I ♥ Alan Oliver

[Guest Sima]

Freddy Shepherd has sent the word out that Newcastle United are on the lookout for attacking players for next season.

 

After knocking back claims that United were interested in Chelsea's £5m-rated £50,000 a-week German World Cup centre-half Robert Huth, Shepherd is clearly happy at what Glenn Roeder will have available to him in his defence next season.

 

And this is backed up by the statistics which show, even after some horrendous defensive blunders, that United still kept 13 Premiership clean sheets in their 38-match Premiership campaign, compared with a mere six the season before.

 

That's why Shepherd told me today: "After discussing things with the manager we know what we want and need. We are on the lookout for attacking players for next season."

 

Shepherd quite naturally would not name names, but Roeder's first choice would be Ruud Van Nistelrooy in what he pictures as a great strike force with Michael Owen.

 

Obviously, as he insists he is focusing on the World Cup, the Dutch striker will have plenty of options, including AC Milan and even Chelsea, but Van Nistelrooy is aware of United's interest and that's all Shepherd and Roeder can do at the moment.

 

My own personal feeling is that it is Van Nistelrooy's Dutch colleague Dirk Kuyt who will eventually end up at St James' Park from Feyenoord.

 

Indeed, Roeder says: "Kuyt is a striker I rate very highly and one we will be watching with interest in the World Cup."

 

Like the majority of Premiership teams, United will probably not move into the transfer market as buyers until after the World Cup, and obviously they all run the risk of seeing players' values rise should they have a successful time in Germany.

 

United went for a different approach in 1998 when Kenny Dalglish signed Stephane Guivarc'h from Auxerre for £4.5m before the World Cup finals in France.

 

France duly won the competition but Guivarc'h was terrible, and he only lasted a couple of months at St James' Park as the ploy back-fired.

 

Nearer home, I always felt that with Graeme Souness sacked and Alan Shearer retired, there was a chance of Craig Bellamy returning to St James' Park.

 

But this will definitely not be the case. There was nothing in the deal which gave United a head start should they want the fiery Welsh striker back when he left for Blackburn Rovers 12 months ago.

 

However Bellamy, who was married in his home city of Cardiff last Saturday, his former United colleagues Kieron Dyer and John Carver were on the guest list, tells me that there is clause saying that he can move for £6m, but this is only applicable until the end of next month.

 

There would be some support for a Bellamy return among the fans but it looks like he is history now as far as United are concerned.

 

OMG EMERTON !!!!11111ONE1111!!!!!

 

LM will be raging at the Bellamy thing

[Guest CrimsonFault]

If you go to bed with an itchy bum, you wake up with smelly fingers.

[Brock Manson 0]

If the 6 million bit is true, I want Bellamy back.

[Lazarus 0]

If the 6 million bit is true, I want Bellamy back.

146322[/snapback]

 

wont happen

[snakehips 0]

''And this is backed up by the statistics which show, even after some horrendous defensive blunders, that United still kept 13 Premiership clean sheets in their 38-match Premiership campaign, compared with a mere six the season before.''

 

What Anal and others who make this statement tend to forget is how many times Given prevented us conceding. Without a goalkeeper of Given's class our defensive record would truly reflect most of these 'defensive blunders'.

 

If anyone - including Portly Freddie and Anal - think our defence is strong enough, they are delusional.

 

Yes, we still have Given to pull us out of the shite but that doesn't mean the back four doesn't need addressing.

 

And, assuming Taylor coming back into the side is going to make everything just fine and dandy is 'wide of the mark', as Anal would so stupidly describe it.

 

The back four needs serious treatment imo.

Edited June 8, 2006 by snakehips

[The Fish 8950]

carver on the guest list

 

sounds like Bellamy is a right bastard, first throwing a chair... now this??

 

that guy burns me up

[The Fish 8950]

carver on the guest list

 

sounds like Bellamy is a right bastard, first throwing a chair... now this??

 

that guy burns me up

[Guest CrimsonFault]

Aye, I heard you the first time, Fishy.