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Good morning, folks! I apologize, but it's a drive-by links post today... early departure this morning and snow makes it necessary for me to get on the road earlier than I planned. Enjoy your day, and I'll try to jump in later and do a target of the day post on Ricky van Wolfswinkel... just because.
Newcastle ace Ameobi out for months - Black & White - Shields Gazette
NEWCASTLE United midfielder Sammy Ameobi is out for several months by an injury suffered on reserve team duty. The 19-year-old limped off during yesterday’s second string victory over Wigan and could face a lengthy spell on the sidelines. A club spokesman said: “Sammy Ameobi will be sidelined for a period of time, likely to be a number of months, as a result of an injury sustained in the reserves’ win over Wigan.” The England Under-21 international, the younger brother of Magpies striker Shola, left the field during the second half of a 3-1 victory over the Latics with initial reports suggesting he had damaged a knee.
This was pretty awful news that came from the Wigan reserves match. Some nice things happened (Vuckic foremost among them), but Sammy's injury puts a real damper on all of it. Good luck and get better quick, Sammy!
Newcastle United triallist backed to make it as a pro - Black & White - Shields Gazette
“I don’t know if he’s going to be good enough for Newcastle, but there was a lot of scouts there, and hopefully somebody will see that he’s got to be better than the level he’s playing at. “It’s been a great experience for him, and who knows? It’ll be up to the manager at the end of the day how far we take it.” Prior’s goal well-taken strike came 13 minutes from time after he was played in by Greg McDermott 10 yards from goal. Up to then, he’d had a quiet game, but like any good striker, he took his chance, and Donachie added: “It was a fantastic finish, and he’s shown in training he can score goals.”
This January already has made me not trust words... so I'm not buying the "we're probably not signing Prior" and assuming it's some negotiating ploy. I guess I just wouldn't be surprised if he ended up in the squad. Good luck, lad!
Desperate Dan wants to put Newcastle frustrations behind him - Black & White - Shields Gazette
And the 20-year-old – who made just one brief substitute’s appearance last season as he recovered from knee surgery – is hoping to be involved in Sunday’s home game against Queens Park Rangers, having come off the bench in the FA Cup win over Blackburn Rovers last weekend. “I’m disappointed not to start any game – that’s how it is – but you just have to keep moving on and getting on with it,” Gosling told the Gazette.
I like Gosling alright, and I think he's eventually going to be a player... but it's hard to rate him above Tiote or Cabaye at in any world. That said, Guthrie has looked the stronger individually, but doesn't link up with Cabaye as well... I guess it's nice to have 2348290348 center mids, though. Be patient Dan, you'll get your shot. Good luck, lad!
Twente forward Luuk de Jong has recently been linked with a move to Liverpool whilst Sporting's Van Wolfswinkel has also been reported to be a long-term Manchester United target. Siem de Jong, brother of Luuk, currently plies his trade at Ajax after coming through the club's famed youth academy. The man who represents all three players, Louis Laros, says the trio are the subject of interest from the Tyneside club. "There has been no contact in the last weeks," he told Record. "I spoke with Newcastle about Luuk de Jong, his brother Siem and about Wolfswinkel, but all I know is that they have been checking on them.
Some of these links are old (we've been linked to Luuk de Jong for a long time), but some are newer, although it sounds that any of these targets may be on the back burner. I do have to say, though, I would loove it if we signed Ricky van Wolfswinkel. Loov it. Good luck, lad!
Morrison’s contract expires in the summer and, having lost patience with his repeated truancy from training, Manchester United are looking to secure a sale during this transfer window. Newcastle have made the first bid – in the region of £500,000 – which United turned down last weekend. United are seeking a higher fee as well as a clause that would give them a significant percentage of any future sale.
Ravel Morrison polarized the twitters a little bit yesterday...he is a tremendous young talent that is flunking out at Manchester United due to behavior and commitment problems. He fits in perfectly, however, with the Soccernomics model of player acquisition, one of the premises reading "Buy troubled players and help them fix their problems." This looks exactly like what this move would be. The only trip-up in my mind could be the sell-on fee to ManU - Ashley may scupper any deal that will hinder his ability to make £... Good luck, Ravel!
That's a quick run through some of the more prevalent stories of the day-- as you're surfing around and all this morning feel free to drop other links in the comments-- Community help Edition!