There's been tons of moaning on here about players from relegated sides, players from lower division sides, foreign players who aren't stars, and players from top teams who can't get get a regular start on their current teams.

Still more talk of we should be buying various top name, big salary players. Players who, realistically speaking, are highly unlikely to come here due to lack of European football, mid-table mediocrity in another transition season, and possibly another relegation scare. Why go to Newcastle when they can get the same thing with Spurs, Fulham or West Ham...all of which have the 'glamour' of being in London.

Let's say Bobby really does get 20mil pounds to spend this summer, who can he realistically buy to fill our needs?

We may have to deal with at least another season or two of kids with promise, and cheaper experienced players who are willing to work to get us finishing higher up the table. By then our youth players will start coming through, and perhaps then we'll be in a more realistic position to challenge for the stars again.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2001

Answers

With the right scouting network you can always find quality players at an appropriate price. Clubs like Wimbledon made a career out of buying cheap lower division players and turning them into stars.

£20m? Many premiership managers would jump at the chance of spending that amount (several of them higher in the league than us) so I don't see that as a limiting factor. YBR has already spent £18m and we are almost going backwards from last season. We could put much of that down to the poor injury record this season but it doesn't tell the full story. If we are going to spend we have to buy smarter.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2001

Exactly. That's what I was getting at (in my usual rambling and long-winded way ;-) ). Just seems to me like we shouldn't be so quick to slag off players cause they aren't big names. Today's big names were yesterday's nobodies. Not only do we have to buy smart, but having the right kind of infrastructure to develop these players is also a glaring necessity.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2001

When purchases and sales are netted out BR has in fact spent -2 million pounds during his tenure. I am hard pushed to think of a Premiership team that has spent less over the past two seasons. Considering that he inherited a mediocre squad stuck in the relegation zone the lack of investment in the team means that our current position is eminently understandable.

BR has been taking a lot of flak recently from a number of BBSers who were happy to eulogise him only a year ago. We have had a terrible run with injuries, he has had no real money to spend and is limited in the players he can hope to attract because the PLC are desperate to cut wages at a time when every other club is raising them. He has made some poor buys but if you're forced to shop in the bargain basement it's inevitable that you will end up with some cheap and nastly tat alongside the bargains. BR saved our club from relegation last season. If he is given the backing that almost every other EPL manager has had then I see no reason why we can't progress next season.

Keep the faith

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

Nobody will mind the big wages if the said players are earning their money. Thereduction in the wage bill was for players like Ferguson and Howey who couldn't string a few games together despite earning big wages.

We are in a good position to be able to add to the squad. Once the summer clearout is finished we will have a relatively small squad and it will need some major stengthening. There is room in the wages department too and if the wages get higher we as a club are not risking too much of our turnover on just wages.

It all depends on how much capital is available for Robson to buy the required players. That is where the claims of Hall must be realised and the money will have to come.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

A couple of points here, first, £20m in today's market may seem like a lot to some clubs, but we are not some clubs, we are statistically the second largest cub in England, and if our Chairman is to be believed one of the biggest in Europe. While our debt ratio is high due to the Stadium rebuild, whoever is in control of the finances must realise that we, the fans will not forgive another season where we must worry more about safety from relegation than trying to get into Europe.

So, is £20m enough? Who knows? In todays market that may buy 3 players (if we put a ceiling cap of £7m per player as we seem to do) but at that price look at what we've bought:

Dyer, Bassedas (6), Cort, Ferguson, Speed.

It would seem that we have one suerstar in Dyer, one star in Speed, the Ferguson project failed, and the jury is out on Cort and Bassedas. Reallistically the resale value would be minimal (thus a loss) on all these players except Dyer.

The majority of players brought in have been under £4m and that must lead one to believe that we have become a club looking for bargains rather than a club who can splurge on the best players. If we are spending £1-2m on a players like Acuna, and others are spending £10 - £20m per player and winning titles, reallistially who is fooling whom?

