Day ends on a flat note

[Craig 6284]

Antoine Sibierski was the shock new arrival at Newcastle United last night in a move which has done little to set the pulses racing.

 

On an otherwise exciting deadline day in the Premiership, Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder endured yet another frustrating search through the transfer market as he frantically tried to add to his squad.

 

The Magpies had hoped to sign another striker and defender before the close of the window. But having bided their time all summer they found it had run out on them last night.

 

It leaves Roeder with a squad which has some quality players but which looks badly short on numbers and United's manager will be desperately wishing for some good luck on the injury front in the coming months.

 

Roeder and chairman Freddie Shepherd had hoped to be able to complete a deal for Chelsea's England left-back Wayne Bridge. But with Ashley Cole's switch from Arsenal dragging late into the night they simply could not get the paperwork done in time, while their persistent attempts to lure Mark Viduka from Middlesbrough also failed.

 

Sibierski was the joker in Roeder's plans as the 32-year-old Frenchman signed a shock one-year deal. Sibierski can play in either midfield or up front and scored 11 goals in 92 appearances for Manchester City having joined from Lens three years ago. He had not featured for Stuart Pearce's side this season but has signed a contract with Newcastle until the end of the season for an undisclosed fee.

 

Given that the 6ft 2ins attacking midfielder had not been mentioned at all this summer, his late arrival at St James's Park will be a big a surprise, albeit an under-whelming one for the vast majority of supporters.

 

Nevertheless, he came with a big reputation when he moved from France and he will add some much-needed height to what is, with the exception of Shola Ameobi, a diminutive offensive threat. That, though, will do little to appease fans' frustration this morning given the constant stream of big names linked with a move to St James's Park during the long summer months.

 

United spent most of the day hoping Viduka would ask for a transfer from Middlesbrough after the Magpies allowed their interest in the 30-year-old to be known. But with Boro boss Gareth Southgate - who also won the battle to sign Jonathan Woodgate from Real Madrid earlier in the week - equally determined to hold on to the Australian international, Roeder was reluctantly forced to concede defeat as he recalled James Milner from a proposed £5m move to Aston Villa.

 

It is difficult not to feel a large amount of sympathy for Milner whose treatment has been insensitive at best. The 20-year-old spent the day travelling between Birmingham and the North-East and was not certain that the move to Villa Park was off until late afternoon.

 

The England Under-21 international will now have to pick himself up and return to a club who, 24 hours earlier, deemed him surplus to requirements.

 

Newcastle's failure to add to their squad means they will have to make do with a strike force of Ameobi, Obafemi Martins, Giuseppi Rossi and Albert Luque, at least until the New Year, unless they can find a player unattached to a club.

 

Roeder also only has two senior centre-halves in Titus Bramble and Craig Moore, with back-up from youngsters Steven Taylor and Peter Ramage.

 

Source: http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/newcast...-name_page.html

[Gemmill 34135]

He's right that this was a move that didn't set the pulses racing. But I don't think any of us even wanted that. Just some sensible moves which provided cover in the areas that we need it in would have made sense - Jesus even if we'd bought someone of Sibierski's level who is a defender or an attacker so we have warm bodies to bring in in those areas and I would have been able to shrug and say "well maybe that was all we could hope for". But we've just done nothing to address any of our problems.

[Shearergol 0]

He's right that this was a move that didn't set the pulses racing.  But I don't think any of us even wanted that.  Just some sensible moves which provided cover in the areas that we need it in would have made sense - Jesus even if we'd bought someone of Sibierski's level who is a defender or an attacker so we have warm bodies to bring in in those areas and I would have been able to shrug and say "well maybe that was all we could hope for".  But we've just done nothing to address any of our problems.

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Ronny Johnsen was greeted more positively last time around.