Bafetimbi Gomis

If we can get PEA in, I will forgive them everything. He is about two leagues above our club in class. Just a shame we won't sign him, for these reasons:

1. We're not in Europe, and don't stand a chance of getting back into it as long as Chelsea, City, Liverpool, Spurs and Arsenal are in form. Manure will be improved next season too.
2. We're not prepared to pay massive wages, which is the way non-European teams get CL class players.
3. We have just come off the back of an appalling season led by a terrible manager who's in denial about the true cause of our mediocrity, and he hasn't been sacked.
4. Our stated aim as a club is mid-table safety and "affordable football". Which ambitious player would give us a second thought?

 

Something that's been bugging me today - Alan Pardew has once again said something about "the line", mentioning it when talking about how hard it is to get strikers over it. He is well aware of social media and the current feelings of the fans, he is not an idiotic individual - how can he be, he's a man with no track record who got the NUFC job mainly by operating in a conniving way. So he knows that the fans take the pi$$ out of the whole "line" thing, right? He must do. Yet he reels it out again and I don't think by force of habit - he always seems very considered in his speaking, he's politician-esque.

Maybe I'm just on edge today, but it strikes me as a very subtle dig. The club proclaimed to be getting all there business done pre-World Cup. Obviously we've actually done nothing, but what happens? A bit of forum whingeing, but ultimately no change? I wonder if he deliberately sets about saying things that many will find inflammatory and when there's no ACTUAL backlash takes a bit of confidence in just how protected he is, just how untouchable he is. I can well imagine he's got a bet with Mike Ashley than he can mention "the line" during the World Cup finals.

Or am I being paranoid?

 

@SkyFootball: French striker Bafetimbi Gomis flying to Swansea for talks. http://t.co/sre4Km3anM #Swans

 

May be wrong but I believe we got Debuchy due to the fact his best mate Cabaye was here. Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest to see him go back to France with PSG very soon.

 

If PSG want him, then he'll probably go. Same applies to every one of our squad in relation to every Champions League club with money, plus probably one or two non-CL with money (Man U, Spurs, AC Milan). I think we have to accept that as part of life, though it's nothing new and we're far from alone.

We have to completely readjust our thinking. I think perhaps Newcastle fans have been unusually spoilt by player loyalty without tangible success. Shearer, Lee, Speed, Batty and Solano have all stayed at the club in spite of arguably being bigger and better than the team they were playing in. However, we have not had that same quality/loyalty ratio for years - in fact, we've been lumbered with garbage like Shola who stick around worse than a poo stain on white canvas All Stars. We need to be mindful that the money train has left the station and we weren't on it. There are 6 clubs vying for 4 spaces for the CL and that is how it will more or less always be, unless anyone disagrees? Add to this the fact no-one even wants to be in the Europa League and you've got precious little reward for your efforts above and beyond staying in the league. Of course it's nice to sit around 7th, flirt with the possibility of CL football, makes it more fun - but ultimately there's not a lot more in it from just staying up.

 

No you're not being paranoid mate. I do think we will bring in a striker - though of what quality I have no idea. Anything less is league suicide. Now I wasn't massively keen on getting Gomis but I'm still expecting the line of 'We just can't compete with the likes of Swansea' being trotted out by Pardew.

Debuchy will be gone after the World Cup and I can't blame him in the slightest. We will then drop Santon or even have Colback filling in there to right back and have Haidera or Dummett at left back. We will bring no decent replacement in. I just hope to God this rumour of Krul to Spur isn't true. We would sign someone (I think) but couldn't possibly play a no mark like Elliot. We would be cutting our own throats.

 

Santon's in the press talking about wanting to attack more and be used further forward. I expect us to start with this next season, particularly if - as seems likely - no players come in.

As for replacing Debuchy...

<cough><cough> Ryan Taylor <cough><cough>

...

 

Christ I forgot all about Ryan Taylor!

 

Rumours are that he has been offered a new contract. Pardew worked with him at Charlton and obviously rates him highly. He's a Pardew pick, just like Obertan.

 

To be fair Roland, there are not many who would turn down the riches at PSG. A club of our stature will always be vulnerable. Throw in him being a French international, his former national coach being in charge, its a no brainer. That's without commenting about the complete lack of ambition our own club has shown in terms of making progress. Our squad is a load of French B and C internationals, a couple of French A side players in Sissoko and Debuchy, plus a load of others who have never been regulars for their country. Only Cisse and Tiote have any sort of regular appearance in the main squads. I hate to say it, but we're not that good on paper.

Mbiwa, Anita, Colo, Santon, HBA, Gouffran, Marveaux, Obertan, Jonas, Willo, Raylor - these are all players of an age who if they were top notch would be playing regularly for their country. None of them do and never really have done even before they came to us. Its not like the managers we've had have made them worse, they were never good enough to get in anyway. Jonas and Colo have about 60 caps between them spread over a decade, they have had spells under certain managers but thats all.

Players aren't daft. Debuchy will look at our collection of cheaply bought B and C internationals, look at PSG's galaxy of superstars, and think "go on then you've twisted my arm"

The only way we will get the top notchers is those bought at a young age. Problem is they are getting mopped up by the big clubs too.