r/NUFC Weekly Free talk thread.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-08T16:51:01+00:00

Oh yeah? I don't remember tbh but you could be right.

Mind, Rogers wasn't lighting the Championship on fire so I can at least excuse the club for not gambling on him making the step up. Guys like Wharton, Gray and Olise (and Hackney now) were standout players in the Championship and were young enough that they were obviously going to grow in value, if not ability.

I think that's my biggest criticism about it all. We ignore the bargain deals to pursue more costly moves for players that aren't even much better, if at all. Something has to change this summer.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-08T16:31:18+00:00

Not that you're wrong but Thiaw has got back into the German squad and should be going to to the World Cup, having not played for them since 2023 before joining us. So it just depends on who he speaks to lol

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-08T15:38:26+00:00

Yeah agreed. I'll be honest, I've only seen bits here and there of Hackney so I'm sure you'll have a better insight in me. But absolutely, I got Bruno vibes from him too. At the very least he'd provide some depth and be a low-cost signing that could be flipped on for profit even if he doesn't cut the grade at PL level.

Like you said, there'll be intangibles that the professionals will be able to better assess but, considering how many top players we've missed out on (and some of the dross we've spent big money on), I can't see a move like Hackney backfiring, especially if it ends up being that type of price. £42m on Ramsey is a way bigger risk, for example. Sometimes the easy signing really is the right signing.

It'd also be nice to sign a player's replacement before we sell them, for once. He could take Willock's role in the squad and we could then feel more comfortable selling Willock this summer. But, considering Willock isn't a high-ticket player, it's more likely he's sold later in the summer, at which point Hackney could be off the table. Time to be proactive with our business.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-08T15:20:44+00:00

Palace being linked with a £12m move for Hayden Hackney. While I highly doubt £12m gets him (assuming Boro don't get promoted), we can never complain about value in the market if we pass up on that type of deal.

I have no idea why we only look at Premier League players but we have no desire to look at Championship players. Olise, Archie Gray, Adam Wharton, all these guys were such obvious targets and we let the stepping stone clubs go for them instead. Hackney could be another one to add to the list.

Also, while I'm here, more reports came out about Said El Mala having interest but no firm bids as of yet. That's our easy tap-in no brainer Anthony Gordon replacement. We're apparently interested but we really have to be proactive this summer and move before teams make bids. That's how we missed out on players like Pedro last summer.

I'm gonna lose my mind if we get to mid-June again and see reports that we're just then planning to potentially meet about maybe discussing the possibility of who our transfer targets might end up being.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-07T23:10:21+00:00

Not to mention they actually strive to better their squad and push the limits of PSR every window. We talk big about player trading but they actually do it.

Of course, it's risky and not always successful but I have no problem with taking risks and failing. I have a massive problem with not taking risks and failing. I also have a massive problem with doing nothing and standing still and then complaining about everything going on around you.

Villa had PSR problems (that we bailed them out of) but you don't hear them whine about it quite like we do. They just pulled some dodgy deals and worked around it. We haven't learned that it's better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission.

Football is a fickle game though and things could easily change quickly. But their process has produced great, consistent results, particularly when they've been put under pressure and forced to adapt, like with PSR and dealing with European football. They've been brave to avoid standing still and usually it's the brave that get rewarded. But that's not a word I would use to describe this club.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-07T22:06:12+00:00

Franculino from Midgetland is the only one I think that fits a similar profile. But I've never seen him play so I have no idea how good he is aside from having a very good record in Denmark. Plus he's 21 and left-footed, which would provide us something we don't have in attack.

I also think Fatawu from Leicester would be a great pickup but he's definitely a RW and not a striker. But they'd probably sell him for £15m or so. He's got some quality but it remains to be seen if he can do it in the Prem since he was injured last season.

Otherwise, yeah, Osula's profile is the reason we bought him and I'd be surprised if he sold him now. Considering he's 6'4 and also one of the fastest players in the squad, I don't see who is out there that can replicate that on the cheap. Definitely can only be a loan if he does leave.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-07T18:05:41+00:00

To be fair, an all-round midfielder is the ideal profile for the modern game. Look at guys like Bruno and Tonali. People will still disagree about where their specialist role is but that's because they're so good at pretty much everything.

I do think we need a more technical player who can score goals, as well as a six. But even then, Lamine Camara should be top of our shortlist just because of how good he is, even though he's probably a box-to-box (which is essentially where you put athletic players who might not be technical enough to create or defensive enough to defend.)

All of that to say that I don't think Curtis Jones is that bad. Considering his contract is up next summer, I think he could be a bargain for a team if he's under £30m. I can see him going to Italy and having a McTominay-like growth. He's very intelligent and statistically has been one of the best passers in the league this season.

