Harper: FA Cup doom and gloom.As Newcastle United goalkeeper, Steve Harper wrestles with his slightly dodgy back before Watford, he looked forward slightly gloomily to the Magpie’s forthcoming FA Cup ‘Pilgrimage’ to Plymouth on January 2nd.
Playing down Toon’s cup ambitions, he worries about injuries may take their toll, and how re-entry to the Premiership must take priority over everything.
He fretted:
“We beat them a few weeks ago, so they’ll be looking to get one over us.
“The FA Cup’s a very special competition, but our priority this year isto get out of this division.
“We’ve got a lot of games between now and then, so depending on the injury situation, who knows how we’ll do at Plymouth?(more…)
A visit from Spiderman on Saturday?In news that will surely have the whole of Tyneside quivering in anticipation, Newcastle United’s Argentine wing wizard, Jonas Gutierrez has given his strongest hint yet that he will wear ‘that’ mask next time he scores. According to NUFC Blog’s ‘data room’, this event is projected to occur sometime in the 2011/12 season based on his current record.
Speaking on his last goal, a superb, world class effort against mighty Peterborough, the pony tailed dribble king told the club’s official website:
“That goal took a long time to come but it was special; not only because it was a good goal but because it was at St James’s Park in front of our wor fans like”(more…)
Ranger: "I'm loving it!"Newcastle United’s young striker, Nile Ranger, has been speaking about breaking into the first team to the club’s official site.
In his interview, he talked about his role this season as an ‘impact’ substitute, usually coming on after around an hour to shake things up when opposing defences get tired, and the Toon often need a goal to secure three points.
On breaking in to the first team he said:
“I’m still only eighteen and this is my first season playing first team football and I’m loving it!” he enthused, carrying on:
“It’s great when I start and I think I’ve done quite well in all of the games I’ve played.
But on the dearth of starting places so far he added:
“But if the manager wants to use me from the bench then I have to give everythiong I’ve got when I do come on.
“It’s been good that the few times I’ve came on and we’ve been drawing we always seem to win.(more…)
Simpson: Mr. Clean?Newcastle United on loan full-back, Danny Simpson, has been telling all to Newcastle’s Journal newspaper in a candid interview with Mark Douglas.
The 22 year old Salford lad has been one of football’s nomads since joining local giants, Manchester United, with other loan spells at Royal Antwerp (twice), the Wearside tramps, Ipswich and Blackburn along with his latest stint on Tyneside. Simpson has already made clear that settling down and making his move permanent would certinly not be an unwelcome proposition, with first team places at the Manchester giant being VERY hard to find.
Simpson started at the beginning, describing his upbringing on the mean streets of Salford, and how it made him appreciate life as a professional footballer at a big club:
“I was born in Eccles, near Salford. I didn’t grow up in a nice area and it had it’s fair share of problems but as I have got older I’ve got away from that. Every place has a bad area and that was no different. It makes you the person that you are. (more…)
Butt: Shocked.Newcastle United’s vintage ginger playbreaker, Nicky Butt, has been giving his thoughts on life in the Championship so far, with the lads about to face their seventeenth league game of the season against Preston North End at Deepdale.
“It’s a bit of a strange division and one that is very hard to predict.” Butt mused.
In the Premier League, nine times out of 10 the top four teams win their games whereas in the Championship you can come into the changing room after a game to find out there’s been one or two shocks.
The stastistics bear Butt out on this. As I stated in a previous ‘blog some time ago, last years champions, Wolves, lost a whole ten games last season, the year before, West Brom lost eleven, and the year before that, a certain Wearside team lost a mighty twelve games and still won the top spot. The last team to really ‘storm’ the division being Reading in the 05/06 season when they lost only two games, but with quite a few draws.
Butt continued:
“That’s down to the fact that the bigger teams in this division – the likes of ourselves, Middlesbrough and West Brom – are teams that everybody wants to beat and it’s a big deal for some of the smaller clubs to play teams like that. You see that week in, week out and it’s reflected quite regularly in the results.” (more…)
