I Wish I Was A Geordie - The Blog of Newcastle United in the US

Foreign Player Limit: Helps England, Hurts Newcastle?

It’s one of those suggestions that swirls the second after England loses in a major tournament. The Premier League has a ton of foreign players, and the influx of these players is stifling the national team’s development. Shouldn’t the Premier League place a limit in foreign players in order to build up the domestic game?

Of course, for many Newcastle supporters, club versus country is not much of a debate. More than a handful of fans offered cross-channel support for Euro 2012, preferring to cheer on Yohan Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa instead of an England squad filled with rival players. But a cap on Premier League imports would be a double blow for even the most patriotic Geordie. It would almost certainly harm Newcastle United, while doing nothing to improve the national team's prospects.

The trickiest issue with a cap could be completely outside the league’s control: it may violate EU laws about freedom of movement. The Spanish league system, for example, only limits non-EU players. (And actually, non-European players with European ancestry are not subject to the cap. Fabricio Coloccini was European as far as La Liga was concerned.)

But if the Premier League could wave a magic wand and change European law, it still would not help the national team. There are much deeper systemic issues in the youth system at work, which actually are much the same here in the United States.

In both countries, physical qualities have been valued over technical ability among youth players. That leads to a national team full of big, strong, and/or fast guys without the tactical awareness or skill to make the most of those natural gifts. (In lieu of being big, strong, or fast, a willingness to dive in for tackles is also an acceptable substitute for being able to play the sport properly.) When the World Cup or Euros roll around, is it any surprise that such a team looks bewildered when it has to break its opponents down in the attack?

You see it carry over in the English press as well. A tenacious but limited player like Scott Parker receives gushing praise, but technical passers such as Leon Britton and (dare I say) Danny Guthrie go unnoticed, and have no hope of wearing England white. It has mostly fallen to imported players to bring different qualities to the league. Just looking at Newcastle players, where in England would the club have found Ben Arfa, Cabaye, or Papiss Cissé?

A cap on foreign players would also directly hurt Newcastle, and every other club that has a limited budget. The club’s success has been built on bringing in relatively undervalued continental players. You can import Cisse for £9 million, or buy Andy Carroll for four times as much. Bring in Ben Arfa for £5 million, with Champions League and Ligue 1 title experience under his belt, or 18-year-old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for twice that. The cap would make English players an even greater commodity, with only the league’s heavyweights able to buy the best domestic talent.

If England hopes to regain its status as an international force, the only solution is to coach better players, not rely on league gimmicks to ban foreigners. Such a move just dilutes the quality of the Premier League and prevents less-wealthy clubs from creating sensible transfer policies. As fans of a club that seems to have a solid plan in place, it would be a shame to see that scrapped because of the Three Lions’ failures.

This is the first part of a summer series exploring commonly proposed changes to the Premier League.

How Much Is Ben Arfa Worth?

Every player has a price. Even Cristiano Ronaldo got transferred in the prime of his career. On the other hand, as fans of the club, we've grown to appreciate the talented and likable group of players that Newcastle United has assembled.

But if someone offers far more than a player is worth, being sentimental can damage the club in the long run. Papiss Cissé, and whoever Newcastle manages to bring in this summer, would not be wearing black and white if not for the Andy Carroll transfer.

Most of the club's best players have a fairly set value on the market. You wouldn't expect Yohan Cabaye or Cheick Tioté to leave Tyneside without £25 million or so coming back. It would probably take a Carroll-like offer to pry Cissé away from Newcastle. Demba Ba, of course, has the infamous £7 million clause. But Hatem Ben Arfa is a notable exception.

There likely isn't much truth to the rumors linking Ben Arfa to Chelsea or Arsenal, with quoted fees from £16-18 million. But it is enough to make you wonder. What sort of offer would genuinely entice Newcastle, which grabbed a disgruntled Ben Arfa from Marseille for roughly £5 million? Would any club be willing to make it?

For all of Ben Arfa's obvious skill, and his pedigree with title-winning clubs at Lyon and Marseille, the season-ending stretch of starts at Newcastle was the longest of his career. Managers have not felt confident using him as a regular starter. But if his exploits with his French clubs, and recent minor spat with Laurent Blanc, are any indication, that is exactly what he wants.

Though many people, myself included, criticized Alan Pardew for not taking a chance with Ben Arfa earlier, we can now see what the manager was doing. He gave the player a clear set of expectations: if you want to start every week, this is what you need to do. As Pardew put it in April, "it's his world when he has the ball, my world is when he hasn't." Ben Arfa responded by thinking about defense more than he ever had in his career, and found himself rewarded with a consistent place in the lineup.

