Should Newcastle United fans fear the January transfer window?

Posted on October 29th, 2011 | 36 Comments |

Cheik Tiote and Fabricio Coloccini.
Two players we really need to hold on to in January?
With our success in the league this year, the question was always going to be, “Can Newcastle hang onto our best players?”

With the recent article by my fellow blogger Hugh regarding Captain Coloccini and rumours regarding a potential shift to Scouserland I did begin to wonder…

In my opinion I can see this rumour being the end of Coloccini and Pardew’s patience with the board. Colo is on a high wage at the moment, over £80,000 per wekk, and has yet to sign a contract extension. He’s not getting any younger, he’ll be celebrating his 30th birthday during the next transfer window and I’d imagine Mike Ashley would be reluctant to offer him a long contract extension. With Pardew coming out recently and stating that Colo was not for sale I feel he’s set himself up on a “colosion” course (Attempt at humour there) with Ashley and the board.

I would highlight Chiek Tiote as a key player for us, without him our back four looked decidedly shaky against a poor Blackburn side. I’ve read recently that Manchester United are poking their ugly noses in to try and shore up their midfield.

Cheik and Colo have steadied Newcastle’s once rocky defense, could we really cope without them? Just last summer the fans were left in disbelief as half of a strong team was sold. I don’t think we could cope if the same was to happen again this January.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, rumours are rife that we have been extremely busy with a new striker, Papa Dempa Cisse again has been linked, the last I read with a £13million pound deal.

Bit of a ramble this one, with no real end point in sight, so I’ll just finish with this, we need to keep our key players if we are to succeed, and if Pardew can manage the issue, similar to Ferguson with the Rooney affair he will be earning his money.

Howay the lads.

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NUFCBlog Author: Mick toons Mick toons is a proud nufc fan hailing from Durham. He now lives in Yorkshire with another group of hard done by fans... Leeds United Mick toons has written 13 articles on this blog.

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Comment on this post

36 Responses

  1. Cisse and some CB and LB cover would be perfect. Defence cover is the most needed now as our remaining attackers and our midfield can handle the goals.

    Blackburn winning 1 – 0 against Norwich. Guess beating us did them wonders.

  2. Like society in general, the gap between the poor and the obscenely rich is ever widening in football too.

    As for Newcastle United, and by extension the fans fearing the window, it works both ways. Yes we should fear the mega-teams of indulgent Sheikhs, Oligarchs and others who are more powerful in financial terms and more free spending. On the other hand, as “Supermac” suggested in this ‘blog earlier, other teams, especially ones from Leagues such as France’s Ligue 1 should fear us too as we, in turn, lure their best players with dreams of playing in the Premiership shop window. Eventually, if they are good enough with us, they will probably move still further up the food chain to the mega clubs I mentioned earlier.

    The days of Jackie Milburn, and players spending virtually their whole careers at one club are all but gone.

    Nice little piece BTW Mick. ;-)

  3. Phisix says:
    October 29, 2011 at 3:55 pm

    “Blackburn winning 1 – 0 against Norwich. Guess beating us did them wonders.”

    Aye Phisix, but it’s a real achievement for Norwich to get a result against anyone in the Premiership, even Blackburn, with their finances. I say that in praise of Norwich and what they’ve done so far. Their whole first team squad is worth far less than what we sold Andy Carroll for to Liverpool.

  4. I’m terrified. Hate to say it but I recon the only thing that will stop Collo being sold is if we’re still right up the table come Jan. If we loose a few and are just coasting towards a mid-table finish there’s no way Ashley won’t take the cash.

    Just maybe the scent of european footy will be enough to prevent another clearout.

  6. I think rather than fear it we should play it to our advantage. This time it looks like we have done our homework and will move quickly, possibly with 2-3 arriving immediately.
    Then we need to watch for the knock on effect as new arrivals at other clubs free-up decent players at bargain prices.
    What any club must fear is the last minute offer that is too good to refuse – as with Carroll, big money but no time to spend it!

  9. I think that might be the way to deal with scallies like Liverpool – ask for one of their best players (Gerrard?) for Collo + a packet of crips ! And watch them splutter!

  10. Supermac says:
    October 29, 2011 at 5:19 pm

    “toonanti – and Carroll’s wages will be…?”

    About the same as Colo’s, aren’t they Supermac?

  13. worky – yes, about that – a quarter of a million pounds a month – and he could stay at his mum’s. Some chance!

  16. Supermac, you’ve got me thinking about your old partner in crime now, John Tudor. ;-) I think he was quite a successful coach in America actually. Geordies divven’t mention him much anymore.

  17. Anybody know enough about Liverpool to suggest what players are woth taking if it came to an exchange?
    I saw that they played some good youngsters at the end of last season & start of this one – have they been replaced & and are they worth having? If its a buyers market we could force a good deal.

  19. FFS that’s the second week I’ve forgot to do the predictions… If I’d have remembered I’d clearly be top now. Bollocks.

