Manager: Hugo (Tyneside)
Twitter name: @Hugeist
Since: 2012
Last season: 12th
Trophy cabinet: Empty (best finish – last season)
Sympathies: Newcastle
Darts music: Northern Calypso – Hale & Pace
Outlook (on 11 September 2013): Lack of firepower is sure to be the Northern Monkeys manager’s biggest worry this term. Not only does the team start with Titus Bramble forfeit player Emmanuel Mayuka, who’s been farmed out on loan to France, but Victor Anichebe has been knocked down the pecking order with the arrival of new strikers in Merseyside.
There aren’t many more goals in midfield. Marquee signing David Silva tends to enjoy a short purple patch each season, but like Antonio Valencia mainly picks up the odd assist. Since Damien Duff’s over the hill, it’s left to Kevin Nolan to find the net.
In defence it’s a better story. Vorm, Huth, Vertonghen and Mertesacker are regular starters bought for a decent price at auction. All of which leaves plenty in the kitty going into October’s transfer window. The manager will need every penny if he wants to avoid an anonymous mid-table finish for the second consecutive season.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IQem4nRSm4&w=420&h=315]
(B) = player awarded under the Titus Bramble ruling
| McGregor, A | HUL | £0.5m |
| Mertesacker, P | ARS | £6.5m |
| Vertonghen, J | TOT | £7m |
| Turner, B | CAR | £0.5m |
| Williamson, M | NEW | £0.5m |
| Hazell, S (TB) | BRA | £0.5m |
| Silva, D | MCY | £26m |
| Downing, S | WHU | £0.5m |
| Valencia, A | MUN | £7m |
| Bornini, F | SUN | £10m |
| Eto’o, S | CHE | £2m |
| £61m |
First transfer window – 5 October 2013
Starting budget: £26m, remaining budget: £9.5m, net loss: £16.5m
(Hyperlink denotes from which club player was bought)
| Out | In | ||||||
| Pos | Player | Team | Sold | Pos | Player | Team | Value |
| DEF | Taylor, S | NEW | Free | DEF | Coloccini, F | NEW | £4.5m |
| STR | Mayuka, E (B) | SCX | Free | STR | Weimann, A | AVL | £10m |
| STR | Anichebe, V | EVE | Free | STR | Eto’o, S | CHE | £2m |
Second transfer window – 7 February 2014
| Out | In | ||||||
| Position | Player | Team | Sold | Position | Player | Team | Paid |
| GK | Vorm, M | SWA | Free | GK | McGregor, A | HUL | £0.5m |
| DEF | Huth, R | STO | Free | DEF | Turner, B | CAR | £0.5m |
| DEF | Coloccini, F | NEW | Free | DEF | Williamson, M | NEW | £0.5m |
| MID | Duff, D | WBA | Free | MID | Downing, S | WHU | £0.5m |
| MID | Nolan, K | WHU | Bramble | MID | Hazell, S (TB) | BRA | £0.5m |
| STR | Weimann, A | AVL | Free | STR | Bornini, F | SUN | £10m |
