The final countdown

toonsy

Tick tock, tick tock.....
With just over two days left in the transfer market for 2011, Newcastle United have either got something hidden up their sleeve or are just going to let the clock tick down and subsequently feel the wrath of supporters for not getting in any additions.

When it comes to the final day of the transfer window, we all know how it goes. The overhyped media frenzy and sometimes painful to watch Sky Sports News are always the ones to shout and scream at us with even the slightest snippet of information however dull it may be. Then as we all sit and stare at the obnoxious Jim White (Mr Skyports!) and we twiddle our thumbs and ponder whether Newcastle United are going to do any last minute business due to their lack of urgency over the last few months.

The movement between Sky Sports News and reporter in the North East David Craig is like watching Punch and Judy – It’s crude and sometimes unbearable to listen to. We get the ‘Breaking News’ that a player is supposedly leaving, then we get the, we have bid for John Doe and then immediately jump to the internet to scrape at all websites possible for a nibble of information no matter how credible it may be.

‘I wonder if this year will be any different from last?’ every Newcastle fan will be asking themselves. Well….

Could it be? We have heard rumbles that our much needed left back will be in before then and that a search for our 43rd choice striker is ongoing.

If Newcastle do complete signings before 11pm on Wednesday then personally I would be happy and wouldn’t find the need to sit and scrutinize the Sky Sports circus and watch it unfold before me. However, I do have that nagging feeling in the back of my head that is telling me. ‘signings before Wednesday, you gullible idiot.’

The process of signing player’s cant be easy, due to the involvement of agents and the like. Then we have personal terms, medicals. Can they agree? Are they fit?

Come 11pm on the 31st of August I would be happy if we had our so called left back replacement and striker, but the likeliness of me chewing my fingers to the bone are high and the slightest sniff of any other club coming in for our leftover quality players might just make our owner and cronies buckle under pressure, sell for a scandalous amount of money and leave us with half an hour left for them to “try their best” to replace them.

I hope this will not be the case!

Thanks to ethi-toon for sending this in. I’m sure we’re all hopeful of much the same!

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.

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137 thoughts on “The final countdown”

  2. Stuart,

    Italian u-21 right back who plays for Inter Milan, but he can play at left back.

    He is a very attacking fullback.

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  9. Surely the club can find a way of offloading Smith and Lovenkrands, would rather see the development players getting a game than them, waste of wages and space.

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  10. Stuart,
    Ye he’s good, a year ago was dubbed as being one of the biggest prospects for the future and compared to Cafu.

    But I’ve only ever seen him play at right back. Still don’t see it happening though.

    The press is getting desperate, and even though it comes from the foreign press, if you read their article they then state “according to an English newspaper”.

    So offense, but the English football press have the easier job in the world because all they do is make stuff up.

    I am a sports journalist and if I wrote nonsense like they do, I’d get called in for disciplinary and then fired. Yet they sell papers and so they can make rubbish up every week.

    So far, Pieters was due for a medical Friday, Sissokou was due for a medical last night and now Santon has supposedly been agreed. But its all bullshit. 🙄

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  12. Wonder if the attendance figures of 42,000 yesterday will ring some bells in the boardroom, a little bit of investment would sort it out, fans are voting with their feet.

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  13. Don’t think there are any takers for them Robert, even if we offer to subsidise their wages. Perhaps we should have packaged Barton as a two for one deal, buy Smith/Lover/Ranger get Barton for free.

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  15. JJ – So he won’t be signing for us then? Shame, although I thought it was a bit out of the blue like.

    Pardew told TalkSport that he’s looking to bring in 2/3 players before Wednesday – poor Alan, the pressure has sent him delusional! 😯

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  16. Smith was embarressingly bad in the five minutes he had on the field.

    He can’t pass, he can’t tackle (legally), he can’t shoot, he can’t cross, he has no positional sense, he has no awareness. He runs around the field like a drunk man whos had too much Red Bull and then decides to rugby tackle a friend.

    Absolute garbage, surely we can find someone better than him to shore up a game at the end. 😐 😕

    Lovenkrans is bad but not that bad, however, I agree, I’d much rather use a Vuckic or a Sammy and try develop them because they offer as much if not more than Lovenkrans at the moment.

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  18. You can see the frustration in Pardew about the current position. I am no lover of him, but he is coming out strongly through the media identifying the fact that he is desperate to get these signings in. If the signings do not materialise then I`m afraid what all of us anti Ashley fans have said for a long time will come to pass, we will struggle this season against relegation. These early results do not paper over the lack of quality/depth in the squad. All the fat man is doing is asset stripping and the 10000 who did`nt attend on Sunday know this. They will be joined by many more unless the fat man gets his **** into gear!

