Looks like we’re going to the wire, again.

The ticking time bomb of the transfer window.
As another transfer window approaches its grande finale it’s finale Newcastle are still left with two positions to fill.

The left-back and striker positions have needed filling for some time now, but with just one week to go the signs would seem to suggest that we’ll be continuing our quest of filling those two positions right up until the end of the transfer window.

This is not good news in my opinion as the nearer we get to transfer deadline day the higher the price tends to be as more clubs enter the market place. Also it’s worth bearing in mind that we hardly have a sparkling record of doing deals in towards the end of a transfer window, especially on the final day of the transfer window.

There is an awful lot of brinksmanship going on at the minute and clubs will be bartering against each other to try and get the best deal for themselves. This is of course all part and parcel of the art of negotiation with the latest titbit of news suggesting that Newcastle and PSV are currently haggling over the price of Erik Pieters, with one side wanting £7 million and the other only wanting to pay £5 million.

Now I don’t have a problem with the club trying to get best deal possible. In fact I do much the same myself with everything in real life and use the same tactic when I’ve had to negotiate things at work in the past. The difference is recognising that sometimes you just have to pay the going rate to get the goods you want.

This is where my main issues is with the board. They simply fail to recognise this and try to drive the hardest bargain imaginable all of the time even if it means missing out on players. This is where my opinion on bids made for players like Charles N’Zogbia differ from those who say that we don’t actually bid at all. We do bid, but it’s on our terms and we don’t budge from them.

There is only one week to wait before we can fully reflect on yet another transfer window. I’ve enjoyed a bit of speculation and read most of the reports of players that we’ve been linked with, but it’s only when the window slams shut that we can fully reflect on what has gone on.

I’ve resisted the urge to have a pop at the club as I prefer to wait and see what happens, but if we don’t get the two players in that Alan Pardew wants then there will be no excuses in my book. We have the money and we had the time. It’s not like January where we didn’t have an influx of cash until two hours before the end of the window. We’ve had it all summer. There is no excuse.

It’s odd really as signing a decent left-back and a striker is all it would take to change a lot of opinions and make more people reasonably happy with the squad. If we can do that then I think we’ll end with a fairly balanced squad that still needs work done to it but also ensures that we are covered in every position.

On the plus side I’m struggling to recall a time when the club have been so vocal about getting players in this late in the window, but with only a week to go we don’t have long to wait to determine whether this is an actual statement of intent or whether they are just more empty promises.

I’m prepared either way to be honest.

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

144 thoughts on “Looks like we’re going to the wire, again.

  1. No surprise to see Barton leave, no decent club interested so went to first club who offered him long term contract on same terms as current contract – also includes free release clause if qpr relegated
    Just as the board see players and fans as a bunch of mugs, players see fans as mugs who can be easily manipulated by a few kisses of the badge and a rallying call here and there

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  2. MDS- we may know what is or what is about to happen, but it doesn’t mean we have to be happy about it.

    In reality none of us know for certain what is going to happen, it’s all just opinion and half baked rumours.
    Some people have an agenda and only post to support that agenda. The majority post in reaction to what happens at the club.

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  3. MDS – Could you show me the statement from the club which states that in 12 months we would have had to sell four of our best players?

    When did they say that they would need to bring in £47m just so they could bring in a few free transfers?

    It must have been when I was on Mars as I have missed it totally.

    I do remember Llambias saying that we wouldn’t be in a position to ‘punch our weight’ in the transfer market until the second season in the PL. Jeez, good old Derek must think we’re helium!

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  4. @33
    I reckon Valencia will put a bid in for Colo now that they have the money from the Mata transfer to chelsea,and i also think that if there are any deadline deals at the club it will be ones going out.
    Look at the dealings of the club in the transfer window since Ashley took over,it does,nt bode well for the ever optimists.
    Im fed up with people trying to justify this leeches penny pinching and his greedy attitude.
    There are no excuses this time Ashley,uve got plenty money in the Kitty,
    how about spending some of it.

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  5. stevep > players see fans as mugs who can be easily manipulated by a few kisses of the badge and a rallying call here and there

    If you believe that you must think we are all fuking stupid ?

