Coverage for the week of the 7th  - 13th November

So another international week rolls around and you’d think, by default, there’d be nowt to talk about on the home front really. Apart from the obvious “why do our players have to go away to get injured, we do a perfectly good job on our own” cries from the management of course. Of which there have been surprisingly few this time round.

As ever there’s enough to get through so we’ll pick up with more reaction to the win over Birmingham last weekend. (Article) Turk of the Toon? They’re all bloody at it now! (Article) (Article) Or even the “Beckham of Istanbul” (Article). That said I somehow couldn’t see this lad posing in POLICE sunglasses and married to whoever the Turkish equivalent of “Posh” is. His super strike rescued yet another game where we were guilty of playing far too much “route none football.” (Article) And to hold blame at the ‘keeper’s door is surely just fuelling more excuses to a poor Birmingham side and their plastic Geordie manager. (Article)

A number of opinions were voiced on whether or not the international break has come at a good time or not. Nobby Solano was looking forward to a “rest” (Article) Whilst Peter Ramage on the other hand can’t wait for the next game to come. (Article) Meanwhile Alan Shearer took advantage of the timing to have his much talked about hernia operation (Article) and in typical fashion was back on the training ground within 3 days! (Article)

Solano and Ramage made more copy themselves as the local papers went in search of something to put on their back pages. Ramage getting praise for his performances from Supermac (Article) and Nobby giving a frank and fair interview about his return to St James’ (Article) making it quite clear that he still hasn’t forgiven SBR for selling him in the first place. (Article) Not for the first time, I say this was the beginning of the end for him, as he never replaced the little Peruvian. One of those who was tried was James Milner, currently on loan at Villa as part of the deal to bring Nobby back he was reminded that we haven’t forgotten him. (Article) Indeed if we get back a rejuvenated Milner with more experience next season it is more than a bonus in this deal.

Another player getting plenty of headlines was Steven Taylor. Speaking firstly about how our defence is getting better and better (Article), talking of his desire to be first choice at the heart of the back four (Article) just in time to be sent home from England U-21 duty with a shoulder injury. (Article) With shades of Beckenbauer in my mind he claims he’d play in a sling if he had to (Article). I have no doubt he would as well! Lets just hope everyone returns from international duty unscathed so he doesn’t have to! (Article) (Article)

Speaking of returning from injury this nicely and almost weekly brings me to KCD 1. The king of bling is back on the comeback trail. Again. (Article) (Article) How long for is anyone’s guess like and I don’t anticipate a mass holding of breath on Tyneside whilst it happens. That said one thing that I think we are finally seeing from Dyer is some humility and maturity in his comments, especially in those towards Charles N’Zogbia. But it won’t be until he is producing the goods week in week out that the majority of the crowd will give him the kind of support that Alan Oliver has this week as he joined sister paper The Journal’s Dyer Fan Club. (Article) Dyer says it time to stop writing him off. (Article) Well you know what to do Kieron. Over to you.

Also on the “comeback trail” (though that phrase may now be copyright of KCD 1) is Albert Luque. (Article) His addition to the squad may just add the final dimension to move u son that little step further if he is as good as they say he is. (Article) He certainly has the backing of some big names in the game.

On the transfer front, the rumour mill is gathering pace nicely as the end of the year and the January window looms. We have remained linked with Deportivo’s Aldo Duscher all week (Article) and whilst the door seems firmly closed on that one another link was made with Fulham’s Diop (Article) rated at £14million by manager Chris Coleman during one of his almost maniacal rants this summer. I wonder whether this “link” was leaked just to get under his skin again? Stranger things have happened in football. Souness meanwhile was off on a spying “mission” (Article) taking in the Turkish international team leading to links with another Turk (Article) (Article) and suggestions that cash will be tight in January.

Speaking of money how come when we make a £4.5 million profit and turnover £87 million it’s a disaster yet when Bolton, a club it must be said who finished higher than us last season, make £3.9 million and turnover £44.5 million they are seen as being a great success. (Article) And while I’m on about money how come is so little being made of the current European Champions looking frankly desperate in their search for a cash injection? (Article) Want to know why Owen came to Newcastle United? Simply they could not afford to match us, a club in such desperate financial straits according to some.

NUFC received some praise from an unusual source this week. John Barnwell of the League Managers Association reckons that clubs should follow our example of sticking with a manager and supporting him. (Article) Now is this the same John Barnwell who was happy to throw the weight of the LMA behind SBR as he campaigned for his “settlement figure” after his dismissal? John Carver meanwhile is after doing the same. (Article) I can’t think of any other job where you get rewarded for failure, can you?

I’ve got a few things to leave you with this week. Firstly as the euphoria dies down after “Newcastle United’s Michael Owen” (it’s still sinking when I hear that you know!) bagged a late brace to seal a win for England over Argentina in what was a cracking match in Geneva, how come the only person I have heard give us any credit for being brave enough to bring him back to England was Greame Le Saux in the immediate post match commentary? In fact the only other place I have seen it mentioned was in Sunday’s Times. And even that was backhanded and bordering on insulting. (Article) He’s a Geordie, get over it! Meanwhile Real Madrid’s Arrigo Sacchi’s comments on Owen smack of a man desperate to hide his embarrassment on letting him go when they are crying out for a goalscorer with Ronaldo out inured. (Article) Your loss mate!

Back to NUFC just why did the club see fit to make it known at this particular moment in time that any takeover bid was dead in the water? (Article) More financial fun and games in this space soon no doubt. And finally should we be worried when in the same week Amady Faye (soon to add another random vowel to his first name) says he’s “up for a fight” (Article) and Lee Bowyer is “relishing a battle” (Article)? Not again, surely…

NM