From the Shields Gazette 15/04

TEMURI Ketsbaia will be a summer target of Everton and Leicester City. The two Premiership rivals made inquiries about the Georgian on transfer deadline day - only to back off when they were quoted a #1.5m fee by Bobby Robson. season when they are confident Ketsbaia will be available for slightly less. My information is that Newcastle United will sell if they receive a bid in the region of #1.2m. West Ham are another club who have shown an interest in the 32-year-old - but they have now turned their attentions towards Davor Suker, who will leave Arsenal next month. Ketsbaia hasnt started a game for Newcastle since the UEFA Cup exit against Roma on December 9, when he missed the Magpies best chance. And in recent days, Robson has opted to leave him on the bench and play Kieron Dyer alongside Alan Shearer. While Ketsbaias days at St Jamess Park appear numbered, the situation concerning Duncan Ferguson is more intriguing. Stories on the football grapevine are suggesting Ferguson could be out for anything between three and six months after picking up a knee injury against Chelsea last week. Privately, United are furious at such claims. They believe Ferguson should only be out of action for a fortnight and will feel aggrieved if the big Scot sees out the season on the sidelines. Newcastle supporters have stood by the #8m signing during his injury-blighted career on Tyneside. But I detected a note of frustration among many who felt Ferguson owed them a big game at Wembley - only to last barely 40 minutes of an FA Cup semi-final that was Uniteds most crucial fixture of the season. Robson and his staff have put in a lot of hard work to get Ferguson both physically and mentally right to play this season. But only time will tell if Ferguson remains at St Jamess Park, particularly with Robson planning a busy summer of wheeling and dealing.

-- Anonymous, April 17, 2000

Answers

I truely and sincerely hope that Kets is on his way.....we've had whatever was best out of him, and in my opinion that wasn't a lot, but i reckon #1.2 or #1.25 for him would be good business.

I reckon he has promised a lot and delivered absilutely zilch!

As far as Big Yin is concerened, in the above it states>>>>>>Privately, United are furious at such claims. They believe Ferguson should only be out of action for a fortnight and will feel aggrieved if the big Scot sees out the season on the sidelines. <<<<<<<

Well personally I would be delighted....I would rather not see him miss the last five matches, have a good long holiday and recupperation period until August and then come back all guns blazing next season.

-- Anonymous, April 17, 2000

Sorry, the line>>>>>I would rather not see him miss the last five matches, have a good long holiday <<<<< bliddy keyboard, keeps spilling words wrong and adding words I don't want.

-- Anonymous, April 17, 2000

when ever I see Kets come on my heart sinks but he has to his credit duly stuffed that right back several times. I suppose it's about right he should go but he will always have a soft spot for the goal he stuck in against Zagreb, nearly smacked me head of the pub roof when that went in.......got us into the champions league as I remember....

-- Anonymous, April 17, 2000