Andrew G: The Solano sale is symptomatic of the general malaise at SJP now. Apparent lack of ambition, increasingly baffling transfer dealings and unconvincing self justifications from the Manager. Nobody wants a Leeds situation but something needs to be done before ) fans start drifting away, disillusioned.

Bryan C: Solano might be neat on the ball but he pulled out of too many tackles for my liking and was not too keen on tracking back a lot if Ambrose is champing at the bit and can do the job then it's no great loss.

Also depending who you believe, he lied to get a new contract then promptly went back on his word but if you are using Bassadas, Gavilan et al as your yards stick then yes Nobby will be a loss. Hindsight is a great thing.....

Mike D: Possibly one of the worst decisions ever made by a Newcastle manager. The top three strengthen whilst we weaken the squad. What happened to the two players to come in and the talk of Kluivert et al. Purely press speculation fuelled by the club mole to con the fans.

I hope Freddie & Doug's dividend is sitting comfortable in their pockets. For what it's worth I would have forgone my £7. Our problems may pale into insignificance compared with Leeds but that is scant consolation when you consider what may have been!

Stuart S: Carl Cort = £2Million. Numerous injuries, supermarket bust-ups with missus & simply ineffective as a Newcastle player. Nobby Solano = £1.5Million. OK, a few trips to play for his country, but generally done the club proud. It just doesn’t add up.

Steve S: So we have got rid of our only reliable right-sided crosser for a pittance,
& failed to strengthen our central midfield, again.

In the last few years we have seen back of Batty, Hamann, & Lee (with Speed
on the way over the hill) and replaced them with Bassedas, Viana, Jenas, and
a Bowyer played out of position, & lacking his previous bite. Enough said ?

Steve B: The only reason you should sell I player is if you have a better player in that position to take his place. We don't. Or you have a better player ready to buy for that position. We don't.  That's why the sale of Nobby is so mad.

Ian McF: Everyone that I know – regardless of their allegiance to which club has found this whole deal baffling. To let a player of his quality go to another premiership club for what is almost a free transfer, when our team is supposedly pushing for a champions league spot just seems utter madness. 

We – as a club seem incapable of anything that involves any common sense no matter what the subject is, either tickets, transfers or team selection. I am absolutely incensed by this ridiculous and bizarre episode. What the hell are they thinking…?

John N: I'm with Sir Bobby on this one. More often than not Nobby has been a disappointment over the past two seasons.

His crosses are usually from a wide midfield area and are often poorly directed. He doesn't get down the touchline, never beats a man, doesn't have great pace and his corners are often poor. He generally seems to fade as the game progresses. 

Plus there was the little matter of his sharp exit from the Smellnet Stadium earlier this season. He's selected for the bench so he storms off home. What was that all about?
His strengths have been his work-rate, clever inter-passing and he's scored a few crackers over the years.

Having said that he is worth more than £1.5 to £2m. The only point in selling him at this stage in the season is to raise money for another immediate signing. If we don't do that I cannot see any sense in selling him - why not wait until the summer?

Chris O: I'm convinced that Robson has not forgotten the Peru issue and has held a grudge since Nobby ever since and he wanted to off load him asap and the transfer window was that opportunity. 

Ben T: One of the most disappointing decisions i have seen in 24 years as a Newcastle fan. Absolutely devastated to lose someone of his talent with no obvious replacement other than the unproven Ambrose. I'm flabbergasted that he went for £1.5m when we managed to get £2m for a certain useless plank. Good luck to Nobby. He'll be a big miss.

Paul D: If we aspire to be a team that consistently competes with the 'Premiership's big three' we have to offload players who would not be good enough to get in their teams and replace with better players. Otherwise the height of our aspiration is always 4th place or top of the also-rans. Solano was transferred to a club who are are playing in that second rung of the premiership and did not attract interest from the top teams (anywhere in Europe) - because that is his standard.

Ian: I believe to be a top Premiership player you have to have at least two of three attributes; ability, pace and strength (look at Arsenal). Solano had one of these in abundance and that is why we liked him so much but unfortunately he lacked at least one of the other two.

Tom W: Again, in the run up to this transfer window the talk was all about who we might sign and we end up with getting rid of one of the few players of real quality and another one, who despite all the evidence, the Manager thought was a good buy – just unlucky.  Most supporters would think this was a good good-bye.  Once Cort, twice shy.

Geoff B: How Bobby can justify the sale of Solano i do not know. In the premiership only Ryan Giggs and Beckham have a higher assist record. Bobby's statement of "trust me" and "an offer to good to turn down" reeks of a former Newcastle manager who took a gamble and it blew up.

