Billionaire Buys Newcastle

Rez wrote:I think Arsenal, cant be written of yet, as they have a very good team and individually they are ahead of Liverpool at the moment. I think they can come at least 3rd if they dont get many injuries.

I think are squad needs less work than Arsenal's we only need a striker and a winger, but even if we didnt get either we would still be strong. As Ronaldo and Rooney will be older and wiser and Rossi will return from a very succesful loan spell at Parma.

Yeh the fact of the matter is, that writing Arsenal off, even when they came 4th, level on points was it? But drew that final game to Pompey with Baptista missing that chance would made meant them moving to 3rd. Im worried about Arsenal challenging. Can't say im worried about Liverpool.

I agree on Arsenal. TH+RVP will make a big difference next season.

And while we can spend, new players need time to settle - as proved by both our and Chelsea's new signings this season.

I think they are pretty much even.

Worry with Arsenal is that Wenger knows how to win titles.
Worry with Liverpool is they now have the finances to attract the best players.

Ballack wrote:

Rez wrote:I think Arsenal, cant be written of yet, as they have a very good team and individually they are ahead of Liverpool at the moment. I think they can come at least 3rd if they dont get many injuries.

I think are squad needs less work than Arsenal's we only need a striker and a winger, but even if we didnt get either we would still be strong. As Ronaldo and Rooney will be older and wiser and Rossi will return from a very succesful loan spell at Parma.

Yeh the fact of the matter is, that writing Arsenal off, even when they came 4th, level on points was it? But drew that final game to Pompey with Baptista missing that chance would made meant them moving to 3rd. Im worried about Arsenal challenging. Can't say im worried about Liverpool.

We like being the underdogs, but i'd be worried if were you, Hicks spent $250m on one baseball player, and in the interview with the Champions League programme said unquestionably he would spend what ever it takes to bring the players Benitez identifys to the club.

Sheffield gunner wrote:This Arsenal team is a bit of an enigma. They showed that they can match the big teams when they need to, the main problem has been how hopelessly inefficient and wasteful we have been. The players we have should be good enough to fix these problems, and having Henry and RVP should make a big difference to us converting our chances. If we can find the ability to kill off teams and stop conceding soft goals it should get us at least 15 more points in the season. Whether they can step up and improve is the big question and I suspect that we will continue to frustrate next season. If things fall into place though we may surprise some people.

Arsenal points of improvement:
- Offensively:
--> not pass the ball into the goal
--> use corners more effectively
--> midfield scoring more

- Defensively:
---> not concede soft goals
---> not concede to the opponents sole attack (often from set piece as well)
---> more clean sheets

Team-wise:
- Consistency
- Not choking against right side table opponents
- possession means nothing if you don't score

Does this mean at least that Kimbo will stop complaining about the rich clubs?

110% wrote:Does this mean at least that Kimbo will stop complaining about the rich clubs?

110% wrote:Does this mean at least that Kimbo will stop complaining about the rich clubs?

Eh?

Kimbo wrote:

Rez wrote:With everyone having money, all that will happen is that transfer fees will go through the rough. The way things are going, being able to afford £15m players wont help, if good players cost £30m, its false economy, with diminishing returns.

Despite all these takeovers there's still only 2 clubs that can spend £30m on a player(maybe Pool aswell).

Give it a few years, there are quite alot of clubs with money to spend. The supply (amount of desirable players) will remain the same but the demand will increase drastically, causing hyper inflation.

Parks lives wrote:Worry with Arsenal is that Wenger knows how to win titles.

If you want to be brutal, you could point out that only 2 teams have won the EPL with 90+ points.

The fact is that Chelsea have dramatically raised the bar in what it takes to get to 1st place.

So does Arsene still know how to win titles? Or is he more concerned with pretty football?

We still have a way to go. 85 points would be an ambitious target next season and I don't think that'll win it. Having said that, if we stopped giving the Mancs 6 points a season it'd help.

Agree, I said to Obi around November/December when he still thought Liverpool would get low 80's and snatch the Championship, that it takes high 80's, low 90's now.

We had 89 whilst fielding reserve players the last two games and Chelsea had 90+ the previous two seasons whilst fielding reserve players the last two games.

You have to aim for around 2.5 points a game, so you can no longer look to win home games and draw away games and be happy. You need to set out to win every game.

Roger Hunt wrote:

Parks lives wrote:Worry with Arsenal is that Wenger knows how to win titles.

If you want to be brutal, you could point out that only 2 teams have won the EPL with 90+ points.

The fact is that Chelsea have dramatically raised the bar in what it takes to get to 1st place.

So does Arsene still know how to win titles? Or is he more concerned with pretty football?

We still have a way to go. 85 points would be an ambitious target next season and I don't think that'll win it. Having said that, if we stopped giving the Mancs 6 points a season it'd help.

Cant remember the exact total, but we got well into the high eighties for our unbeaten season...and we played pretty football!

