The Toon Army Thread

NUFC Tiger

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Maybe Garde (or Laudrup) would be able to get the best out of Riviere? I think I read Garde had minimal financial assistance while at Lyon and did quite well with what he had. Maybe he can do the same for us?

I wonder where we'll play De Jong when he returns - he could be another option to sit off or behind a striker.
 

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robertg22

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Agreed on Jonas - not sure he'd be in our best team anymore (I reckon he could still make the bench though) but we need something to cheer and inject some joy into our season!

Riviere has looked better when played next to another forward IMO - Perez is very clever and creative, I reckon he's the best bet to unlocking Riviere's best form.
Jonas is probably not that far behind Sammy, he has been awful since his early season promising form.

Agree on Riviere/Perez!

Laudrup YESSSSSS... Would love him, the Geordies would love him to!!

Well if Riviere is ever going to score and lay his claims the time is now, otherwise I can see him going back to France at the end of the season.
Yep - depending on what we do in the summer as far as signing striker(s) goes, could definitely see us loan him back to a French side and then make the deal permanent later on. But hopefully we can get something out of him.
 

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Wow, what is this? Actual public relations from the club? :eek:

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-md-lee-charnley-8484848

Sadly, after reading this, it doesn't look like there is much change or cause for optimism for the future. Honestly, the sooner Ashley sells up and gets Rangers, the better.

The 'head coach' apparently won't be a 'yes man' but will be expected to work within the established operating structures at the club. Some even suggesting he won't be able to choose his own backroom team (some reports from France that Garde is now reluctant as he'll be forced to keep Carver on...)

The club points out they already have 25 registered players (so unlikely we'll sign anyone despite some fairly glaring weaknesses in the team).

The club think the existing PR (or the distinct lack of) with supporters and the media has essentially been fine but will look for ways to improve.
 

NUFC Tiger

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Read this yesterday and I think it sums up pretty well the current situation.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...-Martin-Demichelis-at-the-Etihad-Stadium.html

If Mike Ashley, the billionaire owner of Newcastle United, wants the best for the football club he bought in 2007, he will sell it. If he wants to control Rangers as much as he seems to judging by his refusal to relinquish his grip on the Ibrox boardroom, he will reduce the asking price too.

According to the club, which released a statement on its website in September in order to deny a Telegraph Sport claim he was looking for a buyer, Ashley will not consider selling “for any price” until 2016.

You will be hard pushed to find a single person on Tyneside outside of the Newcastle boardroom or media department who hopes he sticks to that timetable.

Ashley wanted just £100m to sell following the club’s relegation to the Championship in 2009. Surely a man worth as much as he is, could be willing to accept a similar sort of offer in the summer if it means he can get on with whatever he has planned at Ibrox.

Sell Newcastle and buy Rangers. It really should be that simple, but there is nobody willing to take Newcastle off his hands for £250m plus, even if he was, contrary to those he employs to run things at St James’ Park in his absence, willing to sell.

There are people willing to pay less. Ashley, though, seems determined to get all of the money back from the £129m worth of interest-free loans still owed to him, on top of an asking price for the business.

For once, Ashley could do the decent thing. Not that such pleas are likely to sway a man who has steadfastly refused to take advice or listen to criticism throughout his business career.

Newcastle need new leadership; a new start. They need to get rid of the man whose presence has sucked the life out of a club that once oozed pride and passion.

The atmosphere inside St James Park during the team’s 2-1 home defeat to Southampton at the weekend was as flat as unpacked Ikea furniture. This should never be the case. Ashley has crushed the spirit of the clubs supporters. He has drained the club of hope and extinguished dreams.

At least when former manager Alan Pardew was in place, there was something to stir up emotions, albeit mainly in a negative way.

Newcastle are a joyless, uninspiring, unambitious football club with some of the worst public relations in the country. There is a deep divide between those who run the club and those who support it from cradle to grave. They are not the only club in the country with that schism tearing at its soul, but they are probably the biggest.

There might be a new head coach arriving before Newcastle play again at the end of the month, but it is Ashley who must go for proper progress to be made. It is a football club that needs to be freed from his stranglehold.

A new head coach will provide some much-needed leadership and direction for a rudderless team. The enthusiasm of caretaker manager John Carver for the job, sadly, has been undermined by a run of four games, no wins and three defeats since Pardew abandoned ship to take charge of Crystal Palace

Carver no longer looks like a safe pair of hands. He may still be given the job until the end of the season, but it would represent a gamble.

