Finally it looks like we have been able to unload one of the worst signings in Newcastle’s history – Albert Luque.
He will go to PSV next season on loan – so although he is still officially on our books – we will not be paying his wages next season.
We hope he does well at PSV – who have qualified for the European Champions league - so we can recuperate some of the $9.5M Souness wasted on him in the summer of 2005. Hopefully that will be the last time – for many years – that money is wasted on a player not good enough to wear the black and white shirt – and who should never have been bought.
We’ll need to continue the clearing out of the chaff (after Luque) – specifically in defense. Let’s assume Glenn Roeder remains in charge – if Big Sam is brought in – we may have to look at our list again – but few would probably still stay.
Expect the following defenders to be quickly moved out.
Olivier Bernard – why did we ever sign him again? – looks like a panic acquisition on the last day of the transfer window in August – when we were short of defenders - he never played one game for us this season.
Celestine Babayaro – Stephen Carr is playing in his position now - and Celestine often doesn’t even make the bench – so his ouster will be a surprise to nobody. Injured far too often - he started 69 games for us in two and a half seasons with two substitute appearances
Titus Bramble – given Glenn Roeder’s current situation he wouldn’t dare keep Titus Bramble following another season of famous clangers. While at his best he was very good - he just makes too many mistakes. We would have liked to have seen his contract extended - only so we could get back some of the $5M Bobby Robson paid Ipswich for him in 2002. Bramble has made 146 starts for Newcastle and 11 sub appearances.
Craig Moore - a good player for us when he played and added a calmness to the defense – but his injury record was appalling and Craig started only 29 games for us in two seasons with one substitute appearance – not nearly enough games
Oguchi Onyewu – not sure why we haven’t played Gooch in place of Bramble in the last few games – since Bramble is not in future plans and Gooch could have been – just very strange. Since he’s on loan how can we judge him if we don’t play him?We feel Gooch could be a decent no nonsense defender who may need more time to adjust to the Premiership. His height 6′ 4″ would have been an advantage - but he started just 6 games and came on three times as a sub.
So these players are almost certain to be moved on.
Stephen Carr is not on the list because we believe Glenn Roeder would keep him – not sure what his status would be if Big Sam comes in.
Who do we bring in?
We feel any of the following defenders would be good - preferably two center backs and two full backs from this list.
Fabricio Coloccini - Deportivo La Coruna
Curtis Davis - WBA
Anton Ferdinand - West Ham
Wes Brown - Manchester United
Sylvain Distin - Manchester City
Liam Rosenior - Fulham
Leighton Baines - Wigan
Gareth Bale - Southampton (may be too expensive - let’s not pay silly money)
Wayne Bridge - Chelsea (he’d be great for us - and he’d get a game - wasted at Chelsea)
As far as our midfield and forwards go – we don’t see any reason to move anybody out – in fact those two areas of the team look good for next season and if we can bring in Sidwell and Barnes - it would be awsome.
Well – in closing - that’s our views on improving the squad for next season – please let us know your thoughts and opinions.
Loading ...
35 responses so far ↓
1 John // May 4, 2007 at 14:37
I would keep TB since I am sure that he needs an authoritative figure alongside him in order to become the player we know he can be. Bring in just such a defender (Nesta is available on a free this summer) and let’s judge him. He is not a leader and has concentration problems, bu he is a massive physical presence and a ferocious tackler.
Why has Bernard not played? If his career is over, then get rid: if not, then keep him for one more year. We need a left back and he was good for us.
Is Aaron Hughes injured? He is not playing for Villa so let’s get him back as cover for all the back four positions.
I believe that our priority must be a left back and a centre back. If we are skint, then sell Dyer.
2 Ahmed Bilal // May 4, 2007 at 14:48
Nesta?
What are you smoking mate?
Btw Ed, Brown, Bridge, Bale, Baines - not coming.
The only way you’ll get Baines or Bale at the moment is if United reject Bale and Tottenham then take one of the two.
Sorry, but Tottenham are ahead of you in the pecking order.
3 W // May 4, 2007 at 15:02
Carr 32 yrs of age. 1 yr left on contract.
Babayaro 29 yrs of age. 2 yrs left on contract.
