August 2006 Archives
Boro playing hardball
Posted by Lee on August 31, 2006 2:20 PM
And so it looks like Middlesbrough are playing hardball with Newcastle United over Mark Viduka on transfer deadline day.
Viduka is suggesting he wants to quit Teesside and join United but Boro chief executive Keith Lamb has said he’s going nowhere.
News that the Aussie could be set for United resulted in a mixed reaction earlier today but one thing he has took with him wherever he’s gone, amongst other things, is goals.
With the clock ticking towards midnight though, United’s transfer activity this summer could end with Damien Duff, Oba Martins and Guiseppe Rossi in the bag.
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Woody be any good?
Posted by Lee on August 28, 2006 12:50 PM
He’s spent more time on the treatment table since leaving Newcastle than any where else but Real Madrid defender Jonathan Woodgate is ready for a return to the Premiership.
The injury plagued defender will be back in England for 12 months with Middlesbrough currently the favourites to bring the Teessider back home on a loan deal.
Woody had some world class performances for United and there are plenty of Geordies who’d have him back at the club.
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No show at the Villa
Posted by Lee on August 28, 2006 10:02 AM
You have to say that Newcastle United players let more than themselves down at Villa Park.
There was always a chance that it is was going to be Villa’s day with newly installed tycoon Randy Lerner sat in the stands for the first time.
And then there was Villa hero and lynchpin Gareth Barry also on a high after penning a new deal at the start of a new era under Martin O’ Neill.
But the fact is Villa are still a poor side and United should have more than a 2-0 defeat to be mulling over during the international break.
And as Cleveland Browns chief Lerner will find out - Villa Park won't always be this full or as noisy without the Toon Army in place.
Where were Newcastle United yesterday though?
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Toon Euro adventure continues
Posted by Lee on August 25, 2006 10:16 AM
It may have been an instantly forgettable evening at St James’ Park last night but to use a traditional footballing cliche - it was the result that counted.
In all honesty the performance was quite good apart from a lack of ruthlessness in the final third.
And had there been somebody to polish things off in the danger zone it could have been a heavy defeat for FK Ventspils with enough chances created to win two or three games.
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Oba and out!
Posted by Lee on August 24, 2006 10:50 AM
At last it looks like Newcastle United fans can celebrate a new striker.
Is he 21? Is he 28? Is he from Cameroon? Is he from Nigeria?
My opinion is nobody will really care how old he is or if he comes from Mars - as long as he scores goals.
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Toon Toon black and white Reidy
Posted by Lee on August 24, 2006 9:48 AM
Never mind Roy Keane going to Sunderland - it looks like their old boss has finally saw sense!
It's true Peter Reid has traded red and white for black and white in a Blog on The Tyne exclusive!
However, Toon fans shouldn't worry too much because Reidy was out in the Balkans to cheer up our Army boys on national duty in Bosnia.
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Toon fans ready for Sir Bobby tribute
Posted by Lee on August 22, 2006 12:48 PM
Get well soon Sir Bobby Robson – or at least that will be the loud message when Newcastle resume their European campaign against Ventspils on Thursday night.
The proposed scarf day on Saturday against Wigan may well have turned out to be a wash out in more ways than one, but maybe that was a blessing in disguise.
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Reasons to be cheerful
Posted by Lee on August 21, 2006 9:56 AM
You have to take your hat off to Glenn Roeder again after leading Newcastle to victory over Wigan.
He did it without a recognised partner for Shola Ameobi, a patched-up Shay Given and the loss of his current form player Nicky Butt, yes Nicky Butt, after only 16 minutes not to mention Craig Moore’s knee bother at half-time.
The United boss has now lead his side to nine wins and drawn two of the last 11 competitive games - if Wenger, Mourinho or Ferguson did that surely they’d get the credit they deserve.
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Another one bites the dust
Posted by Lee on August 17, 2006 12:58 PM
Dirk Kuyt’s arrival at Anfield may well be another transfer blow for Newcastle United fans but it has to be said the Dutchman never really showed enough desire to be worthy of wearing the legendary number 9 shirt.
All along the 26-year-old - who had a pretty average World Cup to put it at its most charitable - longed for a move to his boyhood heroes Liverpool and for £11million of the Anfield coffers, he’s got his wish.
Good.
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Raise the roof (again)
Posted by Lee on August 15, 2006 1:11 PM
Newcastle United fans have never required gimmicks to show that they are the best on the planet.
But when the United board thought up the brilliant idea to provide fans with a free scarf ahead of Alan Shearer’s testimonial - it resulted in a simply hair raising atmosphere at St James’ Park - nobody could have predicted a success like it.
Now every Toon fan present on Saturday against Wigan will get a free scarf.
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Bellamy time bomb still ticking
Posted by Lee on August 14, 2006 2:52 PM
I know there isn’t much point in crying over spilt milk.
But I couldn’t help but sigh after watching Craig Bellamy make a really positive start to his career at Liverpool.
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United still playing the waiting game
Posted by Lee on August 11, 2006 12:53 PM
With the hands of time ticking towards the last day of the month, transfer deadline day to you and I, Newcastle are still tracking a much needed striker to both score goals and attempt to fill the shoes of Alan Shearer.
Les Ferdinand recently told the Chronicle that United can search “the world and even the universe” to find the man to replace Shearer and they could still fail.
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From Paris to Benton...
Posted by Lee on August 11, 2006 9:42 AM
By Lee Ryder In association with KLM, Air France and Nexus Metro!
Have you ever attempted to watch a football match thousands of miles away in Riga then ended up in your own front room via Amsterdam and Paris 17 hours and three flights later?
Probably not I hope, but nor had I until yesterday!
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Double target for Ireland new boy
Posted by Lee on August 9, 2006 9:12 AM
If newly called up Alan O’ Brien gets to step on to the pitch for the Republic of Ireland next week it’s a fair bet it will be somewhat different to his usual surroundings.
The Dubliner is in Steve Staunton’s squad to face Holland at what will be a packed Landsdowne Road next Wednesday.
The United winger though is used to turning out for Newcastle United’s reserves at Kingston Park in front of a few hundred members of the Toon Army.
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Taking the Nicky!
Posted by Lee on August 7, 2006 2:55 PM
The sight of Nicky Butt punching the air at St James’ Park was one we never thought we’d see.
He just doesn’t seem to look right in a black and white shirt - but on Saturday he spared a few blushes against Villarreal with a cracking pair of headers.
These were two goals the Golden Head himself Ferenc Puskas would have been proud of never mind your average Premiership striker!
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Decisions Decisions!
Posted by Lee on August 4, 2006 1:49 PM
Is it just me or do Newcastle United appear to have what looks on paper like one of the better midfields in the Premiership?
We all know that football is played on grass and not paper of course but while Roeder maybe working around the clock to boost his striking options, what can be said about the men in the middle and those out wide.
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Can Luque handle the heat?
Posted by Lee on August 1, 2006 2:25 PM
It seems that many of you are willing to give Albert Luque a second bite of the cherry.
Luque’s future though could still be up in the air especially if Newcastle get their hands on one or two of the strikers they require to try to fill the gaps left by Alan Shearer and the injured Michael Owen.
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Training Day
Posted by Lee on August 1, 2006 2:19 PM
When Newcastle United run out to train in front of a packed crowd on Friday morning memories of the Kevin Keegan era are certain to spring to the minds of several members of the Toon Army.
A public training session could well be deemed a new thing for United’s younger fan base but it doesn’t seem that long ago that Keegan’s Entertainers trained in front of masses of fans on a frequent basis between 1993-97.
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