    > so went to first club who offered him long term contract on same terms as current contract – also includes free release clause if qpr relegated

    are you in on contract talks or are you just spouting what you have been told ❓

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  6. @Batty

    We haven’t replaced Carroll.

    We have replaced Nolan with Cabaye, who I reckon is a much better player and will be so over the next 3-4 years.

    Plus, we’ve added Marveaux and Obertan, giving us some pace, putting pressure on Guiterrez to come up with better performances.

    We’ve got Gosling coming through who looks like he is going to be good and who will probably step into Barton’s boots.

    Plus Vukic and Ahmead (spelling) are both going to come through this year.

    Strikers are the weakest, hopefully Ba will come good, it is the one area Ashely really needs to splash some cash. He probably won’t.

    I genuinely don’t think Collo will leave, he’s captain now, his wages, with all the money we’ve saved isn’t all that. We are actually building a decent little squad of better quality players.

    We could do with a left back, though Ferguson is good back up, and a decent striker.

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  7. Lionel – How can you suggest Cabaye is better than the man who just captained Wet Spam to being knocked out by the mighty Aldershit?? 😆

    Schadenfreud. Love the stuff.

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  8. I wish the transfer window could be shut now because I fear that more jewels in the crown may be cashed in i.e Collo, Tiote & possibly Jonas. No worries we’ve still got Perch, Guthrie, Lovenkrands, Smith & Co.
    FCB will spend no cash – he just wants his money back. Perhaps he’ll sell St.James’s to ASDA!!!
    At the end of the day his Puppet will carry the can & probably lose his job for failing to deliver. We can not trust anything FCB or his sidekick Llambias say. The truth once in a while would be a start.
    All these rumours about £10M “possible”signings **** me off. He’ll probably bring in a couple of loan signings at best to bolster the squad.
    Beating the Mackems away will be the highlight of our season or hopefully finishing 16th.

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  9. No one has mentioned this but if Barton has or does go, do you think he will enlighten the fans to what is going on, can’t see him not saying anything wouldn’t be like him would it?

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  10. lionel with barton 4 very good or decent players have left , on the players that you mentioned coming in being pacey 😕 routledge was very pacey but very dodgey crosses carrol or ba ❓ carrol every time nolan or cabaye ide have too say cabaye for his work rate nolan for his goals obertan 😕 Marveaux 😕 barton routledge 😕 enrique 😕 suppose what iam saying is we knew what the players that have left could do but the 1s that have come in ❓ ❓ ❓ ❓ ❓

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  11. MDS – Could you show me the statement from the club which states that in 12 months we would have had to sell four of our best players?
    ————
    You know no such statement was made. But the club said it was going to significantly trim the wage bill, that there will be no outlay on new players, the players that do come in will be young with sell on value, and the goal is to balance the books. Isn’t that what they are doing? Not saying you have to agree with it but why so surprised over it?

    And please stop with the whole selling our best players thing. Enrique wanted out, Nolan’s and Carroll’s head got turned for money, and with the Joey thing there is plenty of blame to go around. You make it seem like the goal is to intentionally weaken the squad

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  12. @Lionel

    All speculation.

    I’m quite certain you had little or no knowledge of Marveaux, Cabaye, Ba, obertan until we bought them.

    They have only played 2 games and not done anything spectacular.

    Yet you say Cabaye is a better player than Nolan who scored 12 goals last season and dragged the team by the scruff of the neck to produce some great results.

    We know what Barton, Nolan, Jose and Carroll could do in the premier.

    Could you say that about the new signings?

    Gosling could not hold down a regular place at Everton yet he is going to replace last years player of the season.

    A lot of talk and no evidence. Cool your jets fella. 😕

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  13. @82. you are being optimistic there Lionel 😆 . I hope all that you say is ture but realistically we won’t be able to judge any of these new players for 10-15 games or so. I hope you are right though.

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  14. If’s and but’s are football Dave but you’ve got to do you best to think that you’ve given yourself a good chance. You’ve gotta be able to spot a player, and I reckon Carr et al can. You’ve then got to bring them through

    I don’t think there are too many if’s and but’s about Tiote, Cabaye, Ben Arfa. Those three are going to be top class for us.

    Gosling, most around reckon he is looking good, I am happy to think he’ll get more of a chance now Barton looks like he’s going. I wouldn’t say there are too many doubts about him, only injury wise, but looks like he’s through it now.

