What will it take to keep our best players if they have a great season?

I could see Gayle bagging 30+ goals and Shelvey destroying most teams in this league and becoming a potential world beater.

I personally think -

- We need to win this league comfortably. Norwich are a good team but they let in too many goals and have squandered too many leading positions. We have a much better manager and squad, we should be taking this league easily if we really want to progress and convince Gayle to reject offers that will likely come in for him next summer.

- We need to do better in the cup. I think we need to be really threatening in the cups this season and perhaps get to a final. I think we can do it with the squad depth we have.

- In january we need to be buy a couple of more squad players and another attacking mid. Really shoring up our squad to beat the league and show ambition in the cups.

 

There's one reason we will comfortably retain our best players... and attract those of other teams too.

Rafael Benitez.

 

Plenty of weetabix

 

We don't have any world class players. We have average premiership players and that's why they will stay.

 

I doubt we'd sell any of our current crop unless stupid offers came in or unless we wanted rid. I'd imagine we'll cull the weaker players if we go up, maybe bring in £20m+, and spend it and the £30m in the bank if it's still all there on a handful players at the next level. £50m doesn't go far these days though.

 

I agree and 50 million gets maybe 2 good enough players or 3 at a push

 

Love the enthusiasm as always Tash! I think that Ashley is big on feeling like he needs to trust people he is working with. By now he must have realised he has got the right man for the job. I suspect that should we go up rafa will come with the I stood by the club now you need to back me line. We will probably see us spend reasonably big. But this time the money wont be in the hands of a bunch of eeejits

 

I agree with the consensus here; nobody is good enough to attract real buyers. The best of them are Gayle and Ritchie - if they're willing to drop down a division to play for us, who exactly are they going to leave for? Refreshing to have some anti-Townsend's to be honest, even if they're barely Prem class!!

Perez will be interesting. Still gash, but with those fleeting glimpses will it eventually 'click' for him? Mitro I expect is just under constant evaluation and may be the first to go, but not many tears will be shed.

I'll be intrigued by next Summer should we go up. Last Summer may have seen a change of policy in terms of recruitment, but not in terms of finance. What were we in the end, £20m in the black by the end of trading or something?

 

We will be able to keep the majority but some will appeal to lower table PL clubs/champs promotion hopefuls and will help with overhaul that will be needed. Rafa will need 4 or 5 top players. Right throughout the team there will be needs. Up front. Central midfield. We will have a lot of players who we can use. Ritchie, Hayden, Shelvey, Gayle, mbemba, lascelles, Clark, Lazaar, yedlin, Anita, Perez, mitro, sels, aarons, darlow, Armstrong, they can form a decent squad, add 5 top players you might avoid a relegation battle. Goal scorer, top winger, no 10 if he wants to play like that, def mid, ball player, experienced centre back. Hanley might improve? We need a lot down the spine. Rafa might attract better players?

 

I actually think Ritchie would be a good player at a top 4 club. Rafa sold him a pipe dream and the pipe contents are good.

 

I don't think he's in that league but he's a solid pro and hardworking. Could play in the premier league alright but he'll be average in that league. We'll look for a winger if we go up for sure. On top of that the key requirements would be a DCM, striker and 'number 10'. I'm not massively concerned about the defence if we get promoted, but we need to make sure we can score or we'll be in a world of pain again.

 

If we get promotion, then there shouldn't be an issue with anyone wanting to leave.

If the players are here in the Championship why would the Premier League be less attractive?

Newcastle United is still a big draw for players (as Gayle, Ritchie & Diame have proved by dropping-down a division to play for us) so there is no reason for us to struggle with recruitment or keeping of players.

Who would seriously be wanted by the five or six clubs that could be viewed as more attractive than us?

 

I think it's more a case of being able to attract a high calibre of player should we go up.

Gayle, Shelvey and Richie are our standouts and are all clearly Premiership class, but have been at lower-mid table clubs, and that's presumably what we'll be should we go up.

The issue will be refining the squad from a championship winning team to one that can cut it in the Prem - Hanley, Diame, Dummett and others ain't up to it, and there are definite questions marks over Colback, Mitro, Mbemba and Gouffran.