Do you think you are as good a team now as you were with Vieira, Pires, Ljungberg, and Bergkamp?

I'm amazed at people saying Arsenal will drop into a struggle with the other teams for 4th place - their squad and is still different class to any other team. Don't forget Henry had the same problem as Ronaldinho, fatigue after a long season, so next year he'll be back to normal, with a fit van Persie and improving Adebayor.

Parks lives wrote:I can see a big fight for 4th next season

1 - 3 Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool
4 - 6 Arsenal, Spurs, Newcastle

What about us ? we should have £50m to spend !

Sgoater1 wrote:

Parks lives wrote:I can see a big fight for 4th next season

1 - 3 Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool
4 - 6 Arsenal, Spurs, Newcastle

What about us ? we should have £50m to spend !

You probably won't actually spend that much though. You need to be attracting £10m players to blow that amount of money.

kas wrote:I'm amazed at people saying Arsenal will drop into a struggle with the other teams for 4th place - their squad and is still different class to any other team. Don't forget Henry had the same problem as Ronaldinho, fatigue after a long season, so next year he'll be back to normal, with a fit van Persie and improving Adebayor.

Haven't forget any of it.

Adeboyor actually started well and got worse.

Roger Hunt wrote:Do you think you are as good a team now as you were with Vieira, Pires, Ljungberg, and Bergkamp?

no

He owns 3% of Adidas. We have a beast on our hands.

Roger Hunt wrote:Do you think you are as good a team now as you were with Vieira, Pires, Ljungberg, and Bergkamp?

No.

That was a very special team, one that will be very hard to replicate. However we still possess a very good side for the coming years.

Does this mean you might be more inclined to sign someone like Andrade?

You'll have the cash behind you to pay the big bucks and things are looking like exciting times are coming to Newcastle. Perhaps you could persuade him to join as he has mentioned his fondness for the EPL.

Get a proper RB

LB too.....ok, proper defence, including CBs, is in order.

If Newcastle are serious about a CL spot next season then they need 3 new defenders and 2 new midfielders IMO.

I'd also get a striker - there are too many average players at Newcastle at present.

something like:

-------------Given--------------

Johnson--Taylor--Andrade---Bale

Milner---Parker---New CM---Duff

---------Viduka---Owen-------

Not sure on the noew CM. I'd almost be tempted to sell Parker too - he's average attacking and defending - jack of all trades and a master of none. They could bring in Faye from bolton then get in someone creative like Bentley or someone like Maresca that'll score a few

Martins> Owen.

Not sure if a Martins-Owen partnership works though.

Roger Hunt wrote:Martins> Owen.

Not sure if a Martins-Owen partnership works though.

It doesn't.

Martins is very inconsistent - at his best he is better than owen but he went about ten games without scoring or contributing much towards the end of the season. A fit Owen could get you 25 goals in all comps, a fit Martins would get you aobut 20 IMO and I could see an Owen - Viduka partnership working much better.

Martins would be a more than capable partner though and Allardyce could rotate them

Martins>>>>>>>>>>>> Owen

Viduka, Owen and Martins is an excellent poll of strikers, it's just rest of the team that needs more quality bar Given.

Duff is out till November too Tweeds.

DD wrote:Martins>>>>>>>>>>>> Owen

no reasons?

Owen scored more in the season playing as a sub for Madrid than Martins has this season for the Toon

Tweedle wrote: Martins is very inconsistent - at his best he is better than owen but he went about ten games without scoring or contributing much towards the end of the season. A fit Owen could get you 25 goals in all comps, a fit Martins would get you aobut 20 IMO and I could see an Owen - Viduka partnership working much better.

Martins would be a more than capable partner though and Allardyce could rotate them

Sorry tweeds but I disagree. I think you are still thinking of a 2002 Owen. Even at the end of his time for Liverpool he was suffering goal droughts.

Give me Martins over Owen anyday, Owen can be an Inzaghi style impact sub if he wants to stay(unlikely). The twat.

Duff is pretty Cr@p aswell, and he's out until november.

I'm not sure about Johnson and Bale either, that's a dodgy team Tweedle. Johnson would be good back up for Solano, but Bale is unproven. I want someone more experianced.

Selling Parker because he can't attack and buying Faye would be silly, Faye is harly Kaka. They're both DM's, the problem is that Parker has rarely been played there this season because Butt has been in the team.

I'd want something like this.


-------------Given-------------

Solano--Taylor--Andrade--Baines(?)

------------Parker--------------
Milner----Bentley----N'Zogbia

-------Viduka--Martins--------


2nd XI

-----------Harper----------

Rosenior--?--?--Babayaro

Solano--Butt--Dyer--Duff

------Ameobi--Owen------

That midfield Kimbo, Bentley, Parker and Milner is fine but surely N'Zogbia is off. That team is very young and experienced as well.


Bentley -- Parker -- CM -- Milner

With some quality and experince in the CM role would be you're best bet.