Jim F: Heartbreaking to watch the scintillating crosses whipped into the box from all angles on the "Premiership" last Saturday for Aston bloody villa.  Big fan of Nobby.  Cannot for the life of me understand it.

Angus N: £1.5M for the only player in the NUFC squad that can actually cross a ball with pace and accuracy from the right. Aston Villa against Leicester at the weekend saw Nobby cross the ball and Villa scored three directly from his influence.

Nobby must be really upset, a long exceptional service to a great club and
then valued at 1.5M? A disgrace. Bobby needs to forget personal differences
and only concentrate on what is best for the club, after all at 70+ years of
age I would have thought that school yard scraps were beyond him, possibly
not.

Greg P: Considering the money that we’ve wasted over the past years (Bassedas, Gavilan, Cort and Marcelino to name but a few) is it really necessary to cash in for the sake of £1.5m?

Tom L: While I am a great fan of Nobby I think we should probably back Bobby in
this one despite of his apparent vindictiveness. The player was clearly not as good as in previous seasons and this coupled with him reneging on his promise to give up Peru meant that he and the manager were on a collision course. When this happens there is only going to be one winner. Bobby obviously feels that he has good cover on the wide right in Ambrose, Bowyer and Dyer.

David T: The crime is not that we have sold Solano, but that we don't know why we
have sold him. Are we desperate for the money? Was he at odds with the
management? Is a new signing imminent? This is how football is run. We, the
fans, can only guess what is going on behind the doors of SJP. Often, we end
up imagining the worst. We need more transparency, honesty. Surely the fans
deserve this at least for the money they pay.

Phil D: The fact is we have too many players and too many not capable of performing at the very highest level, so Freddy is trying to clear the decks and at the same time saying to Bobby: You bought Ambrose and Bowyer, put them in the team.

Tim B: If you popped around to visit your 70+ relative/friend and found him with a dozy grin on his face saying "Look at all the lovely coins that nice man gave me" then found out that he had just flogged off a priceless possession to some gift-of-the-blarney conman chancer that had come calling at the door you'd hastily arrange a visit from one those 'special' doctors.

Kevin C: If you are going to sell a player surely you must have a replacement that can do the job, I have my doubt's about young Ambrose ,& Bowyer is no more a winger than I'm a brain surgeon, How can Shearer be expected to score when you cut of the supply from the right. This is going to put more pressure on Robert's shoulder's I just hope he can take it,& Bobby proves me & other Toon Army fans that he made the correct decision.  Finger's crossed.

Catherine T: Yes I'm disappointed to see a talented player leave, but lets keep some perspective. Time and again I see the toon lose the game in the middle of the pitch, especially when we have to compete against a 'hard' midfield. Nobby was the sort of player you could play if the opposition midfield was ordinary, or if we were already 2 up.

Tony B: It has been noticeable this season that even with the same amount of unceasing effort Nobby has been short of the extra yard of pace that used to take him beyond the wide defender and make his crosses so devastating.  As a consequence his attacking potential has been  less than in years back and his effectiveness therefore reduced. 

However I do not think Ambrose, Dyer et al will be able to fill his place as effectively as he did at his best and this means the attacking options are further reduced when it is apparent that there is a severe shortage of genuine goal making (and scoring) potential in the team. At least he always gave his all in the cause unlike some of the more high profile players - Dyer, Jenas, Viana to name but three with the first two often being conspicuously lacking when the going gets tough.

Not a great piece of business from Bobby but an adequate one and no doubt the reduction in the wage bill seen because of the outgoing players over the last few weeks will reduce the cash flow demands considerably on the club, which must be a business necessity... 

Mark R: I think Villa have got a bargain. Solano has been as good as ever in recent games and was still, Shearer apart, the best crosser of a ball in a black and white shirt.

There must have either been a problem behind the scenes or the club need some fast cash to fund a purchase. Whatever the case, it's just another example of our club looking a little second rate and coming off second best.

Julie G: Not only is the timing of the move wrong bearing in mind you should be looking to retain your best players whilst supposedly challenging for Champions League placing but by selling Nobby it is a kick in the teeth for fans to see such a loyal, stylish and committed player over such a  long period being sold for absolute peanuts. Robson is starting to turn into Peter Reid  with his illogical rantings. We don't need any more monkey heads here!!!! If we are so desperate for cash why not get rid of Dyer who has already had his one decent game of the season.

Danny McA: A player of proven quality and a current international replaced by an uncapped, untried 19 year old at a club attempting to secure a Champions League spot. Where else would it happen but here. A lack of honesty about why the move took place is also extremely disappointing, but not surprising. I was at the Fairs Cup final in 1969 and if the current application, commitment and attitude continues, at all levels of the club, I don't expect us to win anything else for a very long time yet.

