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.
Munich – thanks for that mate. I’m more than happy to go with that 😉
Im not sure about that Veltman lad at Ajax either, so the defence is still a problematic position it seems.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Other way round MM, he hired me so he could look at my GF. God knows why, he only had to walk down the steps to the Isar to get his rocks off if he wanted 🙂
Is Schweini past it? That’s why he is off to Man U as you said the Germans’s don’t fancy England. Klinsmann 🙂
I have been back to Munich about 10 years ago. I think i will plan a trip in the next couple of years and can wander up the Isar and be a dirty old man like yourself MM 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
ES@452 don’t call my mate a dirty old man 😆 he’s not old
icedog(Quote)
@ Eric I don’t mate, I was just supporting your “this time it will be different” comment. I have been supporting us long before the Keegan glory days, so I am fully aware of the ups and downs of this particular allegiance. All is well, mate.
Cheers, Munich, yeah, that was the impression I got. I read he is more of CB, pretty tough and good on the ball, and then I read this:
“He is comfortable with the ball at his feet and has all the necessary physical attributes to become a top-level centre-back. The 22-year-old does, however, often rely too heavily on his physical qualities to get him out of trouble — he rarely anticipates dangerous situations and can be prone to lapses in concentration. He can also be a little rash at times.”
Thought, Christ, no thanks, we’ve got one of those already!!!!!
Lionel Speed(Quote)
I am not on a windup about NUFC either. I think we have been totally mismanaged as a club for years, from top to bottom. If that is changing now, then fantastic and good for me because I watch every game and want us to do better. We have made a start with Wij, now let’s score some goals.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Oh Sue, You could have handed over to anyone and you went for Andrew Castle…
CC(Quote)
CC – I’m looking forward to this match like. The women’s final was a decent one yesterday too.
Sharpy17(Quote)
The womens doubles was good last night i thought.
So many good grand slam winning pundits working for the beeb this year and we have to endure the ***** off accident helpline adverts
CC(Quote)
CC – I was at work last night so left straight after Serena won her game – she is some woman her like.
Roger looks like he means business today as well
Sharpy17(Quote)
Had a bit chuckle at this, Barton on top form again:
https://youtu.be/1ykyhPyrdeg
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy@460, Loved the bit about the ressie player and his girlfriend
kimtoon(Quote)
Kim – that was the bit I was laughing at too – you can almost picture it can’t you 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy, yeah proper funny
kimtoon(Quote)
Kim, saw an op mentioned yesterday for tomorrow. Not my business I know, but hope its nowt too serious and all goes well.
Fingers crossed we’ll have at least one more through the door by the time ya get home!
You Yew(Quote)
Cheers You Yew, it’s knee keyhole surgery mate, torn meniscus 🙁 Bit snuffly so hoping they’ll still give me the GA. Just want it done now tbh.
kimtoon(Quote)
Here’ something interesting from a football website. We have had a negative spend of 20 mil over the last 8 years. Plus the writer says we haven’t won a trophy since 1955. I would get on the keyboard now BrisV and set him straight 🙂
http://www.football365.com/faves/9910954/F365-Says
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Missing from the USA trip
Elliott; Dummett: Satka; Tiote; Abeid; Marveaux; Cabella & Vuckic.
Will we see any of them again?
Premandup(Quote)
Only one I’d expect to stay is Dummett.
Shamrock(Quote)
Prem, Sadly Willo isn’t on that list 🙄
kimtoon(Quote)
Shamrock. I thought Abeid had a chance as well. Who knows
Premandup(Quote)
KIM I would hate to think Willo gets injured on this tour we will never sell him ffs,SM taking a bloody chance with him
icedog(Quote)
Bloody 49mil for sterling is shocking he’s not worth half that,I watched him at the toon Dummett didn’t give him a kick so that says summit, yes a canny player but no end product he has five assist in three years ffs
icedog(Quote)
Surely Steven Taylor must be moved on? I can’t believe he is travelling to the US tour. The real making of this window would be at least one first team possibly 2 + Lacelles centre half’s coming in. 2 of 3 from Collo, Willo and Taylor should be moved on as they are not good enough to take us in the direction the club is now going / aging / always injured / not quick enough. etc. etc.
