Scottish Mag

KEVIN KEEGAN has made his first moves to strengthen his defence by making an official enquiry for Manchester City defender Richard Dunne. Less than 24 hours after learning he had lost out to Tottenham in the race to sign creative Croatia midfielder Luka Modric, Keegan's St James' Park recruitment team have contacted City in the hope of bolstering his defensive ranks this summer. Dunne - likely to cost around £5m - is still no closer to signing a new contract at Eastlands and the Newcastle boss is hopeful he can strike a deal for the Ireland international. Sven-Goran Eriksson is determined to retain the services of the 28-year-old but, with just 14 months remaining on his contract, City could be forced to cash in at the end of the season. And Keegan, who worked with the centre-back during his four years in charge of City between 2001 and 2005, views Dunne's uncompromising style as the perfect addition to his backline. The Magpies chief claimed on Friday that ideally he was looking for players with Premier League experience and, after Saturday's 2-2 draw at West Ham, he admitted that approaches for potential signings were on the agenda. "We'll be in there pitching for some very good players," said Keegan. "If you don't bowl, you can't knock the wickets down. We might get hit for six, but we might get a wicket. "We'll get the targets we want hopefully. I'm sure if we had three top class players to what we've got and a couple of good youngsters we can look forward to a lot more in front of our fans next year."

Christ on a fucking bicycle Get a grip, knobhead. knobhead? im getting slagged of by someone younger than my son here ? or just someone with half a brain ? You're acting like a prat. There was always a fair chance that he'd not come here and we were just being used to drive up the price. In the end it looks like we made an bloody good offer but Spuds were willing to throw a couple of million more at him and thus got him. Lets just move on, there are plenty more players out there who will drag our side up to the next level - Arshavin being one. acting like a prat ? hold on a second , didnt you just throw an insult that id expect from a child ? we were pinching pennies , sounds like they beat us by a couple of mill and the deal was pushed through in half a day. they have a 60k pw wage cap , and we have a billionare owner . you come off like a right idiot

Im not sure about the England bit but I did clearly say he'd be MOTM at their place, either way I am lose That was the original bet man. About the England place. Why you... Aye and I remember talk of the winnings going to tachetastic...

His cheeks will be glowing red with rage right now. any need for the 'with rage' bit? Precisely. Tbh....

Who is your tip for the top players at this years tournament?

TRANSFER RUMOURS Valencia striker David Villa is poised to reject a move to Chelsea in favour of Arsenal. (The Sun) West Ham face a battle with Plymouth and Manchester City for 20-year-old Barnet midfielder Albert Adomah. (Daily Mirror) Welsh winger David Cotterill is likely to join Sheffield United after being told he can leave Wigan. (The Sun) Newcastle defensive target Carlos Cuellar has insisted that he wants to stay at Rangers to "win trophies" but the Magpies are also looking at Derby midfielder Giles Barnes and Cardiff midfielder Aaron Ramsey, 17. (Daily Mirror) Everton manager David Moyes hopes his American connections will give him the edge in the race to sign United States midfielder Michael Bradley, who plays for Dutch club Heerenveen. (Daily Mirror) Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is set to give Avram Grant a £100m summer transfer kitty, despite the Blues manager coming under fire from fans following Monday's draw with Wigan. (Daily Mirror) Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has vowed to spend in the summer, saying he is unafraid to pay big money for players he thinks are worth it. (Daily Star) Derby look set to dump striker Robert Earnshaw and that could see him return to Cardiff. (The Sun) Crystal Palace will bid £1m for Leeds striker Jermain Beckford in the new transfer window. (Various) Wigan, Sunderland and Bolton are locked in a battle to sign Coventry youngsters Dan Fox and Scott Dann. (Daily Star) Arsenal and Chelsea fear they could miss out on Villarreal defender Martin Caceres after Real Madrid opened talks with him. (Daily Mail) The Gunners are also on the trail of Guimaraes' Algeria striker Kamel Ghilas. (Daily Mail) OTHER GOSSIP Chelsea's former Bolton defender Tal Ben-Haim, who has been pushed into the reserves at Stamford Bridge, has revealed he would not have joined the club if he had known manager Jose Mourinho was going to be replaced with Avram Grant. (The Sun) England's players face being axed from the World Cup qualifiers if they try to duck out of the summer friendlies against the United States and Trinidad, with boss Fabio Capello saying: "If a player doesn't love to play for England then perhaps he should stay at home." (Various) Wigan manager Steve Bruce will receive a £2m bonus if his side are not relegated from the Premier League. (Daily Mirror) Former Tottenham boss Martin Jol is tipped to return to management with AZ Alkmaar because the Dutch side are set to lose current boss Louis van Gaal to Galatasaray at the end of this season. (Various) AND FINALLY David Beckham and Tom Cruise are considering teaming up to buy a football club - but they have not deciced whether the club would be in the UK or the USA. (Daily Express)

