Bit worried myself. Carrying injuries last season, the Euro 2000 knocks, very short rest.....

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2000

Answers

Only a few years ago our back up for an injured Al were the likes of Andersson, Barnes and Ketsbia- these are happy days, enjoy them ;-)

Remember Dunc has said hes fit+ready to go following his viral illness- if we get as may games out of Dunc this season as last, along with the 2 new strikers we will do well.

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2000

Shearer who?(kidding) We've also got Cort and Cordone besides Big Yin. Plus just about the rest of the squad capable of scoring goals. And creating chances. WOW..when was the last time we could say that? I'm not getting carried away and saying we'll win trophies this year...yet(ask me in 3 weeks)...but we're far stronger than we've been in awhile and well capable of it. In Bobby we trust! :-)

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2000

and we've got Kets in reserve.Perpaps with Dunc and Shearer crocked, they'll hold onto our super sub? I wonder if they'll give him that advertising hoarding as a souvenier when he is finally allowed to leave.

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2000

Why hasn't anyone mentioned Coppinger. Shame on you Softie. Shearer. Cort. Dunc. Cordone. Coppinger.

-- Anonymous, August 03, 2000

Newcastle captain Alan Shearer has vowed to be fit in time for his club's big Premiership kick-off at Manchester United after undergoing a scan on a troublesome knee injury.

The 29-year-old has missed the club's last two friendlies with a recurrence of the tendinitis he suffered on international duty during Euro 2000 earlier this summer.

But a scan on Wednesday revealed the problem is no worse than it was then.

He is expected to train with his team-mates on Friday and is keeping his fingers crossed that he gets the green light to fly to Rotterdam for Saturday night's warm-up clash with Feyenoord.

Failing that, his last chance of action before the new season will be next weekend when United fly to Barcelona to take on Espanol.

It was the Shearer-Ferguson partnership which undid United at St James' Park on February 12 when they exacted full revenge for their 5- 1 drubbing in Manchester at the end of last August by claiming all the goals in a 3-0 victory - one of just three reverses in the league for the Premiership champions.

Those results illustrated graphically the distance Newcastle had travelled between the two games, the former coming just days after Ruud Gullit had resigned and the latter as the Magpies confirmed their recovery under Robson.

Sporting Life, 04 Aug.

-- Anonymous, August 03, 2000

Tre, I've mentioned him about 873 times in the last 3 months...that's about 462 behind your namechecks for Mullins and Morrison :-)

-- Anonymous, August 04, 2000

Well Shearer hasn't travelled to Feyenoord. As long as he can play full out on the 20th, I don't care if he doesn't play anymore friendlies. I just wonder since nufc.com mention the game against Boca Juniors was a behind-closed-doors thing...maybe they gave Shearer a run out then? Could this be Shearer and Bobby playing their own mind games? hmmmmmm......

-- Anonymous, August 04, 2000

On the REd Ish site, they are gearing up to abuse him and us:"Are you Makems in disguise"? I am probably in a minority of one but I hope he doesn't play at OT. He always plays like crap at OT.

-- Anonymous, August 04, 2000

Of course, you were hiding under your seat at the semi-final and didn't see him score twice!! ;-))

-- Anonymous, August 04, 2000

Shearer ruled out of United Dutch clash

ALAN Shearer is out of Newcastle United's friendly with Feyenoord in Rotterdam tomorrow night, (writes Alan Oliver). But Nobby Solano was a surprise inclusion in the Newcastle United squad when it left for Holland this afternoon.

Shearer, who has had tendinitis problems with his knee, did not travel but United are still confident that their skipper will be fit for the Premiership opener with Manchester United at Old Trafford a fortnight on Sunday.

Head coach Mick Wadsworth told me today: "Alan's not going with us to Holland but he will be ready for Old Trafford. "He has not trained for eight days but he has started back in full training today." United know that Shearer has both the physical and mental strength to start the new campaign even though his pre-season work has been seriously disrupted.

One player who will not be starting the season for United, though, is Solano. He will be on World Cup duty for Peru against Venezuela on August 16 - four days before United go to Old Trafford. Then Solano is in World Cup action again on September 3 and United had not expected to see him until after then. But Wadsworth said: "Nobby is back with us for a while."

Duncan Ferguson, who has not kicked a ball for United since the FA Cup semi-final defeat by Chelsea at Wembley on April 9, was on the flight to Holland. And the Scot could form a #15 million strike-force with Carl Cort tomorrow.

United travelled with: Given, Harper, Barton, Griffin, Goma, Dabizas, Hughes, Howey, Solano, McClen, Lee, Speed, Gavilan, Gallacher, Glass, Ferguson, Cort, Cordone.

-- Anonymous, August 04, 2000

I know Softie.

This season I won't be plumping for Mullins and Morrison, [though I would've loved the Crystal Palace job ;-) ], I'll be calling for Coppinger to be kept and brought into the first team, David Pruton to brought over from Nottingham Forest, and for our scouts to monitor two young strikers, Rory Fallon from Barnsley and Marvin Brown from Bristol City.

Oh and for Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard to be bought.

That enough? No more Mullins and Morrison.

-- Anonymous, August 05, 2000

Will the injury prevent him from doing the voices on the Simpsons?

-- Anonymous, August 05, 2000