Llambias speak with forked tongue?Former Newcastle United captain Kevin Nolan believes the club forced him to leave and that Derek Llambias reneged on a verbal agreement.
Kevin Nolan was of course dumped from Newcastle amidst something of a furore. The player has now come out and spoken about his departure:
“I envisaged spending the rest of my career at the club. I was settled, happy and I adored the supporters. I was captain of a huge club and played with a smashing group of lads I had untold respect for.
“But ultimately I was forced out because I lost trust in key people at the club and when you lose trust in people it’s almost impossible to regain it.
“From January and shortly following the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool, I was involved in ongoing discussions about signing a new contract between four and five years.
“I discussed the deal at length with managing director Derek Llambias and even shook hands on it. In my book when you do that man-to-man you expect them to see it through.(more…)
Staying or going?Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton may have some contract issues but Kevin Nolan is keen for him to stay at the club.
I have a stinking cold, which will probably turn into rabies, and I overslept, so I’m not feeling too chatty at the moment. I will therefore simply get down to business and report anything that might be worth reporting.
Rumours abound that there’s a bit of a sticking point with Joey Barton’s new contract, which he has so far refused to sign. This is allegedly over the length of the contract with the club offering two years and Barton wanting four. Pardew said:
“It is up to the player and his agent to settle the deal that’s now on the table.
“Contracts are complicated in terms of how they are paid, tax issues, length. I want Joey to stay.”
That sounds a bit like the club is adopting a take-it-or-leave it approach and I assume they’d therefore be prepared to let Barton go. However, this may just be part and parcel of the negotiation process and some sort of compromise may yet be found.
Barton has previously declared that he’d stay on at Newcastle if fellow midfielder Kevin Nolan stays at the club, so it’s feasible that Joey is waiting to see what happens in that respect. (more…)
We have the best fansNewcastle United’s Kevin Nolan speaks highly of the fans.
Kevin Nolan has been on a bit of a PR offensive for the Toon and dissing the mackems is always a good move in that respect. Nolan said:
“Sunderland have gone out and spent millions and millions of pounds.
“If we had have had the chance to do that and bring players in, we would have been a bit higher than we are.
“Then you see Steve Bruce saying he’s got to buy seven players in the summer.
“That’s a target [finishing ahead of Sunderland] to make sure we finish the season strongly.
“It’s something we can work on – I don’t see why not.
“We don’t really want this season to peter out – we want to finish strongly and get the momentum for next season”.
Too right. Most fans can forgive losses as long as the team has given its all. It’s those games where effort is lacking that really get the fans angry.
A good finish to the season at least means we take a high into the summer, which has got to be a boost for us even if only a small one. (more…)
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…)
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…)
