Rich Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Original Source Big Sam pressing for Gud decision Jul 2 2007 by Lee Ryder, Evening Chronicle NEWCASTLE United were today stepping up their bid to persuade Eidur Gudjohnsen to rejoin his former boss Sam Allardyce. United sent a delegation to Barcelona last week to discuss their move for Brazilian World Cup winner Edmilson – but the Chronicle understands Kenneth Shepherd will remain in Spain to continue the Magpies’ work in the transfer market this summer by speaking to the La Liga giants about Gudjohnsen. The signing of the former Chelsea and Bolton star will cost United around the £7m mark with Barca keen to recoup as much as possible from the £8m fee they paid the London club 12 months ago, when Gudjohnsen signed a three-year deal and replaced Henrik Larsson. Gudjohnsen, though, has struggled to break into the Catalan side with Barca boasting such attacking luxuries as Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi. With former Arsenal ace Thierry Henry also on board at the Nou Camp, Gudjohnsen is facing an almighty battle to win a place in Frank Rijkaard’s side, who are under pressure to wrestle the title back from Real Madrid next term. Should 28-year-old Gudjohnsen decide to team up with Allardyce again, however, he will still find himself with huge competition to win a first-team shirt. With Michael Owen looking like staying at United next season and Mark Viduka, Shola Ameobi, Oba Martins and Andy Carroll all in the shake-up for attacking places, Gudjohnsen could be taking a sideways step in his career at such a vital time after failing to establish himself at Barca. Yet it is thought that, because Gudjohnsen has a great understanding with Big Sam, he could still opt to return to the Premiership where he netted more than 50 times for Chelsea in a six-year stint. Meanwhile, Allardyce took charge of his first training session as United coach today, but the Toon squad only took part in a light workout at their Benton HQ. Newcastle will head for the western countryside area of Austria this week to shut themselves off from the world as they look to get their focus for the new campaign exactly right. Indeed, players will be instructed to switch off mobile phones during the week-long "boot camp" with Allardyce keen for his squad to get savvy with his approach, fitness programmes and general scientific outlook on the modern game. New coach Steve Round is expected to make the journey to Austria too, and he will work alongside Nigel Pearson with Allarydce confirming all of his coaches will work as a unit with no specified No 2 to be announced. Today’s session was certainly more of a get- together for the bulk of the squad with the fitness aspect of the summer programme expected to be stepped up throughout the week before their friendly programme begins at Hartlepool on July 17. And apart from injured winger Damien Duff, England Under-21 stars James Milner and Steven Taylor, who are both resting after the European Championships, and Mark Viduka, who is with Australia, the United party will jet out to Austria tomorrow. Nothing particularly new, but the Kenny Shepherd stuff has been mooted in the Daily Mail today as well which does lend some more credibility to it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUPERTOON Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 On bbc football headline saying Gudjohnsen cool on toon link i cant open it as it keeps saying error can anyone else?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUPERTOON Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Got it now http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/6261316.stm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 £4.5m for Gudjohnsen* would be positively jizz-worthy. *Almost a quarter of what Spurs paid for Bent. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
manorpark Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Got it now http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/6261316.stm That report could have been written either way - either "cool on a move" or "unsure of future at Barca". All still up for grabs! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DavB93 Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Love to see us sign Gudjohnsen but really can't see it happening, unless we sell Martins or Owen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUPERTOON Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Aye that article really says his future will not be sorted till he meets Barca Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
manorpark Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Love to see us sign Gudjohnsen but really can't see it happening, unless we sell Martins or Owen. I can see it happening. The Ashley/Allardyce regime is still new to us all, but I can see that they may not have any sentimental attachment to retaining Amoebi. Bye Bye Shola?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cajun Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Eidur, Owen, Martins and Viduka would be a bloody good squad of strikers! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DavB93 Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Love to see us sign Gudjohnsen but really can't see it happening, unless we sell Martins or Owen. I can see it happening. The Ashley/Allardyce regime is still new to us all, but I can see that they may not have any sympathetic attachment to Amoebi. Bye Bye Shola?? Like I said I'd love it if we signed Gudjohnsen, he's not going to come from sitting on the bench at Barca to keep ours warm. I'd give Amoebi half a season to see what he's like since his operation then decide on him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dokko Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 I think for £4.5m we should sign him regardless of Owen & Martins. I feel sorry for Ameobi though, waited all this time to step out of Shearer's shadow, then the club he loves abuses his body and doesn't give him a much needed hip op, and then misses out on the season that would make or break him. Season after, multiple striking options that are better than him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syrette Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 I thought Shola put off the hip op himself? