At 24-years-old Wijnaldum has his best years ahead of him. He comes with pedigree as a Championship winner, having won the Eredivisie in 2014/2015 with PSV Eindhoven and if that is not impressive enough, he did this as the team Captain – chipping in with solid 14 goals from 33 appearances as a midfielder. Wijnaldum is affectionately known as ‘Gini’ to his fans – and with such a mouthful for a surname, you can expect Toon fans to carry this on.
Born in Rotterdam in 1990, Gini was signed by Feyenoord for their youth side and became the youngest ever player to represent their senior team at the age of 16 years and 148 days. He’d go on to appear and score on the European stage in the Uefa Cup by the time he was 18 and represented Holland at all of the junior levels.
In 2011 Gini was scooped up by PSV Eindhoven for 5-million-euros. He quickly established himself as a first teamer thanks to his drive from midfield in his favored attacking playmaker role contributing goals as well as direct and indirect assists. That season he would make his first senior appearance for Holland in an 11-0 win over San Marino – contributing with a goal despite only being put on the pitch in the 86th minute! Mark Van Bommel retired in 2013 and Gini was made Captain by new coach Phillipe Cocu. Unfortunately, he sustained a severe back injury and only made 11 appearances that season but still managed to chip in with 4 goals. Gini got over his injury to make it into the Dutch National squad for the 2014 World Cup and got on the score sheet whilst helping Holland to a 3-0 victory over Brazil in the 3rd place playoff. He’d then go on to have an exceptional season with PSV, securing the domestic title as team Captain. Including Cup competitions and Europe, Gini would make 42 appearances, scoring 18 goals and having 5 direct assists. He is also credited with being the catalyst for a lot of their other goals scored. He was so good last season, he was named Dutch footballer of the year.
So what about his attributes? At 5’8” tall, he is not the most imposing of figures – however Gini comes with blistering pace, suburb technical ability, can time his runs and get on the end of crosses and can finish with either foot. He is right footed and will happily drift onto the right wing to sling in the crosses – but he also has an eye for a pass and will thread balls through the middle if our forwards can time their runs properly. For a quick example of his wide ranging talents, click here. If you have time for a cup of tea and a proper look at his skills, click here. My favourite part of this video is at 2 minutes. It displays his leadership and drive by dropping back to his own box to defend before busting a gut to get to the other end of the pitch and finish a fantastic counter attack. Exactly the kind of drive we have not seen for a long time.
So it’s said that Newcastle have agreed to part with approximately £14 million for this talent. For a regular in a Dutch team that finished 3rd in the World Cup, for a domestic league title winning team Captain, for a player still to hit his prime, for a player with bags of ability, drive and leadership attributes – this is a more than reasonable price for a player with 3 years left to run on his current contract!
Not only is this guy set to be a catalyst for our team in terms of the way we play, he will also be a catalyst for further marquee players to join our cause – as they will recognise the clubs ambition by signing somebody like Gini and will feel more comfortable to sign for the Magpies as a result. I am not sure this signing would ever have been pulled off if Steve McClaren were not at our club for obvious reasons – so hats off to the Board for a change in getting the right coaching staff in – and loosening the purse strings for a change! There is still alot more work to do before we can expect our beloved Newcastle United to return to the top half of the table again – but this is a very promising start if the deal for Gini goes through as expected.
@ Stu 369 Mitrovic is only 20. If he is having a big money signing for 5 years to the Toon, probably bloody great his family are along for the ride, to see what their son is getting himself into. All sounds good to me, as long as he signs that is. If we get Gini and Mitrovic, and we could get this Rudiger, that would be a hell of a spine, with Krul also signing on for the glory days.
Lionel Speed(Quote)
I am seeing reports (well at least one) of us swapping Cabella for Thauvin. Has there ever been a swap of players? I can’t remember seeing one, so this sounds made up.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Well whether the coach has much of a say in not sure. Pardew didn’t even know who Mbiwa and Riviere were but still had to take them.
Aussie – http://www.dhnet.be/sports/football/division1/anderlecht/le-frere-de-mitrovic-en-touriste-a-newcastle-photos-55a151d63570e4598ce284a6
Stuart79(Quote)
What I love is the youth of the squad. If you ignore everybody in the last year of their contract I think only cisse and one other are over 26
Premandup(Quote)
AMF: were you ever tested for reading and comprehension skills in school? You Aussies!
It doesn’t look like I will see Wij, but looking forward to seeing Williamson up close and in person in Milwaukee.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Why did Keegan quit? Because they signed someone after only seeing them on Youtube (and because he is drama).
