Decisions Decisions!
Is it just me or do Newcastle United appear to have what looks on paper like one of the better midfields in the Premiership?
We all know that football is played on grass and not paper of course but while Roeder maybe working around the clock to boost his striking options, what can be said about the men in the middle and those out wide.
This week United have been heavily linked with big burly Dane Thomas Gravesen - a player that Glenn Roeder has already admitted heâÂÂd like on board.
Even last season Roeder relied on the likes of flying French youngster Charles Nâ Zogbia, Scott Parker, Emre, Nobby Solano, Matty Pattison, Amady Faye and when fit Kieron Dyer.
ThereâÂÂs also flying Irish winger Alan Oâ Brien who is still relatively untried.
Since then RoederâÂÂs options were decimated slightly when Lee Clark announced he was in semi-retirement to join the coaching staff and Lee Bowyer left for the bright lights of well, West Ham, but the Toon boss did get back loanees James Milner and Nicky Butt.
Damien Duff also arrived to give fans a real sense of optimism ahead of the new season.
Once youâÂÂve thought about that little lot, itâÂÂs clear there is somebody to sit in front of the back four, plenty of attacking midfield options and in Duff, Solano, NâÂÂZogbia and Dyer some capable figures to supply.
That leaves Roeder with 11 midfielders to cover four positions - many of them full internationals or regarded as decent prospects for the future.
Should Gravesen emulate Michael Owen and make the journey from Real Madrid to Tyneside that would be 12 options for United in midfield.
And how many Premiership teams can say that?
Should we be feeling a bit more optimistic or is that elusive striker going to cost United dear?
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Lee Ryder - Proudly born and bred on Tyneside, the Chronicle's chief sports writer has followed the fortunes of the club over the last three decades as a Toon fan and football writer.
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Nicky Butt and Amady Faye must be on combined wages of about ã60,000 a week and both have yet to proove they are fit to wear the shirt Glenn should be looking to ditch this pair of nearly men and go and bring Tommy to the Toon still leaving around ã30,000 to add to the pot for a quality striker .
With both Duff and a fully fit Dyer more than capable of playing off the main striker we can play a 4 5 1 if required and should not worry too much about a pair of strikers and concentrate on quality rather than quantity, it looks like we will start the season with Albert and big Shola so one quality striker should be enough until the boy wonder is fit
What is the point of buying yet another midfielder.. I think if we are to buy Gravesen, then I would like to off-load both Nicky Butt and Amady Faye, if not one. According to the two men to a position theory, we have Parker and Emre, to be backed up by Butt and Faye.. so if Grav was to come in, we would be seriously holding one extra central mf.
I think the club needs to pay attention towards the strikers and not the midfield. The defence is also poor. Off-course, you say that our midfield is one of the bests.. but our defence is awful and we don't even have a strikeforce.. this needs to be looked at.
I really dont think we need Gravesen, and i also think that if we buy him, then we buy a lot of complaining about how little playing-time he gets. We have the best mifield in the Premier League, well maybe Chelski got better, but they have Don Abramovich so that is to be expected.
I dont see why Roeder is trying to get midfielders to the club, when we need forwards and maybe fullbacks (Wayne Bridge and Lucas Neill?) or a good central defender (dont know what it is called on English...)
Bring me Klasnic and Defoe! Not Malbranque and Gravesen!
Spot on, Lee. We have for the coming season a midfield that we can all get behind. With a few exceptions; Lampard, Ballack, Gerard and perhaps Carrick, our midfield players are as strong as anyone's.
But, as England proved in the World Cup, having a quality midfield doesn't always bring success. We are strong in the centre of defence but, if you exclude Ramage, lack cover for Carr on the right and Babyaro on the left. Our manager is top notch, and I am confident for the first time in some years that he will obtain additional players in the those areas which we all know are thin on the ground.
Furthermore, I think that it is quite possible that Luque & Ameobi will shine this year.
Thats how confident I am.
I see ours as a midfield in transition.
Faye is on his way out and should anyone want him Butt would follow. Solano may well be facing his last season and promising though they may be Nzogbia and Milner are far from the finished article. Throw Emre into the mix and he has yet to control a game and has disappeared in away games. Counting Dyer as an option is ambitious and over optimistic. That doesn't leave much!
We need a Graverson or Malbranque to add fight and attacking options. Midfield is the engine room.Covering defense and creating chances for attackers.
If we are going to compete and score goals we need plenty of quality options not just potential or those past their best.
Butt Faye & Solano are obvious makeweights... milner & zog are still kids while emre & dyer are quality but too fragile to play a full prem. season. That's a midfield squad destined for 18th rather than 4th place & why a seasoned veteren like Graveson is of significant interest ...bring him on...please !
Well done to NIcky Butt for his 2 goals, we need the midfielders to chip in with more goals, BUT he will have to do a lot more than that to convince me which United he wants to play for!