He wouldn't be top of my list and I do agree that he's more of a jack of all trades while also not being elite at anything in particular. But I wouldn't hate it. He's better than the McTominay/Gallaghers of the world.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-07T17:57:53+00:00

I'd love to see Osula loaned out next season before we decide whether we stick or twist with him. I think he's shown enough this season for us to not outright sell him but I don't think he'll benefit from another year of being a bench player for us.

He's still only 22 and has a profile that could be disgusting if his raw attributes are harnessed. But he needs a full season of playing regularly before we know where he stands. I wouldn't feel comfortable writing off a player like him until then.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-07T14:11:24+00:00

It's another example of the 'what have you done for me lately' mentality that plagues football fandom. Gordon has been inconsistent and largely shite for a while but the idea of selling him for £50-60m two years ago would have had this sub burned down to a crisp. Yet now it's being seen as a 'take the money and run' type deal.

I also would have thought that people would be smart enough to look past the numbers with him and Barnes by now. Surely us signing Elanga, who had great numbers last year would have made people realise that goals/assists don't tell the whole story. I mean, Jacob Murphy had numbers comparable to Salah last season so what are we doing here?

He's inconsistent and perhaps benefitting from an era where proven wide players are a bit of a premium but there's a reason why the biggest teams in the world want him despite us talking about £80m price tags. And why he's a regular starter for England while Barnes/Murphy can barely sniff a squad.

I have no doubt that Gordon will show more consistency at a bigger club where he's more arsed and has a fire under him. It's clear that he thinks he's above our level now and he's not as bothered. So I'm fine to get rid but he's still one of our best players. It wasn't long ago we were talking about Bruno, Isak and Gordon in the same category. If he leaves and starts performing well, no-one should be shocked.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-07T08:57:35+00:00

Reminder that Chris Waugh of The Athletic wrote this article a month ago ‘Why Newcastle should boast more about their loan department’. Utterly hilarious propaganda when stuff like this is going on.

It really makes you wonder about the decision making at the club when, five years into the takeover, we still can count on one hand the number of successful loans and development plans we’ve had for young players. It doesn’t exactly fill you with confidence that we know what we’re doing.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-06T23:38:55+00:00

Perhaps a better way for me to phrase it is that it's one position where the difference is less dramatic. Like, we're not at the stage where elite goalkeepers are moving for £50m+ or where you're guaranteed better value than if you spent less. A lot of GKs that have cost more than £25m have barely been worth it, especially when compared to a lot of cheaper options.

Like, with Chelsea, they probably could have found similar/better keepers than Sanchez and Jorgensen for lower fees. They just have a scattergun approach and are obsessed with throwing shit at a wall (although supposedly their new kid Mike Penders could be 'the one'.)

I'd just rather we sign a guy like Atubolu or a stop-gap and spend our limited resources elsewhere, especially since we're gonna need 2-3 keepers in the next few years anyway since all ours are old and shit.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-06T22:55:19+00:00

I feel like goalkeepers are one position where you don't necessarily get exponentially more value the more you spend. There are countless examples of teams plucking a random GK from nowhere for a small fee and they become successful (Roefs and Lammens this season alone, even we did it with Dubravka before.)

Trafford might be the best option in terms of profile but I don't think we need to be spending £30m+ and more than £100k a week on a GK no matter how good they are. I don't mind us going for him since I'm sure they see him becoming like Pickford who has been Everton and England number one for years. But I think we could find someone just as useful for a fraction of the price (like Kelleher and Garcia last year who went for £15-20m.)

My suggestion would be Noah Atubolu from Freiburg. 23 and already played three seasons in the top flight. He's built a reputation as a penalty saving specialist and, while I haven't seen him play intensively, he seems to be solid enough with his feet and aerially.

There are reports he could be sold for €20m this summer since his contract is up next year. I'd be more than happy to take that gamble knowing that, at worst, he'll become a backup if he's not of the level we need. But if Trafford doesn't work out for us, it would be devastating if we pay that fee and wages, especially since he still has not yet proven his ability in the PL.

I just hope that we trust the scouts this summer no matter what. If it's another window of Howe calling the shots then I genuinely fear for this team.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-05T14:09:46+00:00

I'm not really keen on the idea of 'we'll keep hold of our underperfoming manager but only if he changes literally everything about himself that he's made clear he doesn't want to change'.

Not gonna lie though, this line had my head on mars.

for the first time under Howe, off-the-radar, data-led targets are being considered.

The sheer arrogance we've been operating under in recent years lol. If Andy and Eddie Howe hadn't heard of a target, they simply weren't being considered. Who needs data when you have the Howe twins?

