Newcastle United Transfer Rumours and General Chat

Vokes

Newcastle are after signing Bernard (free agent).

Limerick Dude

Bernard is a good left back imo, way better than that piece of ****e baba.

evilhomer

Salmon wrote:

We've re-signed oli bernard! Wasn't good enough for us to hold onto a couple of years ago

mmm, we let him go two seasons ago because he wanted 40k a week wages, not because he wasn't good enough. He tried to hold Newcastle over a barrell by not signing a new contract and saying he wanted to go as a free agent and get more money, we got rid of him to recoup a little money on him.

I bet he is back on the same money or less then he was on before.

Good attacking left back hopefully he can find his form he had under bobby robson again!

iFight

SofaKing wrote:

Newcastle are after signing Bernard (free agent).

Excellent, he was very good, solid attacking defender.

evilhomer wrote:

I bet he is back on the same money or less then he was on before.

Would be funny alright.

eirebhoy

He was brutal in the SPL.

evilhomer

eirebhoy wrote:

He was brutal in the SPL.

He sure was! I think he has just been bitter since leaving Newcastle

Salmon

Not sure about bernard, I dont think he is a step forward(but I hope he proves me worng!!)! We dont need a good attacking full back, we need a good defending full back. If we could just firm up a little at the back we could be in contention for a trophy in the not too distant future. We always get caught out at the back!!!!

kinaldo

I'm off to Newcastle in the early hours this morning and man I can hardly wait, Rossi and Martins raring to go!

Sep 8 2006
By Luke Edwards, The Journal

Obafemi Martins is ready to become one of the most explosive strikers in the Premiership after stunning team-mates with his pace and power in training this week.

Martins, nicknamed `Oba-gol' by fans at his previous club Inter Milan, is expected to line up alongside Giuseppe Rossi in a new-look United frontline against Fulham tomorrow as the Magpies attempt to move on from the disappointment and criticism which followed a lacklustre close to the transfer window last week. But, while there has inevitably been some frustration at Glenn Roeder's failure to add sufficiently to his squad, Titus Bramble believes the United boss has already managed to pull off one excellent piece of work in the transfer market by luring Martins to St James's Park.

The Nigerian international, who cost £10m from Inter Milan, failed to set English football alight on his debut against Aston Villa and the 21-year-old's first appearance in a black-and-white shirt will be best remembered for the second-half injury scare which saw him leave the Villa Park pitch on a stretcher.

"Obafemi has looked absolutely fantastic in training and he is raring to get his Newcastle career up and running," enthused Bramble of Martins, whose injury proved to be nothing more than a badly bruised thigh muscle.

"It might just sound like a team-mate talking up a new player, but he has impressed everyone, his finishing is unbelievable.

"We had all heard how fast he was and he's certainly quick, I've never seen a striker quicker over 10 or 20 yards. But it is also the power and accuracy he has when he shoots which has impressed me.

"He's been scoring goals for fun since he returned to full training and I think we're all excited about what he will bring to the team. He looks like he has everything needed to be a success in the Premiership and the club have done very well to get him.

"You can see what a talent he is and he will only get better. He has the ability to become one of the best in the Premiership and I'm confident he will get plenty of goals this season."

Martins' international goal record - he has scored 11 goals in 14 appearances for Nigeria - would suggest he is a better natural finisher than some have given him credit for since his arrival on Tyneside. But Bramble has already suggested there is someone who has an even keener eye for goal at Newcastle - fellow new arrival Rossi.

The Italian will have had only two training sessions with his new team-mates before United entertain Fulham, but Bramble has liked what he has seen from a player described as the "best finisher" at Old Trafford by Red Devils colleague Wayne Rooney earlier this week.

"Giuseppe has shown plenty of nice touches and his finishing is superb," added Bramble. "Some players are naturally clinical in front of goal and he looks like one of them.

"A lot has been said and written about our lack of firepower because of the retirement of Alan Shearer and the awful injury Michael (Owen) suffered at the World Cup.

