Scottish Mag

Same old, same old...

What are you doing at Jimbos house? hhmmm I'm watching Murder she wrote, how did that happen ? 'Theres been a murrdur?'

What are you doing at Jimbos house?

Now Curbishley has money to spend, he really does not have a clue what hes doing with it? Quashie, Davenport, Neill, Boa Morte 6 million bid for Upson, 2.5 for Hreidersson and now 18 million on Bent...crazy!

A nervy and anxious Glenn Roeder was left sweating on his planned loan moves as the transfer window closure loomed ominously closer today. The Newcastle United boss was still waiting to hear from Standard Liege that all the paper work has been done which would allow American international defender Oguchi "Gooch" Onyewu to come on loan to St James' Park. And so too was "Gooch" after he travelled to Tyneside over the weekend to talk to United and undergo a medical as he yearns for the chance to pull on the black-and-white shirt. Roeder can only hope that the Belgian outfit do not pull the plug at the last minute because they are wary that United will not sign Onyewu in a permanent deal on at the end of the season. This is exactly the same scenario with St Etienne and their 28-year-old Martinque-born striker Frederic Piquionne who they want to sell for e7m. As a result, I am told that while Piquionne's loan move to United is not impossible, it is highly unlikely. And United's chances of landing the French striker receded further today with the news that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, having lost Robin van Persie for the rest of the season, was toying over a late move for the St Etienne man. Meanwhile, the news coming out of Holland is that United are ready to pay £5m to bring Ajax's promising young striker Ryan Babel to Tyneside. Babel is a player greatly admired by Roeder, but there has been no bid by United and there is absolutely no chance of the 20-year-old striker being signed before window closes tomorrow night. There is talk about a United approach for Babel in the summer, but Roeder knows the competition will be tough. I hear the he is one of Barcelona's targets which would leave United as also-rans. Someone who has been an also-ran ever since he arrived at St James' Park in August 2005 is Albert Luque and it looks as though the Spanish international will still be here at the start of next season. However, United have told Luque he can go to PSV Eindhoven if he can do a deal with the Dutch club in the next 24 hours. But PSV would only be able to pay Luque less than half of his £40,000-a-week wages he banks from United and it would be a major surprise if he decides to accept this.

Fog on the Tyne..

TRANSFER RUMOURS Arsenal are considering a move for St Etienne striker Frederic Piquionne. (Daily Star) The Gunners have agreed a deal with French side Chateauroux to buy 15-year-old striker Gilles Sunu when he turns 16 later in 2007. (The Sun) Manchester United have pulled out of the race to sign Southampton defender Gareth Bale, leaving the way open for Tottenham. (Daily Mirror) Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has made it clear that he is prepared to wait to sign Bale from Saints. (Various) Manchester United are so concerned about Real Madrid making a move for Cristiano Ronaldo they have banned the winger from talking about the Spanish club. (Various) Wigan boss Paul Jewell wants to sign Nigerian forward Julius Aghahowa from Shakhtar Donetsk and Papa Bouba Diop from Fulham before the transfer window closes. (Daily Star) Reading boss Steve Coppell wants to sign 21-year-old Luton defender Leon Barnett. (The Sun) The Royals are also interested in buying Greg Halford from Colchester for a fee of £2.5m - but must beat Charlton in the race to sign him. (Daily Mail) Liverpool are set to announce the signing of Argentine Javier Mascherano from West Ham on Wednesday. (Daily Mail) Portsmouth hope to sign 23-year-old Lazio striker Goran Pandev. (Daily Mail) Everton boss David Moyes is lining up a £700,000 move for Hibernian defender Steven Whittaker. (Daily Mirror) Watford hope to sign central defender Luis Alberto Guadalupe, 30, from Peruvian side Universitario. (Daily Express) Fulham could make a deadline day swoop for West Ham wide man Matthew Etherington. (Daily Mirror) OTHER GOSSIP Defender Lucas Neill has been ruled out for up to a month - after joining West Ham from Blackburn only last week. (Various) Chelsea skipper John Terry will make his return from a back injury against Charlton on Saturday. (Daily Express) York boss Billy McEwan is furious with the way Hibernian boss John Collins has gone about signing 22-year-old striker Clayton Donaldson from his club on a free transfer. (Daily Record) Former England Under-21 manager Peter Taylor, now in charge at Crystal Palace, says his Manchester City counterpart Stuart Pearce will be able to look after the young charges on a part-time basis. (Various) Arsenal forward Julio Baptista will miss the Carling Cup semi-final second-leg tie against Tottenham on Wednesday with a groin injury. (Daily Express) AND FINALLY... England boss Steve McClaren is taking lessons from Tony Blair on how to cope with fierce criticism after visiting the House of Commons for Prime Minister's Question Time last week. (The Sun)

League Winners and Champion League winners in my second season. Largely thanks to this man, but now Roma want over 11 million for him.