    I could go on. The money not spent and Barton’s Twitters has tainted how we look at our club, for those who say they don’t care about the money, look carefully what is going on in the background. We have also recruited some coaching specialists that are working throughout the club, and also in the newcastle area, with coaches from boys clubs up. There is a future there whatever Ashley does.

    Pardew was asked the other day about how he and the players were coping with the doom and gloom, and he was just annoyed, not because he didn’t want to talk about because as he said there isn’t any where it matters, amongst the players. Those that are here have bought into the project, Barton and Enrique didn’t and we aren’t yet.

    Big money is not going to be spent, if we get over that we’ll see there is a lot of good going on here.

    However, if we sell Collo this window I will take this all back.

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  15. @92. Possibly but as I said isn’t it funny how they are all “forced out” into fatter paychecks. Joey is the only one who I would say was forced to some extent.

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  16. However, if we sell Collo this window I will take this all back.
    ————————
    right on there fella 😉

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  17. MDS @ 88 > But the club said it was going to significantly trim the wage bill,that there will be no outlay on new players,
    I know they said about no capital outlay but what or when did they say about triming the wage bill ❓

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  18. Loony they couldn’t control Barton when he was here. I doubt they’d have much influence over him when hes gone.

    You know Barton is a lot cleverer than some give him credit for. All of his tweets have been playing to his advantage. Knocking the owners while giving us fans an ego boost by saying he’s loyal to the club and the fans, he doesn’t want to leave etc.. If you don’t think that Barton is using the fans feelings to boost his own ego and his reputation do you? Most definitely in my opinion.
    I’d rather he stayed but I don’t believe for one second Barton is interested in anything but what is best for joey barton and he’s manipulating the fans by playing up to the feelings we have for Ashley.

    Just my opinion like, obviously it wouldn’t stand up in a court of law.

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  19. Worryingly, Ashley was overheard singing a variation of the George Formby classic:

    Well I’m as happy as can be
    when I’m cleaning up in windows.

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  20. ” DAVE aye and if lyon said ok,jabba would have heart attack”

    No Icedog, our ‘big-boned’ owner has a back up plan just in case.
    He would offer the player wages equivalent to Job Seekers Allowance.

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  21. Dave- 96. It was during llambiase’s whole “football needs a wakeup call” rant a couple years ago he was talking about wages not being sustainable. I took that to mean a slash was coming .

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  22. 😆 😆
    @SunSteveBrenner Not sure who is more stupid.Barton for going to QPR or QPR willing to pay him £100,000 a week.” wow….
    😆 where do they get this from or how do they make it up 😀

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  23. MDS I would take that as there wont be any more players being offered £ 60 – 100 k to come here, if it means that they will get shot of the players on big money well then Colo and Jonas may start packing there bags 😉

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  24. just came back on and read this

    Micky Toon
    August 24, 2011 at 21:23

    Howay man lads and lasses. Still plenty of time left,
    It’s not going to be like that Christmas when you really really wanted artic explorer action man with the husky dog. You were getting excited all December, looking forward to the big day. When the day came you ripped off the wrapping paper and found beach barbie there instead. A dolls a doll said yer dad, what yer crying for yer big bairn? That’s all they had left in the shop.

    😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆

    whatttttttttttttt the fecccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccck

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  25. ” If you don’t have hope, what do you have?”

    Well you could try having an owner with a proper plan to improve the financial side of things AND the football side of things, instead of one or the other.

    Hope is what you rely on when you have no proper plan.

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  26. remember the old days when we talked about football the day before a cup tie?
    are we football suporters of fish wives?

    get behind the team we have, not the one we had or might get!

    HWTL

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  27. What is worrying which someone hit on earlier no matter what job you do if you pay peanuts you get monkeys, years ago I think it was westwood who said we could field eleven monkeys out there and theyd still come and cheer them on. Well I think Big Milke thought to himself that bloke was a visionary we’ll try that Deka.

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  28. this cup is the only trophy we have the faintest chance of winning
    forget everything else – the U in NUFC is for United – get behind the lads!

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  29. ” Complaining on a blog all day apparently. Hope I never end up like that”

    MDS – explain to me why coming on a blog all day to complain about people complaining is better, or any different to, simply coming on to complain in the first place.

