Vote: Are you satisifed with the progress so far?

toonsy

Are these two doing OK with the football side of things?
I think it’s safe to say that there have been some great articles on here over the last few days – articles that have created a debate and response in one form or another. Isn’t that the goal?

The one thing that has struck me since, well all summer long actually, has been the divide between fans of NUFC. This isn’t a divide about loyalty to the club as even someone with an outlandish view that is the complete polar opposite of your own still wants the club to do well. Instead it’s more focussed on the transfer front with, I feel, a lot of different things thrown in on top.

So what happens if you strip it all down and just look at the footballing side of things? How do you think the board have done in that respect? Forget the lies, deceit, the tales of £35 million and expensive free signings. Forget what could have been, what might have been and what might happen in the future. Think of it purely from the point of a fan paying your hard earned to go and watch eleven men kick a ball about and ask yourself if you’re satisfied with the football side of things.

Now of course much of this debate is going to be about transfer dealings. Personally I feel that what we’ve brought in so far has been excellent and the fact that we’ve done it on a shoestring is even better. I think we have some real class in our side, on paper of course, and that we are in a better shape than what we were last season.

Much will be made of the decision to sell Kevin Nolan, although let’s be honest he didn’t take much persuasion did he? Losing him is a blow in my opinion, but he is hardly the irreplaceable player that is being made out by some. People will bemoan the fact that we’ve sold our top scorer, but at the end of the day he scored 75% of his goals when we actually had a goalscorer. Where was he when we needed him?

Our midfield is probably the best that I’ve seen in a long time at Newcastle. Granted a lot of this is ‘on paper’ as it’s still early days, but from where I’m sitting we have genuine class, pace, creativity and steel throughout the midfield.

Yohan Cabaye is the player that excited me the most. He has the ability to be able to pick a pass from deep. Think Barton but, well, younger and cheaper and with less history…

Sylvain Marveaux is that wide man we have been screaming out for. People will say he hasn’t played since November, but at the end of the day he’s passed two medicals at two different clubs over the summer. Is it really that much of a concern?

Demba Ba is the one player I have questions about, but only about his fitness. Strange really considering he hasn’t missed that many games throughout his career and was a virtual ever present for West Ham last season. One to watch for sure, but if he can steer clear of his injury problems he could well be a twenty goal a season striker, especially with the ammo that will be coming his way from said creative, pacey, and dare I say it, flair midfield.

Yes there is still work to be done in the transfer market. Alan Pardew and John Carver have even said that there is still work to do and they still have the time and resources with which to do it apparently. Wait and see.

We’ve managed to get some genuine quality through the door and people turn round and say “well what if they don’t work out”. Fair point, but I would hope our scouting network would have looked at the players in question and judged their ability to perform in the Premier League – something which if we’d done under Shepherd I’m convinced would have made us potent.

Football is great as we all have an opinion on the way things should be done, but I sometimes think that people tend to snowball everything into one and use that massive snowball to cloud opinions on other things. Let it all go and think about the football for a moment.

[poll id=”30″]

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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145 thoughts on “Vote: Are you satisifed with the progress so far?”

  2. Happy enough, when all the finances are sorted then we can make leaps forward on the pitch. Don’t build your castle on a swamp 😉

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  3. Sometimes I wonder about playing Jonas in the middle.

    Great dribbler, awful crosser.

    Why not run him down the middle to beat a man here and there then lay off a short-ish pass (which he seems to be good at for give-n-go and combinations with Enrique or whoever else is available) to a striker or late-arriving runner?

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  4. Ah dear old Mike Ashley, in my time we’ve had owners as bad or even worse but this fat fecker is the only one I can remember dividing the fans 👿

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  6. I voted no simply because I really wanted to see us bring in at least 1 more quality forward before now.

    I know we’ve been (apparently) trying but we really should have the financial clout to at least bag one top drawer striker surely.

    I think the players we’ve brought in are very good-as long as they stay fit. And we could genuinely do very well this season if they do.

    But true Ashley’s way it is a big gamble and we need to be aspiring to way more than a spin of the roulette wheel.

    We need a top forward and a replacement LB plus cover for both fullback positions as an absolute minimum, AND before the season starts.

    Thinking positive I think we can have a great season but we must get what we need in NOW.

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  7. 😆 ive gota funny funny feeling 13th august shola ameobi will be up front with demba ba , i give up if he is

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  9. 🙄 😕 😕 😕 😕 😕 😕 😕 😕

    i really thought this summer was gna be a massive spending spree 😆 😆 😆 i need to smell the coffee and start think like that once the fat boy leaves

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  10. ARMY just caught up with reading threads,sorry to see your suffering with guts,it wont help with ashley he would turn anybody guts too,hope things improve for you m8

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  11. I can see a lot of “no” votes coming in for this, but, again, it’s all about the “so far” for me.

