Off Topic English football

[samhardy]

Missed the biggest story of the weekend on Sunday @FuddledFox

[FuddledFox]

1 hour ago, samhardy said:

Missed the biggest story of the weekend on Sunday @FuddledFox

[AdamNufc]

Looks like Chris Wood could be having a medical tonight, will likely start against Watford if we pull this off. Weakens a Relegation rival too 

[Rich]

10 minutes ago, AdamNufc said:

Looks like Chris Wood could be having a medical tonight, will likely start against Watford if we pull this off. Weakens a Relegation rival too 

20m, hope he proves his worth for us 🤞🏻

[Dai_]

16 minutes ago, AdamNufc said:

Looks like Chris Wood could be having a medical tonight, will likely start against Watford if we pull this off. Weakens a Relegation rival too 

 

6 minutes ago, Rich said:

20m, hope he proves his worth for us 🤞🏻

Two players so far 30+. Would be easy to get drawn into preparing for the future but targeting players that can potentially keep us up is encouraging. I'm won't be disappointed with this signing at all.

[AdamNufc]

8 minutes ago, Rich said:

20m, hope he proves his worth for us 🤞🏻

He knows where the net is and has played for Burnley who have often battled relegation, could turn out to be a very good deal if he can score the goals to keep us up. I reckon we do need another striker but now time to focus on a couple centre halfs 

[AdamNufc]

1 minute ago, Dai_ said:

 

Two players so far 30+. Would be easy to get drawn into preparing for the future but targeting players that can potentially keep us up is encouraging. I'm won't be disappointed with this signing at all.

Forget the future this season is all about scrapping it out and surviving the future can wait. We really need two centre halfs now, a left back a centre mid and another striker.

I don't think we will get 6/7 signings this window which I think would be ideal but Would people say the priority order is now

Centre Back

Left Back 

Centre Mid 

Another striker 

Another Centre back 

 

 

[Ashez]

For £25m you can get a better striker, I'd say that more than gets you Origi for example who's scored more than Wood and is younger. 

£25m to massively weaken a rival though is why this has been done. Be hilarious if Burnley replace him well 😂

[Dai_]

8 minutes ago, Ashez said:

For £25m you can get a better striker, I'd say that more than gets you Origi for example who's scored more than Wood and is younger. 

£25m to massively weaken a rival though is why this has been done. Be hilarious if Burnley replace him well 😂

Only difference is, would Origi give up warming the Anfield bench? 🤔

[Rich]

19 minutes ago, Ashez said:

For £25m you can get a better striker, I'd say that more than gets you Origi for example who's scored more than Wood and is younger. 

£25m to massively weaken a rival though is why this has been done. Be hilarious if Burnley replace him well 😂

Got a feeling that if the Origi deal could have been done it would have tbh. Maybe he doesn’t want to risk joining a relegation battle, which you can’t blame him.

Quite happy with Wood, gives us a vocal point up top, hopefully another striker to come as well 🤞🏻

[Woody]

It's the closest I will come to play for Newcastle 🤪

[Rich]

@samhardy Chris Maguire come back to haunt you mate? 😉

[samhardy]

24 minutes ago, Rich said:

@samhardy Chris Maguire come back to haunt you mate? 😉

Should never, ever have been let go. Don’t blame him for celebrating in Johnson’s face either, if he’d played him last season ahead of the garbage that were in front of him in the pecking order we might have been promoted then.

[billy2shots]

I am interested to get inside the head of you Newcastle supporters.

From a City fan of near on 30 years (10 years wasted until I was old enough to see the light), I know what it's like to be starved of success and then have unimaginable glory dangled infront of your face 

I have seen nothing but possitivity on here for every single player linked with you guys and i am struggling to understand it.

Are things so bad that 'anything' is better than the current situation. Chris Wood for £20m. THE Chris Wood, 30 years old, 3 goals in 21 appearances this season, that guy for £20m!

I don't buy into 'it weakens a rival'. Burnley can take that £20m and improve themselves. Get a better player than Wood and not be worried about the Saudi premium that Newcastle have to pay. This could actually backfire tremendously.

Is there anything/anyone out there that Newcastle fans would think was poor business or are the blinkers well and truly on?

Everyone smirks as they remember Robinho at City. 'He didn't want to be there', 'he didn't achieve anything' etc etc.

