Apologies if this has been posted earlier but I've just seen this on TeamTalkBollox...

Solano set to sign new Magpies deal

Nolberto Solano has pledged his future to Newcastle United after revealing he will be 'delighted' to sign a new four-year deal at St James' Park. The Peruvian international winger has a year left on his current contract and it was feared The Magpies would be forced to transfer-list Solano if he could not agree a new deal. Solano, however - who has also been strongly linked with Italian outfit Parma and Spanish giants Real Madrid - is ready to pledge his future to Tyneside and sign the new deal that will take him beyond his 30th birthday. The 26-year-old, who was signed for £2.5million from Boca Juniors in August 1998, revealed: "I'm delighted, everything is all right with the contract and it's 90 per cent certain that I'll sign! "We are close to an agreement which will keep me here. All I want is to be part of a successful Newcastle team. He enthused: "I want to finish my top-flight career here at Newcastle because it's a great league here and is right up there with Spain and Italy." Solano's new contract is worth a reputed £25,000 per week and will come as a welcome boost for Magpies boss Bobby Robson, who has not always seen eye to eye with the Peruvian winger. The pair have often been in dispute over Solano's international commitments, though it is not known whether the new contract means they have agreed a compromise over the time he spends back in his homeland. Nonetheless, the player has now jetted out of the country to link up with his national team-mates for a succession of games, including Copa America fixtures with Brazil, Mexico and Paraguay. Robson will, no doubt, be hoping he returns to the North-East injury free and see Solano officially sign the new contract on offer to him at St James' Park.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Answers

Best news I've had in ages, if it's true.

Shows YBR has a lot of faith in a truly great player and that the board despite serious temptation are not a selling club

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Shows more than that. Nobby was recently moaning that he wanted to see NUFC make a more prounounced effort in signing top players to make us competitive.

If he signs the contract extension perhaps there is a real prospect of quality footballers coming our way in the summer?

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Ya maybe Bobby. Great news this!

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

bob, that was my reaction, however after going over the quotes in more depth Nobby seems to be affirming his desire to stay and hinting at a done deal. He's going then.

well, he's a footballer isn't he?

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

bob - er, bonny er nobby lad i've signed some stars

nobby - ok i'l a sine esta?

kind like that it happened?

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

(note the clever use of spanish)

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Debido observado

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

vale 

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Chris Waddle

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Scorchio!

So if Solano is staying we still have the age old problem of where does Dyer play?

Nobby can't play wing back so that pisses on Robson's theory about Dyer being best in a three man midfield.

Nobby being better as an out and out winger, leaves Dyer to occupy a central midfield role, so he would need a strong presence alongside him and Bassedas is not that but Bassedas will play more next season.

I'm confused. I know we need a squad but what is going to be our first choice midfield? Will Dyer play just behind a main striker and forget a new striker? Dyer off the front two with a three man midfield behind him, if so is Nobby the type for that position?

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

That's pretty much exactly what I feel DeB. I don't see Solano and Dyer in the same team unless Dyer is pushed up (even then I'm not convinced).

Now if we were building a squad I'd say keep 'em both and rotate, use as subs etc. but we're just trying to get an effective first team.

I suppose we can't afford to let Solano go until we know Dyer's going to get back to full fitness, but I still think one or the other will leave eventually.

Maybe Bobby thinks that with Hughes (natural RB) in a 3 man defense he can afford to give Solano his head and still accomodate Dyer? i.e. Solano the withback without too many defensive duties.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

That's wingback not withback!

I'm still chuckling because just before I posted I noticed I had written "Hughes in a 3-man back four". I'm bloody glad I spotted that before I posted. Screacher would have crucified me! :o))

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

No, your safe Pilgrim. I can't find a short tree strong enough over here to crucify you ;-) Mind, I did see a big crane in Halrand & Wolfe so getting you up tere wouldn't have been a problem ;-)

Actually, I think you should suggest playing a 3-man back four to YBR. He'd probably believe you !

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

sorry to be blunt lads but thats bollocks, Dyer and Solano are electric together on their day. I've forgotten what the team patterns were around them on those days...but, i cast my mind back (for example) to the 5-0 last year of Southampton, and the 3-0 over man u etc, those guys have a telepathy together.