If the owner is not going to leave, there has to be at least a suggestion of a fresh start. Carver was Pardew’s assistant and he is working with exactly the same coaching team that has been in place for the last four years.

The supporters know that. They see Carver as part of an old problem, rather than a new hope. It’s a shame. The 52-year-old is a decent, loyal man who loves the club as much as any supporter, but to renovate and modernise you need to get rid of the old furniture.

Ultimately, though, with Ashley ordering that cup competitions should not be taken seriously, that the Europa League is nothing but a booby prize for domestic success and that every player will be sold if enough of a profit can be made, it does not really matter who the new head coach is.

They will always be rolling with loaded dice and they will always be playing with a weakened hand. The manager/head coach loses. The house wins and the house in controlled by Ashley.
 

NUFC Tiger

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The head coach thing is a massive red flag.
Agreed mate. They want a 'head coach' who is happy to develop young players, work with what he has got and make the best of it. That might not be so bad if you could have complete confidence that players would be bought/not sold from under you but when you essentially have to rely on others to buy the players you need to play the style/system you want, I'd start to get worried.

I'm also worried by Charnley's update on if an appointment might be made soon. "I hope that by the end of this week I will have a better indication of where we sit."

Maybe I'm over-reading that but to me, that doesn't exactly imply 'we're close or in the final stages'. Maybe an appointment is still a while away...
 

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Actually a few transfer rumours - has been an eerily quiet period for us so far (normally there's dozens or rumours floating about. Pardew leaving and no replacement being in place probably the reason for that...).
  • There's talk of Remy coming back on loan (would take that with a big pinch of salt personally). Reportedly wants more game time but I can't see Chelsea weakening their squad when they are right in the title race (particularly since it would leave them only with Drogba and Costa).
  • We're also reportedly interested in another promising young English player - defender Tyrone Mings of Ipswich. Apparently has quite a few big clubs after him (Arsenal and Man Utd among others). Would love to see the club do a bit of coup and get him - we could probably offer him first team football too given how poor our CB stocks are haha.
  • Word 'Chucky' Ferreyra's loan could be terminated - that would then free up a spot in the squad so the club 'could' buy/loan someone in...
Personally, not sure if any of those are true and I'd be surprised if we got anyone in. I guess we'll need to wait and see, though I won't be holding my breath!
 

robertg22

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Actually a few transfer rumours - has been an eerily quiet period for us so far (normally there's dozens or rumours floating about. Pardew leaving and no replacement being in place probably the reason for that...).
  • There's talk of Remy coming back on loan (would take that with a big pinch of salt personally). Reportedly wants more game time but I can't see Chelsea weakening their squad when they are right in the title race (particularly since it would leave them only with Drogba and Costa).
  • We're also reportedly interested in another promising young English player - defender Tyrone Mings of Ipswich. Apparently has quite a few big clubs after him (Arsenal and Man Utd among others). Would love to see the club do a bit of coup and get him - we could probably offer him first team football too given how poor our CB stocks are haha.
  • Word 'Chucky' Ferreyra's loan could be terminated - that would then free up a spot in the squad so the club 'could' buy/loan someone in...
Personally, not sure if any of those are true and I'd be surprised if we got anyone in. I guess we'll need to wait and see, though I won't be holding my breath!
Yeah I doubt Chelsea will let Remy go off on loan! Also reading that Schurrle is off to the Bundesliga, another attacking option gone perhaps.
 

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Deloitte's published their top 20 revenue generating clubs list and we came in at 19th - of those clubs, we also ranked 8th for highest average attendance in Europe.

Said this over on the financial fair play thread but we've got an incredibly loyal fanbase that gets not much joy from the club. Just think of the possibilities if Ashley actually cared for the club or we had an owner who had even 1% of ambition. All his free advertising, spending rarely on new players (and when he does, typically cheap ones after selling off our better players).

Oh and Swansea, Southampton and those other teams we're told we "can't compete with financially" didn't make the top 20 list :rolleyes:
 

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The manager situation is getting a bit worrisome again too - just when it looked like Garde or even Laudrup might have been given the job, today's media reports seem to be suggesting we may be content to wait to until the summer (which has reignited the De Boer rumours).

Apparently Bernd Schuster was ruled out of the running (didn't even know he was in it until I read he was out!).
 

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tige19

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Mike Ashley has torn the heart out of out club, we are soulless and ambition less. I'm not sure why the Russians or the Middle East haven't come in for the club, we are the biggest club in the North and now have finances in order.
 

