I'd rather we skin you guys every day of the week but I guess my opinion won't make a jot of difference so I'll just say it. You guys need a much better team than that. I'd say that it's weaker than it was last season before Bent was sold. Gardner and Larsson are decent players, but they shouldn't be in the starting 11 of a team who wants to push on for the European spots. No way.
Chappaz, obviously Bent going has weakened us. Henderson leaving is somewhat annoying, but could be a blessing in disguise. For example, would you say Henderson is that much (or at all) better than Larsson? At the moment Id say we have taken one step back, and one forward. We havent really moved. But to be at this stage so early on in the window, signals that we should take another step forward before it is over.
I don't know about Henderson and Larsson, but if you guys want to push up and onwards, I'd get a new player who is better than them both. There's nothing wrong with signing a free player like Larsson as a squaddie, but when he's being placed in various starting 11 formations I'd personally find it pretty worrying.
Hope you aint worried on my account Chapz, I am quiet happy with Larssen and hope we do indeed sign Gardener. Best team, we will see over the course of the season.
Well like you posted in the other thread, we will always be second favourite for the top, top players. As a Newcastle fan, in the late 90s/early 2000s you were probably accustomed to getting all your targets, to beating away the competition in order to land top players. Contrast with us, we have to wheel and deal (Yes we have more money now) But we still have never had that luxury. If we are to progress, it is slowly that we will have to do it. We cant just go out and buy a better player in every position every year, and have it pan out the way we want to. We've added players like Gyan and Sessegnon (How long we can hold onto them remains to be seen). We could have signed Muntari on a permanent, who to an outsider, looks like a top buy, but he just didn't perform for us. We have solid performers such as Bardsley and Cattermole. We have the surprise successes like Bramble. We have a decent youth set up, which has helped nurture Meyley and Colback into the team (Lets ignore Henderson for now). So it may not be world beating, or guaranteed Europe for us. But its decent, and decent is fine by me. After all I started supporting Sunderland when I was about 10, just around the time we set our first low points record, so this situation now, is rather nice for me. Not to mention the older lads here who have seen and endured far worse than I have, Id say we aren't place badly at all.
Yes let's not forget we still have several weeks left, and that we signed arguably our best player last summer on the 13th hour of the last day...
An excellent post. You make a lot of sense. That is why 'seasoned' fans on both sides of the divide tend to be understandably cautious. Chappaz has conveniently brushed under the carpet that the barcodes were relegated two years ago with a team of "stars" - he should be a little wary as lightening can strike twice ....
Maybe we should sign players of such huge magnitude as Cabaye and Marveaux? Whoever the **** they are? Like Syd, I am very happy with the likes of Larsson and Gardener, who have done it in the EPl already. They may not be good enough for Man Utd but then again, neither are ANY Noocarsel players, with the possible exception of Enrique? If we can add O Shea, Gibson, Vaughan and Wickham and maybe a last minute top player (like we did Gyan), then I'd say well done Bruce and thatâs after being very critical of the man recently. If Cabaye and Marveaux are your BEST signings of the summer, I'd say that **** your pants time may be just around the corner for the faithful up at NE1, especially with the spine of the team being dismantled with Nolan and maybe Barton and Enrique going or gone very soon. Rather than question whether our team is weaker or stronger than lat season, I'd very, very concerned that yours is looking weaker and weaker by the week and you were only 2 or 3 results way form the drop lat time as well. I think we will be stronger by the time August comes around. Can you be that confident Chappaz? Really?
Nice post Matty Chappaz, Re Larsson, a world beating midfielder he may not be, but as a man who religiously follows my club through a lot of hell and high water, the advantage to us of having a player with good delivery from corners and free kicks is absolutely mammouth. Whatever anyone's opinions of Seb as an overall footballer (and i personally rate him anyway, he likes the ball, is comfortable with it, and his passing is excellent), what you have to look at as well as the individual is the benefit for the team as a whole. The benefit WE get from Larsson is enourmous, people like Turner and Bramble who are excellent in the air in the opposition box will thrive on his crosses and set plays, Seb himself gets the odd goal. Bruce did his homework on this, Messi he may not be, but he could be a bigger signing than Bent, given the overall benefit to the side in an area we have struggled for several seasons. Final point, Seb is such a poor player that ourselves, you lot, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Sevilla (briefly) AND Atletico Madrid were interested? Yeah, cos all of those clubs are chasing ****ing donkeys aren't they?
now this thread is warming up, more info on this donkey chasing please, is it a Spanish custom? On a more serious note chappaz I value your views and know you are sincere about them. Maybe its just my reading of them but they do have that slight arogance about them that rubs us up the wrong way about Newcastle fans.
