Here are the major news stories associated with the Newcastle club for today – in no particular order of priority.
- News story in the Newcastle Journal indicating that Harry Redknapp will resist offers for Sol Campbell – who still has a year left on his contract with Portsmouth. Harry is trying to sign Titus Bramble and Sylvain Distin (Manchester City) – both on free transfers. Why are we not interested in Distin?
If we cannot get Sol this year he would be available for a free next year – though we may not need him then.
Sol Campbell
- Reports that Bryan Robson will be named manager of Sheffield United this week. The impact on Newcastle is that Nigel Pearson was his right hand man at WBA and it’s likely Nigel will be offered the same role at Sheffield United. We’d like to see Nigel stay – but have no idea what Sam’s thinking is on Pearson.
Sam is currently on vacation in France – but we hope he is making lots of calls on his cell phone.
Nigel Pearson
- Various small reports that Viduka will not be coming to Newcastle. Nothing much new here – other than it looks like Big Sam was never interested in Viduka in the first place. That’s the difficulty we have – it’s hard to know which reports have any truth in them – but nothing new there.
Mark Viduka - Continuing reports that Big Sam is trying to raid Bolton for back room staff – including their fitness guru Mark Taylor. We’ll probably run our own piece on this today. It’s vital Sam gets the right people on his staff – particularly those that can get to the bottom of our injury fiasco.
Big Sam - Reports that Tal Ben Haim favors a move to Newcastle rather than other clubs after him – including Chelsea. This adds top our confidence that Ben Haim is all but tied up by Sam. He’ll be a great addition to our squad and we like his no-nonsense approach to defending. Sam thinks he’s exactly what we need in the Newcastle defense – and for nothing – he’ll be a good buy. This looks like it may be an old story recycled.
Tal Ben Haim
Those then – briefly – are the major news stories today on FA Cup Final day – let us know your thoughts and opinions on these.
14 comments so far
craig chisholm
May 21, 2007 at 9:38 AM
Comment #1i still think that IF sol wants to come then he will, no manager is going to want to keep a player that tells him that he wants to leave, its as simple as that. i just hope hat Sol’s girlfriend puts the squeeze on him to move up north. we should have got him last year when he said he wanted to join us – a 30 year old sol!! bloody hell roeder, what were you thinking!?
Ed Harrison
May 21, 2007 at 10:06 AM
Comment #2Craig – agree we missed a big chance to get him last season 🙁
Ed Harrison
May 21, 2007 at 10:07 AM
Comment #3BTW – we think Campbell is now 32 – and turns 33 on 18th September this year.
George Davison
May 21, 2007 at 11:36 AM
Comment #4Due to BIG SAM, allegedly being on holiday, the transfer front is very quiet. When certain parties were shown the door last week i thought, at last a manager who does things quick in order to give plenty of time to sort out for 2007/08. However, we still have Steven Carr, Celastine Babayaro, Keiron Dyer and Charles N`Zogbia on the books. Unfortunately the close season is very short these days so you have to move quickly, and i have noticed that Juventus are making loud noises about Oba Femi Martins for next season. So Mr Big Sam Allerdyce, i hope you are going to appease all loyal geordie fans and act just as quick and finish the clearout and install our new furniture in time for the Amsterdam Tournament in July, when some of our opponents are true european giants and without doubt a measure of how you will have conducted your transfers. Fingers crossed.
James
May 21, 2007 at 1:47 PM
Comment #5Rumour has it that newcastle making a shock bid for Shevchenko ,just somthing i have heard through the grape vine due to friends in high places.I would not like to see this happen though.
craig chisholm
May 21, 2007 at 2:19 PM
Comment #6bloody hell, i can not believe that sam hs been our boss for just about two weeks now and he is getting a bit o a ribbing off some of us (george davison – above). this is not the time to be dishing out stick to our new manager because of what you think he may or may not be working on while on holiday. the bloke is entitled to a week in france with his wife and kids for pitty’s sake! and the chances are the a fair few of the blokes he is after are also on holiday – Haim etc. besides, they way this works is he will have give the list to freddy and he will be doing the ground work. i expect that the Haim deal is done and dusted already as Sam would have just rang him up himself on the qt as he will have all of his tel numbers etc anyway.
as for shev coming to toon – well, is there any point in even discussing this rumor? – i think not!
