Coming Home Newcastle - #TransferWatch 2015: Lots of needs, not much movementA prudent and measured bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48541/cominghome-fave.png2015-09-06T04:22:53+01:00http://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/rss/stream/85433682015-09-06T04:22:53+01:002015-09-06T04:22:53+01:00Did NUFC make a stupid offer to QPR for Austin?
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<p>The Mirror is reporting that Newcastle at least considered an offer for Austin that just plain doesn't make sense.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/transfer-rumors">transfer window</a> is not even closed for a week at this point, but there are already transfer rumors kicking up regarding <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle</a> United players. The fun part is that at this point in the calendar, the rumors go both ways... that is to say that we have a player rumored to leave the club in January and a rumor that a different player was offered as makeweight in a possible transfer for a major target in the window just closed. This particular international break is always a ton of fun for just that reason. There's precious little to talk about with regard to club football so rumors are fun!</p>
<p>Recently landed winger Florian Thauvin has already been linked with a move to Barcelona in the January window. Barcelona are coming off of a transfer embargo which saw them unable to register any player until January 2016. It is natural that they would be connected with players, and why not Thauvin because he couldn't really want to be in Newcastle anyway, could he? We'll deal with this one if and when it becomes necessary, but the reported £18.5m fee Barcelona are willing to pay is likely way too low for a player who likely has a large role in the reshaping of the Newcastle United squad.</p>
<p>The other rumor is slightly harder to dismiss, but still seems a little off. Dean Jones of The Mirror has written a piece suggesting that Newcastle sounded QPR out about a move for <span>Charlie Austin</span> that would have included highly rated young winger <span>Rolando Aarons</span> moving the other way. There is one level on which this move made sense and it is this: Both players are out of contract at the end of this season. Beyond that, there is no reason to think that this "rumor" has any base in reality.</p>
<p>We all know that QPR were holding out for a £15m fee for their star striker. We also know (due to the fact that Austin still plays for Rangers) that no other club thought £15m was an acceptable price for Austin. Jones purports that Newcastle considered offering £10m + Aarons to land one of their big targets of the summer window. The problem with that idea is the math. We know Newcastle were not willing to pay £15m for Austin. It follows, then, that a £10m + Aarons had the winger valued at something less than £5m as if the total package were £15m, Ashley and Co. would likely have just paid that outright without losing a talented star of the future type prospect, especially at a price considerably under the value the club likely has in mind for Aarons. Sure his contract is expiring next summer, but unless the club already have no hope that they can sign him to a new deal, this "report" doesn't make sense. If they had no hope that they could sign Aarons to a new contract, they would have found a way to ram this deal through, especially for a player that it was known they were highly desirous of.</p>
<p>It's international break and the transfer window is closed and it's hard to come up with stories to fill the gaps... but if you want to start a rumor, you have to at least make sure that there is some way to trace it back to some tangible reality.</p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2015/9/6/9267869/Newcastle-United-transfer-Austin-Aarons-QPR-player-exchange-cashJim McMeachin2015-09-05T20:31:02+01:002015-09-05T20:31:02+01:00How well did Newcastle buy this summer?