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Kim and Stu – sorry, but of course they had a list. The alternative to the manager having no say is not that they do absolutely nothing until the manager is appointed and whips out his list!!!! 😆 That is the whole point, it is somewhere in between.
Lionel Speed(Quote)
Cheers Stuart… very interesting indeed.. I hope they are not holidaying on the back of our interest in their young’un.. 😕
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Eric, what are you trying to say? 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Lionel, isn’t that what I said, more or less. 😉
kimtoon(Quote)
I am getting the feeling that Charlie Austin is just loving all of the attention he is getting. He is the former non-league player who is now in demand. To use a cheesy American film metaphor – the former fat lass with braces on her teeth who blossoms into a wonderful butterfly (not literally, LS) and gets asked to the prom by the quarterback (Chelsea). Maybe she will realise that Jose will only bench her and that her geek friends (Leicester) might be a better fit? Whatever happens, this saga has gone on too long.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sorry Kim, the point is and the problem with why people argue with each other, is that they start off talking about one thing, and then talk about something else. The point about there being a list pre-MClaren was being used earlier by Eric to prove that the manger did not have a say. The only point for you or Stu to mention there being a pre- Mclaren list is to make that point. Otherwise, we are all just in agreement, that the manger has some input but not the final say. But, Eric was trying to make the case that the manager doesn’t actually have any input, hence the “wow, I have seen the list” reference.
I am in full agreement with you, in fact.
Lionel Speed(Quote)
So six noticable absentees from the squad heading state side . Got a feeling we wont be seeing Tiote , Marveaux or Cabella in the black and white again . All six are supposed to be recovering from injury het Tiote played against the Heed on friday evening.
Axel(Quote)
Kimtoon: LS tried to convince me that “literally” didn’t actually mean “literally” any more the other day. I think he is cahoots with the Aussies.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Despite all the head coach talk it looks to me that McClaren actually is the manager.
georgio(Quote)
@ Eric 😆 😆 😆
Lionel Speed(Quote)
Christ, Georgio, that’s a spanner in the works!!! 😆
Lionel Speed(Quote)
They said that Charnley and Carr were in charge of transfers and that the head coach would be only a coach. That McClaren convinced them otherwise showed them the error of their ways. That he was appointed to the board showed how desperate they were after the Carver fiasco. A coach sacked by Derby held their feet to the fire. That McClaren is the only coach on the board of a PL football club speaks volumes. Even Wenger doesn’t have that power.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Lionel, How can you explain two players coming in without Pardew even knowing who they were? What about Pardew wanting to sign Bent, Shelvey and Townsend only to be overruled. Doesn’t sound like Pardew had any say in transfers to be honest.
Stuart79(Quote)
Anyone else seen this report this morning that Palace could bid £2m for Colo?! Only in the Star so probably bollocks – but would be bloody funny if true like 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
It speaks volumes for how progressive we actually are. Some might say a blue print for a real football club. 🙄
Lionel Speed(Quote)
He would have had a say if he had agreed, he would have said “I agree”. As it was, he had a say, he said: “I disagree”. And, thank f-ck he had the latter say, as otherwise we would have had Bent, Shelvey and Townsend. 😀
Lionel Speed(Quote)
Regarding this transfer ‘debate’. I don’t think anyone actually has the final say to be honest!!.
We aren’t a club who go out and get our top targets – take Austin as the example. I don’t believe anyone at the club has said signing him at any cost. They have identified him as the preferred option if you like, but have had Mitrovic and Das Boot as alternatives.
I think the coach identifies what position needs strengthening, they sit down and draw up a realistic short list of 3-4 players and then go for the one where the deal is most likely to come off.
Our manager or head coach will never be in a position to have say over transfers coz we either don’t pay huge fees or players simply don’t want to come to a club that doesn’t offer CL football.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy if true we should take their money and get rid of him he has wanted out for a long time and it showed last season. It would make it easier for McClaren to appoint his own Captain als well.
Axel(Quote)
Georgio @390: that has been my point all along – that was what the club have being saying is not backed up by fact. Lionel always wants to find middle ground but the Aussies are arguing a point they cannot back up.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
*been
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Joking apart. I reckon their model has, for sure, evolved. I don’t think it is McClaren per se, I think their model was premised on the idea of the coach and Carr basically singing from the same basic hymn sheet. I don’t think they ever truly trusted or respected Pardew, the more I think about it, the more I think these guys are actually not as stupid as we think. They are actually astoundingly astute and cold bloodied. Pardew was their patsy from the start. They knew they were going to **** everyone off by not loosening the purse strings, and Pardew was there to take the full force. That is why Ashley sent him a text straight after his first win for Palace. It was symbolic of the service Ashley knew Pardew had given him.
