What is (or isn’t) going on at St James’ Park?

toonsy

Still no word from Pardew
Still no word from Pardew
Whatever particular reason you prefer to select for our failing last season, I bet that a failure to strengthen in the summer will have been somewhere near the top of the list when it comes to looking for a reason.

For me it was the biggest reason and had more of a detrimental effect than many people think. You can throw blame at Alan Pardew, the players, the coaching and so on but the simple fact is that the whole squad and management structure were left short by a lack of strengthening last summer.

Lessons were learned in time for the January transfer window but by then it was too late and the rot had started to set in. It’s easier to pick yourself up from a blip, but when things are continually going against you then confidence and belief will start to drain and as we saw last season, players who previously had no issue with performing well became unable to even do the simple things right out on the football pitch.

Fast forward a year and here we are, with pre-season training under way and with no new additions to the squad, so just what is going on at United?

Not a lot it seems. There are plenty of rumours of course but then that is no different to us or any club at this moment in time. The problem I’m having is that all of this has a sense of déjà vu about it. We’ve been here and seen it all before and I’m starting to believe that we’re going to end up in the same kind of situation as we found ourselves in last term. In fact it could be argued that we’re worse off as last term we had the chance to build from a position of strength whereas we don’t have that luxury this season.

Rumour has it that Joe Kinnear – the “dynamo” now behind our transfers – is to jet off on holiday for a couple of weeks which is handy considering that this and January should be the busiest times of his year. I don’t know how true it is and perhaps there is more than a hint of stirring by the press but it honestly wouldn’t surprise me.

It seems as though everyone is cracking on with business whilst we dither about and stand still whilst reported target after reported target fall by the wayside. Angst is building amongst NUFC and I can completely see why. I just hope it ends up being misplaced and that, despite my own particular gut feeling, Kinnear can actually get something right.

I won’t be holding my breath…

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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993 thoughts on “What is (or isn’t) going on at St James’ Park?”

  2. Ha! Getting close…

    I read somewhere that Sissoko believes his best position is as a DM. Is that true?

    And if so, it seems weird given his proclivity to go on those marauding runs forward which, more often than not, broke down into nothing.

    Then again, maybe those explosive bursts forward are more meaningful when they come with the defenders sitting back and when he’s running out of the back of our midfield, like a full back running up into the attack as a later runner. Dunno.

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  3. Fans ,to the best of my knowledge he’s supposed to be a box to box MF so why Parsnip wants to put him out wide is beyond me ,then again after Cisse early season nowt surprises me. He does like his round pegs in square holes doesn’t he 🙄

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  4. Keep seeing people suggesting we are gonna sign Jack Colback

    Just seen this posting ,probably bollocks but hey ho ,nowt would surprise me.
    12 Jul 2013 13:06:44
    Newcastle are signing Jack Colback. How do I know? He’s missus let slip to my brother doing work at the colback family home.

    This is true so I thought I would share, believe it or not but time will tell.

    He’s a boyhood geordie and doesn’t like Dicanio and he’s methods because he gets to see little of he’s family and its like a dictatorship etc etc I won’t bore you with the rest. He wants to stay in the area.

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  6. Must confess I don’t know diddly squat about Colback. How would you describe him, Kim?

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  7. Also, according to the Journal, Sissoko has said his preferred position is DM:

    “French international Sissoko made his name with Toulouse as a defensive central midfielder – and he admitted in a recent interview that was his preferred role.”

    http://www.thejournal.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/moussa-sissoko-set-play-part-4876713

    But maybe that’s a mistranslation or misunderstanding. My sense was definitely more box-to-box than DM, that’s why I was pretty surprised reading that in the Journal.

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  8. fans@906,Sorry was busy with Lew mate.

    He’s a MF player and can play LB I think. He is a Geordie but has been with the scum since he joined the youth academy. I don’t see him as anything better than we have tbh .He has turned down a new contract with them which has really pissed off DIC apparently 😆 . Have no idea if there is any substance to that rumour but it’s the 3rd or 4th one I have seen in recent days which is odd since we don’t need a MF really. Well not unless Cabs goes and he ain’t no Cabs.

