* BR has apparently ruled out out Dwight Yorke & Henry Sikora.
* Guardiola doesn't rate Bobby, and wants too much money.
* Michael Carrick thinks coming to the Toon would be a bad career move.
* Fowler is staying put.
* £10 million is too much for Francis Jeffers.
* Matt Jansen and Damien Duff are staying at Blackburn.
* Michael Bridges has picked up yet another injury.
* Interest has cooled in Helder becuase of his continuing injury problems.

In addition to the above:
Despite the reams of newspaper pages devoted to the matter, Paul Stretford, the agent for both Lee Clark and Robbie Elliott, insists the Toon have not as yet made an approach for either player. In addition, the Bolton Chairman claims RE is certain to stay and sign the new contract being drawn up for him. He is quoted as saying "there has been talk of Robbie going to Newcastle, but he wants to stay here".

In addition to the above, the Agent for Ernest Faber of PSV has said "Bobby Robson has recently told me that Newcastle don't now want to sign Ernest, so he has signed a new contract with PSV. The same Agent has also rubbished suggestions linking the Toon to PSV's Finnish international left winger Jonas Kolkka. Extended periods of absence on international duty are apparently ruling out approaches for Quentin Fortune and Feyenoord's Bonaventure Kalou.

Time marches on, the ST deadline approaches, Dyer, AS, CC and GS are likely to be missing for the start of the season, and yet one by one our suggested targets are falling by the wayside. Fills you with optimism doesn't it?

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

Answers

who'd want that load of rubbish anyhow? Seriously tho Clarky, you think we're out in the cold? I seriously think YBR has a few cards to play....wait and see.....

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

Maybe this could be the time to throw your youngesters in.We did it in the 1st division and it changed the club.Of course it was the first division but it brought a wind of change through all of us and we are still riding on it.Never did man u much harm either.

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

I agree SK... we have more than enough class at the bairn level. Time to let the young'uns take a shot.

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

The quality is at U17 level. Reserves and U19s have seriously struggled (losing Ameobi to the first team can't explain both of them underperforming).

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

Clarky, looking for Lee Hughes on your list !!!

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

Blooding youngsters in one thing, being forced to play them for want of better is another. Weren't we once informed that Bobby would be shopping at Harvey Nicholas this summer?

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

A teamful of young uns will not win you diddly squat , there has to be a balance, Bobby is in a catch 22 situation due to ppp, and lack of continuity at the club. There is a gap and bridging it is going to tough for the man, For instance we are on the look-out for a command- ing CH, we know who are in pole position at the club, bringing in another after giving the Caldwells hope will not do anything for their progression, explain to me please anyone why was O Brian not bought with a commanding center half label, When you talk about the promise of the bairns, remember other clubs have the same if not better youth, very few make premiership, YBR biggest test if he buy`s is to keep the young potential at the club,I am not sure if its possible.

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

I don't think we're out in the cold just yet sparxx - but we seemed to fanny around last close season, missed out on some good players, and I'm concerned we don't do the same again.

We were already in need of some quality being brought in before it was known that AS, CC, KD and GS would all be missing at the start of the season.
Given the release of several squad players, the squad today is weaker and thinner than it was at the end of the season, and if by some chance we don't bring in several good players we will struggle, imo.
If, on top of that we get off to a bad start because several of our better players are missing then we could find ourselves in serious trouble.

I do actually believe several players will be brought in, but I simply don't want us to miss out on the very best ones available - that are also affordable, of course.

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

I for one am looking forward to Seeing Lee hughes & Craig Bellemy thriving on the service of a class act, £5.5m rated Gary Speed.

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

Clarky, I thought about that and worried that we might be back off to South America. Also, Dabs has been trying to persuade YBR to get in more Greeks. However, no one has really bought big yet so I think we might be trying to keep our powder dry.

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

Its Okay Clarky - all we have to do is go to the nearest pit and shout down the shaft for a center half and an international will come up at the next change of shift. Now, where is the nearest pit .... Oh B*gger!!

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

Lee Hughes: the supermarket own-brand version of John Hartson.

