George Long - Official: Loaned from Norwich

[Mboto Gorge]

3 minutes ago, LGTL said:

As usual, you’re spot on. It isn’t hard to find a better goalkeeper than Gavin Bazunu. Yet we’ve failed at doing that once again. Year after year after year of constant decline, fucking sick of it. 

Exactly. Under these complete cunts of owners we are gradually seeing what most of us feared and predicted, a steady decline season on season. Each season being worse than the previous one. You can bet we follow that trend this season by finishing lower than 4th and getting fewer than 87 points. After all we absolutely smashed our premier league decline, 25 points followed by a very impressive 12 points. 

Edited 6 hours ago by Mboto Gorge

[egg]

1 minute ago, O_Lord_Marian said:

The oracle has spoken, no need for anymore debate.

I'm not sure what debate there is. All I can read is posters expecting us to buy a brilliant number 1 who knows that Ramsdale comes back 1 if we go up, and all while keeping Baz or Macca, or selling either to the plethora of buyers banging down the door to buy them. Crazy thinking that's happening. 

[S-Clarke]

Just now, egg said:

I'm not sure what debate there is. All I can read is posters expecting us to buy a brilliant number 1 who knows that Ramsdale comes back 1 if we go up, and all while keeping Baz or Macca, or selling either to the plethora of buyers banging down the door to buy them. Crazy thinking that's happening. 

No one is saying that.

We just wanted a GK to push Bazunu, a 1.5 place goalkeeper if you like - in between 1st choice and 2nd choice.

But we've signed someone who will probably never play, nor will we want to play going by his rep from Millwall, Norwich and Sheffield United. This isn't how you build a squad.

[trousers]

For those who don't see having Bazunu as our No.1 keeper as a significant issue, where would you rank him amongst all other championship keepers? Genuinely interested. If Bazunu is one of the best keepers in the division then I have no issue with getting in a squad filler as 3rd choice.

Edited 5 hours ago by trousers

[tdmickey3]

1 minute ago, egg said:

I'm not sure what debate there is. All I can read is posters expecting us to buy a brilliant number 1 who knows that Ramsdale comes back 1 if we go up, and all while keeping Baz or Macca, or selling either to the plethora of buyers banging down the door to buy them. Crazy thinking that's happening. 

Does anyone seriously think Ramsdale will sign for us and want to leave Newcastle.

Before anyone says he is ours so will have to, we don’t keep players who don’t want to be here

[Convict Colony]

Only a loan, thats ok.

[tdmickey3]

1 minute ago, trousers said:

For those who don't see having Bazunu as our No.1 keeper as a significant issue, where would you rank him amongst all other championship keepers? Genuinely interested. 

Best keeper in the championship or so we were told

[Gloucester Saint]

9 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

People are missing the point here, it's not that people are against a third choice GK.

The issue is that we're not evolving the squad. We have a massive squad full of utter, utter rubbish and this signing just adds to that pile of dog shit. What's the point?

Bring in a guy that pushes a McCarthy or Bazunu down the pecking order, thus upgrading the position. We're not in a place where we can start filling up GK with average squad fodder when our options are horrific as it is.

This is the crux of the issue - George Long isn’t very good but is all of the frustration amongst the fanbase about him per se?

Of course not. It was abundantly clear that there is an oversized squad of very poor - for SFC standards with a history of MLT, Bale, Williams, Case, Moran, Channon, Mane, Lallana, Tadic, VVD - and another three squad signings doesn’t do anything but expand the rubbish heap.

If Long had been signed today but we’d already signed a £15m/exciting PL loan prospect focal point striker and a good first team centre back, there might be a few grumbles but I’m not sure most of the forum or X even notices tbh.

[egg]

1 minute ago, S-Clarke said:

No one is saying that.

We just wanted a GK to push Bazunu, a 1.5 place goalkeeper if you like - in between 1st choice and 2nd choice.

But we've signed someone who will probably never play, nor will we want to play going by his rep from Millwall, Norwich and Sheffield United. This isn't how you build a squad.

