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Newcastle United – All Talk And No Action

10 years ago
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It’s time for Mike Ashley to put his hand in his pocket and pull out more than a Mars bar, with the team desperately in need of more (goalscoring) Newcastle strikers.

After watching what has to be our worst 90 minutes of the season against Fulham, I desperately hope there is activity this summer.

As a team we looked hopelessly outclassed by a side that had only won six games all season. Admittedly the goal was a shocker but, when all’s said and done, we didn’t deserve anything from that game.

The fact is without Remy we just don’t have the goal threat. Pardew decided to play a front two of Cisse and De Jong but Remy alone would’ve caused more problems. It’s not a big secret that we need another attacking option so why can’t Tragic Mike see it?

Having not spent any money in January I can’t help but look at the players that other teams “got over the line”.

Jermaine Defoe is a proven goal getter. From a starting position, or the bench, he’s always going to be a handful and was on my personal wish list this January. Alright, so he came out and said he didn’t want to play for another Premier League team.

My personal opinion is that there was just no interest and so he took the lucrative Toronto offer. I can’t believe that an ambitious, proud player like Defoe would turn down an offer from a Newcastle or an Everton in World Cup year. We’ve voiced an interest in Defoe in the very recent past but when he became available the elusive offer never came.

Shane Long may not be a world beater but he’s a quick, natural finisher. He’s got the pace and awareness to get in behind the back line. Our forward two looked like they were playing a game of stuck in the mud, so limited was their movement.

Then who other than the static caravan himself, Shola Ameobi, was our alternative. I read an article about three months ago where Pardew said he’d tracked Long but the window came and Alan did no more than gaze through it.

Even, dare I say, Victor Anichebe has a good track record of coming off the bench to score goals and cause trouble. He moved to West Brom for a paltry sum. Could he have changed the game on Saturday?

Wilfried Bony was a target a couple of years ago and, although maybe not consistent, has shown more guile and quality than Cisse, Ameobi or De Jong.

Tom Ince is another that we “looked” at in the summer. We sell Cabaye and then make no move when Ince is actually available. Ince is a creative, speedy and exciting player. He would be a perfect addition to our limited resource of technical wingers.

This bizarre trend of tracking a player, talking about them and then making no bid when they are actually on the market is mind boggling. We were battling Man Utd for the fifteen million pound signature of Zaha last year and yet this season the most we could hope for is two loan signings.

I was glad to see Adam Armstrong make his debut but what is a seventeen year old expected to do with five minutes to go? I personally would’ve given him fifteen or twenty. Maybe we could have shown the faith that Fulham did with young Woodrow. We could’ve played Armstrong on his own to run the lines whilst a packed midfield dominated the centre of the park.

It may all work out. Since returning to the Premier League we have had a free scoring player every season; Carroll, Ba, Cisse (briefly) and now Remy. However, every Toon fan with a functioning brain knows Remy will be saluting for another team next season.

Chances are Ameobi will be given a new contract, De Jong will be signed for next to nothing and our entire strike force will notch up a goal tally of six between them next year (five more than this season’s haul). Really none of these players should be pulling on the black and white stripes next season. If I see Cisse smiling once more having been caught offside or missing a sitter my TV may end up getting a “push” from my head.

The truth is I don’t expect to see much movement this summer. If anything we may lose favourites such as Ben Arfa and King Colo without signing any adequate replacements. My poor girlfriend will have to suffer my dark cloud of expletives and pessimism yet again.

You can follow Billy on Twitter @billymerlin

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