Scottish Mag

Fuck off you cunt 70772[/snapback] Oooh handbags out...

NEWCASTLE United boss Graeme Souness is ready to snatch Marseille's Ivory Coast World Cup star Abdoulaye Meite from under the noses of Bolton. Souness has been put on alert that the defender can move from his French club for a knock-down £1.8m, the fee agreed by Wanderers boss Sam Allardyce after talks with Meite's agent. But the move has yet to go through because Bolton's money men are dithering over the player's demand for a four-and-a half year contract. Souness has now made an inquiry for Meite, who can play right-back or centre-back, two positions where Newcastle have been s t r etched this season because of injuries and loss of form. Meite recently fell out with Marseille and was told he could go, but is still a regular in the side.

Happy Birthday dude...

Thats quality...

Newcastle defender Jean-Alain Boumsong is playing through the pain of a double personal heartache, it was revealed last night. The French international has been making regular mercy visits across the Channel to visit his "seriously ill" baby boy and wife. United boss Graeme Souness shed light on the drama - and paid tribute to Boumsong's professionalism in dealing with it. But Souness admitted his £8.5 million centre-back - in the firing line this season after some shaky peformances - has ben bearing a "massive burden". Two-year-old Cameron Boumsong has been seriously ill, while his mother is recovering in France from what is thought to have been a life-saving operation. "Just recently, Jean-Alain has had a great deal to put up with," said Souness. "His little lad has had several operations. His wife has been seriously ill. "He has had to go back to France quite a lot because of what has happened. His wife has gone back to be with her family and Boum has gone over to see her. "It is not for me to say what has been the problems with them. That would be wrong of me. "But his boy was also seriously ill." Souness added: "You don't know how much it affects him. It would affect anyone but he has got on with his game. "It has been a massive burden for him, but he is a man and he has dealt with it." And the Magpies manager insisted: "Jean-Alain has been in our football nearly a year and I'm very happy with him, but he is still new and getting used to our football. "He is the first one to hold his hand up if he makes a mistake. He plays when he is not 100 per cent fit. "He can play - and I expect him to flourish next summer in the World Cup." Boumsong's son spent a month in hospital following his birth in September 2003, but the nature of his more recent condition is not known.

Is there an England match coming up?

Best general chat thread - http://www.toontastic.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=236

The chairman of Newcastle, Freddy Shepherd, has told his Portsmouth counterpart, Milan Mandaric, to put up the money if he wants to re-sign the Senegal international midfielder Amdy Faye. It has been suggested that the new Pompey manager, Harry Redknapp, has put Faye close to the top of his shopping list as he attempts to rebuild for a Premiership survival campaign in January. However, talk of a loan deal has been scotched by Shepherd, who insisted he would only consider a cash offer for a player who arrived on Tyneside from Fratton Park in January. "If Portsmouth - or anyone else for that matter - want any of our players in January, then they will have to put their money on the table," he said. The 28-year-old's chances of regular first-team football for Newcastle appear slim with summer signings Scott Parker and Emre Belozoglu likely to forge a regular central midfield partnership once the Turkish international returns from injury. Faye will link up with Senegal for the African Cup of Nations next month and will be missing for several weeks. But with speculation mounting that Lee Bowyer could move from Tyneside during the transfer window, the club may be reluctant to offload too many players. Nicky Butt, Laurent Robert, Hugo Viana and James Milner are all out on loan for the season and the Magpies are unlikely to want another of their players away from the club on a temporary basis.

Happy Birthday Old Yin... If you are going out i hope you make sure that you get dressed up for it...

I`m sorted, though its getting rather chilly under my kilt at this time of year...

I`m not sure who the alleged men acting like children are however i can see there are some "weans" about, as over the last few days thats a couple of people now spat the dummy....

Agreed... And a striker playing on the wing and not whinging like fuck about it? 66986[/snapback] Sholas a striker??

Newcastle manager Graeme Souness has challenged defender Titus Bramble to prove once again he can be a genuine force in the Premiership. The 24-year-old has alternated between the sublime and the ridiculous during his time on Tyneside. His career has been littered with high-profile blunders, but the fact is when he is on top of his game he is actually a formidable defender who is comfortable with the ball at his feet, and one who has the ability to pass accurately over long distances. Sadly for the Ipswich-born player, a £4.5m signing from the Suffolk club in the summer of 2002, he has earned himself a reputation for being error-prone. And the needless lunge which handed Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry the chance to claim victory from the penalty spot two weekends ago earned him a dressing down from Souness. "Titus would be the first one to hold his hands up and say `I just knocked off, I don't know what was in my head at that vital time'," Souness said. "But from Christmas-time to May last year, nobody was criticising Titus because he was outstanding for us. That's where Titus has to get back to. "Titus was truly outstanding, and that's the Titus we want from now until the end of the season." Bramble responded in exactly the way his manager had hoped on Saturday as he and the equally-derided Jean Alain Boumsong kept Arsenal duo Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie at bay to lay the foundation for a precious Premiership victory. But it is the consistency he displayed last season, when he put together a run of 16 games in which he was near-faultless before succumbing to injury, which Souness wants him to replicate. Bramble was rushed back from a hernia operation for the UEFA Cup quarter-final second leg clash with Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, and put in a superb display until he was forced to limp off. Following his departure, the Magpies conceded three times and slipped out of the competition with a 4-1 defeat. Souness is desperate for his two senior central defenders to form the partnership he believes they can. Indeed, 19-year-old Steven Taylor has proved the most reliable central defender at the club so far this season, although he is out for several weeks after partially re-dislocating his shoulder in training last week. The teenager is due to see a specialist this week, but amid concerns he may have to have the shoulder pinned, a procedure which would mean an extended spell on the sidelines, Souness needs a major return from the more experienced duo.

