The Goose plots his comebackNewcastle United midfielder Dan Gosling looks forward to being a regular in the team next season.
A player most fans have been keen to see in action but have so far not had much of a chance to is Dan Gosling. His only appearance for us this season was as a substitute in injury time during January’s 1-1 draw with Brucie’s rabble. He allegedly has talent but injury has prevented him from demonstrating it to us while he’s been at Newcastle.
Gosling admits his lengthy time under the doctor (ooerr missus) has been tedious but he’s still keen to get back into playing regularly:
“I need a break, I’ve been in the gym for about a year now and it’s just mentally draining.”
“I’ll get a few weeks off then I start early before the lads come back so hopefully from the first day of pre-season I’ll be with the lads and raring to go.
“My knee is good, I’ve had a few other niggles obviously because I’m not used to training, my body isn’t used to being out there.
“I’ve had a few set-backs with my thigh and groin, but the knee is fine and I’m just raring to get back into playing regularly.” (more…)
£10m target for NewcastleNewcastle United pursue Gameiro, seem to have definitely signed Mehdi Abeid and welcome back Xisco from his loan spell at Deportivo.
The Daily Mail is suggesting that we’re still in hot pursuit of Lorient striker Kevin Gamerio, despite the player indicating a preference for Valencia over Newcastle (has the man no taste?). We have allegedly upped our offer to £10m in an attempt to out-price Valencia.
Allegedly interest in the player from Spurs and the Mackems has cooled.
Mehdi Abeid is, apparently, a definite now, despite nothing yet appearing on the club’s official site. Abeid has been explaining how some of our existing team members persuaded him to join:
“I have had contact dating back some time and I visited the facilities there last week. I even trained with the reserve team.
“The leaders of the club told me about their plans and that they will rely on me for next season. For my part, I intend to give everything to develop in the Premier League.
“I already discussed things with Hatem Ben Arfa and Cheik Tioté and they encouraged me and welcomed my signature.”
That looks like it’s pretty much a done deal for the relatively unknown ex-Lens player. (more…)
Och, I'll have you PardewNewcastle United manager Alan Pardew voiced his doubts about the quality of Scottish football yesterday. Peter Houston makes the case for the SPL today.
Dundee United manager Peter Houston has struck back at Alan Pardew who yesterday said that the standard of Scottish football was basically rubbish.
Pardew, talking about his decision to bring Fraser Forster back from his loan period period at Celtic, said:
“We have watched that division [the SPL] and watched him all year. We’ve been very disappointed with the quality of the games, other than the occasional Rangers versus Celtic game. And even some of those have been poor, if I’m honest.”
Houston has however got his tartan in a twist over the comments and countered with:
Mehdi Abeid - done deal?Newcastle United look at two youngsters to strengthen their forward/midfield areas.
Rumour has it that Alan Pardew is interested in a couple of young lads at the moment. One that is said to be a ‘done deal’ – but is not yet confirmed on the official site – is Mehdi Abeid.
Abeid is 18, is a French Algerian (or possibly a Algerian Frenchman), used to play for Lens and can take on either a midfield or forward role as far as I can establish. He scored 3 goals in 11 games for Lens B last season and is now said to be available on a free transfer. Apparently he has already completed a trial at Newcastle and rumours indicate that he all but has his black and white slippered feet under the Toon breakfasting table.
Information on the young lad is hard to come by it seems this is ‘one for the future’ and Graham Carr and Co have obviously been digging deep to identify talented youth. Well, we hope he’s talented anyway – I can’t imagine they’d bother scouting someone with two left feet and the footballing skills of a house brick. (more…)
Not a shoo-in thoughForster returns to Newcastle United and Pardew has a swipe at Scotland.
Fraser Forster is set to return to Newcastle after spending the season in the SPL on loan to Celtic. Pardew took the opportunity to engage in a little Scottish league bashing whilst commenting upon Forster’s return:
“I think he’s coming back to a completely different level of football, I’ll tell you that now.
“We have watched that division and watched him all year. We’ve been very disappointed with the quality of the games, other than the occasional Rangers versus Celtic game.
“And even some of those have been poor, if I’m honest. He is coming to a completely different level of football.
“Fraser is not a shoo-in, none of them are.
“It’s going to be a case of, ‘come on then, who’s the hungriest, who has had a summer, who’s actually really taken care of what they’re doing over the summer?’.
“Who is putting in front of me, ‘I’m ready, I can be the man’. Hopefully, that challenge will go right up to the day we kick off.” (more…)
