The Newcastle United Blog

Steven Taylor is a star in the making – nobody would deny that and next year will be a pivotal year for the youngster. With Oguchi Onyewu odds on to return to Standard Leige and Bramble and Moore on their way out this summer – Steven Taylor stands as the man on which a new Newcastle defense will be built.

 Peter Ramage has often looked the part this season – but like Taylor – needs more games in the Premiership but Ramage could form a good partnership at the heart of the Newcastle defense next season.

 We certainly need improvements in defense and potential signings like Curtis Davis, Anton Ferdinand, Liam Rosenior and Leighton Baines would be good acquisitions for the club – with their best years ahead of them.

 With Sidwell presumably signing from Reading (let’s hope we get him) all other parts of the team look good – apart from the defense. Three good players will fix that and if the team shows the passion they did on Sunday against one of the best club teams around – things could well be looking up next season – but we’ll wait and see on that one.

 Paul Huntington is probably next in line of the many youngsters coming through. Roeder will probably not send him out on loan as he is likely to do with David Edgar so it will be very interesting to see if Huntington can come on in the mould of young Taylor.

 Andrew Carroll looks good every time he plays and could be used more next season as he is introduced into more games – certainly he looks like he can make it in the Premiership.

 Here’s some comments from Glenn Roeder after the game with Chelsea on young Taylor.

"In the last couple of months, Steven has come on in leaps and bound.  And the funny thing is that I think his improved performances have coincided with me switching him to the left side of the centre-back partnership.”

"Even though he’s naturally right-footed, he looks much more comfortable playing on the left and his enthusiasm for the game is fantastic.”

"He’s very promising, we’re very pleased with him, and he has a big future in the game. His attitude will allow him to improve, and he will come on in the future because he’s playing in an old-man’s position.”

"When Rio Ferdinand was at West Ham, I told him he wouldn’t come anywhere near to being a world-class defender until he was 27 or 28. I’m not comparing Steven with Rio at all, but I do think he’ll continue to develop and be an even better defender for this club in the future."

"Our record tells me a lot about the talent that we have within the squad," he said. "But it also tells me other things as well. We know that we have lost games away from home this season that we should not be losing.”

"We’ve also lost games at home with performances that did not come close to the one we have just seen against Chelsea. I’m proud of the players because they have put on a proper performance, but we have to be more consistent when we play against teams in the wrong half of the table.

"We have to take points off teams like that, and that’s what I’m aiming to do from now on."

"If Michael is involved in an XI against XI match this week, it will be on the training ground amongst ourselves," said Roeder. "In my opinion, Michael doesn’t need to be appearing in another friendly or a reserve game.

"His groin problem is so slight that it’s not worth talking about, and Michael’s next appearance will be in a competitive match.

"He’s got a full week now and, by the latter half of the week, we’ll certainly know whether or not he’s going to make the Reading game."