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From True Faith.


sammynb
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From true faith

SATISFY MY SOUL

Monday 31st July 2006

 

By every nod and wink from the local press as well as the odd statement from Roeder, this week could be the one when we start seeing some real action in the transfer market. Not many of us aren't impressed by the acquisition of Damien Duff and there's little doubt he is a quality addition to the squad, giving the manager a few more options this coming season.

 

However, its up top where we need to see considerable reinforcements and everything is telling us this might just happen over the next seven days. We need two strikers. Marlon Harewood (West Ham) is a name that keeps being bandied about and certainly you can see where the manager is coming from in terms of getting in a player with strength, pace and a decent eye for goal. I don't think this lad comes in the 24-carat variety of striker that was being bandied about irresponsibly by some sections of the media a couple of months ago (i.e. Van Nistleroy) but he's a striker who could do very well at NUFC given the strength of the service to him from a strong looking midfield (Emre, Solano, N'Zogbia, Duff) and of course dependant upon who he has alongside him. His West Ham striking partner, Dean Ashton has also been mentioned and both do a similar job, though Ashton is not as mobile.

 

On the theory of a big 'un and a little 'un providing the principles of an attacking partnership, our name is still being linked to Jermaine Defoe. Clearly, Roeder has contacts and credibility with a number of ex-West Ham players who have both affection and respect for the manager which is a positive dimension to the manager that we're all probably just waking up to. Were we to get a first choice striking partnership in of Harewood or Ashton with Defoe I think we'd be happy with that. Starting the season with a striking pool of Harewood or Ashton/Defoe/Ameobi and Luque is a lot better than we thought it might look like a while back.

 

There are a few question marks regarding Luque's long term commitment to our colours but there are some, this scribbler included, who think there's still something to come from the Catalan but he will have to demonstrate more application, courage and commitment if he wants anyone around SJP to regard him with genuine respect. Its up to him.

 

Our name is also being linked with a couple of defenders, which given the less than impressive way we defended against PSV in the friendly on Saturday is necessary. We are being linked to Sol Campbell who we know has been in Newcastle over the summer months looking around and having chats with a few different people. Sol's preference may have been to play abroad for whatever reason but a player of his experience, ability and professionalism could have a very important impact upon Newcastle United next season not least in supporting Roeder with the ongoing development of Stephen Taylor, Peter Ramage and Titus Bramble. We can't afford to throw any of those three overboard and make big money splashes on replacements at the moment so we need to improve them and Sol Campbell could have a major role in making that happen. He's obviously had problems with injuries himself over the last couple of seasons and that has to be a consideration but there's a lot of merit in bringing this lad to SJP. We're not interested in the poisonous rumours circulated by cowards on messageboards etc and we'll judge the man on his character and talent. Nothing else interests us.

 

Following our capture of Parker, Babayaro and Duff it seems we have a good relationship with the current power in English football - Chelsea, and we could be back in for Wayne Bridge at left-back (when Ashley Cole moves from North London to West London) and on a season-long loan Wright-Phillips to play up front as well - probably down the right hand side. Bridge was a player lots of us wanted to sign from Southampton but were blown out of the water by Chelsea's resources and but for a couple of badly timed injuries he'd have established himself as a major challenge to Ashley Cole in the England squad. Again, he's a quality player and we'd love to see him at NUFC. Wright-Phillips on a year's loan isn't something I'm comfortable with to be honest because I think Newcastle United should be better than taking players on loan from a Premiership club with nothing like the size of support of our own but galling as that may be, that's the reality of NUFC's finances in the immediate post-Souness era and we can't afford to be proud. Wright-Phillips is a good player with rich potential but he needs to be playing football and he can do that at NUFC.

 

If we got those players, this week and settled down to preparing for the opening game against Wigan then I think we'd all be happy. There is potential that these deals could drag on but even wizened cynics like us, accept things are going to happen. Well, aren't they?

 

Some of us weren't happy at SJP on Saturday. Not because of the patter in The Journal on Saturday morning bigging up Titus and then seeing him slicing his clearances in only the way he can or watching us freeze in our own box and being too slow to close PSV down. We've see that before far too often but because of the booing of Nicky Butt's every touch on the ball when he came on as a sub. Now don't get me wrong, Butt let us down badly in that FAC SF in Cardiff against his former club, Man Utd, the season before last and in an ideal world we'd have seen the back of him but he's back at NUFC now from his year's loan at Burberryham Shitty whether we like it or not and whilst he is turning out in a B&W shirt he should not be booed on his every touch. Its just not on.

