Although there are so far no official disclosures from United, it is reported around the media that Owen will receive a basic salary around a fifth of his salary at Newcastle, with performance related bonuses that should take his wages close to what he is used to – if he stays injury free.

Owen is a great signing for United, he is a proven goalscorer at the top level of the game, he is still under thirty. I think he still has something to give and also something to prove. I doubt that he will have a better chance.

Cruz was an immediate hit at Rovers, scoring 23 goals in his first season in the Premier League although an injury hit Cruz could only manage six goals during last season. No fee has been confirmed although it is believed the player has a buy-out clause in his Rovers contract of £18million, he was contracted to Rovers until 2012.

Former Chelsea player Glen Johnson has snubbed the chance to return to the club from Portsmouth and chosen ‘big four’ rivals Liverpool instead. Portsmouth have accepted a fee of £17.5million for Johnson who has become a fan’s favourite after joining from Chelsea in 2007 for just £4million. A nice bit of business from Pompey.

And finally Michael Owen will quit relegated Newcastle when his contract ends at the end of June. He will be looking for offers from Premiership clubs or top European teams. Owen will be available on a free transfer although he will want paying a salary. Great opportunity for a pay-as-you-play option.

Over the past 12 months or so Newcastle United have been managed by two messiahs, one over-the-hill manager with a history of heart problems, and a caretaker manager who has never before managed a team at any level.  Furthermore, the board of directors appointed Dennis Wise as Director of Football.  An appointment that was as unpopular and unsuccessful, as it was surprising.

Self-made millionaire and self-confessed fanatical Newcastle United fan and owner, Mike Ashby certainly hasn’t helped to steady the boat, but even since becoming the most unpopular man in Newcastle, he has continued to plough his own money into the club; and by tempting Kevin Keegan (messiah no.1) out of retirement, he played no small part in pulling off the biggest footballing shock of the decade.

For a short time the so-called “most loyal fans in English football” were happy living in cloud cuckooland.  Instead of moaning about how their Premier League position didn’t correspond to how big a club Newcastle United were, they began boasting how Newcastle were going to take their “rightful” place in the Champions League and be one of the best teams in Europe etc etc!

But the black and white dreams didn’t last, and Super Kev left Newcastle United in the lurch for a second time in their history.

Without knowing the full details of why Keegan quit the club, it is reasonable to assume it was, in part, a power struggle between Kevin Keegan and Dennis Wise involving the transfer of players.  The sale of one of Newcastle’s best players, James Milner, to Aston Villa was the last straw. But that said, Kevin Keegan has walked away from other managerial roles for both clubs (Manchester City and Fulham) and England whenever the going gets tough.  But the fans wanted Keegan back, nonetheless.

With Keegan walking out on the club every Geordie fan could quite literally only see black and white; and mass demonstrations outside St. James Park followed.  It was good to see how passionate the supporters were about the club, but as the board looked for a new manager, did it not occur to the supporters how hostile they made that situation look to any top managers that could possibly have been brought to St James’ Park and keep the mighty Newcastle in the Premiership?

I assume the appointment of Joe Kinnear was because no one else wanted the job, and Kinnear is an old acquaintance of Dennis Wise.  Wise and the board could continue to run the club while Kinnear simply picked the team.  Chris Houghton was brought in by Kevin Keegan but continued to coach the first team under Joe Kinnear.  And when the pressure got too much for poor Joe Kinnear, resulting in more heart problems, the Newcastle board asked the inexperienced Chris Houghton to act as caretaker manager to a squad full of over-inflated egos and lacking self-discipline, for far too long.

Then, with eight games to go, Mike Ashby pulls off another amazing trick, as he finally convinces Geordie messiah no.2, Alan Shearer, to leave the comfort and safety of the Match Of The Day ‘Pundits Sofa’ to step into the firing line, and takeover the reigns at Newcastle United.  Once again, the Geordie faithful were ecstatic. Some called radio phone-ins suggesting they were not only going to avoid relegation but win all eight remaining games!  The word ‘fickle’ comes to mind here.