So Macca as number 3. That's not realistic. In your scenario, Macca needs a buyer, and we then need a new number 3. 

We then have the number 1.5 knowing he's 3 if we go up. Who'd sign in that basis?

However you cut it, what you'd like wasn't realistic, and us signing a number 3 on loan is sensible and obvious. 

[Convict Colony]

2 minutes ago, trousers said:

For those who don't see having Bazunu as our No.1 keeper as a significant issue, where would you rank him amongst all other championship keepers? Genuinely interested. 

The point you are missing old chap is that in a squad full of issues goalie isnt the top 5. 

[LGTL]

1 minute ago, tdmickey3 said:

Does anyone seriously think Ramsdale will sign for us and want to leave Newcastle.

Before anyone says he is ours so will have to, we don’t keep players who don’t want to be here

Of course he won’t, but it’s a convenient excuse for those who seem happy playing with old wotsit wrists for the next 43 games. 

[saintant]

17 minutes ago, egg said:

Ah, it's that easy isn't it. 

Football transfers ain't like buying on Amazon and selling on eBay. We have shed loads of players we can't shift. 

I wonder who is to blame for that....hmm.

[sockeye]

1 minute ago, tdmickey3 said:

Does anyone seriously think Ramsdale will sign for us and want to leave Newcastle.

Before anyone says he is ours so will have to, we don’t keep players who don’t want to be here

Irrespective of our league next season, I fear Ramsdale goes and Bazunu extends

[East Kent Saint]

You couldn’t make it up 

[Lighthouse]

5 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I see there's comments around 'Ramsdale is coming back, so we can't block his position' bullshit. He'll probably be off anyway so why plan for that. You go out and there and buy better than Bazunu or McCarthy as that is where we are today, then when Ramsdale comes back we bin off Bazunu/McCarthy and have two competent goalkeepers.

It's not hard is it? 

Nobody is saying we can't 'block' Ramsdale's position. It's simply not a position we need to spend our (limited) transfer budget on and we're not going to. We need decent attacking players, I'll save my bile for SR until the window has closed and I've seen exactly who replaces Dibling and Edozie.

[O_Lord_Marian]

1 minute ago, egg said:

I'm not sure what debate there is. All I can read is posters expecting us to buy a brilliant number 1 who knows that Ramsdale comes back 1 if we go up, and all while keeping Baz or Macca, or selling either to the plethora of buyers banging down the door to buy them. Crazy thinking that's happening. 

The only thing crazy is to think that far ahead, as its an unknown. What we know now however is that Ramsdale is not with the club currently, what we also know is that the current crop of keepers in the squad are absolute garbage. We do not need a brilliant no.1, just one that can do their job. 

[egg]

3 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

Does anyone seriously think Ramsdale will sign for us and want to leave Newcastle.

Before anyone says he is ours so will have to, we don’t keep players who don’t want to be here

I think it depends how it goes for him imo there. If he plays second fiddle to Pope all season, why would he want to stay? 

[AlexLaw76]

2 minutes ago, egg said:

So Macca as number 3. That's not realistic. In your scenario, Macca needs a buyer, and we then need a new number 3. 

We then have the number 1.5 knowing he's 3 if we go up. Who'd sign in that basis?

However you cut it, what you'd like wasn't realistic, and us signing a number 3 on loan is sensible and obvious. 

It seems ok to sign Quashie when we have about 7 other CBs at the club

but unrealistic to sign someone better than McCarthy

[S-Clarke]

Just now, egg said:

So Macca as number 3. That's not realistic. In your scenario, Macca needs a buyer, and we then need a new number 3. 

We then have the number 1.5 knowing he's 3 if we go up. Who'd sign in that basis?

However you cut it, what you'd like wasn't realistic, and us signing a number 3 on loan is sensible and obvious. 

Why isn't that realistic? McCarthy was number 3 in our last season in the Champ, Lumley was 2nd choice for a lot of the games.