The system works when those in power, the coach,head scout and the owner are working with the same basic perspective. That is exactly what is happening at Chelsea now, Mourinho’s wings have been clipped a little but he still has a huge say. That is why they always wanted McClaren because he and Carr basically see the game the same way.
Lionel Speed(Quote)
Penny for Pardews thoughts actually. Years of struggle, stick and non spend and then he leaves the purse strings are loosened significantly.
Stuart79(Quote)
From Charnley’s interview in January, as quoted in The Chronic:
“That way everyone – players, supporters, media – are clearer. He’s the head coach, not a traditional manager. He doesn’t have the final say on transfers and doesn’t get involved in every aspect of the business. His job is (to) coach the players and implement and oversee a philosophy that goes through the first team, the reserves and down through the Academy to improve the players and to ensure we get the best out of them.”
You don’t really need to read between the lines very much to see that it was a power play by Carr and Charnley to say they were the ones who were in control of transfers and not the coach.
Now they have backed off that. But it doesn’t mean that was not their intent.
LS: THESE GUYS YOU CALL “ASTUTE” PICKED CARVER FFS and we almost got relegated because of that choice.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stu, I’m not feeling sorry for Percy, he jumped ship when it suited him, if he was really unhappy at Toon he’d of walked. He now has a board who are backing him well and some very decent players at his disposal too. If he makes a hash of it now, there will be no way back. Yes he did take a lot of flack because of a mean regime, but he chose to stick it until he had a better offer. I also didn’t like his football, it may well be he didn’t have the players to play a good attacking style, but his excuses got more bizarre by the week. When we did well he lapped up the praise, when we were the pits,it was everyone elses fault barr his.
kimtoon(Quote)
But hopefully you noted the part that said “He doesn’t have the final say on transfers…” not that he has no say on transfers.
brisvegas(Quote)
Pardew is just a pawn, who was not in on the big picture. Your examples of players Pardew wanted above, Stu, answer the question and Pardew’s chasing of Cabaye, too. They were never going to trust him with the next stage. I do not believe, for one second, this has all come about because of last season’s relegation scrape. Because, if for nothing else, we and they know we weren’t that bad, just Pardew and then Carver made us that bad. So, with a different coach they could have carried on basically the same. But, that was never the plan. Pardew played his role, in reality it matters not what he thinks. The key of Ashley’s statement was that they had the financial house in order, as well as the look of genuine commitment to that not being enough. They have run the hard miles, and we fans suffered it, now is the next stage. It makes absolutely no sense for a man who is, one, minted, and two, genuinely likes football to just keep us going as we were, pissing off everyone. It makes no sense. But, I don’t believe a man who has been making the strategic decisions that Ashley has, has been walking this all blind.
Lionel Speed(Quote)
I think Pards must of had some say on players, he certainly had a say on who was tossed aside, ( Benny, Marv, even some of the young ones )
kimtoon(Quote)
BrisV: I did note what they said but it is very easy to read between the lines and know what they meant. It was a political statement when we were trying to recruit a new “head coach” They were pretty plain speaking that they didn’t want the head coach to have a say in transfers. When they realised they might not want all the blame they have back-tracked.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, I would have chosen Carver if I knew the coach we wanted wasn’t available until the summer. Hindsight is bollocks, maybe, some of course said that it wouldn’t work, but as **** as I have always thought Carver was, and I said that when he was appointed by Pardew, when plenty were happy to see him back, I did not think we could go so low. I bet they couldn’t believe quite how useless he ended up being, **** coaching and alienating both players and fans.
Lionel Speed(Quote)
I really don’t fathom how this is difficult to see:
– we, Carr and Charnley want all the power
– the Managers we are looking at want to have a say in who they coach
– so we will hire Carver as our lackey instead
– oh, **** Carver is really **** and doesn’t know what he is doing
– now everybody in football thinks we are idiots, we better have a change of plan
– here Schteve, even though you were sacked by a Championship club, you have to be able to do a better job than us, here are the keys to the executive washroom and of course you can have final say on transfers.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
LS: it is not hindsight when I said at the time Carver would be a disaster.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
You are arguing and nit picking about nowt man!!. It’s clear that it’s a join thing and nobody has the final say 🙄
Sharpy17(Quote)
[smacks head] Oh, of course. silly me. It’ s the invisible words I should have been reading.