I say nurture it, put them together and let them play. After all i can remember Bearsdley, Ginola, Asprilla etc, playing in the same team -it comes down to confidence imho.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

We have discussed this ad nausium and Softie produced some excellent tables showing the effectiveness of the two players in the same starting line up. If my memory serves me rightly, the stats showed that the team didn't fare too well when the two started. One swallow does not make a summer and all that.

Now that may be different if Dyer or Solano was to play more on the left flank.

We need width to stretch teams and create space for forwards to run into and without a regular on the left flank we are not going to achieve this. It is simple basic bliddy football and a philosophy which loosely has secured Manure so much of their Domestic success.

If we were to learn anything from Euro 2000, it would be the way in which so much space was made by the best teams. I don't think we can achieve this on a consistent basis by playing both of them predominantly on the right. Sure they move but more often than not the opposition know what is coming.

It takes great play by those two to make the space and I think they could do it much easier if the defence was worried about being exposed on either flank. That way their full backs would not be able to push in and close down the space.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

"One swallow does not make a summer and all that."

It'd make my summer... ;-)

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Our largest win in aeons was with Dyer playing on ...the left, we beat Sheff 8-0 and i can remember Dyer cutting in and turning their defenders inside out (Thome). He never played there again. Against Boro away he destroyed them with ease just behind the strikers ( bob commented on how he hadn't another chance to play him there)

Solano played times too, you HAVE to play the best players, and these are. We are not Man U or National teams, we dont have the quality to do those things ( why i dont know...)

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Bobby

one swallow doesn't make her a bad girl

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

We have have two good players at the club. Two players that other teams covet. We need to keep both of these and work out a way to play with both of them in the side. Bobby Robson has seen it all and must be able to work out a awy of doing it. If he can't then he should sell them, but he bloddy better not.

This whole discussion should be turned on its head and we should be saying things like "how on earth can we have the likes of Speed and Lee in the same side". Two defensively minded players just doesn't work in the same side, we end up lopsided with goalie plus 4 defenders plus these two (that makes 7) of our side in our own half, with 4 left to be offensive. At worst we should have a 5:5 split. 4 defenders who can defend plus one midfield with defensive responsibilities. This leaves 5 to be attack minded. Their formation can be sorted out elsewhere.

I feel the defensive clean sheets of the last two games (two in a row!!) are not a coincidence and come from actually playing 20 yards further forward and making the opposition actually think about what we may do to them. Any more than half your outfield players playing defensively and you just won't score against, or worry the opposition.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

So the solution is............... Good old bliddy 4-1-2-1 Diamond Formation Literally!

Given
Barton-O'Brien-Dabizas-Hughes
Speed/Lee
Solano------------------New Left Winger
Dyer
Cort-Shearer

As long as Nobby, The New lad and Dyer are organised enough they can cover the midfield so we don't get overrun. Lacking height maybe, but it solves the problem of playing Dyer and Solano in the same side. One things for sure a left midfielder like Ginola wouldn't work in this formation, not unless we sign Bez again to cover for him!

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

nail on the head mac, we play too far back and inevitably the other team score. We should take the attack to defend principle more strongly, Speed to my mind can't really defend either, so what the f**k does he do? sorry but thats where the problem lies

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Has Nobby ever been tried at RB with us? I gather he's generally used as a wing-back for Peru. Not sure he's defensively sound enough but thats never stopped Wayne Quinn getting a game.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Stevo, there was a game (everton i think) where he played full back, we were pants after that. He needs to be forward, pushing on their fullbacks.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

Solano couldn't play in a role that requires ANY defensive responsibility - he'd be a bloody liability.

If Solano and Dyer both play in midfield we either revert to playing lop-sided, or we will get buried - unless we sign players of the calibre of Viera and Berger to play in the other two positions.

IMO, if Solano & Dyer are both to play, Dyer either has to play on the left, or up front alongside a single striker, as we must have a strong and compact central m/f.

I agree with deB's earlier post when he suggests that it's OK having good players, but those players have to be capable of playing in a predetermined team pattern - and right now I don't believe that is at all clear.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001