"But I think we have signed two very good strikers. As a defender you can tell straight away and we have got two natural- born goalscorers."

Roeder has failed to add another centre back to his squad after missing out on Robert Huth and Jonathan Woodgate to local rivals Middlesbrough and Bramble admitted they must do better at the back.

He said: "It didn't upset me that the manager was looking at other defenders, it just makes me more determined to hang on to the shirt. In the end we missed out on a couple of players, but we're not kidding ourselves.

"We made mistakes against Aston Villa and it's up to the defenders who are here to put things right."

http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/newcastleunited/journalsport/tm_objectid=17707692%26method=full%26siteid=50081%26headline=bramble%2dhails%2dfantastic%2doba-name_page.html

kinaldo

To anyone thinking of going to Newcastle and St. James' Park, I can't recommend it enough. Great day out apart from the fluke result. The city is amazing and the stadium is truly awesome.

Only just over 50,000 turned up on Saturday (our lowest Prem attendance since 2001), due to a lack of away support and growing anger amongst the locals over the way the club is being run. I was in the Milburn Stand up near the heavens where most of the empty home seats were situated so the atmosphere wasn't the greatest but I can imagine what it would be like in the golden days of Keegan and Robson, something I can probably only dream about though.

I can't wait to go back. Very easy to get to thanks to Ryanair and the stadium being located right in the heart of th city (and it's a small city!). Goldfish bowl is probably the best way to describe it. The whole trip cost less than €100.

evilhomer

Over and back on the saturday? or did you stay over?
Certainly sounds like a good trip to take.

Maybe in October/November. Pompey at home 26th of november might be a good trip to take

kinaldo

evilhomer wrote:

Over and back on the saturday? or did you stay over?
Certainly sounds like a good trip to take.

Maybe in October/November. Pompey at home 26th of november might be a good trip to take

Same day return with Ryanair 99 cent each way pre-tax of course. Arrived in Newcastle at 7.40am and got home at 10pm. Match tickets cost me £33 online but they were terrific seats and I could've got them at the box office when I got there for £28.

My only previous visit was for 2 days when we played Man Utd at the start of Robson's final season and I was seated amongst the away fans which was kinda awkward. The chain of events that day was not too dissimilar to Saturday - Newcastle took the lead but Man U scored twice in the second half to win 2-1

You should definitely try and get out there though, u may bring the team better luck than me

Salmon

Kinaldo,

Did you buy the tickets online @ nufc.co.uk? I remember registering for that site before! Do you get the tickets before the match or do you need to collect them from the box office?

deise_boi

They get posted out to you.

kinaldo

Salmon wrote:

Kinaldo,

Did you buy the tickets online @ nufc.co.uk? I remember registering for that site before! Do you get the tickets before the match or do you need to collect them from the box office?

I bought them online here and they were posted to me. You can have them picked up at the box office if u buy them closer to match day.

kinaldo

The less said about that performance in Estonia the better...

but it's sad to say the least to see poor Duff playing at left back.

evilhomer

Shocking performance!

Martins can't hit the side of a barn door!

At least we got out with an away goal. I'm not very happy about Roeders tactics lately. He just can't get the team scoring goals!

Salmon

Probably not a great time to bring it up, but would anyone be interested in heading over to st. james' for the return leg of the uefa game? I'm headin to Old Trafford for the game on the sunday but wouldnt mind catchin the European game in Newcastle a couple of nights before! If anyone has any info on where 2 stay etc. i'd be greatful!!

kinaldo

Salmon wrote:

Probably not a great time to bring it up, but would anyone be interested in heading over to st. james' for the return leg of the uefa game? I'm headin to Old Trafford for the game on the sunday but wouldnt mind catchin the European game in Newcastle a couple of nights before! If anyone has any info on where 2 stay etc. i'd be greatful!!

Interested but too soon for me I think. I'm saving my money for Spurs, Man U or West Ham and maybe a game in London. I can't remember where I stayed last time I was there but it was cheapo and near the Quayside which is where u wanna be.

evilhomer

Love to go, but off on holidays that week

We should definately get over to a game soon though.