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  19. Italy is a country that generally knows their defenders and he’s played 7 times for them already and is only 20. Doubt he’ll sign but if he does it makes you wonder why they have let him go? He’s amazing on fm as well… haha.

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  20. aye batty vukic injury is bad… 1) its his drinking hand 2 ) its his dart hand

    and dont ask wat else he does with it !!!!!!!!!

    @stuart maybe he believed wat the fat man told him (school boy error)

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  21. Freddie, i think we can safely say that the club is being ” Tarted Up” financially for a sale.

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  22. icepup 😆 is it broke ❓ ive broke me hands loads of times in the past but its fine until you punch some other c unt 🙂

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  24. Inter pretty strapped for cash at the moment. Strange how clubs that win the Champs League always seem to have financial difficulties in the following years, even Barca have been quietly selling off their fringe players.

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  25. “Inter pretty strapped for cash at the moment. Strange how clubs that win the Champs League always seem to have financial difficulties in the following years, even Barca have been quietly selling off their fringe players.”

    Any theories on why that is? I would say it’s pretty obvious to be honest…..

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  28. @batty
    nooo word yet that iv heard hopefully it dosent need pinned or nowt….. iv had 6 fractures of my right hand alone……..

    did it trying to prize the owld dogs hand out of his pocket to get a drink in

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  31. im 33 batty and he still has the same box of tabs he had when i was a kid…. keeps saying to people you got a smoke this is my last 2…….

    sure he’s related to the fat man !!!

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  33. Money saved or earned since January this year:

    Andy Carroll Liverpool £35M wages (£30 000/wk)
    Stephen Ireland Aston Villa Loan end wages (£50 000/wk)
    Matty Grieve Unattached Released wages (£1 000/wk)
    Dan Leadbitter Unattached Released wages (£1 000/wk)
    Patrick McLaughlin Unattached Released wages (£1 000/wk)
    Andy Mogwo Unattached Released wages (£1 000/wk)
    Aaron Spear Unattached Released wages (£1 000/wk)
    Sol Campbell Unattached Released wages (£30 000/wk)
    Shefki Kuqi Unattached Released wages (£10 000/wk)
    Kevin Nolan West Ham £3.5M wages (£55 000/wk)
    Ben Tozer Northampton Free wages (£2 000/wk)
    Kazenga LuaLua Brighton Loan wages (£2 000/wk)
    Wayne Routledge QPR £2M wages (£15 000/wk)
    Michael Richardson Leyton Orient Loan wages (£1 000/wk)
    James Tavernier Carlisle Loan wages (£2 000/wk)
    Phil Airey Hibernian Loan wages (£1 000/wk)
    Jose Enrique Liverpool £5.5M wages (£55 000/wk)
    Xisco Deportivo Loan wages (£40 000/wk)
    Fraser Forster Celtic Loan wages (£5 000/wk)
    Joey Barton QPR Free wages (£55 000/wk)

    Total transfers out £46Mil and £16.5Mil a year saved in wages…

    Money spent January this year:

    In:
    Hatem Ben Arfa Marseille £5.75M wages (£55 000/wk)
    Yohan Cabaye Lille £4.5M wages (£55 000/wk)
    Demba Ba Unattached Free wages (£40 000/wk)
    Sylvain Marveaux Rennes Free wages (£40 000/wk)
    Mehdi Abeid Unattached Free wages (£10 000/wk)
    Gabriel Obertan Manchester £3.5M wages (£35 000/wk)

    £13.5M plus (£10M for free transfers)= £23.5 and £12.5M in added wages…

    So overall since January, we have a nett profit of £22.5Mil and we are saving £4Mil a year in wages…
    Ie. To have spend a nett of nothing, and be on the same wage bracket as our first year back from promotion… we still have 20 odd mil in the bank and £75 000 a week in wages to splash…

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  34. Not sure about this Santon deal to be honest. Think it might be a struggle to agree a contract with him and to persuade him here if he’s that good will be difficult.

