By Matthew Jones
July 26 2005

Here is a selection of entries that we had submitted to the TyneTalk MailBag. YOUR chance to have YOUR say. Here is a selection of this weeks submissions – Feel free to email any comments to us, no mater how long or short. We will publish ALL entries we receive within reason.

Any comments on what you read below, or about NUFC matters in general, then email us at tynetalk@gmail.com and make sure we know it is for the MailBag!

 

 

We think we are a big club, in terms of cash, player attraction, and stadium size, but we are a poor  club in terms of success. We don´t things like other successful clubs, and that is bring in three quality players for around 15m, which we can afford, after a good season and sell the under performing players. Sounds simply, and it is not, but when we finished 3rd in the league, we only signed Lee Bowyer in the summer, and that was the start of our current fall.

The two new signing have been good I think, but need two or three more quality signings. Anelka is a great option, stuff what the other Aussie fan  said, (I am Aussie), Anelka is pacey and scores goals, and our style is pacey, Robbie Keane is good, but Anelka will score you 20 goals in a league season while Keane will score 15. A good defender would be Bouma from PSV, or Hietinga from Ajax, both young and experienced, but would cost around 6m either one.

As for a Boa Morte and Viduka, Chris Coleman can take 3m or leave if, Milner and NZogbia look good and developing quickly, they will have their moments, but in the end, the experience will be important, and finally Viduka would be good, but he will not be good along side Shearer, but would be good with Anelka.

A top six finish will put us in good stead for the season after!

 

Michael Haddrick

I am a huge Newcastle fan from Australia; Souness is on the right track but needs a couple more signings in key positions for us to be a good team next season. He is on the right track though; here is what I saw as our major problems last season.

We had a complete midfield of similar players none of which score goals, Butt, Dyer, Jenas, Bowyer, Faye are all good players but none of them are the type of central midfielders who have strong creative passing games, the pickup of Parker and Emre and hopefully Boa Morte will mean that we will have some imagination and some width in midfield, this should mean we score more goals and especially some goals from midfield. You don’t need to be a genius to realise all the top teams get goals from midfield Lampard, Pires etc. There is no point keeping Shearer at his age if we don’t cross the ball, which happened last season with no wingers, or when Robert didn’t play.

The next area to fix is the central defence, Titus improved a hell of a lot but he still shaky, Matthew Upson is the key here, we should offer Butt plus cash and get him signed asap. Steve Taylor will do a good job as back up to most defensive positions.  

Finally we need strikers, Shola is rubbish, how can you play up front and not score goals, we need two new 20 goals per season strikers. The names thrown about have been ok, Anelka is a classy player but is his attitude right? Robbie Keane I thought would have been a perfect fit for us, especially with the Irish guys we already have, and Michael Owen that would have been dream land for us.

Let me know what you think.

Aussie Dave

I would just like to say I am disappointed with Sir Bobby Robson's recent comments regarding the club... as much as I respect him as a manager I don't think he is doing us any favours by making all these "revelations." It is no fault of Souness', yet he is the man suffering more bad media just when he seemed to be turning a corner with the club.

Ming (Inner Mongolia)

I follow the SPL a fair bit and I can guarantee to Newcastle fans that Craig Moore would do well in the Premiership. He was no trouble at Rangers either, and I was shocked to hear what was said about his behaviour while at Monchengladbach. He would also do promising youngsters such as Steven Taylor (who I understand is highly rated) a lot of good. A very "Souness type player" and a bit of a crowd pleaser.

Hamish McDougal

i hope this takeover bid is true, i am fed up with shepherd and his false promises and poor decisions. a new hierarchy at the club is what we need if we are to take any more steps forward.

william

 

 

Based on what Souness has said today, I think I have an inkling of who our striker targets might be. As was mentioned in the chronicle we have two other options should Fenerbahce not co-operate.

In order I believe they are as follows.

1. Nicloas Anelka.
2. Diego Forlan.
3. Dirk Kuyt.

I believe Anelka is no. 1 because of his experience in the premiership and his success in the premiership.

I believe Forlan is no. 2 because of his experience of the premiership and his recent success in Spain which saw him top Europe in the goal scoring charts. Along with his desire to return to the premiership.

I think kuyt is no. 3 due to how closely Souness and his staff monitored him. I think due to his style they think he can definitely play in the premiership, but of course he isn't proven and hasn't had any experience of the premiership like the other two.

The chronicle mentioned we had two other top class options outside of anelka, and these are the only other two players that have been linked with us that are still relatively available that I would consider to be anywhere near top class.

Intersting how Villareal never commented on our link to Forlan. Also interesting how a £6 million fee was reported to be the amount we would bid for Forlan. Looks like that £6 million is a key figure and if Fenerbahce don't co-operate we probably won't go any higher, but instead look to spend it on Forlan.

Kuyt is probably lower on the list because of his lack of premiership experience and because I'm guessing he would cost more than £6 million. However I believe if the other two don't pan out we will pay the asking price for Kuyt.

As for Viduka I'm beginning to have a strong feeling he is one of the squad players Souness was referring to. He might be an extra striker for our bench, whcih I would just about be cool with. He would be cheap and we all know if fit he can produce in the premiership albeit not at the level he once could, but as a squad player i'd be cool with it I guess.

Now before people get too excited and rubbish everything I just wrote let me emphasize that this is simply a theory........and I am interested in what people think?

 

Udo

 

Similar to my post which speculated on our striker targets, I thought I would follow up with one for the left - wing due to the news that Boa might end up with Newcastle.

I believe right now Souness is looking at three posibilities, based on the rumours that have been floating around.

They are as follows:

1. Luis Boa Morte - This is the worst kept secret in football as Souness has been after him for ages, and I think it is obvious that he is our number one target.

2. Gareth Barry - I was absolutely stunned when the speculation about Newcastle going for Barry came up and Barry came out and responded saying he was flattered, but we never heard a thing from Villa! Barry was their captain last season and I thought they would immediately release a statement refuting the claims but they never did. So I think he is one of the "Irons in the fire" so to speak.

3. Brett Emerton - We all know how much Souness loves to reach back to his former clubs to nick a few players, and I think if we fail on the previously mentioned players he will go for Emerton. There was some speculation of this earlier and although Blackburn said they wanted to keep him it wasn't very convincing, and I think they've probably been told that we might come in for him.

These are all players with premiership experience who are of the right age.

If we do go 4-3-3 next season and we get Barry I'm thinking he will play on the left side of the midfield three, while Emre will then be pushed up into the left sid eof the attacking three.

Once again this is just my theory, and something else for us to talk about so let me know what you think, and if these other players would be good enough targets.

 

Udo

 

 

Email your views to be published in next week’s edition of the MailBag to tynetalk@gmail.com