What he did do was act as a catalyst. He triggered better future signings just because of his presence on the team sheet 

Newcastle need to pay way over the odds but get someone eye opening. Not just to help save their premiership status but to spark the embers that will light the new dawn. 

Chris Wood will fizzle out along with this season for the magpies if not.

[Woody]

20 minutes ago, billy2shots said:

I am interested to get inside the head of you Newcastle supporters.

From a City fan of near on 30 years (10 years wasted until I was old enough to see the light), I know what it's like to be starved of success and then have unimaginable glory dangled infront of your face 

I have seen nothing but possitivity on here for every single player linked with you guys and i am struggling to understand it.

Are things so bad that 'anything' is better than the current situation. Chris Wood for £20m. THE Chris Wood, 30 years old, 3 goals in 21 appearances this season, that guy for £20m!

I don't buy into 'it weakens a rival'. Burnley can take that £20m and improve themselves. Get a better player than Wood and not be worried about the Saudi premium that Newcastle have to pay. This could actually backfire tremendously.

Is there anything/anyone out there that Newcastle fans would think was poor business or are the blinkers well and truly on?

Everyone smirks as they remember Robinho at City. 'He didn't want to be there', 'he didn't achieve anything' etc etc.

What he did do was act as a catalyst. He triggered better future signings just because of his presence on the team sheet 

Newcastle need to pay way over the odds but get someone eye opening. Not just to help save their premiership status but to spark the embers that will light the new dawn. 

Chris Wood will fizzle out along with this season for the magpies if not.

Big players don't want to come if there is a chance we will get relegated. We have to be smart.

Burnley have been bad this season and obviously not servicing Chris Wood as they have done previous seasons.

I get it though, he ai t a world beater but if we get other reinforcements in the other areas we need then itt will work out. 

We're not in the position to get marquee players yet.

[billy2shots]

9 minutes ago, Woody said:

Big players don't want to come if there is a chance we will get relegated. We have to be smart.

Burnley have been bad this season and obviously not servicing Chris Wood as they have done previous seasons.

I get it though, he ai t a world beater but if we get other reinforcements in the other areas we need then itt will work out. 

We're not in the position to get marquee players yet.

City were a perennial up and down club, years of relegation and promotion so that danger was there for us to. 

Again, City had nothing but money to attract players but they got Robinho. For all we know he might have been the 10th attempted signing and far from first choice but we got him and it unlocked other opportunities.

Newcastle need to find their key.

[Woody]

12 minutes ago, billy2shots said:

City were a perennial up and down club, years of relegation and promotion so that danger was there for us to. 

Again, City had nothing but money to attract players but they got Robinho. For all we know he might have been the 10th attempted signing and far from first choice but we got him and it unlocked other opportunities.

Newcastle need to find their key.

You were sitting midtable when you got sold! Bit of a difference.

We need it done it the right way and I still think we will stay up...just.

[Dai_]

I believe the market was easier to shop in back then also. Plus, we're still in the middle of a pandemic where teams are looking to get the most out of their assets. A marquee signing will be tougher than you would think.

[geordiekrispy]

9 hours ago, billy2shots said:

I am interested to get inside the head of you Newcastle supporters.

From a City fan of near on 30 years (10 years wasted until I was old enough to see the light), I know what it's like to be starved of success and then have unimaginable glory dangled infront of your face 

I have seen nothing but possitivity on here for every single player linked with you guys and i am struggling to understand it.

Are things so bad that 'anything' is better than the current situation. Chris Wood for £20m. THE Chris Wood, 30 years old, 3 goals in 21 appearances this season, that guy for £20m!

I don't buy into 'it weakens a rival'. Burnley can take that £20m and improve themselves. Get a better player than Wood and not be worried about the Saudi premium that Newcastle have to pay. This could actually backfire tremendously.

Is there anything/anyone out there that Newcastle fans would think was poor business or are the blinkers well and truly on?

Everyone smirks as they remember Robinho at City. 'He didn't want to be there', 'he didn't achieve anything' etc etc.

What he did do was act as a catalyst. He triggered better future signings just because of his presence on the team sheet 

Newcastle need to pay way over the odds but get someone eye opening. Not just to help save their premiership status but to spark the embers that will light the new dawn. 