I think we have enough pampered, self-styled young guns, some of whom, JJ for one, need to do their stuff on the pitch, not in the Quayside bars and London hotels. We need some established, proven, quality players, no more "ones for the future". 

Kenny: It's times like this I remember that we are no longer a football club but a PLC.

Tom B: I think what can easily sum up most is the comparative our game offered
today with Aston Villa's. According to BBC's "live commentary", Nobby had once direct assist and two crosses which led to goals in their 5-0 win. That means 3 'assists' for a team he's trained with once, if at all.

Think about how lethal he could have been today where he knew all the players on the pitch and their likely runs/abilities? Quite simply it seemed today as if he merely had to put the ball into the box and people got onto the end of it - how many direct crosses did Ambrose make today?

Ian C: Where can anyone buy a player of Nobbys class & experience for 1.5m ? you can't. Must have been personal, Bobby not like Nobby. Sad day for the club, what happens if Robert gets injured? who will create?

David M: The constant substitutions of Solano left few in any doubt that Nobby's days at the club were numbered. Regardless of individual opinions on Nobby every fan would have had the right to expect the club to hold onto him until such time as the proper quality replacement or the right money was brought in. Ambrose/Bowyer and £1.5 million leaves you wondering just how ambitious the club are? No one wants to see a Leeds like situation at Newcastle but could this deal really be seen as good business? I think not.

Brian R: Disgraceful move by the club. Nobby has been our best performing midfielder season after season and still retains that crown. Bowyer and Ambrose aren't yet fit to clean his boots as a right winger. He always gave his best, never shirked or hid, tracked back and gave good cover for his full back.

I'll always remember him when he scored at the Leazes End in a Christmas/new year match a couple of seasons ago and he ran to the North West Corner and raised his shirt to reveal a  hand-written message on his t-shirt " Happy New Year Newcastle". I wonder how often he had messages he didn't display.

A gentleman and an excellent servant of the club. We'll remember him a long time. He could have shown some of the younger players how to be a great player for the next 2 1/2 years if we hadn't dumped him.

Ian U: how can sir bobby say Nobby is happy about his transfer to Villa? Have you
seen the look on his face in the paper "showing off his new shirt", does that
look like a player that's happy with his move away from the toon, does it shite!!

Steve Q: I think that Nobby was one of a small group of players within the squad with genuine ability to change a game in an instant. We are falling further behind the top three with this sale, they have each gone out and spent 10m+ on a top quality player while all we have done is sell one of our best to another Premiership club. 

Nobby has been one of the most consistent players over the last 5 years and had continued to perform well this season despite being substituted in virtually every game he started. I think every toon fan realises that he gave great service to the club and he will be dearly missed. I respect his decision to want to play first team football every week but I think it is a disgrace that we sold him for less money than we got for Carl Cort.

The Halls (not them ones): What is Bobby playing at? He defends Carl Cort yet hasn't played him when he's been fit. Jenas, although talented, is barely pulling his weight and should have been subbed several times this season. Since Nobby's bust up with Bobby, Nobby has played as well as ever and why was he being subbed as often as he was when others were better candidates to be swapped. 

The transfer for a paltry £1.5M, reckoned on the radio to be the best transfer bargain of this window, leaves a sour taste. Good luck Nobby you served Newcastle well and should have finished your career there.

Richard E: Remember the last toon favourite to go under Keegan - Andy Cole and look who they replaced him with - A god amongst men. My point is we can only hope Sir Bobby has something similar up his sleeve.

Richie: Times change and we never like it, but it shows how deep were must be in the brown stuff to let one of the best players we have at the club go to a tin-pot outfit like Villa for a discount rate.  I feel as sorry for Nobby as I do the Toon, but at least he will be the first name on the sheet  down there. Typical NUFC, always balls ya life up.

Robert B: Why sell quality? Is there no dross to dispose of ? He has been a bigger influence in games than the likes Dyer, Jenas, Bowyer or Viana. Big clubs don't dispose of valuable assets. What the hell is the agenda at the club?

Jonnie S: Wrong and over sentimental! Good move from Bobby we are over-run with right sided midfield players. How many times have we watched on in horror this season as our midfield is over run simply because we have not got the numbers in the area. It is easy at that stage to point the finger at Speed, Jenas or Dyer but they are inevitably up against greater numbers in the middle of the park because our two wingers offer absolutely no support!

We cannot afford two non tacklers in there who both offer minimum support to their full backs or fellow midfield players - therefore make the choice and I am afraid our maverick Frenchman wins on all accounts - goals, assists (this season) and general likelihood to create - who hasn't watched as we have struggled and felt more uplifted as we go down the left rather than the right. Frankly we have not looked like scoring down the right all season - except when Dyer plays there - which is why Bobby obviously fancies a Carr/Dyer right flank which will also give more substance to the midfield.

