Martins set for Newcastle move

[Gemmill 34461]

Jealousy tbh. You know that's a hit. I'm working on a version of Janet Jackson's What Have You Done for Me Lately, with "for me lately" replaced by "O-ba-fe-mi" at the minute.

 

Also "She Drives me Crazy" by the Fine Young Cannibals. "Drives Me Crazy" to become "O-ba-fe-mi".

[adios 717]

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I like the Associated Press initials in the top right. Breaking news from Bamalamajaladad; this just in: Jesus Wept!

[donaldstott 0]

United get their man at lastAug 24 2006

 

 

By Alan Oliver, The Evening Chronicle

 

 

Newcastle United have tied up the £10m signing of Inter Milan striker Obafemi Martins - and are hoping to introduce him to the St James' Park crowd at tonight's UEFA Cup second qualifying round second-leg tie with FK Ventspils.

 

This is subject to the Nigerian-born striker passing a medical on Tyneside this afternoon after he arrived in Newcastle from Italy in a private plane at lunch-time today.

 

The United party and Martins flew in from Rome after they had travelled from Milan so that the striker could pick up a visa, and word was flashed back to Freddy Shepherd and Glenn Roeder that everything was in order.

 

Presuming Martins does come through his medical, then the only obstacle to him being in a black-and-white shirt against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday is his international clearance.

United cannot apply for this until the whole transfer is completed and after that it's in the hands of the Italians. If Martins is introduced to the crowd tonight then he will get a fantastic reception - but I hope the fans do not forget Roeder.

 

 

Roeder and Shepherd have kept their nerve in waiting for what they see as the right man, and in between all the transfer negotiations the manager has still guided United to nine wins and two draws in his last 11 competitive games.

 

 

This is quite an achievement bearing in mind the players he has had available.

 

 

Roeder switched from his original plan to watch Sunday's opponents Aston Villa last night, sending his No 2 Kevin Bond to Villa Park to see Martin O'Neill's side beat a 10-man Reading 2-1.

 

 

Instead, Roeder and Terry McDermott headed for Teesside and saw Middles-brough's tremendous comeback to beat Chelsea 2-1.

 

 

But the United pair must have had mixed feelings, as the man they were watching most, Wayne Bridge, had a good enough match despite the champions letting in water at the end.

 

 

Indeed, this prompted Jose Mourinho to pose the question in the after-match Press conference: "Who

 

 

needs Ashley Cole when Wayne Bridge is playing so well?"

 

 

So the cat and mouse game between Chelsea and Arsenal over Cole continues, and all United can do is wait for the outcome in their bid to bring Bridge to St James' Park.

 

 

Meanwhile, there is a feeling in Denmark that Celtic are now favourites ahead of United to snap up Real Madrid midfielder Thomas Gravesen at a bargain £2m transfer fee.

 

 

However, there is no doubt in my mind that the Danish international would prefer Tyneside to Glasgow, especially as Celtic boss Gordon Strachan is saying that Gravesen's demands would smash through Celtic's wage barrier.

 

And I wonder, with money still tight at St James' Park, whether Roeder would be prepared to sacrifice Gravesen if he could bring in Chelsea's German central defender Robert Huth.

 

His reporting gets more and more like Springers final thought!!!