According to Ronnie:

Bobby Robson has admitted defeat in his bid to sign one of soccer's bad boys Pierre Van Hooijdonk on loan in time for Newcastle United's hectic holiday programme.

And looks increasingly likely that Robson will have to make do with what he has got as United face four Premiership games in the space of 11 days.

Robson has called on all his world-wide contacts as he has tried to get a striker on in loan to take some of the pressure off Alan Shearer.

And the word from Portugal was that United could get Van Hooijdonk on a free transfer in time for Saturday's trip to Pride Park to take on Derby County.

However Robson was stopped in his tracks when he found out that while Van Hooijdonk is on a free from Benfica, there is a catch.

For any club signing Van Hooijdonk will also have to take over the £5 million debt the Portuguese outfit owe Dutch side Vitesse for the striker.

The United boss told me today: "I have spoken to my great friend Jose Mourinho who, like Mick Wadsworth, worked at my shoulder for five years.

"He has just left Benfica and knows all about the situation with Van Hooijdonk.

"Yes, he is on a free at Benfica but Portuguese clubs never pay for players up front and FIFA have been called in.

"Now Benfica has been told that they have until February to find the £5 million for Van Hooijdonk and every coin they take through the gate is spoken for through FIFA."

In an ideal world United would not go near a player with Van Hooijdonk's reputation.

But after Robson had scoured the world, admitting to trying to get 25 different strikers on loan, it's almost desperation time for United.

Robson admitted: "While Van Hooijdonk is a quality striker he has a poor character and he helped to get Dave Bassett the sack at Nottingham Forest.

"But I have tried for him - and if we had got him I would have got the best out of him."

The only good news for Robson as far as his strikers are concerned is Shearer.

The United skipper told me today that there was no reason why he should not be in the starting line-up at Pride Park on Saturday.

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

Answers

Time to give the bairns a chance??

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

"The United skipper told me today that there was no reason why he should not be in the starting line-up at Pride Park on Saturday.

BECAUSE WE NEED YOU MORE FOR LEEDS AND MOAN! THAT'S WHY, YOU PIG-HEADED TWIT....ARGH!!!

Ahem. Now where did I put those pills? ;-)

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

Agree with ya, Screach. Coppinger, Ameobi....Derby is the perfect game to give at least one of them a chance.

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

Ciara, you're just worried in case you don't get to see him over Christmas. As Geordie and I pointed out elsewhere, perhaps YBR thinks Shearer will make the difference against the likes of Derby, Bradford and so on, but maybe not against Leeds and ManUre? What surprised me was he stayed on for the whole 90 mins on Saturday.

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

I don't care if I don't see him. I just think his experience and strength is better used in 3 tough games coming up than against Derby. I'd actually even be surprised if he played all of the 3 holiday games even if he was rested. I can see how he lifted the team and crowd on Saturday so that does make some sense. Just don't see why he'd be so important away at Derby. The crowd will be plenty up for it regardless. The players have got to learn to get up for it without him being on the pitch.

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

More pills...hit send before finishing.

I still trust YBR's judgement. He's got a better record than me in management ;-) Still doesn't mean I'm not going to worry about this.

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

Was what PVH did actually that much worse than Stevie Stone leaving Forest like a rat leaving a sinking ship?

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

Stone stayed on at Forest for an extra season and only when they failed to go up again did he ask for a xfer. Even Pearce left eventually for the sake of his career. Van Hooijdonk was different becuase he gave up on them before the relegation season had started, and publicly slated the standard of the players. As battlers go he's up there with Ravanelli. I think we've had a lucky escape, PVH is too much of a liability.

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

PVH had been promised before signing a new contract that they would be buying new players. Not justifying him and wouldn't welcome him in the side particularly but I always thought Stevie Stone was out of order that season, too. Fell out with Ruud Gullit didn't he, for one reason or another?

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

We need to change the formation. IMO using dyer just behind Al is a problem Keep Dyer in midfiled and put Al AND Cordone up front then Dyer has two options and also two guys taking defenders away. 4-4-2 is my particular fav formation in an ideal world id like to see. Given

Barton Goma Hughes Griff

Nobby Dyer Bassadas/acuna Glass

AL Cordone An evil attacking force IMHO.

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

Kennyboy, until the rest of MF starts scoring goals, we can't afford to leave Speed out (apart from Derby that is!).

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

If he could have been taken untill the end of the season then it would have been a good idea, atlest you could tell him to eff off if he wasn't doing the buisiness without having to pay massive compensation. Looks to me like only Huckerby is left on the shelf, would he not be worth a couple of million?

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

KennyBoy at the moment I think I would go with :-

Given

Barton .. Marcelino .. Hughes .. Griff

Solano .. Dyer ..... Acuna ... Glass

..... Speed....

.... Shearer ....

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000