I was utterly shocked to hear Shearer had agreed to undertake the Newcastle manager’s position at such a crucial time of the season. And even with the appointment of Iain Dowie as an assistant manager with relegation battle experience, I really couldn’t see Alan Shearer being able to turn around Newcastle United’s misfortunes with a cult of personality alone.

Yesterday, Newcastle United were awful.  Aston Villa’s Brad Friedel didn’t have a save to make, and Newcastle were relegated as they lost their seventh game under the guidance of Alan Shearer.  They won three points out of a possible 24, but on the final whistle, the faithful Geordie fans, the so-called “best football fans in the country” chanted Alan Shearer’s name!

So, who is to blame for the mighty Newcastle United being relegated to the Championship?

Newcastle United have never been able to replace the glory years of Kevin Keegan’s first management tenure.  Kenny Dalglish came and went.  Ruud Gulitt and Steve Clarke left the club by mutual consent because they had to live in the shadow of one man, Alan Shearer.  Yes, he was a great player. But even Bobby Robson was pushed aside when he failed to see eye to eye with Shearer.

Newcastle United were relegated because the club has been badly managed, their expectations are too high, they pay inflated wages for big stars when it might be better to create a team spirit, and over the course of a 38 game season, they haven’t won enough points.  And whether Newcastle fans like it or not, they are where they deserve to be and have no divine right to be in the top flight of English football, especially as they haven’t won a major competition since 1969.

I personally think Alan Shearer will not be able to leave the job unfinished and will remain as Newcastle manager.  But I wonder if the ‘best fans in English football’ will still be chanting his name on the last day of next season if he fails to win promotion back to the Premier League.

Arsenal’s inability to score despite having a lions share of the game left them languishing in fourth place in the title race, eighteen points behind the champions and once again signalling a poor season for Arsene Wenger’s young charges.

United held tight and had enough chances of their own to win the game, but a draw was enough to see them collect their eighteenth championship win to equal the record set by Liverpool at the highest level of the domestic game. After collecting the Premier League trophy, Sir Alex Ferguson asked; “Does it get better than this?”. Most of us can only imagine.

West Bromwich Albion became the first Premier League casualty after losing 2-0 to Liverpool at home. The proud Albion fans were still in full voice, as they have been all season and they will be sadly missed from the top tier.

The final two relegation places will be decided in the last game of the season, it doesn’t get any more exciting than that. Middlesbrough will need a miracle to stay up without any doubt. Hull, who did so well in the first half of the season have barely earned a point in the second half, face Manchester United in the final game. With the Champions League final on the following Wednesday, Phil Brown will be hoping to face a weakened United team.

Newcastle are the other club involved in the battle, they will feel they have a good chance of staying up as they face an Aston Villa team that has dropped into sixth place in the league after a brief spell of separating the ‘big four’. They were held to a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough  at the weekend and the Magpies will need at least the same to survive.

joey barton

How many last chances can you give a footballer who seems hell bent on self destruction with his attitude both on and off the pitch?

Newcastle manager Alan Shearer was quite rightly infuriated with his combative midfielder Joey Barton following his wild challenge on Xabi Alonso in Sundays 3-0 defeat to Liverpool, that resulted in Barton being shown a straight red card. The player will automatically miss the three remaining games of the season, but also has the threat of a suspended six game ban hanging over his head following the training ground assault of former team mate Ousmane Dabo in 2007.

Shearer was understandably angry with the player who had continued to argue with the Newcastle boss in the changing room and was subsequently fined two weeks wages for his trouble.

Newcastle United have now gone one step further and suspended the hot headed Barton indefinitely, prompting speculation that he may have played his last game for the club. Given his disciplinary record it would seem unlikely that any other club would be interested in signing the player, but of course there are managers out there who would relish having the hard man playing for them, so I doubt we have seen the last of Barton just yet.

Newcastle need Alan Shearer on the pitch

Alan Shearer took control of his first game of eight in charge of Newcastle on Saturday, his remit, to avoid relegation from the Premier league. One thing puzzles me about the whole scenario and that is just how did Mike Ashley talk Shearer into accepting this mission impossible?

Shearer’s first call I guess was to instate Ian Dowie alongside him, a clever move given that Dowie has been in this situation and understands just what is needed to survive the Premiership relegation order. But with eight games, make that seven games to save a team that appears to show no responsibility for it’s own demise this season, both Shearer and Dowie must be praying for a miracle.