    It would seem to me people who come on to complain about something they are passionate about has more moral weight than someone who simply says ‘im not particularly happy about the situation but nobody should complain’.

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  30. Pootle unfortunately you only get an owner who can improve the finances of the club and the playing staff if they are a mega rich Arab or tycoon. Ashley is neither. Sure he’s rich as hell compared to us, but compared to owners of the top 4 and Liverpool he’s small fry.

    army what I was getting at and trying to be humorous at the same time was that there is still time left for dad to buy the action man. Dad = Ashley, now there a thought. Action man = new players.

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  31. Can’t compare Nolan and Cabaye, two totally different players, also Nolan has played in England his whole career. Let Cabaye find his feet, he seems similar to Emre.

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  32. Pootle: : So where does that leave those who complain about those who complain about people complaining? 😆

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  33. ” You make it seem like the goal is to intentionally weaken the squad”

    So if you sell players and replace them with ones that aren’t as good or, worse, don’t replace them at all – how do you describe it, other than “intentionally weakening the squad”?
    Did we sell them by accident?

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  34. ” Pootle unfortunately you only get an owner who can improve the finances of the club and the playing staff if they are a mega rich Arab or tycoon. Ashley is neither”

    Straw man argument, I’m afraid.
    Ashley is easily rich enough to buy Pieters, Cissoko, Maiga and Erdinc.
    I don’t think people are even asking that much of him.
    And certainly nobody is asking him for the same outlay as Man C.

    The club can afford to buy a LB and Striker from the Carroll sale and deparure of Enrique and Barton.

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  35. its stil not all doom and gloom if we lose baton

    Simmo…..Tayls…..Collo….New LB

    ………….Cabaye………….Tiote………….
    Jonas…………………………………….Marv
    …………………Arfa……………………………
    …………………………..New CF……………

    thats a great team if we get sum decent signings in but thats ashley spending money and hes a complete tool and doesnt give us a penny

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  36. Sold all our best players, or got rid of them. No proven replacements, potential maybe, but not proven. Ashley playing god, drastically affecting our game, our team. Younger and cheaper players policy… didn’t Fergie want Scholes to play until he was 37!? Ashley and Co know nothing and ruin everything.

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  37. I’m hearing London club prepping bid for Tiote don’t know who yet but agent on behalf of club has had preliminary instructions relating to bid. Please god no I hope this is ****.

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  38. MDS,

    You’re fighting a losing battle mate.

    Reason being…..you just don’t get it. Sorry, but it’s true.

    Regarding this comment too:-

    “That’s why I don’t understand why people get so upset about players leaving- the club told us 2 years ago what was going to happen”

    So if Walkers crisps released a press statement saying, we are trying to improve the company so we will be streamlining our brand” A week later they stop making Salt n Vinegar, which happens to be the favourite and the reason people buy the multibags, you ain’t gonna be happy. Still like Cheese and Onion and Prawn cocktail though so I’ll still buy the multipack. Oh wait they are gone too. Left with Roast Chicken and ready Salted. **** Walkers Crisps.

    Sorry about that analogy, just tucking into a bag and popped up. 😯

    .

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  39. Also happen to know from same source that no players from London going to Toon yippeee no Carlton Cole 😛 be devastated if Tiote leaves now like. Source says expect bid before monday 😥

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  40. seriously seriously i think we wont get any1 in at all in the next week!!!!!!! i have no faith at all!! ashley spending more money seems very unlikly!! the tight fat stupid ugly pie eating gambling 3 eyed hobbit

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  41. Army,

    problem with that at 117

    a) we aren’t any close to signing a left back.
    b) If 2 of Colo/Willo/Tayls gets injured or suspended…who do we play?
    c) Tiote gets banned for around 20% of the season
    d) HBA has been injured since we bought him
    e) We know nothing about Marveux
    f) We aren’t bringing in a new striker.

    Apart from that, sound mate 😀

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  42. It wouldn’t surprise me Steve C. I almost hope any quality we have left blend in and don’t catch the eye, and we finish 12th. Cos Ashley will sell, and not always for a price, he gives them away.

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  43. Can’t see anymore 1st team players leaving, we need players in and quick. If tiote or collo left we’d be right in the crappa, I am happy with the new lads but worry about them come january February when its wet cold frosty snowing.

