As Dougal commented we need a hard as nail centre half, a left back, a central midfield player and another striker. Yesterday revealed that Jenas has the qualities of a future star in my opinion but he needs an awes midfieder next to him to take on the likes of Viera, Keane, Gerrard and other top quality players assuming we play in Europe. We also need a quality striker with pace that suits our style of play. We looked too plod, plod yesterday. Plus a roc at the ack like Campbell to tighten everything up.

These are the things we need if we're going to take on the best. So who should we bring in?

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2002

Answers

Well, just looking at the recent rumour mill most of these problems are covered.

We are apparently interested in Oldham's young Geordie LB Chris Armstrong (younger brother of former mackem Gordon Armstrong), Ipswich's highly promising young CB Titus Bramble, Feyenoord's Aussie Brett Emerton, and Fiorentina's experienced Portugese international striker, Nuno Gomez.

Not a bad clutch.

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2002

Dyer is only a couple of weeks away, believe me he can make a huge difference. We could even play him in Bellamy's role up front, they are quite similar players in terms of movement.

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2002

And Titus Bramble, as Clarky says, has been linked with us quite a lot.

This story is decidely dodgy and I don't know if it's true or not, but my mate said he was down the Quayside with a few of his friends and they spotted Bramble (he said he wouldn't recognise him, it was his friends who spotted him)

Anyway, they had a chat and apparently Bramble told them he was going to sign for us in the summer.

I can't make up my mind whether to believe it or not, it's probably 80:20 in favour of it being complete bollocks at the moment, but that's what I heard.

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2002

Buy Robin van Perse (18) Feynoord for 3-4 mill

Buy Barry Ferguson (24) Rangers for 10 mill

Buy Brett Emerton (21?) Feynoord for 5 mill max.

Buy Slvan Distin (25) PSG for 5 mill

Sell Laurent Robert to ? for 8 -10 mill

Sell as job lot , Marcellino, Quinn, Bassesdas, Amoebi, Lua-Lua McGlen

Behararall, 7 million total. outlay next season 4m

**Got to leave a vaccum for any promising kids coming thro , keepers

ok, rb Hughes/Griffin ok, CB`s O,Brian/Dabs/Distin/Caldwell ok, lb

priority signing , (I don`t know), midfield , buys would make it

flexible, van perse/dyer/emerton, up front Bellows and Shearer/Cort

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2002

Your mate didn't take a taxi to the Crown Passada (sp?) on Dean Street did he Paul? That combination has been well known in the past to come up with some very dubious rumours. Eh Swifty??`

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2002

Titus Bramble is a really good mate of Kieron Dyer's and does come up to Newcastle now and then. I believe he came to watch us play the Makems at SJP at the beginning of the season. I think he'd like to come here but I would query the wisdom of laying out £8million for him when we have to buy Distin and really should have a look at Gary Caldwell.

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2002

Being brutally objective dougal, we still can't defend! That suggests to me that our current CB's are probably not the complete answer.

Much as I love his enthusiasm and heart for the Toon, I suspect Dabz is not the answer. He played his heart out last night; neverthless, he gave one goal away and made another couple of potentially crucial errors.

I still have this feeling that O'Brien and Dabz are too similar to play together, and that the present compliment of CB's still lack something for a genuine Top 3 team.

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2002

Unlike Blanc and Neville (G) at OT, eh?

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2002

I don't like Gary Neville the person, but I think as a player he is exactly what he should be, consistent, reliable and hard working.

I heard that Bramble was available on a free in the summer, but this was obviously bollocks otherwise he would have been signed on a pre contract thingy already.

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2002

Blanc & Neville looked a pretty decent pairing to me when we were at OT, Screach!

I'm not entirely sure what point you're making, but if you're satisfied with our defending - then I'm not.

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2002

Well, to me Distin is a better CB than both O'b & NTG. With that, do we try & get Wayne Bridges from S'hampton for the left back birth.

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2002

Paul, Bramble might be out of contract in the summer, I don't know, but he can't be available on a "free" because he is under 24. Players under 24 who are out of contract and move on still cost money. If the buying and selling clubs can't agree then it goes to a tribunal. And you can't sign a player from England on a pre-contract to an English club - you can only do it with foreigners. So if Bramble is out of contract, Barcelona could sign him on a pre- contract but Newcastle couldn't. If Emerton (for example) was out of contract in the summer, Newcastle could sign him on a pre-contract but PSV couldn't. It's daft I know but them's the rules.

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2002

Clarky - my point was that IMHO, even the chumps-ellect have a dodgy centre pairing. However, given their undoubted strengths elsewhere (MF and attack) their defensive shortcomings are less crucial.