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<p>In this second part of a three part series, we take a look at Newcastle United's performance in the summer transfer window.</p> <p><i>In <a target="_blank" href="http://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2015/9/2/9248051/Newcastle-United-transfer-window-Taylor-Gutierrez-Kemen-grade">Part 1 of our review of Newcaslte United's transfer window activities</a>, we took a look at the players who left the club over the summer. Here in Part 2, we will be taking a look at the players who have been brought in to the club.</i></p>
<p>It took years for Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley to come out and speak directly to the Newcastle United supporters. That was just what he did in a carefully arranged and orchestrated television interview prior to the match against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://bracethehammer.sbnation.com/">West Ham United</a> on the last day of the 2014-15 season. In that interview, he famously promised that he would "continue to invest" in the playing squad and that he would not sell the club until it had won something. He backtracked on the long-held "cups aren't important" stance that had led to concentrating on the Premier League to such stunning success that finishes of 16th, 10th (!!) and 15th were gifted to the fans. The main takeaway was that some of the restrictive ideas about player acquisition would be lifted and the squad would finally receive some needed upgrades. Although met with some degree of skepticism by the Toon Army, Ashley followed through with that promise.</p>
<p>Although the timing of the moves that were made could ultimately (and rightly) be criticized, the £52.6m transfer outlay both represents a departure from "the norm" and also represents a good first step towards fielding a competitive Premier League team. Let's take a look at the players who came in.</p>
<h3 align="center">ARRIVALS</h3>
<p><b>Georginio Wijnaldum: </b>In the wake of Yohan Cabaye's departure to PSG in January of 2014, it became clear that Alan Pardew's assertion "I'd be foolish if I didn't have a plan to deal with [Cabaye] going" both placed Pardew as a fool and highlighted problems with the overall talent level in the squad. Surely Siem de Jong was brought in with the idea that he would take over some of the responsibilities held by the France International (six months on, of course). His inability to stay healthy is surely not Pardew's fault, but repeated long-term injuries showed that another player was going to need to be acquired if new-look Newcastle United were going to have any real teeth in the attack. Enter Gini.</p>
<p>Wijnaldum was brought in from PSV where he had been their Captain, had earned a spot on the Netherlands' <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/fifa-womens-world-cup">World Cup</a> squad in Brazil, scored against Brazil in said World Cup and was the 2014-15 Dutch Footballer of the Year. He was the one player who was purchased in a timely enough fashion that he had a chance to link up with his new teammates, joining up with the club for the Sacramento and Portland matches of the preseason US tour.</p>
<p>Thus far, Wijnaldum has impressed. He scored in the season opener against <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://stmarysmusings.sbnation.com/">Southampton</a> and has since acquitted himself well against perennial Premier League blue bloods <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/">Arsenal</a>. He has – in separate matches – led the club in chances created and ball recoveries and displayed an excellent all-around game in a squad that is still learning how to attack and defend together. There will be high hopes for him as the season carries on, although his duties with Oranje over the international break will minimize any real progress the club will make with regards to developing team work during the week off.</p>
<p><b>Aleksandar Mitrovic:</b> Aleksandar Mitrovic made a name for himself with Anderlecht in the Jupiler Pro League. At 20 years of age with a Champions League goal-scoring pedigree already, he is one of the more exciting players that the club has acquired in some time. A self-professed physical player who likes to get stuck in, his game should ultimately translate well to the Premier League. Ultimately.</p>
<p>With fewer than two full matches worth of time on the pitch in the first four matches of 2015-16, saying that Mitrovic has struggled would be jumping the gun a little, but would also be a completely, 100% accurate statement. I wrote about his struggles following his sending off against Arsenal <a target="_blank" href="http://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2015/8/31/9229961/mitrovic-red-card-Arsenal-Newcastle-Marriner-Mariner">here</a>. His struggles are not due to a lack of talent or desire. They are down to his desire to establish himself as the physical presence that he believes himself and wants to be. Two extremely quick yellow cards in his first two appearances have given Premier League refs (like Andre Marriner) license to take the leap from "that was an unfortunate incident" to "HE'S GAN RADGE!" He is going to have to find a way to take step back from his desire to establish his desire to fly in and demonstrate his lack of fear of the league. All signs suggest that if he can do so, he can make a different mark on the Premier League with the help of Gini, Florian Thauvin and his fullbacks providing him with service in the box.</p>
