Vacancy: apply withinNewcastle United are still in the hunt for a striker 6 months after the sale of Andy Carroll. And now they need a left-back too. So just why is it taking so long to recruit new players?
What, you might ask, is the problem? We’ve had six months to replace Andy Carroll and still haven’t, unless you happen to believe that Demba Ba’s that man. And, although Enrique’s actual departure is relatively recent, we’ve pretty much known he’d go for a few months now (the clue was in his refusal to sign a contract), yet we haven’t got a replacement for him either.
Let’s allow some leeway with Enrique. He has only just been sold and we must surely know by now that players don’t come in unless Ashley’s 100% sure he’s getting the dosh for the outgoing player. It might not be a proactive way to run a football club but we seem to be stuck with it.
Some might argue that selling Carroll so late in the January transfer window left us no time to bring in a replacement, which is true. And let’s even be generous and say that £35m was too good to refuse and that it was actually worth limping through the second half of last season without a first choice striker. Surely, though, in the months after the Carroll sale we should have had plenty of striker targets lined up, ready to make bids for them as soon as the transfer window opened.
Toon want it wrapped up before derbyNewcastle United have allegedly increased their bid for Erik Pieters and still have Nicklas Bendtner in their sights, and Derek Llambias confirms the need to add further players to the squad.
Good morning. The Toon headlines are still pretty much dominated by the Joey Barton/Gervinho ‘Slappergate’ incident, which is beginning to make my Earl Grey taste a little sour and putting Tarquin, my butler, off his stride with the brushing of my tweeds in preparation for the day’s hobnobbing.
The Daily Mail comes to the rescue though, with allegations that we’ve upped our bid to £7m for much-needed left-back Erik Pieters. Presumably the hope is that the extra readies will act as a financial kick up the backside to both the player and his club and expedite transfer proceedings towards some sort of agreement ahead of next weekend’s game against the unwashed.
The weekend’s People seemed to think we have other options for a left-back too and are tracking both Wayne Bridge and Aly Cissokho alongside Pieters. (more…)
Mike Ashley: Playing a dangerous game at NUFC?With the new season just a few short hours from kick off, Toon fans everywhere take stock of the events of the past few months and are no doubt wondering what kind of start we’ll have given the merciless squad upheaval.
Since the transfer window opened Geordies have sat around with baited breath hoping for some good news to pop up on the Sky Sports News Ticker. Needless to say, it’s been a rollercoaster ride. [Neil] Taylor, Gervinho, Gameiro, Cabaye, Erdinc, Nolan, Marveaux, Ba, Barton, Routledge, Enrique, Crouch, Defoe, Long, Beckford, Lovenkrands, Bendtner, Benayoun – and that’s just the players we’ve bought, sold, are supposed to be selling or been linked with that I can think of off the top of my head!
Toon fans are a rugged lot and we’ve put up with enough of the proverbial for us to be able to pick apart a rumour from a genuine story and gladly celebrate when we are linked to a top player; at least somebody out there thinks we can sign Messi for an estimated £8m.
Still, taken into account our outgoing transfers (Nolan, Enrique, Routledge) and comparing them to our incoming (Cabaye, Marveaux, Abeid, Ba, Obertan) – I’d usually say we’ve done pretty well! (more…)
Shoule we cut Pardew some slack?So a few weeks ago i decided that I was going to try and be as positive as possible about Newcastle United and to try and look on the bright side of life with regards to the current manager.
Reading this blog daily, and like most Toon fans, not in the North East, I crave even more than usual my daily fix of NUFC news. What I am noticing is that Alan Pardew is not only disliked, but he is hated by the majority of fans and has some very unrealistic expectations on his shoulders given the current regime hes working under. Every comment Pardew seems to make is scrutinised and analysed by the fans who are coming to the conclusions that he ‘talks far to much’, hes ‘patronising’, that he is an ‘Ashley propaganda machine’ and have already written him off as one of the Southern shandy drinkers ruining the club!
I cant agree, and in my positive frame of mind, as far as I can see he has not done much wrong in his relatively short term here, he was not my first or even fifth choice, but he is here now and I have a theory on why the fans should try to not be so negative about him and maybe lower expectations this season as its the clubs hierarchy, not Pardew, that clearly have the lack of ambition to move NUFC to the next level. (more…)
Gone!Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew tells us why we didn’t have a replacement for Jose Enrique already in place, and Enrique explains the reasons for his departure. Oh yes, and news about Xisco.
As if in reply to Jimbob’s post of yesterday Alan Pardew broke his lengthy vow of silence to tell us why we didn’t bring in a replacement for Enrique some time ago. Pardew said:
“I am sure some of the fans will be asking why we had not brought a left-back in earlier.
“The difference was if Jose had signed we would have ended up with two very, very expensive left-backs and that is something we could not afford when we are trying to create the best side.
“We need that money in other areas and of course we do not have the striker to cover the line yet.
“I understand a big bulk of our fans just want our best players wanting to stay here – it does not always work like that, unfortunately.”
Which really means the Mike Ashley would not risk any money on a new left-back whilst there was still a smidgen of a gnat’s willy of a chance that Enrique might sign a new contract. (more…)
