Will Roeder Benefit From Shepherd's Summer Signings?
Last updated : 03 April 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor
As, once again, on Saturday the fans voiced an opinion on the shocking half-hearted performances of late, Shepherd finds himself at odds with the fans for not providing the funds in January to buy new defenders.
With the club looking to give the fans fresh hope (so they will renew their season tickets) by promising money for the manager, our source at St James' Park still insists Glenn Roeder has NOT won over the chairman. And THAT was why Shepherd kept hold of the purse strings back in January.
Shepherd will not pull any punches after seeing his club slip out of the UEFA Cup in Alkmaar and then drastically under-perform once again at struggling Charlton and at home to Manchester City.
Shepherd: "We know the team needs looking at in more ways than one, and that is what we are concentrating on.
"The squad will be strengthened in the close season - and really has there ever been a summer when there have not been comings and goings at St James' Park?"
Titus Bramble and Craig Moore are out of contract at the end of the season and are unlikely to be retained, while loan signing Oguchi Onyewu's hopes of a permanent deal look slim.
In addition full-backs Stephen Carr and Celestine Babayaro are not producing anything like Premiership form, and that leaves us with the kids (Taylor, Huntington, Edgar, Ramage) who have done well under the circumstances, but not yet good enough to take the club back into the top six.
The manager has professed himself satisfied with his frontmen and midfield, but there could be "movers and shakers" there too. Emre was unhappy at making the bench, rather than the first team, on Saturday, and James Milner too was not pleased at the manager's selection.
Stuart Pearce suggested Roeder should "look over his shoulder" after City won 1-0 on Saturday, saying Newcastle could be dragged into the relegation battle, and Shepherd (we can promise you) made his feelings felt after the game.