<p><b>Chancel Mbemba:</b> At a paltry £6.9m transfer fee, Mbemba was the least expensive first team player acquired by Newcastle this summer. At £6.9m, he also looks by far to be the best value for investment out of the players purchased this summer. A teammate of Mitrovic's at Anderlecht, the Congolese also has a Champions League pedigree having made 11 appearances in the competition for Anderlecht by age 21.</p>
<p>Mbemba has quickly become a favorite with the Toon Army. This is partially due to the fact that he turned up to the opening match of the season rocking a tuxedo.</p>
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<p>It is more directly due to the fact that he has slotted directly in to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle's</a> back line and looked completely comfortable. He has largely allowed <span>Fabricio Coloccini</span> to do Colo things which is likely directly related to the Argentine's uptick in form thus far this season. It's amazing what can happen when you're not terrified that your CB partner is going to go Turnstile Mode.</p>
<p>It hasn't just been at CB that Mbemba has made a mark for Newcastle this season. When Daryl Janmaat was suspended for the Manchester United match following Daryl Janmaat's sending off in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/swansea-city">Swansea City</a> match, he was the player called upon to slide over onto the right side of the defense. HIs task? Stop Memphis Depay. And he did. Depay had minimal impact on the match and Newcastle earned a nice point at Old Trafford. The future for Chancel Mbemba looks very bright indeed. He could ultimately be Newcastle's signing of the summer.</p>
<p><b>Florian Thauvin:</b> Usually, when Newcastle United pursue a player over the course of years, that player ends up playing elsewhere (Bafetimbi Gomis, anyone?). The French winger has been a long-term target of the club, and it was an initial miss on Thauvin and Clement Grenier that led to the acquisition of Rémy Cabella, who moved the opposite way on loan to Marseille in the Thauvin transfer.</p>
<p>The 22-year-old came with a reputation as somewhat of a dressing-room malcontent from his short spell at l'OM, but has excited Toon Army dreams already. He was inches away from getting a foot on a brilliant counter-attacking move and stealing a late winner against Manchester United. He destroyed Northampton Town in the [insert sponsor here] Cup, scoring once and making three in a 4-1 victory. We don't want to get carried away but he is the man, after literal years of trying, that made the Back Post Willo™ free kick work. Let that sink in. Not even Yohan Cabaye could do that.</p>
<p>Joining late in the window, it's hard to project exactly what Newcastle have in Thauvin, but based on what we've seen thus far, thoughts of a future front four of Thauvin, Wijnaldum, Aarons | Mitrovic is enough to make even the most hardened of Toon fans' hearts pump just one little bit faster.</p>
<p><b>Ivan Toney: </b>Toney was brought in as another one for the future. Newcastle's track record with these young players who have been brought in with that thought in mind is less than stellar. In this window alone, we have seen <span>Mehdi Abeid</span> and Olivier Kemen (both given that mantle upon their arrival at St. James' Park) leave the club. Perhaps there is hope that his experience in the English game will stand him in better stead than his French counterparts.</p>
<p>At 16 years of age, Toney became the youngest-ever player to represent Northampton Town. By the time of his transfer to Newcastle United during the summer, he had already made 60 first team appearances for Northampton, scoring 13 goals across all competitions. Given previous acquisitions in which a loan-back option was in play (Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow to Nottingham Forest), it is slightly odd that the Toney was not loaned back or loaned out while Adam Armstrong has been sent to Coventry City. Perhaps it is indicative of a preference by Steve McClaren for a more hands-on approach to a player's early career vs. late-stage youth development. Whatever the reasoning, Toney will be looked upon to tally on the positive side of the "one for the future" acquisitions.</p>
<h3 align="center">Ultimately:</h3>
<p>Newcastle United still have some pretty significant gaps in the squad. They did address several needs and did so with exciting young players who have so far looked to be "Premier League ready" and who have largely hit the ground running. If only they'd managed to bring in a second CB or, more pressingly a RB – which is a smudge on an otherwise brilliant window – this would have been the best <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/transfer-rumors">transfer window</a> for the club in ages. As it is, it will go down as "supremely encouraging, but not a job completed" which fits in with McClaren's suggestions that reshaping the squad is a three transfer window process.</p>