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  9. well I think we have a record,we are the only PL club not.to sign a first team player this yr somerecord ffs

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  10. FSOTC@907, looks like Pardew is going to stick with the square pegs in round holes system that served him so well last season .. 👿 👿

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  11. If the Journal has that right and DM is his preferred and best position, well… WTF? Is he supposed to sit deep with Tiote and Cabaye?

    If they have it wrong, then what is his best position?

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  14. I’m sleeping in a hammock in the back garden the neet like! Too bloody hot in the hoose! 😯

    Just oot of interest and health & safety. Do bears live in the North East? 😕

    I saw a squirrel before and I thought it was a Grizzly at first. ! 😥

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  15. Where’s Begas? He makes me chortle like. 😆

    Talk about clueless ! 😯 jeeez! 😯

    Do you think he does it on purpose? 😆

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  16. Oh by the way, just while I’m on about clueless people. If anyone is wondering where Stardust is, he fell down the bath plug hole 3 days ago and got stuck in the U-bend. 😯

    It’s ok, we recovered him and pegged him out on the washing line to dry out. Should be fine by tomorrow. 😛

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  18. I’ve got to say mind, Aussies got a sense of humour. 😆

    It’s a good job mind, he looks and sounds the double of Jokey Near! 😯

    I zoomed in on google earth live audio and he was in the bush with his grey thatch and portly physique telling the aborigines he was the Blog owner and has won the blog owner award 3 years running! 😆

    Good news is though, the aborigines have him weighed up and are one step ahead of the Brits. They refuse to allow him near any Oz media channels and divert him to the Brit blog called nufcblog.co.uk

    I certainly won’t be tuning into that!! 🙄

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  20. What, you folks having a heat wave up in Newcastle? Here in New York, it was 90+ with wretched humidity for the last two weeks or so and finally broke today. It only hit 78 today, but we’re back to the 90s on Monday, evidently…

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  21. I laughed when I heard Begas talking about Benteke. By the way Begas, he is actually a good player. But, I thought I would suggest he wasn’t so you would be confused as you hang onto my every word. 😉

    What does make howl like a hyena on ecstasy is the fact, earlier on, you said you hoped we got him. 😛

    Oh dear. 😆 dear me. 😆

    Really? I hope we get Messi but I know both are out of our piffley price range. 🙄

    Lets be realistic and try and convince the fans Shola has changed his mind about leaving and he’s rejuvenated by the U-turn and he’s like a new signing.

    Oooooh dear. :-/

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  22. @FSOTC

    Aye, it’s been canny hot for a few weeks noo. 😯

    I’ve been bathing in my ice filled wheelie bin for days. 😎

    I love pulling the lid doon and waiting for the postman and springing up. 😯

    The ******* got his own back like by clamping the lid doon on bin day and hoying me in the back of the bin wagon!! 😈

    I ended up on the tip. 😈 good job it’s only at the end of my estate like or I would have been furious! 😯

    Anyway, that reminds me, I must put that seagull pie in the oven! ❗

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  23. Having no air conditioning in my apartment, which faces west and gets direct sunlight from 3pm till sunset, I have taken to riding the air conditioned subways like my less fortunate homeless & panhandling fellow citizens. I should start bringing them sandwiches!

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  24. At least the ice will protect you from the hot, summer trash stank for a while, Troy.

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  25. We suffered some temps in the 100’s last week, but the lovely thing about Northern CA is the fog that pours in from the coast and drops us to the 60’s and 70’s (15 – 20 for the all non-fahrenheit folk) for a bit in the morning. That and no humidity…which surprises me since we live less than 20 miles from the coast…

    So are we shooting for 1,000 or what?

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  26. Norcal, Lets hope so. Sure we can rely on Rodz to do his stuff and take us over the 1000 mark

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  27. Simon…so true…lol. Wow…I wonder how many of Rodz Rants there have been in this thread alone…maybe two records in one.

    Have a good weekend all.

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  29. Troy, i showed a picture of you to my aboriginal elder friends and i got them to “point the bone”at you. So over the next few days you will slowly die….. 😯
    I hope this is not an inconvenience :mrgreen: 😆

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  30. How can we conjure Rodz up to bring us over the line? Do drink a black cow’s milk and eat a black hen’s egg? Break a mirror? Get Aussie to have his aboriginal friends to point the bone at his general direction?

