Newcastle United Tuesday Links: Transfer Deadline Live Thread Edition

by Other Side of the Pillow on Jan 31, 2012 11:58 AM GMT in CHN Links

WATFORD, ENGLAND - AUGUST 28: Adrian Mariappa of Watford in action during the npower Championship match between Watford and Birmingham City at Vicarage Road on August 28, 2011 in Watford, England. (Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images)

We're 11 hours and a little change from the closing of the January transfer window, and it is fairly quiet. Perhaps too quiet. We're still seeking a centre-half, have passed on Ravel Morrison and are reportedly starting too late to make any real progress with Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa. Alan Pardew has said that his goal is to keep all of the transfer activity very much under wraps, so it's conceivable that there might still be a rabbit to be pulled from the proverbial hat. This particular January window, however, has been a distant cousin of last year's version with very few big money/big name moves. It barely needs mentioning, however, that Newcastle supporters in particular are keenly aware of what can happen with the closing of the window bearing down on a motivated purchaser.

I'll sadly be out again all day today... so consider this also your Live Thread for Transfer Deadline day. If you're around, drop your rumors, concerns, hopes or whatever else the day presents, go on ahead below!

Ba and Cisse face race for return at Rovers - NUFC Latest News - Newcastle United - ChronicleLive

NEWCASTLE United are bidding to beat the clock in order to have Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse on the away bench at Ewood Park tomorrow night. The pair were due back today after Senegal’s abysmal African Cup of Nations tournament, but Alan Pardew feels there is a "small hope" that the pair could be involved in some way against Blackburn. The Magpies have tried hard to ensure the dynamic duo are back for their next Premier League game, and have put on special flights to give them a chance of making the squad for the Rovers game.

It's likely to be lost today in all the attention focused on the transfer deadline... but we do have our final (!) match of the year against Blackburn, and it looks that Ba and Cisse will at least be on the bench.

Transfer Watch

Newcastle United close in on Adrian Mariappa - NUFC Latest News - Newcastle United - ChronicleLive

Pardew – in keeping with his stance throughout the window – refused to discuss names on the final day of business, but he did tell the Chronicle: "On the last day, there might be some movement. "But nothing that will impact on us massively in or out."

Mariappa seems the only iron in the fire, per se, but who is to say that nothing else is in there that we don't know about. We'll all be watching.

Wolves to make double swoop for Newcastle strikers? - Black & White - Jarrow and Hebburn Gazette

NEWCASTLE United forwards Peter Lovenkrands and Leon Best have both been linked with a deadline day move to Wolves. Both players are set to move down the pecking order at St James’s Park now Papiss Demba Cisse and Demba Ba have returned from the African Cup of Nations.

Leon has proven to be one of AP's favorites this year, and I'd be surprised to see him go out on loan... Lovenkrands on the other hand makes sense.

Pardew determined to hold on to Ba and Tiote - Sport - Jarrow and Hebburn Gazette

However, there could be some outward movement, with clubs eyeing loans for some United players, among them Peter Lovenkrands and Leon Best. Ex-Newcastle manager Chris Hughton is understood to be keen to take striker Lovenkrands – whose contract is up in the summer – to Birmingham City until the end of the season.

With nowt to play for save the league at this point, it seems that selling on assets would be counter-productive to a charge toward a lucrative spot in the Europa League... but Mike Ashley has firmly established that sport logic never ever comes close to business... so I don't guess we can ever rule anything out, unfortunately.

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Really don't know why we're so high on Mariappa.

I haven’t seen this guy play, but on almost every Newcastle blog I go to all i’ve seen is…This guy is quick but not a very good defender. PARDEW PLEASE! Yanga-Mbiwa is the answer!

by MychalShannon1 on Jan 31, 2012 2:13 PM GMT reply actions