Glenn Roeder has confirmed he will not stand in Nigel Pearson's way should The Football Association invite him to be a part of the new-look Under 21 setup. The FA are currently locked in talks with Manchester City after Stuart Pearce accepted the task of managing England's young hopefuls, but the club have been keen to stress that they have not released the former international yet. Magpies assistant Pearson is also in the frame to join the coaching staff, and Roeder has no qualms about allowing his right-hand man to work as a part time assistant at international level should the chance materialise. "When Trevor Brooking approached me about Nigel when I was doing my Pro Licence at Warwick University last week, I told him straight away it was not a problem to us," said Roeder. "In fact, I consider it a honour for Nigel Pearson and an honour for Newcastle United to be associated with the England Under 21 squad if that is what The FA are going to announce."

I use that, however I've modified it to 4-1-2-3. Thats funny, so do I

Aye, I've seen every one of his 17 caps for the US. The kid's a beast. He's 6'2" 180 lbs. He's got quite a lot of potential and has realized a fair amount of it. 'Gooch' is one of the most popular players currently in the US Squad, having had most of the "chuch norris facts" attributed to him at one point or another. He's famous for 'staring down' Jared Borgetti at a world cup qualifier in 2005. In this region, most teams will kick you when down, pinch you in the ass etc, to get a rise out of you. Gooch looks like the kind of guy they could rile up so they went after him but just got the stare. He's a hell of a player, but I don't want him here. We'd just ruin him. He's SO leaning away from him in that pic, looks like he's bricking it tbh. Gotta look at it in full motion to get the real idea of it, tbh. I'lll see if I can find it on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk1iJ3ETQ6Y...ted&search= About 3 minutes into it..

From the beeb

Newcastle United were forced to play a waiting game today in their bid to get Standard Liege's American defender Oguchi "Gooch" Onyewu and St Etienne striker Frederic Piquionne on loan. And the stumbling block to both deals was the same - neither the Belgian or French outfits are keen to let their players go out on loan unless United agree to making the moves permanent at the end of the season. But unfortunately for United fans desperate for a signing, reports today that Roeder was on the verge of signing the "next Thierry Henry," Ajax striker Ryan Babel, are not correct. With the closure of the January transfer window now just a couple of days away, there is no time for United to make any permanent signings. And I understand if the loan moves of Onyewu and Piquionne fall through then Roeder will have to make do with what he has got and rely on his current squad for the rest of the season. All Roeder would say today was: "We want to take Onyewu and Piquionne on loan and we are now waiting for permission for their clubs to do so." I get the impression that Roeder is more confident of landing "Gooch" than he is of persuading St Etienne to release Piquionne, a player that they value at £5m. Roeder's big pal Gerard Houllier is keen to take Piquionne to Lyon to play alongside his former Liverpool striker Milan Baros, who the Frenchman picked up from Aston Villa last week. Real Betis and Portsmouth have also been keeping tabs on the St Etienne striker. Gooch is a 24-year-old American international who started his career with United's old friends DC United before having spells with Metz in France and La Louviere in Belgium. He moved to Standard Liege in 2004 but would love a crack at Premiership football with United at St James' Park. Piquionne is a 28-year-old striker from Martinque who, Roeder says, is very highly rated in France. United fans I have spoken to are upset about the lack of activity in the transfer market and they have every right to hope that Babel would have come in, especially as those reports today claimed that Albert Luque was supposed to be going in the opposite direction. Roeder said: "Reports that we are paying £5m to bring Babel to St James' Park are pie-in-the-sky." As a result, it looks as though Roeder is going to be lumbered with Luque sulking around the training ground until at least the end of the season. Meanwhile, Roeder has denied that United are to make a bid for Deportivo La Coruna's Argentinian defender Fabricio Coloccini.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/new...ker_on_loan.php

