Essential for the next 3 games?The international break has come at an opportune time for Newcastle United as injuries to the squad begin to mount up.
I think we all knew that a potential Achilles Heel for us has been the onset of injuries as the season progresses.
It is of course a problem for any of the teams that can’t afford to buy and maintain a second side that’s made up of the sort of quality teams like Manchester City have, but it’s probably also made more significant for us because we’ve carved out our good start to the season with – more of less – the same 11 players.
Cheick Tiote has a knee injury, Leon Best has a toe and groin injury and Yohan Cabaye – who was substituted fairly early on Saturday – has a groin problem. Apparently none of those three are likely to play for their countries during this international spell, although Best and Cabaye will join their squads to be assessed by the Irish and French locums respectively. Sylvain Marveaux joins the list of wounded too with a groin injury sustained during his sting against Everton. (more…)
Long match highlights of yesterday’s Newcastle United v Everton game. Also includes post match interviews from Alan Pardew, David Moyes, Ryan Taylor and pundits analysis from a certain TV highlights show.
Below – The full post match interviews with Alan Pardew and David Moyes. If you are having problems playing the interview videos below, it may be because you are using Internet Explorer. (more…)
Praying he gets the England job?Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew rules himself out for the England manager’s job, if indeed he was ever a serious contender anyway.
Pardew’s 10 game undefeated start to the season has had him ‘in the frame’ – at least according to the press – as a potential replacement for Fabio Capello as England manager after next summer’s European Championship, but the man himself isn’t interested in the job, at least for now.
Pardew Said:
“It’s nice to hear your name mentioned with things like that, but in terms of the England job, it’s not for me at this time. I’m just not interested in it. I don’t think I have the experience to do that job.
“There’s someone in hospital at the moment (Redknapp) who could definitely do the job though. I think he’s at the right age and he’s had the right experience in his career.
“When it comes to the England job, I think the most important thing about the position is that the general public need to buy in to whoever the manager is. I think they would willingly buy in to Harry Redknapp, and I think that’s very important. He would definitely be my choice.” (more…)
One game at a timeNewcastle United manager Alan Pardew keeps ambitions in check ahead of our game against Everton on the weekend.
What exactly is a ‘potential banana skin’? I ask because my local shopkeeper and I were having our daily discussion about life, the universe and everything and he left me with the comment “Everton are a potential banana skin”. Which got me to wondering if a ‘potential banana skin’ is actually just a banana.
Anyway, we’re playing this banana on the weekend and I’m pleased to see that Alan Pardew is keeping a sharp perspective on things. Pardew said:
“We have had a great start and have shown a lot of sides to us as a team. But we look no further than that.
“We are coming up against a very good established Premier League side in Everton, with a great manager and good players, and you have to respect every team in this division. And that is what we will do for the next game.(more…)
Harper and Lovenkrands: Looking for a way oot.In the last week, both Steve Harper and Peter Lovenkrands have made very strong suggestions that their days at Newcastle United are numbered.
Firstly, speaking in an interview with Brighton and Hove Albion’s website and also in the club’s match programme, currently on loan ‘keeper, Steve Harper, has once again become weary of his peripheral role at Newcastle United. The goalkeeper said that now he was a bit more settled in at Brighton, he would definitely be open to extending his trip to the seaside further, also adding that he wished he had “moved on” ten years earlier.
Harper, who joined the club from the mighty Seaham Red Star back in 1903, and was a close personal friend of the Magpies’ legendary Edwardian centre forward, Albert Shepherd, said on extending his current one month loan from the current deadline of the 20th November:
“I’m certainly open to that, definitely, but the focus this week is Tuesday and Sunday and hopefully getting four or six points.
“Then Sunday night I’ll speak to the manager and my wife and see how she is getting on with the kids and we’ll take it from there!” (more…)