<h4>Arrivals Grade: A-</h4>
<p><i>This is part 2 of a 3 part look at Newcastle United's performance in the transfer window. <a target="_blank" href="http://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2015/9/2/9248051/Newcastle-United-transfer-window-Taylor-Gutierrez-Kemen-grade">Part one can be found here</a> and part three will be coming your way soon!</i></p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2015/9/5/9266469/Newcastle-United-transfer-window-analysis-Wijnaldum-Mbemba-ThauvinJim McMeachin2015-09-02T23:30:02+01:002015-09-02T23:30:02+01:00Taking a look at Newcastle's Transfer Window (1/3)
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<p>*but were afraid to ask (Part 1 of 3)</p> <p>The dust created by the SLAMMING SHUT of the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/transfer-rumors" class="sbn-auto-link">transfer window</a> has largely settled and Newcastle United have largely followed through on repeated promises by Steve McClaren that their transfer business was completed well before the deadline. Neither is there discussion to be had about the quality of the players brought in nor is there any doubt that the summer activity represents a significant departure from the well-established bargain basement style of Mike Ashley in previous years. Whether having the transfers wrapped up "well before the transfer deadline" equates to "in sufficient time to give Steve McClaren a chance to integrate new signings and establish his style and tactics well enough to have a chance in early season matches" is a discussion for a different day. Assessing the club's activity in the window is hard without a body of work from the new signings to work from, but hey... this is the internet! Let's do it anyway!</p>
<h3 align="center">TRANSFERS OUT</h3>
<p>It seems that for every Newcastle United fan the transfer window is built first and foremost upon a staggering fear that an important player is about to be sold. It isn't always evident <i>which </i>player it will be (though frequently it is) but we know that at least one player is going to test the resolve of the ownership as "bigger clubs" move in for him. In what is becoming an increasingly common window occurrence, however, it really never felt like any first choice player was destined to leave. Instead of stories about an imminent departure from the first team, we created our own fun stories and PR nightmares.</p>
<p>The first round of departures were not surprises in any form. We knew, for instance, that if the club were to move forward there would be popular players who would not be retained. We didn't know, however, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jun/01/ryan-taylor-newcastle-united-jonas-gutierrez-phone" target="_blank">just how that would be accomplished.</a> "Here Ryan, thanks for everything and would you mind to pass the phone to Jonas?" And so it was that in the most Newcastle way ever, the transfer clock was off and running.</p>
<h4 align="center">FREE TRANSFERS OUT</h4>
<p><b><span>Ryan Taylor</span>, Jonas Gutierrez:</b> Both players were popular figures at the club, both in the changing room and within the fan base. Both had done the hard work (to the best of their abilities based on injuries and so forth) and exhibited an actual love for the club's fans. Everyone knew it was time to move on, however... club, players and fans alike. We just would have liked for there to be a little more dignity in the way it was handled. Regardless, there wasn't a way forward for either player at the club and these moves were not surprising.</p>
<p><b>Jak Alnwick, Adam Campbell: </b>Jak Alnwick somehow grasped the short straw with regards to his first team debut as <span>Tim Krul</span> and <span>Rob Elliot</span> both ended up with injuries that saw the young GK come on at halftime of the Chelsea match (and perform pretty well, actually) and then through the holiday fixtures. As time wore on, it was pretty evident that Alnwick was not ready for the PL stage and as his contract was coming to an end, the handwriting was on the wall with the likes of Freddie Woodman behind him and Karl Darlow due to join the club in the summer. Ultimately, his situation was not what you'd hope for if you're a young player trying to break through, but it ended up the way it was always likely to do.</p>
<p>Adam Campbell was a disappointing one. He never really lived up to the reputation that he had gained in the Academy. He was loaned out several times but could never really break through on those moves either – even being returned 3 weeks early by Carlisle United – but in spite of that was finally given a couple of chances in the first team by <span>Alan Pardew</span>. My lasting memory of Campbell will be from a match against Chelsea in which the ball was in <a href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Newcastle's</a> possession in the middle of the pitch some 35 yards from <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chelsea's</a> goal. The play would ultimately flow to the right wing, but before that decision had to be made, you could see Campbell clear as day on the left wing in acres of space. He was waving his hands wildly and practically jumping up and down to try to get someone... <i>anyone </i>to notice. No from either team did and that was pretty much that.</p>