Glenn Roeder has backed Damien Duff to demonstrate his true class in Newcastle colours in the second half of the season after insisting the improving Irishman has finally got to grips with life at St James's Park. The double Premiership winner has shown little of the form that made him a firm favourite at Stamford Bridge since joining United in a £5m move from Chelsea last summer but, as Duff prepares to return from a knee complaint that has sidelined him since mid-December, his manager believes he will win over his doubters in the coming weeks. With time running out in his bid to strengthen his first-team squad, Roeder is relying on the return of the club's injured contingent to provide the impetus required to finish the campaign with a flourish. And, having been encouraged by Duff's efforts since he resumed full training last week, the 51-year-old is confident a player who has yet to live up to his reputation in the North-East will begin to showcase the talents that have established him at the peak of his profession in recent years. "Just like Obafemi Martins, it has taken time for Damien to settle," explained Roeder, who is expected to restore Duff to Newcastle's starting line-up when Aston Villa head to St James's Park on Wednesday. "Coming out of London, having been there for three years and won the Premiership twice, Damien will have probably found this season mentally different. "But I feel that in the second half of the season, having seen him in action myself out there on the training ground in the last couple of days, we will see Damien Duff really take off and play like he did for Chelsea. "We will get value for money over the next three or four years from Damien Duff." Duff came through a 70-minute practice match at the club's training ground unscathed on Friday morning and, like Titus Bramble - who also took part in the exercise without any problems - the 27-year-old will offer Roeder the kind of options he has been denied for much of this season. Although his signing appeared a masterstroke on Roeder's part, the Irishman remains an enigmatic figure at St James's Park. But, while there is no doubt that Duff has yet to reproduce the dazzling form with which he won universal admiration during his days at Ewood Park and Stamford Bridge, his manager is convinced he will come good. "When you consider the prices that are being asked at the moment, the price we paid for Damien was not over-expensive," said Roeder, who is confident Duff has finally settled in the North-East. He will get the chance to prove it this week. Another player who has taken time to find his feet at St James's Park is Martins but, having persevered with the £10m Nigerian, Roeder has reaped the rewards in recent weeks. Martins has struck 10 times already during his maiden campaign in the English game and as he hopes will be the case with Duff, Roeder knows that patience is a virtue. "I can only talk about what people in the game are saying to me," he said. "In my three days at the Pro-Licence course (last week), there were two or three Premiership managers, and maybe an international manager who lectured, and all were very impressed with him and would like him to be in their team. "Even though he looked expensive at the start, he now looks value for money and I do think that he will really take off next year." With Wednesday's transfer deadline looming, Roeder's chances of adding to his first-team squad seem increasingly slim. The United boss is continuing to chase two loan signings, but time is not on his side. Roeder is keen to add a defender and a striker to his squad, although the agent of Deportivo La Coruña's Fabricio Coloccini last night claimed United had failed with a bid for the Argentinian stopper. Saint-Etienne forward Frederic Piquionne has emerged as a target and sources in France have claimed discussions have been held between the 28-year-old's club and St James's Park officials. The former Nimes and Rennes striker is understood to be available on loan for the remainder of the season with a view to a £5m permanent transfer in the summer. He has also attracted interest from Lyon, who had a £3.7m bid rejected this month. The French champions have since swapped striker John Carew for Aston Villa's Czech Republic front man Milan Baros. Piquionne has sat out his club's last three matches - including last night's 3-3 draw at Lens.

Shola Ameobi's hopes of playing in the Premiership again this season are growing after Glenn Roeder admitted for the first time the striker is ahead of schedule in his fight to recover his fitness. But although he has suggested the 25-year-old could be in contention for a comeback as early as April, the Newcastle boss will put no pressure on a player who was expected to be sidelined until well into the summer months. Having undergone a pioneering hip operation in the United States in November, Ameobi returned for a consultation with Dr Marc Philippon last week and has been told the progress he has made is highly encouraging. With Michael Owen also determined to pull on a black-and-white shirt again before the end of this season, Roeder's striking options could be dramatically increased for the closing stages of the top-flight campaign. But with the long-term health of both players his number one priority, Roeder is taking nothing for granted and will only seek to include the pair when it is clear their problems are well and truly behind them. "Although Shola and Michael are the two longest-term absentees up there on my office wall, and I have a `J' (for June/July) and an `A' (for April) against their names (respectively), I could probably take the `J' away from Shola and put an `A' in there myself," said Roeder. "But I'm not predicting anything. It's an educated guess that both players will more than likely be very close come the last few games of the season but we can only guess. You can't put an absolute date on it because if they don't make it, people will think they have had a setback. "With the way Shola is feeling right now, where the target was June or July, maybe we should be changing that back to an `M' for May. We have had great news on him. I was so supportive of him when he was getting criticised because people didn't know that he was putting his career on the line. "He was playing when other players would have said `Take me off'. I appreciated that and that's why I said `Enough is enough for you, Shola, you cannot do it any more, you have to go to America for surgery'. Now we have someone who is walking around the place again. He said to me last week `I had forgotten what a good hip should feel like, I had forgotten what it's like to have a proper hip'. "He has been back to Colorado and Dr Philippon is delighted with the way the operation went and with the progress Shola has made since then." Meanwhile, Nigel Pearson, Roeder's right-hand man at St James's Park, has been earmarked for a senior position in the new England Under-21s coaching team. FA officials are hoping to appoint Stuart Pearce as Peter Taylor's successor and, should the former Newcastle defender take on the role, he has identified Pearson as the man he wants to assist him in the job. Emre's hopes of making his return from injury against Aston Villa this week have, though,been dashed. The Turkish international remains troubled by a calf problem that could sideline him for two more weeks.

Worse than Stevie Carr tbh..

If you go into your order history the item is now showing - Guitar Hero II with X-Plorer Guitar Controller (Xbox 360) Hopefully they will not cancel the orders.

Happy Birthday dude..