Don’t Panic!
By Baggio On Wed 25 Jun 2008 |
With the transfer window set to open in just under a week from now, fans of all clubs throughout the Premiership will be hoping to see their team pick up the pace and get some new faces through the door, yet for some Newcastle fans things haven’t moved fast enough and they’re already getting restless and panicking even though hardly any transfers are being done by other Premiership clubs, it’s hasn’t always been like this…
Years ago before sites like this, the Summer was never filled with panic, the reason for that was we got our information about transfers either because of a rumour in the paper (which was more reliable than the rubbish printed now I should add) or on the news/teletext when the deal had been completed, the Internet has changed that completely and sites are operating 24 hours a day pumping out links to players, most of it is bollocks but occasionally some reliable bits will come through.
The new climate of constant information, no matter how unreliable has created a buzz amongst fans for things to be done quickly and constantly when in fact some players who are reported to be signing on the Internet are not even in contact with the club, since we last kicked a ball 52 days ago we’ve been linked with all sorts of players…
Arda Turan, Andrei Arshavin, Bafetimbi Gomis, Richard Dunne, Didier Digard, Diego, Mario Gomez, Dimitar Berbatov, Thierry Henry, Peter Crouch, Guy Demel, Kapo, Danny Guthrie, Aaron Spear, Sebastian Larsson, John Arne Risse, Emiliano Insua, Jack Hobbs, Jose Antonio Reyes, Anthony Gardner, Nikola Zigic, Deco, Dean Ashton, Michael Dawson, Mikel Arteta, Pablo Aimar, Stéphane Mbia, Oscar Cardozo, Carlos Cuellar, Fabricio Coloccini, Djbrill Cisse, Joaquin, Kieran Westwood, Gary Madine, Wayne Hennessy, Eren Derdiyok, Achille Emana, Sidney Govou, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Juan Manuel Vargas, Miguel Veloso, Jonny Evans, Amara Diane, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Edgar Davids, Aidan McGeady, Roque Santa Cruz, Sol Campbell, Steven Davis, Andrew Johnson, Stephen Ireland, Steve Sidwell, Giles Barnes, Mamadou Sakho, Sam Vokes, Stéphane Sesegnon and Rafael van der Vaart just to name a few.
It’s easy to see why some fans seem desperate for someone to sign when they get this level of information shoved down their throat, that’s the equivalent of being linked with someone new every day since we last played!
Sorting through the facts and bullshit is a lot of hassle so my advice would be to just get out, enjoy the Summer and worry about who we have and haven’t signed when the season kicks off.
Roll on August 16th!
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A threadbare squad. Three days to go until the deadline.
A con-man of an owner promising a none existant “wow” signing.
Milner foolishly sold. Will he be replaced? I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ll be very disapointed if Malouda is bought in after his performances and comments while at Chelsea.
Is now the time to panic?
Sent in on: August 29th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
And I’ve heard and read enough of how the negotiations are going to now say -
“No Coloccini”
Although I hope I’m wrong and get egg on my face after leaving this post.
This player recruitment / negotiation team is simply awesome.
Surely if the rest of us were as bad at our jobs as these guys obviously are at theirs we’d have been fired by now?
Sent in on: July 31st, 2008 at 11:05 am
Oh, and I missed off my list- No Gomis.
Sent in on: July 23rd, 2008 at 2:00 pm
I agree totally with Michael Oneil. The attempt to get Aimar was pathetic.
As I have ranted else where on this site, the chase for his signature was conducted poorly. 6 weeks of nothing then a mad dash to get him when it was obviously too late. Poor. Poor. Poor! POOR!
No Crouch. Mo Modric. No Woodgate. No Sidwell. No Aimar. No Ferdinand. NO CLUE. All players we were supposedly in for. All failures.
With poor attempts to sign players and Ashley going on about a need for investors, I hold no hope for the coming season. And this “dream team” of “wise men” to capture and recruit players appears to be worth its weight in dog poo.
Sent in on: July 17th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Aimar - I’m gutted. We could have had the most creative midfield player in the world. His deal with Benfica - just announced - is 6 million pounds over 4 years..i.e. 29,000/week - less than Steven Taylor. What on earth is going on at Newcastle? Message to Mike Ashley - get rid of the London-based clowns running the player recruitment and hand it over 100% to Kevin.
Sent in on: July 17th, 2008 at 10:17 am
well its not looking to good over there at the toon. 2 players in and 1 here that nobody wants in shola. What a farce, or is Shola just greedy, watch this space he’ll be back at the toon. It seems that all these so called players, who want to come, are no hopers anyway, why bother. the ship is still sailing. so lets see if there is any more to come in and judge from that.
Sent in on: July 15th, 2008 at 11:36 am
What I find most refreshing is the support for sense that the original article received and isn’t it good to emphasise that Newcastle do not blow their trumpet until a player has agreed the contract just as in the case of Jonas Gutierrez. I look at all hundred’s of players we have been linked with in the gutter press and have not sen him mentioned once.
Now we have started keep up the good work KK.
Sent in on: July 2nd, 2008 at 1:08 pm
It would appear that this mornings capture of Jonas Gutierrez has cast some doubts over my comments below….