Salmon

Yeah that'd be a bit of craic!! Is it very difficult to get tickets to prem games? If so maybe it might be a bit of craic to organise a boards.ie raiding party over to SJP for the Uefa cup group stages, thats if we make it that far!!!!! I'm think I'm gonna press on an book stuff for the game on the 28th. I'll let ye know how it went!!

kinaldo

Newcastle's back four (Carr, Ramage, Moore, Babayaro) against West Ham is probably the worst I can remember. This has to be one of the poorest defences in the Premiership, and we have NO DEFENDERS on the bench! Moore is ok but make no mistake, Ramage is a terrible player and a liability. Bowyer and Tevez could have a field day.

kinaldo

Credit where credit's due, from what I've heard Ramage has played out of his skin today. Looking forward to seeing the highlights on MOTD later.

Edit: Bobby Moncur thinks Shay Given may have broken a rib

GrumPy

Anyone have a link to the highlights of the newcastle/west ham game? Didnt see MOTD last night

snickerpuss

Given Out

6 weeks say sky sports news, damn it!

Also i fully recommend popping over for the day for a match, city was gorgeous and so is the stadium. I was at the blackburn match in january, we lost but it was still great.
Can't wait to go back this season but i just can't decide who to go see.

kinaldo

Irish GrumPy wrote:

Anyone have a link to the highlights of the newcastle/west ham game? Didnt see MOTD last night

http://www.soccerpulse.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=105203

only goals atm, highlights will probably appear later. u need to register with the site first

Limerick Dude

Whats everyone's thought on tonights game?

Im confident that we can get at least a point, hopefully bramble will be kept out of the 1st 11, we defend well without him.

GrumPy

What? There's no fixture listed on the official site.

Edit: NVM, I am a blind idiot.

Anyone know if it's been shown online????

Limerick Dude

Might be. Is it on premplus?

GrumPy

Shanghai sports maybe? Pitty I cant read jap listings....

kinaldo

The match should be available on Shanghai, Guangdong and Guangzhou (PPStream) with commentary on Newstalk, I'm going for a 1-1 draw despite the fact that we usually get trounced at Anfiled. Hopefully Benitez will keep Bellamy on the bench.

my team selection would be

...........Harper.........

Carr..Taylor(if fit)..Moore...Baba

Milner..Parker..Emre..N'Zogbia

.............Duff...........

...........Martins............

Tight midfiled and lots of pace on the counter.

Salmon

Depressing watching the game last night!! When is roeder gonna realise the long ball isnt working!!

kinaldo

I'm trying to support Roeder but his tactics are indeed questionable, as is his contempt for Luque who's apparently not even good enough for the bench these days. I honestly think if we're not gonna give him a chance then we'd be better off just releasing him. Reserve team players shouldn't be on massive wages imo. The same goes for Dyer who's probably played less minutes than Woodgate in the last two years.

Limerick Dude

Kinaldo, dyer is diffrent, he is injured, but he should be making his return in the coming week or 2.

kinaldo

Limerick Dude wrote:

Kinaldo, dyer is diffrent, he is injured, but he should be making his return in the coming week or 2.

This is something of a pet hate of mine. He's always injured. Dyer = waste of space. He had his moments, mostly when Bellamy and Solano were playing alongside him, but overall he's completely failed in fulfilling the huge potential he showed at Ispwich and his first couple of years on Tyneside. Sure he's unlucky with injuries but he's also got a serious attitute problem and isn't nearly as good as he thinks he is. I suppose he could be a useful player to have but not for the wages he's on. Anyway, his only real attributes are pace and stamina.

kinaldo

Some interesting comments from Roeder re. Luque

Link

GrumPy

Martins heads home on 47mins.

Newcastle 2-0 on agg.

GrumPy

Martins again on 49mins. 3-0 on agg.

Left foot shot.

