After the Orient pre-season friendly a collection of Toon players held a meeting behind closed doors, which in itself asked questions as to how much input Chris Hughton puts into team affairs.
To be honest with you, we (at Newcastle-Mad) felt Steven Taylor was heavily involved in the 'pro-Toon brigade' that put the 'I couldn't give a shit about Newcastle' clique in their place.
It came close to punches being thrown, and certain players left the club after their team-mates told them to buck up their ideas.
But The Observer today says Taylor is one of the players on the outside looking in.
"Andy Carroll is thought to be part of a powerful dressing-room clique that Taylor has never really fitted into.
"Kevin Nolan is a key figure inside St James' Park and, significantly, the midfielder now shares an agent with Carroll.
"Taylor, meanwhile, was perhaps always too close to Hughton's predecessor Alan Shearer for the former Tottenham coach's liking.
"Taylor has only 14 months left on his contract and Newcastle are unhappy about the prospect of him leaving on a Bosman transfer in the summer of 2011. Selling him now would give them the chance to avoid doing so."