The question goes back to why we felt it was a sensible idea to give McCarthy a new contract on the back of a handful of games at the end of that season, after he hadn't played a game for us all year up to that point. That's where the issue started, but it still shouldn't stop us evolving the position today.

Why do players have to sign assuming they'll be demoted? They're signed for today as 1 or 2, so it's up to them to fight and keep that place. If they have confidence in their ability they'll feel they can, and that's what I'd expect any professional player to act like.

[Gloucester Saint]

4 minutes ago, egg said:

So Macca as number 3. That's not realistic. In your scenario, Macca needs a buyer, and we then need a new number 3. 

We then have the number 1.5 knowing he's 3 if we go up. Who'd sign in that basis?

However you cut it, what you'd like wasn't realistic, and us signing a number 3 on loan is sensible and obvious. 

Or, logically following from @s-clarke above, you pay Macca up. Done it before with Hurlock, Dixon, Speedie and Osvaldo to clean the stables, probably Carrillo. And those comparatively would have much more expensive than paying Alex up a year.

Writing off does have to happen sometimes. It was crazy decision at the time with no business rationale and the SR board should take responsibility for leaving Martin and Ankerson in control of transfers.

Edited 5 hours ago by Gloucester Saint

[saintant]

11 minutes ago, Chez said:

do you usually strengthen when relegated?

If you only got 12 points you clearly have to 🙂

[tdmickey3]

2 minutes ago, egg said:

I think it depends how it goes for him imo there. If he plays second fiddle to Pope all season, why would he want to stay? 

Either as he ain’t coming back here and face another season of embarrassment 

[ChrisPY]

If we get Long on the pitch it’ll mean goals goals goals.

[Mboto Gorge]

4 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

Nobody is saying we can't 'block' Ramsdale's position. It's simply not a position we need to spend our (limited) transfer budget on and we're not going to. We need decent attacking players, I'll save my bile for SR until the window has closed and I've seen exactly who replaces Dibling and Edozie.

Yeah they usually come good without fail every transfer window, I’m sure we will all be over the moon when that window slams shut at all the amazing business we’ve done. They nail it every window, so you’re right to wait and see how it all pans out. 

Edited 5 hours ago by Mboto Gorge

[LGTL]

5 minutes ago, egg said:

So Macca as number 3. That's not realistic. In your scenario, Macca needs a buyer, and we then need a new number 3. 

We then have the number 1.5 knowing he's 3 if we go up. Who'd sign in that basis?

However you cut it, what you'd like wasn't realistic, and us signing a number 3 on loan is sensible and obvious. 

But this is the crux of the whole problem at the club currently! SR were the ones who gave McCarthy the extended contract, therefore causing the bloody problem in the first place. Managed decline of the team. Constantly. Season after season. Bazunu/McCarthy/Long are just pawns in the completely fucked up system. 

[saintant]

7 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

Best keeper in the championship or so we were told

By the snake-oil salesman.

[Mboto Gorge]

7 minutes ago, saintant said:

By the snake-oil salesman.

In reality saves to shots ratio was one of the worst of all 24 clubs, and I think his “expected saved ratio” was the very worst by a country mile. Other than that, top keeper yeah. 

[Lighthouse]

4 minutes ago, Mboto Gorge said:

Yeah they usually come good without fail every transfer window, I’m sure we will all be over the moon when that window slams shut at all the amazing business we’ve done. They nail it every window, so you’re right to wait and see how it all pans out. 

I know I'm just a quirky contrarian (apparently) but I am actually going to do that, rather than throwing a tantrum Veruca Salt would be proud of, because we signed George Long to be this year's Joe Lumley/Tommy Forecast/Michael Poke in the least important position in the squad.

[Saint86]

Just atrocious.

[egg]

11 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Why isn't that realistic? McCarthy was number 3 in our last season in the Champ, Lumley was 2nd choice for a lot of the games.

The question goes back to why we felt it was a sensible idea to give McCarthy a new contract on the back of a handful of games at the end of that season, after he hadn't played a game for us all year up to that point. That's where the issue started, but it still shouldn't stop us evolving the position today.

