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Barton berpasangan dengan baik bersama Nolan di Newcastle, dan dia menunjukkan kemarahannya apabila menerima berita Nolan menjalani ujian perubatan di Upton Park.

Barton men-tweet bahwa Nolan takkan menjadi orang terakhir keluar dari St James’ Park.

Bekas pemain Manchester City itu turut menyatakan bahwa Nolan merupakan pemain, ketua, kapten, pelatih dan juga kawan yang hebat untuk bersama. Amat teruk baginya untuk melihat Nolan dijual.

Dia sendiri menjadi subjek spekulasi musim ini, apabila ejennya mendedahkan pelanggannya itu tidak ditawarkan perjanjian baru di Newcastle. Barton mendakwa dia mahu kekal di NU, tetapi beberapa tawaran, termasuk 1 daripada Everton dijangkakan.

Jika NU kehilangan Nolan dan Barton, bahagian tengah NU akan turut terjejas.

Newcastle pada minggu lepas telah menolak tawaran daripada West Ham untuk pemain berusia 28 tahun itu. Namun nampaknya pengejaran West Ham itu menampakkan kemajuan.

Dengan pemain tahun ini, Scott Parker hampir pasti meninggalkan kelab itu The Hammers akan menaruh harapan kepada Nolan untuk memandu mereka naik kembali ke Premier League.

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• Newcastle in turmoil as livid Barton warns of mass exodus (independent.co.uk)
• Newcastle’s Kevin Nolan having West Ham medical (telegraph.co.uk)
• Joey Barton: ‘I don’t want to leave Newcastle’ (independent.co.uk)
• Kevin Nolan set for West Ham captaincy (independent.co.uk)
• West Ham ‘close to signing Nolan’ (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Nolan set for West Ham medical (mirror.co.uk)
• Newcastle agree fee with West Ham for Kevin Nolan (independent.co.uk)

Magpies dilaporkan menolak tawaran Hammer untuk penjaring terbanyak kelab musim lalu tatkala Sam Allardyce merancang membina pasukan yang berupaya untuk segera kembali ke Premier League.

Kevin Nolan meletakkan masa depannya di NUFC dalam keraguan setelah dia menolak tawaran kontrak terbaru daripada NUFC.

Pengurus baru West Ham, Sam Allardyce sebelum ini bekerja bersama Nolan semasa menjaga Bolton Wanderers dan dilaporkan telah membuat tawaran bernilai £3 juta untuk pemain itu.

Newcastle tidak berminat dengan tawaran tersebut dan menyifatkannya sebagai mengarut.

Newcastle membeli Nolan pada harga £4juta daripada Bolton pada 2009 dan dia telah meningkatkan reputasinya dengan beraksi cemerlang pada musim lalu.

Walau bagaimanapun, Nolan telah menolak tawaran kontrak baru di St. James’ Park memandangkan Newcastle membuat tawaran lebih rendah dalam percubaan mereka mengurangkan jumlah gaji para pemain.

Pemain berusia 28 tahun itu tidak gembira dengan terma yang ditawarkan memandangkan dia telah menamatkan musim lalu sebagai penjaring terbanyak kelab dengan 12 gol.

Walaupun dengan kontrak kurang 2 tahun, dipercayai bahwa pembeli berpotensi takkan dapat membelinya dengan harga murah.

Nolan menyatakan bahwa dia mahu terus kekal di kelab, walupun menolak tawaran kontrak tersebut.

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• Jol Continues Squad Improvement for Fulham with Bid for Newcastle’s Kevin Nolan (bleacherreport.com)
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• Newcastle admit Jose Enrique contract problems (independent.co.uk)
• Demba Ba and Thomas Hitzlsperger allowed to leave West Ham United on free transfers (telegraph.co.uk)
• Magpies hit Enrique impasse (mirror.co.uk)

Pemain pertahanan Newcastle United itu hilang peluang beraksi dalam 3 perlawanan akhir musim ini selepas mengalami kecederaan dalam sesi latihan.

Williamson mengalami kecederaan itu pada pagi Khamis dan dia akan dibedah tengahari ini untuk merawat tulang patah di bahagian bawah lengannya.

Kecederaan ini menyebabkan Williamson akan hilang peluang beraksi dalam perlawanan Sabtu ini menentang Birmingham City dan juga perlawanan seterusnya menentang Chelsea dan West Brom.

Manager Alan Pardew said: “It’s a freak injury and unfortunate for the big fella, and he is going to miss now the end part of the season.

Kehilangan pemain berusia 27 tahun ini membuka peluang kepada Steven Taylor untuk mengambil kembali tempatnya di pertahanan tengah bersama Coloccini.

Williamson yang menyertai Magpies dari Portsmouth pada Januari 2010, telah membuat 29 penampilan dalam perlawanan Premier League musim ini.

