Scottish Mag

I hope the players don't! "I want to be the next Peter Ramage"

Michael Owen may not be running out for the reserves tonight at Middlesbrough, but Newcastle United coach Lee Clark has admitted the clash against the Teessiders is another opportunity for his Toon young guns to shine. United are set to field a strong side on Teesside tonight, with Shola Ameobi, Titus Bramble and Charles N'Zogbia all featuring. But Clark - who has just been presented with his UEFA A Badge - handed 15-year-olds Stewart Bath and Kieran Wrightson a sniff of the action against Manchester United in the second string's last outing, and will again be interested in the development of his youngsters too. And with the likes of hot-shot Andy Carroll already making rapid progress in and around the first-team pool, Clark knows the penultimate FA Premier Reserve League encounter for his kids is a great chance to showcase themselves for next season at a top-flight venue in the Riverside. Clark told the Chronicle: "The younger players can start next season with a lot of confidence from what they've experienced this season. "These young boys are getting that experience now and they will do in the last two games against Middlesbrough and Bolton. "These will be the players that I will be working with next season. "Andy Carroll, David Edgar and Matty Pattison will all be closer to the first team, they may not be around me. "But I had two 15-year-olds coming off the bench last week against Man United and it's great news for them." Clark will also be hoping that the next generation will be able to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Carroll, Edgar and Pattison and other graduates in years gone by like Ameobi, Peter Ramage and Steven Taylor, who has arguably gone on to be the club's No 1 defender. And after beating a highly-rated young Man United team last week in what could be the final reserve game at Kingston Park with a move elsewhere now on the cards, Clark admitted he firmly believes progress in being made. He added: "We started brightly against Man United and grew in confidence for such a young squad. "It's been a great experience with the reserves, it's hugely satisfying, especially as the lads have been so young this year." Kick-off at the Riverside is 7pm tonight.

There has been no setback for Michael Owen. This was the message loud and clear from Newcastle United today as the countdown to Owen's hoped-for comeback against Chelsea at St James' Park starts in earnest. Middlesbrough have reported a massive interest from the media for their Reserve match with Lee Clark's second string at their Riverside Stadium tonight in anticipation of United's £17m man being in action. United boss Glenn Roeder told me today: "While Shola Ameobi will be at the Riverside tonight I have decided not to play Michael Owen. But any talk of him having a setback is complete and utter rubbish." Owen has worked very hard recently for United, none more so than last week, culminating with his 70-minute appearance and goal against Greta in a match at the club's training ground on Wednesday. He was given a weekend off by Roeder but he was back today working with the man he owes so much to - rehabilitation expert John Green, who got Kieron Dyer back in harness. The London-based Green was on the first plane out of Stansted this morning and was waiting to start working with Owen when he reported for training. A decision on whether Owen will be involved against his England colleagues John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Joe Cole on Sunday will be made by Roeder later in the week. Obviously the sight of Owen on the field against Chelsea and maybe grabbing a goal would be a massive boost to the United supporters and give them some hope for next season. Those fans among the 20,000 who greeted Owen when he arrived in the summer of 2005 will find it hard to believe they have only seen him on another four occasions at St James' Park in the games against Fulham, Manchester City, Birmingham City, and Arsenal. And his winner against Manchester City is his only goal for United at St James' Park. Now those fans will have to wait for Roeder's decision - but the fact that Owen is not playing tonight does not mean he is ruled out on Sunday. For Alan Shearer never played for the Newcastle United Reserves during any of his numerous comeback bids.

Not sailing, but the In-Laws have a speed boat out on Loch Lomond, its great in the summer...