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

expectations are a b*tch... while some EXPECT ££££££££'s to be spent, lest we forget since Keegan left we have yet to break £7m on any player, and I fear it won't happen any time soon....

So we know Manure, Arse, and Chewsee are still gonna spend the bucks, we are gonna spend our bit, but while names like Van Nistlerooy and he lot are going to other clubs the only thing we might be talking about when it comes to our signings is...

who's he???

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

Well Sounder - there is always the Pit Museum at Woodhorn, near Ashington.
I visited there a few weeks ago, and really enjoyed it. Other than the drift mine at Beamish, sadly I think it's the only local deep-shaft mine to have been retained for posterity.

They had an exhibition of local pit standards (yer knaa, like flags), and another of the works of The Ashington School of Painters.

While my paternal grandfather was a miner, I've never been particularly close to any mining community, although I've always had the greatest respect for miners, and an admiration for the communities and collective spirit the pits created. I also love brass bands.

The pits have left a heritage we should fondly remember, and a place like Woodhorn should be carefully looked after.

The work of the Ashington Painters was particularly impressive - so realistic and full of emotion are the images these rank amateurs, rough pit-men, were able to create with just a little encouragement.
Worth a visit, but could be so much more impressive with a modicum of National Lottery investment - the place should be nourished as a national treasure imo.

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

..... sorry, bit off topic! Ah well....

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

So we know Manure, Arse, and Chewsee are still gonna spend the bucks

WE also know Manure can pay for it out of TV & Arse must be cash rich. Chewsee could go bust if they carry on as they are. Can we afford to join in?????

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

Can we afford to join in?

Not really. The money comes from the European competitions. We have to break into this circle in order to start spending big again (or at least be able to spend big again). Having said that our gates are healthy and we should be in a position to spend a bit this Summer but YBR really needs to make it count.

Last season we had little extra income from cup competitions and none from Europe. These are the games that can add a lot of extra money to the pot. They don't increase the wages significantly so all the gate/TV money goes predominantly into club coffers.

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

Well, we had better sign players with excellent disciplinary records so that we can get into the "Clean League" draw again. One year in 6 we should make it that way.

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2001

Paul Stretford has a comed..er...quality Honduran international on his books. Interested?

-- Anonymous, June 04, 2001

OML, I thought Milton was supposed to be there to let SK be the target man when Quinn was injured

-- Anonymous, June 04, 2001

Ow, Kev is a damn fine header of the ball for his height. I think he scored as many as Shearer in the air last term (outjumped Rio Ferdinand for one of them).

wrt Nunez, difficult to form an opinion of the guy as we have never seen him (apart from one TicTac advert), but Alex Rae reliably informs us he is "The worst centre forward I have ever played with".

ML3

-- Anonymous, June 04, 2001

Blimey, he must be crap!

-- Anonymous, June 04, 2001

Monkey Heed dosen't seem to like using fringe players or youngsters very much. What chance does Kyle or Reddy have to make a name for themselves at Sunderland? they would be better off at Newcastle.

-- Anonymous, June 04, 2001

Hogwash.

Firstly, Julio Arca is 19 yrs old. Is that young enough for you? Secondly, in 97/8 Sunderland fielded the youngest defence in all four divisions (Holloway, Williams, Craddock, Gray). Two of those are the backbone of our defence, another has done reasonably well as a utility player. Thirdly, McCann - reserve team player to England international in 2 years.

PR will give any player his chance if he's good enough, fit enough and gives 100%. As I said the other day, there is very little between SAFC and NUFC at the moment, barring one glaring difference - SAFC's superior fitness regime. SAFC have set up a deal with York and Hull to bring our kids up to Premiership fitness, but Reidy will not gamble premiership points on a young player if he's not fit.

ML3

-- Anonymous, June 04, 2001

Well that's me put in my place... A couple of other Sunderland related questions that puzzle me. Why did Monkey hed buy the likes of Nunez and fredgard and never use them ? And why does he play left wingers on the right and right wingers on the left?

-- Anonymous, June 04, 2001