Two points clearNewcastle United’s 1-0 win last night wasn’t pretty but it did the job. Newcastle go back to the top of the table, clear by 2 points.
Hughton had this to say about last night’s game:
“It was an ugly win. Sheffield play a style which makes it difficult. You have to be strong and resilient.
“For the majority of the game I thought we handled everything they threw at us. We’ve just got to make sure we keep up the performances and stay where we are.”
I suppose he’s right. We did handle everything they threw at us inasmuch as we didn’t concede a goal, although Sheffield United only really looked dangerous in that respect at the end of the game when Harper produced some good saves. (more…)
"Not the player I used to be"Alan Smith was been talking to the press a lot last weekend saying, amongst other things, that Newcastle United must get promoted at the first attempt or risk ‘doing a Leeds’. Smith said:
“It’s vital we get back up at the first attempt. You look at what’s happened to my old club Leeds United to see the damage that is done if you stay down for a few seasons. Hopefully they are on their way back.
“Sheffield United are similar, a huge club outside the Premier League. Sheffield Wednesday, Norwich, Nottingham Forest are all the same.
“It’s massively important to get back up as soon as possible. If we don’t get promoted you always have the risk of players seeing a future elsewhere. If we don’t get promoted this season we will have failed.”
In an honest self-appraisal Smith admitted that he’s not the player he used to be.
“I am an honest person, I know that I’m not as good as I was, simple as that.
“I know I’ll never be able to get back to as good as I was in terms of that two to five per cent that takes you to the very top – international level, Champions League level.
“I could still play there but my injury will restrict me from competing at the very highest level.
“As soon as I did my injury I knew that. I spoke to [Sir] Alex Ferguson about it and we both knew that it would be so difficult to play at that standard, week in week out.” (more…)
'The Adidas Arena'?Alan Oliver is running an article in The People claiming that all the money from the stadium naming rights will go straight to Chris Hughton to spend on the Newcastle United squad.
Ashley has apparently insisted the naming rights won’t go cheap and he’s looking for £6m a season before he’ll sell off our heritage.
A Toon source (that lad again) said:
“But all he is asking is for the fans to sit back and take a realistic look at the situation.
“It is costing him £3m a month out of his own pocket to run Newcastle and he is trying to look at other ways of raising revenue – the St James’ Park name is one of his few valuable assets.
“But he is not going to flog the name of the stadium to the first bidder.
“He is looking for a significant figure for the stadium naming rights and if he gets it, all the money will go to help Chris Hughton strengthen the team.” (more…)
Making the best of it?Trick or treat? Which one does Mike Ashley have in store for Newcastle United over the next season and a half?
Undoubtedly there are many fans who would like to celebrate Halloween by tying Mike Ashley to a stake and setting fire to him, not least because of his crackers plan to sell the naming rights to St James’ Park.
It’s the sort of plan that will probably have people thinking about demonstrations of one kind or another, often involving bedsheets and references to the “Cockney Mafia” and strange words like ‘boycoutt’. Others suggest that the best way to get the message through to Ashley is to ‘hit him in the pocket’, as demonstrated by this letter to the Chronicle:
ASHLEY must go now. Yes, I know he has the money, he cannot be that daft, you say – let’s face it, he got lucky on the stock market and has dragged us down to gutter level and this is the final insult.
Q. How do you get him out?
A. Get the Geordies to stop going to the ground, all 40,000 of them – no income equals no soul, equals the landlord throws in his hand; 40,000 supporters to see Doncaster Rovers – it beggars belief – that is more than Chelsea get most home games!
There is however a problem with that plan. It’s fair enough asking Ashley to ‘get out of this town’ but where is he going to go? He has just tried to sell the club and failed, so his options are limited. He’s not going to give the club away and, whatever his sins, no reasonable person would expect him to do so. (more…)
The right Magpies this time?Sol Campbell fancies a move to Newcastle United but may be too costly for Hughton. However Matthew Kilgallon looks like a more affordable target.
Campbell is currently trying to sort out the ramifications of getting out of his ill-fated contract at Notts County, but he found time recently to go public about his interest in joining Newcastle United. Campbell said:
“I have been approached by several clubs and, yes, it is correct to say that Newcastle United are one of them.
“People might be surprised to hear me say that I would be very interested in a move there, but I have my reasons.
“Newcastle are a big club and could be heading back to the Premier League. It appeals. If we can sort it all out at the tribunal I would hope to be playing within weeks from now.
“I’m training every day with Arsenal, feel fit, as fit as ever, and now I really need some matches. But to sort out the mess at Notts County, a Football League tribunal seems to be the only way out.” (more…)