brisvegas(Quote)
Kimtoon: Pards tried to convert our most talented players into secondary defenders. He fell out with most of our better players and even Cabaye went on strike. A Palace fan said that Pardew was the worst player he had ever seen in 40 years but he could run about a lot and hassled the opposition until they gave in. That is a skill in itself, but it doesn’t make for watchable football – a team made in Pardew’s image is what we saw, boring, mindless ****.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy @413: that is what is happening now. It is not what the plan was in January.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
BrisV: I can read between the lines even if you cannot.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, your comment there, is exactly why you are always arguing. You are trying so desperately to prove you are right. In my comment, I said even though some said at the time Carver wouldn’t work – I was thinking of you and Stu there, I was not accusing you of using hindsight – it is hindsight generally, however, that has told us how bad he was. I am sure most did not expect us to go on a club record of 9 straight losses. I actually thought it was reasonably astute and brave to wait.
Lionel Speed(Quote)
Lionel – You can’t really use the players I mentioned above as an example of why they didn’t trust Pardew. Carr’s had his fair share of dummies come through the door!
But the reality is, I believe they have more trust in McClaren and his experiences in Europe and in general. He is well respected and I think he’s sold a plan to the club and his relationship with Carr is key to the trust he has now.
Stuart79(Quote)
I am not trying desperately to prove anything LS. The Aussies mean nothing to me.
Now, this is what Charnley said about the new coach in January:
“His job is (to) coach the players and implement and oversee a philosophy that goes through the first team, the reserves and down through the Academy to improve the players and to ensure we get the best out of them.”
This is the team that have advanced only Dummett to the first team in the 8 years of Ashley’s ownership (and they don’t know if he is a RB or CB). Sammy is off to Cardiff. They loaned out the Rangers 5 so how good can they be. When we were in dire need of players during Carver’s disaster Pedro said there were no academy players that were good enough to “step up”. I am not arguing LS, I am stating what the club did and said.
And don’t get me started on the fact we haven’t replaced Williamson in 5 years 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sorry Eric, but I am totally with Brisvegas on this. It was very clear at the time, as the quote you posted states, that they were going for a continental approach, which is very much accepted across Europe and many clubs here now as well, that the coach will not have the final say. That is the truth. That is the fact. The coach will have, however, some level of input, just like many European coaches. It is not ambiguous, the coach will have less say on transfers than a traditional manager. That is what they stated then, and it is true now. McClaren had the same role at Twente, he was on the board there, too. As I guess that is where football decisions, like transfers are formally discussed.
You are doing what Brisvegas is getting at you about. Claiming facts where there are non.
Lionel Speed(Quote)
Eric – I think it’s always been the case, the trouble was that Pardew & Carr rarely agreed so that shortlist was always difficult to draw up.
But to be honest, we can chew the fat & argue about things once were all day – it seems to be working better now so that’s the main thing.
Sharpy17(Quote)
So Roma have just about signed the M/City striker so Mis not going there must say toon seem to be working hard behind the scenes on ,this one with bringing his family over here, Porto have just spend money on the R/Madrid keeper after the owner called a third rate team,nice cheeky git
icedog(Quote)
I have no proof but I think they signed the wrong Amalfatano (I don’t know how as one looks like a giraffe and is good at football and the other one doesn’t look like a giraffe and isn’t good at football – clerical error:) ). I wouldn’t be surprised as they had that clause in the Ba contract that “Arry disclosed and Chelsea took advantage of.
There has been an obvious history of mismanagement at our club that might finally be being sorted out. I certainly hope so – you don’t hire Kinnear twice if you know what you are doing 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
@Stu 419 Fair enough.
@ Eric 420 I like you but shall no longer try and help you see the error in your ways!! It has to come from within!!
Lionel Speed(Quote)
OK LS: you literally, and figuratively, make no sense. Have fun with the Aussies.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
That’s a good start, Eric, admitting that you don’t understand. There is hope after all. 😆
Lionel Speed(Quote)
Sharpy @422: I think you might finally be getting to the crux of this. Pardew and Carr had different visions about the football we should play and we bought players for the Carr model rather than the Pardew model. Pardew then didn’t know how to treat these players or what to do with them. It was compounded when Ashley hired imbeciles – Wise, Kinnear, Carver – and that put us where we are now.
A massive change in philosophy, recruitment and spending was needed and that MAY be what is happening.
Thanks for pointing that out, I do get caught up in the minutiae sometimes and miss the big picture.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Didn’t sir Bob buy the wrong player once 😕
kimtoon(Quote)
And Carver was just so happy to get the job he was so obviously unqualified for. Every word out of his mouth proved his inadequacy and the players had to listen to that every day – no wonder they gave up.