Chris Wood will fizzle out along with this season for the magpies if not.

I lived in Manchester whilst at uni and afterwards from '99 to '08 so I was there when you guys used to play at Maine Road, I remember the takeover happening and you guys being bought out originally by Shinawatra in '07 and then the current owners in '08 when thing went a bit sideways for Shinawatra.

By 2007/08 you'd been fairly comfortably mid to lower table premiership side for the last 5 years, after coming up in a Royle/Keegan induced improvements on the field.

In August 2008 (let's call that the first year of your new ownership) you bought Robinho for a then British tranfer record of 32.5m and very little else as you already had a decent squad and you went to finish 10th that season, including moving out of Maine Road (saving in having to spend money on improving/renovating the ground).

In 2009 you then spent over 100m on the players that would essentially give you the foundations to go on and become the powerhouse you are now, players like Gareth Barry, Kolo Toure and Carlos Tevez. I'd say that kick started your winning ways as you wont he FA cup the next season and became the perennial league challengers until Pep came in and gave you that extra push.

 

You talk about Robinho being the catalyst, really he wasn't as you guys didn't improve until the next year when you spent 100m on top level proven players. Barry, Roque-Cruz and Tevez were your catalyst, along with getting a better quality manager in Mancini to replace Hughes.

 

 

Now compare that to Newcastle now, we've been mid to lower-table relegation battlers for the last 9 years (pretty much since your takeover) sometimes succeeding in avoiding the drop, sometimes not. Don't let the fact that we'd been finishing between 10th and 16th fool you, we were dreadful and relied on 1 player *cough Willock* going on an insane purple patch, other teams somehow being worse than us or having a manager that is known for getting players to play above their level (Rafa).

You had a fairly decent premiership level squad already, not an overperforming championship level squad like we do. There were players in your squad that would walk into pretty much any other (non title challenging) squad, we've got maybe 2-3 players who other teams would happily take.

We've replaced our lower quality manager, with someone who's not quite at the level Mancini was at that time, but has the potential to become as good.

This season we need to ensure survival and improve certain areas of the squad that have been neglected. One of those areas is a striker. We need someone who can literally get on the end of a cross and either put it in the net (or at least have a shot and force a save) or hold the ball up for the rest of the team to get there and do something with it. This is what Wood is, if you look at players that came in and did a job for us in out last Championship season; the likes of Gayle and especially Daryl Murphy. They were and still are high championship level players, they scored important goals and helped use when we need them, they were then (or should have been) discarded for better quality players.

Wood is a lower premier league level striker, he's consistent and proven (just not world beating). Yes we're paying over the odds for him, but here's why I think we are:

If you look at the average transfer costs they've massively increased (partially due to you guys being able to spend massive amounts of money) so 30m for an English centre forward compared to a similar level player 15 years ago was probably about 10-15m (I'm thinking Milner/Bentley/Crouch here) is probably high but within inflation.

If you were to swap the prices of Trippier and Wood around, 12-15m for Wood and 20m for Trippier nobody would be batting an eye lid.

You add in the fact that it's a relegation rival who don't really want/need to sell, that'll bump up the cost more too.

 Add in the fact that, like others have said, we're in a pandemic so squads are getting stretched due to COVID and it makes it less likely clubs want to sell, which will bump the price up even more.

 

In terms of players that we're linked to that we're not happy with, you'll struggle as the quality level of our squad is so low it's hard not to improve on them. So yes they are that bad that we don't care, we've been starved of signings for a decade, apart from an occasional splurge in January to try and ensure Premier League survival (I'm thinking of Cisse, Cabaye, etc French revolution signings here). So almost any signing is a good one in our books.

It's hard to think of a player that could come in an not improve our squad, unless you brought in someone like a 3rd choice GK from an upper championship or lower premier league side. Literally every single position needs to be improved!

 

Erm... yeah... so that was a long reply...

TL/DR: Every position needs to be improved in the squad so yes almost anyone is better than what we've got.
Man City were already mid table level, with a decent squad, we're nowhere near that level.
Man City's revolution only started when you spent 100m on proven good players a season after Robinho was signed (you can compare that signing to Joelinton's price maybe?) this was probably/possibly due to financial constraints of your original owners being tried for war crimes, if that hadn't happened who knows how you guys would have progressed.