The barmy Toon army arrived early to witness the messiah, no not Keegan the other one, take his place in the St James’ dugout. But there was none of the godly scenes that greeted Keegan’s return last year as Shearer determined to keep himself as low key as it is possible to be,  ignoring chants from the crowd to wave as he appeared in deep concentration watching every move on the pitch.

While it would be difficult to expect a result against Chelsea, you would have expected some passion and effort from Newcastle and it just wasn’t there, excepting the usual battling display from Nicky Butt.

The one thing in Newcastle’s favour is that the relegation battle is far from over and none of the teams involved have an easy finish to the season, each game a cup final in itself for so many teams. So there is hope, but I cannot help wondering if all the problems have been self inflicted on Newcastle. I wonder where they would be right now if they had stuck with Big Sam Allardyce?

But listening to the Radio Five Live football England  post-match phone-in, I was surprised to hear Alan Shearer call the program to confirm he has become the fourth Newcastle United manager this season, following in the footsteps of the ‘other’ messiah Kevin Keegan, Joe Kinnear (who is still recovering from the experience in hospital) and Chris Hughton, who has been unable to step up to the job as caretaker manager in Kinnear’s absence.

Shearer denied he had been offered the vacant manager’s position earlier in the season and that he had accepted the offer after a meeting with owner Mike Ashley; and that he was sincerely only interested in undertaking the role for the eight remaining Premier League fixtures whereby he would step aside to allow Joe Kinnear to return to the role in a full-time capacity.

When squeezed on the possibility of successfully avoiding relegation and wishing to remain as full-time manager, Shearer told Alan Green: “I’m here for eight games and eight games only!”

Newcastle Utd have called a press conference for tomorrow where they will officially unveil Alan Shearer as their new caretaker manager.  Shearer confirmed he is bringing Ian Dowie in to help him.

Newcastle have confirmed that Dennis Wise has left his role as Director of Football as part of Shearer’s appointment.

Newcastle United fans have been crying out for Alan Shearer to return to St. James Park ever since he retired as a player in 2006.  But hitherto, the warmth, comfort and security of the Match Of The Day pundits sofa and BBC contract has been used to reflect any interest of putting himself in the firing line.

I am very surprised that Shearer has finally agreed to join Newcastle, even if it is on a caretaker basis.  If he cannot avoid Newcastle being relegated to the Championship then it will be the second coming revisited.  And of all the teams in the battle to avoid relegation Newcastle’s ‘home run’ is by far the most difficult; and it starts with a home coming for Alan Shearer against high-flying Chelsea at 3pm on Saturday afternoon.

No doubt all Geordie fans will be dancing in the street tonight and singing at the top of their voices on Saturday afternoon.  But come the end of the season will his stature as a Newcastle legend still be intact or will it be reminiscent of Trevor Brooking’s brave attempt to keep his beloved West Ham United in the Premiership when he was appointed in similar circumstances in April 2003?

cristiano ronaldo

Manchester United overcame an early scare at Newcastle, running out eventual winners 2-1. Newcastle had started the game well when Peter Lovenkrands tapped the ball in after a fumble from Edwin Van der Sar and the home side could easily have increased their lead with Obafemi Martins in particular looking in menacing form.

As it was, United composed themselves and the inevitable equaliser came from Wayne Rooney after 20 minutes. He would set up the winner in the second half after his long ball caught out Ryan Taylor who managed to set the ball up for Dimitar Berbatov to score.

The talking point of the game came just before the first half ended, Newcastle’s Steven Taylor appeared to raise a hand to Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portuguese player hit the ground clutching his face. Taylor was booked but the foul so incensed United that Rio Ferdinand was booked for his continuous arguing with referee Steve Bennett.

With Ferguson remonstrating and firing up his players something was bound to happen in the tunnel. Apparently it went like this;

Ronaldo to Taylor: You are a rubbish footballer

Taylor to Ronaldo: Yes and you are ugly

Ronaldo then told Taylor that he was going to tell his mum if he didn’t shut up and Taylor said he didn’t care ‘cos his dad was a policeman!