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  34. Fans 🙂 it is not a good thing to have the bone pointed at you mate, Rodz has not crossed me so he is safe for now 😎

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  35. well very busy on here this morning 😕 i see tiote is back training so pardew comes out with his ***** again: quote if tiote had played last season the way he did in his first season he would have been sold and gone now so hopefully we can benifit this season,well what the feek,this man is a out and out ****-hole dont think i can take another season of this **** head 👿 👿

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  36. Whey Ice, a couple of weeks ago people were screaming out for Pards to talk so they can’t complain now because they don’t like what they hear 😉

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  38. the man is a ****-hole end of,him and joe want to feek off from our club 👿

    RICHIE mail 😉

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  39. Pardew does spout a load of *****, i was actually quite pleased when he was not speaking to the media…

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  43. If you want to talk about heat… It’s 46 deg C here in sunny Dubai. I’m sitting here in my 45th floor apt overlooking the sea with the air con running… Should be great but somehow the pantomime that is my beloved NUFC these days is just depressing the hell out of me…

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  44. 😕 Ice…I’ve replied to your reply man…keep up lol.

    Dubai…Too hot for me that like, the mid 30’s we’re having here is enough…had 50c in Saudi at the end of my time there, that was a killer like.

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  45. Dubai 🙂 i thought someone may have picked up on my play on words from Platoon @928. Never mind….. 🙂

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  47. Dubai-toon@943 ,46deg 😯 Bloody hells bells ,I couldn’t handle that even with aircon. Just looking at that figure makes me wilt. 28 expected here rising to 30 later on 🙄 . I love the spring when it’s 20 -23 ,really nice comfy temp . :grin:.

    Talking of heat ,I wonder if JFK is back of his hols ,rumour is he’ll sign Bent on Monday , is that really the best we can do then .Isn’t he a bit too much like Cisse 🙄 not really a playmaker more a second/third choice striker for me like. Apparently if Villa lose Benteke they want Ba or Lukaku.

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  50. Ice ,our apparent level of ambition is depressing to say the least .Our shocking levels of performance throughout last season should of got the owner up for a radical shake up ,trouble is his idea of that is to install his buddy JFK 😳 .Add to that our horrendous injury and fitness levels ,you would of expected big changes to coaching and medical/physio team as well. If it were me I would be asking a lot of questions and doing my upmost to strengthen our hand for the coming season and I don’t think Bent or JFK addresses that. Bent will score but will it be enough ,also the rumour Lambert wants him out cause he’s not a team player concerns me ,I thought we did lots of research on players character 🙄 😳 .

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  51. 😉 50 to go lads .come on we can do it,I’m relying on you lot as I got to go out now .

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  52. KIM i fear Bent coming i really do,not only is he not a team player he hasnt had a good season since 2010 hes a has been and a greedy one to boot,no way will it work with cissie imo,when he was at scum they built the team round him and didnt they do well,not

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  53. Agree Ice. If Bent is our new striker then all is lost. Possibly, maybe, stretching it and with lots of luck he won’t be too bad when Cisse is injured. Apart from that he’s fckin useless.

    I guess we’d all forgotten how bad Pardew is. His quotes yesterday disgusted me. On Sissoko – despite the fact he’s always played centre mid, the great man can’t decide whether to use him wide right or as a No 10. After all (smarmy smile) I played HBA wide right didn’t I. No Alan he was playing there for France before we bought him. He’ll be telling us he signed Krul next. Totally deluded **** manager. Doesn’t matter who we sign it won’t work.

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  54. GEORGIO i have never forgot how bad pardew is,and to say y/day that if tiote had a good season like his first one he would be gone,ffs the mans a nightmare 👿

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  55. Ice – it’s a recurring nightmare. We’ll never get anywhere with him in charge. Even though we have a batch of very good players. Mid table mediocrity. Soul destroying with JFK providing the wisdom.

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  56. GEORGIO your reet mate,ive have just come to accept that we are second raters at best now sad but true a bloody good club going to wreck and ruin,daft thing to say but maybe if fat freddy was still there we would still have the same amoun t of debt and maybe a better grade of footy to watch imo

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  57. Kim
    You say you are worried Bent is not a team player. Do you rate Cisse as a team player?

