Cautiously optimistic?Newcastle United captain Kevin Nolan reveals he’s ‘hopeful’ about the future of the club, whilst Alan Pardew praises Nolan as a better player than he thought he was.
Kevin Nolan’s goal against Bolton on Saturday means he now has 11 for the season, which is not bad for a midfielder, albeit one that often slots in close behind the striker(s).
Personally I find Nolan a bit frustrating. He sometimes seems to ‘disappear’ for large portions of the game in terms of his general midfield contribution, but he frequently ‘reappears’ to put the ball in the back of the net, which is not to be sniffed at. Although feel free to sniff if you wish – I’m not a man to stop professional sniffers.
Nolan seems to be cautiously optimistic about the future of the club in the hands of Ashley and his bespectacled sidekick, particularly after the club managed to sign Cheick Tiote until 2017. Nolan said:
“I hope and I think that Mike and Derek are in it for the long haul here.
“We’re all working together to get Newcastle back where it belongs. It’s going to be bit by bit and we can’t get carried away but it will be nice when they get us back. They can sit and smile knowing they’ve worked so hard.
“All we’ve asked for is a bit of stability and giving lads new contracts when they deserve it.
“Hopefully we can build a team for the future around Cheik.” (more…)
Doing his stuff for the IvoriansNewcastle United’s Cheick Tiote reveals some reasons why he was happy to sign a new contract. Furthermore, could he help us sign his fellow Ivory Coast team-mate Gervinho?
Cheick Tiote has been talking to the Daily Mail. That’s the sort of thing this writer would normally recommend strongly against, like running with scissors, playing with fire or sticking your face in a fan.
In this case, however, Tiote reveals much about his contentment at the club, saying:
“As soon as I arrived here the players made me welcome. They helped me settle in and that meant I could do a good job on the pitch.”
The Mail suggests that Tiote rejected a transfer day move to Chelsea, which may be true or it may be something they’ve just read between the lines when Tiote expresses his preference for Newcastle over London as follows:
“Newcastle life is good for me. It is not like London – London is too busy, there are too many people.
“Newcastle is not so busy. That makes it easier to focus on your job. For me it is important. I would like to be here for a few years. I can learn here.
“I feel settled here. I enjoy it here. The fans are good and the new manager likes me. The club has looked after me and I do my best for the team and the fans.” (more…)
Happy but wants to see investmentNewcastle United winger Jonas Gutierrez professes contentment at the club but – like a few other players – urges Ashley to reinvest in the squad.
Jonas Gutierrez has, I think, made a lot of progress this season.
In the past he has sometimes been criticised for his inability to deliver the ‘final ball’ but – as the two assists he gave in the Birmingham game prove – he’s starting to get much better in that respect.
His work rate has never been in much doubt and he’s tireless in his attempts to get the ball forward up the left wing, often ably assisted by Jose Enrique with whom Jonas seems to have an excellent understanding on the pitch.
But whilst Enrique’s future at Newcastle might be in some doubt, Jonas seems a lot more settled at the club, saying:
“I am happy here, and yes I do want to stay. My family is happy as well.”
He does however raise the same ‘issue’ that a few other prominent Toon players have raised, which is the reinvestment of funds in the squad. Jonas raises this issue subtly compared to the likes of Barton, but the implication is there. (more…)
"We need to get to 42 points"Newcastle United’s Jonas Gutierrez says that he’s happy at the club and targets 42 points as the primary aim for this season.
I had a bad day yesterday with my articles, first thinking it was still January and then placing Tunisia in the Middle East.
It was pretty bad away from the blog too. We’ve been doing a bit of redecorating and purchased a set of ‘stairway ladders’, which are in four sections that pivot around three points and are – as the name suggests – supposed to allow you to reach awkward places in stairwells and such. Yeah right. It’s like trying to wrestle a giant steel octopus and the damn things pinch your fingers at every opportunity.
First of all they’re very heavy so a lot of huffing and puffing is necessary to move them around the stairs in the first place and then, when you get them to roughly where you want them, you have to manage these three pivot points to arrange them into a shape that lets you paint wherever you’re trying to reach. Unfortunately, whatever geometry they’re built to accommodate doesn’t appear to exist in this reality. They simply wouldn’t assume any sort of useful shape and they irritated me beyond belief. (more…)
Enrique: Comments taken "out of context"Newcastle United left back, Jose Enrique comments in a Spanish publication caused something of a storm in a teacup yesterday, when his comments in Spanish were translated to imply that he may be seeking a move to a bigger club in order to play in the Champion’s League.
The comments were translated as:
“It is flattering that Liverpool are interested.
“I’ve also heard that Manchester United and Aston Villa have asked about me.
Perhaps the most controversial part of the (mis)translated interview was quoted as:
“They are both big teams and I’m not closing the door on anyone. I’m ambitious and want to play in the Champions League.
“I want to win things. I’m OK at Newcastle but I aspire to more.”
However the player has come out in an interview on the club’s official website to say that the comments were taken completely out of context. Enrique explained: (more…)
