It also appears that Reading have alerted both Newcastle and Everton about the availability of Shane Long after their manager, Brian McDermott, admitted that it is looking increasingly unlikely that he will be able to hang on the Championship’s top scorer.
Both players have been linked with Newcastle numerous times over the summer, and although no transfer action is expected until the team return from America the club are still adamant that a striker will be brought in for the new season and insist that funds are there for the right player.
Who is the right player though? Of the two who would you go for?
Yes I realise this is purely speculation, and I apologise in advance for daring to talk about incoming players, or “dreaming” as it has become known by those who seek to pour scorn on others opinions, but we can only take things on face value, and at the moment things are pointing towards us getting another striker.
Let’s not forget that we have actually got a bid in for Mevlüt Erdinç as we speak, just like we had a bid for Kevin Gameiro remember, so the intention is there. I guess the most important thing is making sure we get the right player to match our intention.
Personally speaking I’d take Long over Erdinç. To me it’s less of a risk as Long is already up to speed with how the English game is played compared to Erdinç who would need time to adapt. That is of course assuming that there is a preference. In reality I’d be pleased if we got another striker who is better than what we have at the moment, whoever that may be.
There are under six weeks to go now in the transfer window and we’ve yet to hear the “closed for business” statement coming from the club like we usually do. Call me mad if you like, but I’m still hopeful that we’ll get in at least a striker before the window closes on August 31st.
Whether it will be a striker who is good enough for some remains to be seen however…
Before everyone keeps banging on about how poor we looked yesterday (I think ‘toothless’ was used), let’s try to remember that we were missing Cabaye and Barton yesterday. More importantly, let’s try to remember what happened this time last year:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1297645/Kansas-City-Wizards-2-Manchester-United-1-Nani-Fergies-men-slip-defeat.html
Yeah. If we can follow on a poor result against Kansas in the way Utd did last year, I won’t be complaining.
blip(Quote)
I only know of the two from this blog. Never seen either play. From what I’ve read though, I would prefer erdinc. Small, fast, someone who can finish. Just what we need. And yeah, I do think we’ll keep trying for at least a little while longer.
hydeous(Quote)
Blip – Another one is the Leyton Orient friendly. Oh and Sunderland, who are showing ambition and are spending money I may add as many people have pointed out, haven’t dine a lot in their pre season either.
The bottom line is that you can’t read much into friendlies, especially these earlier ones. Leeds and Fiorentina may be mire like it, but at tge minute these are just training matches.
toonsy(Quote)
Why do you continue to make excuses. The squad is not big enough and needs reinforcing and all we get is well things will be alright on the night bollocks. We need more bodies in to support the existing squad, because injuries seem to follow us around season after season. Ashley needs to loosen his grip on the finances and address the problem that we have before we make a poor start and get drawn into a relegation battle from the off. That is not doom mongering it is been realistic. Look at our current situation regarding injuries at this early stage enough said. My suggestion is go and get Zog before it`s too late because Ben A will not play every game this season and neither will some of our injury prone new signings!
Freddie Shepherd(Quote)
Can’t really fault your comment about Long possibly being a quicker ‘fit’ to the English game.
Being honest, i haven’t really seen enough of either player to say with great authority which one is best.
From what I have seen and read either would appear to benefit the squad and complement the players we have so hopefully something will happen.
Pootle(Quote)
Just see this pic guys….it’s the tackle that injured Benny.Seeing it,am actually surprised that its a minor one. How can the idiotic f**cker tackle like this in a friendly?
lockerz.com/s/122181150
deepak is an indian toon(Quote)
Toonsy, you say: ‘no transfer action is expected until the team return from America’
Is that when the whole team comes back or just a quorum 😆
Brisvegas(Quote)
It’s true that we shouldn’t read too much into that result.
It’s just a friendly.
Only one shot on target after 83 mins is pretty bad, but again not something to worry about unless it continues for the next few matches.
Yellow card for Tiote and injury worries are the only real concerns as they point to business as usual.
They highlight concerns many people have had over lack of depth in the squad. Hopefully somthing will be done to alleviate some of these concerns before the end of August.
Pootle(Quote)
Hey Freddie, so someone crashing through you like a fukin idiot during a friendly match makes you injury prone does it? 😕
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Lets not forget that Kansas are 1/2 way through their season, so they should be on top of their game..
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Read what I said Aussie that some of our injury prone players will not play every game this season. It`s obvious that Ben Arfa will be a target for heavy tackling so he is unlikely to play every game and he has just returned from a serious injury which means Newcastle would be stupid to play him every game. Hence the reason to buy Zog who is a similar type of player. I watched Ben Arfa at Darlington and he is a class act who will make us tick but unfortunately their are a lot of thugs about who will make his life uncomfortable.
