‘Silly Season’ begins…But what do we really need?

Posted on May 25th, 2011 | 35 Comments |

A typical Toon fan on August 31st?
A typical Toon fan on August 31st?
Right, now that we’ve got the football season ‘in the can’, let the ‘silly season’ begin!

After a pretty straight forward first season back in the Premier League what have we learned about the team?

Who’s gonna be walking away to pastures new, who’s gonna be staying, who and what do we need to push up the league next time out?

With the news that Sol Campbell and Shefki Kuqi have been released we’re already 2 bodies down. Admittedly, they didn’t have much input throughout the season, but they will free up some important cash for wages. As the gossip about this player or that coming or going builds in the media and fan sites, what can we really hope for?

It seems we’ve already signed a young French/Tunisian in Mehdi Abeid, with a little help along the way from Hatem Ben Arfa and Cheick Tiote, which bodes well, in my book, as it means that they both seem to be staying to help build a good squad. Of course, it could mean nothing of the sort!

Has Jose Enrique played his final game for the Toon, or is he ‘nailed on’ for the departure lounge?

Will Joey and Kev, our 2 captains be retained?

All will no doubt become clear in due course.

What do we really need?

Obviously, there’s a gaping hole in the locker room where the number 9 shirt hangs which must be addressed. But are we in the market for an additional  striker?

I reckon we need at least a number 8/10 kind of player, even though I think Hatem Ben Arfa is gonna have some game time in that position. I also think HBA should be allowed to ‘wander’ the pitch a bit too, flitting from wing to wing and popping up in a striker role.

We could seriously do with another creative midfielder. One with pace and guile in equal measure. While we have Joey Barton, who has a great cross/pass on him, he does lack a bit of pace. One good buy could solve this, but pace must be foremost when signing anyone. We still have Haris Vuckic to break through in a midfield / forward slot.

Then there’s the back line!

If Jose does walk/slope off, we’ll be needing a left back as we don’t have a natural replacement right now, though Shane Ferguson is heading in the right direction. Maybe it’s a little early for him as a Left back, but who knows how he’ll work out throughout the summer, I’m sure the club will be building him up a little in the off-season.

With the departure of Campbell, we’ll probably be needing a CB squad player. Is Perch ready for that? He can play across the back four, apparently?

Then there’s Tamas Kadar.

Are there any of our young lads ready to step up in the right back postion as cover?

As you can see and I’m sure it’s the same for a lot of you lot, it’s all questions at this point in procedings. There’s a hell of a long way to go and it’s gonna be a long summer of musings, in’s and out’s, negotiations, victories and disappointments. With a few new faces this squad can easily be improved enough to finish better than we just have. Certain key players must be retained and a few young ‘uns could make a breakthrough. We’ll also be letting a few go out on loan and releasing a few.

What do you think needs to happen, where should we strengthen, who should be sold, who should be ‘let go’ and who’s gonna make the grade?

We’re gonna hear all sorts of ‘stuff’ in the next couple of months, some will be real, loads of it will be best ignored, i suggest a big deep breath before it really kicks in.

Here we go…

Howay the Lads!

NUFCBlog Author: CLiNT FLiCK Cut me in half & it'll say Newcastle United F.C. just like a stick of Black 'n' White rock! CLiNT FLiCK has written 42 articles on this blog.

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35 Responses

  1. worky,
    ta mate.

    I was just saying on the last thread maybe we should run it tomorrow, but i had to do some stuff & when i returned it was up.
    :)

  2. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    May 25, 2011 at 7:33 pm (Edit)

    “I was just saying on the last thread maybe we should run it tomorrow”

    Nothing wrang with it man!

    Scrumpy Hugh will probably be cracking one oot at 5.30 in the morning anyway! :-)

  3. Nobody seems to mention it but i dont feel confident with harper or krul between the sticks. I havnt seen Forster play so dont feel i could comment, id like to see us go in for ben foster

  4. GatesheadMag says:
    May 25, 2011 at 7:45 pm

    “Nobody seems to mention it but i dont feel confident with harper or krul between the sticks. I havnt seen Forster play so dont feel i could comment,”

    I’d be confident with Harper but not so much with Krul yet, GatesheadMag.

    Last time I saw Forster play in the flesh, it was at Leyton Orient and he was on all fours fishing the ball out of the back of the net for most of his half. I wouldn’t judge him on that though.

  5. Lol, I bet even that was a sight hes supposed to be 6’6 or sumthing. Cant judge people on last appearances, last time I was at town on easter sunday, I was standing outside tup tup nightclub and Kev Nolan was sharing my Kebab.

  6. Gateshead Mag

    Keeper is not the problem area, it’s probably our strongest position. Good news about this highly rated youngster from Lens. HBA’s influence coming through even before he is established on the pitch, and the news about Barton, well let him go along with Jose. I’ve said before anybody who doesn’t want to stay please go

  7. Well Pardew is going to look at Forster this summer as far as I can gather. Once he escapes the fatwa by the Scottish that is.

    Given that so many of our forward moves go up the left through Jose and Jonas, I think – assuming Jose leaves – getting a decent left-back has to be a priority; one who’ll team up with Jonas well.