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  35. Inter will accept the fee no problem. The tricky bit will be persuading the player that money isn’t everything

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  36. lee_ryderLee Ryder
    Pieters today: “We must discuss the situation as grown-up people.” in reference to the #PSV board and his transfer to #nufc
    16 minutes ago
    lee_ryderLee Ryder
    Pieters: “I realise it is getting increasingly difficult to materialise the deal before the transfer window ends” #nufc #psv
    16 minutes ago 🙄

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  37. @18
    i was going to post something similar but you,ve said it for me.
    unfortunately i cant see ashley getting his **** into gear.
    Why should this transfer window be any different to the last 4 or 5,especially with the teampicking up results.
    thats the way i think the Fatman thinks.if it works on a budget why change it.
    Lets all hope we dont get involved in a relegation scrap.because if we go down again i dont think we have the character in the side anymore to come straight back up.
    Sell up Fatman,to someone with a bit ambition preferably.
    .

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  38. Seems like the Santon deal is picking up pace. A part of the link suggest Mourinho had a little falling out, not sure how tru it is but it seems he doubts his own ability but he’s only 20 ffs. Not sure if its what we need right now.

    Still no news for a striker? Ashley wasnt at the game y’day. Perhaps he’s putting the finishing touched to deals?? or securing his new acquisition ‘No Fear’ clothing brand more likely.

    http://blogs.thescore.com/footyblog/2011/04/05/bandini-davide-santons-fall-from-stardom/

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  39. I reckon we will have 2 defenders 1 striker by Wednesday!. Well you can always live and dream!

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  40. Ashley hasn’t attended any games this season Mark, and I dont think it is his intention anymore either.
    Seriously I think he is trying his hardest to sell us. Hence no more of his money being spent. Trouble is I dont think there are any buyers out there.

    Getting worried about our ability to keep Tim Krul. Any big money offer and he is gone 👿

    I think the Pieters deal fell thru on his wage demand. He said last week, if they want me then they have enough money to pay me. Think his agent pushed his luck, but didn’t realise you only get one chance with Ashley. Take it or leave it. No negotiation.
    Too late for Pieters to say ” we must discuss the situation as grown up people”. But nice try.
    👿

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  41. BB

    Pieters was saying he must discuss the situations with PSV at grown up people…
    Ie. They have not accepted a bid, that he obviously feels is reasonable for him.

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  42. we have had a great start…get it done board…if u ever wont people 2 like u..this is the time..pay the extre money..if u come out with the same thing pardew we did try…u will lose a lot of fans…

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  43. JJ – NUFC haven’t submitted an offer that is reasonable to PSV more like. 👿 👿

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  44. Its just going to be like all recent transfers transfer windows under Ashley,he will make a profit again,make the squad weaker because I have no doubt someone will be sold at the last minute and it wont be any of the kak we need to get rid of.like Smith,Perch etc.

    The worst thing about all this is having to see David Craigs smug little mug parked outside St James’s trotting out Ashleys lies and desperately trying to find a fan with an IQ of a mashed potato and very few teeth to interview!!

    If the papers and so called pundits are to be believed there should be taxis galore pulling up at the ground to drop off players from all over Europe,think im just too old and cynical to believe anything this club says or the press.Im at the stage where I expect nothing from this Regime,knocks the edge off the inevitable kick in the nuts feeling Ashley dishes out every transfer window

    Love the articles on here Toonsy,you have some great bloggers,keep em coming mate.HWTL

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  45. Great result. Decent performance. Cabaye doing the business AGAIN. So where is Bobby Bullshit? Funny how he always goes missing whenever anything positive happens isn’t it? Nowt more than a pure mackem WUM.

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  46. I’m afraid lads I really don’t think anyone will come in now. It’s far too late there’s still hope but maybe a last minute loan deal

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  49. @Beardsleys Boots

    yes, So do I. I’ve always maintained MA will recoup his dough and ****** off. Why would he stay here, he’s not Mr popular and won’t make a massive profit producing young’uns and selling them as the fans will eventually stay away.

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  51. Liam, too late? the last few days are when it all happens…. whether any it happens here, well thats another story 😉

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  53. JJ sad but starting to look true .. It’s hard to critise when you think arsenal are perhaps even stingier than us … And they have only 1 point!!

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  54. @46 After all this time we should not have to hang our hats on last minute loan deals.We know where we need to strengthen and who we have to replace,thats the kicker! We can ill afford to keep losing our best players and not replacing them.We might get away with it short term but the bubble will burst and it will be us that suffers not this current regime.The Fat Man will still be a Billionaire but we will have to watch Championship football,and I doubt we will bounce back again if we do slip out of the Sky League at any time during his tenure

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  55. lee_ryderLee Ryder
    #nufc in a nutshell #psv saying Pieters now “not for a sale”
    3 minutes ago
    lee_ryderLee Ryder
    #nufc Dutch media now saying Pieters deal is off #psv
    4 minutes ago 🙄

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  56. “At the moment there is no possibility that Santon close a deal to play in Rome.Currently the goal is to Newcastle.”

