With 24 year-old Steven Taylor in the line-up for tomorrow’s game against Chelsea, it’s not too surprising that the situation with Steven’s contract has been raised today.
Steven Taylor – still not willing to sign new contract
Steven’s contract runs out next summer, and his agent Paul Stretford seems content to let Steven run out his contract and then become a free agent in the summer.
Exactly what Steven wants to do is not that clear, but the local lad says that he wants to stay at Newcastle, but his actions obviously do not exactly fit his words, and there’s still no likelihood that a new contract will be signed anytime soon.
Chris tried to play down the contract talks and rightly talked about concentrating on the tough job to be done on Tyneside:
“You have to focus on the job you have to do,” “You do not have any choice. If your focus is on other things, you are not able to do whatever job that is to the best of your ability.”
“ At the hard end where we are, it is about performances, about playing in front of a big crowd, about results.” “You have to be 100 per cent focused and I am quite sure Steven will be.”
“I have not talked to Steven about his contract – that is very much an issue between him and the club. Our stance has not changed.” “We are still very much wanting to have him at the club and we will continue to endeavor to keep him.
“The fact he is on the transfer list has never been much of an issue for us. We want to keep him here – he has the right profile, the right age and the right quality for the type of player we want here at Newcastle and none of that has changed.”
The disagreement with the contract is about the amount, not surprisingly, and from what we can tell Steven has been given only a slight raise in money, from what he’s getting at the moment, and it could be he thinks he can get more elsewhere.
If that becomes more obvious in January, then watch for the club to try to unload the player in the January transfer market, so they get something for the lad who has come through Newcastle’s Academy, and was the England U21 captain.
Of course Steven is still officially on the transfer list, so he will be available to offers in January in any case, unless Newcastle do something, and agree a contract and then take him off the market, but it’s a dodgy situation at best right now with Steven, who has been told not to talk about his contract situation with the press
Chris has called on Newcastle supporters to support Steven, but we’re sure they will, when he’s playing in those black and white stripes:
“Our crowd are very good that way. We have had ups and downs already this season and the crowd has been excellent. When they see a local lad playing for us, of course, I think it does mean more to them.”
“They will get behind Steven if he is playing.” “Both he and Sol have missed a lot of football. Sol has been involved in two games this season, but Steven has missed a lot of games.”
“He has been fit for a good while now, he has a reserve game under his belt and what you have with Steven is a very good player.” “We have lost two important players in circumstances we would rather have done without, but these are the things with which you have to cope.”
“Whether it is through injuries and suspensions, the squad will be tested and this is an opportunity for somebody else to do well.”
Just how well Steven plays in these next three games could have some bearing on the contract situation, because if he’s not starting games in January, the club may think he’s surplus to requirements, but of course Chris Hughton wants him to stay on Tyneside, and doesn’t want to lose him.
But if it comes down to money and Steven wants to leave because Newcastle are not offering him enough – so be it.
Comments welcome.
8 comments so far
davcon22
Nov 27, 2010 at 10:41 AM
Comment #1I’ve got a feeling he’ll be gone in January,think he can get alot more money than newcastle are willing to offer him!
Cant blame the lad,we’d all do the same!!
geoff777
Nov 27, 2010 at 10:43 AM
Comment #2It’s crazy … we’ll get peanuts for him in January.
If Ashley is going to sell him …
Sign him now on a four year deal with a pay rise.
Then sell him in the summer for his full value.
Ashley would have to fork out a few thousand a week extra until June/July but would get 3-4 million more on the transfer fee.
Pwnanza
Nov 27, 2010 at 11:01 AM
Comment #3Geoff.. it will cost us about that to keep him till then anyway, so it is a lose-lose situation as far as i can see.
unless the greedy get stays as loyal as he says he is and gets a nice new contract signed
BeeGuy
Nov 27, 2010 at 2:06 PM
Comment #4I’m worried about Taylor vs. Chelsea. Last week CH gave Alan Smith a big vote of confidence & Smith only showed he could motor around the center circle, not cover as a Dm is supposed to do.
This week Ch is bally-hooing S Taylor. Scary.
37 BEN ARFA 37
Nov 27, 2010 at 2:43 PM
Comment #5davcon22 is talking shite,
which local lad would want to leave their supported club for more money,,
i sure wouldnt,, Steven Taylor is a cockney tosser
MOONDUST
Nov 27, 2010 at 4:33 PM
Comment #637 BEN ARFA 37
No your talking shite cause your a complete tosser
Charlietoon
Nov 27, 2010 at 8:55 PM
Comment #7Now now ladies. I’d like to keep him but lets face it he has missed a year and a half through injury so if he does go he will not be missed. Considering his recent injuries I dont think he deserves or is worth pay rise. He’ll go to a big club and sit on the bench for a few years but he’ll get what he is fighting for. a rise from 50s a week….to 55gs a week….what a joke.
chuck
Nov 29, 2010 at 1:54 AM
Comment #8The former England U21 captain will not sit on any teams bench bench, enough with the sour grapes.
Is it wrong for the guy to ask for a raise ?
And as stated we are apparently offering not much more than he presently earns.
C`mon we all expect to receive raises over time
and it it was`nt for agent`s most clubs would`nt even offer to negotiate, as in the past.
A case of were going to give you this amount , sign here !
So enough of the he`s a greedy so & so, etc., the kid is a good player pay him what he deserves.
hell we all know by now how cheap Ashley is, but being the club is doing good, he`s been forgotten about.
And while he`s about it give Hughton a substantial raise before someone else does, face it what he`s accomplished has`nt gone un-noticed in this league.