Graham Carr, Newcastle Chief Scout

[LDN Blue 7,903]

What we got to remember is, even if he did find such players for us. We're still Chelsea.

What I mean by this is, clubs see us coming for their players and we automatically pay x2, x3 or even x4 of what they would charge a club like Newcastle. They know we have a reputation for paying over the odds for players and they hold us to ransom.

Like Newcastle paid £5m for Cabaye. We'd have been looking at something like £15-20million. You can argue that Cabaye is worth that, but then if all the other signings Newcastle made (like Cissé, Tiote, Debuchy, HBA, etc) were inflated for us. We'd be f*cked.

I don't think it's about the scout, I think it's coming down to the people who are leading the negotiations for these players that's the issue.

[Styles 9,790]

Sissoko never impressed me in the Ligue 1 and one great match against Chelsea isn't going to change my mind.

He just looked like a great athlete and nothing more. There's nothing impressive about outplaying our current midfield because it's rubbish. Maybe if he put in this kind of performance against top quality midfielders it would have been impressive but against Lampard and Ramires? Ehh, good game but nothing more. We'll see how he does for the next year or two.