Freddie Shepherd(Quote)
@Aussie
Freddie Shepherd never called Ben Arfa injury prone.
Injury prone means vulnerable to injury or likely to be re-injured.
Marveaux was out most of last season with injury. Ba has a problem that has caused him to fail recent medicals – is it really anything other than prudent to consider them risks until they get a good few games under their belt and prove tat injuries aren’t going to be a problem.
Pootle(Quote)
With HBA out of the tour, perhaps Vuckic can step up to play in the hole as a replacement. He certainly has the potential to be a good backup for that position.
Thad(Quote)
I agree, Freddie, Benny is going to be a target for the thugs. Hopefully referees will be wise to it, though. Pardew needs to be on their case all season, the way Sir Fergie is.
Brisvegas(Quote)
@Aussie
You’re obviously upset about the tackle but don’t take it out on poor Freddie 😆
Has anyone seen the quote from Pardew yet – “Jonas playing at left back will be like a new signing” ??? I am pretty sure we’ll hear that before the end of the week.
Moreno(Quote)
Dont think too much should be read into performance or results of this tour , think its more about conditioning than anything else. I think Long would be a good signing for us , havent seen Erdinc so hard to say who would be better but Long works hard , decent enough pace and a good finisher.
Johno Toon(Quote)
Off topic, would just like to make a point about the general smell of **** surrounding the club at the moment which is reflected in the media.
sunderland at the moment can do no wrong, they get dicked 3-1 but thats ok, results are irrelevant at this time of the season, their aging purchases are falling like flies but they are bigging up sessignong as the new Drogba as he scored their only goal. Marco Gabiadini had a proper hand wringing pop at the fans following the Darlington fiasco saying there could well be sanctions, i texted the radio station about this rank hypocrisy as folks in glass houses shouldnt throw stones.
NUFC meanwhile are playing quite well, we know the squad needs improving and there is time yet, but our headlines are disaster after disaster, theres not a day goes by without one crisis or another from bad lads visas to fans revolts.
So, its nod your head for the red and whites and shake it from side to side vigorously when talking about the black and whites.
My take on the problem is that they actually work hard at getting the media and fans on board whilst we pay lip service to it, the odd interview we get from Pardew leaves me more confused than before with one contradiction after another and Llambias, how the **** did such an odious character get to be the MD of a multi million turn over business, incredible.
The releases on the Club website are a joke, yesterday they were bigging up tarmacing over peoples ashes, FFS, what world do they live in and probably the best example of them being so far out of touch with the fans.
Robert(Quote)
We don’t have to look at this tour to know we need another striker. We have the results of the post Carroll era to look at.
Is Ba the answer? Possibly
But will Ba miss games himself? Most likely.
JerseyGeordie(Quote)
Robert,
My guess is you follow Mark Douglas and Luke Edwards on twitter?
Thats only two people so I wouldn’t read into it too much, although it seems like more as they never shut up about safc!
Moreno(Quote)
Moreno, i follow all the news reports, not just those. In any other business, if the company was projecting badly remedial action would be taken to address it promptly, we just bunker down and hope it goes away.
Robert(Quote)
http://www.investorschronicle.co.uk/Columnists/NoFreeLunch/article/20110721/a3c90aa8-b2b4-11e0-a7cc-00144f2af8e8/Mike-Ashley-the-comeback-kid.jsp
An interesting read
Johno Toon(Quote)
Robert, fair enough. I never take an interest in the mackem news so don’t have an educated opinion. Only see those two on twitter mentioning them.
Moreno(Quote)
Robert – Bad news gets a bigger reaction, and when you have a large, media hungry fanbase like ours putting a bad spin on things is the easy way to get a reaction.
I have no doubt at all the club could do a hell of a lot better, but the media are no better. How come Sunderland get away with annual pitch invasion Scot free?
toonsy(Quote)
I like the signings that have been made so far I think that if we have the rub of the green with injuries we will see some entertaining and quality football this season. However, my concern is the depth of the squad, some of the young guns look ready to step up to the plate and I feel that our academy system is starting to bear fruit. But it is the likes of left back where Jonas was played that needs strengthening. We have got by for the last few years with a weakness in that position. Yes I know Jose has been the business, but when he`s out we have nobody to fill in. I watched the Spain V Belgium under 19 match last night and the young Spanish left back looked the business especially as cover. We are going to have to go into the market to spend big to get the striker we need. Surely one big signing is not too much to ask for.
