If we are talking about this season or the last couple of years then NUFC have done pretty well. If we are talking about the last 10 years then we have a long and extensive list of big-time **** ups that have cost us ãmillions in fees and wages.
you can tell it's friday - "taking a risk on a foreign import, which i reckon a lot of these south american lads are." why yes, south american footballers would be foreign imports. i think i meant that they were just a risk per se, but who knows anymore.
My original comment about RokerReport making an article on Bruce's transfers was not a dig. It was a genuine suggestion for his blog, but maybe it is better to leave that until the end of the season. They say that managers are judged on their transfers and I suppose if you combine this with Sunderlands final premiership position it will give a pretty good indication of how he is doing. The same goes for Pardew. This summer will be very important for him if Ashley does give him around ã20 million to spend. Next season is when most fans will judge him.
overall i'm certainly not one to complain about his business in the transfer market, his good deals far outweigh the bad, but once again we've been caught out with injuries, and angeleri and riveros should be, and were billed to be, capable of coming into the side and giving us options, but they are quite obviously rubbish. that we have barely seen them at all, even with all our injury problems, says that they are nowhere near good enough, and though we haven't spent much money on them, it's not ideal. i think bruce is very keen to find another palacious or valencia, but they are proving to be rare finds. i'd rather see him spend twice as much on a player who is proven, from the prem or a top european league. of course that depends on him getting the backing.
don't misunderestimate me overseas. i know simon, just noting the hair triggers last time you posted in these here parts. and i agree, i think bruce's time to be judged will be at the end of this season. if he can't arrest this slump we are in, if we slide towards the bottom half and all our early promise comes to nothing, then i imagine short and quinn will have to ask questions.
I would love to see some statistics regarding the number of South American players who actually do well in the Premiership, but I would guess that the vast majority fail to make a meaningful impression. I'm sure that some of the lads and lasses on here will remember Claudio Marangoni, who I believe was our first South American player. He just never managed to adjust to the pace of the English game, but then went back to Argentina and soon became their player of the year. I suppose that the point I'm making is that just because they fail in the Premier League doesn't make them a bad player, and it must be frustrating for a player who knows he has ability but it's just not working out for him.
One of the best examples of this is Diego Forlan. He couldn't hit a barn door for Man Utd but has been excellent since moving to Spain. The guy is undoubtedly a quality player, just not suited to the premiership
Sorry boys but I just dont buy this, they all make mistakes, thing. We have some highly paid scouts and a highly paid management team and I would expect very few mistakes. If a player comes in then finds he cant settle or adapt, fair enough. Both Riveros and Angeleri have not played, never got off the mark and if it was my millions being spent I would ask why.
In response to Simon, I'd say around 70% of Bruce's transfers have been a success. Success defined by the fact we're performing better in the league, and versus their predecessor in the position. Not every manager is going to get it right. Even SAF, Mourinho et al have bought some duds.
What I meant was that, probably best at the end of the season, you could do an article looking at each player bought by Bruce, and assess whether he has been a success, taking into account the money spent on fees and wages, how they have performed individually, and how the team has performed when they have played (do they fit into the best system). This would give you a far more accurate success rate than just plucking a figure out of the air. This coupled with your final league position would give a good indication on how well/badly Bruce was doing. Of course there would be many different opinions about how the players have done, but surely this is what your blog wants to do isn't it, to stimulate debate?
At the beginning of the season , didn't you tell us Angeleri and Riveros would turn out to be brilliant?
in january, didn't you tell us andy carroll would stay at newcastle for evermore, and was better than jesus, pele and the beatles combined?? we all make mistakes.
Julio Arca spent his entire career at left back too, till Reidie converted him. Julio did do well for Sunderland - but it took him the best part of a year to get in the team. So I don't see what's so terrible about trying it again. The point is all these S. Americans are oozing skill, but lack strength and bulk. They're also attack mad. That leaves gaps at the back - as Germany proved - and the EPL is so fast you can't afford gaps for a second. So Reidie just moved Julio forward, i.e. played to the lad's strengths without incurring the damage. I'd call that good imaginative management myself. So why aren't we doing it instead of wasting good talent?
Are we one entity like the Borg off Star Trek? I'm sure on a board such as ours which is full of intellectual debate you will get a variety of views and opinions; and during these descussions, and going by their previous form, many will have stated that they had very high hopes for these two players. This board differs from the Newcastle board by the fact that intellegent debate can take place in a civilised manner and we are flexible enough in our views to admit when we have been wrong in our asssessment of players.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..... Just as you told us we all wanted Sir Bobby out? Pot , kettle , black... You know the story..