Press reports in Italy suggest that Milan could begin their summer clearout by sensationally selling Gennaro Gattuso. The world champions have just five games left to save their season and secure Champions League football by clawing back fourth-placed Fiorentina’s four-point lead. With the Rossoneri’s squad ageing, they are expected to make sweeping changes at the end of the campaign wherever they finish in the table and Gattuso, who has disappointed this term, could make way for new blood. There have been suggestions that Bayern Munich could step in to sign the 30-year-old, who would link up with Azzurri teammate Luca Toni. It has been reported that Premier League sides Tottenham and Newcastle and Scottish giants Rangers are keeping an eye on the Gattuso situation. A move across the Channel doesn’t seem out of the question given that Rino spent the 1997-98 season with Rangers and has a Scottish wife.

KEVIN KEEGAN will open crunch transfer talks with Newcastle chairman Chris Mort in the next few days. And the United manager is “sure” the first outcome of that summit will be success in persuading Michael Owen to sign a new contract at St James’s Park. But Keegan last night made it clear he expects serious cash backing to make five or six top quality, “statement signings” this summer, warning Mort and Magpies’ owner Mike Ashley . . . “You don’t go to Harrods if you haven’t got any money.” With Newcastle’s Premier League survival assured, the time has clearly come for Ashley to prove his ambition matches that of his manager. “We need quality players,” said Keegan. “I still think we need five. There have definitely got to be five players coming in here.” But the revitalised Tyneside legend admitted he is only now about to discover what sort of budget he will be given to go out and get them. “I can’t answer that until I sit down with the owner and chairman,” he said. “That conversation will start next week. I think the owner’s away at the moment but the chairman is here next week. “But you don’t go to Harrods if you haven’t got any money. Or if you do, you don’t buy anything. “It’s important to get quality. If you get quality players it makes statements. If you make statements, it makes people aware of your potential.” And the first of those statements will concern Owen. “That is the first big signing we have to make,” added Keegan. “I think it will be done. I’m sure it will. “Michael is absolutely totally committed here. I see it every day in training and around the place. “It sends a message that not only we are looking for quality, but if we have quality we want to keep it. “There’s no point in bringing in quality and then selling players. We want to keep our best players and we want to attract others. “The big message we are sending out is that we mean business.” And although Keegan cannot offer prospective new signings the carrot of European football or a title challenge, he is convinced Newcastle can still compete for the very best this summer. “I would be disappointed if the first thing I had to do was to convince a player to come. “Most players will know that we get 50,000-odd fans every week and it is a fantastic place to play. “If they don’t know they will quickly do what Obafemi Martins did when I came – and go on the Internet and find out who I am!”

NEWCASTLE are weighing up a summer move for Athletic Bilbao defender Fernando Amorebieta. A United scout ran the rule over the 23-year-old centre-half in Bilbao’s 1-0 home win over Espanyol last Sunday. Bilbao boast the joint best defensive record in La Liga this season, with Amorebieta (pictured) receiving rave reviews and admiring glances from several bigger Spanish clubs. But unless Barcelona and Real Madrid join the bidding, he is expected to end up in the Premier League before the start of next season. And although Liverpool are interested, Newcastle believe the prospect of regular first-team football with them could entice a player keen to win promotion from Spain’s Under-21 side to the full international squad. United are in the market for a central defender as doubts persist over Steven Taylor’s future on Tyneside. Taylor is growing ever more frustrated at Newcastle’s failure to reopen talks on a new contract. If they do not offer him favourable new terms, United face the prospect of Taylor running down his current deal and being able to talk to other clubs from January onwards as a soon-to-be free agent. Amorebieta is regarded as an international star of the future. Perhaps more importantly, at 6’ 2”, he is regarded as capable of handling the extra physicality of the Premier League. And although he is understood to have a release clause of 20 million euros (£16 million), Bilbao – among the poorer relations in Spain’s top flight – would listen to offers of £6 million-plus.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a decent set up?

