It has been a disappointing week for Newcastle United fans as our squad still looks too small with insufficient quality for the coming season.

This is particularly true in defense where we have only three central defenders in Moore, Bramble and young Steven Taylor. Our inability to sign Robert Huth from Chelsea leaves us exposed in a position which has been a weakness for several years.

The attack is not much better off but at least we have signed Obafemi Martins and have the exciting young Giuseppe Rossi from Manchester United on loan through January 1st.

We tried to sign Mark Viduka from Middlesbrough but while the player was keen on the move Middlesbrough would not budge so we still lack a big target man up front, apart from Shola Ameobi, who currently is out with a hip injury.

The signing of Antoine Sibierski for one year two hours before the deadline appears to have been a panic move to give us some height and heading ability up front and is clearly a stop gap signing.

We have also re-signed Olivier Bernard (left back) this morning as a free agent. He left Newcastle under the cloud of a contract dispute about 18 months ago, but will be welcomed back having played well for us while he was here.

Some bizarre things seemed to happen yesterday with James Milner.

He was allowed to go for talks with Aston Villa, all terms were agreed and then Newcastle pulled out at the last moment.

This does not look good from Newcastle’s point of view. Milner is not only a great player in the making, but is also a great kid with an excellent attitude. He was understandably annoyed and it seems we have messed him around again. Last year on August 31st we sent him off to Aston Villa on loan for a year in a deal to bring Nolberto Solano back.

I can only imagine he knows he’s not really wanted at Newcastle and will move to Aston Villa in January.

To be brutally honest that would be a good move for him personally.

For the record here are the players who came in and went out during the summer transfer window:.

Players in:

Duff 5M, Martins 10M, Milner (off loan), Butt (off loan), Rossi (loan), Sibierski (0.3M ?), Bernard (free agent)

Players out:

Boumsong 3.5M, Elliott (free), Faye 2M, Bowyer 0.5M, Brittain (free), Chopra 0.5M, Shearer (Retired)

That seems to be a total outlay of about 9M pounds, but the bottom line for Newcastle is

• The squad is not big enough
• There is a lack of quality across the back four
• We lack sufficient height and power up front

It will be difficult for us to reach the top six now because of the excellent recruitment at West Ham and Tottenham.

Glenn Roeder must get this squad together and get the very best out of them and we hope his man-management and coaching ability will see us through, at least until January, where this saga will begin all again.