Deadline Approaches

As clubs are now going down the home straight with regards to transfer deadline day. NUFC still have a role to play in the crazy part of football.

A potentially season defying week dawns imo as we could do with a few signings to really kick on and challenge the elite whilst European football returns to SJP on Thursday in front of what should be a terrific crowd when you consider the opposition and the fact the game is on ITV4.

Transfer wise in an ideal world NUFC will have no players leaving, as you all well know Tiote and Cabaye are again being heavily linked with the likes of Arsenal and Man Spew. It's too late to replace top quality players with the same standard without paying ridiculously over the top fee and wages.
I personally dont think we will sell at this stage. However, I get the feeling not all of us are as confident.

In regards to potential signings. I believe we need 3 players in order to match the ambitious aim to acquire for a Champions League spot. Of which Debuchy has to be seen as the main target once again. Any Debuchy deal is now apparently tied into Lille's Champions League qualifier on Wednesday.
The Carroll and Douglas sagas also seem to have dragged on just as long as Debuchy and I would be very surprised if we were able to pull all 3signings off but these are the areas that need strengthened.
Pardew's comments after Chelsea game were as ambigious as when he completely ruled out any signings in January and then Cisse signed so nothing can be ruled out.

Lets hope it all works out in the end.
Thoughts??

 

I think on the balance of things I'd be happy if the window closed. I can't see any of our major players leaving unless it's Carroll-esque money but I'd rather all doubt was removed.

I'm accutely aware of the fact Spurs now have ~£30m added to their kitty and need both a striker and a Modric replacement. I have faith the likes of Ba and Cabaye would turn them down but still...

We could use some reinforcements for sure, not talking mega signings but say someone like Kevin Doyle and defender who can play all along the back for cover.

January is the time we'll plug the gaps I feel, just a case of resisting any bids and cracking on with the season.

 

If we want to add reinforcements we should do it now to give us the best possible chance this year. It is a bit late in the day though so I could understand if we waited until January.

I dont think AVB will be too interested in our players, he seems to have his heart set on a few brazillians and might now even try getting Moutinho which would be a brilliant signing.

 

If the window closed right now I'd be over the moon and think we've had a great window. If we lost one I'd be disappointed but it would still be a great window and we'd still have one of the best 7 squads in the division. Got to be happy with that, particularly given we've barely spent a penny. If we sign one more then even better but we've had a good window AGAIN

 

Maybe it's just me being greedy but I generally think with 2 or 3 decent signings we could do great things. As you've quite rightly said WP our squad is already up amongst the best in the division.

 

Dont get me wrong im happy weve kept our key players but this has been one of the most dull, depressed and unambitious (considering our finish last season and the potential with a few signings) window that i can remember! I just hope we can change that before friday, but if not, the board has done a good job with them wanting to lower the expectations!

 

I'm not sure what fans like yourself really expect. Its not football manager. We've signed some useful youngsters to thicken out the squad and added a dutch international. I'm sure we'd still like to add Debuchy too. Who exactly are you expecting? We're not desperate for any type of player in particular which would suggest we have a cracking squad. Being depressed with the squad we have is pessimistic beyond belief. Only the big clubs have better squads.

 

Pouch, you have to agree that our complete lack of signings is worth hanging yourself over. I mean apart from Bigriyama we've signed no one, oh and Amalfitino. Apart from Bigriyama and Amalfitino we've signed no one, oh and Good of course. Apart from Bigriyama, Amalfiino and Good we've signed no one, oh yeah, Anita. Apart from Bigriyama, Amalfitino, Good and Anita we've signed no one.

