Owen set to leave Newcastle
December 19, 2008
Newcastle United supremo Joe Kinnear has moved quickly to dilute rumours that Michael Owen is set to be sold in the January transfer window. The former Wimbledon and Nottingham Forest Manager has stated that even if the Scouser does not sign a new contract, he will not be sold no matter what the proposed offers may be.
Kinnear has repeatedly stated that he is not confident of keeping Owen past the summer although he pledges to do all he can to make sure that his prized asset remains at St James’ Park.
Owen himself has remained relatively quiet about the whole situation and has not indicated whether or not he would like to stay at the club. Previous rumours that he may be returning to Anfield have been shot down however with Raphael Benitez categorically stating that Liverpool are not interested in the England striker.
There is no doubt that Owen can still cut it in the Premier League, however he needs to stay injury free and it is this which may put off some of the bigger clubs.
Many Newcastle fans are disappointed in the fact that Owen probably will leave the Toon, however they are more worried that they will receive nothing for him if the striker does not depart until the summer when he is out of contact.
Shearer says no to Newcastle
November 29, 2008
To many Newcastle faithful he’s the real messiah, the greatest living Geordie, but Alan Shearer continues to snub the club he supported as a boy when they need him most. The former England striker spent ten years of his career at Newcastle, becoming their greatest ever goal scorer, but sadly never managing to win anything with the Magpies, despite getting to two consecutive FA Cup Finals.
Current Newcastle manager, Joe Kinnear, who took over when King Kev walked out again a few months ago, has invited Shearer to become part of the coaching staff at the club, but Kinnear says that Shearer has turned him down.
Shearer said it was a very kind offer but wasn’t ready for it yet, and I said,’That’s fine’.
There’s a possibility I might bring someone else in on the coaching front now.
It seems inevitable that one day Alan Shearer will return to St James’ Park and take the reigns at Newcastle, as he has admitted himself several times that it would be his dream job, just not yet it seems. With the furore over owner Mike Ashley and his public spat with Kevin Keegan still fresh in the minds at the club, Shearer would be wise to bide his time before returning, perhaps waiting until Ashley sells up.
It’s a difficult position for Kinnear as well, amid constant media speculation about Shearer becoming Newcastle manager.
I said he would be welcome to come in any time to give the place a lift and work with our strikers.
It was very honourable of Alan. Speculation linking him with the job is never going to go away and we’re both aware of that.
I told him he’s more than welcome here and there’s not a problem, there’s no aggravation between us.
Newcastle joke continues
September 27, 2008
The long running joke that is Newcastle United seems to get worse and worse for the fans. After King Kev walked away from the team for the second time (though admittedly this time he had good reason) they seemed unable to tempt anyone to St Jame’s to manage the side. Even El Tel didn’t want the job when offered, and Venables will usually go anywhere where there’s cash.
The team’s in disarray, they lost miserably in the League Cup, at home, to the only side in the Premiership below them in the league and they can’t tempt a manager to lead them. That is until now, as Joe Kinnear, former Wimbledon boss, as decided to have a crack.
The problem is for Newcastle, Kinnear hasn’t managed a team of any sort for over five years!
He also said that he expects his tenure at the club to be short, as the most hated man in Newcastle, Mike Ashley, is looking to sell the club as rumours of a Kevin Keegan return mount.
I understand investors are about to buy the club, (current owner) Mike Ashley told me openly. I will be here for six to eight games.
Terry McDermott leaves Newcastle
September 8, 2008
Kevin Keegan’s scouse lookalike Terry McDermott has followed his mentor and parted company with Newcastle United. It was King Kev who originally brought Terry Mac to Newcastle as his number two.
The decision was Newcastle’s to get rid of McDermott, and they’ve also sacked reserve team manager Adam Sadler. It was just four days ago that Keegan left Newcastle, amid complaints that the board were selling players without his consent, making his position as manager untenable.
Terry Mac has been at Newcastle on two separate occasions, working under Souness, Roeder, Allardyce and Dalglish.
Terry was a midfielder at Newcastle, and Liverpool in his prime, and came to Newcastle as part of Keegan’s management team in 1992. He helped King Kev bring Newcastle back into top flight football.
As this was Newcastle’s move, sacking Terry Mac, it shows they’re trying to remove the Keegan regime and stamp their own style on the club. The fans won’t like this at all though, as they’re already planning home game boycotts in support of Keegan.
Barton Banned Again
September 6, 2008
Just when he thought he was getting his life, and career, back in order, Joey Barton has been slapped with a twelve match ban (six game ban plus six game suspended sentence). This is for the violent conduct charge he admitted to when he assaulted his Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo in a training ground bust-up.
Barton has only just been released from prison for his assault on a teenager in Liverpool, and in his first game for Newcastle against Arsenal he received a deafening tirade of abuse from his own fans.
Barton received the six game ban, the additional six game suspended sentence, and a £25,000 fine for the assault, which only represents half of his week’s wages!
Far from getting his life back on track, Joey Barton seems as though he will never learn, as he was followed on his way to report to his probation officer recently and was seen driving his Range Rover down bus lanes and through a red light, something which he could be banned from driving for.
As if things couldn’t get any worse for Barton, with manager Kevin Keegan walking out he know has no leadership.
Barton will miss games against Hull, West Ham, Tottenham, Blackburn, Everton and Manchester City.
King Kev is dead, long live Sir Alan?