Of all the defenders you’ve mention there’s still a chance Baba would stay either as back up or a regular first team player. In my opinion, this position is our weakest even when compared to central position. I say this because most silly mistakes this season originate from this position i.e. remember carr being pushed off by a Fulham player prolly Diop and led to Fulham’s maiden away win something like that which was pathetic, we’ve had to play Duff, N’zogbia in this position which is ridiculous and most recently both carr and dyer losing possession here and lets not forget one of our bairns maybe it was huntington got turned in one of the matches and led to a goal, was it Alkmaar I don’t remember.
Other than Baba, we do not have a natural left footer from central to deputise this position- we’ve gone 3 seasons without strengthening this position, time and time again we keep on mentioning bridge, but nothing happens. So i predict Baba staying with someone from one of your list can come in either, baines, bale and bridge. Who comes in would depend on our budget really and whether Roeder is shrewd enough.
Roeder probably hasn’t mentioned anything about right back position probably because he can live with it by putting one of our center backs young and old there including Solano if his contract gets extended. So i expect no one coming in for this position, unless he has surplus lying around to splash around.
Moore, Bramble, Bernard and Onyewu are definitely going out. If Roeder is thinking of back up Ramage would do better than Bramble.
Well for this position he has insisted on having someone on the other side of 29 with good character and good CV apparently. He also said that Sol is not the player because he has 1 yr left on his contract and wouldn’t pay compensation as he refers this to as dead money. So that should rule out Hyypia as well as he has 1 yr left on his contract up to 2008. The only person who’s on your list is close to 30 is wes brown who’s going to be 29 soon. Personally I have objections since his last England cap was in 1999, speaks for itself. Since Roeder has mentioned he has identified targets, who knows who that 30 yr old with no contract as of this summer. By the way Brown’s contracts is up to summer 2008.
Luque going out on loan is somewhat interesting for me as it frees up the wage budget significantly, hopefully that’ll help us with making signings.
4 Tony Anderson // May 4, 2007 at 15:05
John, I couldn’t agree more about Dyer. I think he can be devastating when on form, but he has spent to much of the last 8 years either on the treatment table or running up cul-de-sacs. If Jol thinks he’s worth £7m then I say take the lucre.
I’d like to try and agree with you on TB, but the lad has had more chances than he, frankly deserves. His contribution is best summed up by the commentator that said, ‘it’s not a case of if he makes a mistake, it’s a case of when he makes a mistake and whether it will cost Newcastle a goal’. Taylor + one I think is the generally accepted CB future, with the youngsters as cover, Ramage’s main position is CB and I’d prefer him than Bramble. For left back, I think Leighton Baines is quality, young, English and about to look for an escape route from Championship football! Bridge is excellent, but I get the feeling he is happy to be part of a squad rather than a regular.
Who the +1 is, Ferdinand, Brown, Distin? I don’t know whether Nesta would consider swapping Lake Como for the Lake District, actually I prefer the latter so someone from the tourist board should start bombarding him with flyers now
…failing that we could always kidnap Woodgate from the smoggies, get Derren Brown to convince him he’s Ramage and do a face swap a la the movie ‘Face Off’..
…hmm, now where did I put that tourist board number?
5 W // May 4, 2007 at 15:08
If stuck buy a Korean. I’m not kidding. Their work ethic is amazing. No asian has ever played for NUFC right? That’ll show some of slackers to work hard. At least they wont be playing in the African Nations Cup.
6 W // May 4, 2007 at 15:08
If stuck (at left back) buy a Korean. I’m not kidding. Their work ethic is amazing. No asian has ever played for NUFC right? That’ll show some of slackers to work hard. At least they wont be playing in the African Nations Cup.
7 Ed Harrison // May 4, 2007 at 15:10
John - as far as Olivier Bernard is concerned it looks like he has lost his form -
that’s about the only thing that makes sense - and could explain the goings on with him this season.
I know he was good when he was with us under Bobby Robson - and we were pleased when he signed again - but he has to go now.
8 W // May 4, 2007 at 15:11
Hey that’s right, the 30 yr old is Distin! He fits the puzzle, his contract is up this summer. And, he says he wants the club to match his ambition. lala what dya think. I’m just trying to solve the puzzle.
9 Ed Harrison // May 4, 2007 at 15:12
John - there is no way we could get Nesta - he would want European Champions league for a start - look to ManU, Chelsea, Arsenal and the like going for him - but expect him to stay in Italy.
10 Ed Harrison // May 4, 2007 at 15:20
Ahmed - think availability will be determined once we know who’s being relegated and who’s coming up with Sunderland and Birmingham. I put the players down on the basis that it would be reasonable if Newcastle actually did go after them - whether we could get them or not is another matter.
