The Newcastle Journal is reporting this morning that Australian League club Gold Coast United have rubbished claims they will try to sign up free agent Mark Viduka in the summer.
Mark Viduka – the injured warrior
The Australian has had a terrible season of injuries at Newcastle this time around, but Mark was always injured last season too, so it looks like his body is starting to give out for top-class football.
Mark will leave Newcastle in the summer, along with a host of other overpaid stars at the club, whether we are relegated or not, and that will clear the deck for new arrivals at Newcastle.
The A-League newcomers have made a typical brash arrival on the football scene, as Australians seem to do, and outspoken owner Clive Palmer laughing off suggestions they should be nicknamed The Millionaires – and suggesting Billionaires instead – show off!
Or as Brian Clough would have said – big head. But Clive seems to have no plans to take one of Australia’s best ever players, as he said today:
“He would be a great addition, but I don’t know where we would put him in,” “If you look through our team it is hard to find a weakness.”
“Someone has made that up,” “We are talking to some really top guest players which we will announce later on but Mark is not one of them. I assure you of that.”
“The last time I heard he was injured.”
That last line of Clive’s could have been said anytime this season, as Mark has hardly earned his £60K/week wages at Newcastle, just like a lot of the other overpaid stars we currently have on the books.
But on the bright side, let’s hope one or two come through for the club in the final 7 games of the season, and then it will have been worthwhile – maybe. But watch for a big clear-out of players this summer – whatever happens – and we just hope Alan Shearer is still in charge then.
Comments welcome.
10 comments so far
dougnufc
Apr 8, 2009 at 9:42 AM
Comment #1Has he scored for us this season?
Ben_BKK
Apr 8, 2009 at 9:49 AM
Comment #2doug, I don’t think he has… as far as I remember, he only has one start for us the whole season.
He does have an assist though, a lovely little back heel to Damien Duff to score the winner against Tottenham 😀
Which just shows that he does have class when he plays, the only problem is that he never actually plays…
bennytoon
Apr 8, 2009 at 9:54 AM
Comment #3to be fair he doesnt need to be top class anymore to play for newcastle. championship standard will suffice.
Toon Graeme
Apr 8, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Comment #4The lyrics from Direstraits are quite sound for Mark Viduka’s season – “Money for nothing!”
Shame really – when you compare the role he played last season under KK in the 4 3 3 formation.
Role on Saturday.
AndyNUFC
Apr 8, 2009 at 9:59 AM
Comment #5To be fair we signed him up knowing he was pretty much on his way out and wasn’t going to do the job for long. He’s 34 and relys more on hold up play than being able to run loads.
broon ale
Apr 8, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Comment #6he has the same size moobs as benny moobs!
hey moobs.. remember when he executed that sublime back heel into the path of Duff for the winner against spurs?
Marty-Toon
Apr 8, 2009 at 10:25 AM
Comment #7Does Viduka play for Newcastle?????????
Been so long i canny mind.Lol
Ericles
Apr 8, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Comment #8Get rid asap. Nothing but an overpaid crocked has-been. Should never have set foot in St James Park unless he was playing for somebody else!
Sav
Apr 8, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Comment #9Its a ridiculous situation with the perennially crocked duke. But what price he comes on in the last game of the season, with us needing 3 points and scores the winner? dafter things have happened and I’d bet we’d all say he’d earned his wages if it did.
Bill F
Apr 8, 2009 at 11:17 AM
Comment #10Yes Sav, and there goes another pig past the window. 😉