September 5, 2008
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Kevin Keegan / Newcastle United saga has come to end, with King Kev abdicating his crown amid cries that the board were selling players without his permission. Not something a manager can really work with, but that’s football boards for you. The same thing happened at West Hamm.
Now Kev has gone, rumours turn once again to the man who always gets asked whenever the Newcastle job becomes available, Alan Shearer. He’s the idol of the Toon, a Georgie, a Newcastle fan and their greatest ever goalscorer. He’d be perfect, except, he doesn’t want the job!
Although it’s not the job he’s afraid of, it’s the hierarchy at Newcastle that’s putting him off.
I’d like to be a manager at some point in my career.
But I want to manage – and control who comes in and out of the club.
This, sadly for Newcastle fans, is exactly why Kevin Keegan walked out, for the second time this week, and the third time in his Newcastle career.
With Shearer sensibly declaring himself out, at least until things change at Newcastle, other names that have been cast into the frame are Everton manager David Moyes and Didier Deschamps.
It’s unlikely though that any of the names in the frame would consider a job where the club sell players without the manager’s knowledge. Newcastle have made a rod for their own back with their actions of the last few weeks, and they’ll find it difficult to recruit the right man now.
As far as the fans are concerned, they already had the right man, and he just quit.
What is going on with Kevin Keegan?
September 3, 2008
It’s become the ‘Farce on the Tyne’ and no one seems to know what has happened between Newcastle United and Kevin Keegan. At one stage it looked like he’d left, then it looked like he’d been sacked, and now we just don’t know what is going on behind the scenes at St James’.
According to Newcastle, they’re in talks with Kevin now about his staying at the club. Kevin returned to Newcastle the hero last season when he replaced Sam Allardyce, as Kevin’s last tenure as boss of Newcastle represented their most successful period in decades. They ran Manchester United close to the Premiership title on more than one occasion with King Kev at the helm.
However, as it appeared the board had been making decisions without Kevin’s knowledge, his position at the club had become untenable. They sold James Milner to Aston Villa last week, and according to reports tried to sell Joey Barton and Michael Owen on transfer deadline day, again without Keegan’s knowledge.
A statement on the club’s website stated:
Both the club and Kevin would like to reiterate that Kevin remains as manager. He has not resigned nor has he been sacked.
Newcastle United Football Club can confirm that discussions are ongoing between the board and Kevin Keegan.
The football world waits with baited breath over what will happen next in the Newcastle/Keegan saga.
Keegan just loving United point
August 18, 2008
Manchester United dropped two points on the opening day of the season for the second year in succession as they battled out a one all draw with Newcastle.
Kevin Keegan’s side have been the subject of much media speculation over the summer, and the Toon certainly look to have not really added anything meaningful to their ranks since the end of last season. This has led many to believe that the legendary gaffer has fallen out with owner Mike Ashley as he believes that progress cannot be made without investment – and to be fair you can see his point.
Yet, the heart and determination which the Geordies played with yesterday would have filled Keegan with so much pride. Never once did they sit back and defend their unlikely point and they got their just rewards at the final whistle.
Martins even put Newcastle ahead mid way through the first half after what seemed like a cast iron penalty decision was waved away. Yet thirty five seconds after the restart the defending champions were level courtesy of a Darren Fletcher strike.
Although both sides had chances to increase the scoring, a draw seemed a fair result and would be one which Keegan would have taken with open arms – in fact he would have loved it!
Keegan to stick with scrapper Barton
July 27, 2008
Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan says he’s going to offer jailed midfielder Joey Barton a second chance at Newcastle United.
Barton is expected to be let out of jail next week, serving part of a 6 month sentence for an assault outside a Liverpool branch of McDonalds.
Keegan spoke in support of Barton:
People have opinions, and you must respect those, but mine is to give him another chance and back him.
There are a lot of things he needs to put right – but I think he can do it.
In addition to his current sentence, Barton also has a suspended sentence hanging over him for an assault on a former teammate while at Manchester City.
Joey will be back with us towards the end of this month.
It’s well documented he’s had his problems, but I knew of them when I took over. He’s served his sentence, he’s been punished for what he did wrong.
The world is littered with people that have been given a second chance and taken it with both hands.
I told him as long as from now on he did things right and started to rebuild the confidence of people around him, I would stick by him.
The Joey Barton that we had in the last couple of months of the season was a much-changed character.
I’m hoping that he’ll come back and we’ll get him fit. It’s up to Joey to put things right now – he’s got to win over a lot of people.
Many of the Newcastle fans however are no so much in support of Barton. He will face a lot of stick from his home support, never mind the abuse he’ll face at away games. Barton needs to put in some great performances on the pitch now if he’s to put all of this behind him.
Joey Barton Jailed
May 20, 2008
Newcastle bad boy Joey Barton has been jailed for assault and affray for 6 months. Barton, 25, who currently plays for Newcastle United was caught on CCTV in December 2007 punching one man 20 times and then attacking a teenage boy breaking the lads teeth.
Barton who has one cap for England has made a name for himself with numerous sending offs and beating up team mates while at his first club Manchester City. Along with Barton his cousin and brother pleaded guilty to assault.
The court was informed that before the fight Barton had had 10 pints of larger and five bottle. It has since come out that alcohol is the problem and he’s been attening the sporting chance clinic to get himself clean.
Since the fight Barton has been playing for Newcastle but it’s not sure what future the dirty scouser has. At then end of the day this is what he does on the pitch when he hasn’t had a drink.