DJG(Quote)
Ice@471, All the coaches must see something we’re all missing, it has me baffled that’s for sure. Nice enough, hard working lad but never a PL defender for me. He always seems scared of the ball to me.
kimtoon(Quote)
Taylor has the cheek to get himself fit when a new manager is appointed and when it’s pre-season and must do enough to convince. Then we all know he isn’t really good enough and gets injured after about 10 games. He’s done it for the last 10 years so the lad isn’t as daft as he makes out with his practical jokes. 😉 What would give me massive faith in and respect for Maclaren, is if he turned round to Taylor and said ‘thanks for your hard work but you’re not in my plans, please can you find another club’. Like what happened to poor Yanga Mbiwa, who it was a mistake to get rid of in my opinion.
DJG(Quote)
Ice, agree on sterling too, stupid money, he’s never worth that.
kimtoon(Quote)
DJG, We really should of stuck with Mbiwa, don’t think Pards fancied him .
kimtoon(Quote)
I hope that we don’t dump Cabella. There is something there if he would stop the bloody step overs. You cant do that in the PL because Ryan Shawcross will just shove you over. Get a few videos of David Silva, because I think Cabella has talent and hopefully Schteve will bring that out.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
KIM that’s what I was getting at,if Dummett can defend against him what does that say about him (Sterling)
icedog(Quote)
Kimtoon: I know you do not hang on every word I say but I have said the same thing about Willo. When he receives the ball from Coloccini his first instinct is always to pass it straight back, then a back pass and then a hoof. Opposition players see this and immediately close him down to limit our options. He is absolutely scared of the ball, which is not a good thing when you are a footballer 🙂
I know this is stating the obvious, but as Kimtoon says, how can’t the coaches see it?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Icedog
To be fair to Dummet I don’t think he’s a bad little defender. He still has a way to go but I see potential in him at CB. It’s going forward (at LB) where his game is a bit lacking. I would rather see Dummet given his chance to Taylor.and Willo getting another chance personally. And as for Sterling, to say he is worth big money just shows how overrated any English prospect is.
DJG(Quote)
Kimtoon: it is the body language as well, he acts like he never expected to be passed to. He freezes like a frightened deer and you can almost see the thoughts going through his head – back to Colo, no he is being closed down, I shouldn’t pass it back to Timmy, and who is this opposition player closing me down as he sees fear in my eyes and I dither – HOOF.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
DJG: I completely agree with everything you just said. I know I may seem argumentative but I only argue with people that don’t make sense.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Essentially we have one PL (Top 8) quality defender in Janmaat. The rest are average or in Hadiara and Dummets case potential.
We need two centre halves.
Stuart79(Quote)
DJG I agree I would play Dumment a thousand times before Willo or sicknote
icedog(Quote)
As for Sterling – any player is only worth what a club will pay. City were so desperate for him (for some reason?) so they thought he was worth £49m.
Stuart79(Quote)
If Schteve plays Williamson I am going to keep a tally of how Williamson plays. A WILL-O-METER. To keep count of:
Number of immediate return passes to Colo
Backpasses when not really under that much pressure
Hoofs
Successful passes to players who are not already closely marked
I will forward this information on to Optastats and The UK Patent office as my blueprint for how NOT to play centre half.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric@482, Yep that’s pretty much how it seems.
kimtoon(Quote)
Stating the obvious we have Dummett 24, Lascelles and Good 22 and Satka 20 as recognised Centrebacks. Oh we also have 3 elderly gents in the last year of their contract who can go.
That’s a bit young. But bringing in good recognised CB would stifle things. If we played Dummett and Lescalles with Colo on the bench I would be happy, with the obvious proviso that Steve rates them good enough.
Premandup(Quote)
Prem – What are you saying? You would be happy with the defence going into this season if we had Dummet and Lacelles in the middle?
Stuart79(Quote)
Prem says @489:
“Stating the obvious we have Dummett 24, Lascelles and Good 22 and Satka 20 as recognised Centrebacks.”
How many PL games have they played at centre half between them Prem? In fact, how many games have they played combined in any top flight league between them?
I think the answer is 1. When Dummett played there in an emergency. They are not “recognised centre backs” because they haven’t played there in the PL or any other top league.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Ok lets be clear. If we are not playing Willo, Saylor & Collo, because they are not good enough, then what we are let with is 4 young Centrebacks. That is their recognised position it is where they have played through the ranks. It’s where Dummett has played at senior level for wales and Good at senior level for Australia. So I think it safe to recognise them as Centrebacks and not strikers. The question is are they good enough to play regularly for us in the Prem. Given that 2 of them have international caps and one was bought in especially last year, it is safe to assume that they are regarded as potentially the future for our club. Steve has to assess whether they are ready now, or if not yet ready do we buy other young international centrebacks who also have no experience of the Prem. We could buy the likes of James Chester or Steve Caulker, but that has not to date been our recruitment policy. If we do buy experience will that block off the young potential we have. Given that if you include the three we don’t want we have 7 centrebacks this is clearly a problem to solve. I merely point out that other than the buy 2 new CB argument there is an option. Does that clarify things for you Eric?