But you’re right - we will NOT get Nesta - who’s one of my favorite players in world football - he was great for Milan against ManU .
11 Ed Harrison // May 4, 2007 at 15:23
John - there’s no way we will sell Dyer - after all the work and money we have put in for him - and he’s still only played very few games sinc ehe signed 9 years ago.
We need to get some games out of him - if he doesn’t shape up next season - look to sell him next summer.
12 Ross G // May 4, 2007 at 17:22
I agree mostly with your article, and exactly who needs to go. In terms of money available alot of those targets are out of reach. Listing Bale for example is I think a waste of time although I would love him, he has the choice of anyone in the Prem, he will go to Man U or Tottenham I think, Baines is decent, but I like Bridge the most. In CB i think Curtis Davies is quality seen him a few times and he like Taylor have massive potential and both Im sure will make it. It upsets me everytime I see Anton Ferdinand on our list as I thought we were trying to get away from these Baby Bentley’s as in Reo Coker they both are money grabbing pranksters which will almost certainly waste their talent. I think Ferdinand is in fact an alot more average than made out due to his brother Rio helping him a bit, some of his mistakes have led to the relegation of West Ham and a Bramblesc style. Colocinni would be nice as he has that extra bit of experience, two problems he may bring though is his cost (prob around £10m) and his language can he speak decent english.
My buys
Bridge £5m
Davies £5m
Coloccini £8m (expensive but worth it)
Barnes £2.5m
Sidwell Free
(Hopefully a RB free too)
Sales
Luque Loan
Bramble Free
Moore Free
Bernard Free
Onyewu Release
Edgar Free (not good enough)
O’Brien (same as edgar)
I think we may have to sell to get some cash too. I would sell either Dyer, or Emre for extra cash. Although I like both, Dyer’s price will only go down and £7m to Tottenham could be good money. Emre we could get £8-10m from Bayern which again is good with Sidwell and Barnes coming in both are technically replaced, but I expect if anyone Emre will leave even though he says no, if Bayern came in seriously im sure he would ask to go.
Team
Given
Solano Coloccini/Davies Taylor Bridge (Coloccini can play RB too!!!!)
Milner Sidwell Parker Duff
Owen Martins
13 W // May 4, 2007 at 17:35
Coloccini maybe the smart buys someone that can play two positions. Even enough agility to play DM.
14 W // May 4, 2007 at 17:51
Ross G- I agree about letting go Dyer and Emre. It’s getting a bit too crowded in midfield and no one is doing a Milner stamping his authority and claiming those two central mid positions. Most are injury prone and no one scores form midfield. Barnes and Sidwell coming in is a good plan. Both have height too. Parker can do the holding mid game.
Tevez on loan what do you think?
20 million pounds a bit too much to pay his owner.
15 sean // May 4, 2007 at 17:56
ross g:- rae you out of your mind m8?
edgar not good enough?
you’re talkin about an 18 year old, who didn’t give ronaldo a kick in the man u game, then went on to score a cracker from 25 yards!
i remember this kid well, cos the main topic of conversation comin out of the ground after that game was how much he reminded everyone of woodgate
maybe you should actually watch the kid play before decidin that, at 18 & with 1 or 2 first team games under his belt, he isn’t good enough for the toon.
maybe you think we should get rid of krul too?
16 W // May 4, 2007 at 18:10
i think they’d be better off gaining experience elsewhere on loan perhaps rather than plugging gaps in the first team. I would send them to sporting lisbon them all especially kazenga lua lua. who’s gonna teach them the skills. Sporting lisbon they put more emphasis on the relationship between the ball and the player rather than on tactics. Maybe we should send the oldies too carr perhaps. Any one seen the show but academies by BBC, it’s interesting.
17 Ed Harrison // May 4, 2007 at 18:16
Ross - think it’s too early to make any decision on David Edgar - and pretty sure he will go out on loan all next season - he’s still a young boy - we can see how he is after a year in the Championship - I’m hoping he’ll make the grade - but I’ll never ever forget his goal against ManU - and that he couldn’t stop smiling for about 10 minutes .
18 Ed Harrison // May 4, 2007 at 18:19
Ross - not too bad a team you have there!
Right now I’m not convinced that Owen and Martins can play effectively together - but we’ll see.
Think we need a big man (Ameobi - eventually Carroll could play the role) to partner Owen or Martins - but we do have lots of combinations possible in our attack for next year.