Newcastle sepatutnya selamat untuk terus beraksi di Premier League memandangkan mereke menduduki tangga ke-12 liga, 6 mata di atas 3 kelab terbawah.

3 mata sudah cukup menjamin kedudukan NUFC, dan perlawanan menentang Birmingham adalah masa terbaik untuk mereka mendapatkannya.

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Kevin Nolan percaya bahwa jumlah tinggi yang dibayar Liverpool untuk Andy Carroll merupakan 1 tawaran yang amat bagus untuk ditolak Newcastle United, dan hakikatnya lebih baik untuk NU menerimanya.

Carroll, yang tinggal bersama Nolan pada permulaan musim sebagai sebahgian daripada syarat jaminannya untuk 1 kes mahkamah, pergi ke Liverpool dengan bayaran £35 juta.

Kapten Newcastle United itu percaya bahwa kehilangan penjaring gol terbanyak kelab telah menyebabkan mereka kehilangan mata dalam Premier League, tetapi menguatkan kelab itu dalam jangkamasa panjang.

“Kami telah membuktikan bahwa kami bukan hanya bergantung kepada seorang pemain,” kata Nolan.

“Penyokong menyalahkan Andy, tetapi kita tidak boleh menyalahkan sesiapa. Kita tidak boleh salahkan pemilik kelab untuk wang yang diperolehi. Ini untuk kebaikan kelab. Semuanya berjalan baik dengan pemergian Andy, walaupun kami berharap untuk dia kekal di sini.”

“Kita mungkin memiliki lebih banyak mata dan mungkin membentuk 1 pasukan yang bagus di sekitarnya.”

“Kita di dalam kedudukan yang hebat, mari tunggu apa akan berlaku. Duit yang diperolehi adalah jumlah yang banyak.”

Nolan berkata bahwa penyerang yang telah memulakan aksi pertamanya bersama Newcastle ketika dia hanya berusia 17, berada dalam konflik untuk menentang kelab yang telah mendidiknya.

Image via Wikipedia

Newcastle United telah mengumumkan penyertaan penyerang veteran Sheki Kuqi melibatkan satu perjanjian sehingga akhir musim 2010-2011.

NU ketandusan pilihan di bahagian serangan selepas perpindahan Andy Carroll ke Liverpool, manakala Shola Ameobi mengalami kecederaan ketika tewas menentang Fulham.

Pardew secara terbuka mencari seorang penyerang di pasaran pemain tanpa agen, dan memilih Kuqi untuk menguatkan serangan NU.

Penyerang bertubuh besar Finland itu mempunyai pengalaman luas, pernah bermain di England untuk Stockport County, Sheffield Wednesday, Crystal Palace, Blackburn Rovers dan Swansea City .

Pada umur 34 tahun, Kuqi telah bermain lebih dalam 500 perlawanan dan telah menjaringkan 150 gol. Dia akan bersaing untuk berada dalam kesebelasan pertama pada hujung minggu ini apabila Newcastle menentang kelab lamanya, Blackburn.

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FIRST the good news for those of a black and white persuasion.

Newcastle United possessed the fighting spirit required to avoid a third successive home defeat, which would have increased concerns around St James’ Park.

Now the bad. Any more home performances like this, on the back of three defeats in four Premier League matches, including two at home to Stoke City and Blackpool, and the Magpies will have a genuine fight against relegation on their hands.

There have been promising aspects and plenty of reasons to be encouraged from the opening two months of the season, but weaknesses and cracks are emerging that need addressing by manager Chris Hughton.

The first half display against Wigan was the most worrying yet, highlighting how improvements are needed if a more damaging slide down the topflight table is to be avoided.

Once Ali Al-Habsi, the Latics goalkeeper, had got down well to hold a shot that was stabbed in his direction from Andy Carroll after 15 minutes Newcastle lost their way.

Carroll and Peter Lovenkrands, handed a start at the expense of his frustrated and dropped captain Kevin Nolan, were starved of any real service. Only Jonas Gutierrez of the four midfielders was capable of creating anything, while defensively Newcastle looked a shambles.

It did improve markedly after the restart, but by that time Newcastle’s disjointed and sluggish start had basically gifted Wigan a two-goal advantage at the break.

On the two occasions Franco di Santo had sent deliveries in to the Newcastle penalty area, Wigan had no right to score.

That, though, is exactly what they did. Twice in a little more than 100 first half seconds.

It was Charles N’Zogbia, back at St James’ Park for the first time since his departure in January last year, who capitalised on the sloppiness on both occasions.

First his diminutive frame was somehow allowed to head di Santo’s delivery into Tim Krul’s far corner by a static James Perch and Mike Williamson, who both stood by him.

Then the Frenchman added a second after Joey Barton lost out to James McCarthy in the middle and Perch was caught out of position high up the pitch.

Di Santo again picked out N’- Zogbia, who took a touch before unleashing a rasping drive into Krul’s top right corner, despite Williamson’s last-ditch rush to block.