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  57. I fookin hate this time of the season, snippets of info, rumors, will we, won’t we??? AAAGHH!!!! 😯 😯 just hope we get a striker and LB in as a minimum, then we’ve got the makings of a half decent squad 😯 😛

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  58. to all those who still have faith in the fat man you are deluded beyond help.. look at the history of the man throughout the last transfer windows.You know there will be no further signings. As yoda says search your feelings luke. You know its the truth stop deluding yourselves. There will be no more signings and they will say they tried their best but run out of time/could’nt afford the deals/ players turned them down/ agents fees scuppered the deals.
    WAKEY WAKEY RISE AND SHINE.

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  59. ………..off topic but was watchin Swansea vs SMB on Sat & the Mrs commented on how much beef Mrs Doubtfire has put on, even his plastercine face/wonky nose is expanding/morphing 😯 😯 :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

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  60. OH YEAH AND DON’T BE SURPRISED IF WE LOSE A COUPLE AS WELL. LIKE TIOTE IF MODRIC MOVES AND POSSIBLY STAYLOR IF AN OFFER COMES IN

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  61. Aye i can see another holding midfield player being high on spurs list when their signing parker and diarra… 🙄

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  63. less disappointed for how long? We have 7 points from a possible 9, we should all be on cloud 9! But we’re mildly happy after the match, cynical on monday and then back to the gloom from tuesday to saturday.

    I am so glad this transfer window is almost closed.

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  64. HMMM LETS SEE PARKER OR TIOTE HMMM DIFFICULT DECISION THAT OOPS NO ITS NOT ITS TIOTE EVERY TIME 🙄 🙄 🙄

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  65. Credit to Pardew. He’s not getting carried away with results. He recognises the urgent need for new recruits, and is raising the stakes with some of his statements.
    Credit also to Bestie, who radiates the sort of self belief that is necessary for our number 9. I just wish I had the same belief in him.
    Credit to the team spirit, which was palpable. Let’s face it and be honest: we were awful first half, and ran out fortunate winners. Could easily have been a tale of woe, but the gods smiled on us. We allowed them to play some lovely football.
    Credit to their number 30? Looked class. Also to Dempsey. I would happily take a player like him to fill our void. We need a poacher who would break his neck to get a goal.
    Any credit due to Troy? He’s unusually quiet. When does his clock stop?

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  67. i worry a bit on this santon deal (if true) was a great prospect,but has fell away lately wonder if its down to 2 knee opps hes had as 5mil seems a bit cheap to me seeing he was talked about being the next maldine 😕

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  68. Local journo’s seem to be intimating a total lack of confidence in any players arriving before Wednesday.

    Apparently Pardew was telling journo’s that the Pieters deal was more or less done last week when it clearly wasn’t. It would appear that KK was right – Llambias is a **** would consistantly talks **** and lies to the manager.

    Sad really, but totally predictable and a harsh fact of the problems the manager of NUFC has under these turds. 🙁

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  69. Whats that got to do with anything they are 99% of the way down the line are they really going to cancel these deals on the off chance Tiote might be avilable for a huge price and risk not getting anyone in…

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  71. HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW FAR DOWN THE LINE THEY ARE. I WS’NT AWARE YOU WERE IN THE INNER CIRCLE OF GOINGS ON WITH SPURS SORRY MY MISTAKE …TOOL 😳

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  72. oh SORRY CC I REALISE YOU ARE BASING YOUR JUDGMENT ON PRESS AND MEDIA SPECULATION….AHHHH NOW I SEE YOUR LOGIC AND OBVIOUSLY COS THE MEDIA SAY ITS 99% THAT MUST MEAN ITS TRUE LOL 😮

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  73. ….Stevey C calm doon fella …think you’ve left ur caps lock on …..YOUR SHOUTING 🙄 😯 🙄 😯

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  74. JJ – I texted him at the match to see if I could spot him in the crowd. I texted him again last night. Both times no reply. That’s not like owld lightning fingers, twinkle thumbs. Weird. Hope he’s not walked in front of a bus, or thrown himself under a train.

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  75. Oh dear another prize (unt thinking writing in capitals makes him look superior.

    Fine then as far as im aware its nearly there, Sam allardyce admitted yesterday Parker was talking to spurs and expected him to leave.

    Redknapp has also admitted they are talking to diarra but of course these are inferior players so they must be after tiote FFS… 🙄

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