When Silvestre and Brown were playing at centre half the media were absolutely slaughtering them as thats when Manyoo were conceding alot of goals. If my memory serves me correct alot of the goals came from corners and crosses with both Silvestres and Browns ability on the air being questioned..

Have to disagree Mags, Parker has shown his ability againts most sides for us. Do you not think that he played well against Chelski...?

It certainly seems that everytime he appears to be on the verge that we pull off a result. So long may the criticism from the press and abuse from the stands continue if it means pulling off results...

Well done Nobby....

Even though i`ve already said it..Happy Birthday Dude (he was already feeling rough this morning from last nights drinking session so god knows what state hes going to be in tomorrow...)

In fairness, whilst i get your point about the money spent, in your own words you are claiming that when he arrived he has 3 centre halfs at his disposal in Bramble, Hughes and OB. But whilst we have yet to see the man in a Toon shirt (and i hope it remains that way) he has signed Craig Moore and Boumsong to add to Bramble. There may be an argument as to the abilities of those at our disposal and whether they are up to the job or not which i think we more or less all agree on however there is no shortfall in numbers in the centre half position since Souness took over. 66460[/snapback] I take your point, I had Moore in mind but didn't think he was even worth mentioning ........ I'm just frustrated and sick to the back teeth of bloody Souness now 66493[/snapback] Aren`t we all...

In fairness, whilst i get your point about the money spent, in your own words you are claiming that when he arrived he has 3 centre halfs at his disposal in Bramble, Hughes and OB. But whilst we have yet to see the man in a Toon shirt (and i hope it remains that way) he has signed Craig Moore and Boumsong to add to Bramble. There may be an argument as to the abilities of those at our disposal and whether they are up to the job or not which i think we more or less all agree on however there is no shortfall in numbers in the centre half position since Souness took over.

Newcastle United are preparing a case to try to force the FA to pay them compensation for the loss of Steven Taylor following the news the youngster could be ruled out for another three months with a shoulder injury. Taylor was hoping to return to the United line-up against Arsenal this evening, but is now facing another spell on the sidelines following a setback in training and it is looking increasingly likely that the youth team graduate will need an operation which could rule him out for as long as three months. It was another massive injury blow to manager Graeme Souness who has admitted that the 19-year-old from Monkseaton has been his most reliable defender this season. But it is a blow the Magpies are hoping to receive compensation for as the injury was initially sustained when Taylor was preparing for England Under-21's European play-off against France five weeks ago. Souness said: "Steven's a worry, his shoulder's semi popping out which is as bad as it fully popping out. If that is the case it might need an operation. We'll send him to see a specialist next week and see what he says. "He fell over in training on Thursday in a fairly innocuous fashion, but he felt something. There is something going on there. It will keep him out tomorrow, just as it has kept him out of the previous games. It's shame for him. The shirt was his, he was playing very well for us up until getting injured." With a plethora of injuries hampering Souness' hopes of holding on to his job following a less-than impressive first third of the season, United's manager is becoming increasingly irritable when answering questions about those stuck on the treatment table. But it is clear he supports the idea the FA should be made to pay for the inconvenience it has caused him. He added: "I believe we'll be getting compensation for Steven's injury, you make that claim when he returns to your team as I understand it. "But it's not something I've been involved with before as a manager, at least I don't remember being at a club when a compensation claim has been made. I've left it up to the chairman so you will have to ask him what the procedure is." Meanwhile, Souness has refused to put a timescale on the return of his three other main injury concerns- Stephen Carr, Emre and Kieron Dyer. However, The Journal understands that Dyer, who should return to training on Monday, could be involved against West Ham United, with the other two possibly featuring against Liverpool on Boxing Day.

Steve Harper will keep a close eye on any developments in Shay Given's contractual situation after admitting that, should the Irishman sign a new deal at St James's Park, he could be forced to quit the club. But the 30-year-old last night warned Newcastle that they have taken a considerable gamble by forcing his goalkeeping rival to wait until this weekend before beginning a discourse with his representatives. Michael Kennedy is scheduled to open talks with Freddie Shepherd ahead of this afternoon's Premiership meeting with Arsenal and, whilst he will be acting exclusively for Given, the subject of those discussions will also have a major bearing on Harper's future. Both players have got 18 months to run on their existing contracts at the club. Should Shepherd persuade Given to extend his career in the North-East, it could spell the end for his capable deputy. "I will be 32 when my contract is up and I don't want to retire at 36 having only played 130 games," said Harper, who, having played just four league games in four-and-a-half seasons, hopes to persuade Graeme Souness to sanction a loan move in the New Year. "I don't want to tell my children that when I retire. You only get one shot in this game and I want to do something that I can be proud of. In 18 months time, I could leave. If people are showing an interest in me, we will see." Having played just one first-team game this season - his single Intertoto Cup appearance against Dubnica came almost five months ago - Harper is desperate for action. But having described Given as the best goalkeeper in Europe, he knows that he is unlikely to find it at St James's Park. "I love training through the week but, at 2pm on a Saturday, I'm like a bear with a sore head," he said. "I work as hard as anyone all week and it does get you down. I'm not happy with not playing every week and the longer it goes on, the worse it becomes. But I can't knock on the manager's door and complain about how Shay is playing, can I?

From .com

Apart from during my Mr Moustachio fundraising attempts i think this has been my only avatar...