I've got the 35m in my pocket and the contracts in my hands. -Transfers-

First rule of Fight Club: Don't point out the emporer has no clothes.

Thx,

Jay!

 

"Liverpool are considering a swap deal that would see Andy Carroll heading back to Newcastle in exchange for Cheick Tiote."

That's nice. Pretty sure Newcastle's not.

 

Wes Morgan, Nottingham Forest. CB, 27, Championship (read: cheap), made #LeonBestIsMint an uncle.

I have no idea why the hell any of that matters, but it seems like as good a guess as any.

 

I'd take that, they can have Tiote for Carroll and £35m. Seems fair.

 

Footie Online, who I trust about as far as I could throw Taiwo, is reporting we have interest in signing Taye Taiwo. I think this would be a great signing if true. Taiwo is always a target and signing for me in FM, which is not a great endorsement, but I think he is a very good LB. Only downside is we'd lose him for the ACN this year which is a pretty big negative for the short term but not long term.

 

Is there an "equally unsurprised" option?

 

No, you won't. Nigeria didn't qualify for the ACN.

 

Rumor: Maiga fails medical, moving on to other targets.

 

As this relates to Ba being gone to his National team in January, food for thought: Considering the woes at 'pool and for his own confidence boost, would you like to see Andy Carroll on a loan?

 

Can't see it.

 

Would I mind him coming on loan and giving it a go, no. I believe all he needs is some playing time and confidence to get his form back. Do I see Pool letting him out the door facing Suarez's ban, no.

 

It'd be good for some laughs I suppose.

 

I say take him on loan until the end of March.

1) We get a striker in to replace Ba during ACN.

2) He'll miss the reverse of Friday's fixture.

Thx,

Jay!

 

No way Carroll comes back to Newcastle anytime soon, certainly not on loan. Not with us taking Liverpool for mugs, not with the wages he's (reportedly) on, not with the animus between player and powers that be at his ex-club, so on. Nice to think about but I think we've got a better chance of Llambias streaking the pitch.

 

ew.

 

Alan Pardew via http://www.nufc.com/

Thx,

Jay!

 

I don't understand this at all. Sham-eobi is doing exactly what he should which is sitting on the bench and getting 20 or so minutes a game. SecondBest really isn't an EPL level starter either. He's at best a bench player as well. I understand not buying a player in the Jan window, but why not bring in a loan candidate. Unfortunately I do not see a youth candidate stepping up to try to get more playing time. SAMeobi is played on the wing and not up top, Richardson is a mid and not a striker. Do we really have a good young striker that should be rewarded with more time in Ba's absence....I don't think so. The club has failed miserably to produce a good young striker other than Carroll in the last decade and it is costing the club dearly. Having to rely on the likes of SecondBest and Sham-eobi is where this club has its most glaring weakness outside of the lack of good defenders.

Oh, and Giroud can go **** off. Newcastle too small. Jackass

 

It was a Montpellier rep that said that, not Giroud. Still, even in the Championship we were bigger than they'll ever be.

 

There is no doubt Newcastle are one of the best known and best supported clubs in the world. Don't get in a huff because somebody says we are not, do not be drawn.

But, I think the comment reflects the truth in a certain way. If you define a Big Club as really big, huge, nation state enonomy sized bank account, whatever their history, achievement or fan base, then Newcastle is not that big in the sense we are not spending over the odds for whoever the flavour of the moment is with no thought to the bottom line.

There is a line of argument that goes that Everton is model of how well a club can do that is not one of the permanent champions league sides. I think that is wrong. I think Newcastle can, and now does, lie between Everton's overachievement in the past decade and below the unlimited riches class of the perrenial Champions League clubs.

I think this is a good thing, because I think the perennial Champions League sides are in a perilous situation. They depend on political and economic factors outside their own country. They depend on the interest and solvency of ridiculously wealthy men who may decide to turn off the money tap and buy a cricket team in Bangladesh or something.

Their supporters are enjoying the success the large checkbooks bring, but they do not participate in that success the way traditional supporters have, because they are unnecessary to the success of the team (if Man City plays in an empty stadium, the financial bottom line isn't very worrisome) and disconnected from the players, who change rapidly, are not native to the area, don't speak the language, etc... and are replaceable by a worldwide audience.

OK, so thats maybe a little over the top, but I submit it is not far wrong. I like being a Toon fan. I like being an underdog. I like achieving things we are not supposed to achieve. And I believe over 5 years we will see significant success with this model in terms of nurtured young players becoming stars, European Football of some semi-regular sort, and a chance at domestic silverware.

Time will tell.

But shit I hope we sign a central defender.

 

Well looks like we can add Ol 'Arry to the list of mangers that seem to be coveting Ba at the moment. Oh and to make matters worse, he was quoted in a sky sports article say he has been told Ba has a release clause in his contract that could see him cost potentially less if he is indeed sold.

Where's the antacid?