I vividly remember having a few arguments with people who said that we’d be dead-certs for relegation if we didn’t invest any significant cash in the transfer market. I didn’t buy that and plumped for NUFC avoiding relegation and ending up somewhere in the bottom half of the table. Others were optimistic enough to predict a top-half finish. Time will tell who is right, but it certainly won’t be those who predicted relegation.
So, now that we are almost safe we can start to analyse the season a little bit. I suppose the place to start is with the players who won us promotion. If you think about it a little deeper, it’s those players who have also secured us safety.
Almost all of our signings this season have failed to made an impact really, so it’s testament to those lads who battled it out in the Championship last season for doing it again this season and getting us to safety.
Hatem Ben Arfa only played a couple of times before his season was cut short by that injury. Stephen Ireland managed two substitute appearances for us before being sent back to Aston Villa injured. Dan Gosling has managed five minutes on the pitch for us. Sol Campbell has only managed a couple of appearances as he just isn’t good enough anymore, whilst James Perch never was good enough and soon lost his place to Danny Simpson when he returned from injury.
In fact the only signing that has made any real impact this season is Cheik Tiote. So basically we’ve gone about this season with the same players as last year, plus one, minus a striker. Work that one out.
It kind of makes this season that bit more impressive when you look at it like that!
We’ve basically survived, and at times thrived, this season with last season’s squad, mainly due to injury to injury. So next season, when Dan Gosling and Hatem Ben Arfa are finally fit, it will be just like having two brand new signings in the ranks. Add to them any signings that we make over the summer and we could, for the first time since we gained promotion, actually see an improvement in our squad.
However, we shouldn’t ignore what this group of players have done for us over the last two seasons. They won us promotion and got us to safety in the Premier League. They are a credit to Newcastle United.
Well done to last season’s squad!
Check out this scout report that the Porto manager Boas done on us a few years back…
http://www.bragafut.com/artigos/art18.pdf
toonsy(Quote)
well i put me money where me mouth is agen 🙂 11th too 14th will do me 😉
batty(Quote)
a win against brum and i reckon we will get 11th too 14th 🙂
batty(Quote)
That’ll do for me 🙂
I’d really like a top half finish as I think we deserve it given how we’ve played at times, but it doesn’t really matter. All that matters is staying up 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
toonsy i wouldnt mind losing me bet for a top half finish but if we finished lower than 14th ide 😥 😥
batty(Quote)
I can’t see it mate. To me the bottom five will be the bottom five in whatever order, and I think we have enough to finish one or two places higher than that 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
hope so m8 it would the toon have won me 2 and a half grand in the last 2 seasons 🙂
batty(Quote)
Lend us 2,500 😆
toonsy(Quote)
🙄 😆 😆 😆 tappin fooker
batty(Quote)
Don’t ask, don’t get 😆
toonsy(Quote)
I bet London is crawling with undercover cops and sniper rifles 😉
toonsy(Quote)
And crawling with fecking weirdos who’ve spent the night in tents…
Jobey07(Quote)
Is it not worrying to you’s that only Tiote has made an impact of all the new signings ?
It shows that buying crocked and cheap players doesnt pay off.
My whole point that I’ve been making for ages summed up by Toonsy unintentionally .
Cheers Toonsy 😛
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
Oops have I spoilt the Royal Wedding chit chat?
😉
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
My local is opening at 9:30am for the celebrations 😯
Saying that, this is Scotland so most of the clientèle will already be well on their way by that time anyway….
Moreno(Quote)
Ahhhhh we can always rely on Moreno to bring the conversation back to a boring level again.
Morning Moreno.
How interesting to hear about the wedding again. 😉
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
oh Bobby you’re so witty and incisive. Cracking craic mate, wouldn’t know where else to read if you weren’t constantly peppering this blog with your pearls of wisdom.
DevonMag(Quote)
Sorry to interrupt your montage regarding you being naked and whistling to birds in the garden….pray continue Bill Oddie
Moreno(Quote)
@Devon Mag
I thank you for your compliments.
You also inspire me with your interesting banter zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
So, it looks like the cheap buys and crocks have not helped us this season .
I predicted correctly again. What a terrible habit to have. I can imagine it being very annoying to some who are always wrong.
