Our scouting network

[Zippity]

Right.

What the actual fuck is going on.

Bournemouth. Brentford, Brighton particularly. All smaller teams who manage to unearth some fantastic players from, seemingly, nowhere.

Meanwhile, the conversation on deadline day for us is about whether we should recall Matt fucking Targett from his loan at a Chimpo club!!

We can't spend on the team the way we need to because of PSR but what's stopping us creating a scouting network to rival the biggest teams never mind the ones I mentioned above??

From a management point of view, we are being run as an absolute fucking shambles.

Rant over.

I'm off climbing.

Fucking bah.

[MidsMagpie]

Angel Gomes on the verge of going to Wolves on loan for the rest of the season why cant we do similar ? all the rubbish about other premier league clubs wont help us by loaning us players why not look overseas then.

[Ragatino]

Angel Gomes on the verge of going to Wolves on loan for the rest of the season why cant we do similar ? all the rubbish about other premier league clubs wont help us by loaning us players why not look overseas then.

I pitched Gomes in the summer, who was on a free from Lille. He's very short and not the sort of powerful athlete that first Eddie's style.

However, I get your point.

It's clear that the squad needs additions. The away form in the League is unacceptable, totally unacceptable. It's will be something that could lead to Eddie being replaced.

The gap to 5th is now 6 points and on performances, the club aren't going looking like closing that gap but it getting bigger.

Something needs to improve.

[Jammy89]

We do seem to have improved in Brazil and South America - based on links etc.

I suspect we have improved to be honest but so much ****e gets thrown that we don't then sign, that we as fans don't realise.

Eddie is and always has been very specific about players he wants, which seems to cost us to a degree as a general player we don't get cos they dont meet Eddies high high standards.

[MidsMagpie]

Fratessi off to Forest on loan now another one we could have signed.

[Ragatino]

Fratessi was a target 2 yrs. He's 26. The club has stated that they are targeting player to reduce the squad age.

It's a focus on 20-24yr olds.

I appreciate there is need to bring in quality and Fratessi is no doubt a good player, however, his age doesn't fit the profile. The club also don't loan players unless absolutely necessary - Ramsdale.

Eddie has a previous relationship with the keeper, otherwise I'm pretty sure that he wouldn't be at the club.

These factors seriously narrow the pool of players the club are willing to sign, especially when factoring in the other matrix Eddie insists on for his players.

This also points to the fact of why it's 99% unlikely that the club will sign any players before the deadline 19:00 GMT on Monday, 2 February. Later today.

[Ragatino]

Nottingham Forest are looking at other targets as their approach for Inter Milan's Italy midfielder Davide Frattesi, 26, is unlikely to succeed.

https://www.skysports.com/football/live-blog/31771/12476234/transfer-centre-live-football-transfer-news-updates-and-rumours?postid=10966626#liveblog-body

Nottingham Forest are looking at other central midfield targets, as their deal for Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi is unlikely to be given the green light.

Forest and Inter have an agreement in principle for the 26-year-old – a loan with an option to buy for ?34.6m. But the deal is dependent on Inter finding a replacement.

The Serie A club want to sign Curtis Jones, but Sky Sports News understands that letting players go is not on Liverpool's agenda before the deadline.

[Scott Kirkland]

We do seem to have improved in Brazil and South America - based on links etc.

I suspect we have improved to be honest but so much ****e gets thrown that we don't then sign, that we as fans don't realise.

Eddie is and always has been very specific about players he wants, which seems to cost us to a degree as a general player we don't get cos they dont meet Eddies high high standards.

Pointless improving scouting in South America. We never buy the players. We sit back and watch them go to Bournemouth.

[toptoon]

Bearing in mind it seems impossible for us to complete signings early in the summer window, we should bring in some overseas potential now so they can have a full pre-season.

[Jammy89]

Bearing in mind it seems impossible for us to complete signings early in the summer window, we should bring in some overseas potential now so they can have a full pre-season.

I'm hoping that will change now Wilson is in and feet under table.

