It was interesting to hear Scott Parker's name thrown into the mix this week with England seeking yet another new captain.

Don't get me wrong, as a player I actually have a lot of time for Parker's energetic style of play.

And in an era when players often have the raw enthusiasm coached out of them through managers overthinking tactical battles, it's good to see players who just chase anything that moves on a football pitch.

That's what Parker brings to a team, if there were more like him at Spurs then maybe the Londoners might be realistic title contenders.

But having experienced Parker as captain at Newcastle, I beg to differ with those who feel he could offer a magic solution for England.

It's been obvious for a few months that Haris Vuckic is far, far too good to be playing reserve team football for Newcastle United.

The Slovenian has also been told to be patient by Alan Pardew when it comes to playing first team football on a regular basis.

In a nutshell, Vuckic is at the crucial stage of his career when he can learn very little more from playing reserve team football.

The only thing that can happen in the reserves is he can take a whack or pick up an injury on a dodgy pitch.

It doesn't get much bigger than playing for Newcastle United.

Not my words, the words of the great, late Sir Bobby Robson.

The former Newcastle United boss was talking about players leaving St James' Park for bigger and better things.

On Sunday we will see two players who are proof of this theory in Shay Given and Charles N'Zogbia.

Phil Thompson (from his comfy studio chair) couldn't believe that Newcastle United had won at Blackburn Rovers but for those who have followed the Magpies a little closer this season, the win at Ewood Park was typical of a bunch of players that keep bouncing back.

More than once this season they have been written off when they hit a rocky patch.

And going into the game against Rovers last night they needed a win to stay in touch with the European contenders.

They got it through a combination of luck, hard work, bravery and quality which they sprinkled during a tough night against the relegation threatened side.

Newcastle United went into the transfer window on January 1 looking for a defender and as we go into the final 24 hours - their brief hasn't changed.

True enough, the addition of Papiss Cisse has to be a welcome one with few expecting - including Mike Ashley and the United top brass - the Senegal star to become available this month.

Don't forget, it was United that decided to sell their number 9 this time last year, sparking the unsettlement of Joey Barton and Jose Enrique.

And so Newcastle United fans will get to see the partnership of Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse much earlier than expected following Senegal's shock exit from the African Cup of Nations.

In unlikely circumstances, Equatorial Guinea's late, late winner on a waterlogged surface in Bata sealed a 2-1 win, sending Senegal out and sending Ba and Cisse back to Tyneside.

The duo could be back to face Blackburn but even after being assessed by Toon medics, many would have been delighted with even the prospect of the duo back for Aston Villa in the next home game would have been gladly accepted by most United followers.

A crowd of just 889 witnessed what could be the future of Newcastle United tonight at St James' Park in the FA Youth Cup against Watford.

The build-up to the game had resulted in interesting insights from former players Ian Bogie and Joe Allon as United once again locked horns with the Hertfordshire outfit in the competition they won back in 1985 for the last time.

But there is hope that the current Toon young guns can at least reach the latter stages after marching on during a chilly night on Tyneside.

Goals from Michael Hoganson and Dennis Knight inflicted the damage on Watford in a 2-1 win for the Toon.

The challenge to Mike Ashley was simple earlier in the season.

Should Newcastle United still be the hunt for a European slot when it came to January, then invest in a player that could help achieve that in the second half of the season.

In Papiss Cisse's arrival from Freiburg, you have to say the elusive Toon tycoon has responded by delivering Newcastle's new number 9.

True, enough given past disappointments, many United followers will wait until the closure of the transfer window before making a full assessment of the situation by making a quick head count to see who, if anybody, has been sold.

As we hit the mid-way stage in the January transfer window talk of Eden Hazard being spotted at the training ground sparked an expression of sheer disbelief from Alan Pardew.

He didn't say it himself, but Pardew has as much chance of signing Micky Hazard this January!

Mackem Micky wasn't a bad player in his day with Spurs, Swindon and Chelsea and while Thierry Henry and Paul Scholes have rolled back the years, it would seem he is the only Hazard in with a chance of coming to SJP under the current wage structure.

Of course, the Lille ace's incredible form in recent years has hardly gone unnoticed by United's scouting network.

However, his reaction was straight to the point, Pardew said: "The guy's worth about £36m - he ain't coming here."

Most Toon fans can quickly use a simple process of elimination when it comes to transfers, is he young? Is he cheap? Is he coming to the end of his contract?

If the answer is yes on one or two of those questions, he'll be in with a chance of coming here.

They say for some the light will never go out, and for Andy Carroll and Newcastle United I think it's safe to suggest that will always be the case as long he's on the professional football circuit.

We're well into football's silly season now as far as the transfer window is concerned, and after waking up to a round of speculation that Carroll is to be offered the chance to head back to Newcastle, no sooner had many of us finished off our cereal, the claims had been denied by sources at both Liverpool and United.

It hasn't been a bed of roses for Carroll at Liverpool.