Sent in on: July 2nd, 2008 at 11:40 am
I am still sceptical about Ashley’s intentions for the club.
I’ve got to be honest, I’m not holding much hope that we’re going to get in the players to take the club forward. Ok, I don’t expect tens of millions spent, but some decent experienced internationals would be nice. However I think we won’t sign anyone over the age of 22 this summer. Or a player over 22 for more than 3M.
And surely I’m not the only person who thinks that the timing and nature of Keegan’s appointment was a deliberate attempt to mask the fact the Ashley wasn’t prepared to spend any money in January on new players?
Just watch. I agree NOW is NOT the time to panic, but when other teams we would like to think we can financially compete with start throwing the cash around (The Evertons and Blackburns etc) we will still be silent. Bolton have already spent 10M on a single player - I’ll be suprised if we do.
I really hope I’m wrong. Sadly I don’t think I will be.
Sent in on: June 30th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Blame the internet innit.
Sent in on: June 29th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Nice to read a well grounded rant free article where the author doesn’t feel the need to speculate in order to attract readers.
We should all just sit back wait.
It’s a sad fact though, that no club would let a half decent player leave before Euro2008 if there was even half a chance that they could play well and boost their value.
So can’t really blame our lot for not bagging the likes of Arshavin and Arda earlier.
Can’t wait for things to get going again.
Sent in on: June 26th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Sorry to show my ignorance but I thought the window had opened? If it isn’t open then how have Spurs gone wild, Boro, Bolton etc all made signings? I’m sure you’re right because Sky Sports usually do a ‘Window Watch’, but just wondered how these teams and many others already have new players on their books.
Other than that I completely agree. It’s frustrating not hearing about new players etc but MA and KK are smart men who will bring in the right players and like many have commented on here - most players go on holiday soon after the season finishes and many are concentrating on the Euros.
Does anyone else think we need at least seven or eight new players in? We need about five to slot straight into the starting line up but also four or five youngsters to bulk up the squad.
Slightly less annoyed after reading this article. Thanks for the common sense.
Sent in on: June 25th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Nice to hear, although it would have been prudent to move for some of our (alleged)targets before they played their way out of our reach in euro 2008. I can think of a certain russian that would have lit up St James!
Sent in on: June 25th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Yey!..Sense at last!..
…About time too, glad you guys have a nice relaxed approach to balance all the impatient cack we all read daily…Thanx for keeping your cool…When will everyone realize that it’s the same for every team…Everyone’s gone on holiday for crying out loud (a deserved break for most, & an enforced ‘break’ for some, hey Joey?)…Keep up the good work lads &/or lasses!..
…Toon Toon!..
Sent in on: June 25th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
well there are so many sites, saying this and that, its getting to the stage, off saturation, but baggio ur the man, to tell us straight,there will be signings, i know that, just make this team strong again and plz no castoffs or rubbish,
Sent in on: June 25th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Great article, well written and filled with common sense. I thought it was impossible to get these days !
Personally I think Ashley, Mort, KKK, Wise et al will do the business, but in private and in a professional manner, which is a far cry from the last regime. For me that can only be a good thing. Some ‘news’ articles I’ve read can only be described as fiction, and some have even alluded to that fact by stating that the article cannot be attributed to anyone at the club ! Never let the facts get in the way of a ‘good’ story so the saying goes ! Thankfully I think the days of squandering good money on big money flops is over and the club are now looking to develop over the long term as well as the short. Howay the lads !
Sent in on: June 25th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Thank you for writing this. Best post on any Newcastle blog all summer.
Sent in on: June 25th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
yer its becoming stupid that people are geting all worked up about us not making a signing but niether are many other prem teams but i cant wait til they kick off the new season i miss my football hope we sign someone good though we are goin to need to especialy if we loose milner hope we get lennon
Sent in on: June 25th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I completely agree I’ve been saying it’s ridiculous how Newcastle fans have apparently already lost patience and the window isn’t even open.
Sent in on: June 25th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Hip! Hip! Hooray! At last someone who is talking sense thank you Baggio. The garbage we have seen since the close of play from not just the media (who by and large hate us anyway, we cannot win with them no matter what we do), to the fans who have been dragged into wild speculation and panic.
I have tried on a couple of sites to comment on this but this is the first comment I have seen that is written with sense and calmness, I believe we have signed a player when he is wearing a Sacred Black & White shirt and has just put down the pen from signing his contract.
Otherwise we are back to that Spennymoor centre half at 43 but built like a house end, will stop everything and the three year old kid on Whitley Bay beach who will be a great prospect for the future.
Let Mr Ashley (and despite what has been written he is no clown but a skillful business man) and KK to get on with the job - roll on August and if we finish in UEFA cup spot can all those desparaging clowns who speculate eat their own words please.
Sent in on: June 25th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
It is nice to read an article that doesn’t insinuate that every single Newcastle fan is an idiot and can have patience.
There isn’t even that many clubs in the Premier League who have signed too many players!
And anyone who is on Ashleys back - shut up, you are probably the same cretins who booed when we finished 5th.
Sent in on: June 25th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
good man
Sent in on: June 25th, 2008 at 2:11 pm