You ok Moreno? 😉
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
How you taking the news that Joey is due to re-sign a deal?
You predictede that one right as well…..oh wait, no you didn’t.
Fine my friend. You keeping well yourself? 😎
Moreno(Quote)
Despite the shrill cries of the doom mongerers, despite those who say that without money you can only fail (you know them, the people who are always right), despite the prophecies of the drama queens, Newcastle survived and at one time were possibilities for Europe.
Yes, a really good performance from Ashley’s cheap Championship standard squad. 🙂
I agree with Batty @ 3 😉
Brisvegas(Quote)
yep you predicted right again Bobby, your source must be right on the money! I can’t imagine where we’d be this season without Beckham’s assists and positive influence in the dressing room.
DevonMag(Quote)
Bobby – Keep a lid on it. I’m not in the mood for your **** today.
toonsy(Quote)
I agree with Bris @ 21
I think this shows that Ashley was right not to gamble 😉
toonsy(Quote)
@b’vegas
You miss the point . As Toosy has summed up. The cheap and crocked buys haven’t featured.
The expensive ones have been inspirational.
Barton, Enrique, Nolan, Jonas, Colo. The old guard of Harper, Saylor, Shola and of course the academy youngsters, ferguson and Ranger.
Oh Moreno – you jump the gun again. Barton to sign up? You sure? Your source is better than mine?
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
Mine source is better than your Bobby. Four year deal done. Double announcement with Nolan ;
toonsy(Quote)
My even 🙄
toonsy(Quote)
@toonsy 😯
What’s up?
I’m starting a debate about footy instead of the royal wedding.
How can anyone get upset with my comments?
😕
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
Bobby Shinton number 9
Posted April 29, 2011 at 10:00 AM
“The expensive ones have been inspirational.
Barton, Enrique, Nolan, Jonas, Colo.”
The ones that people said weren’t good enough? 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
Coz you’re being a **** with all this “I’m right” bollocks. It’s pur attention seeking that is based on **** all apart from your side of the argument and is designed to get people to bite. Now I’m not in the mood for that today but if you want to carry on feel free…..
toonsy(Quote)
Woo hoo hoo hoo. 😛
Toonsy you need to take a pill.
I’ll ask Troy if he has any for you.
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
Or I could just eradicate the problem? 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
It also makes you think back to relegation and shows that we got rid of the right crowd and kept the players worth keeping, good decisions by the club.
Moreno(Quote)
Moreno – Indeed 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Players like Colo and Jose have improved so much over a period of two years, they’ve went from being one of the reasons we went down to being our best players. A season in the Championship did some players a world of good I rekon, it did the club a world of good – although I never want to go back! 😆
Anyways how funny will it be if QPR get deducted 15 points 😆
AndrewNUFC(Quote)
@toonsy
I accept everyone wrote off Nolan, Jonas, Barton and Colo .
They were on big wages compared to the current wage structure and a decent transfer cost . The point is they are the ones who have done wonders and not the cheap and crocked buys.
The point I’ve been making for ages.
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
Bobby – But that is a couple of examples. What about Owen? Martins? Viduka? Cacapa? Duff? Beye?
All of those were on big wages aswell. Surely they should have done a job for us?
The new regime brought us the likes of Ben Arfa and Tiote. The current wage structure brought us them. More of the same will do for me 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
Bobby, I have just heard from a source that your source is one of the 0870 numbers off the teletext. How you paying those £1.50p/m charges?
Moreno(Quote)
Bobby = yawn
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
between that and the bangkok Chick Boys hotline, your phone bill must be a fortune! fancy using your mam’s phone upstairs though…tut tut
Moreno(Quote)
Bobby 9 (re 25) – Actually, Krul, Harper, Simpson, Williamson, Carroll and Best deserve plaudits for their performances too.
Brisvegas(Quote)
Where’s Bobby gone? 😯
toonsy(Quote)
Back to you’re bullying act again toonsy 🙄
AndrewNUFC(Quote)
Andrew 😯
Scandalous 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
So then whose designed the dress Tk maxx or matalan… 🙄
CC(Quote)
Hey Toonsy, you know what make it worse with Bobby… Is that his **** stirring is so bloody obvious… I’m pretty sure the guy is a virgin – approx 19 years old…..