Why do players have to sign assuming they'll be demoted? They're signed for today as 1 or 2, so it's up to them to fight and keep that place. If they have confidence in their ability they'll feel they can, and that's what I'd expect any professional player to act like.

McCarthy wasn't number 3. Lumley wasn't trusted and when push came to shove, McCarthy played. 

We were never going to keep Ramsdale on our books, ditto the other two, then sign another keeper to push the starters. 

What has happened is what was obvious. You don't see that, I get that, but it was. 

[Matthew Le God]

George Long doesn't need to be good enough to challenge Gavin Bazunu. 3rd choice keepers aren't at clubs to challenge the 1st or even 2nd choice. Ederson wasn't under threat from Scott Carson last season at Man City. They are largely there for training exercises & are unlikely to be used in games.

Edited 5 hours ago by Matthew Le God

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Matthew Le God said:

George Long doesn't need to be good enough to challenge Gavin Bazunu. 3rd choice keepers aren't at clubs to challenge the 1st choice. Ederson isn't under threat from Scott Carson at Man City. They are largely there for training exercises & are unlikely to be used in games.

That’s the point 

[S-Clarke]

Just now, Matthew Le God said:

George Long doesn't need to be good enough to challenge Gavin Bazunu. 3rd choice keepers aren't at clubs to challenge the 1st choice. Ederson isn't under threat from Scott Carson at Man City. They are largely there for training exercises & are unlikely to be used in games.

Which is all well and good, but who the feck is challenging Bazunu exactly?

[Mboto Gorge]

2 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I know I'm just a quirky contrarian (apparently) but I am actually going to do that, rather than throwing a tantrum Veruca Salt would be proud of, because we signed George Long to be this year's Joe Lumley/Tommy Forecast/Michael Poke in the least important position in the squad.

That’s fair enough but in all seriousness, are you realistically expecting them to have made any decent signings by the end of the window, based on their previous record? Im not talking about what you’re hoping for, but surely you must fear the worst like a lot of us? If not, what makes you think this window be any different / better than previous ones under this ownership? 

[egg]

Just now, Matthew Le God said:

George Long doesn't need to be good enough to challenge Gavin Bazunu. 3rd choice keepers aren't at clubs to challenge the 1st choice. Ederson isn't under threat from Scott Carson at Man City. They are largely there for training exercises & are unlikely to be used in games.

Don't be so correct Matthew. Our season seems to hang on this position apparently. 

[James]

3 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I know I'm just a quirky contrarian (apparently) but I am actually going to do that, rather than throwing a tantrum Veruca Salt would be proud of, because we signed George Long to be this year's Joe Lumley/Tommy Forecast/Michael Poke in the least important position in the squad.

I don’t think the issue is necessarily George Long it’s that, as fans; we’ve endured numerous transfer windows under SR where we’ve been left short or seriously bad decisions have been made. Couple that with the worse playing season in the club’s history and an indifferent start to this season and the fans are (understandably) boiling over. Letting it pan out is fine but we have owners with a track record of almost never getting incoming transfers correct. 

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, egg said:

McCarthy wasn't number 3. Lumley wasn't trusted and when push came to shove, McCarthy played. 

We were never going to keep Ramsdale on our books, ditto the other two, then sign another keeper to push the starters. 

What has happened is what was obvious. You don't see that, I get that, but it was. 

Or admit the error, pay the 12 months up (couple of mill), use the loan on a first choice keeper as competition for Baz and a mid-30s L1 keeper as third choice (Cheltenham let Evans go because of wages, he’s no worse than Long). 

[trousers]

4 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

George Long doesn't need to be good enough to challenge Gavin Bazunu. 3rd choice keepers aren't at clubs to challenge the 1st or even 2nd choice. Ederson wasn't under threat from Scott Carson last season at Man City. They are largely there for training exercises & are unlikely to be used in games.

That only stacks up if you're happy that Bazunu is one of the best keepers in the division. If that's your viewpoint then fair enough. 