    Agree with Clink that the front line certainly needs strengthening and another playmaker in the midfield wouldn’t go amiss.

    What about right-back? Simpson could do with competition for that place.

  8. I reckon our close season would be a lot more comfortable if Willy McKay was to be discovered hanging from the Tyne Bribge. Nothing too personal Willy, but your a turd and should be flushed away. Hope you stay Joey. HWTL.

  9. Clearly need a replacement for kuqi, saying that we have xisco coming back! yaaaay :-)

    If the squad stays the same as it is now our right side needs strengthening, tiss where most of our problems defensively originate from and of course a jose replacement and a no9.

    To be fair clint its a hard question to answer because it really depends who stays and goes!

  10. GatesheadMag says:
    May 25, 2011 at 7:53 pm

    “Lol, I bet even that was a sight hes supposed to be 6’6 or sumthing. Cant judge people on last appearances,”

    GatesheadMag, He looked so much like Frankenstein’s monster, I was checking to see if he had a bolt through his neck!

  11. Why is Willy Mckay saying Barton is attracting interest. I thought he’d turned a corner… the last time he attracted interest he ended up fighting in a maccy d’s

  12. Apart from some hardball negotiating, seems like we have, with the French kid, started the recruiting proceedure and also dumped some deadwood (still puzzled what happened to Sol. this season)
    Doubt for a minute Ashley will let Joey go as a free agent, just aint gonna happen, posturing, they will work it out one way or another, sell or agree on a deal.
    Just as Joey had his most productive season, ah well !

    It appears there`s gonna be some money spent and why not, what with AC`s millions, plus a decent price for Enrique, that and big earnings generated from both tv, the EPL + bums in seats, not to mention those ugly new strips, hey ! a banner year.

    What do we need, certainly help up front and some defenders, perhaps if Joey goes we could bring in Kranjcar, but doubt if he would want to come here, be happier in Italia.
    Would like to see O`Hara from Spurs, but he seems happy enough at Wolves.
    So N`Zogbia and Ireland then ?

    Defenders ! Bassong wants outta Spurs, a good buy for around four million or more.
    Izaguirre at Celtic is getting raves, with rumors Man U. are interested, we could use the Enrique dosh to bring him here, if not M`Bengue will have to do.

    Strikers! seems we are interested in some pretty decent and pricey ones, would`nt mind Sow looks the part and still learning, Juninho ? Gamiero ? take your pick, but there will be competition for these guys.
    As long as it`s not Defoe or C.Cole.
    Hey! we can only wait and see ?

  13. chuck says:
    May 25, 2011 at 8:26 pm

    “As long as it`s not Defoe or C.Cole.”

    Not a fan of the pint sized assassin, Chuck?

    I’d love to see Crouch and Defoe, they look so funny together!

  14. Willy McKay? Leave the guy alone dummy, he`s only doing what he`s been hired to do !

    Goalies! we are really weak in that field, just compare what we have in comparison with other sides.

  15. Gatesheadmag,
    I reckon Harper’s sound in goal mate & the other 2 are learning the ropes.
    Harper got a few clean sheets this season.

  16. Sorry Chuck I just dont think harper controls his area well enough.. he almost seems too laid back at times. And I thought Krul looked like he was going to be a world beater, until he was given a good run in the team, I think he looks a little nervy. Cant kick a ball either.

  17. I think he was clint.. I never even said a bad word about that leech mckay

  18. gateshead,
    i think was me that stuck up for Harper mate, not chuck, he hates him & wants him deed!
    :)

  19. I wasnt sure if chuck was serious or not.. hard to tell in this txt language

  20. I was about to write that Tiote makes Willo & Simmo much better. Then I ran the numbers and find NUFC gave up 1.5 goals per game for the season. When Tiote played, it was 1.28 goals per game allowed. That excludes FA and League Cup ties. I’m not a statistics guy, but that does not look like a big difference to me. So maybe Tiote is not the cover he seems to be.

  21. Beeguy
    whats the statistics like though when Williamson and Simpson arn’t playing but Tiote is?

  22. Beeguy,
    but you have to factor in who was available in those games to get a true picture.

  23. Hugh de Payen says:
    May 25, 2011 at 7:55 pm

    “Well Pardew is going to look at Forster this summer as far as I can gather.”

    There’s alot of him to look at Hugh.

  24. Reet folks Im off to bed to watch State of Play.. Isnt that what the mackems call the dvd whichh we called NUFC 5 – 1 SAFC

  25. Hey ! go ahead domonise Willy, face it he did a great job on Fergie and got Rooney more money than he knows what to do with.
    I call it doing his job !

    Goalies, “we don-need no stinking goalies” but we could use one decent one.
    Tiempo por Amstel muchacho`s, adios !

  26. We need a new owner, Managing Director, Manager and possibly a few new players.
    If we don’t get all of the above we’ll need one new fan.

  27. so, yes, its all underway now. we have shot out the blocks on this window, even by ashleys standards. tow have gone in campbell and shefki. barton is going, jose has just now entered talks with liverpool and spurs have thrown their hat into the ring for cheik too. Not bad mike and dekka. i am well impressed with our re-building and new stability program.