In the Sun (must be true) and various web sports 'news' sites that he's signed for £6M. Anyone have any real information on this.

All of the sites seem to pick up off each other and after the Zenden debacle I won't believe he's signed until I see him in a black and white shirt.

(Not that anybody seems very excited by the prospect but at least he's a signing!)

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

Answers

God I hope not....that money must've been burning a hole in their pocket or they've decided that signing just any old player will do to excite the geordie public....

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

He's only 28 Gav - if that's old I better start ringing a few retirement homes.

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

"Any old" wasn't referring to his age marra...meant that they were happy signing any player....probably happier if they could pay over the odds as well...

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

Fairynuff Gav - once one has discovered one's first gray pubic hair one can become overly sensitive on the subject of one's age.

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

Was it your own, DSS?

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

Gray pubes?? wow.....a full head of them would be cool.... ;))

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

Hats off to Roeder....I like his style and hope we didn't leak this... Glenn Roeder has responded to a story claiming Newcastle are set to sign Trevor Sinclair - and says he wanted to keep news of their bid a private matter between the two clubs.

"It is very annoying," he says, and I can only state again that Trevor Sinclair nor any of our players are going anywhere. "As I said when I was appointed, we have done our selling and unless I particularly want to sell a player no one is leaving - and Trevor is not a player I am interested in selling at any price.

"I'm very disappointed that it has come out in the manner that it has, and you never know how these stories slip out. "But you have to ask the question about the club concerned, and maybe they felt it was in their interest to let something like this slip.

"If Newcastle have, I'm really disappointed with the club, especially as it is a club I have a lot of affinity for, having played up there for six years.

"What is particularly annoying is that on Tuesday morning I put in a call to Bobby Robson and spoke to him on another football matter that didn't concern players at either club - I was seeking some advice off him - and at the end of the conversation Bobby's actual words were 'I see that we were linked with Trevor Sinclair over the weekend; is Trevor available?' "I categorically said 'he is not available, Bobby, he is a player that we want at the club and an integral part of our team, and he is definitely not for sale'.

"I assume he accepted what I said.

"It was particularly disappointing to receive an offer for Trevor at lunchtime on Tuesday, and when we relied back to them and said he is not available at any price, we stated in the fax back to them we would appreciate if this doesn't become public. "That is because it is very unsettling not only for Trevor but our supporters, who I want to reassure that Trevor Sinclair is not going to Newcastle or anywhere else.

"I had a good chat with Trevor yesterday, and he is still very ambitious.

"He said all the things I wanted to hear, and he wants to get himself into the England squad because he was in it last year before he got the injury that kept him out for 20 games.

"We have got three players that are in the England squad and I'd like to think Trevor can become the fourth one. "It would be a tremendous boost for West Ham United to have four players in the current England squad.

"When this breaks that he is in Newcastle and there is a press conference later today, our supporters reading that would be devastated.

"If Newcastle have leaked this I am particularly disappointed with them but I assume no one up there will admit to leaking it and will blame anyone but themselves.

"It's not just us that have had these problems; Arsene Wenger has had the problems with Patrick Vieira and Manchester United.

"And, to an extent, I suppose Newcastle United have had them with other clubs as far as Keiron Dyer is concerned. "I will do the decent thing and try to contact Bobby Robson myself today just to put the record straight and see how he sees things."



-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

Interesting article Gav. Difficult to work out what the exact situation is..is he implying that Sinclair is up in Newcastle and that there's a press conference this afternoon, or denying it? If the former, surely it's his board he should be complaining about.

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

It could be read that the question was asked if he was for sale and when they categorically said no the club put a bid in just to make some noise.

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

The reports I've seen have varied between the exact same type of rumour that have been so pinpoint accurate the last thirteen or so times; and outright denials by Roeder/Sinclair. The ever-helpful and up-to-date Ceefax regional sports pages are still carping on about Shearer's knee being not-so-bad-as-it-might-be for at least the fourth day running. I've starting to think that if we're ever going to sign anyone it'll have to be in the utmost secrecy - we won't even have an inkling they're being considered before they're unveiled in black and white. That was more or less the case with Cort last year IIRC.

Mind, so far this Summer Thursday's been the day when nothing's happened. I mean things haven't happened any other day either, but Thursday's the day when actively nothing has happened: ie last Thursday we found out Zenden and Robert weren't coming, the one before YBR threw a wobbly and refused to talk to anyone. So we should find out later today who isn't coming this week.

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

If I were him, I would shut up and concentrate on trying to be a manager.

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

Eh? don't you think Roeder has every right to be pissed off that someone is leaking private information and trying to tap one of his players?

Double standards are dangerous things dougs...

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

Gav no one knows whether the leak was made at this end or at the West Ham end. It could have been either. As far as I'm concerned, it is bad behaviour to tap up players - it's not like we didn't make a formal bid but get Kieron Dyer to tell him about the totty on the Quayside, but he is slagging Bobby off without having got Bobby's version of events, which isn't exactly gentlemanly conduct either. How do we know that Bobby did ask about Sinclair before our bid? The Hammers fans are going mental at the prospect of losing him so maybe Roeder is just lying to cover his own back. The truth is, we are no closer to knowing the truth of this matter than we are over what's going on at Elland Road over Dyer.

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

ps. I agree with you that this wouldn't be a great signing anyway...

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

You could get totally Machiavellian and ask whether Roeder is trying to prevent his Chairman from selling players over his head. This story would place him in an untenable position if it turns out that his bosses are selling Sinclair to us without telling him. He might be cunningly putting the kybosh on it in the hope that they will find it more embarrassing to replace Roeder before a ball has been kicked than to let the 6mil slip away.

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

Ronnie Gill reckons we offered cash plus Marcy as WHam need a CB. No wonder we were knocked back.

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

Actually, Softie, there's probably an element of truth in that - the West Ham board have made a hobby of flogging players over the manager's head. Marcelino, Cliff? Jeemy Knackers, we must not only want Sinclair but hate West Ham.

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

I'd considered that as well softie, however for the moment I've tried the point of view of taking him at his word....he's being quite open (more open than most!) about conversations had etc....his implying that the leak came from our end could very well be true which would disappoint me...

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

Gav, I agree that a leak at this end would be really disappointing. Only thing is, it could be someone in the ticket office for all we know...

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

...which would explain why it was taking the ticket office so long to answer the calls from people trying to buy tickets to Saturday's match. ;-)

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

It would indeed Ciara ;) they're obviously phoning their families in australia as well! :)) or they're trying to persuade the australian government to keep Sting there for as long as possible...

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

What a carry on. Its enough to make your pubes turn grey!

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

Not you as well!?! could be an STD that you've picked up off DSS? ;)

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

Even my warped thinking can't keep up with this. If Roeder's mind is as Machiavellian as Softie has suggested, he was wasted as a footballer and is wasted as a manager. He should be an agent. Maybe that's the ultimate goal.

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

But just think how much our chances of winning in London will be with Marcelino there!

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001

Won't change our chances at all. If he moves to London, he'll suddenly become the highly rated player we were told he was...then he'll get injured before we play there. So no change. Nice try, though. ;-)

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001