Premandup(Quote)
Prem: I usually think you make a lot of sense, but seriously:
Good – injured 2014/15
Satka – made debut in FA cup in 2015, not seen since even as we floundered.
Dummett: kept out of preferred position by Williamson (although I do agree Dummett is a decent player)
Lascelles – Championship player with no PL experience
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart no I am saying that if steve is happy to do that I would back him.
Premandup(Quote)
Prem @492. No it doesn’t clarify anything, I think it is a recipe for disaster.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sorry Eric but to quote you. It is a statement of facts.
Premandup(Quote)
What we need is a good centre back who is not **** (Williamson), hasn’t lost a step (Colocinni) and isn’t totally inexperienced in a top league (the 4 novices named by Prem). A goalscorer and a centre half are our obvious areas of need.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Dummet= could replace Collo, (but needs a new partner)
Lescalles= I have no idea. Didn’t always get a game at Forest last season.
Good & Satka= Could be League 1 standard for all I know.
We need 2 new good CBs. With Collo, Taylor.and Williamson all having year left before they can leave for nothing, now is the perfect time to move them on and start the rebuilding a year early. Come on Schteve, you cant play keep ball with Williamson.
DJG(Quote)
Prem – Considering it’s pretty much common knowledge that the club are after defenders I would assume McClaren isn’t happy with that. I mean, we conceded 63 goals last season! Who could possibly be happy with the defenders after the last 3/4 seasons we’ve had…
Stuart79(Quote)
Prem: do you disagree with anything I said @493? I don’t know how you would hang your hat on that lot. If they play a few games and show their worth I might change my mind but until then they are unproven and with our record of bringing young players through the ranks…
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart 499 agreed. I know of nobody who is hoping that the three CB’s who played regularly for us and are in the last year of their contracts are going to get those contracts renewed. A lot of people would like them all to leave now. That means we are left with 4 young CBs, 2 of whom have played international football. I am merely wondering how we intend to use their services or are we merely going to buy in more foreign young international CBs with no experience of the premier league and hope they are more successful than MYB turned out to be. I am not making recommendations.
Premandup(Quote)
I think I must be going mad. I have the Aussies and LS telling me that there hasn’t been a complete U-turn in our recruitment message/policy and Prem (who is normally sensible) telling me we are sorted at centre-back.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Anyway sorry but have to stop now will read your comments in the morning. I have made my questions clear. I have not recommended anything. I have been quoting the position we are in re CBs and asking what is the best way forward.
Premandup(Quote)
Simple really. We need to bring in at the very, very least one quality centre half. We can live with that until the next window but we need to let Williamson go and McClaren will know soon enough if the young ones aren’t much cop. If they aren’t I expect they will be sold. If they are they will be given a go. But we need a quality centre half – two of we are being flush with the cash.. 😆
Stuart79(Quote)
Prem: if we buy players who have experience of other top leagues they are at a higher level than our novices are now. M’Biwa is doing well at Roma, I am not sure why he failed so badly at NUFC. Being played at right back and left back by Pards might have something to do with it?
There are so many examples of successful centre backs in the PL that it is not worth me listing them. I will give you a couple of examples though – Philippe Albert and Jaap Stam.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
* foreign centre backs
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Plus, Good and Satka are foreign last time I looked. Only difference is they have no experience in any top league.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
are we hell sorted at cb some1 needs to give there head a shake 😆 😆
TOONARMYELITE(Quote)
And Prem: Amdy Faye had 31 international caps and he was the worst player I ever saw pull on an NUFC shirt. And I have seen plenty of bad ones 🙂 But, since you are digging a hole for yourself, carry on digging 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
😆
International caps for bongo bongo land.
Ali Dia. 😆
DJG(Quote)
Prem said @503:
“Anyway sorry but have to stop now will read your comments in the morning. I have made my questions clear. I have not recommended anything. I have been quoting the position we are in re CBs and asking what is the best way forward.”
