Jimbo

Tell Shola to hurry up, I've got the engine running.

If we sign Beckham, I'll eat my arse.

Strikes me as a bit of a douchebag though. I think the use of the word "douchebag" is worthy of a ban from the board

http://www.toontastic.net/board/index.php?showtopic=16535

By MARTIN HARDY - More by this author » Last updated at 21:26pm on 21st January 2008 Kevin Keegan's move for Micah Richards could spark a new boom in player wages, driven even higher by the ambition and spending power of Newcastle owner Mike Ashley. Keegan has set his sights on landing the 19-year-old England defender, who has still to sign a new deal at Manchester City, where he is involved in a contract wrangle. Richards remains the poorest-paid player in the England squad on just £15,000 a week and talks over a new four-and-a-half-year deal at City remain ongoing. While the situation drags on, Keegan, backed by Ashley's money and an offer in the region of £70,000 a week, is ready to move. And yet another club prepared to pay astronomical wages is certain to drive the going rate skyward. Richards' plan had been to stay with City and then plot a move to a side with genuine title aspirations, but Keegan has proven in the past that he can persuade players to make decisions they had previously ruled out. Keegan will also have to fend off Spurs, who want Richards as well. Two more realistic targets are Daniel van Buyten and Pascal Chimbonda. The former, a strapping central defender with Bayern Munich, is available on a loan deal until the end of the season, making him a particularly attractive proposition. Chimbonda would cost in the region of £4m but there are now doubts about his character after he looked for a second move in two years. Keegan has admitted he will keep Michael Owen as his captain at Newcastle. The move is seen as conciliatory, after Owen's attack on Keegan's tenure as England manager. 'I think we'll leave it with him at the moment, and if he comes to me and says he enjoys it, then we can look at it longer term,' he said. 'I looked at the players I had got, and I honestly believed Michael was the most experienced player on the pitch, along with Shay Given. 'I told Shay I would like Michael to lead it from the front, and he said, "Fine - I fully understand. I've got no problems with that".' Former Newcastle and Chelsea defender Celestine Babayaro is set to sign a three-year deal with LA Galaxy. Babayaro's contract at St James' Park was bought out last month after the injury-prone full back started just 45 league games in four years with the club. He will join former Chelsea boss Ruud Gullit at LA, who took him to Stamford Bridge in 1997.

What a prick.

Newcastle United boss Kevin Keegan will not be forced into adding to his squad during the January transfer window. Despite seeing his new side draw a blank at home to Bolton on Saturday, Keegan is taking his time in selecting the right transfer targets. Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle he said: "It's no good collecting players. All the players here are useful to us. "Can we just get one or two who can take us to the next level along with the one's we've got? I think we can." Although he was disappointed with some aspects of Saturday's 0-0 draw, Keegan is still excited about the challenge ahead. It's no good collecting players. All the players here are useful to us. Kevin Keegan "No excuses but this team got beat 6-0 a week ago, this team lost to suspension three key players and already lost four to the African Nations Cup. "So if you add all those things together and you see the quality of the side we could still put out, and the fact we can bring people in, that's the exciting thing. "But you couldn't get excited about the football we played."

Daniel van Buyten's agent has hinted the Bayern Munich defender could be tempted by a move to Newcastle United. Reports have claimed that the Belgium international is among the players new Magpies boss Kevin Keegan is looking to sign before the close of the transfer window. Van Buyten's future with Bayern is uncertain, with the centre-half struggling to secure regular football this season. He recently admitted that he may be interested in a switch to Scottish champions Celtic, while Premier League clubs are also in his trail. The former Marseille stopper played under Keegan at Manchester City after spending the second half of the 2003/04 season with the club. Appreciated And, according to his representative Christophe Henrotay, a reunion with Keegan at St James' Park would not be ruled out. "Daniel would like to carry on doing his job at Bayern, but I have said to Kevin, 'Anything can happen, the truth today is not the truth tomorrow'," said Henrotay in The Guardian.

