So we're more than likely closed for business (incomings anyway)...

I saw an interview with Pardew and he basically said (without naming him) that Grenier is our number one target as we want to play with a number 10 and play between the lines. I don't mind this, it's good that he wants to play this way and it's good we've indentified the player we believe is needed in order for us to play such a system.

My one issue is that if we know he's the man for us, why not pay the going rate and get him at the start of the window? It was obvious to every man and his dog that Cabaye was off either this window or next, we knew we'd get the money to fund the Grenier deal, it was just a case of if the money was going o be received this winter or in the coming summer.

It's massivley frustrating, but not the end of the world. I for one agree with Pardew that it's no good spending 6-8 million on a stop gap (Mark Noble) as all it does is eat in to your budget for the player you really want. I just hope that we're now going to spend the next 6 months all but securing the Grenier deal for the summer as by all acounts he's a very talented player and we've more than likely alerted a few clubs to his availability.

If Cisse goes and we get 6 million or more then that's fine by me. We've got De Jong, Remy, Shola & Gouff to see us through.

We're not really paying for our lack of activity in this window, it's due to a lack of business in the summer. Next summer is the big one, we could have no strikers on our books and be in need of a Cabaye replacement. I for one will reserve judgement until then. Hopefully we can get the win the city will need tomorrow to serve as pick me up for manager, players & fans and finish the season in the top half. Our good first half of the season has afforded us the luxury of not having to panic buy in this window. We should be disappointed but we should be far from suicidal. As stated the summer will be the time to really judge us, if we use the Cabaye money in the summer like we did with the Carroll money and get a number 10 and a minimum of two permanent strikers then I for one will be content.

 

Sadly this is true. Judgement is unfortunately off the table until 1st September. As per the club's official comments, and our understanding of the situation, we look at player amortization from 1st Jan - 31st Dec. The investment of the money from Sky or Cabaye will need to be judged after both windows are shut. It's not ideal, but the goal this season was top 10. No more, no less, and whether you like it or not, we're well on target. I think in Ben Arfa there is a ready made replacement for Cabaye and as said above there is no point whatsoever spending a few quid on crap like Noble or Adam. We can bide our time and if Lyon don't finish 3rd and there's no CL can revise the bid for Grenier. Similarly we can look to tie up Cabella, if that's who we want, to replace the likely-to-depart Obertan.

Adam Campbell and Adam Armstrong may be good enough to bolster the striker department, but one more there wouldn't hurt.

The only thing that is a bit alarming is we seem very tunnel-vision with our player search. It's hard to say if that's good or bad, for instance I would imagine that Siem De Jong has got to be available for around £8m today, or less - a perfect player for us. But it seems the club doesn't agree, for whatever reason. Like everything with Newcastle these days we have to second guess everything because the silence is how we operate.

 

Normally ever 5 mins I check to see what is happening but I am aware of what a joke of a club we have become so will not bother

 

As opposed to the good old days of when? When we could check every five minutes to see if SBR had been sacked and was being replaced with Graeme Souness? Or to check if Glenn Roeder would be the permanent manager? Or to see if we'd managed to snap up Giuseppi Rossi or Antonie Sibierski?!

As far as I can tell, you've had 5 enjoyable years supporting the Toon since 1970. What a bleak and miserable outlook.

 

A bit of a blinkered comparison, its makes me laugh that you highlight Robson being sacked and not the European nights in his era ???
I am not kidding myself that before fat mike turned up it was all a bed of rises but the difference then that all the owners had a genuine interest in the club and not just interest in the bank balance and use it as a project.

Previous owners made mistakes but at least they tried, the communication
From the club today is a bloody joke and until fat mike sells we will be in a coma.