We can't habe another last summer again.

[Ragatino]

I'm hoping that will change now Wilson is in and feet under table.

We can't habe another last summer again.

Indeed. The old saying 'The proof of the pudding is in the eating' comes to mind.

Through out December the targets for January were identified and as usual the agents leaked the info to the press.

Dayann Methalie, Kees Smit, Tiago Gabriel were 3 of the primary target.

From an uniformed (as we all are) point of view with zero connection to the club or decision makers this is how is seems to have played out.

- Wilson / Club identified the targets before the window

- Wilson / Club communicates interest with the targets agents and through intermediaries with the club

- Wilson / Club feedback

Methalie - surgery delayed the potential signing
Smit - declared he won't move in the Jan window. Jorge Mendez involved - big money, Summer Transfer saga
Tiago Gabriel - nothing clear regarding why that didn't progress / Dan Burn's rapid return to fitness

- The recruitment team including Eddie / Wilson / Club decided not to go down the list of targets to 2nd, 3rd, 4th choice.

Both the points can be true.

The club needs to bring in more quality. The club shouldn't just sign anyone.

As mentioned above, the transfers the clubs hasn't moved quickly enough in the summers previously to secure the top targets.

It makes sense not signing the lesser targets just for the sake of it. That being said, it only makes sense IF the summer business secures the top targets.

The noise around the money is just an excuse.

Signing in Jan or June is the same tax year. Talk of PSR restrictions is inaccurate. Kieran Maguire is the only person I believe when it comes to the finances of each club.

NUFC have a lot of 'head room' (another wa*k modern phrase. Shall we start a most hated modern wa*k phrases that are completely unnecessary as there are already terms for those things?) to sign players. Wilson has confirmed that, Eddie was confident ahead of the window that deals could be done.

That changed midway through the window as the reality of the challenges became evident.

Eddie's clearly involved in that decision, he's part of the team to make the decisions, collectively the decided that the players available were not worth the investment & wouldn't be the next step up in quality with the 'High ceiling' (another Wa*k phrase) have the potential to put the club on an even footing with the cartel.

He lives by that decision, he dies by that decision. The fanbase is divided between the rational and the uneducated.

I want my team to win the league. I want my team to win the Champions League. I want my team to win FA Cup and League cups every year.

I want my team to dominate & set a legacy of winning for decades.

We know why that isn't possible right now. All the restrictions, the Cartel ref bias, on and on and on.

Eddie himself is not the 2nd coming of Jesus, the man makes mistake, just like every other manager. Anyone seeing the challenges Pep is having at City right now? After all the money they've spent, the greatest manager of his generation is still struggling to get a tune out of them.

I don't like to compare but we be realistic. When the bed wetters point out what Eddie has spent and what Emre is doing at Villa that's all well and good but when the counterpoint to their argument is reflected using their own argument it's irrelevance to the same people.

You can't debate stupid. The Absences of fact is never an issue when it comes to the emotions of a moron.

[toptoon]

Good post.

[Ragatino]

Good post.

Thanks Tops, I appreciate you!

Any genuine fan of the club wants nothing but the best for the lads and future success. The support the manager. Of course I'll criticise when and where I see it necessary.

However, the incessant hatred and rage filled negativity is just pathetic.

It reminds me of a time, many moons ago in my career, as a junior engineer on a project. One of the seniors, we'll call him Mr Jobsworth AKA Mr JW was one of those guys who complained about everything and spent as much if not more energy criticising and avoiding responsibility than it'd take to actually get the job done.

During the project there was a critical error in the installation which had potential to derail the whole job. Naturally it was discovered 10 mins before the close of the working week.

Mr JW, was all packed up and heading for the car park passed the unenthused admin girls, his weekly sleeve offensive in an attempt failing spectacularly as usual when the fault was found.

He immediately threw his hands up 'not my job gov!' and off he trotted. It wasn't his work stream. It wasn't mine either. However, down the line the implications were universal for all workstreams.