  20. Fat Mikes policy is to buy cheap, sell the best players for profit and keep NUFC in the PL witout ever winning anything. Since we are probably safe in january we all know what will happen if not a new club owner comes around.

  21. Can’t see Man utd buying Tiote in Jan simply because of th African Cup of Nations. At least that’s what im telling myself! Don’t realy want to see Colo go as were already short at CB and reguardless of that fact, we need Colo as he is our best CB right now.
    A draw on Monday takes us THIRD would be purely belta!
    HWTL

  22. Let’s hope Big Mike has been through his bad patch with NUFC and is now feeling pretty darned good about things, especially Captain Coloccini and his part in our success. No way do we want to part with him or Tiote if we want to make a realistic challenge for the top four, or even 5,6,7,8,.

  24. Evenin’

    Just thought I’d check out the Ligie 1 top scorers so far this season as it stands to reason that we will almost certainly be buying our new striker from one of those clubs, and we hear that it will almost certainly be Modibo Maiga.

    But should we be looking at him and not say Bafetimbi Gomis, one of our old targets or another striker?

    Maiga has 4 goal sure but so do a hell of a lot of other strikers so far in Ligue 1.

    Check it out for yourself:

    http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/scorers/_/league/fra.1/french-ligue-1?cc=5739

    Makes interesting reading (and is a bit annoying due to the fact Gameiro is top scorer, but never mind he’s the mug who didn’t want to come here anyway.) :D

  25. Should the fans fear the upcoming window ?
    Depends!

    Colocinni, @ 80grand a week will sorely tempt Ashley,
    i’m sure.

    His agent will of course ask for an increase plus at least a four year deal.

    I would let him go to Liverpool for Martin Kelly rb, Jack Robinson,lb and Spearing a midfielder, straight swap.

    As for Tiote,
    Let him go for either Sturridge or McEachern, straight swap.

    If Man u. want him Tiote, give us Valencia plus a few bob.

    No one is quite sure about Cabaye yet, but it will not be long before we get inquiries.

    Colo wuld be difficult to keep, but fortunately in both Cabaye and Tiote’s case we have the hammer, due to long term contracts.

    As for a Colo replacement ?
    Well not only do we need someone lined up to replace him, we need help all across the back four and we had better have our ducks lined up there.

    Actually i don’t think we have much to fear, as most players are on long term contracts, but Colo. remains a question mark ? and we know Ashley is susceptible to dumping big wage earners,

    Plus for Pardew to express his belief he’s going nowhere could be the kiss of death for him !

  27. also recently when newcastle players leave for bigger and better things they don’t live up to expectations, take for example carroll and enrique when they were here they put in performances since they left hardly being set the world a light have they. simple stay in newcastle for your own benefit!

  28. “I say that in praise of Norwich and what they’ve done so far. Their whole first team squad is worth far less than what we sold Andy Carroll for to Liverpool.”

    Workyticket, our total squad was bought for roughly the same as the Andy Carrol fee (half of that was on two players – Colo and Smith)

  29. Pavel – what about Stoke, great run club, in europe & doing well, team cost half of Carroll fee – good luck to them – except on monday night of course!

  30. Chuck – my thoughts as well! We should play the system – if you want one of yours give me two of yours.

  32. Supermac – I don’t disagree. I was just stating a fact. If we can keep it going in the way it has so far this season then great. We don’t go to see price tags on the pitch, we go to see good players.

    I think though that eventually if you keep selling your best players it will catch up with you. Whether it is Stoke or us, you can’t judge on a few weeks or even a couple of seasons. The question is where either team will be in 5 years.

  33. Paul in Hollywood says:
    October 29, 2011 at 9:07 pm

    “Let’s hope Big Mike has been through his bad patch with NUFC and is now feeling pretty darned good about things, especially Captain Coloccini and his part in our success.”

    I wouldn’t be so sure about that Paul. Ashley tends to make more blunders after we’ve turned some kind of corner and are looking towards the sunlit uplands once again than he does when we’re in the shite and he’s keeping his head down.

  34. I would hope Captain Colo is going nowhere, but with this board its anyone’s guess!

    article in the Telegraph a few weeks back where he said he loved it up here, his kids even have Geordie accents lol

    I would hope we can do a bit of strengthening, a new striker would be helpful too.

  35. Ba Ba Demba, can you score a goal?
    Yes Sir! Yes Sir! Three at a stroll!
    One against Blackburn!
    One against Stoke!
    Want one against the Mackem twats,
    ‘cos they’re a fkn joke!

  36. how about mike ashley getting himself sold??
    is he crazy?? if he sells his top players to other teams of the same league(if) than he’s cutting his own throat. now currently on third,conceded just 7 goals so far in the P.League,thanx to coloccini and his defense wall and Krul, he’s planning to sell coloccini along with tiote?? someone please give him nuts to chew on!!