It may be that the gag on our players isn’t as strict as we had thought, since our longest serving player, goalkeeper Steve Harper, says today the lads are focused on getting in a good pre-season before they open their Championship campaign at WBA on Saturday, 8th August.
Steve Harper - concentrating on getting ready for August 8th opener
It’s good to hear the Newcastle squad are now focused on getting themselves in peak condition ahead of their Championship opener at WBA in just over five weeks’ time, since they need to show their professionalism in the wake of the complete shambles that exists right now at the Newcastle club.
The lads were back at their Benton Darsley Park base on Wednesday morning, with coach Chris Hughton taking charge with help from Colin Calderwood and goal-keeping coach Paul Barron.
And goalkeeper Harper, who is entering his 17th season at St.James’ Park, says quite rightly that it is very important the players to concentrate only on their training and football, as they prepare for what will be a vital and water-shed season for the Toon.
Steve said today:
“It’s vitally important to get a good pre-season under our belts and that is what we’re all aiming to do,”
“We had a good day on Wednesday and we’re looking forward to doing some more hard work in Ireland next week.”
Steve will have an important part to play this coming season, as one of the leaders at the club, but he will also have to be on his toes to keep out challenges for the first team jersey from both Tim Krul and Fraser Forster, two top class young goalkeepers at the club.
Those are good words above from Steve, and appropriate given the less than good shape of the club right now.
The lads will train the rest of this week on Tyneside before heading over to Ireland for a short pre-season training camp, and their first friendly game of the summer against Shamrock Rovers in Dublin a week on Saturday.
We just have to hope the club can move on with new owners next week, but in truth this sale could last longer than we all had hoped – that’s the uncertainty existing right now.
However, once a new owner and manager are in place we’ll have to get right behind them, so we have a solid front on Tyneside, and just hope we can get straight back up to where we belong – in the Premier League. 
Comments welcome.
47 responses so far ↓
1 RyanToon // Jul 2, 2009 at 11:15 AM
stevieeeeeeeeeeeeee
get of ya line! man!
2 WELSHMAG // Jul 2, 2009 at 11:26 AM
Good on ya Steve, he’s 100% down to earth, 100% professional, and he knows he’s lucky to be earning the money and doing something he enjoys. I’ve got Loads of respect for him to be honest, that interview he did in the paper last season was excellent, he came accross as an excellent guy with morals and a good attitude. Not like these players going out on the lash and fighting and turning up late in sports cars to training.
He was the first one at training, now that says a lot to me more than some tit kissing the badge.
Good on ya harper.
3 Eaststander // Jul 2, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Hopefull team to play west brom
Harper
beye bassong taylor enrique
Gomez Barton guthrie ledley
martins carroll
4 WELSHMAG // Jul 2, 2009 at 11:50 AM
nahh at this rate it’ll be
Harper
R.taylor Kadar taylor Lough
Lua Lua Vucik guthrie Duff
Carroll Ranger
5 Nick D // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:03 PM
eastander sadly Gomez has gone to Wigan, shame as he’s a great little player.
6 sirjasontoon // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:07 PM
Fair play to Harper… professional as ever and has the Toon’s best interests at heart.
Ed can we have a page where we can just banter as with so many articles it breaks it all up?
Just a thought.
7 Eaststander // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:09 PM
The biggest thing we have on our side is that Shearer will be manager. I don’t think anyone has the bottle not to, that remains to be seen. Alan Shearer is this clubs big card he knows football and even more knows this club inside and out. He will be a massive attraction to a lot of players. yes I know that if he does fail as a manager then it will go tits up but from what I have seen from this legend over the years he never gives up and is at heart really just one of us. If he is ready then so should we all. Its either fail or get everything every toon fan has wished for, for a long time – geordie glory (even if shepherd makes it so)
8 sirjasontoon // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:12 PM
We need to cut ties with the past…love Shearer but it remains to be seen if he can manage and time is of the essence..if he fails we are doomed.
9 Eaststander // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Sorry didn’t realise he went to wigan.
10 bowburnmag // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:22 PM
sjt et al – forgive the blatant advert but that was always my suggestion on the new blog that worky has put together. Instead of a multitude of articles, have one or two or at least a separate place just to waffle. We seem to have gone for the former. I’d say something on Ed’s blog is a decent shout.
