...............cycling round the track at the training ground to keep fit!

I arrived early at the training ground to meet Galaxy and Yelli. We wanted to catch Bobby Robson this time. He arrived and signed various things, commenting that he liked Yelli’s nails! I asked if I could take a photo of him with Gal and Yelli and he got out of the car and put his arms round them saying that he wanted a cuddle! We made some comment about the lousy weather –
Bobby “You should have been here yesterday, it was lovely.”
Me “But were you here yesterday?”
Bobby (thinking hard for a minute) “No I wasn’t, I was in Newcastle at the club, it was lovely there!”

More of the players arrived. Shay Given had a black eye but his nose looked alright! LKD said his leg was OK and he’d be fit for the start of next season. Nobby was driven in by Marcelino, he waved but they didn’t stop.

Galaxy and Yelli then left to drive back south so I went round to the pitch. I’d just walked round there when the players came out and jogged through the gate next to me and down the field where they went through the warm-up routines. There was a guy stood by the fence with a couple of cameras and talking in Spanish on his mobile ‘phone. Bobby didn’t seem too happy with him and asked the security man to find out who it was. Somebody said he had come to see Marcelino – don’t know if that was true.

After a bit of passing the ball about they split into 2 teams. Gavilan and Gary Caldwell were with the first team – no sign of Griffin or Glass although both had arrived earlier. Shay Given was practising with the coaches rather than taking part in the game, probably in case he got hit in the face again.

The game was played in the middle part of the pitch. The idea seemed to be to concentrate on movement and spreading the play. Bobby was getting exasperated with them, the first time I’ve ever heard him swear but today he could have given Steve Howey a run for his money! At one point he stopped play and was telling them something when Gary Speed started shouting at him and blaming Clarence Acuna for whatever it was he had a problem with. There was a lot of frustration. At one point Steve Caldwell and Warren Barton were arguing over whether a ball had stayed in play. A lot of shouting, ending up with one telling the other to f*** off. Gary Caldwell and Daniel Cordone were having a go at each other – both totally unable to understand what the other was saying! Barton summed it up when he said “there’s a lot of bitchin’ goin’ on 'ere”.

This season can’t end soon enough. The players and Bobby are all frustrated and getting at each other. Speed was completely out of order to yell at Bobby like he did. After training finished they were off to watch a horror film – the video of last Tuesday’s game.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2001

Answers

Thanks for the report Steph. Not sure it's what I want to hear though. Speed's totally lost it recently - he's obviously struggling to come to terms with something (the fact he's got no pace?). It's just not working out in midfield, is it?

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2001

Bloody Hell, Steph, didn't pull any punches with that one! Reckon this will be an Anal (sic) Olliver exclusive by teatime. Thanks for the info....I think :-)

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2001

Thanks Steph. Sounds like this BBS really :-)

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2001

I'm cheered by their petty tantrums. I didn't realise they had any passion in them at all. Now all we have to do is channel it !!

Personally I feel Speed needs to shut up until he has a valid reason for opening his gob. I know he got man of the match against Leicester but his wife was guest of hounour and she was allowed to choose. He was crap when he came here, he's been crap recently and I see no reason to belive he'll be anything other than crap until he retires.

Good to see the Scottish boys stirring it up with some of the other useless ones, a true Stirling performance. If Gary is learning to be as hard as his brother then we're laughing.

Away to Liverpool isn't the place to blood kids, but it probably isn't the place to play Dabizas either :0) I'd stick Gary in he has the pace to cope with Owen. The big concern is how we try and con Liverpool into not attacking down their left !!

Nice report Steph, hope you weren't too upset at all the swearing.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2001

Softie, I've posted this too late for him to nick it for tonight's Ronnie but watch out for a report in the morra's Journal from an "insider" or "unamed source at the training ground".

MacB, Stevie was yelling at everybody, including his bruv! He's a shouter and doesn't mind who he yells at.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2001

But they still love each other, brothers always do !!

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2001

Nice with another report but not really the things you want to hear. Still nice to know whats going on between the players.

When I come to Newcastle someday I must join you on one these trips!

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2001

Sudden, you will be very welcome. Sorry to give such a negative report but at least it shows they are as p***ed off as we are!

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2001

Great reporting, as usual Steph! Glad to hear Yelli and Galaxy got to meet more of the players. And a cuddle from Uncle Bobby too!

As others have said, it's nice to hear the players have a bit of life in them. Perhaps a little less blaming each other, and a bit more just getting stuck in and working TOGETHER. Especially Speed, who's moaning this season is annoying the hell out of me. Start playing like a star, and *maybe* you can get away with the primadonna routine. Maybe.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2001

Steph, you're a star, thanks once again. Not sure whether to be cheered by the fact they seem rattled after Tuesday, or concerned about the evident disharmony.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2001

Thx man! Ya, lets hope it's a good sign, very hard to think postitive about anything concerning NUFC right now.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2001

I don't think there passionate about the club (not in the same way we are) I think they don't want to play on satda coz we're gonna get tonked and they don't want to be blamed for it. simple really reverse psychology.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2001