acrossthepond

Sounds like the deal was done behind Pearce's back. Another dodgy owner a la QPR, Cardiff, Pompey, etc. At least we get to benefit this time.

Yes, when he was trying to play himself into a big move and a spot at the WC. What's his motivation to play for us now? Challenge the top 10 with Alan fucking Pardew?

8.5m (if even that - I read that the 8.5 was just the buyout clause for top 4 clubs, it could be even more for us) up front and no-doubt astronomical wages for a player with no motivation who's already knocked us back twice, and who already failed a medical. Remember the last player we signed after he failed a medical at Liverpool? That didn't work out so well. It'd be Owen all over again. Just what we don't need.

Colo was hopeless in nearly every game he played in his first season, not to belabor the point. He needs time. Our squad is thin enough already; offloading players like Marveaux and Ben Arfa who weren't going to play is one thing, but leaving us with Colo, Williamson, and Taylor at CB for a new season is a recipe for utter calamity. Still think he should be starting every game alongside Colo. His potential didn't just vanish overnight.

Really wouldn't touch him with the proverbial ten-foot pole at this point. He obviously does not want to be here and has made that clear on many occasions. He was a passenger at times last season when things weren't going well, and the less said about his performances in the derbies, the better. No heart whatsoever, a pure mercenary who we could do without.

Should stay and be in the team at centre-half.

What is it about this forum that attracts so many nutters? Fop, Leazes, Thompers and all his derivatives, Nick KP, this tool, wolfy - there must be so many more I can't remember. Is it the same on all teams' message boards, or is it something special about NUFC?

I'm of two minds. I'd like to see the mackems blow 14m they probably don't have on a bang average player, but on the other hand, said bang average player knocking them back when they think he's their messiah might be even better. How about the best of both worlds: after a ridiculously protracted saga, he signs on deadline day, utterly flops, and is farmed out on loan to West Bumblefuck Desert Club in Qatar in January.

Never good enough to play for us. He was the proverbial player who couldn't hack it on a Tuesday night in December at Stoke. Worth a go on a free transfer like.

Chilean publication El Mercurio is reporting that Newcastle have reached an agreement with Juventus for Mauricio Isla. An £8million fee is said to have been agreed for the full-back, who will join on a four-year contract. http://www.emol.com/noticias/deportes/2014/07/22/671067/mauricio-isla-se-uniria-a-sanchez-y-pellegrini-en-la-premier-esta-muy-cerca-de-fichar-por-newcastle.html Isla podría defender al Newcastle. It says Isla is close to signing for us and will bring to an end his irregular run in the Juventus team for a $14 million fee. The English League may soon include another Chilean, with our sale of Debuchy to Arsenal leaving our right flank open (although that's what we signed Janmaat for...) It also says that we seized the opportunity after selling Debuchy to Arsenal and reached a pre-agreement with Juve, beating Fiorentina to the opportunity, and that Isla is due back before July 28 to end his time with the Old Lady and seal his new deal with NUFC. I don't know much about him except that he played at the WC. Anyone watch much Serie A?

Ignored this as I thought it was a birthday thread Wretched news, 31 is absolutely no age. RIP.

So you mean it's on Twitter (and .com), and not some kind of juicy local gossip that only ITKs like you are privy to, and that Andrew, the poor provincial from Lancashire, couldn't possibly have heard? I say again, you are a patronising cunt.

What a patronising cunt. He means he read it on .com like everyone the fuck else.

Cash in hand is a much bigger priority for fatso.

No thanks. Maybe the summer after he'd flopped at Liverpool we could've had him back and he'd still be part of the player he was for us, but he's a faded force now. Followed the money and you see where it got him. We need players who are hungry for success here, not busted flushes.

RIP. Hopefully the club will do something to honour them.

Except that Fat Sam had no basis for a claim of constructive dismissal, while KK did. Allardyce was backed to the tune of millions of pounds, which he promptly spent on dirge, and was rightfully sacked when results were shit and he was playing players out of position. Keegan was undermined by a director of football who was literally installed in order to undermine him, had shit players foisted on him by our directors of recruitment or whatever the fuck Vetere and Jimenez were, and was blocked from bringing in the players he wanted, as he'd been promised. Apples and oranges.

How my heart breaks for the boring cunts.

Keegan was so delusional. Wanting to spend money on good players like Schweinsteiger, the future WC winner who played at the heart of Germany's midfield, instead of Spanish jokes to satisfy whichever agent was up Ashley's arse that week! The nerve of him! Keegan II was not the right fit, I think we all know that. But it's only because Ashley is a moron who's spent his entire time here taking advice from non-football people on how to run a football club.

You forgot Colback as the Gosling upgrade. I don't think Riviere-Remy is a fair comparison since Remy was never our player. At present it's Riviere-Ba, which doesn't look too favourable for Riv, but time will tell if he'll be our main striker. It could turn out that he's intended to be a replacement for Shola and another striker will come in as the main man. De Jong probably won't be as good as Cabaye, but Cabaye was a class above the rest of the side and I think we caught lightning in a bottle on that one. If every signing we make is judged by the Cabaye signing, they're all going to be found wanting. I think de Jong will do a job for us in the PL. Cabella will actually play matches, so already he's an upgrade on Ben Arfa without kicking a ball in anger. Not sure where you're coming from on that one. Janmaat only went and finished 3rd at the WC, starting in a world-class Dutch team. You're dismissing him way too soon. I think he'll be a success here. Perez is a very questionable signing, I agree, but I don't think he'll feature in the first team.

You're getting seriously twitchy, CSD. We've needed strikers for ages. We've gone out and got one. Surely this should be seen as progress? Nobody should be sucking Ashley's cock over it, but can we not be at least somewhat optimistic about our new signings?

Besiktas's stadium, Inonu, is a crumbling mess, their fans are rabid savages, and they're completely overshadowed by their city rivals. That's coming from someone who likes them. Undoubtedly it's all about the money. It's a mercenary move for a mercenary, he'll play 18 months there, do pretty well, and be off for another money-spinner, possibly to Dubai. EDIT: Turns out they built a new stadium, but it only seats a few thousand more than the old one and there's questions about the acoustics. Too bad. Inonu had charm, in the same way that decrepit Roman ruins do.

Perfect stripes. What the fuck the rest is, I'm not sure.

The Sun is just as charva as Ashley, so this comes as no surprise.

Typically shit decision from our higher-ups. MYM has never really been given a chance and ended up out of position for most of last season. Just the fact that we were using him that way shows our lack of cover, and now we want to sell him...so we'll have even less cover. Brilliant.