The defence is still and has always been a cause for concern, considering they leaked in 6 goals in 2 friendlies and especially 5 goals in 2 first halves.
If Roeder can pull the plug to that problem, NUFC will have better chances for a top 5 finish.
I think we have a great midfield. Duff shows he can perform. I am a big fan of Charles N'Zogbia. The lad has pace and vision and brings another dimension to our midfield. He is a great find and will hopefully be one of our players for years to come. However, I still feel we need 2 strikers, 2 quality strikers that can ease the burden on Owen and Ameobi.
I can not, for the life of me, understand why we need Gravesen. when we have so many glaring weaknesses in the defence. Bramble is not goinig to be a long term solution, and I won't even mention Boumsong. Although I like both Shola and Albert, it seems simply irresponsible to head into the season relying on those two, given their history of injury.
Duff, Zog, Parker, Emre, Dyer, Butt, Solano and Milner are more than enough, the Toon needs strikers and defense
Midfield competition is good
It seems to me that Mr. Roeder is taking many looks at many forwards in the market.
It is not easy to find an reasonably priced, committed, Premiership-proven striker these days. I must say it's like searching for the perfert needle in the haystack.
Dirk Kuyt may be well-known in the Dutch game but he still had a quiet World Cup and Dutch players are well known to have poor attitudes. I fear that he is another poor investment in the transfer market.
Any names to suggest?
Picking the midfield is Roeders biggest problem....butt could be a different player this season..i feel that he is another that suffered with our former managers own unique brand of man management...I'm worried that Glen seems to be asking Nobby to tuck inside..we only get the best out of the peruvian when he's hugging the touchline and pinging the ball into the danger area.
I am far enough from England, from Newcastle, but usually I watch Premier League.
I think NUFC is that kind of team which can play well, when at least 3-4 basic players play well. Honestly it happened not too often. But NUFC played well, they were "in the same weight" with any other teams (Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, etc.).
Those teams have at least 1-2 top class players in the team, whom can influence the result. NUFC had not too many players whom could make it. And those players only first class players, no top ones.
Garry Hagon's opinion: "But, as England proved in the World Cup, having a quality midfield doesn't always bring success (Gerrard, Lampard)." - It is truth, but I think nobody says: England do nothing, and they were lucky in the World Cup 2006. Why? I think top players in the team played poorly, but they had set-up, that's why. Gerrard's and Lampard's average capacity are better than normal midfielder's. And NUFC has no Lampard and Gerrard.
Maybe I am not in right. In Hungary everybody thinks NUFC would be in the first 3-4 at the end, before every season, but at the end...
Hopefully in this year you will be at the top... Good luck for it.
P.S.: Sorry about my poor English!
"Decimated slightly" by Clarks retiremet not sure if that oxymoron is meant sarcastic or not!! anyway, I think that the point is well made that we hae enough cover in midfield, even more than Chelsea have! Personally, I would give Butt a second chance and would have kept him last season, there were several others who would hae deserved to be shipped out based on their Cardiff performance, he wasnt the only culprit. The Duff deal is great but if that and the supposed Gravesen deal deprive 7m from the striker fund then I am worried
"Decimated slightly" by Clarks retiremet not sure if that oxymoron is meant sarcastic or not!! anyway, I think that the point is well made that we hae enough cover in midfield, even more than Chelsea have! Personally, I would give Butt a second chance and would have kept him last season, there were several others who would hae deserved to be shipped out based on their Cardiff performance, he wasnt the only culprit. The Duff deal is great but if that and the supposed Gravesen deal deprive 7m from the striker fund then I am worried
If we look at forwards then
for me the one available at present and in a league of his own (at least I think he is Anelka)
If our avowed aim is to go for proven premiership performers both he and Boa Morte, pre-season targets of the late Mr Souness's last summer,should have been brought in then.
The fact that they were not led to the ã26m overspend on Owen and Luque purchases which in my opinion would not have been necessary if we'd spent ã13m to get Boa and Anelka. The result of this mistake inevitably sealed Souness's fate.
The other monies that were clearly available could have been spent on the defence and midfield and we would have been a CHL contender.
Reasons for Anelka well actions speak louder than words and heres a few;
His 2003/04 Goal scoring stats.
ie His last full season with Man City
Tot
GLS Games GPG
Anelka 25 43 1.72
Shearer 28 51 1.82
Owen 19 38 2.00
It took him less games to score a goal than either Owen or Shearer in a poorer side.
Why oh why doesnt anyone look at his record rather than the negative hype.
City needed to sell him to balance the books and thats exactly what they did.
Go get him Glenn he's the real deal and crucially him and Owen forged a good partnership at Liverpool during his loan spell there but they couldnâÂÂt afford RealâÂÂs asking price (sound familiar).
A LOAN DEAL MAY BE POSSIBLE BUT GET HIM ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.