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
@BS9
“I accept everyone wrote off Nolan, Jonas, Barton and Colo”
I didn’t as you know, I always saw those as being our best players, and I have been shown to be right…oh yesssss the original predictors always right 🙂
Oops Ill be in trouble with Sy too! 🙂
PS you can shove your local hero Taylor up your *** – he can go too – he single handledly used to make the whole back line disorganised and therefore make Enrique, Colo look poor – he has been out of the team for a year and look at them now!
Stardust(Quote)
Even here in OZ we have nothing but Royal wedding ***** on every channel……thank fek for Foxtel….
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Toonsy – It posted from my B’Berry! What’s changed?
Stardust(Quote)
The best thing about the argument was toonsy letting c*nt go through the filter just so he could call bobbby it 😛
Jobey07(Quote)
🙄 😀
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Ahh, BS9 departs and Stardust appears. 😉 😉
Brisvegas(Quote)
Jobey – I don’t have a swear filter 😉
Stardust – I’ve changed a few settings. Keep trying it though to make sure. And you won’t be in trouble as your “I’m right” isn’t in a condascending “look at me, look at me” manner 😉
toonsy(Quote)
well my virgin call was accurate…. 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
toonsy- ahh i see. one rule for you, another for the rest 🙄 🙄 😆 😆
Jobey07(Quote)
starbob 😉
batty(Quote)
bris@52 ive been saying it for aboot 2 years now m8 😉
batty(Quote)
no 1 beleives me 😥
batty(Quote)
Starbob 😆
Brisvegas(Quote)
stardust you have made bsn9 too much like billy bunter 😆
batty(Quote)
@Batty
Hey mate, when are you going to replace King Kev’s picture with Pardews ?? 😉
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
aussie kkforever 😉
batty(Quote)
To be fair Sy, as you know Bobbys a good mate of mine, and maybe because of that I’m biased – but I like his posts (even if he is a bit thick) it makes the blog more lively and fun?
There is no malice in what he says, its mischief and fun – there’s a big difference.
I haven’t been able to post (still got IT probs in my new place but always reading) and sometime over polite threads have no spark or life to them?
Just from a personal point of view I prefer those with him in them than some of the conversations (which would be better off on msn as they have little bearing to the threads!)
But all things considered – ban the fooker 😆
Stardust(Quote)
Jobey – If you pull your finger oot and get them tags sorted so we can move on you’ll be able to dodge the swear filter aswell 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Dusty – There is fishing, and then there is fishing being the only thing that he does. Everyone does it at times, but when it’s all the time it gets on my tits, and others tits quite obviously….
toonsy(Quote)
Anyhoo, new thread up 😉
toonsy(Quote)
He’s a fisherman alright – but personally I like the posters who have a character or persona as opposed to blandness – but the bites from the ones without the same type of humour make it more fun to read.
But in all honesty – the blog would be far more fun without him 😆
Stardust(Quote)
starbob fook off man ,and if people beleive you are not 1 of the same there thick 😉 😆 😆 😆
batty(Quote)
Batty – Aye, it was a bit obvious 😆
toonsy(Quote)
Aye but if you banned him, he would just use one of his other 4 schizophrenic personalities 😉
Moreno(Quote)
Moreno – he is only Bobby, Troy, Batty or Big Dave – I will keep you informed of his others 😆
Stardust(Quote)
Cheers Stardy.
I am quite observant. I notice you posted on a blackberry….
Troy has an iphone…
Moreno(Quote)
Which means that if Bobby and Stardy are the same person and they have both an iphone and a blackberry then he is a bigger **** than I thought…. 😉
Moreno(Quote)
Now then Batts – Moreno has just shown your detective skills to be defective. Batty – the Defective Detective
Stardust(Quote)
Moreno – Imagine a middle aged man, fat belly, small legs, pot belly, goes to the gym only to work out his arms and chest, has receding hair that he combs over. Imagine that man wearing 3/4 length jeans – crocks and an orange tan – That’s Bobby!
Nee wonder I’m gutted some think I’m him!
Stardust(Quote)