Yeah, his contract running down has allowed us to purchase at a bargain price. Obviously his price has been driven down considering the cirumstances but still a bargain when taking into account the level of the player, current trading prices and what fee he would have commanded if he had several years on his contract. As for goals - we need to sign a more prolific striker too. Whether we do is obviously open to serious doubt.
You might be right. Really got to hope that Mike is readying himself to accept a lower offer for the club, using recent profits to facilitate this. Sadly think it's far more likely that he is just displaying the greed that he is infamous for.
Mitro and Perez played together under Mclare. They seemed to have a good understanding in passing and some class back and forths, but no goals, it was all happening too deep on the pitch. Of course both players should have matured by then but I wouldn't say Mitro has in the crucial department, discipline. Saw him do a petulant foul for Serbia that could have been a red in their last game of WC, whilst that Fulham fella who comes on here said it had been apparent for them last season. I can imagine you get away with it a little more in the Champ so he only got 3 yellows, but as soon as he went to the WC it was 2 in 3. Motto without a yellow is a liability as it is. Don't mind him and would have liked it to work, he undoubtedly has talent. But I haven't got a pic of him on me bedroom wall and he is replaceable. The speed with which we buy players makes it hard to overhaul a team to play to his strengths anyway.
Great point from George Caulkin - all well and good having players strengthening the squad, albeit not by much (Mitro out, Muto in/Mbemba out, Schar in/Merino our, Ki in). But is it strengthening the TEAM? Every other club is buying to put players on the pitch, we’re ever so slightly upgrading squad members who weren’t even playing. We still desperately need a 9, probably a 10, and should be improving on Yedlin, Dummett, Diame and Ritchie. We won’t get any.
Don't know what to make of these really. Like Schaar but it all reeks of bargain bin. Could turn out great but, when you choose to go down a list and pick prices below the average, you're increasing the risk it won't.
Ah, but look at the balance sheet, man. With Mitro leaving that’ll put us at +£10m and counting. And they’re always counting.
Our 9 is called Mutto mate! I know, was trying to be diplomatic to stop fredor coming in with his usual "praise be to Mike and Lee, these were Rafa's choices, blah blah blah" I think these signings might just re-invigorate the wummery, he's been pathetic lately
Pic on your bedroom wall? My picture is in a little frame with hearts and unicorns around it next to the tissues and lube....
Oh don't get me wrong mines the same, just have Benitez instead. Everyone's got one, this is Pouchy's....
You could argue that it is. If we're strengthening the squad then that should in theory put pressure on the starting 11 each week if they have better players pushing them. Whether they are actually better remains to be seen. If they want to be here and play and the manager likes them (not the case on both counts for Merino/Mitro) so i think the jury will be out for a while. You're bang on about improving Yedlin, Dummet, Diame and Ritchie..not to mention Joselu and Gayle (i stopped short of Perez). We seem to be doing it the other/wrong way around which doesn't surprise me in the slightest. Rafa is slowly dispelling the myth that he only likes and picks spanish players, we've brought a couple of Asian lads in now as well as a swiss fella, along with Dubravka and Kenedy.
Of course they are bargain bin - it's the only place we shop. However, with Schar and Muto it's more like finding a couple of items that have been mispriced hiding at the bottom of said bin. Both would/should have commanded much higher fees but for a relegation release clause and a soon to expire contract respectively. Completely different situation to the likes of Joselu and Manquillo who were just low priced because that was all they were worth. Hopefully they'll be more like our successful exploitations of such contractual situations in the past - Cabaye, Ba and more recently Lejeune.
I don't have a problem with any of these signings but they aren't next level kind of players. We'll probably be stronger than last season but not by a lot and it will still be a slog where we are targeting survival. Another striker of the calibre we all know we should be going for and I'd feel a lot better about the coming season. We still need some cover at LB also.
Muto in - Gayle/Joselu out, Bryan in as cover/competition for LB and an AM and we are set for me. Maybe a CM if Hayden goes. 25 man Squad (In order of use) Gk's Dubruvka, Elliot, (Darlow/Sels) RB's Yedlin, Manquillo CB's Lascelles, Lejuene, Schar, Clark LB's Dummett, Bryan* CM's Shelvey, Diame, Ki, Hayden Wingers Ritchie, Kenedy, Murphy, Aarons, Atsu AM Perez, Another* CF Mitro, (Gayle, Joselu) - sub out one for Muto* A few there I'd shift on like Atsu and Manquillo but only if better replacements came in. Not a world class team but should be able to finish mid table 10th-13th. I will not entertain the idea we are after Rondon anymore so don't even say it! Edit - maybe keep Saviet and push Ki into the 10 role? No need for unnecessary purchases
Aye or Thauvin, Riviere and Marveaux. Like I said it's a risk. Don't mind the look of Mutto though, prefer him to Rondon.
No, not really like those signings. Marveaux was cheap (and a major risk) as he had a horrendous injury record. Thauvin wasn't that cheap and didn't really want to join. Riviere was, like Joselu, a cheap option simply because he wasn't very good, not because there were contractual issues forcing his price down. Yes there is a risk with our signings. But it's not because they cost small fees - their fees would have been much larger in usual circumstances. They each probably hold no more risk in that sense than any other sub £20million signing these days. It's the usual risk with buying new players from foreign leagues and hoping they do the trick that is a concern - that and Muto's non-prolific history if he's to be our main striker.
The point was though we are further down the list of targets due to not being quick enough but, crucially, not wanting to pay that much. That was pretty much the story behind Joselu so I see it as comparable. Same with Marveau,, Ba, etc. etc. We limited ourselves by deciding to pay below the average. It's why we kept pestering Thauvin when he showed no interest. It paid off in some cases and not others, but I would have been more confident of we'd bought Plea as that appeared to be the first feasible choice.
Oh yeah NUFC are ponderous to the point of distraction with regards transfers. MA should certainly have trusted Rafa enough to sign his A targets, and I agree these two are probably some way down the list. Still, I don't equate them with being as poor or as desperate as the Joselu transfer. Indeed, we were reported to be making enquiries about Muto way back in March so he's possibly higher on that list than we think. http://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2018/03/29/newcastle-make-approach-to-sign-bundesliga-striker-report/