Steve Sidwell is likely to leave the Madejski Stadium and move to Newcastle United this summer. Sidwell has attracted the interest of a number of Premiership clubs, but Newcastle have emerged as favourites to sign the former Arsenal trainee. Although Aston Villa, Everton, Middlesbrough, Manchester City and Spurs have all been monitoring the situation, it is believed that preliminary talks have already been held with Newcastle and that Sidwell favours a move to the north-east. The Newcastle manager, Glenn Roeder, believes Sidwell will add energy and steel to his team. At 24, Sidwell is also the right age to freshen up Newcastle's midfield. The move could come under jeopardy if there was a managerial change at Newcastle this summer but, despite speculation linking Sven-Goran Eriksson with the club, it is likely that Roeder will still be in charge at the beginning of next season. Sidwell is out of contract at the end of this season and, after he failed to agree new terms, Coppell has resigned himself to finding a replacement. He will, though, continue to pick the midfielder. "If Siddy goes I've got to get at least one more in and maybe two - I'll play Siddy again definitely," said Coppell. Sidwell was left out of Saturday's 1-0 win against Fulham, with Brynar Gunnarsson staking his claim for a place in the centre of Reading's midfield. "He [sidwell] has been playing all the games up until now and it's up to me to show I can do a job there," said Gunnarsson. "It's more than likely that Steve is leaving and that leaves me and James Harper in the midfield. Obviously the manager will buy one or get another player in, but if I do all right from now until the end of the season, I think I have a chance. I'd love to stay there [in central midfield] for the last four games." Roeder will tonight get a chance to assess the fitness of Michael Owen who is expected to play his first competitive match in 10 months when Newcastle's reserves travel to Middlesbrough. But the striker's return is in danger of being overshadowed by a bitter political battle. Owen, who could well make his first-team comeback at home to Chelsea on Sunday, finds himself caught in the middle of a club versus country row between Freddy Shepherd, Newcastle's chairman, and the Football Association. Dissatisfied with the amount of compensation his club has received from football's ruling body in the wake of the serious knee injury Owen sustained playing for England in the last World Cup, Shepherd has threatened to seek an injunction preventing the FA from selecting the striker for the May friendly against Brazil at Wembley and the European Championship qualifer in Estonia in June. Although the FA's insurers have paid Newcastle £50,000 a week since Owen's collapse last June, that represents just under half his weekly salary and the Tyneside club's insurance company has had to cover the remainder. Shepherd has also received about £1.5m from Fifa as compensation. Shepherd engaged the FA's help to persuade Fifa to cough up. Having banked up to £6m in insurance pay-outs and compensation for Owen's absence, this dictates that Newcastle's chairman - who originally demanded £20m in recompense from the FA - will base any injunction on the FA's failure to meet the striker's £150,000 medical bills. Meanwhile Newcastle, who are also likely to field Shola Ameobi, fit again after a hip operation, tonight will be without Damien Duff for the remainder of the campaign due to an ankle injury.

Michael Owen's proposed comeback against Chelsea is in major jeopardy after the Newcastle United striker was told he could not play in the reserve game against Middlesbrough this evening. Owen is desperate to play against Chelsea in the Premiership on Sunday and wanted to prove his fitness ahead of the arrival of the reigning champions with a run-out for the second string. But Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder is not convinced the England international is ready to launch his first-team comeback just yet and has instructed the club's record signing not to rush his return from the career-threatening knee injury which has kept him out all season. The decision to leave the England international out tonight is a precautionary one rather than a setback in his rehabilitation, but it will still be an irritating one for the player. Owen, who was linked with a move to Manchester United over the weekend, is keen to prove his fitness and regain match sharpness before the end of the season, partly so that he can be involved in England's summer internationals, but also because of the immense frustration he has endured at missing so much football in a Newcastle shirt. Despite some claims the 27-year-old is more concerned about playing for his country than his club, Owen has privately spoken of the debt he feels he needs to repay to Newcastle and the club's supporters after two years of injury problems. Roeder, though, is naturally cautious about Owen's return having lost the club's record signing for the majority of the season as a result of the injury he suffered while playing for the national side at the World Cup last summer. There is a chance Newcastle will arrange a behind-closed-doors friendly later in the week, although it is extremely unlikely the £17m man will be involved at the weekend after failing to convince his manager he is ready to start a reserve game five days earlier. Owen was arguably short of match sharpness in Germany because of the broken foot which forced him to miss more than half of his first season on Tyneside and the former Real Madrid star will probably need four or five games to find his best form this time. With that in mind, Newcastle's four remaining Premiership fixtures, coupled with England's first game at the new Wembley against Brazil on June 1, would have put him in perfect shape for the vital European Championship qualification clash with Estonia on June 6. Newcastle chairman Freddie Shepherd has indicated he is willing to go to court to seek an injunction to prevent Owen from playing for his country unless the FA come up with an acceptable package of compensation for the Magpies. Shepherd is furious at the lack of financial support he feels the club has received from the FA after Owen's injury in Germany 10 months ago and the row - if it leads to the courtroom - could spark major changes in international football. National associations would, in theory, have to cover the wages and pay the cost of treatment for players injured on international duty. However, as things stand, it is difficult to see how Shepherd will be able to stop Owen from playing against Estonia, unless the player, which is unlikely, agrees he is not fit enough. Under Fifa regulations, clubs cannot prevent their players from playing in a competitive international and a national coach can demand the release of a player five days before the game, even if his club insist he is injured. Meanwhile, Roeder's hopes of pairing Peter Crouch with Owen in a new look front-line next season appear doomed after the Liverpool striker insisted last night that he will not be leaving Anfield. "It has never entered my head," said Crouch, who was wanted by Roeder in the January transfer window. "I'm happy here. There are more things to come and we will win more things and I certainly don't want to leave, but I've got to work hard and make sure I'm invaluable to the set-up, otherwise you will find yourself out of it. "People are saying I am going to move on but I'm determined to prove I'm happy at the club and want to stay, and until I'm told otherwise I will carry on doing the same things and working hard." United's Republic of Ireland winger Damien Duff will miss the rest of the season due to the ankle injury which forced him off during Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Portsmouth.