That’s why I don’t trust Charnley. When you appoint an idiot, maybe you might be THE idiot. But, one more chance 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Kimtoon: I think that was Shola when asked what SBR called him in training, he said “Carl Cort”.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Mitrovic isn’t in Anderlecht’s team today…
Stuart79(Quote)
So D Jong has let the cat out the bag a bit saying the team has to learn a new way of playing as a team we are told how to keep the ball which is different from the way the last gaffer played,maybe he has held back from saying hoof ball,well imo that’s Willo stuffed then
icedog(Quote)
STUART@432 yes y/day after training he was seen to be shaking hands and signing fans auto books and leaving smiling
icedog(Quote)
Looks like Penfold might pull another one off then
icedog(Quote)
I don’t think that I am saying anything that most on here have not thought:
– we could have done better than Pardew
– we certainly could have done better than Carver
– with no academy players coming through in 8 years (except Dummett) then something has to be wrong there (Pedro???)
– ultimately, the chiefs are in charge of the Indians and it is the chiefs that are therefore accountable, whether it be Charnley, Carr, Ashley or Cardew.
– but, a new beginning. We as NUFC fans have seen so many false dawns that we are used to it by now. But, this time it will be different.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
So Ryder now reporting that Mis family visit to SJP,how shameful a local rag sitting on the doorstep of the club has to copy and paste a storey from a national paper a day late to I might add,what a joke they are
icedog(Quote)
eric, which academy did andy carrol, jack alnwick and young Armstrong come through ?………. plus, indirectly, aarons ?
Munich Mag(Quote)
Munich – pleased you’re on mate, I was wondering how much you know about this Rudiger link and what he’s like as a player?
Sharpy17(Quote)
MM hope you enjoyed your drink y/day imo your starting to lounge about like a loppy dog as I haven’t seen any pics you used to put on f/b,get your finger oot
icedog(Quote)
As I have been telling everybody I have come into contact with over the last 30 odd years., Eric, “Newcastle! Probably the greatest club in the world.” 🙂
Lionel Speed(Quote)
MM: Jak Alnwick 🙂 🙂 🙂
Wasn’t Carroll at the club before Ashley?
Armstrong hasn’t started a game yet.
I will give you Aarons and his 3 sub appearances and the fact we pinched him from Bristol. He seems very talented.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
thanks sharpy lad :-).
rudiger is a big tall afro-german right back who plays for stuttgart at the mo. he is in the new crop of young germans stepping into the breach to replace the old guard of world cup legens like lahm and mertesaker.
he is tall and lanky, has good distribution, but is still quite raw imo. he is a long way off establishing himself as an international, and there are better right backs than him in germany.
i would prefer matip but it seems that isnt going to happen.
rudiger would be an expensive gamble for the toon.
Munich Mag(Quote)
Yeah, Munich, this Rudiger sounds a good player, but only seems to have been linked with Wolfsberg and Chelsea. Do we have a chance of getting him? Looks like he would be a fantastic part of the new spine – Krul, him, GIni and Mitrovic.
Lionel Speed(Quote)
ice@440 aye we had a canny day out, ballistically warm interrupted by a maaive cloudburst that had everyone huddling under the tents for 30 minutes, good job we had good wine and good nosh to keep our spirits up 🙂
was oot travelling the last couple of weeks, have a skeg on fb later mate. hope all is well at your end too mate 🙂
Munich Mag(Quote)
Lionel: I have been a fan of NUFC for more than 40 years so don’t take my cynicism too seriously. I wanted change from Pardew and Carver and it appears we might be getting it as Rip Van Ashley finally wakes up.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
MM: did you go to the Waldwirtshaft? I was talking to a mate of mine the other week and he said that Sepp the owner is now a big cheese in Munich.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
lionel i reckon we have no chance of signing rudiger mate.
i reckoqn chelsea will do a de bruyne/lukaku type stunt of signing rudiger then maybe loaning him out again. i don’t rate rudiger mate.
germans in general don’t seem to keen on travelling to the uk.
Munich Mag(Quote)
So Geordieho Winlaton has signed but we’re still waiting for Alexsander Meercatovic to commit!
DJG(Quote)
eric me old cocker, no, not yesterday, though i’m going to arrange a cycle ride there with our german/english group before the end of the summer. its only 10k from wor hoose along the isar, and is a splendid beer garden as you well know yourself mate.
the only big cheeses i know are the ones attached to fc bayern mate. if sepp from the wawi has joined the big cheeses then well done to him. hes come a long way from that long hot summer years ago when you spent allsummer merving over his girlfriend 🙂
Munich Mag(Quote)