Stop bleating - we sound like Liverpool fans - and lets move on - Nobby was a good servant for the club but has gone - which brings me to one final thing - those of you who were chanting for Nobby at Anfield after he had gone off should be ashamed of themselves - we needed all seven plus thousand supporting the lads on the pitch instead of undermining the team on the pitch and the manager  - do we not want our team to win?

Andy R: Players of Nobby's technical ability, touch and humility are few and far between in this squad and we have let one of out best players go for half a million less than one of our worst.   

Bobby points out the cover in Solano's position, but Newcastle only have a surplus of right-sided midfielders through his mystifying transfer profligacy.  To sell the lad who should be at the top of the pecking order smacks of Bobby's stubbornness and increasing plot loss.

Duncan N: Gutted. Lets hope Ambrose is half the player Nobby was while he was at the toon.

John M: He will be a sad loss, though I also have to add that it comes as no surprise to me as Newcastle United have been disappointing me for nearly 50 years.

JR: Some of Robson's recent utterances have been as bizarre as Lord Hutton's.

Roly H: He's past his best. If Dyer, Ambrose or Bowyer can not do better then Bobby's past it anyhow. I do not think he's capable of beating people any longer.
Nobby has been good, and a decent guy but I think now is the time to cash in.

H: Couldn't disagree more with the consensus of opinion. I think it's liberating
for Bobby to enforce the sale of a senior squad player he perceives to be
replaceable . He needed to regain his singular authority over the running of the
football team. Sure we all love Nobby, but he should be a Speed/Shearer figure
in the squad by now.

In truth he's never controlled a game , his wide delivery has only improved since Robert's been in form, his assist (uh..that word!) record is cool , as yours and mine would have been last season had we been playing with Al & Bellamy, yet when Bobby professed his need for him he chose Peru. Surely if  wants to play international football and he's a Greek passport holder Nicos could have put a word in and got him a gig he could get to in three hours, and get back for work on Monday morning.

Gareth F: How much has Aaron Hughes improved since being reunited with Solano? As a right sided unit they complemented each other well, going forward and defending. I have an awful feeling that Hughes will be exposed without Solano. I also feel that the "weak" pairing of Speed and Jenas will be brought more into focus by Nobbys departure.

Mick O: Day-by-day I have more doubts about Bobby Robson, his ludicrous decision to sell Nobby, His comments about Cort, His labelling of the fans as muppets and his overall awful transfer record. Time for a change at the end of the season?

Scott M: Nobby always showed up for the team, proved his class not only at club but at international level (showing what a good player he really is), and always had a real rapport with NUFC supporters.  He even did a respectable job as a wingback!

I realise that people are treated like commodities these days, but such a betrayal just how wrong that aspect of football has become.  BR, I think the world of you, but you ought to be ashamed over this one!

Mark S: An overseas player who actually understood what it meant to pull on the black and white shirt. Good luck to him.

Duncan P: For sale:  Experienced premiership right winger at the peak of his career
and in great form.  Excellent natural skills and creativity specializing in crossing and set pieces.  Model professional with great track record of assists and scoring important goals.  No serious injuries. Abundance of inexperienced, inconsistent and often lazy young replacements at club forces "reluctant" sale.  1.5m for quick sale."

John H: It's a disgrace! Bobby's preoccupation with his own reputation has now taken precedence over the support of the fans and the welfare of the club. I didn't realise I would feel this badly about Nobby leaving but the heart never lies! I hate to say it but I wish it was Bobby that was going.

Dan B: Why did Sir Bob sell him for 1.5 when he rejected a £4m bid from Celtic in the
summer?

David P: Congratulations Bobby - in one action you have "united" all NUFC fans. Nobby should not have been sold and should certainly not have gone for such a paltry amount.

Cast your mind back to the dim and distance of the beginning of the season, when first Bowyer, and then Dyer played "out right". The toon lost regularly, created little and looked fragile. Then Nobby returns, suddenly Dyer has someone to play with, Hughes looks a lot happier and results start going for us. Seems like plan B was better than plan A, so Bobby is reverting to plan B.

It also looks like we are clearing decks & reducing wage bills. Have the upper echelons of SJP accepted that we are not going to be in next years Champions League and are beginning to trim? We had a better chance of finishing 4th on Wednesday than today i.e. better chance with Nobby than without.

Peter K: I don't know if you've checked out NUFC.cock lately but their home page is advertising a 50% off selected club items. The obvious question is, does that include
players?

Eamonn G: Disgraceful. He continued to play an ineffective Jenas and kept subbing
Nobby. The man has sold one of the best we have had for a long time. Robson has lost the plot.

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