N’Zogbia, who left under a storm after demanding a move following Joe Kinnear’s mispronunciation of his name, had silenced the Newcastle supporters who had given him a rough time.

He had also offered a further reminder of his value to Wigan, with the £9m-rated winger interesting Bayern Munich, Sunderland and Tottenham.

“He understands why he would get a bad reception, but he’s got experience and in a way he sees it as a football compliment,”

said Wigan manager Martinez.

“We knew how the fans would react and he relished the challenge. This was a game that he clearly enjoyed.”

Had it not been for Gutierrez, Newcastle would never have been able to force their way back into the match.

Following the confirmation that Hatem Ben Arfa will be missing for six months, Dan Gosling is weeks away from recovery and Wayne Routledge struggling for form, a lot of the attacking play will rest on the Argentine’s shoulders.

And, while he clearly has his shortcomings in the final third, his unpredictability means he is more often than not Newcastle’s most creative player.

That was certainly the case against Wigan. He had threatened to make an impact and then, following Shola Ameobi’s introduction from the bench, Gutierrez’s time arrived.

Eighteen minutes from the end he picked out Ameobi, who had worked ahead of his marker and headed down beyond Al- Habsi. Even then, though, there was still a lack of impetus until the closing stages.

Carroll had wasted a couple of decent opportunities, before Gutierrez floated over a sweet corner with 3mins 20secs of the four minutes of injury-time played. Carroll did well to turn goalwards and Fabricio Coloccini was on hand to power the equaliser past Al-Habsi.

While the rest of his teammates went crazy on the pitch, Gutierrez charged towards the dug-out and celebrated passionately in front of the coaching staff.

“I think the celebration was just delight,” said Hughton, who named him on the bench in the home defeat to Stoke City.

“My impression was that he is just ecstatic that we were able to get back into the game.

“If you look at the emotions of him and Colocinni when we scored that is what it meant to the team. Points in this division are valuable and to come back and get the point at that stage of the game showed what it meant to everybody.

“Jonas has certainly showed he is the sort of player who can break down resolute defences.

I think his form has got better.

I rested him at Everton and I would say since then he has been very good.

“One thing with Jonas is that you will always get a committed player, a player who absolutely loves playing.”

Having witnessed his team somehow come back from two goals down to avoid a fourth defeat in five Premier League matches, Hughton accepts he needs to find improvements.

He said: “There are concerns.

That we conceded two very poor goals, we allowed them too much possession and they showed some quality. They regained possession very well and passed it very well.

“We know that we will have to pick up a good percentage of points against this group of teams who we can expect to be around us.”

Either side of a Carling Cup date with Arsenal, Newcastle travel to West Ham next Saturday before taking on rivals Sunderland at St James’ Park on October 31. Those two matches could be pivotal in the Magpies’ season.

Image via Wikipedia

NEWCASTLE United owner Mike Ashley last night took the club off the market and pledged his future to the St James’s Park club.

But United also revealed that a search has been launched for companies to sponsor the iconic stadium.

And that could lead to its name being changed as early as next season.

Millionaire Mr Ashley has spoken to prospective buyers in recent months without being able to close a deal.

The club confirmed last night that Tyneside businessman Barry Moat’s bid had collapsed after he failed to come up with the asking price of £80m.

Caretaker manager Chris Hughton was also announced as permanent manager, with a contract running until the end of the 2010/11 season.

The club said Mr Ashley would inject a further £20m into the club this week. As well as breaking off talks with Mr Moat, he ended talks on a potential takeover by the Star Foundation.

His patience is said to have snapped after the US group, fronted by North West businessman Geoff Sheard, failed to meet a final deadline on Friday.

A club statement released last night said: “With regard to the possible sale of the club to Barry Moat, that particular bid has now fallen through due to the cash price of £80m not being met.

“In confirming the news, Mike Ashley stated that he is totally committed to the future success of Newcastle United and will be focussing on gaining promotion back to the Premier League. He will put a further £20m into the club this week.

“The club aims to maximise its commercial revenues; this includes renegotiating its club sponsor and kit deal, which expire at the end of this season, as well as welcoming offers for the stadium naming rights for next season.”

The club was originally put on the market for £100m in May this year.

Newcastle United are currently top of the Championship with 27 points.

Fans’ groups have laid the blame for the current state of the club at Ashley’s door but welcomed Hughton’s appointment.

Steve Wraith, editor of Players Inc fanzine, said: “I don’t think it’s come as any surprise to any Newcastle fans.

“I think Ashley has been trying to string the fans along. I don’t think he’s had any intention to sell the club.

“We have just got to get on with it – Mike Ashley’s in charge of the club. We have just got to do all we can to live in harmony.”

He added: “I think Chris Hughton will do a very good job in this division.

“I’m glad he’s taken the job, let’s hope we can continue our half decent start to the season and get out of this division.”