11 ToonRich // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Welshmag, funny that you should include Lough in your team selection…I was speaking to Godsmark yesterday, he said Loffy got the best bleep test scores out of the ressie lads, with Donaldson 2nd. At least the promising youngsters are staying in shape by the sounds of things!!
12 Eaststander // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:31 PM
Sirjason Surely he deserves the chance to prove to us that he can do it. Who else would touch us at the minute? Who is available? Shearer has all the qualitys of a good manager first of all he is a total prick (Alex, Brian, arsene, jose, fabio etc) He has seen all the disasters and played under them. He is as stubborn as a bastard (o’neil, Moyes) He was a the best striker that england has ever had surely this has to be the recipe of a bloody good manager. What else do you need?
13 ToonRich // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:32 PM
I agree with sjt, it would be good to have a place where we could just have our own uniterupted banter, if possible.
Ed, do you not get fed up of posting articles which you covered a day or two ago? Days when there isnt anything NEW to report, how about you start a thread that morning to keep us going…Pick a topic and chat about it?!!
Just an idea like
Keep up the great work, as I know we all appreciate your efforts on the blog.
14 sirjasontoon // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:33 PM
Agreed Bowburn when there is so many articles the banter just get cut short…..can we have a Banter Page please Ed? Toon Factor will help you moderate
15 RyanToon // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:35 PM
sjt
youre banter is plop
16 sirjasontoon // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Like I said Eaststander I think Shearer is a top man and could make a good manager in the future.
I seen very little in 8 crucial games to convince me and we have no room right now for trial and error.
Yes he had an awful squad of chancers,yes we where in turmoil off the pitch…but results speak volumes and we went down without as much as a whimper.
17 sirjasontoon // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Haha Ryan….
Yours is GASH
18 RyanToon // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:40 PM
19 WELSHMAG // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:49 PM
To me this is what shearer represents :
A manager the players will respect.
A manger that can attract top players.
A manager who epitomises stability for NUFC.
A manager with strong discipline
A Global Face and brand for NUFC (that will help nurse our dented reputation back to health)
A manger with a strong desire to do well for the team he loves.
A manager with respect for the city.
A manager with a world class footballing career behind him
A manager with a love of proper football
There’s only one man for me and that’s shearer, with Dowie there to help and advice I can’t see shearer doing that badly aslong as he gets a fair wedge from the new owners and time from the fans.
20 Eaststander // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:50 PM
To keep Shearer if we stayed up in all fairness would have been a big risk but now we are down there its a fresh start the fizzy league its where its all learned. Lots of hard games but with a bit cash behind you and the fight that he has in him and if he can finally get that through to the players then surely its the way forward
21 nufc2009 // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:53 PM
d matches piked for tv is tha 4 d whole season or are they more 2 follow ??
22 Eaststander // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Welshmag totally agreed, except dump dowie and learn the hard way. He needs total control on his own and maybe just maybe this will be it a solid toon manager for 20 years no more has beens or chancers, they dont know the club. Lets face it we are in a postion now that only our heros understand.
23 stevep // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:56 PM
@Ed – I think the press gag only extends to matters around the sale of the club / mgmt rather than the actual day to day training etc
24 Big Dave // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:58 PM
WELSHMAG i agree with the list of qualities you mentioned
25 Elfy_Toon // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:02 PM
Welshmag, agree with that list aswell. and if its true that carver is on shearers list of coaches then i dont c a problem with experience, carver is an excellent coach and dowie has a pretty gd record as a manager.
26 Elfy_Toon // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:05 PM
and hasnt shearer already admitted to getting advice from the managers he played under? keegan robson dog leash and so on?
27 punk skunk... // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Shearer won’t be dumpin’ Dowie lads!..
…They’re big marras!..
28 belfast toon // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Your on a roll today welsh couldn’t agree with you more today no-one else will get a chance shearer is the only man for the job
You wer spot on with harper too
29 tooneskimo // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:20 PM
Check this out boys and girls.
http://www.tribalfootball.com/content/toon-mad-beenshill-backed-bring-stability-newcastle
30 WELSHMAG // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:22 PM
Cheers belfast.
fingers crossed for shearer then, hopefully this time next week we’ll all be talking about the good times on the horrizon! something good has to come our way soon, it’s been doom and gloom for the past year.
