Excellent news ....

Gary Speed is ready to tie himself to Newcastle United until the end of season 2004.

United are confident the 31-year-old midfielder will sign his new contract when he returns for Wales's two World Cup qualifying games next week.

And it's some much-needed good news for Bobby Robson before the United boss goes on holiday on Thursday.

In talks with his agent Hayden Evans, United offered Speed another two-year deal when his current contract ends at the end of next season.

The Speed camp would have preferred an extra three years but I understand this will not prove to be a stumbling block.

Indeed a United source told me today: "Negotiations with Gary Speed and his representative are progressing nicely.

"We are not anticipating any problems and we are confident that he will sign his new contract once he has had time to study our offer."

at least I can see light at the end of the tunnel even if it is 2004

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

Answers

awful performances

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

MacB, I bought the Ronnie today and my first thought was of you.

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

Was that because you read the story on Gay 'butter' Strippers on the front page?

This, for me, is negative news. We should be looking to make our midfield competetive, not stagnating it and smothering it with toothless banality that lessens our already diminishing threat. Whats the point in buying a great new left winger, or a super striker if the man given the task of giving them the ball. Predicatble, boring footballer. Next.

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

Swift he does so much work off the ball that we would be lost without him.

Say he's on a £1m a year, lets not be daft and try and think of this in weekly wage terms as that as meaningless. Let's think about per game. At roughly 40 games a year (it's easier on my long division) he gets £25000 per game. If we each pay £500 for our season tickets, then every game his salaries come from the season's total for 50 fans. Or, boringly, the season ticket money from 2000 of us pays his annual salary.

He's one of those players who should be kept until he can get a testimonial and we can all help him through his retirement by showing our appreciation for him.

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

he's got a web site hasn't he...?

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

is that dull too?

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

Decent squad player and no more IMHO.

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

Agree with Dougal. Unfortunately, right now we are in a position where we'd probably miss him if he went this summer as there is no clear replacement. By tying him down for 3 more seasons, we guarantee ourselves a workhorse, plus the chance of getting some decent money for him when his replacement is identified. Hopefully he'll feel 'wanted' by this deal and will settle down. Failing that, tape his mouth shut during matches.

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

how about taping his legs together before matches?

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

is that to slow him down ??

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

How about taping him to the bench.

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

Isn't this a bit unfair on him? He was probably our best player for the first half of the season, remember, when we were in the top 7 of the league.

Although his form hasn't been brilliant lately, I reckon it's either him or Acuna in the team - the two together doesn't work, so it's one or the other.

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

Dougal...To say Speed is a decent SQUAD player....please wake up,although he may not be the most inventive of midfield players...we would have been in serious trouble this season had it not been for him..what we need is a creative midfielder alongside the likes of Speed.IMHO Acuna is too much alike , but to slag Gary Speed off ...come on!

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2001

I tend towards the pro Speed camp. In fact I wonder just how influential a player he is. It seems to me that his run of poor form coincided with the team's. In our squad, a player who can get through the whole season without a prolonged injury absence has to be worth a number of brownie points on it's own.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2001

d, I'm not doubting his contribution - I'm saying that if we want to improve, he's not a great player. Are you happy to stay like we were last season?

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2001

A few years ago there used to be a deabte about a certain player's worth.

When he played well the team played well, so his supporters said. His detractors said that he only played well when the team played well and he could coast along looking pretty.

It'd be easy to say the same about Gary Speed, except we never played well last year at all.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2001

Sorry, I can't be doing with this get rid of Speed cr@p. Smells like a scapegoat if you ask me. He started off badly and it's very easy to jump back on his back when things aren't going sweetly but look at the facts.

He is NOT a left midfielder - he is a central midfielder with a left foot. Most of this season he has had to play on the left side.

Our midfield hasn't had ANY shape this season except when either Domi/Quinn or Glass have played in the ledft midfield role. Is that Speeds fault?

As a team, we havn't created enough opportunities this season - he was our second top goalscorer last season when we created more chances. In fact his goals tally for last season is higher than top spot this year.

He scored against the mackems (I thought that was guaranteed sainthood)

He not be the best passer in the team (sometimes he is woeful. But he is still the best player that we have in that posoition.

He scord a respectable 6 goals this seaon.

He is never injured, think about the trouble we'd have been in this season if he'd cried off like the rest of the midfiled.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2001

I disagree !!!

He hasn't played left side of midfield at all this season. He has played as the left footed player of two defensive midfielders with either Lee or Acuna partnering him.

He has had as many chances to score this season as he had last, that side of his game has worsened dramatically. His misses in the first 20 minutes of the Sunderland game were one of the low points of the season for me. He should have had a hat trick by quarter past three, and ended up with one from a rebound.

In the holding role he is has been playing you have to be able to pass.

6 goals is fine but he had so many more opportunities than that.

His fitness is excellent.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2001

I knew someone would !

I'd be interested to know how many games he played as a holding player. Who played left midfield when Dyer and Lee/Acuna play in the middle and Solano on the right?

I can't believe he has had as many opportunities to score this season when no body else has. Obviously I have seen fewer games on here than most on here but it seems to me that Speed is the obvious target of the boo boys.

If we had somebody better than great, but as it stands, he's the best we've got.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2001

Okay then lets keep Cordone

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2001

Now you are taking the pi$$. Next you'll want us to sign Andrea again

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2001

Exactly, so until we are in a position whereby we can afford a decent alternative we should get behind our Gary.

If we could go out and spend £10 million on Carrick then by all means get rid of Speed but we can't do that yet!

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2001

If we can find a better midfielder then fine, let him go. As it is we can't so what sense is there in getting shot of Speed? Acuna and Bassedas have much to prove / improve but there are signs of some ideas about Premiership football about them. However, with McClen and Lee as backup it's not enough. Speed stays fit, usually puts in a solid performance and scores goals. How many other currently in the team can you say that about?

Now if he can keep his gob shut... :-)

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2001

lads, i think not rating Speed is no crime. But i've never booed him, and i doubt Mac has. If Speed could increase his passing range and turn whining into more aggression he'd be fine. He's a bit of a non entity though isn't he? As for Carrick, make that at least 15mil mate...

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2001

I didn't applaud him off the pitch when he was sent off

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2001

Like it or not Speed will sign a new contract when he returns from his international duties with Wales.

-- Anonymous, May 31, 2001

if he's still a fixture in the midfield in 3 years time then i predict we'll seriously be in trouble. WHY 3 years? why not 1 at the most? its only because of bosman he's getting that security. bollocks

-- Anonymous, May 31, 2001