When other clubs consider making a move for Ben Arfa, his flaws will be at the forefront of their thinking. He has been a model citizen at Newcastle, in a situation that suits him perfectly. He has close friends on the team, is adored by the fans, and has a manager who can draw the best out of him. Any other club to take him on risks getting the player who went on strike at both Lyon and Marseille, rather than the one who pals around with Cabaye and exerts some amount of effort in his own half of the field.

In other words, Ben Arfa may not even be worth £16 million to anyone besides Newcastle United. And the club would probably not bother with the lower offers that may trickle in over the summer. To everyone else, Ben Arfa may be more risky than talented. But thanks to Pardew, he's a player who can help Newcastle build on last season's success.

France Coach Downplays Ben Arfa Incident

France assistant coach Alain Boghossian is downplaying reports today in L'Equipe, the daily bible of French sport, of a row between Hatem Ben Arfa and French manager Laurent Blanc in a stormy locker room after France's 2-0 loss to Sweden on Tuesday at Euro 2012. L'Equipe had earlier broken the news of a blow-up by Ben Arfa when Blanc criticized him for brandishing a mobile phone in the locker room. Ben Arfa reportedly was upset over his substitution at the hour mark, and asked to be sent home during the locker-room exchange. L'Equipe also reported a verbal altercation between French players Alou Diarra and Samir Nasri.

"There were words finally exchanged," Boghossian is quoted as saying in L'Equipe's follow-up story. "But that's normal in a locker room. It might have been worse if nothing had happened. It's like a couple. If you sweep things under the rug, sooner or later, they explode." The coach went on to say that calm has returned to the squad. "Everything has settled, the fire is out. In the heat of battle one can say stupid things. This loss was a blow. There was a build-up of frustration and it had to be let off. They could've done it by kicking the doors but they chose words instead. Everyone said what he had to say. Now we start from scratch. Nothing is broken."

Media and fans may spin the French locker-room incident into yet more evidence that Ben Arfa is a problem child that can't get along with a manager. From the sum of the L'Equipe reports, though, it sounds more as if he was caught up in a squad-wide storm that blew up after an especially disappointing match. Given the full context, perhaps that's better than if the flame in Newcastle's brilliant but mercurial No. 10 had not ignited at all. At least we know it's still burning.

The Benefits Of Losing Demba Ba

Conventional wisdom says it would be a major blow were Newcastle United to lose Demba Ba this summer.

I'll play devil's advocate for a minute.

Ba was superb from late September to early January last season, no doubt. But he's also a 27-year-old with a degenerative condition in his knee. And, despite what he's said publicly, he didn't do a very good job of hiding his annoyance with having to move out to the left to accommodate - and play second fiddle to - Papiss Cisse.

Then there's the fact that after scoring 16 goals in his first 20 appearances last season, he failed to find the back of the net in his last 14, a stretch in which he also only managed one assist.

Cisse's arrival and Hatem Ben Arfa's re-emergence forced Alan Pardew to reshuffle his lineup, and the 4-3-3 alignment he tended to favor helped spark the six-game late-season winning streak that put Newcastle into Champions League contention.

From an individual standpoint, Ba may not have been as effective playing on the left of a forward line with Cisse and Ben Arfa. But Newcastle as a team looked more potent in the attack - both when controlling possession and on the counter - out of the 4-3-3 than it had previously. And certainly more so than when Pardew swapped Ba and Cisse or played a standard 4-4-2 late in the season, moves that sure smelled like attempts to pacify an unhappy Ba.

Might Newcastle be better off with a forward who's happy to play in the center or on the left? Or one who might be more compatible with Cisse in a 4-4-2? (And I won't pretend to know if FC Twente's Luuk de Jong - reportedly the subject of a failed £8 million bid by Newcastle this week - is that player.)

Ba has the ability to fill both of those roles when he's not jaded. He was Newcastle's best player when deployed on the left at West Brom, even if he didn't get on the scoresheet. He showed on several occasions that he can effectively drop into the hole in a 4-4-2, which in theory would allow Cisse to prowl about at the top of the formation.

Let me be clear: Newcastle will be better off next season with Ba still on its roster. But if one of his many agents finds him an unworldly payday elsewhere, it's no reason for Newcastle fans to panic.

Clock Runs Out On Pittsburgh Friendly

Bad news for American Toon fans: Organizers have called off efforts to arrange a Pittsburgh friendly in early August between A.C. Milan and Newcastle United, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting.

Earlier this summer A.C. Milan had announced plans for an Aug. 3 match at Heinz Field, home of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, and Newcastle United had become the lead candidate to serve as Milan's opponent. However, local organizers in Pittsburgh - including the Steelers - are choosing to hold off for this year because time to promote the match has run too short, according to the Post-Gazette.