Of course I hope Owen and Martins great together - but they looked too similar on Monday night.
19 Ed Harrison // May 4, 2007 at 18:27
Sean - agree with you - they are still boys learning their trade - and they will be going out on Loan - as W rightly points out.
Tim Krul can be a huge star - his debut against Palermo was story book stuff.
We’ll have to see how they develop - but decision should be made at around 21 for a good young player who looks like he can make the greade - and we’d put Edgar (and of course Krul) in that category.
We have other youngsters - who will coming through - like Lua Lua(just turned 16), James Troisi (18) - and of course Andrew Carroll (18) looks like he can really make it.
It’s great we have kids like this coming through the ranks.
20 Tony Anderson // May 4, 2007 at 18:53
On the subject of kids, did any of you catch the news about Steve Heighway at the Scouse academy? He has a fantastic record and is now twiddling his thumbs thanks to Benitez’s control-freakery! We are on the verge of the best crop of youngsters since Waddler, Pedro and Gazza. Heighway could be the man to elevate these potentials to actuals.
21 W // May 4, 2007 at 19:03
tony- im all for that.
22 Ed Harrison // May 4, 2007 at 19:14
Tony - I saw that today - it’s a real pity - looks like Benitez has made him really angry - the way he has interfered with what are his responsibilities - heck they’ve won the Youth Cup for the last two years.
That will not go over well with Liverpool fans - and is a black mark against Benitez.
There’s a guy now out of the club - who’s done a great job for Liverpool - very very sad. Guys like Heighway are crucial to Liverpool - they’ve been there, played there - and are worshiped there - very bad move by Benetez.
Not sure if his heart would be in at Newcastle - but I’m sure someone will snap him up. I knew Steve before he was famous - we played for English Universities together in 1968 and 1969….he was a nice guy even then!
23 Ed Harrison // May 4, 2007 at 21:34
BTW - as far as our injuries go - last two seasons - take a look at this article on SoccerLens
http://soccerlens.com/ny-yankees-sack-fitness-coach-are-you-watching-newcastle/16361623.html
24 andy // May 4, 2007 at 23:08
in a perfect world, if we could get bridge, coloccini and davies, that would simply be amazing! these are quality players that would improve any team in the premiership, and would for sure help nufc break back into the top six.. possibly even the top four (arsenal are currently building a new team - which takes time, and liverpool really aren´t that great of a team! i don´t care if they just reached the cl final!)
25 W // May 4, 2007 at 23:39
andy- i absolutely agree with your statement about Arsenal and Liverpool, i also noticed this a few weeks back, they’re not untouchable. So if we do build right and get things right we are within reaching distance. Nevermind the eufa cup spot, the cl spot is what really matters. And i also went the extra mile by saying Chelsea will sooner or later lack the appetite and looking at likes of duff after all that winning they don’t really look like their up for it anymore. Man utd on the other hand even though they have the likes of Ronaldo and Rooney, without Giggs and Scholes who are getting older they wouldn’t have been able to be so good.
Roeder did mention he’s planning to sign one or two foreigners. I’m not sure if he means a player from a foreign league or a player who’s already in the premiership who’s also a foreigner. I’m hoping it’d be Colocinni and Nelson at RB. Although Nelson would out shine Milner. As his crosses and skills are far better. He’d cost 17mill so a tad bit unlikely. If only…
26 W // May 5, 2007 at 0:39
I can’t stop thinking of my asian player idea, get a Korean, cheap labour, hard working, willing to learn. As long as he doesn’t get neglected and pushed aside he’ll do good. Who could’ve thought Charlton’s new Chinese striker could be reasonably good, I mean he’s got a better touch than martins, honest. Man u has “Dong” and park ji sung. I’d give anything to turn back time and snap park ji sung instead of luque. But i know the problem of getting players from the far east. They have to play enough international games and so on. A player you guys should be looking out for is Park Chu Yong. Has expressed his desire toplay in the premiership specifically. born in 85. Anyone seen lost, they learn english quite quickly hehe just kidding. He prolly speaks the language already.
27 W // May 5, 2007 at 0:47
may i remind you i’m talking about a korean, not japanese. the japanese tend to go in over their heads a bit after making a transfer, just a trait i notice. maybe it’s the kind of upbringing is different between the two countries. You can class the jap players that come over here with what Ross g has referred to money grabbing pranksters -reo and anton or even luque for that matter.