Well you have to laugh, but as usual it was United who laughed last.

After showing a yellow card to Damian Duff for simulating a dive worthy of any Vietnam war film, Howard Webb then succumb to an even worse attempt at cheating by Matt Taylor as Newcastle tried their level best to keep up with thier fierce rivals Sunderland in a frantic hard-hitting Tyne-Wear derby.

Furthermore, it appeared the Howard Webb’s view was impeded whereas his assistant has a clear view and kept his flag down.

Gabriel Cisse had put Sunderland ahead after 32 minutes but Shola Ameobi equalised from the penalty spot in the 69th minute.  Even with the shocking penalty decision, a draw seemed a fair result as both teams also hit the woodwork and had plenty of chances to win the match.

Unlike the less exciting game at Anfield yesterday afternoon where the game was a pretty dull affair until Mike Reilly llivened things up when he wrongfully dismissed Frank Lampard in the 60th minute with a straight red card for a hard but very clean tackle with Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso.

Alonso and Lampard have history, but Lampard clearly got his foot to the ball while Alonso went over the top, kicking Lampard’s shin in the process.  Earlier in the match Steven Gerrard wasn’t even shown a yellow card for a similar type of lunging slide with studs showing, whereby he actually caught a Chelsea player without touching the ball.

Furthermore, the hapless Mike Reilly failed to even book Jose Bosingwa for a blatant and pre-meditated kick in the centre of Yossi Benayoun’s back in clear view of the referee and his assistant, as the Israeli midfielder attempted to waste time by shielding the ball by the corner flag.

Fernando Torres went on to score to late goals which I believe sees the end of Chelsea’s Premiership title challenge.  And though Chelsea had a poor game and deserved to lose, inconsistent and poor result-changing decisions are doing nothing for the spectacle of the game or indeed helping the Respect Campaign.

In their defence, referees have a split second to make important decisions without the help of a replay or a reverse angle.  But we now know the names of the Premier League referees as much as the players.  They have become too important; and like everything else in life, when too may wrong decisions are made you need to deal with the problem.

Chelsea will appeal for Frank Lampard’s red card to be resinded. But with key players injured and others not performing to their full potential, Mike Riley’s poor decisions have possibly left Chelsea more concerned with regaining their form so as not to miss out on next season’s Champions League, rather than pushing Manchester United all the way for this season’s Premier League title.

Last weekend’s Premier League games were again blighted by poor referee decisions.  Red cards and penalties again showed the FA needs to consider the failings of top referees.

Only a few weeks ago Styles admitted that he had made a mistake in the game between Manchester United and Bolton, resulting in a penalty to the current champions, in a game they went on to win 2-0.

Styles admission at Bolton prevented any disciplinary action against the referee and even earned praise from United manager Sir Alex Ferguson for “showing some humility to the game”, although I am sure things would have been very different if the situation had been reversed and his team had lost the game.

In last nights game Beye was adjudged to have fouled Manchester City player Robinho for the penalty. TV replays showed that Beye did make contact with the ball first before bringing the Brazilian down. A penalty for sure but not so certain the tackle warranted a red card.

In fairness to Styles he has told Magpies manager Joe Kinnear that he is prepared to review the incident over the next few days.

Despite losing Beye and going a goal down after only thirteen minutes, Newcastle fought their way back into the game for a well earned draw.

Newcastle take on local rivals Sunderland in next weekends Premier league fixture list and Kinnear is hopeful that Beye’s sending off will be rescinded so that he can feature in the game. Two points from two games after a run of five successive defeats is hardly something to get excited about, but Newcastle are at last showing the guts and determination characteristic of Joe Kinnears managerial style and will surely battle their way out of the bottom three.

It is after all, only three weeks since the Premier league news of Kinnear’s interim appointment at Newcastle, following the departure of fans favourite Kevin Keegan. The initial opposition to Big Joe’s appointment has subsided a little off the pitch, while it is obvious to see that he has won the support of the players on it.

As last nights goal keeping hero Shay Given said after the game “Maybe a few weeks ago we weren’t looking forward to the next game so things have turned full circle and there’s a good buzz around the place again.”