From ESPN.com !!!

.... As Solano found his way into Robson's bad books, there was some better news for the manager when French defender Alain Goma committed himself to the club for the time being after earlier asking for a transfer.

Chairman Freddy Shepherd condemned players such as Goma earlier this season when he said: 'We cannot tolerate any players who don't want to play for us.'

But Goma said: 'I have been hurt and upset by a lot of things that have been said about me by people who should know better. A lot of it isn't true.

'I don't know if I'll leave - we'll have to see at a later date - but I'm committed to playing for Newcastle and desperate to win something with them. I've always tried while playing here and to suggest differently is stupid.'

......

He might stay, and I would just love that. I really like this player, he's commanding, he's athletic , he's good in the air and he gets forward from time to time. I think he is a player like Lucas Radebe.

Please stay Alain !

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001

Answers

Further niceness: Newcastle boss Bobby Robson has spent much of his managerial career trying, and in many cases succeeding, to make the impossible possible. But the 67-year-old left St James' Park on Sunday night knowing that he faces an uphill task if he is to guide his side through to the FA Cup fourth round. Newcastle have not lost a tie away from Wembley in the last four seasons, although they came perilously close at the weekend as Nolberto Solano booked a replay with Aston Villa just 10 minutes from time. A trip to Villa Park is no easy test at the best of times, but Robson and his players will head for the Midlands with their ranks more thoroughly depleted than ever. With Alan Shearer, Rob Lee, Carl Cort, Kevin Gallacher and Nicos Dabizas all still likely to be on the injured list, United could have done without the disciplinary bans which Kieron Dyer and Solano both start a day earlier after being sent off at Tottenham last week. And with influential midfielder Gary Speed running on empty after a gruelling holiday schedule, the cupboard is increasingly bare. However, while Robson knows he will have to do without some of his senior players - several of them for a considerable time - he can at least comfort himself in the knowledge that the youngsters who will eventually replace them are blossoming. Northern Ireland defender Aaron Hughes and England Under-21 international Andy Griffin have blended into the side so well in recent months that it is easy to forget their tender years, and while 19-year-old Shola Ameobi knows he still has a lot to learn, he is already earning the plaudits of his manager. Hughes in particular has caught the eye after taking up the challenge presented him to Robson before his first match in charge at St James', a game in which he scored the opening goal in a remarkable 8-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday. ''Things changed for me before the Sheffield Wednesday game last season,'' admitted Hughes. ''Bobby Robson was thinking about bringing in a new defender and he came up to me and asked me whether I thought we needed someone. ''I have never lacked confidence, but that gave me the spur to prove that I could do the job. He has the knack of giving you that extra boost, and since then I've never looked back. ''Players like Warren Barton and Gary Speed are always making sure that you're on your toes and giving you good advice. ''But the thing about this game is that you don't just pick up things from the senior players. I've also learned from Andy Griffin. ''I'm 21, but I will still be learning at 31. In football, you never stop learning.'' Newcastle have inevitably been diminished by the loss of important players, but they have made up for that with some spirited displays, in particular those against Leeds United and Manchester United over Christmas which saw them reap four points from a possible six. However, they have had to fight hard in each of their last three home games to come from behind, and they were at full stretch on Sunday to keep their FA Cup dream alive by the skin of their teeth. ''I think our decent home run can be put down to determination and camaraderie,'' said Hughes. ''All the players get on and in the last three home games, that has allowed us to bounce back after going a goal down. ''We've bounced back from bad results this season, like against Arsenal and Sunderland, which was definitely the lowest point of the season. We have a determination to put things right.''

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001

Goma seems to suggest he will be here to the end of the season at least which can only be good for the club. I hope he stays for a lot longer.

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001

Agree, DB. He's right that he has never let anyone down while wearing the black and white. All together "Please don't go (ma) away".

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001

Goma, our lovely Goma

He makes me happy, when skies are grey

You'll never know sir, how much we love you

Please don't take our Goma away

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. A rendition of this ringing round the ground on Saturday would cheer him up!

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001

Excellent I hate nicking other clubs' songs but the Yip Yap Stam song would fit Goma well, too. Although there was nowt wrong with the adapted Alan Gowling chorus for him...

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001

I wouldn't be bothered about knicking their song on this occasion because as soon as Cole and Sheringham are fit again, no-one will hear the song anyway. We could sing it every week!

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001

Alain Goma is a big French man Get past him if you f....g can Try a little trick And he'll make you look a p....k Alain Goma.

(I have heard variants of this - try a little stunt and he'll amke you look a .... but I hate that word)

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001

According to this morning's Journal, early in the season Goma heard that Barcelona were interested in signing him. He went to BR to discuss it, and they agreed that if a club of Barcelona's stature came in for him it would be considered sympathetically.
Subsequently, FS blew the gaff on this 'arrangement', and went public with Goma's desire to leave the Club - to the obvious annoyance of Goma, and quite probably BR.

This disclosure leaves me rather confused as to whether Goma is on the transfer list or not. I actually wonder if FS found out about AG & BR's cosy 'arrangement', and said to AG "you either want to go or you don't. Unless you're prepared to fully commit yourself to this Club, then you're on the list!".

As usual, who really knows?

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001

If a club the size of Barcelona came in for one of our players, is it reasonable for us to hold hold the player back, as long as they pay the money for the player. I see no sense in keeping a player when he wants to be somewhere else.

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001

yeah, but if we had let everyone Barca wanted join them we'd have no Daveed to boo

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001

I'm sure he has his own web-page but I can't find it. Maybe we should send him messages to say we want him to stay.

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001

Puzzled. Why was his 'transfer request', made over the summer, ever made public in the first place? And why then wait until mid-season to do so? The timing was appalling, just as Alain was showing the sort of form and consistency we've missed at the back, and linking up well with Aaron Hughes. To what purpose? To make his availability more widely known (Robson was talking as though his departure was inevitable)? To shame him into staying with the club? To alert the fans that he was likely to leave? Something doesn't add up here.

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001

As I hinted Stevo, the only explanation that appears to make sense is that Goma and BR had come to a gentlemen's agreement in the summer that FS only stumbled on a few weeks ago. Seems like he went ape-dood and made public what he, not unreasonably, regarded as a lack of total committment to the Club - and presumably told Goma he regarded him as being 'on the transfer list' until he comes back and tells him he definitely wants to stay.

Presumably, the result of this is mexican stand-off, that benefits nobody but yet again makes the Club look rather foolish and uncoordinated.

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001

If your assessment is correct Clarky (and it explains the current impasse a lot better than anything I can come up with) it throws a disturbing light on Robson's+ FS's working relationship. It makes me wonder if there is a lack of harmony and trust at the highest level of the club.

Speculation aside, as you correctly point out nobody, neither the club nor the player, is benifiting from the current situation. This sort of confusion only succeeds in leaving the club looking foolish and amateurish, and not for the first time.

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001

There may have been some substance to reports that the Toon were attempting to arrange a straight swap involving Goma and Lee Clark.
Reports today suggest Fulham turned down the approach - valuing Clark at £5mm and Goma at only £3mm!
Interesting!

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001

If that's what they reckon then that little stick that Tigana keeps in his gob during a match must be coated in some pretty strong stuff!!

They're taking the piss aren't they, £3 mill for Goma!

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001