This likely ends whatever hope was left for American fans to see an NUFC match in the U.S. this year. However, a Pittsburgh friendly is still in play for 2013, and given the rise of Newcastle United in the Premier League and the spirited turnout by Newcastle fans in the U.S. during the 2011 tour, we hope a return to America isn't too much farther in the future for the club.

No News, But Lots Of Buzz

Romain Amalfitano's low-key arrival aside, there hasn't been any concrete transfer news concerning Newcastle United this summer.

But the rumors have been flying fast and furious in the past week.

Nobody seems to know exactly what's going on with Demba Ba, Newcastle included. Galatasaray reportedly distanced itself from recent reports that it was close to landing the much-talked-about striker.

Newcastle reportedly had its initial £5 million bid for French right back Mathieu Debuchy turned down by Lille. And, if you believe the Daily Mail (always a dangerous proposition), Chelsea has now entered the race for the attacking right back.

Center back remains a major priority for United this summer, but Douglas no longer looks like an option thanks to his legions of agents. Meanwhile, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa's price tag is apparently too high for Newcastle.

And whether Newcastle opts to continue its pursuit of Ajax midfielder/left back Vurnon Anita remains to be seen.

It'd be surprising to see any movement until the completion of Euro 2012, but the rumblings don't figure to stop anytime soon.

RMC France Reporting Ba, Galatasaray In Negotiations

After a run of hard-to-substantiate rumors stemming from Italy and denied by Newcastle United yesterday, France's RMC Sport is reporting in the last few hours that negotiations between Demba Ba and the Turkish club Galatasaray "are advancing but nothing is finished yet," according to "a source close to the player." We're casting our customary wary eye at this and other rumors of transfers in and out of Newcastle. However, RMC has proved reliable for transfer news in the past, even with brief items like this one, and the fact that this report has an attributed (albeit unnamed) source would seem to lend it more credibility than the usual flimsy "it is understood" rumors that fly in the London press at transfer season. Similar reports are making their way today through the media in Senegal, though they appear to be based on RMC's.

At first glance, it seems odd that a player who went on strike to force his original transfer to England and who has repeatedly professed his admiration for the Premier League and Newcastle would jump to Turkey. Just today Ba posted an interview to YouTube in which he reiterates his love for Newcastle's fans and his belief that the Premier League is best in the world. However, Galatasaray offers Champions League football, a move away from Papiss Cissé's scoring shadow, and a reportedly huge payday. Ba has said money isn't his primary motivation. But a wage hike could be a wise insurance policy for a player with a surgically repaired knee that has raised questions during previous transfer seasons and could preclude a move to a bigger English or European club. The YouTube video, which has professional production values, could've been produced before the Turkey talk got serious. Or it could be meant as a farewell to Newcastle. Hard to say.

In short, we're not sure Ba is on his way to Turkey. But we won't be surprised if it happens.

What To Make Of Anita Rumblings

The latest - and loudest - Newcastle United transfer rumor involves Ajax midfielder/left back Vurnon Anita. talkSPORT broke the news on Friday, claiming that Newcastle was "on the brink" of signing the 23-year-old Curacao-born Dutchman.

NUFCfans.co.uk followed up talkSPORT's report with quotes from Anita's agent, Harry Lulofs of the Perfect Assist B.V. group. Lulofs confirmed that Newcastle had made a written offer for Anita, but was vague on the value of the bid, only saying it was between £5-10 million.

Strangely, there's very little news of the potential deal in the Dutch press, with all reports merely citing talkSPORT as the source of the news. That's not meant to dismiss the rumor, because Anita clearly fits Newcastle's profile for signings. He's young yet has top-level experience, should continue to improve and is versatile.

But what exactly would the signing mean? Anita established himself in Ajax's first team as a left back during Martin Jol's tenure in Amsterdam, but has been a defensive midfielder since Frank de Boer took over in Dec. 2010. It would seem slightly odd for Newcastle to sign a left back who hasn't regularly played the position for nearly two years. If United sees Anita's future at holding midfielder, though, that would seem to indicate that Cheick Tiote could be headed elsewhere. It's hard to envision Newcastle parting with £7 million (the rumored price tag for Anita) for a squad player.

Of course, Newcastle could just be tabling an offer to set up a contingency plan should Manchester United, Manchester City or Chelsea come calling for Tiote. Stay tuned in the coming weeks.

* We've added Anita to our summer transfer guide.

Picturing Mathieu Debuchy As Newcastle's Right Back

Newcastle's obvious, persistent interest in Mathieu Debuchy has been a godsend for would-be scouts like ourselves. How often do you get to watch a transfer target playing alongside two of your club's current star players? The recent French national team friendly matches have given us that opportunity. Here's what I've learned from watching Debuchy, especially in the France-Iceland match that featured a right-side partnership with Hatem Ben Arfa, and Yohan Cabaye in central midfield.

