Jimbo

Newcastle United have opened contract negotiations with Michael Owen. The England striker's representatives were contacted by the club late last week to begin addressing an issue that Kevin Keegan, the manager, has identified as his priority this summer and, while no details have been discussed, further meetings have been scheduled. Owen has only one season of his present deal, which is worth about £115,000 a week, to serve and would be eligible to leave St James' Park on a free transfer in 12 months' time. That is a scenario that Keegan is desperate to prevent, particularly with the striker growing in stature since the manager named him captain in January. Owen has hit his best form in recent matches and yesterday he hailed the “massive impact” made by the manager. His career at Newcastle has been undermined by a series of injuries since his £16million signing from Real Madrid in 2005, restricting him to 37 league starts, but Keegan is adamant that he can become “one of the greats” on Tyneside. For that to happen, some hard bargaining may be required. Beyond expressing a willingness to enter into talks, substantive issues, including finances, have not been discussed. There is deep concern within the club's hierarchy at a wage bill that is nudging 80 per cent of turnover and Owen's salary does not sit comfortably with a desire for reductions. Persuading Owen to accept a wage cut may be a problem - a figure of £80,000 has been reported - particularly when he could begin personal negotiations with other clubs in January. On the other hand, while Owen has been linked with Manchester United, Manchester City and Everton, few would be able to rival Newcastle's resources. Some scenarios can be dismissed, such as the chances of JEF United Chiba, the Japanese club, succeeding in their audacious pursuit of the 28-year-old, but until sums are placed on the table, Owen's future is uncertain. That may cause Keegan and supporters discomfort, even if there will be relief that the process has started. Yet there should also be recognition - and a sense of hope - that Owen's enthusiasm for Keegan's methods and the spirit he has encouraged are genuine. The forward played in a deeper role for the final nine matches of the season, scoring seven goals, and he admires the manner in which Sam Allardyce's replacement has set about the task of rebuilding the club. “It was never going to happen straight away; not only did we have some tough games, but a lot of the lads were low on confidence,” Owen said. “When you lose a manager it is because results have not been good. But if you could ask for a man to pick players up and get the best out of them, it's Kevin Keegan and there's more improvement to come in that respect. “We all enjoy training and playing alongside each other and he has brought a real feelgood factor into the club. Everyone is enjoying coming in to training and when you do that you do it better. He knows his stuff and he can see a player, see if something needs tweaking, and tactically he's very good. It's been a fantastic appointment and we've enjoyed his time.” Last weekend Keegan and Terry McDermott watched Bafetimbi Gomis, the 22-year-old St-Etienne striker who has been compared with Emmanuel Adebayor and Didier Drogba and who has been identified by Newcastle as a potential target. Alan Smith, the Newcastle forward, has been linked with Middlesbrough and Rangers.

He looks Crazy.....

A three-man delegation from Newcastle United watched St Etienne's highly-rated striker Bafetimbi Gomis in action on Saturday night. Manager Kevin Keegan, along with assistant Terry McDermott and director of football Dennis Wise were flown into Paris in order to give the forward the once-over during PSG's relegation struggle against their UEFA Cup-chasing visitors. Gomis is one of the hottest properties in European football and St Etienne are believed to have put a price of around 22m Euros on his head. The trio were believed to have been whisked into Paris on owner Mike Ashley's private jet as the Toon begin to beef up their plans for next season's assault on the Barclays Premier League.

or on the udder hand it might be true.

I can see all the cow gags getting milked........

I think he means on Pro Evo 2008 tbh.

On-pitch moment of the season The 4-1 win at Tottenham on March 30; the day Michael Owen's reinvention in an 'in the hole' role started to look a tactical masterstroke by Kevin Keegan Off-pitch moment of the season Keegan's appearance in the directors' box at the FA Cup replay win against Stoke in January, three hours after his return as manager was announced Player who must not be sold Steven Taylor Greatest goal Charles N'Zogbia, in the 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough on August 26. A curler into the top corner with his supposedly weaker right foot Most embarrassing moment The 6-0 defeat at Old Trafford on January 12 just after Sam Allardyce's sacking Effect of manager's shopping Patchy: Keegan bought no one in January so all the purchases were made by Allardyce last summer The season in five words Depressing, baffling, bizarre, soapy, improving Five-point action plan for the summer Strike a lasting peace deal between Keegan and Dennis Wise; Persuade Mike Ashley to start talking, and listening, to Keegan; recruit a top midfield playmaker; Contract extensions for Owen, Taylor and Steve Harper; Prioritise trying to win a cup

that's just boring Rather Turkish looking if you ask me.

SKY Sports News quoted £6.48m as prize money for the final league position on Sunday, I too was surprised how low it is, but it appears to be correct.

I'd rather have a wank.