Go on you fúcking sexy bastard!!!!!!!

kinaldo

Thought this was a joke when I heard the rumours on Monday. I know he holds a certain cult status on Tyneside but I never rated him that highly. Always felt that one of the main reasons Keegan failed to deliver the Premiership was the fact that we didn't have a really top class keeper back then like Schmeicheal, Seaman, Flowers, Given or Cech. Pavel and Shaka were always being rotated everytime one had a bad game. Taken from [url]www.nufc.com:[/url]

Keeper back - confirmed:
Pav curries favour!

Spotted in the Tyneside area this week has been former 'keeper Pavel Srnicek, who has been training with Newcastle and showed enough to be handed a short-term contract as cover for Steve Harper, in the absence of Shay.

Now 38, the Czech -born player was signed by former boss Jim Smith and went on to make 181 appearances for us between 1990 and 1998, including 97 in the Premiership.

Pav was spotted on Monday night dining at The Raj in South Shields, pictured here with NUFC.com reader Graeme Parker:

Pav confirmed that he hoped to be playing for the Toon very soon - and that wish was granted Glenn Roeder on Friday, the manager commenting:

"I haven't really come across Pav before but after watching him in training this week I have to say he is in great shape.

"We invited him to the game with Everton last Sunday from Italy where he is living at the moment and he made such an impact on us we then asked him to train with us this week.

"He's 38 but he really is super-fit and there is no way anyone can say he is past it. And don't forget keepers like David Seaman played until they were 40.

"I have to say that Pav has looked great in training and by bringing him back until the end of the year it will be great for our team spirit.

"He will be good for our young keeper Tim Krul and they tell me him and Steve Harper got on like a house on fire when the pair of them were here before.

"He was still playing football in Portugal in May and if we need him we will all have complete confidence in him."

Always a popular figure at SJP, the former soldier returned briefly to his former club Banik Ostrava, before making a comeback in England with Sheffield Wednesday.

He then moved to Italy and enjoyed a three-year stay at Brescia before he found his way back to the Premiership in 2003 with Portsmouth and then West Ham -although his move to the latter was in February 2004, some months after Glenn Roeder had departed.

A trial with Coventry City then came to nothing before Srnicek was taken on by Portuguese side Beira Mar, leaving there in May of this year.

PS - Pav's move came after Dutch 'keeper Ronald Waterreus opted not to link up with Newcastle.

The 36 year-old former Roda, PSV Eindhoven, Manchester City and Rangers had been sounded out but declined the approach - Glenn Roeder commenting to the official site:

"To be fair to the lad we asked him to come, but he felt he did not have the match fitness in the three months we wanted him for.

"He could have come here and taken the money and it is to his credit that he has decided not to do this.

"He has been extremely honest and you have to applaud him for this."

kinaldo

Roeder speaking on speculation regarding Emre's future

Good news I guess. I for one would be very disappointed to see him leave, although I doubt we could really refuse €14m for him.

Limerick Dude

Solano meant to be back for the bolton game along with carr and bramble(unfortunatly)

Luque who is in a bit of form atm is also hoping he will be in the starting XI

I would like to see him play in behind martins. That would work well.

kinaldo

Attendance for the Bolton game was only 48,145. This is by far the lowest crowd for a Premiership game at SJP since the expansion from 36k to 52k, having averaged around 52k for 5 seasons, even under Souness. More recently it's been dropping to around 51 and 50k.

With Newcastle hovering just above the relegation zone and averaging less than a point a game I expect their national media will start to pick up on this now. The fans are finally voting with their feet and Shepherd, as he always does under pressure, will react quickly. Either he'll jump ship and sell his shares or sack Glen Roeder.

Chucky the tree

I am suprised Newcastle habent signed a deal with Paramount comdey yet to show their matches.


Roeder is a goner. Tough tie against Fener. I am starting to think their is a curse on your club.

kinaldo

Chucky the tree wrote:

I am suprised Newcastle habent signed a deal with Paramount comdey yet to show their matches.

...because the joke isn't funny anymore!

Chucky the tree

It is for the rest of us!


