Ashley will back Hughton this summer.Hooray! It now looks like summer speculation time can get into full swing as Chris Hughton has finally confirmed that new players WILL be arriving at St James’ Park this summer.
I wouldn’t get carried away just yet as it is still unlikely that there will be any players bought for a significant sum, but it does at least appear that we can now focus on assembling an actual squad fit for the Premier League rather than just concentrating on the first team, of which aspects of both need work doing to them to ensure we survive. Still, it does mean we can start speculating on potential new signings again which should lift some of gloom that has recently surrounded Newcastle after the release of the now infamous statement, despite it being well intended. Now we can finally put the myriad of differing descriptions of capital outlay away and actually await the arrival of our first signing. (more…)
Hughton and his trusty sidekick, Calderwood.A short twelve months ago we were a club in turmoil. Whilst we were surveying the wreckage of relegation from the Premier League, and the subsequent fallout in the next couple of months, one man had the chance to grasp an unlikely opportunity and turn it to his advantage – Chris Hughton.
Of course, we had already seen Chris in charge of the first team a couple of times in brief spells as a caretaker whilst the managerial doors were flapping open and closed all around him. He just got on with it, and whilst it probably wasn’t the most successful stints anyone has had as a caretaker, few can blame him for having any part in what was our departure from the Premier League. He was thrown in at the deep end with a bunch of players who didn’t know if they were coming or going, or indeed who else was coming or going above them, yet he just got on with it. (more…)
Europe calling?The squad of lads that done us proud in The Championship will be enjoying their rest after what has been a hectic season for them.
Generally they have had to play two games a week, nearly every week, which is something they are not used to after spending most of their careers in the pampered Premier League. So you could forgive them for drifting off quietly to recharge their batteries, right?
Not so it seems, and it looks like our players are already eyeing a return to Europe in the next few years in a fantastic show of ambition from them. People will laugh when they here of a return to Europe, even some of our own fans, who could find the negative angle of recieving a £1 million windfall, but who is to say we can’t make it back into Europe in the near future? Bolton did it, twice in fact, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves, survival is what we need to achieve first. Learning to walk before we run and ensuring we are careful enough as a club to thrive long term so that my kids have a team to support. (more…)
Free to go elsewhere.Jermaine Beckford looks to have blown his chances of playing Premier League football at St James’ Park next season as boss Chris Hughton pursues other targets in his quest to strengthen the squad during the summer
Beckford was the subject of quite intense interest from Newcastle back in January and was the target of a sequence of bids made by the club for his services. None of those bids were deemed acceptable by Ken Bates despite Beckford handing in a transfer request at the time, which he later retracted and moved to quash any more rumours by announcing he would be opting to sit out the rest of his contract at recently promoted Leeds United before leaving on a free transfer in the summer. That whole episode has apparently put Hughton off from re-igniting his interest in a player that would cost nothing to sign, despite a January admission that he would be interested in securing the services of the 31-goal striker for Newcastle. (more…)
Vuckic has been recieving praise from within.A lot of us have known about Haris Vuckic and his potential for a while now, and that potential has recieved another plug today from fellow team-mate, Ryan Taylor, who believes the future could be bright at St James’ Park for a number of youngsters.
As has been said, a lot of us are expecting great things from the young Slovenian midfielder who will undoubtedbly be looking forward to next season, with the prize of breaking into the first team being the reward for hard work and demonstrating ability on the training pitch. In fact, Chris Hughton has already dropped the hint that Vuckic will be more heavily involved in first team affairs next season, something we are all finally looking forward to seeing. I have been a bit disappointed that we haven’t seen more of the boy in The Championship, but in fairness he has only just returned from a horrendous injury, and at least we saw Vuckic make a cameo appearance at QPR on the final day of the season. (more…)
