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News, Views and Comment On Newcastle United Football Club By Ed Harrison, A Proud Geordie And Lifelong Fan

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Shay Given back for Manchester United

February 14th, 2008 by Ed Harrison · 13 Comments

Shay Given had another of his groin strains on Saturday at Villa Park, but it looks like it’s only a minor strain, and he should be fit for the big upcoming game against Manchester United on 23rd February.

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Shay Given should be fit for Manchester United game

Kevin Keegan addressed Shay’s injury today:

“We will have to assess the situation again next week but Shay’s injury does not look as though it is a bad one,” “It was an unfortunate one because he did it trying to change direction when Villa scored and he had to come off.”

“We were obviously concerned at first because he was in too much pain to continue, but we are hopeful he will be fit again by the time we play Manchester United next week.”

“I think we’ve got the best pair of goalkeepers in the Premier League, I honestly do,”   “We’re very lucky to have them. I don’t know every pair of goalkeepers at every club in the division, but I’ve seen or worked with most of them during my time as a manager.”

“I signed Steve Harper as a young boy and I liked him then and I like him now. He will get his chances, I’m sure of that. He’s the sort of guy that, if you had a daughter, you’d be happy if she brought him home to meet you.”

“Whenever Steve has gone into the side he has done well and I don’t think people realize how good he is. That was what our goalkeeping coach Paul Barron said when he first came to the club.”

“ I suppose Shay has just got the edge over him because he has so much experience. He has played so many games, not just with Newcastle United, but with Blackburn Rovers before that and with the Republic of Ireland of course.”

“We’ve also got a couple of young goalkeepers at the club at the moment, Fraser Forster and a young Swedish lad called Ole Soderberg who has been training with the first-team squad. They are both learning from Steve and Shay, so we’re very well off in that position.”

There’s no doubt we are well off for goalkeepers at the moment, and of course Kevin forgot to mention our Dutch 19 year-old goalkeeper Tim Krul, who is currently out injured and still on loan at Falkirk, in the Scottish Premier league.

He has had an excellent loan spell in the SPL,  and when he comes back in the summer we think he’s also be challenging for a first team spot.

Comments welcome.

Tags: Fraser Forster · Newcastle News · Ole Soderberg · Shay Given · Steve Harper · Tim Krul










13 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Leo* // Feb 14, 2008 at 12:04

    damn i wanted stevie harper in for the manchester game, show them what for

  • 2 Bill F // Feb 14, 2008 at 12:15

    Just hope KK shows a bit of common and gives him a reserve team runout first, we do not want to see one of our substitutions being a GK during the game.

  • 3 Rich // Feb 14, 2008 at 12:28

    I would like to see Steve Harper in goal as well he deserves a shot, I think if he played regularly he could be our no 1 keeper

  • 4 Callum // Feb 14, 2008 at 12:42

    I’d like to see steve harper be a goalkeeping coach at newcastle when he stops playing :)

  • 5 ToonKing // Feb 14, 2008 at 12:47

    yeah i toon want Stevie. He deserves a run and Given needs a break.

  • 6 ObaFan2 // Feb 14, 2008 at 12:48

    Can we put all 4 in goal against Man U ? lol

  • 7 Betting on the Toon // Feb 14, 2008 at 13:10

    Given is head and shoulders a better keeper than Harper and has proved it time and again. There’s only one man who should be number 1 in my opinion.

  • 8 big pea ov the weab // Feb 14, 2008 at 13:33

    i think shay is the main man like but i think were gana need a brick wall built to stop manure scoreing after there defete at old traford

  • 9 rob // Feb 14, 2008 at 13:48

    harps for me truely fathful and needs a chance

  • 10 figsdad // Feb 14, 2008 at 14:03

    harper for me if given injured why risk him..

  • 11 iraqi_geordie // Feb 14, 2008 at 14:54

    Harper is better than given imo

  • 12 valle // Feb 14, 2008 at 16:33

    Given was better, but something has went wrong and he is only a shadow of his former self right now… Harper for me

  • 13 Hadrian // Feb 14, 2008 at 16:34

    Pathetic ,
    shay throwing another one of his huff’s when it looks like harpers going to start .
    shay and harper should be getting equal game’s per year , but shay always liks to throw his dummy out , its not like his in top form atm either is it .
    chroist even my father (a big shay fan) puts him at fault for a couple goals this season , and as he was an defender as a lad he cringes at the box work shay does and the lack 0f talking to the defence .










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