No, not wor Clarky on the bbs.....who I'm sure would be worth far more.

Lee Clark. Fulham have priced him at 5mil in an attempt to prevent him leaving. Seems like a crazy price, but then again it seems as though it's become almost impossible to find ready-made British premiership players at anything less than crazy money.

-- Anonymous, May 26, 2001

Answers

To be honest ciara, it sounds about right to me, based on the crazy valuations being put on other players right now - and this shows the true magnitude of our problem.

The only hope of this deal coming off would seem to be if Fulham were still interested in Speed and a swap deal could be put together, with us paying say £1-2 million plus Speed for Clarky.

If Clarky is as keen to leave as he appears to be, it may be that Fulham are just posturing in anticipation of such negotiations.

Tonight's Ronnie also reckons we have approached Everton about Steve Watson and been told to bog off.

-- Anonymous, May 26, 2001

Straight swap for Speed would do me. But who am I to comment I'd swap anyone straight for Speed.

-- Anonymous, May 26, 2001

Lee Clarky or THE Clarky of BBS fame. Well the latter is priceless - as for Lee I've not seen him play for a long time. £5m sounds a shade high - he's not getting any younger.

I'm disturbed about this apparent policy of buying back Geordies. It's nice to have Geordies in the team as they bring that extra bit of passion, but a player has to be signed PRIMARILY for his ability. I've not seen Watson playing well for a long time. We should have enough Geordies coming through the ranks without needing to go and buy them.

-- Anonymous, May 26, 2001

Jonno! At last, sanity! I don't care where players come from as long as they can play. Having said that, I do realise that there can be problems with foreigners. The idea that we sign the likes of Clark, Watson and Elliot(sp?) though, for no other reason than they are local lads, is ridiculous. I don't believe they were good enough first time around and I most certainly don't want them back. I'm very worried that Clark is going to return and if and when he does, he'll get a hero's reception. I find it staggering that a very average player (yes, above average in div.1) who buggered off to play for the Mackems, can have such cult status and yet a player of the calibre of David Ginola is booed every time he comes back. If it's locals you're looking for, then buy true class; namely Bridges and Carrick. Matt Jansen being a fan, may as well be local too.

-- Anonymous, May 26, 2001

Jonno - Watto had a good game against us at Goodison this year. Dunno 'bout the rest of his season. I wasn't too upset when he left. Not sure I'd be bothered if he never came back. But I reckon some sort of deal involving Speed and Clarky would be good for us. Shame we don;t have any Frogs left. I'm sure M. Tigana could have been persuaded to take one as part exchange. Wonder if we coulod pass Marcel Ino off as French???

-- Anonymous, May 26, 2001

You might be able to pass him off as a 'french kiss' Screacher, but that's about it.

SMB - surely you don't think BR would consider signing the players you mention purely because their Geordies do you? I'm quite sure he would like to increase "the Geordie quotient" but not by signing any nugget born within the smell of the Tyne.
Having said that, I'd far rather have Bridges, Carrick and Jansen than Clark, Watson and Elliott too.

-- Anonymous, May 26, 2001

I would like to know what position Clark has been playing for Fulham. His glory time for us was with Cole, if I remember correctly, but was not considered fast enough in that position for the PL, though I saw him a few times and he did not look slow to me (but what do I know). Is he still playing the same position for Fulham or has he changed role?

Unless he has a recognized role and can do it well then we would soon be giving him the Bartino treatment. That WOULD be sad indeed. After all, El Bartino is a Soft Southener (Oh! what have I said). I have to say the SJP crowd (as distinct from the Toon Army) has a long history of booing hard working players who they think don't make the grade but who have been workhorses in less than perfect teams. Only buy him if you know he can do a job up to top PL standard.

I find this whole trend to suggest we are looking at past Geordie players of NUFC interesting. Is this just a smoke screen to draw criticism? Where do these rumours come from?

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2001

Sounder,
Lee Clark has been playing behind two strikers in a midfield diamond formation. I saw him play some excellent games for Fulham on telly, but am still a little concerned that he does lack a little pace for the PL and may not be so effective there.

The really curious thing about our alleged interest in Clarky is that he plays in what BR appears to believe is Kieron Dyer's best position!

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2001

Clarky - It's not so much Bobby I worry about (although I am starting to think that he may be losing the plot) but fans who believe that our problem is a lack of Geordies! Don't they remember the early '80s when the team was full of local players? They were either from the youth team and simply weren't good enough or they were signed from Northern League teams! God help us! Do people think that was fine, as long as the shite we watched was local shite?!

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2001

I'm a great believer in a Toon team based around a nucleus of Geordies - however, I'm not in favour of signing Geordies just for the sake of doing it.
As you said last night, they must be class Geordies - like Carrick, Bridges or Jansen. However, Carrick and Jansen have declined to consider coming home, and written themselves off as mercenaries to me, and Bridges is apparently injured again.

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2001

Actually, it's the acquisition of Robbie Elliott that worries me. Just not good enough.

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2001

I'm with Clarky here, there's no need to sign players just because they are Geordies.

What about Phillipe Albert and Pavel Srnicek?

They weren't Geordies, but they were treated as if they were.

I belive that if a player is good enough, he will fit right in and once the fans start to like him, they won't give a monkey's that he wasn't born within a mile of the Tyne.

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2001

"Carrick and Jansen have declined to consider coming home" - Please elaborate Clarky. Has there been something in the press that I should know about?

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2001

SMB,
Jansen has a bit of history in declining to join the Toon - on either 2 or 3 separate occasions - and I seem to recall of allegedly making comments about our lack of ambition or something like that. Can't recall the details now.
I believe on at least one of these occasions, and possibly two, we were not prepared to meet his wage demands which was almost certainly the real reason for him going elsewhere.
On this basis, while I think he's a smashing player, he's tagged a mercenary b@st@rd in my mind, however unfair that might seem.

Carrick was recently reported as saying he wouldn't consider coming back to the Toon. Didn't read the article so can't otherwise comment, but yet again I have real tough time with Geordies - especially supposed Toon fans - who can't/won't put their hearts into making the Toon Champions of England - don't understand it and never will.
In my value set this self-centred mercenary outlook is tantamount to high treason, and should be treat accordingly! Tossers.

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

with you there Clarky

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

Quite moved by LC's comments...not sure if he'd be a good signing or not, but I'd be tempted to risk it. (Ironically I'm about to get him on a free in Championship Manager!)

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

Thanks for that Clarky. I know what you're saying too. If only WE had THEIR chance!

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

I'm pretty sure that I read Clark was out of contract at the end of the season but then signed a new deal with Fulham. If I've remembered correctly, why did he do this? If he wanted to come back home he would have had a far better chance as a free agent. It seems rather odd to me.

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

Clarky is worth £1M than Gary Speed, hence £5m is about right.

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

Jacko,
As I understand it LC still has a year to run on his contract, but Fulham naturally wish him to sign an extension.
The story is that he is stalling on actually signing in the hope the Toon will come in for him. His wife/girlfriend (?) was unhappy living in Lahndan, and has moved back to TGC with the kid(s). This naturally makes it very difficult for Lee.
If this is all factually correct, he surely MUST have been some reason to believe moving "home" was a possibility?

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001