Even then all they're doing is providing our squad with the depth we need to compete across all competitions. The fact we're not even bidding for Modric makes me sick, shows we're not really serious about going for the title

What's the point?!

brb, killing myself

 

Its just extremely frustrating when we are after the likes of Debuchy, 1 of the best RB's in Europe atm, will really push the team forward, show ambition, fill in the weak link of our team, and were stalling over 1 million euros or whatever, when weve basically wiped our Debt and where in 1 of the soundest financial positions in the league! I know lillie are trying there best to mess us about because of the Cabaye transfer but i'd love to get him over the line. I would say theres a few teams with a better squad then us but we have a stronger 11 then a couple of those teams! I'm not depressed with the squad as things stand but what happens if we dont sign anyone, and when we're playing villa Saylor gets injured for the rest of the season, I would be over the moon and consider it a very successful window if we got Debuchy and Douglas! I like Williamson he gives his all but i fear when the ball is at his feet in our own half! I perhaps went over the top when describing this window so far but its nerve shredding!

 

You can be sarcastic all you like but even with the players we've brought in we're still weak up front and at the back. If we're playing 4-4-2 then we need at least one more striker, as everyone has to know by now that Ameobi can't be relied on as a frequent starter, so should Cisse or Ba get injured then we have no real back up. Even if they're fit there's still a big question about how well they can actually play together.

As far as defenders go then it's not great there either. Good may turn out decent or he may turn out ****. The PL is a huge step up from the Australian league, and he'd only played 25 games there anyway. Taylor and Williamson are both fairly injury prone, and Coloccini missed a few games last season as well.

So yes, we've signed some players and they should improve the team, but with the extra games from the Europa League, and the fact that the teams we're competing with have all strengthened, then it's questionable whether we've done enough. We'll know by the end of the season, I suppose.

 

It would be typical of us to stump up an extra £1m and sign Debuchy on the same day that we accept a bid for his best mate (and reason for signing) Cabaye. What a coincidence!

Talk about getting his NUFC career off to the worst possible start...

 

Thanks fella.

You mention the teams who have strengthened but there's also a few teams who have weakened. Our excellent form last season should not be taken for granted, competing for a CL Spot is not our natural position so bulking up and holding onto our better players certainly isn't showing a lack of ambition.

We're not the sort of club who will spend big every window any more, it's about consolodating and pressing on gradually which is what we're doing. Anita is a good addition and the three young uns will really help in terms of bodies.

There is no place for pessimism, unless you're seriously expecting us to compete with Chelsea and co this season in which case yes, their signings have been better than ours.

 

I'm not expecting us to compete with Chelsea as we just don't have the financial ability to do so, nor are we as big a club as they are. We should be looking to finish in around the same area we did last season though, and with teams like Everton, West Brom, Fulham, and Swansea looking very good (Though admittedly it is still early and things can change) then we might have a bit of trouble.

We haven't really bulked up, as although we've brought in some we've also lost a fair few (Guthrie, Lovenkrands, Best). We've also mostly strengthened in the area where we already had strength, whilst doing very little to boost the defence, and letting the forward line deteriorate by letting Best and Lovenkrands go and not bringing in a replacement for either.

I think the first XI is very good, and I don't think we could notably improve it this year. The problem is that beyond the starters there's shockingly little quality. A lot of 'potential', perhaps, but that means very little.

 

As regards a striker, I think we could still see AC back in the line up.

 

That's certainly possible. We may also see Douglas coming in to strengthen the defence, and if those two deals happen (and no one leaves) then we have had a very good window, I think.

Debuchy would be nice as well but I don't think Simpson is as bad as people make out. I certainly don't see a new RB as important as another striker or a CB.

 

If we stay as we are i'll be happy. If we get MD or AC Tash's bits get mutilated.

 

Repped a canny few on here

 

Let's hope we get MD and AC.

 

It's all well and good bringing Bigi, Amalfitano and Good, but we need established players for now, not the future. We still need a RB,CB and a striker. Our squad is painfully thin to put up a decent European challenge.

 

I think Pardew probably plans to sacrifice at least one of the cups. Where he said he was going to focus on the league I think that was an indication that we're not going to be giving Europa a real go (shame).

Sign a few youngsters and give them experience in the cups while our stars attempt to seal another Europa finish. I'm not too disheartened, it's very easy to get carried away with expectations and forget we are not long out of the Championship.

We're not big spenders and I feel we're sticking to our guns on Debuchy (£6m) and Carroll (£12m) and if we don't get them we'll save the money for another window.