Who's best?Right, there has been many an argument / heated debate between Toon followers about the perceived merits of our 2 top ‘keepers. Some say that current number one choice, Steve Harper, lacks ambition for staying with the club so long as perennial back up to Shay Given, while others praise his loyalty.
There were plenty who claimed Harper was the better option, but that due to Given’s whining in the press when coming back from injury, he forced various manager’s hands and got back into the team, not always on merit.
Some would say Harper wasn’t tough enough and gave way to Given for the sake of ‘team morale’.
Some prefer Tim Krul to Harper. Being the younger option to Harper, who is in the Autumn of his career and claiming he needed ‘blooding’ into the Premiership way of things and that he wouldn’t get that ‘doing a Harper’ from the bench.
Harper certainly has the experience through years at the club and his loyalty can’t really be questioned. Steve has also waited patiently for his opportunity. (more…)
How many points for survival?It’s become increasingly important as the season has wore on that Newcastle have to secure enough points, as early as possible, in order to keep tight hold of our best players.
It’s also an indictment of how well we’ve done and how good our core team really is. So, as the pundit’s favourites hover and circle like the proverbial flies round ****, or vultures, respectively, it’s become an absolute necessity to garner enough points to ‘allow’ our great core of players the magnanimity to put pen to paper on new and extended contracts, as soon as possible and not be forced to wait until the end of the season.
If we are drawn into waiting, it could have a detrimental effect on the efficacy of the clubs powers of persuasion. The longer it takes to become safe, the more vociferous the rumours will become.
We all know which players will be targeted. In some cases, it’s already begun. With the latest round of ‘transfer rumours’ and general mischief making coming out of the laughable entity we call the press in this country.
Something we do have in our favour is the £35m+ that we’ve just squeezed out of the scousers. That means that, on the one hand, every player may have a price, but on the other it’s also a hefty one (to the point of extortion). Also, it means the club has learned to play hard ball when it comes to negotiations with other clubs trying to prize away our top players. We’ve been getting some top prices lately for above average or just plain average players. i.e. Milner, Martins et al. (more…)
A crucial set of games awaits.After the football wasteland that is a round of International friendlies, we can start thinking about ‘proper’ football again…Phew!
So, the next 6-7 games.
Next up is Blackburn away & Joey Barton has been quoted as saying that his little spat with Pederson is history, which personally I think is good to hear, as Joey would be stupid in the extreme to try & carry it on with so many important games coming up.
Then we’ve got Birmingham, also away, & rescheduled from the winter wonderland postponement. Unfortunetely for us they are on a bit of a run of form despite their relatively lowly league position. They have won three out of their last four games, drawing with Man City in the other one. They have also secured a League Cup final appearence in one of their two recent wins over West Ham.
The third game will see us come up against Bolton at home. Revenge is definitely required in this one after our dismal showing at their place earlier in the season. Which arguably did for Chris Hughton. Double revenge then? (more…)
What a week for Newcastle fans!The way the week started, with the loss of our centre forward at Newcastle United, it will probably go down as one of the worst Monday’s in the history of the club.
So it was always gonna be interesting, to say the least, to see how the team dealt with it psychologically as well as physically, on the pitch.
To be fair, it didn’t look good as our week got worse still with our away defeat to Fulham on Wednesday. Especially as we capitulated to a ‘punt’ up field to one Damian Duff. In the meantime we lost yet another striker early in that game, in the shape of Shola Ameobi, to what looked like a nasty cheekbone fracture.
Aye, the fun was never ending it seemed. So, as the lads prepared themselves for the visit of Arsenal to SJP you could be forgiven for fearing the worst. (more…)
Liverpool interest now?So, with mere hours to go in this January’s transfer window will there any further developments with regard to Newcastle?
We’ve all heard/read/been bored half to death by articles stating Carroll wanted by Spurs/Chelsea/Liverpool (insert name) and that he’s subject to offers from £15m-£40, currently; Spurs £23/25m dependant on who you believe and now Liverpool for £30m.
Ho hum, maybe it’s been a blessing in disguise that Andy has been conveniently ‘injured’ during this window?
Also, we’ve started to hear stories that Manchester United want Jose Enrique for a reported £8m, who knows?
In the meantime Barton has been courted by West Ham and/or others. While Xisco, apparently, is ‘nailed on’ for Coruna.
So, have we made any offers for players coming in?
Ireland from Villa is a ‘done deal’, so they say. Whether there’s any truth in that, time will tell. (more…)
