Seems he's gone a free transfer - wouldn't sign his new deal despite the recent compromise arrangements.

Seems to me that NUFC need to get their heads from up their @rses and sort out player's contracts quickly - not wait around until they can go on a free or get poached by another club.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

Answers

I kinda disagree, Lynda. From the noises that's been coming from the club, new deals have been sitting with the players or their agents for some time now and they have not really got down to serious negotiations with the club. As for the case of Caldwell, the main stumbling block seem to be 1st team appearances.

There use to be days when a club offers an extension to a current contract, both parties would sit down and hammer out the details until an agreement is reached. Nowadays, its the club offering their preliminary offer and the players or their agents start mouthing off to the press about how the club isn't doing right by them. Really takes to mickey out of negotiating when one party wouldn't tango. All I'm just saying is while the club might be at fault, surely half of the blame should go to the players themselves and not make everything the fault of the club.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

He's only 20 FFS, not the sort of age when he can be demanding to play in a one of the top teams in England. I hope his Scotland call up hasn't gone to his head.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

Bobby blames the agents and I have to agree with him! Dyer's agent has shown his true colours today, what Given's agent is up to - we can only guess at and Distin's man is taking the p*ss if he thinks NUFC should pay him the same as Robert.

Still everything needs sorting out quickly though.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

I suspect if you're good enough to play for your country at 19, you fancy your chances of being better than a mistake-ridden Greek. When you see no possibility of coming through the ranks it must be very enticing to go elsewhere.

Aaron Hughes has made it, but this time last year Shola was a hope, a year on and he's had 4 starts. The likes of McClen and Kerr are only turned to in a crisis.

Hughes is the only role model for the young players at Newcastle. It seems to far better to spend £4.5m on Distin, or £6m on Cort rather than bring local/cheap kids through.

We may have an academy in place but I don't really expect to see a regular first team player appear for 5 or 6 years.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

The latest word on the Gary Caldwell saga/fiasco is that he may sign for Coventry City. The Ronnie reports:

Newcastle are steeling themselves to lose their Scotland international centre-half Gary Caldwell. I understand that Gary McAllister is poised to make Caldwell his first signing as the new manager of Coventry City.

However, despite the fact that Caldwell is out of contract, United would receive a compensation fee. Caldwell is only 20 and under the Bosman ruling a club must be compensated if they lose a player who has not reached the age of 24. United want £2 million but Coventry are more likely to pitch their offer at around £500,000.

So, due to the latest example of management incompetence we seem likely to lose a 20 year-old international CB of significant potential for perhaps £1m. Just as well we already have a cracking defence.

What a flippin' dog's breakfast!!

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

A Hibs fan I work with reckons they are trying to sort out some sort of 'lease' agreement! With the precarious future of the SPL there may be some future in this

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2002