when we started the season, I’d say we’re not in that position yet, but hopefully we will be.”
#7. “I don’t think I need to nudge Mike any more-I’ve nudged him enough.”
Believe me, there are a lot more quotes about this subject. What strikes me the most is #1 and #6, where Pardew states we are not as strong as last season. If our own manager doesn’t believe we are stronger, than how can we as fans? Or how can the players feel that we are stronger? Can this window be judged a success?
We’ve heard all summer Newcastle have bid here and there for such player, yet according to the press, we are always just short of the asking price. It’s always somebody else’s fault, always an obstacle to overcome…
Smokescreens
Expect the usual “we tried so hard to get the players in” and “we are all disappointed we couldn’t get the player over the line”. Basically, expect the usual excuses we tend to hear.
It’s up to you what you believe, and whether you feel the board really did try and were just unlucky.
Personally, I find it unacceptable that in seven months, no progress has been made. I’ve read many comments and spoke to fellow fans who believed Ashley would show some ambition this summer because “we have the money in the bank now”, well have we really shown much ambition? Strikers are what keep you in the league, goals are important and we’ve lost our top goalscorers. We have however, gained under soil heating for the winter months and some swanky new shower heads in the changing rooms.
At least there is another window on January 1st suppose. The club would then have had a year to get a “player right for the club.”
I think Ashley and Llambias have let Pardew down big time this summer. He’s had players leave who he wanted to keep and it seems the board haven’t backed him. If you take into consideration what he’s said about needing a striker and “keeping our best players” (unless you think he is part of the spin of course).
I have no sympathy for Alan Pardew though. He knew what he was getting himself into when he walked through the St James’ Park doors in January. He said himself that managers messaged him saying “you’re mad taking this job”. Don’t expect him to say anything of significance today either.
I must stress that I think we have bought in some good players. But we have also been lied to (again) this window in regards to finding an adequate replacement to Andy Carroll. This current squad is no bigger than the squad last season, a squad in which Pardew stated was “too small and lacking depth”. If we had got in a decent striker this window, it would have made a massive difference on the pitch and at least shown that Pardew and the gang really wanted to address the vacant striker position.
So now all we can do is get behind the team and hope the lads continue the great start to the season. I’ll always get behind the team, as I’m sure the majority of you out there will too.
Just a shame Mike Ashley didn’t want to push the boat out a little further and give the fans and Pardew what they really wanted / needed. Not really a surprise though is it, it’s not like we had money in the bank.
Well no surprise then! Maybe the clowns who have said wait until the end of the window will now smell the coffee. Don`t let the early results disguise the need for additional to supplement the squad. We have struggled in all of the games we`ve played and have been lucky to get the points we have, believe me this will not go on. I was at Scunthorpe and if people think that the likes of Gosling, Marveau and Lover are going to step up to the mark forget it. The TV reported that Arsenal had spent 25 million on transfers, that was`nt 60 million which would have included their wages Ashley. You are a prick and the sooner you and the rest of your mafia leave this club the better.