McClaren on Owen, Dyer and Roeder

[Guest smoggeordie]

www.nufc.co.uk

 

McClaren Tells Kieron and Owen: Toon Comes First

 

STEVE McClaren has told Newcastle United's international stars that their immediate priority is to concentrate on being fit for their club - and worry about international duty later.

 

The England coach was granted permission by Glenn Roeder to visit the Magpies' training base on Tuesday, where he caught up with the likes of Michael Owen, Kieron Dyer and Scott Parker, plus younger hopefuls like James Milner, Steven Taylor and Peter Ramage.

 

Like Toon boss Roeder, McClaren must do without ace marksman Owen as he recovers from a ruptured cruciate sustained in last summer's World Cup finals, while Dyer is only just back in the reckoning again after a lengthy spell out to cure his problem hamstring condition.

 

McClaren said of his visit: "I am looking forward to seeing Michael and hearing from him at first hand just how much progress he is making from his knee injury.

 

"The Newcastle medical people have already told me that he is showing a lot of courage and determination in the way he is going about his comeback bid.

 

"Obviously I am looking forward to the day when Michael is back with us with England but the most important thing is for him to pull that black and white shirt on again.

 

"The same applies to Kieron Dyer. I have been a fan of his from the days when I was coach at Manchester United and I am still a fan.

 

"And I cannot praise him enough at the way he has fought back from all his problems and the professionalism and strength of character he has shown.

 

"Kieron Dyer does not need to impress me but I know what he wants most and that is to be playing regularly again for Newcastle United."

 

McClaren has called upon Scott Parker for England duty this season, but the Toon skipper is currently nursing a back injury that is keeping him on the sidelines.

 

Nonetheless, the Three Lions boss knows how important the Londoner is to the Geordie cause, adding: "Scott Parker is Scott Parker. And every team needs a player like him.

 

"He has a great will to win and he is a leader on the pitch and he is a player who is very much in my plans."

 

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England boss Steve McClaren popped into the Newcastle United training ground today - and praised Glenn Roeder for the "amazing job" he has done in taking his injury-ravaged side into the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup.

 

And the former Riverside boss predicted that United would climb away from the bottom of the Premiership table - just like Middlesbrough did last season.

 

McClaren had words of encouragement for his England men Michael Owen, Kieron Dyer and Scott Parker and England hopeful Steven Taylor.

 

In an exclusive interview with The Chronicle before visiting the training ground McClaren told me: "I know Glenn Roeder is busy preparing for an important game with Reading tomorrow night, and he has as many injuries as I have ever seen at a football club.

 

"But when I asked him if I could come and meet him and his players he could not agree quickly enough.

 

"I really believe that Glenn has done an amazing job in getting Newcastle to the top of that hard group in the UEFA Cup - and when you take into consideration he has done it with all those injuries it is really a fantastic and incredible achievement by him.

 

"Now I am 100% confident that Newcastle's league form will turn around.

 

"Funnily enough, at the moment Newcastle are repeating what we did at Middlesbrough last season.

 

"At this time we were not doing that well in the League, but we turned it round and got to the semi-final of the FA Cup and the final of the UEFA Cup.

 

"Nothing would please me more than to see Glenn and Newcastle go one better.

 

"What I like about the current situation at Newcastle is that no-one is complaining about their injuries, but they just get on with it."

 

One of those injured players, of course, is Michael Owen and, like Roeder, McClaren is having to do without the services of one of the greatest goalscorers in this country in the past few years.

 

However, McClaren added: "I am looking forward to seeing Michael and hearing from him at first hand just how much progress he is making after his knee injury.

 

"The Newcastle medical people have already told me that he is showing a lot of courage and determination in the way he is going about his comeback bid.

 

"Obviously I am looking forward to the day when Michael is back with us with England, but the most important thing is for him to pull that black-and-white shirt on again.

 

"The same applies to Kieron Dyer. I have been a fan of his from the days when I was coach at Manchester United, and I am still a fan.