Newcastle United are expected to offer €5m (£4m) for the Anderlecht playmaker Moubarak Boussoufa on Monday, according to reported remarks from senior Anderlecht officials in Brussels yesterday. Skilful and agile, if physically slight, Boussoufa is a 23 year-old Moroccan international who was on Chelsea's books as a teenager. Newcastle, however, will find rivals in Atletico Madrid and Lens and there is the added difficulty of Boussoufa's apparent desire to stay in Brussels for at least another season. "I'm negotiating a contract until 2012," Boussoufa told a Belgian newspaper this week, "and it might be the best thing for me to stay one or two more years with Anderlecht." Born in Amsterdam, Boussoufa joined Ajax aged 12 but moved to Chelsea in 2001. This was pre-Abramovich and Boussoufa left after three years once the Russian had come and began to spend money on recruitment. Realising his limited chances, Boussoufa joined Ghent, then Anderlecht after being voted Belgian player of the year in 2006. Were the transfer to be completed, Boussoufa would be a natural replacement for Emre Belozoglu, who is not expected to remain at St James' Park beyond the summer. Like Emre, Boussoufa is predominantly left-footed and another left- sided Newcastle midfielder with an uncertain future is Charles N'Zogbia. Manager Kevin Keegan said yesterday that N'Zogbia needs to integrate himself more at the club if he is to stay. "When I first came in there were eight days left of the transfer window," Keegan said. "Charles and his agent wanted to move him out of here and I wouldn't allow that. Having said that, I said that if he did his best until the end of the season and felt the same way, if he still wanted to go, I would let him. But it would be on our terms. He's got three years left here. "I've had a chat with him today, his training in the last week has been the best since I've been here. If he can learn to be a team player, with his individual skill, he will be a hell of an asset for any club and I would like that club to be Newcastle United."

Just on Sky Sports News arrested in connection with football corruption investigation...

MARK Viduka has put Premier League defences on alert by warning he is still to find his best form and predicting there is more to come when he finally shakes off the niggling injuries that have made this one of his most frustrating seasons. In-form Viduka has played a key role in Newcastle United’s recent resurgence, turning in a series of fine displays as part of the all-star front three that has helped re-establish United’s attacking credentials. While others may have snatched the spotlight as results improve, there is no denying the correlation between Viduka’s return to the team and the upturn in results and performances for Kevin Keegan’s men. Indeed, two goals in three games speaks volumes for the classy Australian’s impact in recent weeks. But despite that impressive ratio, Viduka insists he can improve when he finally hits peak condition. A succession of calf and thigh injuries have prevented United from seeing Viduka’s best form until the last two months and, despite his impressive recent displays, the former Middlesbrough forward admits he is still striving to reach full fitness. “I’m not at my strongest, I’m still working my way back to that because I had a couple of niggling injuries. As you get older it gets tougher to shake them off and I’m into my 30s now,” he said. “When you’re young you recover quicker, you can shake things off and you can play with the knocks. It doesn’t affect you as much, but I’m not that age any more. I just have to accept that and do the best I can.” Viduka’s frustrating campaign has led to him considering a withdrawal from international football to prolong his club career, and such a move would undoubtedly benefit Newcastle. United goal-scoring legend Alan Shearer is the best example of a player who left the international stage to great effect – and it was a similar decision which has helped England team-mate Paul Scholes to continue turning out with distinction for Manchester United. It is a road that Viduka is understandably reluctant to follow, but he is adamant that his burgeoning club career at St James’s Park must come first in his list of priorities. A compromise solution – where Viduka only turns out for his country in qualifying games – may be worked out, but in the meantime the striker is discussing all available options with the Australian Football Association. “It’s a really tough decision for me with Australia because I’m at the age where I have to look after my body and get the most out of it that I can,” said the striker. “I love meeting up with the guys and representing my country, but I want to play for Newcastle for as long as, and as often as, I can. I want to be able to give 100% to Newcastle. I might be able to pick and choose international games, but I’m having a chat with the coach at the weekend so we’ll see what comes from that.” Now 32 and with eight years of top-flight football in England on his CV, the Melbourne-raised striker feels more at home on these shores, and that contentment has led to something of an Indian summer when it comes to his club form. He is so settled he even admits to contemplating coaching in this country when he finally quits playing. “We’ve been in England for so long now we see it as our home,” he said. “After I finish playing I’ll see what I want to do and have a little break before deciding. Maybe if I miss it that much I might go into coaching.” As Viduka’s improvement prompts optimism surrounding United’s prospects next season, the club made another significant investment in their future by extending the contract of promising 20-year-old goalkeeper Fraser Forster until 2010. The 6ft 6in Hexham-born shot-stopper has excelled in the reserves this season and boss Kevin Keegan is tipping him for a possible call-up to the England Under-21 side if he continues his steep learning curve.

