According to Press Reports, YBR is looking at a PSV central defender. Read all about it at DAILY TOON

-- Anonymous, December 01, 2000

Answers

Moving to the answers page.

-- Anonymous, December 01, 2000

Ken,

I still get a menu on the left, a big gap in the middle and some stuff at the bottom. I use netscape with an 800x 600 screen, Is it just me?

-- Anonymous, December 02, 2000

Fabers agent, Kees Ploegsma, was quoted this week as 'demanding clarity from Newcastle'. Having followed Ernest for sometime Ploegsma said 'Newcastle really have to make their minds up this week'. Faber is 29, has just recovered from a succesfull ligament operation, and is under contract with PSV until 2003. He has one cap.

Difficult to know how interested Robson really is given how often we've been linked to players from his former club. PSV have an excess of central defenders and would probably be happy to let Faber go if the offer was right. His agent imposing a deadline for a decision doesn't impress however.

The PSV central defender who we really could do with is left-footed Kevin Hofland (20) who has been extremely impressive since joining the Eindhoven club this season, and has recently been called up into the Dutch squad. It would probably take a 'Jaap Stam' fee, or more, to get him (he was named after Keegan incidently).

-- Anonymous, December 02, 2000

Ta, Stevo, interesting. I must say the one word that leaps out of your posting is ligament. Sounds perfect for NUFC! Can anyone remember the last Toon defender not to suffer a long term injury at some stage of his Newcastle career?

(PS rik - I get the same. it looks like all the text that's meant to be in the box is shoved out to the right.)

-- Anonymous, December 02, 2000

Dan, I'm glad you highlighted 'ligament' as it made me re-check the article and it was in fact a duff translation, for which I apologise. Ernest Faber has actually recovered from a succesful 'meniscus' operation which is the knee-cap and not 'ligament' (wheres Dr Bill when you need him). Excuses all round.

-- Anonymous, December 02, 2000

A "meniscus operation" is the removal of a cartiledge - no big deal these days - Dr. clarky.

-- Anonymous, December 02, 2000

no big deal Dr clarky?! ; - )

would you mind telling that to my right knee, please? the same one that keeps clicking in and out of place every time i attempt to play football and results in absolute agony for at least the next 24 hours....

it's one of the worst things you can do to your knee bar completely shattering it. Breaking your leg is better than knacking you meniscus and anetrior cruciate. Surgery's gone a long way but we shouldn't be paying silly money for a player who's just coming back from a long term injury like that...

dr min kildare

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2000

Yep, I've had one done also min - its now fine; no residual problems whatsoever.

Cartiledge problems used to be a frequent cause of player retirement, but the surgery and recuperation regime has advanced to the point where with key-hole surgery players have been known to be back in action within 2-3 weeks. A great many players have this surgery, and few have residual problems these days within their playing days.
While there are always exceptions to every rule, it is unusual these days for cartiledge injuries to cause long-term absence to professional sportsmen.

There can be longer-term problems once the cartiledge has been removed, eg. arthritis and other degenerative problems. In addition, a injury to the remaining cartiledge in same knee joint, which then leaves the joint without any cartiledge between the bones, can be more serious - and as observed for instance with Malcolm McDonald, can lead to serious degenerative problems that ultimately require major surgery to replace the joint.

From what I've read I don't actually believe this PSV player has simply had a 'meniscectomy'. It seems he has had a fairly serious ligament injury requiring surgery - which I suspect might have been combined with a cartiledge removal.

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2000

oooh-ya - makes me twitch just reading about it. So you'd recommend surgery then? I actually did my anetrior cruciate playing 7 a side football - though the hospital didn't tell me that it was the anterior cruciate "you've torn your ligaments - rest it and don't play football" when they x-rayed it - i had to find out through my GP friend and research over the net. Whether i've knacked the meniscus or not i've no idea but doesn't half hurt if i try and play...

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2000

Hey min, I'm no doc but if your cruciate is damaged I would think that's likely to be a bigger problem than the meniscus - although both will be painful. The ligament injury will affect the stability of the knee joint.
Good luck with it - and get some really good medical advice ie. don't go to SJP!

BTW, when I went to the Docs after damaging my meniscus playing squash, he gave me a prescription. When I went to the chemists with the prescription it turned out to be a bottle of paracetamol! Is it any wonder I have no faith in GP's, or the SJP medical advisors?

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2000

cheers clarky

i know that 'lack of faith' well enough. Definitely not impressed with the 'stick a bag of frozen peas' on it and it'll be right as rain' advice i was given. still, shouldn't be surprised. i'll steer well clear of SJP n'all....

;-)

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2000

Faber played last night in PSV's 2-1 win away at Roda JC Kerkrade (Hofland was suspended). He was interviewed after the game and asked over the Toon speculation; was it his last game for PSV? Faber was deliberately vague, in a thick Brabant accent. He confirmed that there was interest from Newcastle but had "heard nothing concrete from them". "They would need to first report their interest to the club" etc. He's from Eindhoven, which he was keen to mention, and didn't want to appear overtly enthusiastic about leaving, whilst not ruling anything out. I suspect he'd actually jump at the chance as the money would be better and his first-team chances would be considerably greater.

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2000

Last three games Amaruso has been brilliant, something to prove methinks , I honestly think for all his faults he would have been a good signing for the toon. Talk about getting Hendry, short term ?? no way, Steph Caldwell is ahead of him at this moment in Craig Broon`s way of thinking for the WC. Henning Berg, released by Blackburn, what you think LR ? Caldwell/Hughes can just do so much,its a absolute priroity to get someone and its bliddy criminal to find our club in this predictment, 1 does not want to play, one wants away, one injured, 2 are transferred and that leaves 2 kids, no way I can class Barton as a CB, although in our current plight at the back and up front I can visulise Gary Speed as a working man`s Sheringham. can anyone else?? I thought not. oh well!!

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2000

It won't be long before young Steve gets the nod from Craig Brown for the Senior squad. He's probably seen him play matches more than Bobby?

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

I've been on a PSV BBS taking soundings on Ernest Faber. Seems he's their Steve Howey. Been at the club a while, respected, popular, a decent player, but plagued by wretched luck with injuries. A few quotes from various respondents:

"An extremely good player, if he hadn't been injured so often he probably would already be playing abroad."

"I think he is the sort of defender that would suit the style of the English competition, but he is extremely prone to injury".

"Perhaps the best defender in the Netherlands. The only problem is he's too often out with injuries".

"Fantastic idea, he is ready for an English club, he deserves a change, and we've more than enough defenders".

"The lad belongs in the PSV first team. I hope he stays".

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

Cheers for that info Stevo, He sounds worse than Howey and more like a Marcellino!

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

Sky sports are reporting - "Winston Bogarde is on the verge of quitting Chelsea - after only three months.

The Dutch defender is reported to be in talks with two Spanish clubs after failing to force his way into Claudio Ranieri’s plans.

The 30-year-old was Gianluca Vialli’s last signing as Blues boss when he joined on a free transfer from Barcelona, but has made just four starts in three months.

Chelsea would want around £1million – all of it profit - for the versatile defender".

Decent, international defender who thought we had signed before Chewsee stepped in, in our price range (ie. zero to £1mm!) - and a big bugger to boot. We could do a lot worse.

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000