28 Kenneth // May 5, 2007 at 3:14
Luque not good enough to wear the black and white shirt. Well, ok. He has not been given a decent chance. But anway.
Sell Babayaro, Carr, TB free, Moore free,Bernard free.
29 kam // May 5, 2007 at 4:44
hey guys. think that the player that we are relasing are the right choices. they have cause many problems and we have lost many games.
i like the new inclusions that are being proposed. i think we should try our utter best to get these 4 player for next season
Bridge - this will be an awesome buy for us. he is a good young player with expericne.he will cost about $4m but it will help us on the left because he can defend and runn with the ball.
Coloccini - this guy looks like an awesome player and we need a player like this in our defence. he has an astablish career for his country and he has played at big clubs like AC and Depor. So personally i think we should gett this guy
Baines - he has alot of talent and looks like a very good defender but also has a good shot and can run with the ball. if we cant get bridge we should try to get him instead.
Sidwell - very good player, can strike as well and if need can sit behind the attackers. he is on free transfer so we should try our best to get him.
i think we should look at also trying to acqure player from the clubs who are being relegated. here are some choices i think will be good. i have included mid and att also
-darren bent
-anton ferdin
-dean aston
-Hameur Bouazza
-Ashley Young
- Paul Konchesky
-Carlos Alberto Tevez
-Lucas Neill
-Calum Davenport
-Henri Camara
please give me some feedbacl on may inclusions and tell me if u agree or disagree. thanks
30 Dev // May 5, 2007 at 9:21
I think it’s time to move Bramble on unless he’s prepared to be at best 3rd choice. He is a world beater on his day but for me his problem is that he is a slow thinker who fails in his awareness of whats happening around him.
It’s a tough one because I think deep down most of know that at some point, Titus Bramble could become the consistant no-nonsence centre-half he has the potential to be and know doubt it will be ‘Arry who gets it out of him. But the fact remains Bramble can not be trusted to be in the first 11 of a team which talks about competing for trophies.
I think Bramble, Babayaro, Bernard, Moore, Carr, Dyer, Luque and Ameobi should be moved on for the maximum we can get for them even if it just means off the wage books in cases such as the slow motion man, Albert Luque.
Dyer, Ameobi, Carr, Emre and Baba should net us 10/15m to go with this seasons transfer kitty.
we would be left with
Given, Ramage, Taylor, Gooch, Solano, Duff, Parker, Zoggy, Milner, Owen, Martins
with Sib, Carroll, Harper, Krul, Edgar, Huntington as back-ups.
I think we should then look at making Gooch’s contract permanent and trying to sign Collicini (LCB/LB), Dunne (CB), Luke Young (RB), Konchesky (LWB), Barnes (CM), Babel (LF), Sidwell (CM)
I’d be hapy with
Given, Collicini, Taylor, Dunne, Solano, Milner, Parker, Sidwell, Duff, Owen, Martins
subs/sqaud: Harper, N’Zogbia, Butt, Davies, Carroll, Babel, Onyewu, Young, Konchesky, Barnes
And this should not at all be out of our reach.
31 W // May 5, 2007 at 15:16
i want west ham to get penalised with 10 points. so we can tevez. he’s brilliant.
32 Ed Harrison // May 5, 2007 at 18:34
Kenneth - you actually make a good point. We bring these players in and don’t give them a game. Less true I think for Luque - but we haven’t played Gooch - other than he fills in when someone is injured - we never played Hugo Vianna much and until this season didn’t play James Milner much.
Players get better playing - and it’s hard to come in for 15 mins during a game and be sharp.
33 Ed Harrison // May 5, 2007 at 18:37
Carols Tevez is some player - and will be a cult hero at West Ham - if and when they can stay up - they need just one point against ManU at Old Trafford to ensure staying up .
But that assumes Wigan will beat Sheffield United at Bramall Lane next Saturday. If Wigan don’t win West Ham stay up - even if they lose to ManU.
34 W // May 5, 2007 at 22:18
Also if they don’t get 10 points deducted for cheating. Hammer of the year come to the toon. Be our magpie of the year. He puts in more effort than the whole newcastle team put together minus milner
35 With Allardyce in Charge - Who Will Come and Go at Newcastle? | Newcastle United Blog // May 9, 2007 at 11:49
[...] This is who we listed in our last article on this topic when roeder was still in charge: For your reference here is the link - Newcastle to release five defenders [...]
Leave a Comment