<p><b>Remie Streete: </b>Streete was another player coming from the Academy for whom the club held high hopes. He was never able to realize those hopes to suit the club and ended up moving on for a free to Port Vale in League 1. At this point, we're so used to Academy players flushing out once they hit senior age that it's hard to even register another one.</p>
<h4 align="center">SOLD ON</h4>
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<p><b><span>Mehdi Abeid</span>: </b>Abeid was an interesting case. He had his fans within the Toon Army while never managing to impress the coaching staff quite enough to earn extended time in the first team. A loan to Panathinaikos went a significant way towards rehabilitating his reputation only for him to come back and do as much sitting as playing (although he was out for a significant amount of time through injury) only mustering 13 total appearances in a make-or-break year. He was given an extended look in the preseason tour of America but did not do enough to convince Steve McClaren that he should be part of Newcastle's future. It was hard to see him breaking through a crowded central midfield situation and was ultimately sold for £1.5m to Panathinaikos. He goes with good wishes and a thought of what might have been.</p>
<p>Reported Fee: £1.5m</p>
<p><b>Olivier Kemen: </b>When Kemen was brought in, he was supposed to be the Next Great Thing. As a youngster, he already had the body to be a strong physical presence on the ball and had technical gifts to boot. Unfortunately, none of that promise developed into enough to convince any of Alan Pardew, John Carver or Steve McClaren that he was ready for the first team while the player himself was more than happy to talk about his displeasure at those decisions. Somewhat surprisingly, several big-time European Brand Name Clubs registered an interest in Kemen. Nearly all fell by the wayside for some reason or another (I suppose the lazy narrative is that he didn't impress upon a deeper scouting?) and he ended up heading back to France for what surely can't have been much more than a modest profit if any at all.</p>
<p>Reported Fee: £700-750k</p>
<h4 align="center">Ultimately:</h4>
<p>Newcastle United navigated an important transfer window very well. Although some of the moves out (Ryan Taylor specifically) has left us with some depth issues to a degree – it looks like we can absorb a lack of depth at RB even if it further exposes some degree of lack of depth at CB to do so – largely all of the players were fringe players or ones who had no more future with the club. At the very least, they were not players who were going to bring an overall lift in talent based on the fact that no first team pieces left.</p>
<p><b>DEPARTURES GRADE: A- </b></p>
<p>The club gets graded down for the failure on Olivier Kemen and the way they handled Ryan Taylor and Jonas Gutierrez, which is admittedly petty, but it is what it is.</p>
<p><i>This is part 1 of a three part look at Newcastle United's performance in the transfer window. Part two will be coming your way soon!</i></p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2015/9/2/9248051/Newcastle-United-transfer-window-Taylor-Gutierrez-Kemen-gradeJim McMeachin2015-09-01T05:00:01+01:002015-09-01T05:00:01+01:00Move along, Spurs, there's nothign to see here.
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<p>Ayoze Pérez is not for sale.</p> <p>The first part of Transfer Deadline Two Days passed for Newcastle United with minimal fuss. Sure the club sold on Olivier Kemen, but the move barely registered in the general scheme of things as the player made more of an impact at the club saying that he'd like to play more than he made any kind of reputation by actually playing. The only other real bit of information, however, was enough to get the collective hackles of the Toon Army up.</p>
<p>Late in the day on Monday, rumor broke that Daniel Levy had fallen, bumped his head and reportedly offered £15m for Ayoze Perez. Bumping one's head is not always a bad thing. Doc Brown bumped his head in 1955 and ended up inventing the Flux Capacitor. It can, however, sometimes lead to a bout of tilting at the proverbial windmill. The reported £15m on offer is a solid £20m lower than the going rate for young, highly regarded strikers sold on the final day of a transfer window by Newcastle United. This is not even to mention that we have one striker (Papiss Cissé) rumored once again to be headed to Turkey and one striker (Aleksandar Mitrovic) suspended for three matches and also Yoan Gouffran rumored to be headed down the road as well.</p>
<p>I'm don't presume to the stature of being able to speak for Newcastle United, but please allow me to do exactly that.</p>
<p>Dear Mr. Levy and Tottenham Hotspur,</p>