From an Irish point of view, i cant believe Stan made an effort to recall Carr yet completely ignored Carsley.

kinaldo

Also, I can't believe Steven Taylor (easily our best defender) was left on the bench. Who knows wtf Roeder was thinking there. I'd have him in ahead of Carr or Bramble who were both terrible today, as usual.

evilhomer

kinaldo wrote:

Also, I can't believe Steven Taylor (easily our best defender) was left on the bench. Who knows wtf Roeder was thinking there. I'd have him in ahead of Carr or Bramble who were both terrible today, as usual.

If Roeder plays Bramble one more time I swear I'll think about supporting another club!!!

He was the main cause of both goals today. The fact that Roeder brought in no defensive cover in the summer will probably cost him his job.

Taylor is better then Bramble and doesn't make the same silly mistakes.

Roeders tactics will also have to be called into question, Martins didn't look like doing a tap in the second half, yet he kept him on and didn't make an attacking substitution until 8 minutes from time!!!!!!

Rossi is getting far too little playing time for my liking.

Bramble should never play for Newcastle again he is a disgrace. OUT, OUT I SAY!!!!

kinaldo

evilhomer wrote:

Bramble should never play for Newcastle again he is a disgrace. OUT, OUT I SAY!!!!

I wouldn't call him a disgrace. He's just not good enough. The fact that he gets caught out of position so often is probably more down to bad coaching than his lack of footballing ability. He actually possesses all the attributes needed in a cb. His tendancy makes so many howlers is most likely down to playing alongside poor defenders in a poorly coached back four, the fans and media laying into him at every opportunity, and his confidence being shot to pieces. It's not his fault he continues to get selected every week.

kinaldo

evilhomer wrote:

The fact that Roeder brought in no defensive cover in the summer will probably cost him his job.

I doubt Roeder had much of a say. He knows we need to sort out the defence but we also needed a striker. Strikers always take precedence over defenders at Newcastle and having spent over £10m on Martins there was simply no Prem standard defenders left out there in our price range. My guess is that Roeder is only a puppet for Shepherd, which is why we didn't go for a big name manager. Shepherd will always be the root of the problem while he remains in charge.

Roeders tactics will also have to be called into question, Martins didn't look like doing a tap in the second half, yet he kept him on and didn't make an attacking substitution until 8 minutes from time!!!!!!

I too would question Roeder's tactics, but I don't think taking off Martins was the answer. Perhaps playing to his strenghs is, instead of playing long balls for either him or Ameobi to flick on. He still came closest to scoring for us with a great effort early in the second half.

evilhomer

kinaldo wrote:

He actually possesses all the attributes needed in a cb.

Except the most important one's

1) Loses concentration at least once or twice a game (cost us two goals today, and countless others on many occasions)
2) Get caught ball watching. (Today and against Fulham are the most recent examples)
3) Loses his marker way too often.
Diouf twice today, McBride agaist Fulham and tried to tackle Johnson going down the sideline twice against Evertone when all he had to do was stay with him.

I just don't think he will make it at this level. Send him to the championship on loan for a season and see if he can sort himself out. Otherwise sorry Titus but bye, bye.

kinaldo

evilhomer wrote:

Except the most important one's

1) Loses concentration at least once or twice a game (cost us two goals today, and countless others on many occasions)
2) Get caught ball watching. (Today and against Fulham are the most recent examples)
3) Loses his marker way too often.
Diouf twice today, McBride agaist Fulham and tried to tackle Johnson going down the sideline twice against Evertone when all he had to do was stay with him.

I just don't think he will make it at this level. Send him to the championship on loan for a season and see if he can sort himself out. Otherwise sorry Titus but bye, bye.

Concentration aside, they're all things that can and should be coached into him, so I blame the coaching staff. He's not a particularly intelligent footballer, but he does possess good footballing ability. His size and strengh are also ideal for a centre half. Keep in mind that good positioning is very difficult to maintain when those around u are constantly out of position, so playing with a team like Newcastle will make any defender look worse than they really are. Case in point: when Jonothan Woodgate was his partner he looked considerably better than he has done since Boumsong arrived.