The thumbnail sketch of Debuchy as a classic attacking fullback is correct, but omits the most striking thing I noticed about his approach. He stations himself farther up the field than virtually any fullback I've seen. The gamble pays off when France started its attacks. Ben Arfa pulls the opposing left back away from the sideline, leaving plenty of open space for Debuchy to overlap and whip in a cross - which he does with regularity. 

If given the opportunity, he will press ahead even further. His goal against Iceland was scored from inside the six-yard box in open play. Danny Simpson may have played the whole season without getting within 15 yards of that spot on the pitch. In the same vein, he whistled a shot wide against Estonia from just outside the 18-yard box, near the center of the field - another position Simpson would find unfamiliar. 

However, much like Davide Santon in his earlier games at Newcastle, Debuchy is prone to getting caught out of position, and he's been punished for it. Iceland's second goal came as Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (once tenuously linked to Newcastle himself) outran Debuchy to tap the ball in from a cross. Estonian forward Tarmo Kink found space behind him on the left wing early in Tuesday's friendly, as did John Utaka when Lille faced off against Montpellier late in the Ligue 1 campaign.

In short, this is not the sort of player you would expect the fairly cautious Alan Pardew to covet. Except for one curiosity that had to warm the hearts of the Newcastle scouts attending the Iceland match. At times, Ben Arfa was pulled back to cover Debuchy, almost as if the two had swapped positions.

Everything that was said all season about Ben Arfa's need to work on defense has most definitely paid off. And he and Debuchy (or a similar style fullback) will need to work together on both ends of the field to make the partnership successful. Had Pardew and Ben Arfa not gotten on the same page this spring, Newcastle would undoubtedly have gone for a stay-at-home fullback, a better version of Simpson.

Of course, Debuchy's positioning has been significant for France because of the shaky play of Adil Rami and Philippe Mexes alongside him. That's why the key to the summer will be a new partner for Fabricio Coloccini. A center back with enough pace to slow down a counterattack from the left wing would be a tremendous asset. Someone like Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa would fit the bill perfectly. The competition for both Debuchy and Yanga-Mbiwa looks tough. Let's hope Cabaye and Ben Arfa worked some Gallic charm in the national team camp to help put both players in black and white next year.

A Farewell To Danny Guthrie and Peter Lovenkrands

Neither Danny Guthrie nor Peter Lovenkrands would be considered stars during their time at Newcastle United. Solid players, yes, but unlikely to have their names and numbers on the backs of too many replica jerseys.

Both played major roles in the club's immediate return to the Premier League, but failed to establish themselves as integral cogs at the top tier - which at least partially explains why Guthrie, Lovenkrands and Alan Smith headlined Newcastle's released list, which was published Friday.

Smith's departure was a given, which is why we attempted to sum up his five-season tenure on Tyneside when he was sent to MK Dons on loan for the rest of the season back in January. Lovenkrands was never likely to return, because at 32 he doesn't exactly fit into Newcastle's long-term plans. Guthrie could have stayed, but understandably wants regular playing time and rejected United's contract offer.

His departure will hurt the most moving forward, especially in light of Newcastle's Europa League qualification. The club will need quality depth, and Guthrie's passing ability made him an ideal backup option behind Yohan Cabaye. Guthrie's Newcastle career was up and down, with ill-timed injuries and inconsistency preventing him from fully blossoming. He also was too often played out of position on the right side of midfield.

Guthrie proved himself to be Newcastle's most talented central midfielder during the club's promotion season, but an injury at the start of the 2010-11 season combined with the arrivals of Cheick Tiote and Yohan Cabaye in consecutive summers left him out of United's first XI. He'll likely be signing with another Premier League team that will offer him a starting spot, and you can't really blame him for seeking such assurances.

Lovenkrands' loss will rob Newcastle of some depth and versatility at forward, with the Dane able to fill in on either wing, in the hole or up top. Lovenkrands was superb during the second half of United's Championship-winning season, and his headed goal against West Brom - the game was shortly after his father's death and Lovenkrands celebrated his strike by tearfully pointing to the heavens - was one of the most powerful moments of the season. He let us all into his world and we were better for it.

The Dane wasn't able to have the same impact in the Premier League - perhaps he would have been able to earlier in his career - although it should be noted that most of his opportunities came in the second half of the 2010-11 season, when Newcastle wasn't exactly creating chances left and right for its strikers. Even so, it's understandable why United would look for a younger player to fill his roster spot.

It's telling that neither player is leaving the club as any sort of a villain. They're both recognized as solid performers who gave their all when asked. And that's not so bad of a way to be remembered, is it?