January transfer window

[Cods]

Without retreading old ground, I don't think it's fair to assume Armstrong is miles off based on the last 12 months of performances.

He looked good with 3 assists and 3 goals in that game he ran a few weeks ago.

[TheRam]

He could improve us and be a really good player.

Sean longstaff wont improve us in an already poor area of the squad.

Unless these players can improve us then leave until the summer.

[Trowel]

Looks like it's time for our bi-annual link with Sammy Chuckweasel

[sam of the south]

NSNO during an International break, after losing three on the spin, having zero goals from open play in forever, and without a win in 18 or something, with a nobhead like Dyche or Benitez lording it at the helm

Fixed

[JoelW7]

I think there's enough in centre mid to not have to go for Long staff, Armstrong has shown enough to be given minutes, I think he looks assured on the ball. Like someone else said, got to be brave and give the lad a chance or he just ends up another youth product not given enough minutes to learn and improve, and sold to a league one club at the age of 20. Priority should be a striker and creative forward/attacking midfielder, added bonus would be a left back who can cross a ball

[AjaxAndy]

Just another youth player everyone says we need to play though isn't it? We've been here every season with these shouts when they've done nothing to show they should be playing premier league football regularly, and in pretty much every other time this has been said they've never gone on to do so.

Obviously Armstrong is maybe a bit higher rated than some of those but he's still only 17 and has looked pretty lost in the minutes he's had on the pitch apart from when playing lower league opposition.

You go down this route and you're 2 injuries away from a Doucoure, Timmy and Armstrong midfield 3. Proper suicidal thinking.

Not arsed if it's Longstaff or not, more than happy with Dewsbury-Hall instead... Can't just be hoping and praying we stay up because we've had 2 wins, we're 2 key players down from those wins and need reinforcements.

[TheRam]

Not really.

It’s just thinking maybe we’re better off in the long term giving minutes to a potentially good young player over someone who won’t be good enough and will just be a body.

Sooner or later we have to get away from these players if we want to move up the table.

[AjaxAndy]

He'll get plenty of minutes next season if we go down... Gambling at this stage of the season when we're in a relegation battle having just lost 2 absolutely key players is fucking mental imo.

[TheRam]

So is putting decent money down for sean longstaff.

[AjaxAndy]

£12m is absolutely nothing for a player, and let's face it Longstaff suits Moyes as a player. We had plenty of this type of unfashionable player under him last time that played a vital part in the team, Carsley, Heitinga, Neville etc.

I've also very clearly said it doesn't have to be Longstaff, just not to rely on a 17 year old who's miles off Premier League level when in a relegation scrap.

It's the whole 'you can't disprove my point' argument as always with youth players in here as they've not played enough to say for definite they aren't Premier League ready, and pretty much every other player who people on here have said this about never went on to play a single game in the top division. He's a kid, he needs to be bedded in when we're safe and can afford to do so, or he needs to go out on loan to learn his craft, not be shoved in a team with Doucoure and another in a midfield desperately trying to retain premier league status.

[TheRam]

Well, he’s not even on the level of those players you mentioned, even Phil Neville.

It’s not about fashionable or unfashionable. It’s just about being good, and making sense as a signing.

He’s as average as they come, he’s 27 and has a bad knee injury to his name.

£12m on him is horrible business imo.

[StirlingBlue]

Garner/Gana is a fine midfield pivot and then you have Tim/Doucoure as your backup and Armstrong/McNeil as your extreme situation backup.

I’d happily add a loan that is better than Doucoure/Tim or buy a player at a similar level with room to develop but otherwise it seems pointless.

There are players out there for cheap fees if you are willing to take a risk. Brighton bought a bunch of mid twenties CMs this summer for about twenty five milllion each - all of them had moved for two million or less in the two years before that

[AjaxAndy]

Well, he’s not even on the level of those players you mentioned, even Phil Neville.

It’s not about fashionable or unfashionable. It’s just about being good, and making sense as a signing.

He’s as average as they come, he’s 27 and has a bad knee injury to his name.

£12m on him is horrible business imo.

His knee injury was FIVE years ago and he's had absolutely no problems with it since FFS

[AjaxAndy]

Newcastle finished 11th, 4th and 7th the past 3 seasons and Longstaff played 24, 33 and 35 times in those.

But yes not anywhere near good enough to play for us

He's not amazing, it's just a very typical sensible low cost Moyes signing imo. Disagree with me, that's fine... Wouldn't be top of my shopping list for sure, I just see the merits of doing that deal given the low cost, the immediate improvement it'd bring to the midfield and how he fits a Moyes team whilst working within the tight budget we'll have to replace half the team over the next 6 months.

[sam of the south]

Garner/Gana is a fine midfield pivot and then you have Tim/Doucoure as your backup and Armstrong/McNeil as your extreme situation backup.

I’d happily add a loan that is better than Doucoure/Tim or buy a player at a similar level with room to develop but otherwise it seems pointless.

There are players out there for cheap fees if you are willing to take a risk. Brighton bought a bunch of mid twenties CMs this summer for about twenty five milllion each - all of them had moved for two million or less in the two years before that

In before my man Andy says something like:

“Ha, Brighton who we just beat, lol ”