I'm definitely not saying that we have an ideal centre partnership. Indeed, I wonder if Distin would be better with O'Brien in the long term as both have age on their side. However, unlike ManUre, at this stage, we lack strength in MF. I'm hoping that a "fleshed out" Jenas can play the Keane/Vierra role that we've been missing for a long time, allowing Little Kevin to do the creative stuff when he's fit.

I know the old adage goes that you should build from the back. But in all honesty, can anybody say that ManUre are strong at the back these days? I can't. @rse appeared to be pretty strong yesterday, tho I wonder how Stepanovs would cope with a mobile forward like Owen against him (Campbell would be with Heskey). Certainly until Keown comes back (too late for Adams?) I think they could struggle against the right sort of attack. But yes - Campbell was awesome yesterday - far better than anything we have at present.

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2002

Clarky, I was thinking about that over-night and agree that we still haven't found a convincing CH pairing. In honesty, I'd be happy with any of Dabs, O'Brien, Hughes or Distin as "second" CH with a more commanding CH leading the defence: they all have some laudable attributes but lack something crucial when it comes to organisation. This isn't helped by the fact that Shay doesn't yet have organisation in his repertoire. The problem as I see it is that, even armed with loads of cash, I'm not sure there are that many really good, commanding CHs around.

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

All good and valid points. I just get a little concerned when people say we are now well served at CB. We certainly have plenty of 'cover' - but we still can't bloody defend!

Frankly, I couldn't give a rat's about ManU's defence, and certainly all the other top contenders have decent defences - Arsenal, Liverpool, Leeds and Chelsea. In actual fact, I don't think ManU's is quite as bad as has been made out, indeed I would say it's better than ours.

With what we've got, I suspect Distin and either O'Brien or Dabz is the best pairing. To be fair, BR may also believe that, but if we played Distin at CB we'd then have a problem at LB. Because of that he may well have targeted LB as the priority postion to strengthen.

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

Left back would be my priority. Apart from Wayne Bridges, though, I can't offhand think of a leftback I'd shell out serious cash for..

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

Neil Clement of WBA is a young improving Left back with a good shot on him and a great left foot. we could probaly pick him up for £3-4m

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

Buy Robin van Perse (18) Feyenoord for 3-4 mill

Bliddy hell Buff, you're on the ball, Van Perse only made his debut a couple of weeks ago, but looked as assured then as he did against Lucifer's 11 last Thursday. Already looks a prospect but he's hardly begun his career. Definitely one to watch.

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

Supposed Toon target, Oldham's 18 yr-old LB, Chris Armstrong (note the unfortunate likeness to his older bro, former mackem, Gordon Armstrong):

New FB?

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

Sorry gang - the link doesn't work. Don't know why - the URL appears to be correct. Could be an HTML flaw - sod it!

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

Hofland.

That's the type of player we should be aiming for from now on.

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2002

I will leave the speculation on who we should bring in to those of you who can see regular European football and can judge a player. Sorry that leaves you out Screacher.

Leaving before we get into Europe however should be Elliot, Dabizas, Solano, Robert, 1 of the Caldwells, Lua Lua, McLenn, Marcelino, and some of the others in the squad who will not get a game now such as Bassedas, Gavilan, Acuna.

To come in we need a left and right back, a commanding CB, 2 wide midfielders and a CF.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

Sorry Gus but Solano and Robert going? I can't agree there. Arse gave countless talented players a chance to settle. Robert is Talented. Solano is a gem.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

I agree with the quality of them swift, however they are not performing regularly enough. We need wide men who do. They will not like being squad players so use them to finance incoming!

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

problem is who? To think we could have had Zenden and Jeffers instead! Wow, now there's a scary thought!

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

Keep hold of Robert and Solano unless either advise of their displeasure at the club.

I wonder how much Bouma would cost from PSV?

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

I'd hang onto Solano without doubt. He has improved his attitude 100% this season and is getting better all the time re. effort.

I'd also give Robert another season. He may well need a while to settle in and I'd hate to see him flourish with another team, against us, in the CL.

I'd be tempted to sub him a bit more regularly now that Bernard is fit, mind you...

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

Don't agree at all about Solano but I agree with the general sentiment - we do have a lot of players in the squad who should be replaced, not necessarily at huge expense.

-- Anonymous, March 06, 2002

Hofland's rated at £15m, min. Still, you can almost get two of him for one Nesta.

-- Anonymous, March 06, 2002

I've only seen Holfund once - in the recent UEFA Cup game v Leeds. He looked very average in that game.

-- Anonymous, March 06, 2002

Apparent this Armstrong lad was recommended by Oldham's manager...

-- Anonymous, March 06, 2002