[billy2shots]

4 hours ago, geordiekrispy said:

 

In August 2008 (let's call that the first year of your new ownership) you bought Robinho for a then British tranfer record of 32.5m and very little else as you already had a decent squad and you went to finish 10th that season, including moving out of Maine Road (saving in having to spend money on improving/renovating the ground).

In 2009 you then spent over 100m on the players that would essentially give you the foundations to go on and become the powerhouse you are now,

 

You talk about Robinho being the catalyst, really he wasn't as you guys didn't improve until the next year when you spent 100m on top level proven players.

 

 

Now compare that to Newcastle now, we've been mid to lower-table relegation battlers for the last 9 years (pretty much since your takeover) sometimes succeeding in avoiding the drop, sometimes not. Don't let the fact that we'd been finishing between 10th and 16th fool you, Yes we're paying over the odds for him, but here's why I think we are: 

 

 

Thanks for the reply @geordiekrispy.

 

i hope you don't mind but I've edited your reply above to refer back to. 

I still see very little difference in city then and you guys now.

You say we broke the British record on Robinho and finished 10th and that is important in your argument but then we are not allowed to count Newcastle coming 10th so that's a little selective in my opinion. In fact one could argue Newcastle are ahead of where City were, coming 10th without breaking the British record and already homes in a fantastic stadium. 

You say Robinho wasn't the catalyst but then go on to say how we then went on to buy quality players the next season. That demonstrates my earlier point.

At the end of the day it's about opinion and relegation battle or not, until Newcastle get a marquee player through the door they will struggle to build a quality team. Someone has to be first. Survival with Chris Wood as your big signing will not help recruitment next season. Well not in my opinion anyway. 

 

[AdamNufc]

@billy2shots When your lot were took over yous were a comfortable mid table side. We are 19th, in a huge relegation battle and have one of the worst sides at SJP I have ever seen.

This season is all about survival. I think Wood is a quality signing, yes 3 goals In 17 games this season is poor but over the four seasons prior he has hit double digits in each season. We provided 35 shots against Cambridge, didn't score and I believe if Wood played then we would of won that game. He has a similar goal scoring record as Callum Wilson and I feel he is EXACTLY what we NEED right now.

The January transfer window is well known to be a nightmare to operate in as the new owners are finding out. Teams don't want to lose their players mid season and that coupled with Covid means a lot of teams are unwilling sellers as they want to keep big squads. Please tell me another striker better than Wood that we could of got for £25m? If he puts 5/6 goals in this season for us and that keeps us up then that's a brilliant signing. When Wilson comes back if love to see a front Two of Wood AND Wilson. We've been screaming out for a target man to knock balls down to Wilson or have a crack himself and  If unfortunately we go down that strike partnership would tear up the Championship.

Due to FFP we don't want to be paying ridiculous money on each player and then be snookered a couple years down the line. I am happy that we aren't being mugged off, I think some teams will buckle and we will get good deals closer to the end of the window. I believe Diego Carlos will end up signing for around £35m and you can't tell me that's not a marquee signing? He's a Unit, a regular for Sevilla who are chasing for the title. I don't think the Botman deal is dead either, Lille being one of the teams I think will buckle near the end of the window and take £40-45m. Both them would improve our defence massively.

The last 14 years under Ashley have been soul destroying watching a club that was once challenging to be in Europe become stripped of our Assets, slip down the table, have two relegations and basically become a stagnant advertising advert for a tacky sportswear shop. We are happy we are putting bids in for players, getting deals albeit slowly done, just 6 months ago we couldn't afford/ weren't willing to pay a 850k loan fee for Hamza Choudhury.

We need to be realistic we aren't going to attract huge names and we are aiming to bring in Premier League experience which k think is the ideal strategy. We are targeting players that improve our squad. Trippier is another Marquee signing. Wood is on par with Wilson and therefore we have improved our strike force.

As I've explained this window is all about bringing in players that will be up for the scrap in keeping us up. Tripper is 31 and Wood is 30, both signed on 2.5 year contracts, it's sensible and in the summer we can build around these players with bigger signings or rebuild if we unfortunately go down into the Championship

We know our place, we realise this window is going to be a struggle, none of our sensible fans expect to sign players of the likes of Mbappe, we just want a team that tries and puts in effort and makes us proud to watch them in the black and white shirt. 