    On the subject of dividing fans: Do you think we SEEM more divided now because we have so much more ability now than ever before to really express ourselves in detail on social media like this and other blogs?

    Also, there’s the multiplier effect of the new media where people just blast away with the most outlandish things in the anonymity of print that they wouldn’t normally say face to face.

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  13. As things stand we could be considerably weaker than we were at the start of last season in terms of goals. Unless free signing Ba starts off **** hot in front of goal and with Cabaye in particular contributing well to the goal tally. Creativity might be better. Time will tell. I’m not convinced.

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  14. Satified so far, with emphasis on the so far. If the window shut now I’d be reasonably happy. Would prefer another striker in but that’s about it as a priority.

    I didn’t want to put an “undecided” vote in as most people will just sit on the fence and go for that one.

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  15. Just wonder what the people who voted no would have liked SO FAR, i know people will say sign a striker but SO FAR we have bid/still bidding for one.

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  17. TOONSY ashley is waiting until next week to get you a striker for your birthday 😀 😀

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  20. As for this poll. Not satisfied enough. 👿

    I somehow being saying this quite a few times,i think differently. I would like the club to focus on the defensive side as main piority now,rather than upfront.

    After that,focus on the flanks players,then lastly strikers.

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  21. I’ll be satisfied when we sign a proven striker, a left back, and a centre back, everybody seems to be overlooking the fact we have 3 recognised centrebacks with only Kadar who’s anywhere near coming through the ranks, and i dont believe the tosh about most of the £35m nearly gone either.

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  22. Having a nice balance sheet is of no interest to me. I want to see the best players possible playing for NUFC.

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  23. we dont no what will happen…last season a lot of u said who will score the goals…hodda..we have got a better midfield ..with pace and pwer..which we didnt have…so u cant say we were better off..

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  25. And before someone starts slagging me off,ben arfa isn’t the player to look for goals. 🙄

    And tbh,His crossing isn’t that wonderful. He is more like a free role player.more on his own.

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  26. Fsotc, I think Jonas in the middle would be a fair shout. But with all the other options we have for the center of midfield, it would only happen in an emergency situation.

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  27. Was delighted with the fact we got in early and secured 3 very decent signings early on but feel quite deflated with the lack of transfer activity lately. A long, tough season ahead if we dont sign at least 1 quality striker. Sell Jose asap (dont keep anyone who doesnt want to stay), forget Erdinc and extend Joeys contract would be good starting points. Only 1 striker stands out at the moment that ticks all of Ashleys boxes and thats Sturridge. Young, proven and a decent resale value. Cant see MA paying big money for Crouch or Defoe at their respective ages. Ashley has the chance to partially redeem himself this transfer window but once again he isnt fulfilling his promises

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  28. Voted yes. So far we have vastly improved the team, although we still have those glaring positions where we lack quality back up. But with another month to go until the window closes, I would say there’s plenty of time to fill that in after hopefully getting rid of some ****

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  30. I voted Yes and remember we still have a full month to bring in those 2 or 3 we keep talking about.
    I do not remember lthe ast time we ahead of the game with transfers and not panicking on the last day.
    Talking about panicking on the last day i hope those reports on Jose to Liverpool on 31/08/11 are rubbish he owes us more than that…

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  31. AOD, from what I’ve seen of HBA’s stats, he seems more lone-wolf than I would have thought. That is, he scores a fair amount but doesn’t provide a lot of assists.

    Of course, my memory is likely to be failing me here as usual. Last time I looked at his stats, Gervinho was still a possibility for us…

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  32. Andrew–that’s a good point. He probably is in a long line for the central midfield.

    Does anybody know what Jonas’ preferred position is? I always thought it was on the left since that’s where we’ve always played him, but I remember seeing a few write that he’s naturally a right sided mid.

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  34. @Fans Should Own The Club: In ben arfa 63 league appearances for OM,he scored 9goals. 😕

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  35. AOD – Played mainly from the wing….

    End of the day id hazard a guess that tge football guys have seen HBA play more than us and gave a better idea of whether or not he can play where they want him to.

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  36. End of the day,i would just want a player in newcastle shirt crossing the bloody ball well enough for the strikers upfront. 👿

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  37. Just a random thought,seeing more and more arabs rich ppl buying clubs,latest PSG,Malaga.

    I wonder when will another buntch of potential rich ppl come take a look at newcastle. 😳

    Is crazy seeing PSG splashing 43m on pastore. ❗

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  38. I dont get why no one thinks we will geterding hehas never said he dosnt want to be here. his agent has never said he dosnt want to be here so why does everyone thnk this?