 

"And I cannot praise him enough for the way he has fought back from all his problems, and the professionalism and strength of character he has shown.

 

"Kieron does not need to impress me, but I know what he wants most - and that is to be playing regularly again for Newcastle United."

 

Someone who is not playing for United at the moment, of course, is skipper Scott Parker, who is out of action with a muscle strain in his back.

 

But McClaren is a fan and says: "Every team needs a player like Scott Parker. He has a great will to win and he is a leader on the pitch. He is a player who is very much in my plans."

 

McClaren was at St James' Park a week past Thursday when Steven Taylor scored

 

his first goal for his beloved United against Celta Vigo and set off on those amazing celebrations, leaving the England boss to joke: "Once I had stopped chuckling I could not help admiring his enthusiasm.

 

"I love players like this, players like Steven Taylor who want to be winners.

 

"Obviously, I know all about him as he is an England Under-21 regular, but he has to look further ahead - and while the likes of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand stand in his way, he has to aim for the top."

 

 

[Dave]

'They all smell of poo'

[Dave]

'Pile on!'

[Lenny]

So other people think our players are good, its just us that thinks they are shit! id love to see Dyer, Owen, Parker and Taylor sitting in the England squad this time next season.

[Newcastle Fan]

he praised roeder for WHAT!!

 

and i am starting to think shepard is paying these people to come and praise roeder and newcastle..

[Dave]

So other people think our players are good, its just us that thinks they are shit! id love to see Dyer, Owen, Parker and Taylor sitting in the England squad this time next season.

 

Owen maybe, Dyer possibly. Other two? Nah.

[Guest Ridzuan]

Interesting to see McClaren dropping in on us instead of Boro.He is a secret fan of us maybe?

[Lenny]

So other people think our players are good, its just us that thinks they are shit! id love to see Dyer, Owen, Parker and Taylor sitting in the England squad this time next season.

 

Owen maybe, Dyer possibly. Other two? Nah.

 

i cant see taylor being in the squad but i can see the other 3 being in there, id be more inclined to say of the 4 most likely would be Owen and Parker since unfortunatley Dyer is likely to be injured again. Still would be nice tho

[Leazes1986]

Dyer has got a long way to go before he deserves to get back in the squad. The needs to stay fit regularly which i can't see him doing. Good to see McClaren seems to be a fan of Parker. Taylor is nowhere near ready yet, although i think in a few years if he has cut the rash decisions out of his game then he could be an England squad regular. He seems to be finally getting back to good form.

[Guest theunis]

Like that fact that Rouder does not moan that often compared to Wenger, he just gets on with it, really admire him for that nice to see England coach coming out to say that.

 

As for Dyer, yeah he needs a run of good performances before he is ready for Enland recall not that i think Mclaren will play him that often but he needs to do the business for us 1st.

 

Also liked Taylor celebrations with his header goal, that is what you want from our players reall, you could see he was so so happy with the goal, and that showed. He is also still a long way from senior England call, but if he keeps performing Steve might start entroducing him somewhere down the line

[Parky]

There is nothing I like about Roeder and really don't give a shit about what muppet McClaren thinks of anything. These players need to get on the pitch and win games. That is all that matters the rest is window dressing.

[Incognito]

the fact Michael Dawson is a member of the squad and Zat Knight toured America 2005 summer makes me believe Stevie T ain't far awy now cos he's certainly better than them 2.

[AlanSkÃrare]

Since Taylor has been in the England team at every single level from the U15s to the U21s..isnt it natural for the England manager to speak of him as a possible forthcoming international? He'll probably get his chance in a friendly or something during 2007..

[Tisd09]

Taylor has suffered from some poor decision making of his own and the laugable other players we have in defence. For me it looks as if he has taken a step back from when he first come along. I think he has the potential to become a very good player but he needs to be playing next to the right partner. Some one like Sol Campbell could have been great for him, instead he has to learn from Titus. Taylor can be very rash at times and needs to cut that out of his game. I can still see him pickng up a few caps for England.