Pardew confirms a defender is a priority for January

http://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport...-s-alan-pardew-wants-a-new-defender-1-4976979


Newcastle United’s Alan Pardew wants a new defender


Published on Saturday 29 September 2012 12:30

ALAN Pardew is hoping he will be backed with hard cash in the transfer market after signing a new long-term contract at Newcastle United.

Pardew and his coaching staff have all committed themselves to the club until 2020.

Newcastle have failed to land a defender in the last two transfer windows, and the club – which made bids for Lille’s Mathieu Debuchy and FC Twente’s Douglas in the summer – will again be in the market for defensive reinforcements in January.

Pardew is also hopeful of holding on to his key players, with Demba Ba’s future again the subject of speculation after the revelation he has another £7m release clause written into his contract.

“We will look for another defender in the next window, without losing anybody, but we will have to see,” Pardew said.

However, Pardew is reluctant to make promises about incoming signings. Hinting at the difficulties the club encountered in trying to sign Debuchy, Pardew added: “Assurances are difficult.

“Trying to sign a player is fluid. One minute you want to sign a player worth £3m, and then the price is £7m. You ask: Why? Why?

“You have to get your head around all of these things.”

Newcastle’s success in finding value in the transfer market has been credited largely to chief scout Graham Carr, who also signed an eight-year deal in the summer.

And while the days of signing players for £15m, for the time being at least, are gone, Pardew still believes the financial model allows for high-profile acquisitions.

He said: “What sort of signing would you call Papiss Cisse? I think it’s a trophy signing – they (the hierarchy) might not want to call it that.

“But £9m for a striker is a lot of money. You look at Premier League clubs outside the top four, and we are all spending the same money.”

 

Same old, same old. I expect him to regularly say how we need new players to come in, and then absolutely nothing will happen in the window. Except, of course, for some excuses about how difficult it is to 'get players over the line'.

 

Anyone who knows anything about football can look at our squad and see we need cover at the back. I'd like to see us get a CB through the door and a LB, in January, in case Simpson doesn't sign up and then we can slowly work new players in.

 

I predict we won't sign a defender. Needed defenders since the last winter window!

 

We need another Saylor type CB!

 

We knew that in summer and still they didnt buy anyone.

 

I don't see how they will be able to not sign anyone in the next window. And it shouldn't just be one defender, either.

To me, minimum requirement from the next window is 1 CB, 1 Debuchy, 1 Winger. A striker and further CB would be nice, but let's not put the horse's shoes before the horse can travel in front of the cart...

And there's no way they can have an excuse this time, because they have all this time from now til the window to negotiate fees etc.

 

I think we need to get the ones we have playing first before we worry about bringing anyone else in.

 

We have an obvious need for a centre back. Willo not quite up to it. I'd still like a left back too (I see Jose is pretty much frozen out....). Santon looks top class and while its all well and good him looking dangerous cutting in, Demba and Cisse both showed in recent games we need a supply coming in (Fergie providing both). Moving Santon over will balance us and get delivery from wide areas to make us less predictable. We still have Benni cutting in or dribbling.

After that it is more about pushing some players down the pecking order and pushing others up. I'd like to see Fergie getting the games Marveaux has been, and Abeid getting the ones Gosling has.

I'd still like Carroll back longer term.

 

I want us to sell Willo in the next window and bring another CB in. Even if it's 1 in, 1 out it would still improve our pool of defenders. I don't see the point in players that step in for injured players when they're not of the same quality (unless the player stepping in is young and likely to improve).

For all his effort Williamson just isn't good enough, and that's not just a reflection of his defensive ability but also his ability on the ball. He's the reason we give the ball away at least 50% - 60% of the time.