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  44. Am not trying to bullshit boys family member is in the business at lower league level and is mates with the bloke who is supposed to be the go between. Like I say hope its not true but cousin is reliable. Not in the business of rumour mongering on blogs either i have posted same on twitter..First ever post of this nature on any blog. He is trying to find out who and how much and says he will text me in the morning when am at work so when I get in at 6 ish I will know more hopefully. Will tell all if and when it comes.

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  45. Jostoon, that would be if our owner understood the smallest bit about football. But he doesn’t, and won’t listen to people that do. God, I’m getting depressed

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  46. Lol. Tiote going? Valencia just made money on Mata – could maybe afford to bid for Colo now?

    Excellent. I’m really pleased. That would get a couple of those nasty, greedy players off our books.
    And one of them has an ugly 70’s hairstyle.
    And he was **** in his first season for us. Just think how much money was wasted on him in that season where he was ****. The parasite.
    And the other one? He’s on some sort of religious hunger strike. And he’s been playing ****. Just imagine how much money we wasted on him while he’s on hunger strike. The selfish parasite.

    I’m glad they’re getting shown the door. That means we could pay off a little bit more debt immediately to our wonderful, heavenly benefactor.
    God knows he deserves it because without his wonderful business acumen leading him into buying us without that nasty ‘due dilligence’ thing that less talented businessmen do, he might never of increased our debt. And without that we might never have got to experience the sheer rapture of his five year plan.

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  47. Its a football club Pootle, what goes on behind the scenes financially is fine, ticket sales, sponsors, shirt sales… but when the football team gets dismantled like it has some football fans will get very upset indeed. Contracts for NUFC are to guarantee that Ashley is guaranteed some money, not so the fans/customers are guaranteed good viewing.

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  48. It really does baffle me.

    How can a business just strip its best assets/products which lure in the custom?

    He obviously knows we are blind in our support and will fill his coffers regardless. Some people’s views on what is going on are utterly mind boggling as well….

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  49. Yup. I suppose you could say I’m pretty upset about it.

    Ashley might come good with 2 or 3 more players before the window closes.
    He might not sell Colo, Tiote or Jonas if bids are recieved.
    I suppose we can all hope. In fact that’s all you can do because going off his track record doesn’t really give much cause for optimism.

    I’m not one for relying on hope and optimism to be honest.
    I know, you’re shocked!

    They were optimistic the RMS Titanic was unsinkable in 1912.
    The iceberg was the only real winner in that one.
    They hoped they would never need enough lifeboats due to that optomism.

    A ****-load of stowage passengers probably would have been better served by a good plan, rather than any amount of hope and optimism.

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  50. It’s mad Moreno. As fans we are just too tolerant. Football is a drug we need and he knows that. He’s stepped beyond the boundaries and here we are, discussing our football. Either he’s mad for buying a football club or cunning… I don’t know which.

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  51. Moreno @ 120 😯 😆 😆 😆

    WITMM @105,108

    That’s the spirit lad; forget about all the distractions for a day or two and concentrate on what’s important

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  52. Pootleshit,
    [email protected]
    [email protected]
    [email protected]
    [email protected]
    [email protected]
    AS, usual, but even more **** from you and in an even quicker time than usual!!
    In perspective,
    Ambramovich boat worth £300 mill and the largest private in the world, is too big to berth in Monte Carlo today, but in anycase Sheik Mansour boat, slightly smaller has already got the biggest berth.
    Even Ash can`t compete with that—so get real, this is not fantasy football– this is real life and the world financially is a tough place.—Grow up!!

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  53. I guess the one thing that comes well out of this is Gosling, he should be in amongst the first team with those pre season performances, he’s a quality player and deserves his shot. But then we come down to strength in depth again…if our CM get injured…we go to Gutrhie? and then Smith… 😆

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  54. Players come and go. Fact.
    Noone is or can be forced to move. Fact. I do not get the notion that Nolan and judas and now Barton were forced out. bollocks. At least Jose had the balls to say he wanted to win things and for me makes his reasons bearable. Barton wanted a long term deal, fine but let’s not forget he didn’t sign a contract offered twice to him by nufc. He has continued his Twitter **** afterwards. Had he just kept his gob shut and just played football I think he couldve got what he wanted.