We need him as bait for the Berbatov deal

The England international Nicky Shorey is among those in Kevin Keegan's sights as the Newcastle manager tries to add a few names to his squad before the end of the month, as well as speaking to Alan Shearer about the possibility of him joining the back-room staff at St James' Park. Shorey, 26, has only 18 months left on his existing deal with Reading and has shown no inclination to sign a new contract with the club. With his value likely to decline steeply in the summer, he is a feasible target this month and would cost Newcastle around £5.5m. A deal for Shorey to join West Ham fell through in the summer. The signing of a left-back is only a small part of the rebuilding job that Keegan is faced with at Newcastle. Nonetheless Shorey represents an opportunity to land an England player who has valuable Premier League experience. The key moves over the next few days are also expected to involve Keegan trying to complete his loyal back-room staff. The one bequeathed him by his predecessor, Sam Allardyce, numbers around 30, which is not the kind of tight circle of advisers that Keegan favours. In Shearer's case, the signs are that he would accept a role with Keegan if both men thought it appropriate. Keegan is doing little to dampen expectation, saying, when asked if he would be "comfortable" working with someone of Shearer's stature: "Yes, I wouldn't have a problem with that at all. Alan Shearer is going to manage this football club one day, that's for sure. It's the same as when I left here as a player, I knew I would come back as manager if I wanted to. There are some players like that who get that opportunity, it's just a case of when." The two men have had their first conversation, last Friday, which was short but friendly and Shearer has said he will call Keegan on his return from a Sport Relief charity trip to Uganda this week. "I think two things," Keegan said. "One is that I know he [shearer] loves the club. People sometimes don't think that's enough but it's a good base. I don't mean this disrespectfully, it [management] has just not been his priority until now. If common sense prevails, I've got three and a half years here and, yeah – if common sense prevails. But let's get to that. I'm reluctant to discuss those things in public." Keegan has Terry McDermott alongside him from the existing Newcastle staff and is bringing back Arthur Cox to St James' Park. There is a growing belief that a significant number of the permanent staff brought in by Allardyce will be asked to leave and, if Keegan is left with only McDermott and the 69-year-old Cox as his senior colleagues, then there would be room for Shearer to be an influential No 2. Keegan is still expected to add another coach even if Shearer comes in. "We had a good conversation," Shearer said. "We didn't go into detail, so what we've agreed is when I get back at the end of the week I'll give him a ring and we'll see where we go."

Celestine Babayaro has agreed a three-year deal with Los Angeles Galaxy after being released by Newcastle United. The left back, 29, will play under Ruud Gullit, who signed him for Chelsea in 1997.

Quoted for truth, and worth every penny.

Being John Malkovich Seriously fucked up mentalism of a movie, loved it !

This is like being asked to choose between gonorrhea or syphilis

Faith No More - Everythings ruined

And you think they'll see value in this offer? It's a decoy, whilst they're busy laughing we bundle Berbatov out the back. I'd Luv it......

Sounds like the power supply is fucked, but it could be several problems.

I know the party line on Ameobi, and he deserves his criticism. But you have to agree that a manager coming in should give ALL his players every encouragement. Give them some hope of getting a regular place if their performances are up to standard. To be angry or disbelieving that Keegan is doing that with Ameobi is a bit harsh. After all he's second only to Alan Shearer for European goals at the club. Bellamy couldn't score as many goals. I don't expect him to say "fuck he's shite" in front of the camera's but if Keegan truely believes that money shouldn't be spent on a striker because we have Shola, then I'll start to worry.

ffs banter is just lost on some folk.

Just watched the Keegan interivew on .cock, he's bigging up Shola after yesterday's effort saying if we can get him playing to his best then we won't need to spend millions on a new striker. ffs

Agreed, he had a shitter.

Newcastle 'want top six finish' Newcastle can challenge for a top six place this season according to Arthur Cox, who is returning to St James' Park to be reunited with boss Kevin Keegan. Cox managed the Magpies between 1980 and 1984 and was assistant boss during Keegan's first spell in charge, and he is determined to help revive the club. He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We want Newcastle in the top six, and pushing the top four, in the next two seasons. "Kevin will be looking for a Uefa Cup place this season, if at all possible." The top four finishers in the Premier League qualify for the Champions League with the fifth and sixth placed entering the Uefa Cup. But success for one of the top four in the FA Cup means the seventh placed finisher grabs a Uefa Cup place. Cox, 68, admitted he did not expect Keegan to return to football management from his self-imposed exile which followed his resignation as Manchester City boss in March 2005. "I am surprised Kevin has returned to football," said Cox. "But Newcastle is the only place he would have come back to. "Kevin feels he wants to give back to the public what they gave to him when he was a player and what they gave him in his first spell as Newcastle manager. "I am really looking forward to going back to Newcastle with Kevin. And I will do all I can to help him be successful."

Blasphamy !!!