<p>Thank you for your interest in our Spanish striker Ayoze Pérez. He's a firecracker for sure and I don't blame you for falling in love with his future star. Here's the thing though. He's ours, and we don't need your money. Especially at that price. If you would like to submit an improved offer (somewhere in the neighborhood of a lot more than £15m), I would be more than happy to pen you another letter saying "No thank you." Actually, just wander on and find someone else's striker to go after.</p>
<p>Kind regards,</p>
<p>Coming Home Newcastle</p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2015/9/1/9237755/spurs-to-make-11th-hour-offer-for-newcastle-strikerJim McMeachin2015-08-31T16:49:47+01:002015-08-31T16:49:47+01:00Kemen leaves Toon
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<p>French youth international Olivier Kemen is one signature away from leaving Newcastle United.</p> <p>The Olivier Kemen Era at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle</a> United is over before it ever really began. A product of the Graham Carr/Joe Kinnear partnership, Kemen was very young when he joined up with Newcastle (16 years old) from FC Metz but was one who was supposed to have a huge future with the club. For whatever reason, however, his progress relative to where the club wanted him to be in order to start blooding him into the first team never matched up. Stories of Kemen's discontent at his situation have bubbled under the surface for some time while talk of a loan move never materialized, whether that was on the club's end or the players.</p>
<p>The summer window saw rumors of that Kemen, a player with only reputation so far as we can tell, was wanted by AC Milan among others and subsequently saw those rumors fade away. It would have been easy to assume that Kemen was to stay for at least several more months, but today's first day of Transfer Deadline Day-ish has seen his transfer back to France (this time to Lyon) all but done as he has passed his medical and is expected to sign a contract presently. There is no report on what the transfer fee will be yet, but this looks to be the first of what could be several departures from Newcastle United on Transfer Day.</p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2015/8/31/9232437/Kemen-Newcastle-Lyon-transferJim McMeachin2015-08-17T17:47:41+01:002015-08-17T17:47:41+01:00Newcastle shipping off two more youngsters
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<p>Two more young talents have fizzled at Newcastle and are headed for familiar pastures on a more permanent basis.</p> <p>Newcastle United could be seeing the back of two players who were highly thought of as young players but for whatever reason were not able to make the grade at St. James' Park. There can be little surprise that the players in question are leaving, but it demonstrates the need to shine a light at exactly what is going on in <a href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Newcastle's</a> Academy and development programs. These two are the first of several players that could be leaving the club before the window closes that have just flat been failed by our development system.</p>
<p>Haris Vuckic, who has some ardent supporters within the Newcastle fan base, spent time on loan with Rangers for the second half of last season, scoring 9 times. Those Scottish Championship goals were not enough to convince Steve McClaren that the Slovenian was deserving of a first team look at all, instead being shipped off to Holland with the reserves. In all honesty, though, although he did flash from time to time on loan, he never managed to bring those flashes to the Newcastle first-team squad. There is plenty of room for wondering if it could have been different under a different manager or system, but it's moot at this point as he appears to be headed back north of the border to rejoin Rangers, but this time on a permanent basis.</p>
<p><span>Mehdi Abeid</span> got a good, hard look from Steve McClaren during the preseason and it seemed like perhaps a career revival was on the cards at Newcastle. It is now evident that Abeid who, like Vuckic, never managed to produce the types of performances that he did while on loan to Panathinaikos two seasons ago, did not earn his spot in McClaren's reckoning. Panathinaikos are said to be negotiating a fee with Newcastle for Abeid to return to Greece although they don't want to pay as much as Charnley and Co. have asked. There will perhaps be fewer tears at Abeid's departure than those (any?) shed for Vuckic, but at it's base, we're looking at one of two problems within our club. 1) Player development is not succeeding at developing young talents that they have been given for some reason, or 2) Players who have been highly regarded by the scouting department are not good enough to be developed to a Premier League level. Either way, it's disappointing to have missed with two more young players with Gael Bigirimana likely not far from his own Newcastle exit.</p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2015/8/17/9165171/newcastle-to-ship-off-two-more-young-playersJim McMeachin2015-08-17T00:31:35+01:002015-08-17T00:31:35+01:00Newcastle close to deal for long-time target
