Mokhtar Dahari Forever wrotethe reason we play 3 in the middle is because there's no one in the squad capable of keeping things sorted at the back while Howson goes forward.
Newcastle played 4-4-2 and Nolan scored a lot of goals from midfield. So Alan Smith might be the one that finally allows the likes of McCormack and SOMMA to start alongside becchio!
there is no way Smith is coming. Pardew wants to keep him, we cant afford his wages (or even a split of them), the scum factor, grayson's savvy enough to realise that it will polarise opinion and therefore leave him open to criticism an awful lot sooner if we start losing a few on the bounce and fail to make the play offs.
wages - with Watt Arsenal want him to play and see it as part of his development so will pick up the tab. Newcastle might want him off the wage bill so are not going to let him play for someone else for free. it's just not going to happen unless we sign him for fuck all, pay him a quarter of what he's reputedly on now and if Larry's got the Kahuna's to make a controversial signing.
can't see it.