Edited 5 hours ago by trousers

[O_Lord_Marian]

2 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I know I'm just a quirky contrarian (apparently) but I am actually going to do that, rather than throwing a tantrum Veruca Salt would be proud of, because we signed George Long to be this year's Joe Lumley/Tommy Forecast/Michael Poke in the least important position in the squad.

Agreed, if we had an good no.1 and a decent back up no.2. Third choice to compete would then not make sense or require any relevance. That doesn't sit right with this squad though. Hope you don't class this as a tantrum, merely a view.

[Chez]

12 minutes ago, saintant said:

If you only got 12 points you clearly have to 🙂

You go down, sell your best players and then hopefully strengthen from there, but not sure we will be stronger than last year. 

[egg]

1 minute ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Or admit the error, pay the 12 months up (couple of mill), use the loan on a first choice keeper as competition for Baz and a mid-30s L1 keeper as third choice (Cheltenham let Evans go because of wages, he’s no worse than Long). 

Pointless waste imo, and nobody has yet named a credible option to loan in as competition to Baz. 

Regardless, this lad will do as 3rd pick, and given the mess that our team is, GK isn't the area to focus on. We have far bigger issues to address, and I'll judge the owners on how they address those. 

[Matthew Le God]

1 minute ago, trousers said:

That only holds true if you're happy that Bazunu is one of the best keepers in the division. If that's your viewpoint then fair enough. 

I'm still to be convinced by him, but I'm not writing him off just yet. I've nerfed his CA in FM, PA is still decent.

[saintant]

5 minutes ago, Chez said:

You go down, sell your best players and then hopefully strengthen from there, but not sure we will be stronger than last year. 

Not under SR we won't 🙂

[Nordic Saint]

12 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I know I'm just a quirky contrarian (apparently) but I am actually going to do that, rather than throwing a tantrum Veruca Salt would be proud of, because we signed George Long to be this year's Joe Lumley/Tommy Forecast/Michael Poke in the least important position in the squad.

What is the most important? Centre forward? Centre half? Goalkeeper? Our squad is terrible in all of them.

[saintant]

Just now, Nordic Saint said:

What is the most important? Centre forward? Centre half? Goalkeeper? Our squad is terrible in all of them.

All 3 are equally important - this is the spine of the team. We are weak in all 3 positions.

[ErwinK1961]

47 minutes ago, egg said:

If we go up, yes. If we don't, then we cash in and see where we are keeper wise next summer. I think that was pretty obvious from the moment we went down. 

No chance he’s coming back, regardless if we go up. 

[Give it to Ron]

7 minutes ago, egg said:

Pointless waste imo, and nobody has yet named a credible option to loan in as competition to Baz. 

Regardless, this lad will do as 3rd pick, and given the mess that our team is, GK isn't the area to focus on. We have far bigger issues to address, and I'll judge the owners on how they address those. 

Isn’t that Spors job? Not one keeper in Europe better than Baz or McCarthy? Why can’t we improve on those 2 not just be 3rd choice make McCarthy 3rd choice if your serious about improving team not squad.

[Lighthouse]

5 minutes ago, Nordic Saint said:

What is the most important? Centre forward? Centre half? Goalkeeper? Our squad is terrible in all of them.

1. The first choice player, in each position
2. The second choice player, in each position
3. The third choice goal keeper.

[egg]

Just now, Give it to Ron said:

Isn’t that Spors job? Not one keeper in Europe better than Baz or McCarthy? Why can’t we improve on those 2 not just be 3rd choice make McCarthy 3rd choice if your serious about improving team not squad.

It's his job if they want a new first pick. They obviously don't. 

That said, I can't imagine there's too many top level keepers floating around wanting to come here for a season to push Baz. People on here haven't mentioned one possibility which kind of makes the point. 

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, egg said:

It's his job if they want a new first pick. They obviously don't. 

That said, I can't imagine there's too many top level keepers floating around wanting to come here for a season to push Baz. People on here haven't mentioned one possibility which kind of makes the point. 

Coner Hazard, Nathan Trott, Murphy Cooper, Nathan Bishop

there you go