Possible return this season?Newcastle United’s Dan Gosling looks like he might finally be making progress towards fitness.
We signed Dan Gosling on a 4 year contract from Everton in July 2010 but has so far only made a solitary substitute appearance for us against Sunderland back in January.
Gosling has been plagued by a knee injury he picked up while at Everton and the announcement of his return to fitness in January was premature.
Although he only played for a few minutes during the Sunderland game, the knee started giving him problems straight away and he had to have more surgery.
Gosling said:
“The swelling never really went away, so I was constantly fighting an uphill battle really.
“I was back and I felt good, but every day was the same that when I was training or playing it would get really stiff. The fluid on my knee kept coming back and it was preventing my thighs from working, so I was losing muscle all the time.(more…)
Xisco: Deportivo bound?While most attention has been focused on the alleged medical of Stephen Ireland on Tyneside today, news has come in from the official website of Deportivo de La Coruña that the forgotten man of the Newcastle United frontline, Xisco, will be returning to his old club for a medical on tomorrow morning (Monday).
Though my Spanish is a little rusty to say the least, the article on the Deportivo site says something like:
“Sand and Xisco to have a medical exam tomorrow with the Sports Sunday 30/01/2011 15:19, canaldeportivo, TO Coruña
“The Argentine forward, Jose Sand, and the also Spanish ram, Xisco, hope to arrive this afternoon TO Coruña.
“Tomorrow, Monday 31 of January, both footballers will have a medical exam first thing in the morning at the Medical Services of the Royal Sports Club.”(more…)
Who nicked me trumpet?Newcastle’s midfield star has been indulging in a spot of gratuitious trumpet blowing and who can blame him after his excellent performances for the team this season?
In an interview with Sky Sports, Joey Barton said:
“I think I am a better player now than when I signed.
“I don’t think it is for me to say but at the end of the day I don’t think there is anyone playing better than me in this country. That’s an honest answer, not a big-header answer.
“There are probably six or seven midfielders get in a squad for an England game and I don’t think there are two English players playing better than me at the minute.”
He then goes on to bemoan his lack of opportunities at the international level:
“But it’s not all about football.
“Fabio Capello came in and said he wanted to pick form players, but I don’t think he has done that. Some of the players than have been picked have not been form players. If the selection policy is form players then there are not 21 better, or in-form players than me in the country.” (more…)
Nolan: “Kick in the cojones”Newcastle United captain, Kevin Nolan has come out and apologised for the teams woeful performance against Stevenage Borough in the F.A. Cup third round, which saw Stevenage winning in a convincing 3-1 victory. He also commented on his “disappointment” at the shock result, and that Stevenage thoroughly desrved the result. He said:
“I don’t think you could question the attitude of the lads, they all wanted to do the right thing.
“The fact is, it just didn’t happen.
“You had 11 lads from Stevenage who probably wanted it a bit more than us and that’s the most disappointing thing.
“We knew it was going to be tough with a big crowd and everything. I thought we responded really well in the first half, a few of the lads looked a bit leggy in the second.
“We weren’t very good. We weren’t how we’ve been over the last few games and we knew they’d give it a good go and they did. They fully deserved the win.
“This is going to give us a kick in the cojones, a massive one, and we have to respond.
“We have to make sure that come the end of the season Newcastle United are still a Premier League team and when we played Stevenage next year, we come down and do the business.(more…)
Another turbulent week in the life of fickle Newcastle United, with a return to the usual farce in the shape of the pointless sacking and appointment of yet another manager in the hunt for that ever elusive instant success at Sid James’s Park. Here is the week on video, including extended match highlights from Saturday’s victory over Liverpool, interviews with new manager, Alan Pardew, an interview with captain, Kevin Nolan, and more.
Extended match highlights video and post match interviews with Alan Pardew, Roy Hodgson, who was so angry and frustrated with Newcastle’s victory that he tried to scatch his own face off at one point, and an interview with Kevin Nolan. (more…)
