So who fancies living up to this then?A topic doing the rounds at the moment with regards our beloved club, is something that’s been mooted all season by Newcastle fans. One of the most revered privileges bestowed upon many a Tyneside legend, is to wear the No.9 shirt and to experience the adulation of the black and white masses.
Of course wearing it, is only part of the ‘legend’ process, the striker has to perform and hopefully do what No.9s do best and that’s score goals. We haven’t always had someone to fill the shirt, and in days before squad numbers, the like of Rob McDonald and Frank Pingel were blessed with the opportunity to say they wore the famous shirt. And as we pretty much all agreed in the our recent review article, we’re struggling at the moment for somone to do it justice.
It seems like Chris Hughton also agrees and the absence of the No.9 shirt at the moment is a conscious decision on his part. According to him: (more…)
Another masked crusader?Early Monday morning news coming through on the last day of the transfer window, that Newcastle are close to signing Coventry City’s Leon Best. Sky Sports are reporting that the Republic of Ireland striker may be on his way to Tyneside with Chris Coleman unlikely to sign a new deal in the summer when his contract runs out.
The smogs were after Best early doors in the transfer window but SSN are suggesting that he will join us on a three-and-a-half year contract, should he pass his medical today. Having failed with the capture of Jermaine Beckford from Leeds and Victor Moses from Crystal Palace, Hughton looks to have turned his attentions to the next best thing available. Marlon Harewood would have been the obvious choice but for his untimely injury.
Twenty three year old Leon Best has had a fairly unspectacular career so far, starting off at Southamption but spending most of his time on loan, at QPR, Sheff Wed, Bournemouth and Yeovil respectively, before moving on to Coventry City in 2007. Almost three years later, he has 22 goals to his name in 102 appearances, while having represented his country four times. (more…)
Going, going...gone.It would seem Wigan’s Spanish gaffer, Roberto Martinez, could be expecting some added flair to his side, with news that Newcastle target, the talented and highly-rated winger-cum-striker Victor Moses from Crystal Palace, has signed for The Latics.
According to Sky Sports News, the player’s agent Tony Finnegan, has confirmed to them that the player has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at Wigan, after passing a medical and agreeing personal terms.
Wigan were rumoured to be interested at the beginning of the week and were part of a handful of Premiership clubs with an apparent interest him. We’re alleged to have made a £1.5m bid, alongside Nottingham Forest and West Brom, all of which were turned down and it seems like Wigan were prepared to pay a fee of £2.5million to seal the deal.
The writing was on the wall really, after Palace boss Neil Warnock insisted he’d be going to a Premiership club, because of all the things he is, Warnock’s generally not a bullsh*tter. The move was expected to go through quickly, with the emphasis on the administrators trying to ease Palace’s financial burdens and it’s likely that more assets will leave before the end of the window. (more…)
Plenty to ponder?The Sky Sports team talked it up and went as far to say that ‘Leicester 0 Newcastle 0’ was the best goalless draw they’d seen for a long time. I think in their quieter moments, off camera, they might ask for their money back, and so might the fans. Because it was a bloody awful game of football from where I was sitting, and perish the thought that I almost travelled to watch that garbage.
It will be a long journey back home for those loyal Mags who had to sit through another unstimulating performance from our team. Even with the well worn cliche of ten men often being harder to play against, tonight was a perfect opportunity to get ourselves back on track and put some daylight between us and the chasers. Unfortunately we fell miles short of looking anything like taking the 3 points at any stage in the game, and if any team looked more likely to create something, it was Leicester.
We just look completely stale and while I’ve argued for months now that we’ve rarely looked like a good football team, we also now seem to have lost some of the hunger that was earning us points regardless of the style we played. (more…)
Mags poised to outfox The Foxes?Following a frenetic few days in the transfer window where we’ve seen more new players than you can shake a corner flag at, we get now get chance to see the buggers play. New loan signings Fitz Hall from QPR and Patrick Van Aanholt on loan from Chelsea, are in contention for a place in the first eigheen. Though the young Dutch left back has a good chance of starting, as Tamas Kadar is more comfortable in the middle.
Hall is likely to make the bench with Ryan Taylor expected to return to his more favoured right back berth. Expect Mike Willliamson to start again after a solid debut, following his protracted move from Portsmouth. Recent signing Wayne Routledge could be on the bench again, though we’re crying out for his pace.
Like yours truly, not all Toon fans are lucky enough to be there, although .org’s toonsy will be in attendance. More chance though for Sky viewers and bloggers to see the new boys, with the game being beamed out live on Sky Sports 1, kick off at 5.20pm. If anyone can find radio, video links etc to the game for people who don’t have it, I’m sure that would be appreciated. As ever, this can be the place to come together during the match and p*ss and moan, as we usually do. (more…)
