"I Want To Stay"First the good news – Papiss Demba Cisse wants to stay at Newcastle United for “many years”. And what’s more, that news is actually backed up with direct quotes from the player speaking to Sky Sports. So this isn’t “a source close to the player” or “a source close to the club”, this is Cisse himself, on the record, saying he wants to stay.
He told Sky Sports:
“I am very happy in Newcastle and I want to stay there for many years.”
“We were close to a Champions League position so next season hopefully we will qualify for that and everyone will taste the Champions League.”
“I am looking forward to next season.”
This news is particularly heartening given the recent press speculation that clubs like moneybags Manchester City are apparently keen on stealing our star forward. A bid might still come in of course, and it might be of sufficient size to tempt the United “Board” to cash in. But it’s always a good start if the player himself wants to stay and is happy here. (more…)
SpeculationThe speculation season has started in earnest for the British football press. With the domestic season over and the European Championships yet to begin, there is still a need for footy hacks to justify their bloated salaries and write stuff that sells newspapers. And they never let the truth get in the way of a good story – even if it was made up without checking any facts or even leaving the office.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve got nothing against factual, truthful reporting. I just can’t remember the last time I actually read any! If Newcastle United were to eventually sign all of the players we are supposedly linked with, we’d end up with a wage bill approaching the level of the national debt. So there must be a lot of crap reporting out there somewhere – it stands to reason.
The key to spotting made up stories is of course the lack of direct quotes. If it says “a source close to the player” or “a source close to the club” – lets face it, un-named, impossible to prove sources are reliable? I don’t think so. Treat all such stories with a pinch of salt. What makes matters worse is that a made up story by one journalist is then picked up and repeated ad-nauseum – and this is particularly easy since the advent of the Internet, it’s not just other publications repeating made up stories but online publications, blogs etc If you don’t believe me, check a news aggregator like Newsnow, pick a story and watch it get passed around and grow! (more…)
As I reported back in March and April, Reims midfielder, Romain Amalfitano, had signed a pre contract agreement to join Newcastle United on a free transfer when his Reims contract expired.
Well, as you may know already, he’s been in Toon in the last couple of days to make things official, wave a shirt around in front of a camera and such. However, he still not quite a Magpie yet, as his Reims contract doesn’t expire until the 30th June, from which point he will become a Newcastle United player. Going on previous information, it seems that the player has signed a three year contract to play with the Toon.
Following on from part one of Newcastle United’s 2011 / 2012 season review, we begin at the start of the new year with a home tie against Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.
January – Man Utd humbled / A Nightmare at the Cottage / The new number nine…
A stunning display from Pardew’s team saw champions, Manchester United, comfortably beaten 3-0 at St James’ Park. Two brilliant goals from both Demba Ba and Yohan Cabaye put United on course to victory, with Phil Jones putting through his own net to complete the rout. It was a tremendous start to January, and helped eradicate the previous month’s below par performances. Pardew got the tactics spot on, knowing that Man Utd’s centre backs Rio Ferdinand and Phil Jones couldn’t handle the physicality of Magpies front men, Demba Ba and Shola Ameobi. (more…)
The end of the season is finally upon us. A season in which defied all expectations. A season where even the most optimistic of Toon fans would have struggled to predict what would be.
Newcastle United gate-crashed the top six, and also knocked on the door of the Premier League’s top four. As it turned out at 5pm on Sunday the 13th of May 2012, Newcastle United were confirmed as finishing in 5th place, above Chelsea, above Liverpool, and above the majority of peoples expectations.
The Europa League awaits the Magpies next season, a new chapter or perhaps a new beginning is on the horizon. But before we look forward into what might be, I’m now going to relive the season that was. Cast my mind back and tell the tale of Newcastle United’s 2011 / 2012 season. I hope you are all sitting comfortably… (more…)