TRANSFER RUMOURS West Ham boss Alan Curbishley is planning an £18m raid for Argentine striker Mauro Zarate. The 21-year-old is currently on loan at Birmingham from Al-Sadd in Qatar. (The Sun) Newcastle are keeping tabs on £10m-rated Germany defender Christoph Metzelder. The 6ft 4in centre back has made just 11 appearances for Real Madrid this season. (Daily Star) Chelsea's £4m-rated teenage striker Scott Sinclair will be at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war this summer between FA Cup finalists Portsmouth and Roy Keane's Sunderland. (Daily Mirror) Wigan manager Steve Bruce has warned Manchester City it will take a lot more than £5m to land winger Antonio Valencia. "When I heard about this supposed £5m interest in Valencia, I laughed," he said. (The Sun) Austria's Red Bull Salzburg are planning a summer swoop for Wolves skipper Karl Henry - and hope to lure him with the prospect of European football. (Daily Mirror) Steven Pienaar wants a firm contract offer from Everton - or he'll leave. The winger, on loan from Borussia Dortmund, is available for £2.4m. (The Sun) Liverpool reject Florent Sinama-Pongolle - now with Recreativo de Huelva - is a £7.2m target for Valencia and Atletico Madrid. (Daily Mirror) Sunderland are believed to be interested in £2.5m-rated Fulham midfielder Jimmy Bullard, especially so if the west London club are to lose their battle to avoid relegation. (Daily Express) Aston Villa are interested in Bayern Munich's £1.5m-rated right-back Willy Sagnol. (Daily Mail) OTHER GOSSIP Angry Bolton fans are organising a petition and protests to get rid of manager Gary Megson and chairman Phil Gartside. (Daily Mirror) Fulham have denied that manager Roy Hodgson was going to be replaced by former midfielder John Collins. (Daily Telegraph) Bolton, meanwhile, have refuted suggestions that Nigeria Under-23 coach Samson Siasia is being lined up to replace Gary Megson. (Daily Telegraph) Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech could be playing in two weeks after having 50 stitches in a face wound courtesy of an accidental collision with team-mate Tal Ben Haim... And he's likely to be donning a face guard to go with the scrumcap he already wears. (The Independent) American billionaire George Soros could complete his takeover of Roma by the end of the week, according to reports in Italy. (Daily Telegraph) Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan has assured winger Damien Duff that he still has a future at St James' Park. (The Independent) Jean-Claude Darcheville's agent has revealed that the 32-year-old striker hopes to end his playing career at Ibrox. (Daily Record) AND FINALLY Roma boss Luciano Spalletti has admitted his players were wrong to accuse Cristiano Ronaldo of showboating. "Sometimes we may say things that we normally would not and that is what happened," he said. (Daily Star) QPR manager Luigi Di Canio was left bruised and shaken after being mugged just hours before his side's Championship clash with Preston. The Italian was believed to have been robbed in west London after going out for a meal and was up until 3am reporting the incident at a police station. (Daily Mirror) David Beckham has again topped football's rich list with France Football magazine estimating his annual fortune at a staggering £24.7m, a figure which helps LA Galaxy's Englishman reclaim top spot from Ronaldinho.(Various)