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  39. I voted no, mainly because we still have ALL of the Carroll money in the bank. Don’t believe the guff about spending it on incoming players wages and agent fees at all. Think how much better we could have been by now with some spending. We need a solid CB, a replacement LB, a backup RB and a frontline striker. Let Jose go, give Joey an extension. Four more players and we have a small chance to finish 6th, even 5th if miracles happen and we don’t end up with a boat load of injuries come mid-season. Toonsy your blog is brilliant, always look forward to coming to this site.

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  40. 🙄 🙄 🙄

    I think alot of people have missed the point.

    The poll is on terms of the team as it is. Not on who we should be getting or who we need.

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  41. 😈 How can anty of u vote Yes 😥
    “Mike has promised me ALL of the money will be spent strengthening the Team” Puppet pardew 3 days later ;
    “Mike has promised all of the money will be used in the club”
    Mike is using the money for EHHH; Grass seed., under soil heating-
    BUT That’s Expensive, so Sell our second highest sorcerer 2 season in a row
    “Free transfers are Expensive “£39ml does not go Far
    Then side Kick LAMBSARSE-“we don’t have to spend money now we can keep it for January” 😳
    But by this time We will have £25ml from the sales HBA & Toite.
    OHH forgot Hope the French Legion work out /they will be In SPORTSDIRECT.com January Sale 😥
    HOW CAN ANYONE VOTE FOR THE PRICKSS
    PS. Lest we forget some of the Debt FBC inherited is for the Magnificent stadium we have now & The champion league history we have , by my reconing 5th best in EPL
    GIVE ME FREDDY -NOU CAMP= SAN SERIO-HILLIPS STADIUM -TO PRIDE PARK -ECT 😎 😎 😎

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  44. I think you should ask ‘If the transfer window closes an Newcastle have done no further business would you be satisfied?’

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  46. The answer is no and it doesn’t matter if you re-phrase the question. The side should be better than it is at this moment and we should have spent some of the 35M already. The side is not strong enough at this moment. The back 4 is not strong enough at this moment. The strikers we have are not good enough at this moment.

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  47. I can’t say I’m satisfied so far because we have a few weak areas in the squad and I believe we have sufficient resources to adequately improve them. If the transfer window shuts and we have bought another striker, a natural RW who can cross and cover at fullback, and we have also sold no key players without replacing them I will be pretty happy.
    If we finish the season as we are now, or worse, selling the likes of Enrique and Barton I will be very unhappy.

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  48. I’m really hoping to see a pretty passing game this season. Crosses into the box are probably not going to be as common as last year with a greater emphasis on incisive passing and dribbling through defenders. If this happens, how can u not say that the team is better?!

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  49. We need a top quality Striker and have needed 1 from Judas jumped ship that to me has to be the No1 priority, yes I can see Jose going so we will need a quality replacement for him, Barton ? he will be here and wont go until his contract is up.

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  50. The answer to the question that was asked has to be yes,because since the end of the season only 1 player has gone & 4 have come in & none of us know for sure what other transfers are going to happen until they happen,some may go,some may arrive lets just wait & see.After we had signed 3 players in the first week there were loads of comments on all the blog sites worrying about too many players coming in might upset the balance & spirit etc in the side,but because we hav,nt signed any one for a couple of weeks the same people are up in arms blaming Ashley &co for anything &everything that comes into their minds,like I said can we not just wait and see.On topic,1 player gone,Nolan,I thank him for what he did the last 2 seasons but the man is simply not good enough to take us to the next level,ok he scored goals for us but he would,nt this season because he would not have been in the team as much,& why?,New players,Cabeye,Marvo & Ba,these players were not just plucked out of thin air to satisfy a whim they were watched,then talked about,then watched again long before we signed them,it was quoted that Carr watched Cabeye 15 times & Pardew watched him 3 times,Marvo had been on our radar for the last year & we all knew about Ba anyway.Pardew has said he will not make signings that are not right for the club & up to now he hasn,t,you believe me boys these lads will be ready for the” prem” they would not be here otherwise.Also what about young Abied ,he was brought in as 1 for the future but it looks as though the kid is good enough to be in the 1st teams squad.Thats why my answer is YES,at this moment regarding football on the pitch we are a hell of lot better off than we were come the end of the season

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  51. Voted yes-but the main thing is the So far… part-crucially we are stronger, I think that’s a fact. Also from an entertainment perspective which is vital to being a fan, these pacey flair players we’re bringing in look to add some excitement. Last season was about survival, and I accepted that if we had to move to hoofball to survive I wouldn’t mind-we did to a large extent, and the games where we didn’t smash our opposition or there wasn’t a lot of drama tended to be quite boring games…

    We need to see these lads play obviously, but we do look a more entertaining and skillful unit on paper. On a more practical note, if we brought a top class striker in I would be very pleased with the summer, I don’t blame the club for Nolan or for Carroll, both jumped ship of their own accord.

