sempuki

Gordon Taylor is having a pop at JFK about it now.

http://www.skysports.com/video/clips/0,23791,12602_4866187,00.html?ssvTab=1&ssvSelectedTab=12599&ssvBasket=12602&ssvPage=3 He calls Martins "Obi" too.

Kinnear is also hopeful of bringing in Ryan Taylor from Wigan. He added: "We've put in a bid and we are waiting for the outcome." But he says that Abil Ebondo looks unlikely to be coming Tyneside after Tolouse doubled their asking price. He said: "We thought it was a bid of £3million but it ended up being £6million so we pulled out for now."

Where's that from?

SHAY GIVEN is set to join Manchester City today in an £8.5million deal. The Newcastle keeper had a medical on Tuesday and was left out of last night’s clash with Mark Hughes’ men. A Newcastle spokesman claimed the player had an injured right knee. But the Republic of Ireland star, a Toon stalwart for 11 years, made it clear to Joe Kinnear that he wanted a move and the manager eventually caved in. Given is expected to sign a contract worth £86,000 a week. Meanwhile Wigan have made a £6m move for Newcastle’s French midfielder Charles N’Zogbia.

Given's future 'out of my hands' - Joe Published Date: 28 January 2009 JOE Kinnear says Shay Given's Newcastle United future is now "out of his hands". And the United boss is all but resigned to losing the goalkeeper to tonight's opponents Manchester City before the end of the transfer window. Kinnear will make an 11th hour decision on who will be between the posts at the City of Manchester Stadium, with Steve Harper – who yesterday signed a new three-year contract at St James's Park – in contention for his first start of the campaign. The assumption is that Harper signed his new deal on the understanding Given would leave, making him the club's first-choice goalkeeper after a frustrating decade largely spent on the bench. While Kinnear – who has already rejected two City bids for the 32-year-old – insists nothing is cut and dried, he insists he can do no more to persuade Given his future remains at Newcastle after more than 11 years at the club. "I've bent over backwards to keep Shay, and I've told the powers-that-be he's got to stay," said Kinnear. "I understand it from Shay's point of view. Shay wants to leave, but I have tried my hardest to make him stay. "He's done 11 years here at Newcastle, and I think he wants a new challenge. "I left Shay with Mike Ashley, Derek Llambias and Michael Kennedy and the talks went on for a few hours. "It's out of my hands, and I'm still waiting for the final outcome, but I think that he wants a new challenge and that he wants to speak to Manchester City. "I'd be heartbroken to see him go, because he's one of the best keepers in the world, but Man City keep banging on the door to talk to him." Kinnear, meanwhile, is still hopeful of landing Toulouse right-back Albin Ebondo, with talks "ongoing" over his proposed £2.5m switch. He said: "We're likely to be without Habib Beye for 10 games, and that's 30 points to play for. "We need more than cover, we need to build up the squad. I'm hopeful that Albin will join us, and we're just waiting for the handshake on that deal. It's very much an ongoing thing."

NEWCASTLE and Aston Villa are battling to sign Charlton teenager Josh Wright. The England Under-18 midfielder can leave for nothing after a row with boss Phil Parkinson. Wright, 18, was fined for refusing to travel to Saturday’s FA Cup defeat at Sheffield United after being told he would not start.

"We have never seen Steve as a number two and what he had in front of him was an outstanding goalkeeper in Shay Given." That quote above is pretty damning. Hope we actually buy some players with the cash.

Rod Fanni linked today. Would be worth it for the comedy value alone - puns galore!

Looks promising this. Wonder who the midfielder is.

HOTLINE - Harry in Viduka gamble EXCLUSIVE By Neil Silver Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is planning a shock swoop for Newcastle striker Mark Viduka. Redknapp wants to bring in another target man and lost out on his first choice, Craig Bellamy, to Manchester City. He is also keen on Blackburn striker Roque Santa-Cruz, but knows he cannot compete ag ain with big-spending City boss Mark Hughes. That has left Redknapp weighing up a move for Australian international Viduka, who he'd like to bring in on loan until the end of the season. Viduka has a proven goalscoring record for Leeds, Middlesbrough and current club Newcastle, and Redknapp sees him as an ideal partner for Jermain Defoe. The Australian, whose current contract expires at the end of the season, had hoped to secure a new Toon deal but his latest injury - a torn calf muscle - will keep him out of action until next month, effectively ending his career on Tyneside. And it is the 33-year-old's poor fitness record throughout his career that will concern Redknapp - but if he can arrange a short-term arrangement, a deal could be struck. Viduka made his first start for six months in Newcastle's Boxing Day defeat at Wigan. But he failed to finish the game at the JJB Stadium, with away supporters singing 'You're not fit to wear the shirt' as he left the field holding his leg. Viduka missed the first three months of the campaign with an Achilles injury.

Newcastle Utd eye shock £4m bid for Celtic skipper Stephen McManus Jan 25 2009 By Mark Guidi CELTIC skipper Stephen McManus is a shock s4million target for Newcastle. The Scotland international is on a list of central defenders being considered by the Premiership side for a January swoop. Big Mick - who scored in yesterday's 3-1 win over Hibs and is contracted at Parkhead until summer 2011 - was recommended to United boss Joe Kinnear and he has asked contacts about the star's ability. MailSport can reveal the feedback has been positive and that could lead to official contact between the clubs this week. With finances tight at the Toon, Kinnear may try to offer Gordon Strachan one of his players as part of the deal to reduce the cost. And the name that tops the list is 22-year-old Spanish left-back Jose Enrique. Sam Allardyce paid s6m to Villarreal in August 2007 for the player but he has no future under Kinnear. Enrique was last week involved in a bust-up with hothead Joey Barton during the 3-0 defeat at Blackburn. Barton gave the defender pelters for not tracking back at the third goal and had to be restrained by team-mates. Newcastle have been leaking goals and Kinnear is desperate to sign at least one centre-back as the club battles relegation. McManus, who limped off yesterday with a minor injury, is one of Toon's top targets and club chief Dennis Wise will decide this week whether to follow up the manager's interest.

johnson in goal ? i'd like to think if given goes ,harper would commit. Hilarity prevails? We don't need another keeper in my opinion but we would be panicking if Harper got injured (as no doubt knowing our luck he probably would) after we had sold Shay.