 

It does Butt no good and it does his team-mates no good. I was wondering what Duff thought about it on his maiden game on SJP's turf in a B&W shirt. Its just bad craic all round and those indulging in this kind of behaviour need to ask themselves what it achieves. This is Newcastle United at SJP not Panto at the Theatre Royal. Bang out of order.

 

Keep On, Keepin' On ...

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Yeah, I've read an awful lot of shit on True Faith. ;)

 

Look, Harewood is alright. I'd have him here as a third choice striker or something. Just you seem to have him top of your list and see him as the next Les Ferdinand. He's not even close to being that good.

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Yeah, I've read an awful lot of shit on True Faith. ;)

 

Look, Harewood is alright.  I'd have him here as a third choice striker or something.  Just you seem to have him top of your list and see him as the next Les Ferdinand.  He's not even close to being that good.

168893[/snapback]

No not top.

Top of the English strikers but not top. The line:

I don't think this lad comes in the 24-carat variety of striker that was being bandied about irresponsibly by some sections of the media a couple of months ago (i.e. Van Nistleroy)

is so true if you look at people's reaction to him and we both know this is by people that really haven't seen him play more than the game at SJP last season.

 

The way we are going Shearer will be coming out of retirement, so the prospect of a decent striker is appealing.

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Defoe and Ashton are both better English strikers than Harewood.  If he's better than Shola, it's not by much.  That is a fact.

168896[/snapback]

Based on?

168899[/snapback]

 

Based on having seen all of them play. Based on the fact that Harewood has got to the age he is now with no one ever having really taken any notice of him as a striker. Just based on fact really.

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Based on having seen all of them play.  Based on the fact that Harewood has got to the age he is now with no one ever having really taken any notice of him as a striker.  Just based on fact really.

One game at SJP not make the man Luque, Scotty.

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Defoe and Ashton are both better English strikers than Harewood.  If he's better than Shola, it's not by much.  That is a fact.

168896[/snapback]

Based on?

168899[/snapback]

 

Based on having seen all of them play. Based on the fact that Harewood has got to the age he is now with no one ever having really taken any notice of him as a striker. Just based on fact really.

168923[/snapback]

 

Totally agree with all of that Gem. And I have seen Harewood play a lot more than just up here.

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Defoe and Ashton are both better English strikers than Harewood.  If he's better than Shola, it's not by much.  That is a fact.

168896[/snapback]

Based on?

168899[/snapback]

 

Based on having seen all of them play. Based on the fact that Harewood has got to the age he is now with no one ever having really taken any notice of him as a striker. Just based on fact really.

168923[/snapback]

 

Totally agree with all of that Gem. And I have seen Harewood play a lot more than just up here.

168933[/snapback]

Really Dk, come on source?

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Based on having seen all of them play.  Based on the fact that Harewood has got to the age he is now with no one ever having really taken any notice of him as a striker.  Just based on fact really.

One game at SJP not make the man Luque, Scotty.

168929[/snapback]

 

Believe it or not, Sammy, we get football televised in the UK too. I don't get to see the likes of Harewood only play once a season at SJP. ;)

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Defoe and Ashton are both better English strikers than Harewood.  If he's better than Shola, it's not by much.  That is a fact.

168896[/snapback]

Based on?

168899[/snapback]

 

Based on having seen all of them play. Based on the fact that Harewood has got to the age he is now with no one ever having really taken any notice of him as a striker. Just based on fact really.

168923[/snapback]

 

Totally agree with all of that Gem. And I have seen Harewood play a lot more than just up here.

168933[/snapback]

Really Dk, come on source?

168940[/snapback]

Sky Sports and Match Of The Day do show West Ham games you know.

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Based on having seen all of them play.  Based on the fact that Harewood has got to the age he is now with no one ever having really taken any notice of him as a striker.  Just based on fact really.

One game at SJP not make the man Luque, Scotty.

168929[/snapback]

 

Believe it or not, Sammy, we get football televised in the UK too. I don't get to see the likes of Harewood only play once a season at SJP. ;)

168942[/snapback]

Really Scott? No?

We've only just got electrickery here!

I'm just amazed at the amount of opinions formed from match of the day highlights ;)

We get 5 to 7 matches a week here, no PPV for any games but then again being so far away the picture has probably morphed into another shape and I'm a getting slow as a wet week Ashton and Harewood mixed up!

Actually I probably don't know the difference between Villa and the Hammers and it's really Gareth Barry.

(Can you believe it they even delay telecast the NUFC v PSV match here on Sunday afternoon?)