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Carver announced until end of the season! What is the relegation odds for us? I may as well make some money from the ineptness of our board. Total disgrace, it's taken a month to announce? We are a running circus #sad
 

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Yeah, very underwhelming isn't it?

I think if I'm honest, most of us would have expected this - this is just another typical Ashley appointment (the one that saves the most money).

There were rumours Garde wanted to bring in his own backroom team and to remove Carver and co would have resulted in a large payoff. So Ashley, thinking of his money no doubt, makes the sensible option to let Carver run the team to the end of the season...

What's the bet we're not going to sign anyone either?

I guess if there is any silver lining here - De Boer's brother mentioned over the weekend that we had made an approach to him to see if he wanted to join. IF we can stay up and Carver's reign ultimately nets De Boer, I guess that would be pretty exciting (but that's still a long way off and if Carver 'does well' - maybe the club will give him the gig permanently...
 

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Had to laugh at Charnley's explanation about why Carver got the nod.

Charnley said: “At the beginning of this process it was my desire and intention to appoint an individual to the position of head coach who would be available to start immediately.

“Having now explored at some length the options available to us at this time, the decision has been taken to defer the appointment of a permanent head coach until the end of the season.

“John has a long history with the Club and has the full support of the board. Our goal for the season of a minimum top ten finish remains unchanged and we are confident that John, supported by the backroom staff, will be able to deliver this.”

Maybe I'm being a bit pessimistic but just because Carver's had a 'long history' with the club, why would they feel confident that he can help secure a top 10 finish?

If they wanted someone to start immediately, there were plenty of more experienced managers who could have been given the job until the end of the season. If they wanted someone who has a history with the club, why not give someone like Ketsbaia a go?

I really hope Carver proves me wrong but it just seems like an uninspiring choicE. If nothing else, Carver is at least better than Pardew with his press conferences. Seems to say it like it is without the spin that Pards seemed to place on things.
 

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And in Carver's favour he hasn't headbutted an opposition player yet. We're playing Hull this week too, so look out David Meyler..
Hahaha! Good point! I think the 'worst' Carver has done so far is threaten a fan (was it at the Southampton game?)...and persisting with Williamson and Gouffran. :confused:
 

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On the transfer front, Yanga Mbiwa has been sold to Roma for about $5m apparently. Apparently good enough for a Serie A team challenging for the title but not good enough for a team hoping to finish top 10 in the PL. What a farce. Should have been given more games at CB IMO. What's worst, that money will go straight to Ashley's pocket and not on a replacement I'm sure...

Sissoko did an interview recently saying he'd 'consider' leaving this month if a offer from a big champions league playing club came along. Just like Cabaye all over again...

We could be looking at Spain as the next market too - with reported interest in 2 youngsters, Spain Under-19 internationals Jorge Mere (CB) and David Concha (winger). Reportedly, we'd loan both back to let them continue to develop.
 

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I bought tickets to Real Madrid vs Roma at the MCG, so I might be able to see Yanga Mbiwa at least!
Our last Spanish purchase worked pretty well, if we can get a few more Ayozes I'll be happy :)
Nice! Are the tickets sold out? I was pretty keen to go see a few of the games if I could but haven't had a look into it yet.

Yep, wouldn't be surprised to see the club looking for more cheap as chip players that could net a big sell on fee.
 

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Nice! Are the tickets sold out? I was pretty keen to go see a few of the games if I could but haven't had a look into it yet.

Yep, wouldn't be surprised to see the club looking for more cheap as chip players that could net a big sell on fee.
Only got mine last week so I'd say not. I couldn't get tickets for the Real v City game though. I also bought tickets to see Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano at the Nou Camp in early March - pretty excited about that one!
 

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Only got mine last week so I'd say not. I couldn't get tickets for the Real v City game though. I also bought tickets to see Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano at the Nou Camp in early March - pretty excited about that one!
Pretty jealous right now mate! :D

That'll be a blast for you.

Might have to look into the tickets and see what's available, don't want to miss out - still bummed I missed our NZ tour last year.
 

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Wasn't there talk of Cisse going to China on some kind of mega deal (think $150k a week was being mooted!).

We seem to be leading the race for Dele Alli from MK Dons (with a view to loaning him back). Haven't seen him play but he's an 18 year old midfielder who's scored 12 goals in League One this season and reportedly been scouted by Liverpool and Bayern Munich. Has even been labelled the next Gerrard I believe.

I like the fact we're getting linked to players, especially ones who could be real talents but think our first team needs strengthening (at the very least, to help ward off any chance of being sucked into the relegation battle).
 
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