No you haven’t said that. You said we were set at CB and the novices would be the way we should go. Read what you said before you attempt to reinvent it.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Prem said @489:
“But bringing in good recognised CB would stifle things. If we played Dummett and Lescalles with Colo on the bench I would be happy”
YCMIU.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It would scare the daylights out of Dummett and Laschelles to play our 1st 4 matches at centre back – 2 of our 3 bogey teams, Southampton and Swans (Mackems currently being the other) and then Man U and The Ar$e? Yeh, let’s get that current left back and 20 year old championship graduate on there. I don’t think Schteve is that daft.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, If you look at the invisible writing between the words it’ll be plain as day what Prem really meant.
brisvegas(Quote)
OK then BrisV. I am actually quite happy with the developments at the club now. McClaren seems like a very articulate guy which makes a massive change. Carr and Charnley seem to have given up their quest for ultimate power. Fatty realises he is better off spending some money to get the right players in. All is well and I am off to see the Toon on Tuesday.
Now if the Aussies would just lay off being snidely, I would be in nirvana, Shangri-la, Camelot. Well, at least until the Southampton game 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
How do I say this? I quoted directly from Prem about his opinion on centre backs. I put a quote up from Charnley and Carver that was obvious to anybody not 10,145 miles away was a power grab. Sometimes reading between the lines is as plain as day!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Have the drama queens piped down a little now we’ve signed a proper player? Also looks clear that Krul and Janmaat will stay barring a huge bid from a huge club.
This summer seems to have gone pretty much to plan so far. Manager, then coaching team then players.
ToonDarnSarf(Quote)
ERIC SYKES
July 12, 2015 at 22:11
Prem said @489:
“But bringing in good recognised CB would stifle things. If we played Dummett and Lescalles with Colo on the bench I would be happy”
YCMIU.
He goes on to say : ‘with the obvious proviso that Steve rates them highly enough’.
That’s a big difference to the point you are making… However I agree that we do need at least 1 top CB to come in. We can then give experience to Lascelles/Goode alongside thie new signing(s) with one from Willo/Colo/Saylor backing up and the other 2 sold hopefully – preferably Willo and Saylor as Colo is miles better than both of them.
I see Dummett as a steady LB rather than CB and if we start playing him as a CB then we need to sign a LB…
Shamrock(Quote)
Shamrock: I disagree. There is no proviso from Steve that would explain having 4 centre halfs who have no experience at the level they would be asked to play. It is a recipe for disaster. Prem’s main point was that he wants the 4 novices to sink or swim. His secondary point is that Schteve has to trust them. It is a disaster either way if you ask me, but then again we have played Willo for 5 years 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Also, I think I better get my reading and comprehension skills tested as I seem to be at odds with what quite a few people are saying on here, such as:
– relying on 4 novice CBs seems to me to be a very bad idea
– Carr and Charnley made a power play in January to get total control
– Schteve seems to have called Charnley and Carr’s bluff and grabbed back some power
– we have only signed one player so far but that gives us some hope that Ashley’s and the club hierarchy’s words were not hollow as they were for the previous 7.95 years
– we sign 1 player and it is fantasy island and Lee Ryder wins the Pulitzer prize.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
And where have all the Scottish players gone? There used to be an elite – Bremner, Souness, Dalglish, Hansen, Charlie Nicholas, Gordon McQueen, Peter Lorimer.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
£49m for Sterling??!! ….. £49 million 😯 😯
Well that deal means QPR will dig their heels further in for £15m for Austin as they had a 20% sell on so stand to make £9m from Sterling deal.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Prem – on your CB question, both watching and playing I’ve always wanted CB pairings to complement one another (left / right sided, attack the ball / read the play, strength / pace etc). Like you, I want to know, if we have players on our books, what our plans for them are, or why keep them. The three senior centre backs (Taylor and Willo very roght sided, Colo very left sided), stopped being a potential combination for the PL when Colo lost even the pace he had. Its pretty clear that none will get a renewed contract, but at least one will run down the contract this year, I presume as back up to a new first choice CB, playing alongside one of the younger CBs – none of us can say which of those, since none has played enough. It’s also possible that one of the three senior CBs could find better form with a better partner.
For season 2016/17, I’d predict the CB rotation to look something like 2 new senior CBs, Dummett and one off the current younger guys.
GTE(Quote)
Looks like it’s down to Mitrovic’s Dad as to whether he joins… 🙄
Stuart79(Quote)
Javier Henandez in talks with Orlando?! – what the hells that about!!
Sharpy17(Quote)