Roeder Tells Arsenal To Forget Charlie Boy

Last updated : 03 March 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor
And Glenn Roeder, once again, has told the Gunners to stay clear of St James' Park. Wenger is a big fan of Shay Given, too, and the last thing the Newcastle manager wants is the Frenchman unsettling the Toon players.

N'Zogbia makes his first appearance of the year at St James' Park in tomorrow's derby game with Middlesbrough, with Roeder insisting he is the future of Newcastle United.

Roeder: "I will treat any talk of Charles going to Arsenal - or anywhere else for that matter - with utter contempt.

"He is the future of Newcastle United and, take it from me, he is going to be here for a very long time.

"We are trying to build a good squad of young players here and I intend to keep my best players. Charles N'Zogbia is one of them.

"And we have seen nowhere near the best of him yet.

"This has been a disappointing season for Charles because of his injury and that fact that he has been in competition with Damien Duff on the left wing. That's why it is important that he finishes the season strongly.

"That was a nasty injury he got at Chelsea, but he has worked hard to get fit again and the 30-minute blow-out he had at Wigan puts him in contention for tomorrow.

"Don't forget he is still only 20 and that a lot has happened to him in a short space of time.

"He's one of those players who says very little at the training ground but he is starting to come out of his shell."