Who? Franz Beckenbauer, Berti Vogts, Lothar Matthäus. Vogts

Isn't Shearer doing his badges through the SFA? There must be some reason for it. Aye, just look at the standard of English managers in recent years..

Caretaker manager once Roeder has been pushed?

LEE Clark admits that it has always been an ambition to manage in the top flight after being presented with his UEFA 'A' coaching license. The former Toon favourite is now just one level away from having all the necessary qualifications to manage at the highest level, and is set to complete his UEFA Pro license this summer. The Newcastle United Reserve team coach told nufc.co.uk: "It was a proud moment to be presented with the UEFA 'A' badge at St.James' Park. "I started coaching in 2000 and it has been a long process, but it's something I enjoy and the aim is to complete my Pro License in the summer. "After that I'd definitely love to manage in the Premier League and that is the aim." Even during his playing days at United, Clark spent his Sunday mornings coaching local boys club side Walker Central. Then only in his early 20s, the midfield star says it was always a dream to one day go into coaching. He added: "Even as a young player as I was always thinking about how and why we did certain sessions in training. "I would go home and make notes, and I loved being involved with the local lads at the boys club." By an ironic twist of fate, the manager who signed Clark as a 14-year-old, Willie MacFaul, was on the assessors panel when he took his coaching badge through the Irish FA. "It was strange Willie being involved but it was great to see him. "My former team-mate Tommy Wright was also there doing his badge, as was Chris Coleman. "I'd like to thank the Irish FA as well for all their help and support." Clark took over the role as Reserve team coach earlier this season, a position from which he has helped the likes of Andy Carroll and Paul Huntington prepare for first-team football. Clark said: "It's been a great experience with the Reserves. It's hugely satisfying, especially as the lads have been so young this year. "Hopefully we can help them develop and the experience of playing at that level at a young age will stand them in good stead in the future."

http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsD...1010442,00.html

He should get both..

Do we though? At times I wonder if half of those on the pitch are poor as a result from poor coaching or if they are just shite full stop. That's as may be, but how many of the Sunderland squad would you swap them for? Sunderland at the minute are all about momentum and confidence. Playing against higher quality opposition every week, and starting the campaign with a few defeats and it'll be a different story. But much like Keegan did when he brought us up, the pulling power of Roy Keane may bring some decent players to the SOL. Roeder has to rely on something you hate and thats overinflated wages..

Do we though? At times I wonder if half of those on the pitch are poor as a result from poor coaching or if they are just shite full stop.

But he is Rayne Wooooney!! Engurlands number one!

Chelsea's Didier Drogba and Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo head the Professional Footballers' Association player of the year award nominations. United also have Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes as contenders, with Liverpool's Steven Gerrard and Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas in the frame. Rooney, Ronaldo and Fabregas are also up for a young player of the year gong. Tottenham's Aaron Lennon, Kevin Doyle of Reading and Manchester City's Micah Richards join them on the list.

I hope you took him up on it? Fucking right I did! Only after I'd confirmed that he wasn't on crack. Only your sisters. Boom boom!

Its probably better value for money than a Rod Stewart hospitality package at St James Park £100-£150

Tbh if we got to a final I would probably pay it..

I hope you took him up on it?

Dunno if its a reflection on his individual performances, the teams or just the club as a whole but my reaction was just.....who cares!

He's a luxury we can't afford tbh, we're not big enough for him any more. We should sell him and get a decent manager and improve the squad with the proceeds. Yes, I am a hypocrite. It's a gamble really, Owen is the one player who will make a huge difference in helping us climb the league table but if we don't then he's going to become even further disillusioned and will be only 1 year from the end of his contract and he didn't have any problem letting it wind down at Liverpool. Exactly, I posted yesterday..

true what you say but there's always a chance that Owen might not be the quality player he was after that injury That is true, but if we flog him he'd still fucking score against us! Like thats a hard thing to do..

Bollocks. Agreed, however it someone did give us what we paid for him I would gladly see 17 million and 110 grand a week reinvested into the shambles of a squad we have. Saying that I wouldn't trust that fuckwit Roeder to spend it.