I wouldn't waste our precious budget on a 38 year old keeper. Johnson would obviously be the sensible choice in a part-exchange......

But we seem to be as about as intelligent as that dog's arse in your avatar!

Just over a week of this misery left. If it was a real window I'd be tempted to put my foot through it!

"Vital Football". One of the least likely ones I'd say.

"The Rabbit" is the latest one: Newcastle United have taken a step closer to sealing a deal for out-of-favour Argentine striker Javier Saviola from Real Madrid after the player expressed his frustrations at lack of playing time in Spain. Speaking to Spanish publication Marca Saviola stated that his future lies either in the Premier League or in the Calcio. He stated that neither Bernd Schuster, nor new boss Juande Ramos have shown any faith in him, and that at one point Ramos told him that if he wanted to play regularly, he should leave Madrid. 'Juande Ramos told me that if I want to play regularly, I should join a smaller team,' said Saviola. 'My situation is intolerable, and I want to leave Madrid in the January transfer window,' he added. 'It's a difficult situation. You have to be very strong mentally because as each game goes by without playing you are destroyed a little more psychologically,' the 27-year-old lamented. In the interview, 'The Rabbit' as he is called, spoke of a possible move to England. 'My future is away from Real Madrid. I would not want to stay in Spain. I see myself in the Premier League, or in the Serie A.' Newcastle United are known admirers of the 27-year-old having made enquiries about his availability several times since last summer. Now that the player has himself expressed a desire to leave, the Magpies can finally tie up a deal that would appease fans who are yet again questioning the ability and credibility of the United board. The price quoted for the Argentine speedster is £6 million, and the Magpies are said to be keen on reaching an agreement with the Bernabeu club.

Besiktas stopper offered to Magpies Jan 24 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal NEWCASTLE United have been offered the chance to sign Turkish international defender Gökhan Zan on loan until the end of the season, but manager Joe Kinnear is still confident he can land other targets. The Besiktas centre-back has been touted around a number of Premier League clubs after his Turkish employers indicated they were willing to allow the 27-year-old to leave this month. Having initially looked to sell a player who has been capped 27 times by his country, Besiktas have since let it be known they could be willing to allow the 6ft 4in stopper to move to England on loan with the possibility of a permanent deal at the end of the season. That has attracted a cash-strapped Newcastle’s interest, but Kinnear is also looking at other targets who he feels may be more suitable to the rigours of the Premier League. With reports in Scotland also claiming Celtic are keen to try and offload their experienced centre-half Bobo Baldé to United, the Magpies have not been short on options when it comes to potential defensive targets. The Guinea international is out of contract with Celtic at the end of the season and will not sign an extension. As a result, the Scottish club have also suggested they may be willing to let him leave on a free transfer now in order to get him off the wage bill at Parkhead. However, although the Magpies are desperate for reinforcements before the close of the transfer window at the end of the month, there is still a reluctance to take any unnecessary risks and neither Gökhan or Balde will be signing in the next 48 hours. At 33, there is a fear Balde’s best years are behind him, while the interest in Gökhan has been put on hold while negotiations continue with the club’s of other targets. Despite making several bids for defenders since the start of the year, all have been rejected. The release of the club’s accounts for 2008 painted a grim financial picture and illustrated just how restrictive the transfer budget is for Kinnear as he tries to find the players needed to strengthen a squad which has been badly stretched by injuries and suspensions all season. Indeed, although Kinnear was interested in central midfielder Jimmy Bullard, the Magpies could only stand by and watch as the 30-year-old completed a surprise £5m move from Fulham to Hull City yesterday. Bullard has been one of the most consistent midfielders in the Premier League over the last two seasons, a fact recognised by England manager Fabio Capello who gave the former Wigan player his first international call-up last year, and would have been an excellent signing. However, the player was looking for a four-year contract on wages of more than £50,000 a week, a figure Newcastle can not hope to match in the present financial climate. Although owner Mike Ashley has made some money available to sign players this month – thought to be somewhere in the region of £10m – he is still keen to slash a wage bill which is eating up 70% of the club’s income and will no longer pay enormous salaries. The Newcastle hierarchy, though, also know that with nine days left until transfer deadline day, they are under enormous pressure to add to the squad and improve the options available to Kinnear. With Ashley struggling to win over sceptical supporters regarding his decision to take the club off the market last month, a failure to land any new players other than the out-of-contract Danish international Peter Løvenkrands will do little to relieve the ill feeling which continues to sour the air around St James’s Park. Meanwhile, Kinnear has held clear-the-air talks with midfielder Charles N’Zogbia and striker Andy Carroll after the two traded punches on the training ground this week. Although Kinnear played down the incident, which followed a late challenge by Carroll on a confrontational N’Zogbia, he has still moved to calm simmering tension between the two, and has instructed them that they will always play on the same side in training for the foreseeable future.

Amazing really.

Lampard 2-1. Thanks Chelsea!

Chelsea are totally pounding Stoke.

2 a.m. here - total waste of my limited time.

Good for us though (Chelsea scoring).

We just gave up after they got the pen. Misery over.