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Time to gamble


Scottish Mag
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Having played his cards close to his chest all summer, Glenn Roeder admits the time is nigh to take a major transfer gamble.

 

The Newcastle boss has seen no return on months spent meticulously scouting a series of striker targets.

 

And the seriousness of the situation means he may now have to take a punt on a relative unknown.

 

Thus, Roeder will shop abroad - with Nigerian star Obafemi Martins top of his hit-list - or even in the lower reaches of our game for a man capable of bearing United's goalscoring burden.

 

"I suppose it has to be said that we are probably going to take a striker that I haven't been able to do the in-depth research on that I like to do," says Roeder.

 

And the Magpies manager himself points out the potential peril in that.

 

"If a player comes in and within two or three months you're thinking: `I don't really want him', he's here for another two years. Clubs are full of them.

 

"But I'm looking at everything - every possibility. I'm not prejudiced against anybody. I do good footballers, not nationalities."

 

Loan deals, as well as a big-money bid for Martins and potential moves for the likes of Russian international Alexander Kerzhakov, are on Roeder's radar.

 

All of which adds up to him taking a bigger risk than he had planned when he began his striker search?

 

"Yes, possibly, you have to say that."

 

But Roeder insists he could not work any harder to minimise that risk.

 

"This is the toughest part of the job. I could waste money like anyone else. We can all waste money just to satisfy the desire to bring in four or five players.

 

"Last week, I spent six consecutive days on an aeroplane. I'm not looking for brownie points or pats on the back, because I haven't found players that we want to sign.

 

"But we can't do any more at the moment. Physically, we can't do any more."

 

That will not ease the frustration of fans who have barely been able to contemplate going into the new season with one fit out-and-out striker.

 

Yet Roeder adds: "Can you imagine how much more frustrated they would feel a month after signing three or four players that are of no use to us?"

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shame he was not in place instead of Souness. The moeny thrown away then could have been utilised a lot better than it was.

 

Glad we have Owen mind and chuffed we have duff, a couple more quality buys like that would allow us to step up a gear.

 

just hate this waiting every season upto the deadline......

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I seem to recall him saying earlier in the window that he would be taking his time so as not to make any expensive gambles.

 

:blush:

182886[/snapback]

 

His half a brain doesn't cover memory tbh

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I seem to recall him saying earlier in the window that he would be taking his time so as not to make any expensive gambles.

 

:blush:

182886[/snapback]

 

Is Kuyt at £11m neither expensive nor a gamble then? :blush:

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Guest Patrokles

Some people just want to have their cake AND EAT IT.

 

Roeder's quotes earlier in the summer were no doubt sincere; however, all of his best efforts were undone by either the clubs not wanting to sell, or the players not wanting to come; and so he's changed his stance- which a lot of people were demanding he do. But once he does so, he gets called out for it. Poor guy can't win.

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