 

By the way CM players don't buy Harewood he's shite :)

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Based on having seen all of them play.  Based on the fact that Harewood has got to the age he is now with no one ever having really taken any notice of him as a striker.  Just based on fact really.

One game at SJP not make the man Luque, Scotty.

168929[/snapback]

 

Believe it or not, Sammy, we get football televised in the UK too. I don't get to see the likes of Harewood only play once a season at SJP. ;)

168942[/snapback]

Really Scott? No?

We've only just got electrickery here!

I'm just amazed at the amount of opinions formed from match of the day highlights ;)

We get 5 to 7 matches a week here, no PPV for any games but then again being so far away the picture has probably morphed into another shape and I'm a getting slow as a wet week Ashton and Harewood mixed up!

Actually I probably don't know the difference between Villa and the Hammers and it's really Gareth Barry.

(Can you believe it they even delay telecast the NUFC v PSV match here on Sunday afternoon?)

 

By the way CM players don't buy Harewood he's shite :)

168954[/snapback]

 

So what you're telling me is that because we get a lot of games in highlight form, and only get to see Harewood once a season at SJP outside of that and the live West Ham games on Sky, your opinion (formed from Australia) somehow carries more weight. :)

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Nope, location has nothing to do with it.

I honestly (no bullshit, no taking the piss) think the guy has more potential, from what I have seen of him play, than people give him credit for.

Scott, without sounding like everyone's friend J69, if I knew nothing about the game, I'd shut my mouth but I've got some experience in grading players and coaching.

Fuck it, it's only my opinion and in the end that means nowt.

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Nope, location has nothing to do with it.

I honestly (no bullshit, no taking the piss) think the guy has more potential, from what I have seen of him play, than people give him credit for.

Scott, without sounding like everyone's friend J69, if I knew nothing about the game, I'd shut my mouth but I've got some experience in grading players and coaching.

Fuck it, it's only my opinion and in the end that means nowt.

168967[/snapback]

 

;) So's Graeme Souness, mate. Now stop telling me about your coaching qualifications before I wet myself. ;)

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Nope, location has nothing to do with it.

I honestly (no bullshit, no taking the piss) think the guy has more potential, from what I have seen of him play, than people give him credit for.

Scott, without sounding like everyone's friend J69, if I knew nothing about the game, I'd shut my mouth but I've got some experience in grading players and coaching.

Fuck it, it's only my opinion and in the end that means nowt.

168967[/snapback]

 

;) So's Graeme Souness, mate. Now stop telling me about your coaching qualifications before I wet myself. :)

168974[/snapback]

 

And so has Mick Wadsworth - best judge of a player ever, after Souness. ;)

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Nope, location has nothing to do with it.

I honestly (no bullshit, no taking the piss) think the guy has more potential, from what I have seen of him play, than people give him credit for.

Scott, without sounding like everyone's friend J69, if I knew nothing about the game, I'd shut my mouth but I've got some experience in grading players and coaching.

Fuck it, it's only my opinion and in the end that means nowt.

168967[/snapback]

 

;) So's Graeme Souness, mate. Now stop telling me about your coaching qualifications before I wet myself. ;)

168974[/snapback]

See that's what I didn't mean :)

Hope your trousers dry up quickly :)

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I find it a little strange that Harewood hasn't been labelled a one season wonder yet. He stuggled to get in their team the season before last FFS!

 

I'd pay £2m for him, nothing more. The £8.5m West Ham want is just fucking stupid. They know full well we're desperate for a striker so they've added 6 or 7 million onto it.

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I find it a little strange that Harewood hasn't been labelled a one season wonder yet. He stuggled to get in their team the season before last FFS!

 

I'd pay £2m for him, nothing more. The £8.5m West Ham want is just fucking stupid. They know full well we're desperate for a striker so they've added 6 or 7 million onto it.

168986[/snapback]

 

I wouldn't pay that tbh...

 

West Ham wanted rid of him when they were in the Championship but no one would buy him! ;)

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I find it a little strange that Harewood hasn't been labelled a one season wonder yet. He stuggled to get in their team the season before last FFS!

 

I'd pay £2m for him, nothing more. The £8.5m West Ham want is just fucking stupid. They know full well we're desperate for a striker so they've added 6 or 7 million onto it.

168986[/snapback]

 

I wouldn't pay that tbh...

 

West Ham wanted rid of him when they were in the Championship but no one would buy him! ;)

168994[/snapback]

 

Still their top scorer last season though. If we're talking about £1m for Angel (3 goals all season) or £2m for Harewood (16 goals) you still wouldn't pay?

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