Theoretically. Where would we be now in the championship?

[everstar]

It's a strange question as Defoe would have at least 40 goals this season in that league.

 

[Wakey ftm in Sussex]

Answering the Maximus roll call for Friday night in Fleetwood, Burton or Mmmmmmmmmiiiiiiillllllllllwwwwaaaaaallllllll

 

[reginald_molehusband]

"Or put another way, 2nd place is the first loser". Those are your thoughts and feelings not mine.

And now you're back claiming Brighton have a "equally" strong squad (recycling points, again). You say "where we have Shelvey, they have Knockaert etc", you keep mentioning Gayle, Ritchie, Shelvey, Knockaert and Dunk when trying to make this point, what about the other 35-40 players from the two squads, you've compared five players (poorly). As I have asked before, list the Brighton players you think get in our starting eleven and bench if you believe the nonsense you're saying, then we can argue about that.

Now I am going to have to repeat myself again (because of you), if Newcastle do not have the strongest squad, then Benitez is to blame and has therefore failed as he has had the resources to built the strongest squad, theoretically Newcastle could have bought Brighton's whole squad with £55m in the summer.

Again bringing up the old "experience" argument, which I have already dismissed. "The Championship experience argument is absolutley drivel, Darlow, Elliot, Lascelles, Hanley, Diame, Hayden, Shelvey, Colback, Ritchie, Murphy and Gayle all have experience in the Championship, not only that but our players have more Premier League experience, experience at a higher level and quality. It's also interesting to look at our transfers this season, without question the best signings have been those who played in the Premier League in the previous season (Gayle, Ritchie, Clark and Yedlin). Another interesting thing to note is that Hughton has only won the Championship once, with the 09/10 Newcastle squad, we all know how highly you rate that team. Again we are seeing managers like Simon Grayson, Neil Warnock, Mick McCarthy, Owen Coyle, Steve Bruce, Ian Holloway and Gary Rowett who have significant experience in the Championship sitting low in the table yet Chris Hughton, Rafa Benitez, Jaap Stam, Carlos Carvalhal, David Wagner and Slaviša Jokanović occupy the top six. It's the quality of the manager that is important".

Were you in the boardroom when these "stated" goals were set? Because I wasn't. To answer your question if Newcastle do win the league, this campaign can be marked down as a success. However the word "success" and "good" mean completely different things to me.

Fuck me, what a boring **** you are.

 

[The Fish]

"Or put another way, 2nd place is the first loser". Those are your thoughts and feelings not mine.

And now you're back claiming Brighton have a "equally" strong squad (recycling points, again). You say "where we have Shelvey, they have Knockaert etc", you keep mentioning Gayle, Ritchie, Shelvey, Knockaert and Dunk when trying to make this point, what about the other 35-40 players from the two squads, you've compared five players (poorly). As I have asked before, list the Brighton players you think get in our starting eleven and bench if you believe the nonsense you're saying, then we can argue about that.

Now I am going to have to repeat myself again (because of you), if Newcastle do not have the strongest squad, then Benitez is to blame and has therefore failed as he has had the resources to built the strongest squad, theoretically Newcastle could have bought Brighton's whole squad with £55m in the summer.

Again bringing up the old "experience" argument, which I have already dismissed. "The Championship experience argument is absolutley drivel, Darlow, Elliot, Lascelles, Hanley, Diame, Hayden, Shelvey, Colback, Ritchie, Murphy and Gayle all have experience in the Championship, not only that but our players have more Premier League experience, experience at a higher level and quality. It's also interesting to look at our transfers this season, without question the best signings have been those who played in the Premier League in the previous season (Gayle, Ritchie, Clark and Yedlin). Another interesting thing to note is that Hughton has only won the Championship once, with the 09/10 Newcastle squad, we all know how highly you rate that team. Again we are seeing managers like Simon Grayson, Neil Warnock, Mick McCarthy, Owen Coyle, Steve Bruce, Ian Holloway and Gary Rowett who have significant experience in the Championship sitting low in the table yet Chris Hughton, Rafa Benitez, Jaap Stam, Carlos Carvalhal, David Wagner and Slaviša Jokanović occupy the top six. It's the quality of the manager that is important".

Were you in the boardroom when these "stated" goals were set? Because I wasn't. To answer your question if Newcastle do win the league, this campaign can be marked down as a success. However the word "success" and "good" mean completely different things to me.

With your criticism of the squad Benitez has built, it seems that you're operating under the assumption that Benitez could get all the targets he identified and, more tellingly, that he was the man that clinched the deals. We know we approached Knockaert and Forestieri (obviously RB identifying a need for strengthening the wings). We know that Benitez was disappointed that no new players came in during January, this clearly says to me that Benitez may well have identified and may even been part of the courting process for players, he wasn't the man that completed the final negotiations. So the deals we completed turned out to be enough to successfully deliver promotion, but perhaps had Benitez been permitted to strengthen where he wanted we may well have been toasting the title too.

Benitez has built a squad that successfully got us promoted which is what he said was the aim (before he even took the job and during the season). So your measure for success is irrelevant. Promotion is success, everything else is icing on the cake.