Freddie Shepherd(Quote)
Moreno – It’s because they are North East journalists, not just NUFC journalists. They kind of have to be a bit impartial.
toonsy(Quote)
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz same old news different day!! its said weve been after a striker since the start of june
Army69(Quote)
Yeah I know that…..what I meant is that due to me following them on twitter for nufc news, they are the only source I see for safc news as I wouldn’t search for that anywhere else….
Moreno(Quote)
Thanks John Carver someone with balls from inside the club has agreed with me. We need new signings he has said. Watch your back son, because telling the truth does not go down well with the fat man. I respect you Carver you know the score and don`t feed us ***** like Pardew.
Freddie Shepherd(Quote)
What did John Carver say freddie? Any links?
Johno Toon(Quote)
bbc.sports on news now Johno a brief statement
Freddie Shepherd(Quote)
http://www.nufc.co.uk/articles/20110721/pardew-on-kansas-draw_2281670_2398108?
Moreno(Quote)
basically says nothing at all, didn’t even mention Benny
Moreno(Quote)
Just been watching a video of Long from last season, he looks very composed in front of goal, good with his head and pacey too. Just looked at his stats too:
Played – 47
Scored – 24
Assists – 10
Not a bad return, surely with the improved service he’d be banging the goals in for us too.
I know the stats are from the championship but its alot more the Carroll did and he went for 35mil! So i say give this lad ago, im all for having more British players in the squad as well as a good mix of foreign talent.
rosssco(Quote)
Apparetly Erdinc is not only heavily endorsed by Carr, but is also a done deal,he is expected to sign following recieving his loyalty bonus from PSG , which goes into effect if he stays at the club into Aug.
As for the English game ?
there’s only one game, “football” and too much emphasis is placed on the so called English game, sure it’s played at a faster pace and a bit bit more physicality, but everyone adapts.
Hell there may be more non british players in the EPL than home grown?
Come to think about it, what kind of league would we have without the foreign imports, thank goodness for Sky money !
chuck(Quote)
chuck
July 21, 2011 at 13:37
“Hell there may be more non british players in the EPL than home grown?”
Hell yes, loads more. I think 70% of the PL is now made up of non-British players. It’s higher if you just look at English players and take them into account.
toonsy(Quote)
FREDDIE SHEPHERD
see you think we need a striker but you weould rathert waste money on a waste of space greedy cant like the zog stfu will ya
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
Stopped up last night to watch the twitter on blog of the tyne. Nearly had a heart attack when it said Ben Arfa had been stretchered off and taken away in an ambulance. Hopefully it is just precautionary.
Steve(Quote)
Get the both of them in! Long and Erdic! We need them both! injuries happen-both for 15 million is great business Mike……still leaves u with 20 mil for the casino!
jim(Quote)
@toonarmyelite
What’s wrong with Freddie Shepherd wanting N’Zogbia? How does that stop him from noticing that we need a striker too? From what I’be read lots of people do. Personally speaking, although I do think another RW who can cross would be of great benefit to the squad I’m not bothered whether its N’Zogbia or someone else. Barnetta sounded like another good suggestion, but as we appear reluctant to spend the sort of money that would secure either of them it hardly seems worth getting so worked up about.
From the tone of your reply to Freddie Shepherd you’d think Ashley wad your dad or something.
Actually for being so ‘positive’ I’ve noticed a lot of the Ashley fan club act like they are on their period whenever anyone is critical of our esteemed owner.
Pootle(Quote)
@chuck
” Apparetly Erdinc is not only heavily endorsed by Carr, but is also a done deal,”
Maybe this is true. Problem is it sounds an awful lot like the Twitter nonsense that was going on and on and on at the start of the window
We would be challenging for Europe for sure, if Twitter wad in charge of our transfer policy.
Anyway, I won’t get excited about that rumour until its announced officially, I think.
Pootle(Quote)
POOTLE
why would we want zog when we got plenty that can play there, its left back and striker we need so why waste clubs money on players we dont need.What is it with some peeps raming the same bloody player down peeps throats all the time
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
I think we need a striker as top priority, and we need left and right fullbacks.
I also think it wouldnt hurt to get a right winger who can beat people and put in crosses. Although Guti can play there his final ball delivery hasn’t exactly been terrific. Barton can put in a decent ball but its not his best position and hes not exactly quick.
Besides it will mean we can move midfielders around, change formations more, cope with injuries better etc etc.
Hopefully we will get someone in for these positions, but to be honest reeling off names is all a bit ‘pie-in-the-sky’ at the minute, as we have no evidence that Ashley is prepared to pay the sort of money that most of these names are going to cost.
We shall see soon enough.
Pootle(Quote)