Check your PM's

This is true, but they aren't exactly bargains either. Just cause Toure and Flamini were cheap people wander around thinking the whole team is built around some 'philosophy'...The differance for me is that Chelsea and Man Utd are competing with the top 2/3 sides in Serie A and Spain for the best players in the world, hence the fees. Wenger I grant you is a bit more circumspect and for instance Adebayor has saved his neck this season, but sooner or later my contention is that they are going to have to spend big on 2/3 players as imo they are falling behind. By today's money those transfer fees don't seem to be massive, but at the time, the fee's for Wiltord, Bronkhorst and Wright were massive.

Exactly, although I'm not arguing that Wenger is a shite judge of players, he clearly isn't, but his list of shite signings are as bad as anyones, no doubt a list of shite Ferguson signings would be equally bad reading.

Although Wenger has huge respect in the transfer market, he has bought some unmitigated shite: Luis Boa Morte, Richard Wright, Stefan Malz, Christopher Wreh, Jeremie Aliadiere, Davor Suker, Gilles Grimandi, Remi Garde, Kaba Diawara, Junichi Inamoto, Igor Stepanovs, Nelson Vivas, Oleg Luzhny, David Grondin, Pascal Cygan.

But liverpool were closer to Arsenal than Everton were to them. And in turn, Everton were further from Liverpool than Villa were from them. I think that confirms it to be a top 4. Followed by two distinct groups... Everton, Aston Villa, Blackburn, Portsmouth, Man City. West Ham, Spurs, Newcastle United, Middlesbrough, Wigan, Sunderland, Bolton, Fulham, Reading, Birmingham. It'll not be too difficult to jump from the last group into the middle, but near impossible for any team of either group to make it into the top. True.... I'd still stick the top 3 out on their own though - they were the only 3 who could realistically win the league. Liverpool are in a bit of a limbo state IMO. Not quite at the top but far enough away from the chasing pack. Unless Arsenal spend they are not getting back to where they were 5 years ago. Not necessarily. What if Man Utd are beset by injury problems? What if Chelsea sell players and don't replace them well? What if Wenger unearths more youthful talent for pittance? Historically they've not spent massive amounts and the only really successful expensive aquisition I can think of was Henry. I wouldn't under-estimate them at any cost. Off the top of my head Wiltord ? £12m ? Eduardo £8m ? Franny Jeffers £10m ?

But liverpool were closer to Arsenal than Everton were to them. And in turn, Everton were further from Liverpool than Villa were from them. I think that confirms it to be a top 4. Followed by two distinct groups... Everton, Aston Villa, Blackburn, Portsmouth, Man City. West Ham, Spurs, Newcastle United, Middlesbrough, Wigan, Sunderland, Bolton, Fulham, Reading, Birmingham. It'll not be too difficult to jump from the last group into the middle, but near impossible for any team of either group to make it into the top. True.... I'd still stick the top 3 out on their own though - they were the only 3 who could realistically win the league. Liverpool are in a bit of a limbo state IMO. Not quite at the top but far enough away from the chasing pack. Unless Arsenal spend they are not getting back to where they were 5 years ago. Exactly, Mike Ashley: take note.

Chelsea have reached an agreement with Porto for the £16.2m transfer of right-back Jose Bosingwa. The 25-year-old Portugal international has arrived in London to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical, according to the Blues website. Bosingwa, who was also a target for Manchester United, was born in Congo but moved to Portugal as a child. The full-back helped Porto to the 2004 Champions League title and four league championships since signing in 2003.

87 Manchester United 86 85 Chelsea 84 83 Arsenal 82 81 80 79 78 77 76 Liverpool 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 Everton 64 63 62 61 60 Aston Villa 59 58 Blackburn 57 Portsmouth 56 55 Man City 54 53 52 51 50 49 West Ham 48 47 46 Spurs 45 44 43 Newcastle United 42 Middlesbrough 41 40 Wigan 39 Sunderland 38 37 Bolton 36 Fulham, Reading 35 Birmingham 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 Derby

It is a canny hike from Australia tbf. Struth you're not wrong, next time I'll pick a faster Kangaroo...

I do sympathise of course, but after nature takes its course with me I think you could fit a camera crew and sound man up my derriere. Despite the current discomfort the tablets worked wonders today, I had to spend 8 hours on a coach to Wembley with no toilet, I daren't so much as fart mind you, but it was a marked improvement on the rusty water I had be producing, in seeming never ending quantities before.

This buy 'em young and cheap and flogg em on philosophy did us no good with the likes of Bramble, Ambrose, Viana, Cort, N'Zogbia etc, if you want to emulate Arsenal you need a Wenger.

This morning I'd had the galloping shits for the past 24hrs, I've taken 4 Diocalm tablets and since then my guts feel like concrete, I think my next turd (if I ever produce one again) will be the size of a Pringles tube.

Going to Euro-Disney in early August and then to doing a training course in Germany at the end of the month.

Bollocks, Lowestoft lost to an injury time winner. Just got home from Wembley, feels like I've been traveling all fucking day.