We are half way into the window, ask me at the end of the window if I am still this confident but I really do believe we will get decent bodies through the door and have a very good chance of staying up.

I think if you asked @Dai_ @Rich @geordiekrispy @Woody and @Scratch they would agree with me that it feels like we have our club back and that us as fans are excited for our future but realistic at the same time, this is a big rebuild job, I feel like the goal progress could be:

Stay up this season

22/23 Finish 10th-12th

23/24 Top Half

24/25 8th

25/26 Aim to break into top 6

26/27 5th/6th

27/28 Fight for CL Places

28/29 Top Four

29/30 Title Challenge

30/31 Win League

Now things could go quicker or things could go longer but this fits into Amanda Staveley vision of winning the Premier League in 5-10 years. I believe City managed it in 4-5 years but I think it will be more difficult now with the Top 6 harder to break into coupled with Financial Fair Play

But that's just me getting a bit carried away but we really can see this as a project and vision, we are aware there is a very good chance we will be successful in the future and challenge for cups and the league BUT RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW ITS ALL ABOUT PREMIER LEAGUE SURVIVAL!

HOWAY THE LADS ⚫⚪

[Dai_]

On the whole. I agree with that.

Not going to debate the marquee signing point as I answered that earlier.

[JamesVilla]

I'd even argue that Villa are doing better business than Newcastle so far this month 🥰

[geordiekrispy]

23 minutes ago, JamesVilla said:

I'd even argue that Villa are doing better business than Newcastle so far this month 🥰

I think you might be right, but you're not in a relegation battle...

So it's probably easier to convince players to join to make that push to upper half/European places than battle relegation and hopefully get to lower mid table.

[JamesVilla]

2 minutes ago, geordiekrispy said:

I think you might be right, but you're not in a relegation battle...

So it's probably easier to convince players to join to make that push to upper half/European places than battle relegation and hopefully get to lower mid table.

I agree that you've got to be realistic in your signings. Players that hopefully will help you stay up, but if not should be in a good good place to come back up next season. 

I did believe you would make a 'intent' signing this month though personally, a Sterling type of signing for £50m plus. 

[AdamNufc]

@JamesVillaAnyone else signed other than Digne and Coutinho?

added 0 minutes later

MORNING WOOD 🍆

[JamesVilla]

1 minute ago, AdamNufc said:

@JamesVillaAnyone else signed other than Digne and Coutinho?

Just them two at the minute. Rumours of Bissouma, but I'm personally unsure on my thoughts on that with his off field situation. 

We are apparently still in the market for a DM, back of GK and Gerrard has hinted at more attacking arrivals. 

[AdamNufc]

6 minutes ago, JamesVilla said:

Just them two at the minute. Rumours of Bissouma, but I'm personally unsure on my thoughts on that with his off field situation. 

We are apparently still in the market for a DM, back of GK and Gerrard has hinted at more attacking arrivals. 

Both our clubs could do worse than signing Dean Henderson on loan, I think dubravka has been shaky recently and Henderson is good in the sticks.

Yous get a couple more in and then in the summer yous are gonna look decent like 

[billy2shots]

I sincerely hope Newcastle can return to challenging for honours, certainly one of my better liked clubs even with their recent history. 

I'm less  convinced than you guys on where this is heading. 

More competition in the Prem is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. 

[geordiekrispy]

1 minute ago, billy2shots said:

I sincerely hope Newcastle can return to challenging for honours, certainly one of my better liked clubs even with their recent history. 

I'm less  convinced than you guys on where this is heading. 

More competition in the Prem is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. 

I wouldn't say I'm convinced. But I'm hopeful. Which for a Newcastle fan in the current time in the world is something to cling on to 😎

I'm hoping that Wood is a quick fix for our current situation and by the sounds of it, we had to pay 25m to meet his minimum release clause. The club, manager and fans aren't happy about it (which is surely a positive sign that they didn't want to lose him). And if he does well, scores his 7 goals to keep up his 10 every season for the 5th season in a row. I'm sure that will help keep us up (as long as the defence doesn't let in twice as many that is!).

 

Then we can make the marquee signing that will help push us up the table, but honestly I can see them not doing that as who would want to go to a (hopefully) mid table team rather than someone in Europe?