Soon to be trading his Hoops for Stripes?As we all well aware, silly season is here again, and in usual fashion, we have hit the ground running, with rumours that range from plausible to the most ludicrous fabrications ever known to man.
I’d like to start off by my apologies for the strange title, but bearing in mind that I am still recuperating from an injury that has kept me away from the blog for awhile, am hoping that people reading this will humour me.
Anyway, back to business, and the word on the street, (if we are by any chance pursuing all the players that we have been linked with) is probably that Newcastle United is in the process of procuring a whole new squad.
Let us start with my favourite, and ever so reliable source of information, The Daily Mail.
According to The Daily Mail, as the title suggests, we are lining up a move for QPR starlet Adel Taarabt.
The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has been outstanding this season following his summer move from Tottenham and has been the creative force behind their rise to the top of the Championship.
Though the Moroccan cost QPR a measly £600,000, which could rise to £1m based on appearances and promotion, Newcastle apparently want to test the water with an offer now. All in all, I would be fairly pleased with this piece of business as Taarabt has scored 11 goals in 23 games and appears to have what it takes to play at this stage. (more…)
The Bull - A horn in The Gunners side?If anyone had told me we’d be 5th in the table after 11 matches, I’d be lined up beside Toonsy getting my heart checked.
With only Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City above us in the standings, it makes you wonder how things might have turned out had we beaten Stoke and Blackpool.
Oh well, what’s done is done, but a clinical seeing off of Arsenal by the lads definitely has one or two of us constantly ‘deluded’ Geordie fans dreaming again. Rightfully so too, if we can consistently churn out performances like we did on Sunday, and against a top-four team to boot! The player’s superlative displays, are summed up below:
Tim Krul – Man of the match for me. Move over Steve Harper. This lad is absolutely fantastic. That stop from Nasri’s drive was an absolute cracker. And in my opinion, he had Fabregas’ freekick covered as well. Perfect quantities of calm, composure, and reading of the game. Had said a little while back that this lad was already a better shot-stopper and decision maker than Harper. He completely justified my faith in him tonight. (more…)
The Boys Are Back In Toon!Apart from having headlines telling you that you had just won the lottery, isn’t a 5-1 drubbing of the unwashed the perfect reading material?
A certain amount of trepidation had begun to creep in on the generally buoyant Geordie spirit after a series of mixed results. At the same time, there was a lot of paper talk that the club had decided that Chris Hughton’s time at the helm was quickly approaching an end. The club promptly went out, decided to be more vocal (about time too), and stated where they stood regarding the situation. With the expectations higher than ever, the need to put more points on the board, and a manager clearly favoured by the board, the excitement surrounding the always enticing ‘Tyne-Wear Derby’ had now reached fever pitch.
In fact, I wonder whether Chris’ contract talks are already fairly advanced and more lucrative than before. For a man apparently working for peanuts, that was a pretty sharp suit he was wearing.
Anyway, the player’s fairly outstanding performances, are summed up below:(more…)
Matias Ariel FernandezTransfer speculation is probably one of the integral parts of club football. I for one, quite frankly, enjoy it thoroughly, and always relish going through factfiles of players that seem to find themselves linked with us, just to see whether they would make the grade. Was rather surprised to find ourselves linked with players at this stage in the season though. According to the rumour mill (which is most likely hogwash anyway), the following two lads are apparently targets for Chris Hughton:
Matías Ariel Fernández:
According to Goal.com, apparently he is wanted by Newcastle United, though the player’s representative, Alejandro Santiesteban, maintains that no approach has been made.
“I’m not aware of the reported interest in Matias from Newcastle.” Santiesteban told the Portuguese media, adding:
“Nobody has got in touch with me so I think it must be a rumour. If a team is really interested in a player and has to pay a transfer fee then they have to get in touch with me and the club. That hasn’t happened.”
He’s had spells at Villareal and currently plays for Sporting Lisbon, and does seem to have an eye for a pass and occasionally goal too. He has captained the Chilean youth team and figured prominently in their full squad for both the World Cup qualifying campaign as well as the finals where they exited in the round of 16. He was also South American Player of the Year in 2006. All in all, I don’t think he’d have done as well if he couldn’t hack it. Besides, he’s just 24, so he does fit in with the clubs policy. (more…)
Undroppable?A day in the life of a Newcastle fan is seldom dull. I for one have supported them ever since they began telecasting EPL games in Goa, which would have been way back in 1996.
In that length of time, I can quite honestly say that I must have witnessed a record number of highs and lows as compared to any other aspect of my rather eventful life. I can therefore only imagine what some of you other fans out there must have experienced in a much longer length of time of following The Toon.
This very season, for instance, I have seen our team perform in the most erratic fashion possible. We have beaten Everton, Aston Villa, and Chelsea only to face defeat at the hands of Blackpool and Stoke. At times, at the expense of better and more talented players, we have to endure seeing their seemingly lacklustre counterparts played week in and week out.
This brings me and my poison pen to analyse one point alone. Why do managers pick teams that, even to us humble fans, look suspect from a mile away? What makes the players that represent these line-ups so special that they make us want to tear our hair out? Why do managers unleash ‘The Undroppables’? (more…)