I think Chappaz is a decent poster with good views, especially when we are talking about 'neutral' points. He just needs to stop saying 'not having a pop' and 'with respect' and then hoying thinly veiled SAFC digs in the mix. Chappaz, we won't be offended if you just say outright that you hope every player we are linked with turns out to be a 'dog steam pudding', i'd rather that than you try and have a sly blow at them! Something like 'Marveaux may indeed be talented, but he's slow as ****, constantly injured and he bottles games and goes into a sulk if he doesn't get his own way. It is my opinion that he will be a flop in the EPL, as a strong and physical right back will take him out of the game, especially away from home, early doors.'
Agree with BB that Chappaz is OK. I think a lot of mags still think about their Prem success over the last 20 years (bar the relegation, obviously) as making NUFC a better club than SAFC and it comes across when you read between the lines. Older farts like me remember a half-rebuilt SJP with 15,000 in it and the fact that they, like us, have won **** all lately means it just ain't so...
A renowned French international midfielder, a winger who was on the verge of signing for the Bindippers, and a 7 goals in 12 apps EPL striker for £5.5million total? Sounds rather nice to me. Considering that they've cost £5.5mill total, and we have £20-25million left, I'd say that poop my pants time isn't quite here yet. Our team is already FAR stronger than it was last season and we've barely spent. Cabaye is much better than Nolan for CM play, we FINALLY have a good striker (no more Ameobi and Lovenshit) and Ben Arfa and Gosling are back. The team we could put out now would piss all over the team we were putting out towards the end of last season. Massively. I'm hoping that we're battling it out with Everton or a different club for the 7th-8th spot, but it depends how we spend the rest of the cash. Well if his attributes will give you things you need then that's fair enough. Personally, I'd be disappointed if he was in our starting 11, but that's just me. We do already have players with good delivery after all. Well to be fair, he IS a decent player, and he's a free agent who wouldn't demand huge wages, so of course there will be some big clubs after him. For many he would be a very welcome squad player (including us). I don't really care to tell you the truth. I don't sit there with such anger that I HOPE every player you get turns out to be ****. I just hope we beat you guys and finish above. That's about it. I'm just being honest though. I've said it all along that, as far as Newcastle goes, I'd want more than Seb in our starting 11. The fact he's signing for you guys hasn't changed that one bit. But hey, if you're happy, that's what's important. I'm just a mag. I'm an arrogant dick. Always have been, always will be. What I'm saying IS just my honest view, but I'd always suspect it to brush a few people up the wrong way (especially when it isn't what some of you guys want to hear). But hey ho. Not 'better club'. Just more of a reputation, especially throughout Europe. The point I touched on before is that a lot of current young players would have watched us in the Champions League playing teams like Barcelona when they were 10, 12, 14 and so on. Stuff like that DOES help, surely?
-------------Mig-------------- ?----Turner----Bramble------? Sess-Gard'---Catts--------? -------?-------Gyan If we were to sign a proper left winger, such as N'Zogbia, then Bardsley will do at left full back. If we were to sign Wickham and Welbeck, with welbeck playing left wing, we'd definitely need a proper left full back. If we continue to play with no left side, we WILL go on horrendous runs, losing games we should be winning. I think the team above shows where i believe our biggest problems lie. We need the left sorting, a right full back and a partner for Gyan.
Considering that they've cost £5.5mill total, and we have £20-25million left, I'd say that poop my pants time isn't quite here yet. Our team is already FAR stronger than it was last season and we've barely spent. Cabaye is much better than Nolan for CM play, we FINALLY have a good striker (no more Ameobi and Lovenshit) and Ben Arfa and Gosling are back. The team we could put out now would piss all over the team we were putting out towards the end of last season Oh how easy one of your best players are forgotten, once they turn their back on you. For a better than average midfielder, being prepared to drop into the championship, say's a lot. How you can say that your new recruit is better than chicken wings at this stage is beyond me.
Sess goes left for me with Larsson on the right, meaning a natural left footed left back is essential, Bardo to right back, and Roger Johnson alongside either of Bramble/Turner. Allowing Sess to come inside and shoot means form me he plays left. Taking shape though, definitely.
Nolan was never really a good CM, and I don't know why some people think he was. He scored a lot of goals yes, but in-terms of actual CM play, he was quite average and below average at times. In fact, I'd say he was the weak link in our midfield. If we were ever to progress to the next level and have a team full of quality players, we would have had to replace him eventually. So he's far from one of our best players. He brought a lot of leadership, spirit and goals into the side, but that's about it. As far as the goals go, it should no longer be an issue if we finally recruit a good strikeforce. As for Cabaye, he's an international for France and he's renowned as a top quality Box-to-box midfielder with great pace, skill, passing and ball control. A lot of Lille's fans are gutted that his release clause was only £5.5mill because they believed him to be worth considerably more. IF he adapts well to the EPL, he could be another tiote-esque player.
We'll see, maybe he will turn out to be what you hype him up as, but could easily fall flat on his arse. Time will tell. As for Chicken wings....well, seems like you've written him off, not my concern, but you may regret it.
