Bobby to offer Solano to W ham in exchange for Trevor Sinclair?

Surely not? Is Sinclair better and less inconsistent than Nobby?

Sunderland to sign Di Canio?

NUFC on trail of Emerton.

Plus the sports reporters in all the papers who seem to be saying we were outclassed by Everton yesterday. Hmmmmmmmm. I can accept that maybe the scoreline flattered us but to score 3 goals against a team away from home is not just lucky. Man U play a counter attacking game all the time and when they win, often against the run of play, all we hear about is how brilliant they are at it. Not saying we're as good as Man U but I doubt we were outclassed by Everton.

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Answers

beat me to it Lynda

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

But Pete - you have that story about training ground spat between Robert and Griffin so I'll give you credit for that!!

Apparently back of Sunday Sun says something like 'Sinclair would prefer Toon' or something like that anyway about him preferring us to SAFC. Probably rubbish but made me laugh.

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Sinclair states the obvious must be the headline!

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Just read the article. 'Bad blood' between Robert and Griffin? Wonder why? Griffin seems just a quiet lad and I didn't have Robert down as a bruiser!

Also - sorry to harp on about this but the media coverage of our victory is scandalous. Basically we deserved nothing from the game. See the People for a really 'unbiased' report. Makes my blood boil.

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Actually, Sinclair plays a very 'canny' game in the S/Sun. The ubiquitious "source close to the player" is quoted as saying "Trevor would still be more than interested in hearing from Sunderland if WHU ever allow him to speak to them. But he was very keen on the prospect of joining Newcastle when they expressed an interest in him in the summer, and he would be again.

If all things were equal, Trevor would probably choose to move to Newcastle. They are an unbelievably high-profile Club, and he feels that would give him a maximum chance of making England's squad for the WC". He goes on to wax lyrical about Peyter's ability and reputation.

Definitely keeping his options open is Trevor - although the paper goes on to say that the Toon don't have the 'readies' to mount a straight cash bid for him. They reckon WHU, having turned down an approach from Arsenal to swap Sinclair for Ray Parlour, would not be interested in a similar deal involving Rob Lee, but add "Robson is increasingly receptive to the idea of selling Peruvian winger Nobby Solano to finance a move for Sinclair".

In this regard, they also carry a separate story that Deportivo La Coruna are after Nobs, with the Toon being willing to do business to finance a move for Sinclair or Brett Emerton.

To add further fuel to the fire, they say "Solano would favour a move to spain rather than another PL Club, and in any event WHU are unlikely to be interested in a player who is still under investigation by the Police and UK Immigration Authorities".

I suspect that, in addition to being frustrated by Solano's form, BR has realised that playing with two lightweight wingers, who are both incapable of satisfactorily carrying out defensive duties, will always leave us out-gunned in m/f. Using either Sinclair or Emerton wide right would significantly strengthen the m/f and still allow us to get the best out of Laurent Robert.

Put simply, Solano now looks like being jettisoned to accomodate Laurent Robert in the team.

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Heard really positive reports about Emerton. Too many other teams seem to be interested in him though. Plus looks like he'd be too expensive for us.

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

The Grauniad, following a lapse covering the Bolton game where it somehow admitted that NUFC "oozed class", reverts to what it does best this week:

Everton were hugely impressive at times while Newcastle hovered between wretched and mediocre

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Lynda - Emerton would not be too expensive for us IF we sold Solano to finance the move. As both Emerton and Sinclair are right- sided m/f players, rather than the Batty-type of central player most of us feel we need, this makes good sense.

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Robert and Griffin punch-up? Blimey. I thought Lolo had a strop in him but not a left hook. As for Griff....I thought he was up there with Hughesie for his gentleness.

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Just took a peek at the atlas. Just incase YBR needs a reminder, Peru is a lot closer to Newcastle than Australia is.

As for Robert vs Griffin (on the bill as a lightweight battle at the City Hall?), I can easily see how it happened. Lolo has already said he thinks tackles are a bit "tastey" in training. Lolo speeding down the wing, in comes Griff, Kerrrrunch, Lolo gets up and wacks him one. Never happen with Barton tho.

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Who is more likely to want to stay in the long term out of Robert and Solano?

Both seem like players who are brilliant on their day and extracting the wee when it's not their day.

Solano has said how he loves the area, he family is settled and how he wouldn't move anywhere else in England. Robert however is French. He has already moaned about it being cold and if the going got tough I could see him wanting to go to Arsenal to meet up with his mates. Selling Solano to accomodate Robert could be a big long term mistake.

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Interesting point about Man Utd Lynda, about their counter attacking style, I never thought of it that way.

The thing that got me yesterday was the opening goal - it was very fortunate from our point of view, if it never happened I reckon we would have probably lost, but, I'll take a 3-1 win at Everton however we get it.

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

We've certainly not had the best out of Solano this season - whether he's feeling sidelined since the arrival of Robert remains to be seen. I get the impression that Nobby thrived on being THE creative outlet and free kick specialist - now he's got some competition he may be feeling a little less valued than he was.

As for the match - we weren't outclassed yesterday. FAR from it. We took our chances, they didn't - much like Spurs did when they came to SJP.

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

The strange thing is, although Solano is underperforming, he has scored more goals so far this season than he had in any full previous season, as well as being our second top scorer. If we take those goals away, where would we be?

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Fair point Paul about Solano vs Robert wrt who is likely to want to stay. The only way I can see how we can accommodate two players who can be brilliant on their day yet bliddy infuriating much of the rest of the time is to have an alternative: either somebody else on the bench to come on when one or other fails to perform or to be on from the beginning and be replaced by Robert or Solano against tiring defenders. Step forward LKD?? Of course, it would take Henry Kissinger as manager.

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

...simple really, you decide which of the two is the best, and sell the other!

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Sadly Mr C, it's never as simple as that :-(

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001

Just remembered about Diego Gavilan. Canny crosser of a ball, listed on Championship Manager as a defensive midfielder and according to Bobby Robson in a past programme "has a right foot as good as Beckham's"

If this is true then why the hell hasn't he featured more? If he reckons Solano is underperforming then elevate the backup players. Give Nobby a kick up the arse and teach him that his place on right wing isn't assured.

I know Gavilan has a broken arm at the moment by the way, it is more of a long term point than one for the short run.

I'm just thinking how much we have been whinging recently, yet we are in 6th place, I certainly would have taken being in 6th place with 10 games gone, and that Manure match will live long in the memory. Sh*t, we could be top though, Liverpool and Spurs were two games we should have won. Oh well...

-- Anonymous, October 28, 2001