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  58. i hope joe’s having a nice holiday at the club’s expense. there is still no news on a signing ? depressing 🙂

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  59. Aussie–I was trying to find a short clip of that “What do you all know about death?” but could only find a long one on youtube, so at least somebody got your joke.

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  60. i think joe has high hopes of signing joe hart with a 2 million pound bid? also charton cole deal close and bramble. i have no idea what **** he will sign? probably be saying the same thing next year

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  61. I agree with Ice–I prefer when Pardew is not talking. I liked Hughton much better in that respect.

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  63. So we have another billionaire owner who will likely want to **** money all over the shop. Great stuff, I thought Fulham might be in decline as well. Just praying to god some of the FFP rules have some effect… 😕

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  64. Cheers Fans, at least someone got it 😉

    Cheer up everyone, good news is only a Pardew
    quote away 😆 :mrgreen:

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  65. Hughton or Pardew? I’d take Hughton any day. Controlled, circumspect and sly. I still like they guy.

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  66. Toby@957 ,Sorry for late reply ,been to see my folks.
    Re-Bent and Cisse, yep both are selfish strikers but in fairness I saw Cisse tracking back and trying to create chances for others a fair bit last season. For me Cisse is the far superior player of the two ,he just needs decent service and the odd break from poor officiating re the offside goals (7 chalked off wrongly) last season 👿 . A decent winger who CAN cross and link play is so badly needed and I will be gutted if we don’t get one in . I don’t really have an axe to grind with Bent ,if he comes I want him to do well as he’ll be a Toon player and every one deserves their chance,who knows we may be the perfect club for him ,but like Ice says he’s a bit of a has been tbh and Lambert obviously has big reservations about the lad. I guess my point is the likes of West Ham ,Villa et al want to sign Lukaku ,Bony and the like ,whilst we are quite content with Bent 😳 says everything about our owners ambition and our managers capabilities imo.

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  67. FSOTC hes made some canny signings imo first time hes had a bit cash to spend,and done it without shouting from the rooftops just got on with the job good luck to him hope his signings work for him,if it does it will be one big kick in jabba ****

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  69. Someone needs to remind our intrepid leader Pardew that during our very real flaunt with relegation last year, we didn’t just lose a lot of games, we also played absolutely ***** and were dominated by the majority of teams we played against. Amongst those teams were the likes of Southampton, Reading, Sunderland, as well as the “big clubs”.
    Not only were we poor, but tactically woeful. With the same bloke in charge, that is my big worry for the coming season, even leaving aside the fact that we have a smaller squad than last season, and haven’t yet reinforced the group in the transfer market.

    We can only hope that Ashley spends some of the 60 million pounds which we will receive this year wisely, and that Pardew, the bloke responsible for his team, improves tactically, otherwise we are in for another disappointing season.

    I’m backing off and sitting on the fence at the moment. The end of the transfer window, and an idea of how well we have done with new recruits, plus our results after the first ten league games will be my measure of how well we have done.

    Kinnear also needs to be judged by performance somehow, I suppose only the owner knows how to do that at the end of the day. 😕

    In the mean time we all wait with baited breath. A tough game against the mighty Europa Cup fighters Motherwell is looming on the horizon.

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  70. Fans ,I agree ,I liked Hoots too ,was gutted he got sacked. When you consider Pards was to take us to another level that Hoots couldn’t . Well yes he got us 5th but also nearly got us relegated with the help of an incompetent owner . I have serious misgivings about Pards this season will answer lots of my questions once and for all I think. His obsession with playing out of form players and players out of position rankles me so much .And the ultra defensive play at home is bollocks too imo. I don’t want JFK in the managers seat but don’t really want Pards either . It’s like being told you have the choice of having the ***** or puking for the day ,nether appeals like. 😉

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  71. So, to sum up, having Pardew and Kinnear is like having the ***** AND puking for the day.

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  72. KIM well thats what we get with a owner thats just happy to hang in there without spending much,and fill his coffers,thing is we have to suffer for a few yrs until hes had has fill if ever 😥

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  74. Ice @972 Bad times indeed. 🙁 But a GOOD signing or two could work wonders so long as Pards gets his act together.

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  75. Kimtoon@374…”Pards getting his act together”… therein lies the conundrum. I hope he does, but I fear it will end in tears.

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