Ed Harrison
May 21, 2007 at 3:25 PM
Comment #7George – I wish Sam a nice holiday in France – but I also hope he is working his butt off to bring in new players and identify those that are still to leave us.
Agree with your comments.
Ed Harrison
May 21, 2007 at 3:26 PM
Comment #8Craig – OK – see my comment above – I did at least say i wished him a nice holiday 😀
Ed Harrison
May 21, 2007 at 3:27 PM
Comment #9Shevchenko will never come to Toon – he’s so overpriced – why would we ever want to pay that money – Andrew Carroll might be a huge star in a couple of years.
George Davison
May 21, 2007 at 7:36 PM
Comment #10Craig Chisholm seems to think that my comments are a bit premature, but when Big Sam comes back off holiday there will only be 4 weeks before preseason training begins and then we have the Amsterdam tournament in july albeit the end of. My concern is the history of what many supporters see as panic buying. Look at the flack Glen Roeder came in for last year and in the january window. Like all fans i want the best buys, but i dont want them coming in late as many may constrew them as panic and bad buys. Believe you me, i pray every day that we geordies get the team we deserve. I have been a fan for 52 years and now in bad health, i want something to shout about before the old ticker gives up first, and i am on borrowed time literaly.
craig chisholm
May 21, 2007 at 7:50 PM
Comment #11george davison seems to think that i may be a little bit laid back. actually george – i did not realise that pre season starts in five weeks time. i thought it was july 17 or something like that – its normally aroundthat time. last year was early but that was cos of intertoto. hey george, i am with you man, i have been standing now sitting there since i was 8 bloody years old, although i am not as old as you i still have 29 years of ups and downs. i think that haim is in the bag already. ithink that the list was passed onto shep to do the initials while sam grabbed a week. when you think about it logically, this is the best time for him to go, once it starts, he will be flat out until this time next year. i would be interested to know what you think about owen too. i want him to say something either way and go ifthats what he wants. what do you think george?
Ed Harrison
May 21, 2007 at 8:04 PM
Comment #12George – I cannot believe Sam is on an old fashioned holiday – he must be working the deals while he is away – with a telephone and email – you don’t need to be in Newcastle much until training starts – got to believe that we’ll get a few players in before training starts in early July. If not we’ll all be very disappointed.
George Davison
May 22, 2007 at 8:19 AM
Comment #13in recent comments my fears for nufc stirred craig chisholm into trying to calm my nerves. Unfortunately craig years and years of broken promises leave me a bit sceptical. But like all nufc fans we have our own thoughts on every aspect of football. Lets face it we talk a good game and we reckon we could run the club better than anyone else (tongue in cheek). Even some of our comments provoke reactions. I suppose like the comment in the evening chronicle yesterday “Wenger wants Owen”, for god sakes why can someone at the club not come out and tell the fans is he going or what and stop this idle s~~~ stirring by the press. I have a contact at St James park who has said Owen is back from his weekend break and has spoken to SA. So if that is true why have we not heard yet. By the way i do not believe evrything my contact tells me. My brother who lives in Darras Hall walks his dog with a couple of current and retired players and he gets me more info than anyone else. If you are local you know which players and which retired players live there. I know shearer has already said that owen will start next season with us, but that is not quite enough. He may start the season but what about the rest of the season. Like you say, he should come out quick and satisfy his fans who pay his wages and also for the season ticket holders who are being blackmailed with the renew your ticket now offer or pay more later if you dont. It was my contact at the club who told me that the players were back in 4-5 weeks time for training, some later than others depending on international duty. Up to now dates i have had confirmed for the Amsterdam tournament are as follows. Thur Aug 2nd 6.00pm we play Ajax, Sat Aug 4th 8.15 pm we play Atletico Madrid both games live on sky. It would be great if all our new players were in by then and had plenty time to gel together. Oh for a good season. Keep commentiung craig and keep this old die hard in check. I will have a pint for you when i am in my local tonight.
Ed Harrison
May 22, 2007 at 9:53 AM
Comment #14George – you are one of many many Newcastle fans – who right now are disillusioned with the team adn management . The management has always talked a good game but since Bobby left we’ve been hopeless. Sam seems genuine – and let’s hope he gets good start to next season – and the fans are only too willing to go crazy and support a good team. The opportunity for Sam at Newcastle is immense – and he knows that !
Not sure Sam’s ever been so motivated in his life and he shows it – i for one am very excited about all of this – but there again i’m the eternal optimist – on most things but especially NUFC! 😀