    I still maintain we will be stronger this time next week. Foolish dreamer maybe, but I just laugh at these posts that suggest Ashley and lambiarse and pards want the club to sink and fail. Madness. What madness.

    Collo tiote will not be sold. I have every confidence from pre season that vuckic/gosling can fit into a 3 man cm, and jonas/overran can fill the RW berth with marveux on LW, and let’s not forget HBA has to fit in somewhere.

    I think we all need to remember our job is to support the team. It speaks volumes to me that nolans at west spam and baryons now off to qpr. Where’s the top 10 clubs if they are such great players? Nolans made out to be a world class player yet is replaced by a regular full international on half the money 5 years younger from a team who won the French league and ppl are still unhappy. Mental. No wonder toon fans have a bad reputation

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  55. CT

    Ah. My sad little blubbering cyberstalker.
    You are an idiotic pustule.
    You are completely incapable of producing a coherent argument about anything.

    I already said nobody expects your fat boyfriend to compete with the likes of Chelsea.
    He could, however, easily afford to get the three or four players we ate supposedly interested in from his meagre bank balance without causing himself any financial discomfort. Even a halfwit like you must realise that surely?

    The point is he doesn’t have to dip further into his vast riches. The club can afford to cover a LB and striker (the minimum that most people are asking for) easily from the huge amount of money taken from player sales and from the amount sheared off the wage bill already.

    Making your whole post a combination of straw man argument and ad hominem nonsense.

    So crawl back under your rock. Sad, silly little idiot.

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  56. By the way CT (why have you dropped the UN out the middle of your name by the way?). I dealt with your thinly veiled insult, sorry I mean argument, at post 116.
    You must have been too busy having wet dreams about Ashley to have noticed. I suppose you must have needed something to hang your insult on no matter how tenuous or facile.
    Lol.

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  57. Also just a little bit of perspective on wages. Do ppl honestly think Barton and Nolan aren’t already set up for life? 60k a WEEK. That takes me 2 years to earn. So one year for joey is 104 years for me. Yes he isn’t the highest paid player and careers are short but I just question the motives.

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  58. Raffo you are right to suggest that to most people these wages are the stuff of fantasy.
    The world these players move in is different to the world most people move in however.
    It’s akin to the world film stars or pop stars move in.
    You know, where people feel they just aren’t ‘being respected’ because they were only offered $10m for their latest film when they got $15m for their previous one!
    Or when they feel they aren’t being ‘taken seriously’ because their trailer wasn’t filled with bowls of Smarties with all the blue ones removed like they specifically requested.

    Most of these football superstars have had cash lavished at them from a young age. They have little concept of what its like for ‘normal’ folk, therefore trying to compare their reactions to ‘normal’ folk doesn’t really work.

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  59. Pootle: Using similar logic we can’t expect a man who is used to owning multi-million pound assets to think like a normal person.

    And you are probably right. No normal person would think the way Ashley thinks. Certainly a normal football fan wouldn’t.

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  60. Yes that’s probably true also.
    I should add that not every person who has been mega-wealthy for a significant amount of time will be so out of touch with the ‘common’ man.
    And there will be varying degrees of understanding, but it clearly is a factor.

    Ashley does not see how important the club is in the lives of normal fans.
    Why? Likely because initially it was a mixture of richmans plaything, and investment to promote his main business.
    Once the ‘honeymoon’ perish game crashing down, he realised he didn’t want to throw cash at it the way Abramovitch does. So he set about running it the way a businessman runs any business that is not making money
    He slashes costs savagely and inputs the minimum to keep it running profitably and recoup his money.
    He doesn’t care about the football beyond the fsct he needs to stay in the PL to make his money.
    And that is why he is totally at odds with the majority of the fans.
    Newcastle is a one-team city unlike most of the cities with teams in the PL. Other sports don’t get a look in here either.
    The fortune of the club is also strongly linked to regional identity up here.
    The Newcastle side performing well under Keegan gave a boost in confidence to the entire area that was palpable in the nineties.
    Ashley doesn’t care about that. But the fans in the area do.
    That is why at the current rate there is destined to be a clash between the two opposing view points if no resolution is sought.

      (Quote)

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