Shay Given will probably be back with a couple weeks of the season to go, but Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan has no plans to play him.
Steve and Shay training – big battle next season for first team
When Keegan was asked if Given would play in any of Newcastle’s remaining four games the Newcastle manager told the Evening Chronicle:
“I doubt it.†“I think he’ll be fit by the end of the season, and he’ll train with us for maybe the last week or 10 days, but there’s no sense for him to play a match.â€
“He just needs to know by the end of the season that he’s fit, ready to go away and come back fit for pre-season with all his problems behind him.â€
“I think that, for him, will be a massive relief.â€
In the close season it promises to be one of the battles for a first team position between perennial second string Steve Harper and Shay Given.
Make no mistake Harper has greatly impressed the Newcastle coaching staff with his mature ways and his great form since taking over from Shay. He gave another masterful and safe performance at Fratton Park on Saturday, and is as safe as houses.
But that will be just one position next season where there’ll be a battle for a first team place, because we think we’ll see it all over the team, and that’s got to be a good thing.
We just cannot wait for next season to arrive.
Comments welcome.
44 comments so far
willowtoon
Apr 15, 2008 at 2:12 PM
Comment #1Shay has got the whole summer to look for another club. He will be shipped out this summer Been a great servant but his time is up and he won’t play second fiddle to Harper. Kevin rates Haper and the calming influence on the defence
figsdad
Apr 15, 2008 at 2:34 PM
Comment #2bye bye shay i bet he goes to sunderland or even boro..
sparetheman
Apr 15, 2008 at 2:38 PM
Comment #3Given is going nowhere this summer. I’d put money on that.
ELFER
Apr 15, 2008 at 2:52 PM
Comment #4You can not be serious?? Shay is and will be our no 1! HARPS is ok, but not the size the cat GIVEN is and will be next season. No chance to even think about selling him?? Are you nuts?
I like if you repay HARPERs faith in us, but do not overrate him please…he’s a solid number 2 and that’s the end of the story. I’m glad SHAY will be fit next season so we really can build on!
ObaFan2
Apr 15, 2008 at 2:59 PM
Comment #5Shay will have all summer to recover and then be ready for the TOON, no other team hopefully.
ToonKing
Apr 15, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Comment #6lol neither Shay or Harper will ever leave Newcastle, it’s insane to suggest that
Leo
Apr 15, 2008 at 3:11 PM
Comment #7yeah i agree toonking i dont think they will ever leave us.
i hope that keegan sticks to that even if harps gets an injury, just give forster a go, see whats what
staffsmag
Apr 15, 2008 at 3:15 PM
Comment #8No real surprise he is out but IMO it would be very harsh to oust Stevie Harper after he has done such a good job over the last few weeks !!!
Aussie Toon
Apr 15, 2008 at 3:15 PM
Comment #9Neither will leave and may be annoying to them to have competition with each other but great for the team and fans to have competition next year for the number 1 🙂
Newckie
Apr 15, 2008 at 3:44 PM
Comment #10Howay! How on earth can we deduct that Given’will leave by default of injury and Harpers’ final vinification over staying loyal in spite of the doom merchants accusing him of lack of ambition.
Do not be a suffragette of the odious media imbeciles.
t-g-w
Apr 15, 2008 at 3:50 PM
Comment #11Zamblera seems to be doing well for the U 18s… 2 goals in 2 games according to the official site.
Bill F
Apr 15, 2008 at 3:51 PM
Comment #12Leo, I don’t know if you saw this last night so I am repeating it.
Happy birthday Leo, I am not sure what the significance of reaching 21 is nowadays. Most of the milestones of life seem to come earlier. Voting, driving a car, drinking (legally that is), still a birthday is always an excuse for a p*ss up, what did your parents get you in the end or did you follow Hammies suggestion, it sounded good to me.
Bill F
Apr 15, 2008 at 3:57 PM
Comment #13Hate to be a black cloud but I still think Shay may never fully get over his injury. Hope I am wrong.
I fully expect Forster or Krull to become our number one next season.