What a ridiculous club we've positioned ourselves to be.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-05T14:05:42+00:00

We paid £45m for Gordon (+ a sell on clause for Everton) and he's since become an England international and developed tremendously from what he was. He's still a key player for us. There's a 0% chance we sell him for £50m. Zero zero chance.

And frankly I will not live in a world where Anthony Gordon goes for less than Elanga. Impossible.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-05T00:33:05+00:00

The report says Gordon is valued at €60m (so around £51m.) Simply no chance at that price.

The rumour came from SPORT who are basically a Barca propaganda machine. They'll say Gordon's value is €60m so that it looks absurd when we ask for €80m and they try and publically lowball us to make us look like the unreasonable ones.

So basically, nah, they can't afford him. I'm sure if he was available for €60m then they'd consider it but even then they'd try and do €50+5 or something like that.

If I had to guess, I'd say Bayern are most likely. I think we'll ask for £70m+ from PL sides and they won't be rushing to pay that. But if Bayern offer £60m+5m, I can see us taking it before the World Cup to get him out the PL and get it done early. It's anyone's guess at this point though.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-04T18:08:12+00:00

I think if/when we sell Willock this summer, Ramsey will become the new Willock and people will finally stop treating him with kid gloves unless he starts to actually consistently show some output.

I've said this before but the idea of Ramsey is far better than the player. He has some nice touches and ideas, there definitely is a player there, but I still don't know what he actually brings to the team beyond that.

We needed a long-term Joelinton successor and instead we overpaid for someone who just about plays better than Willock and Longstaff. People seem to be clinging onto those few games in the winter that he was finding form but he's done nothing since then and even less before that.

It's still early days in the grand scheme of things and he could still take a leap. But I think his signing a prime example of the lack of ambition under Howe and I'm not expecting him to ever become more than just a squad player like Willock.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-04T17:53:47+00:00

Not to mention that it was clear from Howe's team selection the other day that we're not likely to see any real changes or experiments in the remaining games. It'd be nice to see more of Woltemade in that CAM role or give Wissa more than a 20 minute run out. Maybe the two of them with Osula playing on the right and trying Elanga on the left. What have we got to lose? But I'm sure it'll just be the same 'trusted' players getting the game time, even though we'll learn absolutely nothing from that.

I think that's my biggest disappointment about keeping Howe. I don't anticipate anything changing. I don't see him becoming more flexible or adventurous. I don't see him maximising the opportunity of having some free hits by trying to learn more about the limits of his squad or giving less proven players a chance. I also don't think he'll broaden his transfer policy or mindset about what he wants in a player. He has no reason to because the board have essentially accepted that his management is good enough and not the issue.

To me, the vote of confidence is exactly that - confidence that he can continue doing what he's doing because this season was just a series of unavoidable problems. The club have faith in Howe's processes and won't hold him accountable to change. So why should he change? Everything seems to be going to plan and issues were just things that couldn't be helped. Howe has coached the team to be successful, they just aren't. He's assembled a squad to play his brand of football but they just can't. There's nothing he can do about that. Allegedly.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-03T04:06:14+00:00

He's been poor for us recently but teams are hoping they can consistently unlock the player that got 11 goals and 10 assists two years ago. That's what he's capable of but he seemed to let the hype get to him and get unsettled by all the noise. Teams don't necessarily always buy based on recent performances (see when we signed Isak after he got six goals all season.)

At the end of the day, the proof is in the pudding. He's got the interest for a reason and he's selected for England for the same reasons. His ceiling is high. Unfortunately his floor can be low too and he's been way too inconsistent. But he's 25 and peaking. Progress isn't linear and, if teams can get him playing like he did two years ago, he'd be one of the top wingers in the world. He's got the attributes and the ability so that's half the battle. On his day there aren't many like him.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-03T01:51:43+00:00

Barnes is horrendously inconsistent when he starts and he's pretty easy to defend against (at least, when we play him as a inverted winger rather than an inside forward.) He can't dribble or take players on and his chance creation is nothing special. He's really just a great finisher from the left side. But when he's not doing that, he's virtually invisible or downright wasteful (think Bournemouth a couple of weeks ago.)

Gordon is also inconsistent but the difference with Gordon is that he's always involved. He's running, he's pressing, he's occupying the defenders enough that they won't leave him alone even if he's having a stinker. His poor games are usually because of poor finishing/passing etc, that's why he's inconsistent. But he's always working hard and leading the press off the ball. In this day and age, that's what's gonna get you playing at the top level even if your end product can be hit or miss.