 

[Mr Clarko]

With your criticism of the squad Benitez has built, it seems that you're operating under the assumption that Benitez could get all the targets he identified and, more tellingly, that he was the man that clinched the deals. We know we approached Knockaert and Forestieri (obviously RB identifying a need for strengthening the wings). We know that Benitez was disappointed that no new players came in during January, this clearly says to me that Benitez may well have identified and may even been part of the courting process for players, he wasn't the man that completed the final negotiations. So the deals we completed turned out to be enough to successfully deliver promotion, but perhaps had Benitez been permitted to strengthen where he wanted we may well have been toasting the title too.

Benitez has built a squad that successfully got us promoted which is what he said was the aim (before he even took the job and during the season). So your measure for success is irrelevant. Promotion is success, everything else is icing on the cake.

I am not criticising the strength of the squad and I never have, you are (effectively, by saying they are of "equal strength" to Brighton). I have been arguing the exact opposite this entire time. Again your whole argument is based on you putting words in my mouth. I see you have again moved on from squad depth and experience and are now debating who gets to negotiate transfer fees. Just another change in subject, it's pathetic. In your argument you have assumed that I have assumed that we got "all the targets" Benitez identified, it's laughable.

“Yes, I want promotion this year" and "I can lead this club back into the Premier League at the first time of asking" in a media interview, is not evidence of the objectives set by the board in the boardroom.

Again, the strongest squad should finish 1st.

 

[Qwerty]

This is all very true. SAFC already have a better striker and goalkeeper than anyone in the championship, and nobody knows how the mush in the middle would fare against lower quality opposition but as stated the increased possession will only increase confidence.

Of course, the actual SAFC team that starts the championship is another matter.








Assuming the worst that is

The fact we have a fantastic keeper and striker yet sit bottom on 21 points speaks volumes of how shite the others are.

 

[The Fish]

I am not criticising the strength of the squad and I never have, you are (effectively, by saying they are of "equal strength" to Brighton). I have been arguing the exact opposite this entire time. Again your whole argument is based on you putting words in my mouth. I see you have again moved on from squad depth and experience and are now debating who gets to negotiate transfer fees. Just another change in subject, it's pathetic. In your argument you have assumed that I have assumed that we got "all the targets" Benitez identified, it's laughable.

“Yes, I want promotion this year" and "I can lead this club back into the Premier League at the first time of asking" in a media interview, is not evidence of the objectives set by the board in the boardroom.

Again, the strongest squad should finish 1st.

you need to calm down.

You insist that automatic promotion is failure because of the strength of the squad, right?
You insist that we have the strongest squad in the division, right?
You insist that if the squad isn't the strongest, Benitez shoulders the blame, right?

I say that promotion is success and anything else is icing on the cake. Promotion was the stated ambition in separate interviews.
I say the squad isn't definitely the best in the division. I say that Brighton have as many stand out stars as we, plus comparable players across their squad. They also benefit from a familiarity born of experience playing together.
I refute the claim that Benitez shoulders the blame for it not being definitely the strongest in the division. Benitez was publicly angered by the lack of business done in the January window, why would he publicly angered if he was in full control of transfers? If he doesn't have full control it cannot entirely fall upon his shoulders.

You can insult me as much as you like but your argument boils down to; you insist it's the best squad, you insist the best squad should win the league and anything less than that is "failure". Which is fairly jejune, I'm afraid.

 

[Mr Clarko]

you need to calm down.

You insist that automatic promotion is failure because of the strength of the squad, right?
You insist that we have the strongest squad in the division, right?
You insist that if the squad isn't the strongest, Benitez shoulders the blame, right?

I say that promotion is success and anything else is icing on the cake. Promotion was the stated ambition in separate interviews.
I say the squad isn't definitely the best in the division. I say that Brighton have as many stand out stars as we, plus comparable players across their squad. They also benefit from a familiarity born of experience playing together.
I refute the claim that Benitez shoulders the blame for it not being definitely the strongest in the division. Benitez was publicly angered by the lack of business done in the January window, why would he publicly angered if he was in full control of transfers? If he doesn't have full control it cannot entirely fall upon his shoulders.

You can insult me as much as you like but your argument boils down to; you insist it's the best squad, you insist the best squad should win the league and anything less than that is "failure". Which is fairly jejune, I'm afraid.

Now you're assuming I'm not calm? You make a lot of assumptions don't you.

I don't insist on anything, I make a point, I explain my point giving evidence and examples to support my point. You on the other hand just make points, for example "I say the squad isn't definitely the best in the division", no explanation or evidence given as to why, you still haven't listed the Brighton players that you think would get into the Newcastle starting eleven and bench.

And now you are questioning whether Benitez is in charge of transfers (oh would you look at that, a new topic). If you think media interviews provides valid evidence of the how the club is run, Benitez has stated in the past, "I will have responsibility for the football business, and I've had assurances that If I don't want to sell anyone, I don't have to" and "we can keep every player if we want and we can bring in players if we need them". January is irrelevant if Newcastle already have a squad that is good enough to winning the league.

Either state which of Brighton's players would make the Newcastle squad and why or stop making that argument. You "thinking" something is not evidence and does not support any claim you make, it just makes you look silly and wastes time.

 

[DaveH]

Well Boro woll be a championship team next season and they did the double over us with ease. It does not bode well.

 

[longjaw]

Fifteenth.