31 tooneskimo // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:24 PM
Whoops….maybe should have read it first……..
Anyway a couple of regular bloggers have fingered (not literally) Alan Beenshill as Freddie Shepherd’s partner in crime as potentially NUFC’s next owners…….
32 RyanToon // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:26 PM
thats an old article tooneskimo
33 tooneskimo // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:29 PM
Ryantoon…I know but same guy, looks like things are gathering momentum, I’d heard about a month ago that FFS and some dude from the Sage were going to swoop for the toon, this was through Freddie Clone Jnr to a member of SJP’s staff shortly after being relegated.
34 bowburnmag // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:30 PM
ryan – YOU’RE an old article.
35 sirjasontoon // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:31 PM
I don’t think Fred and his cohorts have the cash to compete at premiership level…it’s a billionaires playground these days and we would not have the financial clout under FFS to compete with the majority of clubs.
Cut all ties with the past and hopefully get a rich overseas consortium to pump in some serious cash into the club and we can dump the current senior losers down freddies scrap yard ASAP.
36 tooneskimo // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:32 PM
On a different tact, got my first job as a male escort tomorrow neet.
£500 for a minutes work can’t be bad.
I’m ganna feel like Mickey Owen!!!
37 lesh // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:40 PM
SJT, ToonRich // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:32 PM et al
re a place where we could just have our own uniterupted banter…….
anybody thought about Twitter?
38 Partizan // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:50 PM
*
I love this club,always have and always will……players like Colo,Jonas will dominate in some other club thats for sure.
Fans need to realize that when you have a good manager even players like Bramble,Grifin will shine…on the other hand,having a terrible manager will hit the rock bottom even when having Vidic,Terry in your line up.
This season we had 4 different managers,,now tell me-which normal football player could handle that.
Imo,,if Keegan hadnt left and we kept Milner and Given….i bet we would have finished at least 7th.
Even if we didnt keep Milner we still would have finished 7th.
Now i see some of the fans here just cant wait to see the back of the foreigners which we have in our club.
I would have kept everyone(foreigners i mean) except Cacapa….YES,everyone!!!
I’m speaking if we had stayed in the EPL i mean.
OUT-IN
Harper-Yohan Pele
Butt-Nenad Milijas
Nolan-Darron Gibson
Ameobi-Robert Lewandowski
Barton-Per Ciljan Skjelbred
Smith-Matteo Brighi
—————————–Pele————————–
Beye———–Colo————Bassong———-Bull
————————-Milijas—————————
——–Skjelbred—————————–Jonas—–
—————————-Brighi————————-
—————-Lewandowski——Martins————
Subs: Krul,Taylor,Duff,Xisco,Gibson,Lua Lua
Kadar
39 WELSHMAG // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:52 PM
Tooneskimo – when you see the 20 stone 50 year old lass dribbling, tities down bellow her knees, fat rash between her legs and a face that looks like it’s been smashed with a spade a few times you’re gonna feel more like a blue square premier player than mikey Owen
40 belfast toon // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:52 PM
I’m going mad?
41 belfast toon // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:57 PM
That’s my wife your talking about their taffy
42 tooneskimo // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:57 PM
Welshmag
I see you’ve met the missus then….
43 tooneskimo // Jul 2, 2009 at 1:58 PM
44 belfast toon // Jul 2, 2009 at 2:00 PM
Beat you to it Eskimo
45 tooneskimo // Jul 2, 2009 at 2:06 PM
great minds belfast toon….
46 RyanToon // Jul 2, 2009 at 2:12 PM
bowburn mag
shut it
47 workyticket // Jul 8, 2009 at 2:36 PM
WELSHMAG // Jul 2, 2009 at 12:49 PM
“There’s only one man for me and that’s shearer, with Dowie there to help and advice I can’t see shearer doing that badly aslong as he gets a fair wedge from the new owners and time from the fans.”
I don’t understand that Welshmag.
You say thet Shearer is “the only man” for you, then you damn him with faint praise (“I can’t see shearer doing that badly”). Then you say that in order to do not that badly, he would need a large amount of funds, ANOTHER manager to “puppywalk” him, and a load of time from the fans, something which we haven’t given to other managers.
You make him sound like the worst possible choice!
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