But hey at least you are happy with the situation

 

I don't know what you expect, or what anyone who thinks this way expects? No chairman talks to the fans; they're often worse than ours, Tan/Allam/Glazier to name three. Roman doesn't talk to the fans, but that's ok because he bankrolls the club with dirty oil money? As I have kept saying, we're solvent, in the black and have a talented squad who sit in 8th, close to Everton. We have less loanees than are at Goodison, a bigger stadium, a healthier profit/loss sheet, an arguably better squad (particularly taking the loanees out!). I can't think who else we're supposed to compete with, unless we too get a sugar daddy. We have neither the gerographical/commercial appeal/history of Arsenal/Liverpool/Man U/Spurs, nor the infinite funds of Chelsea or Man City. So we have to look at 7th as being the pinnacle that we can control - we can only hope for higher at the failure of one of those above us, surely? And as we're 8th, that's more or less 2nd in our winnable league. I think you've just got to accept some things like this and be as happy as you can within it; I'm not sure it's worth continuing to support the club if you aren't happy with this, as it's unlikely to ever get any better than it currently is. Well, that's not strictly true - one Ashley is repaid we will be able to invest more in the playing squad, thus improving our slim chances of success, so stick with it I reckon.

It's like Chris Rock said - "I'm not saying I agree with it.....but I understand."

 

A fair amount of what you say I agree however you say we have a talent squad which should be we HAD a talent squad.

But man city and Chelsea do communicate to the fans through the manager and other officials, I would not expect fat mike to do the talking
But the club yes.

We are 8th and close to Everton however lets look at this at te end of the season.

I am not expecting us to challenge for honours but not to be left with our trousers hanging down all the time.

After we fail to beat a piss more Sunderland team tomorrow then may you can reflect on the joke that is mike Ashley's regime

 

Pardew frequently talks to the fans, I just think he has similar problems with radio silence! But his communication is right up there. The club also hold regular forums - sure, Joke doesn't turn up, but what other clubs do this? (genuine question, I don't know or care - all I know is NUFC try, in their limited way) You'll never get Ashley talking - he doesn't talk to the Financial Times, the BBC, or anyone about anything - why are we different?

Yes, as I said we have to judge on the season result - either you agree with top 10 as a realistic aim, or not, but you have to accept that this is the club's target. Aspirationally 7th is a roaring success, it appears you agree with that, so you can't judge in January on the performance of the team until after the fact; it would be different if we were playing badly and struggling (last season) but this is the best we've played since SBR was in charge. I don't know who could dispute that?

And I don't see how we're being left with our trousers hanging down? I mean, don't get me wrong, this is a repeat of the Summer when we absolutely should have had another striker already sorted. By all accounts the club knew Cabaye was going, but through oversight, naivity or stupidity didn't bother checking whether Grenier would come; there was probably a false assumption that NUFC are bigger than every club in France, thus any player would come automatically. I don't really like the fact we're very blinkered in our approach to players, but given our success rate how do we really complain? Palace are signing up bodies today, none of whom I'd want at the Toon. That's always a better gauge - who is leaving for somewhere else that we should have got? At the moment, nobody. In addition, there's nowt we can do but hope for the best.

Too much of what you say is negative. You predicted defeats against Man U, Chelsea and Spurs, but you don't change opinions enough - instead you're still moaning and claiming we'll get beat tomorrow. That's your prerogative, of course, I just can't understand the point of supporting a team if your goals are so unrealistic and you seem so unable to just accept the situation.

 

It's The Hope That Kills.

 

When Ashley is repaid you say Keith,

How much has the club brought in and continue to bring through massive tv money yet hardly any is spent??? I am confident Ashley can't be owed very much!

 

I don't want to sell Cissé, I believe in the man. I think he'll suddenly find form and be on fire.

 

Not negative just realistic, you seem to think supporting newcastle is a choice its in my blood.

You say that pardew talks a lot and this is true sadly however I genuinely think he has not got a clue either what is going on.

You keep saying about fat mike talking I have never expected him to, why have a dog and bark yourself
What club bans all local press ?

Talking about hanging with our trousers down look at last January it was evident we needed to replace ba
And we escaped relagation on the last
Day by the skin of our teeth.

Its all a matter of fact and why would my opinion change when the root cause has not been fixed,

Its like a weather reporter saying its
Raining that's not negative its fact