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest geordie01 Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Eidur, Owen, Martins and Viduka would be a bloody good squad of strikers! on paper yes it would but id rather sell martins than shola. 4 top strikers all cant play at once and i cant see them being too content to sit on the bench either Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Just on SSN there, their man in Spain, Graham Hunter I think his name is, can't really see this happening. I know it's just conjecture, but this guy's usually pretty close when it comes to these things. He also reckons Feyenoord are trying to do a deal for him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jamesmartinsmith Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Eidur, Owen, Martins and Viduka would be a bloody good squad of strikers! on paper yes it would but id rather sell martins than shola. 4 top strikers all cant play at once and i cant see them being too content to sit on the bench either Spurs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest khyberpass Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Eidur, Owen, Martins and Viduka would be a bloody good squad of strikers! on paper yes it would but id rather sell martins than shola. 4 top strikers all cant play at once and i cant see them being too content to sit on the bench either Makes no sense to sell Martins as he is the pace element in Owen's likely injury absence. He also fits the 4/3/3 formation far better than Owen? Agree with not selling Shola though - looked liked he was developing into a very good hold up striker... Truth is that formation determines best strikers...having variety to cope with formations is great work by Sam...we'll have to see if Sam can manage the players in rotation...but Eidur can play creative midfield as well?! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggybread Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 remeber hunter also saying kluivert would never sign for us. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Toon83 Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 cant see this happening tbh, we have already got what would be classed as four first team strikers, in Viduka and Owen (first choice) and Oba and Shola (backup/rotation), so why bother signing another, when we may not be able to guarentee him a first team place unless oba is on his way out which would be a shame Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSG Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Can see him being played as one of a midfield 3 tbh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mowen Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Can see him being played as one of a midfield 3 tbh. That's what he did in his last season with Chelsea iirc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Eidur Gudjohnsen is determined to fight for his place at Barcelona despite reports linking him with a £4.5m move to Newcastle, according to his father. Arnor Gudjohnsen, who also acts as his agent, said the striker would be keen to form a partnership with new £16.1m signing Thierry Henry next season. "A lot of clubs are interested in Eidur," Gudjohnsen told BBC Sport. "But he is determined to prove himself at Barca. He would complement Henry because they play differently." He added: "I don't think the forward partnership of Samuel Eto'o and Henry would work as well. Although Eidur wants to stay - I don't know what Barcelona's intentions are Arnor Gudjohnsen "Eidur can drop deep and play off Henry, which I think would work much better." Earlier, reports suggested that representatives from Newcastle were in Barcelona to negotiate a deal with the club's Brazilian midfielder Edmilson and the 28-year-old Iceland international. Gudjohnsen played under Magpies boss Sam Allardyce when they were both at Bolton, before the forward moved to Chelsea in 2000 where he spent six years. He moved to the Nou Camp in June 2006 for £8m, but failed to cement a regular place in the starting XI last season. Last month, the forward suggested he was keen on a return to Britain, in particular Manchester United, if Barca were to sell him. The player's father said there had not been negotiations with any clubs, although he added he was unsure as to whether his son featured in Barcelona's plans for next season. "Eidur is away on holiday now and he has not been in contact with any clubs. He is planning to meet up with his Barcelona team-mates for pre-season later in July," he said. "Although he wants to stay, I don't know what Barcelona's intentions are." Says BBC SPORT Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUPERTOON Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 No one in the right mind would choose Feynoord over newcastle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohmelads Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 I think it was probably more a case of 'souding out' Gudjohnsen while we were over there to talk about Edmilson. Now it looks like Arsenal won't be bidding for Martins, Liverpool are set to get Torres, and I don't see Chelsea coming in for any of our strikers. That just leaves Man Utd and I think they'd be more likely to look elsewhere as well, they could do with someone bigger than Owen to suit the 4-3-3 they play nowadays (someone like Berbatov for example). If they did go for someone small I think they'd be far more likely to go for Tevez than Owen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madras Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 "although he wants to stay,i don't know what barcelonas intentions are" this could have some way to go yet ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Very much like the Owen situation when we signed him. Would rather be somewhere else - a bit like Owen now really - but with lack of options might end up here on the rebound. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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