Finally, the talk of YBR having lost it as a manager is well off target I believe. He has a solid support system around him and while he may not be as sharp as he was 20 years ago, but then again who is? I still think he knows what he wants to achieve, and can get it done, if the club (£££) and the fans support him to the best of our abilities.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

Teamtalk are quoting Solano as saying strengthen the squad or I'm off.
Extract:

Nol Solano has hinted that he could could quit the club in the summer if The Magpies don't spend big in the close season.
The Peruvian winger is happy to stay on Tyneside but he is desperate for Bobby Robson to strengthen the squad in a bid to collect some silverware.
"I am happy here but I want to win something. I want the club to match my ambition" said the winger.
Solano is in the process of negotiating a new deal amid rumoured interest from abroad, and if United fail to significantly strengthen the squad then Solano may be tempted by a switch to the Continent.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

SE - I'm not bemoning the fact that YBR has done a good job with the housekeeping, while rescuing us from the perilous drop. However well he might have done getting rid of Domi. Pistone, Howey, Goma et al, the fact remains that his purchases have yet to set the world alight. As far as I'm concerned, Cort has yet to prove his price tag. Yes, he has a good goal/game ratio but he is still raw. A lot to pay just for potential. IMHO, YBR's best buy was Gallacher, followed by Acuna. Of the rest, Corblimey (loan), Bassedas, Quinn, O'Brien and Lua x 2 (have I missed any of signifcance?) have done very little to warrant the manager's confidence in buying them.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

We need more players than we can realistically sign in one close season.

Right Back, Centre Back, Left Back, Left Winger, Striker, Central Midfielder.

The incoming players should be way better than what we currently have and to integrate 6 new players into a side will take a season at least.

Even if the Board give Robson all the money he wants there is no guarantee that he will sign the players he wants. If they are tremendous players there will inevitably be other clubs in for them and we have to be realistic enough to say that there are many more attractive options than Newcastle United FC.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

Screacher - You missed the jewel in our crown, Diego Gavilan! Seriously, I think that O'Brien, although he had a mare on Saturday, has shown real promise.

The point I was trying to make is that the purchases made so far would probably not have been made if the PLC had given a reasonable level of backing to BR. Did BR think that Quinnn & O'Brien were the best left and centre backs available since December; or were they they only ones available for a total of £2M who were prepared to accept the salaries on offer? Make your own mind up about this; I have.

BR was on record as saying that he wanted to sign Rebrov, Dacourt and Arca last summer but the money wasn't there to do it. This again reinforces the view that he has had to buy what he can afford rather than what he actually wants.

This actually raises an interesting point - should he have perhaps bought one or two of these players rather than attempting to spread limited resources across the seven or eight players he has actually bought. What do you think?

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

BR has been taking a lot of flak recently from a number of BBSers who were happy to eulogise him only a year ago.

I daresay that category includes me. Perhaps not so much flak as questioning a number of decisions in the transfer market, wondering about the overall morale, the constant ommision of Glass and the preference for Barton who is on a run of really poor form, etc. I reserve the right to eulogise about any manager/player we have until such time as they prove themselves unworthy of the adulation.

Still, I've always had an open mind on issues and will change my opinion when I see evidence contrary to my existing beliefs. YBR was a breath of fresh air when he came but in recent months has failed to follow through on the early promise. His run of 1 point from 5 games (2 of them at home to relegation candidates) was on a par with the form that cost Gullit the job last year. As I said earlier, I'm prepared to make some allowance for injury but that does not excuse a spend of £18m for which we seem to have little to show so far. YBR can yet redeem himself in my eyes but I'm becoming increasingly concerned.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

I heard from a fairly reliable source recently that Don Hutchinson was lined up and ready to sign for us last summer, but was put off three times by BR while he waited for the £1.5mm to be made available. Eventually, Reidy put the pressure on him to make a decision, and he signed for THEM in frustration.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

Interesting story Clarky. YBR spent more than £11m last summer so I'm surprised £1.5m couldn't be found for a Geordie. At what stage, chronologically did Hutchinson sign? Before or after Cort/Bassedas?

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

Hutchinson was seen in the Strawbeery towards the end of last season.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

So was Softie and Dr Bill but I wouldn't want to sign either of them ;-)

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

Blackburn might be tempted to sell the likes of Matt Jansen for £8 million, especially if we offered them Speed for £2 or £3 million as a makeweight.I'd use him as a left winger or striker when Shearer / Cort get injured again. I'd also go to about £8 million for Bridges, playing him alongside whoever isn't injured. The rest of the money I would spend on one of the best Left backs that money can buy. Not sure if Leeds would sell Harte, but that's the kind of player I would go for. I'd make do with the rest of the team , getting rid of Barton and using Griff / Hughes or another youngster such as Gary Caldwell as right back. When enough of the dross has been sold, I'd invest in a quality centre back. What I wouldn't do is spend the £20 M on 6 or 7 risky buys.

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

Agreed, one Warren Barton is enough!

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001

I don't know Screach....both would have something to offer....

-- Anonymous, May 08, 2001