Bill F
Apr 15, 2008 at 4:13 PM
Comment #14Leo I just scrolled back and saw your reply, congratulations that is one hell of a prezzy. Are your parents millionaires. 😉
THELONGSHANKS
Apr 15, 2008 at 4:25 PM
Comment #15Shay given our no. 1 keeper for last 8 seasons,Man utd and arsenal wanted to sign him he was that good.He gets injured and you want to sell him.Should be ashamed of yoursleves.
nikki
Apr 15, 2008 at 4:32 PM
Comment #16totally agree with you THELONGSHANKS, how many times has shay saved us over the years and soon as he gets injured and has slight dip in form ppl are sayings he past it, hes only 31 so as goal keeper still has best years ahead of him he will be back better than ever next season and prove all u doubters wrong
Rob Kirton
Apr 15, 2008 at 4:59 PM
Comment #17I’
Rob Kirton
Apr 15, 2008 at 5:03 PM
Comment #18I’m with Bill F on this one. I would at least expect either Forster or Krull to be pushing for a first team berth next season (maybe from the bench).
Expect 1 or maybe 2 goalkeepers to move on this summer.
JP from The Rock of Gibraltar
Apr 15, 2008 at 5:31 PM
Comment #19What a bunch of doubters come around here!! FFS Given has only had one bad season and a few niggles and all of a sudden he needs to go! Where there hell is this shit coming from. Harper has played really well and deserves to be holding his place between the sticks. Given will stay I have no doubt and Krul and Forster will be there for the next time any of the two get seriously injured. Given is class and always has been, sadly this season he hasn’t been at his consistent best but he will come back much stronger next season, all you doubters will see. We have nothing to lose in that department really, as all of our GKs even the youngsters are tremendous. Although I do rate Krul higher than Forster tbh.
reillers
Apr 15, 2008 at 5:56 PM
Comment #204 apparently really good keepers, the 4 will not stay next season.
I see maybe one of the 2 top ones going and one of the younger kids definitely going.
If Harper starts Shay’s too good to sit on the bench, he might leave but I doubt it, as for the other 2. The 2 kids will be sick of what, reserves and benched on the reserve team and I think it’ll be a wee bit naive of Keegan or the fans to think that all 4 will stay.
Given’s off with Ireland for their first training week or whatever it’s called with their new manager soon enough, they’ve a few international games as well. He’ll probably be fit for both. It’ll give him a good run about and that should vent some frustration of not playing.
But other then that it’s a good idea, he should be completely fresh and injury free come next season. Which will be more then a wee bit of a relief for him and us. As for the oh I don’t think he’ll be as good after his injury, I’ve no idea where that’s based on but I can see him being better, a lot better.
Leo
Apr 15, 2008 at 6:19 PM
Comment #21haha bill, not i wouldnt say so, but it would be vulgar to ask plus i want to know to be honest lmao.
im just chuffed really.
im down the shops now to pawn it hahaha
JP from The Rock of Gibraltar
Apr 15, 2008 at 6:27 PM
Comment #22The 2 young keepers we have in Krul and Forster won’t complain as they will be playing every week in another club out on loan gaining vital experience for when they do finally take the main stage at Newcastle. That is our strongest department of our team and needs no changes whats o ever.
Obafan
Apr 15, 2008 at 6:35 PM
Comment #23Given needs the time to fully recover from his injury. I still think he played too soon after that awful crash with Harewood. He went from one injury to another. Next year it will be a hard battle to get the n°1 shirt at NUFC. Harper can not be just told to be the number 2 next season, not after his recent form. Harper has got his chance and he has taken it with both hands, all credits to him, real professional! This will prove to be good for the team, cause we will have 2 good goalkeepers who will keep eachother sharp to become the n°1.
Macca
Apr 15, 2008 at 6:37 PM
Comment #24It’s a good idea, Harper will do till the end of the season and we’ll see then.