KEVIN Keegan is certain Habib Beye will become a terrace hero at St James's Park – as he plays every game as if his life depends on it. While Joey Barton was handed the sponsors' man of the match award for his performance in Newcastle United's 3-0 win over Reading on Saturday, Keegan felt Beye's performance edged that from Barton. The right-back helped Newcastle to a second clean sheet from three games, and set up two of United's goals. He lifted a delicate goal into the box a couple of minutes from the break for Michael Owen to score the all-important second goal, and it was his clever run and pull back that set up Mark Viduka after the break. And Keegan was left drooling over the Senegal international's performance. He told the Gazette: "He was my man of the match, just ahead of Joey. "I wouldn't argue with Joey, because he was a terrific engine, driving us forward, but I thought Habib Beye was absolutely outstanding. "You can't play right back any better than that in the system we had. He defended well, and he got forward well. I don't think he gave the ball away. "I think he works fantastically with Geremi – those two were fantastic." Beye – signed by Sam Allardyce from Olympique Marseille last summer – has steadily got to grips with the English game since his move from France. And the 30-year-old is not afraid to get his foot in, something which Keegan feels is endearing him to the club's fans. Keegan added: "I think you can tell the fans are really taking to him because they can see that commitment. "There are a lot of things that get the crowd going here. One is exciting football, like the third goal. The other is a good tackle, and a guy going out there looking like it's life and death, almost. "He has that attitude. He's got tremendous athleticism. He's a good man around the dressing room."

Aye I am aware of it but the release date that they are talking about at the moment is 4 months away, only took this on a 12 months contract so should do me a turn for a little while...

I am a no show once again...

DESPITE a campaign in which they have looked more likely to visit the Championship than the continent, Abdoulaye Faye is convinced everything is in place for Newcastle United to become a top-six club next season. Faye admitted he came to Newcastle from Bolton in the summer believing the Magpies would be pushing for Uefa Cup qualification this season. As a result, the subsequent struggles which cost former manager Sam Allardyce his job and led to an unexpected battle against relegation came as a major shock to the Senegal international. But with new boss Kevin Keegan finally sparking some sort of revival, Faye is starting to see signs that United will be a force to be reckoned with again next term. “When I first arrived I really thought we could get into the top six,” said Faye, who has been singled out for special praise by Keegan following the back-to-back victories over Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur. “This was Newcastle I was signing for, they don’t struggle like this. This season has been not what I expected. “Of course we can get in the top six at this club. Everything here is ready for that. When I came here I was joining a club with big names, big players around the place. I thought we’d do well this season. I thought top six, top five or even get in the Champions League. It’s not happened like that at all. “Everybody wants to play in the Champions League and after very difficult times that’s something we think we can still get to next season. Sometimes things don’t go well and they haven’t this season, but things are improving and hopefully next season, I think, will be better.” Although Newcastle’s decline was a shocking one, the manner in which they have returned to form under Keegan in the last couple of weeks has been thrilling. The 4-1 away win over Spurs last weekend was one of the best performances from any Newcastle side in recent years and Faye could not hide his excitement at what it suggests for the future. He explained: “I think it is better because everybody has confidence now. Last Sunday, we played very well and you can tell that everyone was very happy. Everything is good in the dressing room now and, from the games we have left, I’m sure that the fans will see that. “There may be games where things do not go right, but we played very well at Tottenham and the new confidence we have will help us in the final matches. Before it was difficult. Before, every game we seemed to lose – whether we played away, played at home – we would lose. There was no confidence. Everyone would be miserable when they were around the training ground. It’s different now. “After our last three games, at Birmingham, Fulham and Tottenham, things have improved a lot. Things are much better. Everyone has confidence and everybody is happier now. There are smiles, jokes. We all think we can win on Saturday (against Reading) now, before we didn’t look forward to games as much.” Faye’s presence in the back four has been a sizeable one and his experience has also benefited England Under-21 international Steven Taylor. But if Faye is the senior man in the central defensive partnership, he is also confident Taylor will go on to become one of the best defenders in the country. He added: “He is good, a good player. He’s 20, 21 years and he plays very good. He is strong and he works very hard, I like Steven and he is also a very good person. He can get to England level, I’m sure of that. But he’s young, with little experience. He’s playing a lot now and that will help him. One day he will be in the England squad, that’s for sure.”

Dunne for a decent price due to this contract nonsense and Wes Brown on a bosman would be a massive improvement if they were brought in to replace Carr and Rozenhal..

Myself and most people I know still refer to throw in as "shys" What names do you still use for everyday things?