Not for sale FFSIt seems that Spurs can’t take no for an answer as they launch a last gasp £25m bid for Newcastle United’s Andy Carroll.
When Alan Pardew said “I will say this one more time – Andy Carroll is not for sale” it seems that Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy wasn’t listening because, if reports in The Sun are to be believed, Levy has lodged a new £25m bid for Carroll directly with Mike Ashley.
Of course anything that contains the phrase ‘if reports in The Sun are to be believed’ should be treated with the same sort of caution you’d show if a psychistrist asked you to slip into a pair of wraparound pyjamas for ‘fashion reasons’. But you never know, maybe The Sun is correct. We know Harry Redknapp is keen on Carroll – I suppose it’s a matter of whether or not he’s keen enough to persuade his Chairman to fork out £25m for him. (more…)
Squad players take the strainOver the last few games Newcastle have had to operate without a few of their regular first team players. Namely: Andy Carroll, Cheick Tiote and Steven Taylor – either because of injury or suspension – and there have also been scares about losing Kevin Nolan and Shola Ameobi.
In the meantime, the squad players that have come in have covered manfully with players like Leon Best, Perter Lovenkrands, James Perch, Nile Ranger and Danny Guthrie.
Not so long ago, we were saying: ‘We’ve got no strength in depth‘, ‘The squad ain’t big enough‘, ‘We won’t cope in this league‘. Some may still feel that that’s the case.
So, I’m asking: Has our ‘squad’ improved?
It seems that Danny Guthrie, after a poor showing last time out, has pulled his game around, delivering a perfect cross for Coloccini to fire home v Spurs. James Perch put in a decent shift. Peter Lovenkrands came on and, but for a desperate lunge by the Spurs defender, could’ve put us two up in the same game.
Nile Ranger is showing some good skill and determination to get at teams and was desperately unlucky not to score; maybe he could’ve squared it to Lovenkrands, but hey, he’s getting there. (more…)
Missing 2 more games at leastNewcastle United’s Andy Carroll has suffered a setback in his recovery from a torn thigh muscle.
Apparently Andy Carroll is off to Sweden tomorrow to seek specialist help for his thigh from a world-reknowned doctor (world-reknowned to those who know him well, that is). Carroll is definitely ruled out of the Fulham game and is extremely doubtful for the Arsenal game too.
Alan Pardew said:
“We brought him to Portugal to start running and the disappointing news is that he hasn’t.
“His injury is in the muscle just above the thigh – an area that doesn’t get great circulation so doesn’t heal very quickly.
“We’re going to send him to someone who’s the world’s best thigh repair expert. This guy is in the arctic end of Sweden and he’ll be flying out on Friday and we’re hoping he’ll be able to turn him around quickly.
“He’s definitely out of Fulham and probably Arsenal too. There has to be no doubt (when he returns).” (more…)
Does he earn his pay packet?Newcastle’s Shola Ameobi seems to divide opinion, with some fans eager to get shot of him at the first opportunity and with others jumping to his defence. This article looks at both sides of the argument.
I had an argument with my wife the other day. Having left our TomTom at home, it was one of those typical man and wife arguments about asking directions.
My wife wanted to stop and ask someone the way and I thought that was the most ludicrous idea I’d ever heard and refused to ask directions. She accused me of being a loser and I said that, being a Villa supporter, she’d know all about being a loser. Then I was given the silent treatment, which at least meant I could peacefully get on with following a car at random, which is my tactic in such circumstances.
Anyway, we got where we wanted to be and I was very smug. My wife said I was just lucky but I insisted the end result was what counts.
Which brings me to Shola Ameobi and the ‘end result’ that strikers must achieve to earn their pay packet. (more…)
£60,000 a week?Newcastle United are allegedly going to double Andy Carroll’s wages to make sure he stays at the club.
Warning Will Robinson! The story comes from the News of the World, which is somewhere between Viz and The Beano in terms of reliable, factual information, so treat it with extreme caution.
On the back of Alan Pardew’s “I will says this one more time – Andy Carroll is not for sale” statement in response to alleged interest in the player from Spurs, it now seems that the club are prepared to double Andy Carroll’s wages in order to fend off interest from a brace of Manchesters.
This would apparently take the player’s wages from £30,000 a week to £60,000 a week and help to stop Carroll from being tempted by Manchester City and Manchester United, who are both – allegedly – interested in acquiring Carroll’s services. (more…)