As for this season, well this season you can’t really judge either of them, well Given anyway. He was injured and he wasn’t fit and in my opinion they waited too long for him to have the surgery on it, and don’t even start me on Keegan playing him when he knew he was more then likely going to get injured again.
But some of ye are unbelievable, one season of injuries which most have been horrible for him, and hell, forget the past and ship him off, that’s loyalty for ya.
I don’t think he’ll be the same when he comes back, I think he’ll be better, a lot better, a lot sharper, a lot more relaxed and not worrying about his groin.
JP from The Rock of Gibraltar
Apr 15, 2008 at 6:38 PM
Comment #25Damn I can’t wait for next season!!!! 😀
DC Magpie
Apr 15, 2008 at 7:01 PM
Comment #26Hey Ed can we do a ‘Save the Zog’ campaign?
I am all for the club before the player mantra. And I am disappointed and a bit hurt that Charlie wanted to leave us for the spuds, of all places!
But he has been a local favorite for a few seasons and could become such an iconic player for us that I feel we should do our best to keep him here.
I know KK said he would let the player decide but knowing that this site gets some decent exposure from the nufc folk maybe you could run an article on why want him to stay and hopefully convince him that he should look to emulate the Shearer’s rather than the Bernard’s and Anelka’s.
I feel that his career is on a knife edge and it would be disappointing to lose such a promising player to the dollar signs.
shearer4pm
Apr 15, 2008 at 7:07 PM
Comment #27given number 1
krul number 2
talkin bout harsh to oust harper cus he done well over the past month,
harsher to axe given cus hes done awsome over the past decade or so
Macca
Apr 15, 2008 at 7:54 PM
Comment #28JP, I agree it should be a good time next season.
The keeper battle will be tight and exciting but I think that Given when pushed excells, remember he’s had the jersey from Harper for 10 years who’s almost as good. But I’ve always thought that Given has played really really well in hard big games. I think he excels a lot more then Harper under pressure while Harper has panicked. Harper’s solid in ordinary matches but in the big ones he’s never really done it while Given seems to love it and be really pushed he even looks bored in the smaller games when he’s nothing to do, he plays well but I think he thrives so much more under pressure.
Next season, I honestly can’t wait and I Know it’s been the same every season for the past who knows, but this years different and I know that’s said all the time as well but with Keegan being Keegan and him bringing in players, Keegan type players.
I’m excited, this season was a massive let down. But I think, well what I’m only realizing now is that we needed to survive this season, that’s all. I think people are only realizing that now. The idea was survival and survival only, it’s the same with Sunderland I think, I don’t think we’ll admit how similar the clubs are (besides us being so oh so much better) but that’s irrelevant. For the past God knows how many seasons we’ve always struggled with defence but we’d Given who saved us over and over again.
This season we’ve had better defenders and yet gone down hill a lot especially in the later part of the season. I think it was because for our always failing defence our lads up front functioned and scored goals but they haven’t lately though. For the past few games, since it’s gone well, our defence and Harper have had nothing really to do and our mids and our forwards have been doing their job but, can you imagine if we got both parts working well.
Even then though. It still feels like we’re missing something, a spark in midfield or so. We’ve nothing special there.
Can you imagine what someone like McGeady or Hunt would do to our team. It’d come to life.
I for one can’t wait to see the back of this season. I don’t expect to be going for the top 4 that’s unrealistic. But this season was all about survival next season it’ll be about so much more and we’ll be looking to make waves yet again, like we’ve wanted to for so many years. Keegan’s back my friends and the skies the limit.
Bill F
Apr 15, 2008 at 8:29 PM
Comment #29Well I really do hope I am wrong but I have worked with injuries and have some knowledge of them. Original tissue replaced by scar tissue leaves an inherent weakness. The worse the injury the more scarring. He possibly needed more time to heal but even then the weakness remains. Obviously I do not know the true extent of the injury so I could be completely wrong but his several abortive come back attempts suggest otherwise. In a less demanding job the injury would not be such a problem but to be at his best he does really need to be at his best in body and mind.
reillers
Apr 15, 2008 at 8:52 PM
Comment #30Bill,
They only made a wee incision, the injury has nothing to do with there or there abouts with him.