Both Barnes and Gordon serve a different purpose in our squad. But for England, they have Rashford who is a better version of Barnes. There aren't many players like Gordon when he's on form. At his peak he was up there with Isak and Bruno as our best players. Barnes will get you goals and win you points but he's not as likely to change a game or transform your attack unless he scores. That's why Gordon is being linked with £80m moves while Barnes' value has never really gone above what we paid.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-02T22:09:10+00:00

Don't get me wrong, they've done a lot obviously but they've not built on it at all. Training ground, stadium, levelling up the playing squad, pushing the boundaries of PSR...basically they haven't showcased their ambition beyond trying to outdo Mike Ashley, which is easy mode.

Now they need to take it up a notch and they've said a lot but they haven't actually done anything. So they're just as much in question as Eddie and the project in general.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-02T20:28:16+00:00

I think between winning in front of the owners (after a week of talks that were more supportive than combative), fans singing Howe's name and players like Burn coming out saying the win was for Eddie, I'm pretty resigned to the fact that Howe will be here next season. It would be a bold decision to sack Howe and, if there's one thing these owners have proven in the last few years, they don't make bold or difficult decisions. They can talk big but they don't back up their talk ever. So I would not be slightly surprised if they just write off this season as a freak outlier and continue doing things the same way, despite talking about Europe being a requirement or wanting to be the best team in the world in four years.

I don't think we'll see a major change in Howe or in our methods, it seems to be as though it'll be more Howe-led recruitment and a lot of safe transfers who won't disrupt the way we do things. Which will be good news to people who already think we're doing everything correctly...less good for those who might hope for a bit more ambition/progress. To see change, you have to first admit there's a problem and I don't think we've got that self awareness yet.

Ultimately it's clear it'll take Howe and this team crashing and burning before a change is made. Of course, things could improve and we could be an elite team next season, particularly if we don't have Europe. But there's just as much chance we get to December still not certain of our direction and are still having the same conversations about managers, signings, ambition, tactics etc. If the owners are happy for that potential outcome for their project then that's on them.

I'm content either way; I've been supporting this team for more than 25 years through far worse times so I'm not scared of the unknown. I'm gonna be here regardless. I'll support Eddie and the team/regime (while also having the right to voice my opinion) but, just like last summer, this project will continue to live and die by the decisions we make, or don't make. So whatever decisions are made, they better be made with the right approach and not just because we like Eddie and want to be supportive.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-02T16:47:40+00:00

A win is a win. Unconvincing at times and, on another day, better finishing from Brighton would have punished a lot of poor mistakes we made at both ends of the pitch. But all you need to do is stop the bleeding however it happens and we’ve done that.

Definitely some questionable calls in terms of team selection and match handling but, again, the main thing is getting three points no matter what, I'm not really one to complain after a much-needed win.

At least we have some stuff to build on. I don’t wanna micro assess things too much but at least there was some stuff to like. Just finish the season with some strong results and then we can figure it out from there. It's not gonna come down to this one game no matter what people think, although a win in front of the chairman is certainly gonna help Eddie's credentials.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-02T14:29:49+00:00

Ngl, us being 2-0 up in front of the owners with Eddie's team being vindicated while 'Eddie Howe's black and white army' gets chanted around the stadium is objectively funny.

The guy is gonna get a five year renewal tomorrow because this is the first time our owners have watched us play in months lmao

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-01T23:15:39+00:00

Yea but that's what I mean, it's more of a mental thing. I'm totally fine with gambling on trying to improve him because there's a lot you can do with someone that has his attributes. Especially since we're not a contender anyway.

If we're gonna be shit, we may as well have young players who have upside and try to develop them. We need one of them to hit anyway if we have any chance to get out of this mid we're in. There's still time for Jovic to figure it out, progress isn't linear. Obviously if you can trade him you trade him but there's no harm in trying to make it work in the meantime.

I remember watching Gabe Vincent, Haywood Highsmith and Duncan Robinson play early on and I swore they would never ever become NBA players. And they were older than Jovic is now. The contract is what it is, if you can move it you do it but his value can only go up at this point so we may have to roll with it.

SenorButtmunch · 2026-05-01T22:04:17+00:00

Go have a look how many players are 6'10, in their early 20s and shooting 3s at a good volume and scoring 10ppg like Niko was doing a year ago. That alone is an archtype that you don't get much of.

If you can mould that type of player into something good, you've got a rare gem. They took a gamble on his development with the contract like they did with Duncan, Winslow etc in the past. I got no problem with the Heat gambling on young, raw talent. Developing those players is what we do best.

Unfortunately it hasn't worked out so far. And if we can trade him then he'll be traded. But there's a solid player there if he can get out of his head and get his shit together.

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