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<p>Newcastle have been pursuing this player for 2 years and it finally looks like they're going to get their man. Will it come at extra cost?</p> <p>Rumors are intensifying regarding Florian Thauvin and a transfer to Newcastle United. The club have been known admirers of the the player who made his reputation at Bastia but has not completely lived up to the hype following his move to Marseille. The latest reports have Rémy Cabella moving the other way on a year-long loan with option to buy although that particular part of the deal seems to be the only part that is not settled just yet.</p>
<p>If the deal does get finalized, it won't be a surprise as Newcastle pursued Thauvin prior to his move to Marseille and have continued interest since losing out two years ago. There is little doubt as to the player's talent although he has managed to turn fans off to him with uneven performances and reports of bust-ups within the locker room at L'oM. Comparisons to <span>Hatem Ben Arfa</span> are inevitable while he has drawn comparisons to former Newcastle star Laurent Robert as well. He's clearly a talented player with a lot of upside potential if he can keep his head right. Some suppose that a move to England may be able to do that for him.</p>
<p>The bigger question in this rumor is Rémy Cabella's possible involvement. It seems odd that Steve McClaren's systematic examination of the senior squad would miss out on a player who has a year of Premier League under his belt and who addresses a direct and present need in the squad. He was <a href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Newcastle's</a> third preference following failed attempts to bring Thauvin and Clement Grenier to St. James' Park, but surely the club can't be that out of love with a Graham Carr player this quickly?</p>
<p>McClaren has been adamant about making sure that the players brought in are "the right ones". If sending Cabella away from the club does turn out to be a thing, it gives one pause to wonder if Cabella was brought in "just because". It would certainly explain how he failed to get a foothold under <span>Alan Pardew</span> if this was the case. It would also be counter to everything we think we know about Mike Ashley's player acquisition policy.</p>
https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2015/8/17/9162831/newcastle-transfer-Thauvin-Cabella-Marseille-wingJim McMeachin2015-08-07T06:06:49+01:002015-08-07T06:06:49+01:00McClaren: Palace interest in Coloccini was real
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<figcaption>Mike Hewitt/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Steve McClaren opened up about the situation surrounding Fabricio Coloccini this preseason. He had some strong words for his predecessor. </p> <p><span>Fabricio Coloccini</span> is set to carry on as <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle</a> United's captain in spite of minimal involvement in the preseason. The Argentine center back traveled with the squad on their American tour but made no match appearances which was odd at best. Recent comments by Steve McClaren may explain exactly why.</p>
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<p class="mol-para-with-font"><font>'It went beyond speculation. Although people deny it, it (the interest) is a fact. Don't deny it, it's a fact,' he said.</font></p>
<p class="mol-para-with-font"><font>'That's affected Colo in terms of there is somebody out there offering him a three-year contract. I think it was a distraction.' </font></p>
<p class="mol-para-with-font" align="right">--<a target="_blank" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3187302/Steve-McClaren-accuses-Alan-Pardew-lying-Fabricio-Coloccini.html">The Daily Mail</a></p>
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<br>If the rumor of interest on the part of Pardew and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/crystal-palace">Crystal Palace</a> is in fact true (which Steve McClaren very clearly states there was), especially with an offer of a 3-year contract for a player nearing the end of his career, it is no wonder that Coloccini was not playing a role on the pitch. Ultimately, the situation drew a statement from <span>Alan Pardew</span> and Crystal Palace on their official website stating that they had no interest in bringing Pardew's former captain to the club.</div>
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<div>The three-year contract that McClaren says was on the table from the London club led to a polling of the Newcastle dressing room which ultimately led to Colo's ultimately not being sold, being extended for a year and in fact retaining the captain's armband.</div>
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<div>Say what you want about Steve, Colo, the club, whatever. This moment – in which Alan Pardew has <i>finally</i> been called out – was worth the frustration of not knowing what was going on this preseason.<br>
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https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2015/8/7/9114973/Steve-McClaren-Alan-Pardew-Coloccini-contract-preseason-denialJim McMeachin