It was a knock on affect all right, a weakening of the inner core or something like that but that’s fixed and now so is his groin so every thing’s fine.
And you know if you talked technically like that then
Cech should never have played again.
One of the rugby players should never have walked again, but is perfectly fine and functioning normally, walking and all perfectly.
One of my favorite players in a different sport should never have played again because his knee got so badly damaged in a car crash, but not only did he come back, he came back so much better, he’s one of the best defenders in the country and has captained his team to winning the final.
It different for everyone but I honestly believe he’ll come back stronger and better.
Macca
Apr 15, 2008 at 8:59 PM
Comment #31Reillers.
I agree, I actually have so much respect for Given and Cech, the bravery it most have taken from the 2 of those lads to come back after everything they went through. Like my mate, he’s a Sunderland fan right, we were there one day..working, supposedly working and I don’t remember how it came up but we were talking about Given I think and I remember, he turned around and said something like, “Christ I hate that Geordie prick but you gotta admire him, braver man then me” and like he hates he HATES Newcastle but he meant it.
I don’t think people realize or appreciate just how hard it was. My cousin, he was in a car crash about 3 years ago and the same happened him, a few broken ribs, ruptured bowel but now he’s back, happily playing first team rugby. I’ve seen my cousins scar, it’s not pretty but I highly doubt that they did as neat and tiny incision as they did for Given. Like his tissue was soft and tender and he couldn’t play for a while but he’s back to normal now I don’t see why it shouldn’t be the same for Given, in a less contact sport with all the physios and doctors and such.
I think that Given will come back different, I don’t think he really got time to get over what happened at West Ham, mentally like, I always thought he came back too soon. But now I think he’ll be ok. I think he’ll better, stronger because you know, what doesn’t kill us..
Bill F
Apr 15, 2008 at 9:03 PM
Comment #32Reillers
Well they are working wonders with injuries now so you may well be right. I was under the impression that he had very bad deep abdominal tearing of the muscles. If I am wrong then I am more than happy to be corrected. Four top class goalies would be a great assett to us, five if we include Soderberg.
reillers
Apr 15, 2008 at 9:28 PM
Comment #33It was bad, it looked a wee bit dodgey for a while, the general feeling afterwards was thank God he didn’t get on that plane because God forbid a lot worse could have happened and he mentioned that straight away he was extremely positive about it, he knew he was dam lucky in a way that it happened on the ground near a hospital with paramedics and 2 doctors right there and it’s not worth thinking about what could have happened had he not felt the aftereffects of it till he got on the plane. Thankfully it all worked out fine.
But it was only one-centimetre deep. The tare I mean.
Jon
Apr 15, 2008 at 11:06 PM
Comment #34Haper has a calming influence on the defence. So true. Given doesn’t know how to kick a ball.
reillers
Apr 15, 2008 at 11:15 PM
Comment #35Mate have you ever tried kicking a ball or much movement with an injury like that, clearly not because you wouldn’t say that if you did. It’s eh, not pleasant.
I wouldn’t agree with that either, a calming affect on the defence. That most be why we have so many clean sheets.
rob
Apr 15, 2008 at 11:19 PM
Comment #36thats what i hate if given is relly so loyal why will he leave the second he gets dropped he moves harps is understuddy for years he has got loyalty
Macca
Apr 15, 2008 at 11:23 PM
Comment #37all u thick gits play given all u are thick wankers..
rob
Apr 15, 2008 at 11:24 PM
Comment #38who are you calling macca ur probally a maccam
Macca
Apr 15, 2008 at 11:38 PM
Comment #39Just eh heads up there, not the same Macca as that prat. The last comment I made was to Reillers.
Will call myself Macca J now.
Macca J
Apr 15, 2008 at 11:39 PM
Comment #40Psychic are were Rob, why does everyone think he’ll leave. He’s been just as loyal as Harper, maybe more so, he could have went to other top teams but he stayed.