The rest of the crew filled out leaving 3 of us to deal with the situation. It took all weekend. We, 3, slept under the desks Friday & Saturday night getting wrapped up on Sunday around 6pm.

Heading out into the low setting Arabic sun, that rich egg yoke orange ball illuminating the dusty, sandy atmosphere was as satisfying as the first pint back at the hotel bar.

14 hrs later sat in the my first managerial meeting with the lads debriefing the Director of Project and top managers, MR JW was front and centre, kept chipping in with comments here and there as though he was part of it.

After his 4th or 5th interruption of the two guys and my break down of the whole situation, I guess it was the sleep deprivation and shortened patient, I paused my updated and turned to Mr JW and politely asked him to keep quiet as he had ducked his responsibilities and walked out on the buzzer at 5pm.

I then turned back to the senior managers at the top of the meeting table, and made it very clear, who'd resolve the situation, piling credit on my two colleagues and down playing my own role.

After the meeting Mr JW was on the war path.

Later that day, I was called to speak with the Director of Project. A former Royal Navy Commadore, a big fat man call Garry, round like a barrel, peg teeth, 80 a day smoker. One of those super posh military fellas who cuts through bs like a knife.

He thanked me for the hard work and dedication with the two other lads but was most impressed with the way I handled the meeting. Offered me a promotion to Project Manager. Basically going from the coal face to Executive suite over night.

Next day was the managers meeting where I was introduce to the team as my new post and the new updated org chart was displayed and discussed. MR JW was not not on it. By the Friday he had been let go and was on his way back to the UK.

It's a shame we don't have a Salty Old sea dog like Mad Garry to marshal the fan base.

[Ragatino]

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/newcastle-united-release-statement-lack-33350838

In the pre-City Presser Eddie explains it.


The Magpies also resisted the opportunity to retain Jamaal Lascelles and recall Matt Targett, who could both offer centre-back cover, but Howe, speaking at his Press conference before the Man City game, said: "The squad is OK. If it was a fully fit squad it would be really strong. Of course it is not, so you have to get players fit.

"We need our injured players back fit. Until we do that, there is an imbalance, and we are certainly stretched defensively. But I am happy with the squad when it is at full strength."

When asked why new recruits weren't brought in, Howe said: "Financially, it wasn't possible. As I said at the start of the window.

"There were players we were looking at for the future, younger players we could develop. Ultimately, it didn't happen. I didn't think there was a player coming in that could affect us."

When asked if it was a risk, Howe said: "Yes. But I think I chose my words; we were left with no other option.

"Every decision we make has a long-term implication. There is no guarantee signing somebody with the funds we had would help us short-term anyway.

"It is what it is and we are used to working in these conditions now. We have only been active in one window out of the last four or five.

"We are under financial restrictions. We have to be smart and decided to wait until the summer. The decision is that the summer window is a lot easier to recruit. There are more players are available and better value for money.

"We had a limited amount of money to use in this window and were the right players available to help us in the short-term? Those options weren't available to us, we can't sign players that don't exist, we have to sign players and we have to work under the conditions we are in."

Howe was then asked if PIF are prepared to still back the club, and said: "There is a willingness to spend what we can but work within PSR limits."

[Ragatino]

I take from that the fact that the players they wanted weren't available for money that made sense.

They could have forced signings by paying over the odds like the club did for Wissa in the summer. A 25m quid player for 55m quid. Now getting pelters from the bedwetters as terrible business & a waste of money.

A player value at in January might mean that the club can't up a bid for a better player by 10-15m (bigger transfer fee or higher wages offered) in Summer to secure the deal.

Is it frustrating? Yes of course.

Like I said above.

Ideal world the club goes out and just buys 10 elite level 21-23 yrs olders for 100m a piece end that lead to title challenges and trophies galore over the next few season. We want the club to win the league and everything else. That is going to take a lot more time and many more transfer windows.

The Rules and restrictions are working perfectly. To restrict NUFC from competing. Well done to UEFA. EPL. et al for your brilliance at institutional corruption.