So did Newcastle really lose out in transfer window?

Watching matches over weekend, a few of Newcastle's "so called" striker transfer targets were on display and here's some personal opinions:

Gervinho: sublime touch and great vision. Would have been a real star at Toon. Playing alongside the greediest player I have seen for donkeys in Robin van Persie
Shane Long: looked a bit lost and must regret joining a very average WBA. Dived in the box and got straight back up. Looks very short!
Ruiz: came on late for Fulham and missed only chance he had. Looked as fast as ****.
Kevin Gameiro scored a beauty for PSG and would have been a real asset
Erdinc: came on as sub for Gameiro after 68 mins . Not too sure of his imput

Clearly there was quality on show but could our start to season have been any better?
Torres and Carroll show that you need to be playing in the style of the team to be effective . Our lads are doing exactly that

 

Time will tell whether we've missed out. So far so good though with our current acquisitions.

Glad we didn't sign Ruiz for the money that was at stake!

 

A striker and defender is needed still. Maybe Maiga or Lukaku on loan and a good CB for cover. I read somewhere that Sunderland want Maiga aswell.

 

Gervinho looks very similar to HBA from MOTD yesterday. He looks a class player, but I think he's better as a winger than a striker so isn't what we needed/wanted.

Long needs time in the PL, and he has a **** midfield.

Ruiz is the opposite of Tiote (expensive and useless, but from Holland...)

Gameiro may be doing well for PSG, but there's no way of knowing whether he'd be any good in the Prem (Ruiz had a great record in Holland, but now looks rubbish here.)

Erdinc I don't know.

 

Never wanted a huge chunk of the cash spent on one player tbh, was quite happy to see smaller amounts spent on many, and I'm even more behind that idea having now seen Cabaye in action and the fact that Tiote and Ben Arfa were also steals. If we'd spent over 10m on Ruiz I wouldnt have been happy - but I was still pissed off we didn't get a striker at all. Hoping we can somehow pull off a Cabayesque striker signing in January.
Did we lose out? Yeah I still think we did because if we had had a top striker since the word go, imagine where we may be in the league now...

 

Mulumbu is a tank for West Brom but apart from him and Brunt, their midfield is ****e

 

after jan i hope we sign a Lb so we can push santon into Rb a centre back cover and a stiker that doesnt cost too much

 

Hypothetical..........would keeping Carroll have made the difference?

 

Why isn't carlton Cole in this list?

 

Skalpel............are you nocturnal.........just saw you were posting at 4:30am ! That's dedication.

 

If we'd kept Carroll I don't think our team would look like it does now. With Carroll gone, Pardew shaped his team around the playstyles of the likes of Ben Arfa and Tiote whereas I think if we'd kept Carroll we'd be looking at a very different type of play. If not... and we'd bought all the French lads etc anyway (ignoring the fact that we wouldnt have had the 35m), then I can't see how Carroll would have fit in at all. Certainly Carroll wouldn't even get into our first 11 now tbh, and that isn't even bitterness that is making me say that; I'd take a Ba/Best/BenArfa strikeforce over him in our current setup any day of the week simply because they're in better form and fit the style far better.

 

I am indeed. Usually sleep at around 5/6pm and get up around 11pm/midnight.

 

Let me send you my treasured Dracula teacup I have! LOL

 

I drink straight from the throat, my good man.

 

Because the last person that mentioned him hasn't been heard of since.

 

Think Carroll & Ba are very similar, big strong lads who can hold the ball up. Thought Mandy played quite well yesterday, just couldn't score whereas Ba got 3. 35 mill difference? Still need a LB, CB cover & a quick striker to get on the end of knock ons & through balls. In short, we've replaced Carroll but need a quality partner for Ba.

 

Hi guys, outsider view here. Been really impressed with Newcastle so far, I think the whole media roasting during the summer about Carroll's £35m not being spent and some key players leaving has distorted a lot of people's views on how you would perform this season.
I have to hand it to Pardew he has done really well, the signings he has made seems like they have improved the squad and not just 'filled the gaps' left by the departures.
You still have Santon to play, having Ben Arfa back is like a new signing in itself and I think Marveaux will become great as soon as he gets more matches under his belt.
Sometimes teams start off well and drop off by Christmas, but if Pardew has a plan to bring in that extra striker and any other needed additions in January I think that could give the squad a very beneficial refreshment. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise that you didn't buy any of those Strikers during the summer and I think you have a very good chance to get a European spot.

 

And your thoughts on Carroll?

 

Carroll is a lumbering donkey next to Demba Ba, first ten minutes he played at West Ham you could see the class oozing from him, a bit greedy maybe, but fast and accurate, I laughed when NUFC fans were complaining about having no decent strikers after they'd bought Ba, lamenting Carroll, you got ten times the striker for a tenth of the price.

Glad to see Pardew doing well, he was shafted by the board and totally undermined by their meddling over Tevez and Mascherano (I guess NU fans know more abot Boardroom meddling than I, so you'll probably see where I'm coming from)

 

Gameiro is easily good enough no doubt but never wanted to come.