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  52. Also on the reservations about Ba…I think Stoke were worried because all the jumping at set pieces required for players at Stoke would have destroyed Ba’s knees…if we play along the floor he’ll be fine 😆

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  53. Spend most days reading these days not posting (not that I’m a miss lol) the vote shows me that we as a club have a majority of fans that are deluded, selfish and thick. They’ve grown up fulll of hate and jealousy – never earning anything just demanding.

    The comment – “July 30, 2011 at 17:30

    Richard Hillman

    Having a nice balance sheet is of no interest to me. I want to see the best players possible playing for NUFC.”.

    Summed it up perfectly – what’s wrong with this club. Morons who don’t care about our longevity – our heritage – our club – they don’t care if its here tomorrow – they don’t celebrate the genius of getting good to great player for nothing then being able to compete on wages (performance based as well!) As we haven’t spunked millions up the wall.

    No they want to clap like seals as the next Martins, the next Owen, the next Marcelino, the next Boumsong, the next Luque walks through the door. Those people (I won’t say fans) are a cancer at our club.

    They want to remember – Ashley can sell to who he wants if he is pee’d off enough (recent indications are that they’ve almost had enough). Well if he sells us out under a leveraged buyout we are right back in the **** we were when FFS had went.

    Makes me sad and sick to be associated with them. 😥

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  56. at the moment its a yes,but that will change if we get no more players in.

    coz all we have up top is BA if he gets injured we are in the ***** big time..

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  58. Hitman went for No because he knew Stardy would have a go at him 😆

    I went for a NO because as I stated we have needed a striker before the window opened and we should have had one in for the start of pre-season’ but another reason is that the club have imo fuked up yet again, this time over the Joey B situation all because Joey said they knew nowt about Football, I just cant believe that out of spite they wont give a contract ext to the 2010-2011 player of the year when its been said he was willing to take a 30% pay cut

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  59. Perhaps I should have asked if we have a better team now than what we finished last season with. Keep it simple and avoid the money issue 😆

    I blame Rodzilla 😆 😉

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  61. Batty atleast you say it how it is not like @ 56 I bet if Stardy wasn’t about he would have admitted that he voted no 😀
    Toonsy Rodders has a lot to answer for 😆

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  64. I’ve voted No which might annoy some of the Ashley apologists, but at the end of the day that’s how I feel. We have bought Ba who we know is a good player but extremely prone to injury so there is no way he will be playing over 25 games this season, which leaves us with Shola, Best, Ranger and Lovenkrands. Yes there is still a while before the transfer window closes, but I doubt very much we will secure a top quality goal-scorer during that period.

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  65. Santii if he or another Good Striker comes in I will be happy, oh I see PSG coach Antoine Kombouare has told L’Equipe that striker Mevlüt Erdinç is staying at PSG. 😕

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  66. I think people are looking at Ba’s knee a bit too much. I mean we could sign someone without injury problems like Owen instead….

    End of the day injuries happen, previous form or not. We knew about Owens hamstrings before we signed him, but how much trouble did they actually cause? Not many in reality….

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  69. STARDUST-Did you ever go to any champions league games ??or any EURO games ? 🙂
    i much prefer those to Pride park on a Tuesday nite, 😥
    Name 1 team in the Epl that is not in the Black.
    Man U are 800ml in the red , they have spent in excess £50ml!!!!.this summer;
    Sheares & Ferdinand 🙂
    Shola & Best 😥
    Ginola or Routladge. ❓
    A large portion of this debt was to build this Stadium,3 rd largest in EPL 😀 whilst battling in Europe & FA cup finals 😛
    I have been lucky enough to see Every home game in Europe, every home Game in Championship,i know what i prefer. 🙄
    I cant believe some so called #NUFC fans support this Ra9ist, as he is Ra9ing this club.
    If we are lucky and some of these kid emerge, xmas shopping again for the big boys, PLUS Wolves and Villa have spent more than us ,Some ambition from FCB and co

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  70. Well at least BA cost us nothing in terms of a fee and lets face it , how bad is his knee ? he had a decent run of games last season for the Hammers . His injury record will not be as bad as that of the little money grabbing tw@t that is now at manure .

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  71. TOONSY
    July 30, 2011 at 20:25
    Perhaps I should have asked if we have a better team now than what we finished last season with. 🙁 NO

    Once Enrique goes, No. But we will be nearer the BLACK 😯 Keepf FCB happy. 👿

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  72. @Dave

    You got a link?

    And about Ba we all agree we are a bit worried about his knee but the guy has played alot of football the last couple of years for some very big clubs and his knee didnt stop him bangin the goals in for the worst team in the league last year did it now

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  73. @toonarmybill

    Jose hasn’t left yet and i dont see any clubs knocking at the door for him either. so you agree, with the team we have right now is better than it was at the end of last season 😀

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  75. Santii I hope BA does keep fit and do the Job but as I said to Batty the luck we have with injuries ? if it wasn’t for bad luck we would have no luck 😀

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