Secret squirrel

[Scottish Mag 3]

Glenn Roeder has formed his own secret society as he desperately tries to keep Newcastle United's January transfer plans under wraps.

 

United have been heavily linked with England international Peter Crouch in recent days but, although Roeder is an admirer of the tall striker, Liverpool are reluctant to sell without a replacement already lined up and the deal may never get off the drawing board.

 

Roeder spent most of yesterday's Press conference ahead of today's trip to Everton dodging his way through questions about his January targets and United's manager insists nobody will know about his plans, other than chairman Freddie Shepherd, until the player has been signed.

 

In reality, that is an ambitious aim given the frenzied interest in the comings and going at St James's Park, but for now Roeder - who distanced himself from the Crouch story - is adamant he will not confirm or deny anything.

 

The Journal understands that, as well as an interest in Crouch, Roeder is also looking at Liverpool left-back Stephen Warnock, Bolton's versatile defender Tal Ben Haim and Chelsea left-back Wayne Bridge. The club have also had Cameroon striker Pierre Boya on trial and could sell Emre to Bayern Munich to help fund their winter rebuilding.

 

"It's just starting to warm up and it will be the same all through January, it's the time of year for transfer speculation," said Roeder, who hopes to have both Nolberto Solano and Shay Given available after injury at Goodison Park this afternoon.

 

"We've had good private discussions, but we'll not be bandying them about. I'm not going public, why would we tell the world who we want when that might alert other clubs to them.

 

"It's secret squirrel stuff for us because it's got to be. Who goes public on who they want to sign? It affects the price, it affects everything. We know what we want to do and we stressed the importance of keeping everything within a private inner circle."

 

Roeder continued: "The Peter Crouch speculation is exactly that. It's news to me. There are some managers who conduct their transfer business through the media and it angers me. I would be wrong to talk about Rafael Benitez's player. He's a good player, but that's all I'll say.

 

"As far as I am concerned, there has not been a deal even spoken about. I would be surprised if he ended up becoming a Newcastle player. It's been £12m for Crouch today, but how did that figure get floated around? I don't know if we've even got £12m to spend."

 

Roeder and Shepherd's biggest failing this season was their inability to get the players the squad so desperately needed in the summer.

 

But Roeder, who wants a centre-back, a left-back and a striker, is still sensibly refusing to sign players just for the sake of bringing in extra bodies.

 

"Hopefully you will see players arrive next month who will give the club long-term service," said Roeder, who faces a difficult run of games as manager with today's trip to Everton followed by a home game against title-chasing Manchester United, a testing FA Cup trip to Championship leaders Birmingham City and another away game at Tottenham Hotspur.

 

"We do not want to sign players for the short-term who I'm saddled with six months later. The players I sign will be for next season, as well as this," he said.

 

"That happens at football clubs, because of the business we're in, managers think in the short-term, but I have the confidence and belief in my ability that I will still be here to enjoy the players that I sign.

 

"Rather than get players with the next three or four months in mind, we'll be getting players on three or four-year contracts who I want around the place.

 

"I ran out of time during the last transfer window because of the type of player I thought would give us service. I like to come to work and be with people who want to be here. I don't want to be working with players I wish I had not signed. If I did, it would mean I didn't do enough research about his personality or ability."

 

Liverpool boss Benitez, meanwhile insisted he has no intention of selling Crouch and bringing Valencia target man David Villa to Anfield in the January transfer window.

 

Benitez dismissed rumours of Villa's imminent arrival and said Crouch remained an integral part of his plans. He said: "I can be very clear - we do not want to buy Villa and we do not want to sell Peter Crouch. Villa is a fantastic player but we are not interested."

[Barney 0]

Warnock is a shocking player.

 

I'd also be sad to see Emre go.

[Lazarus 0]

i'd support the mackems if we signed crouch.

 

seriously.

[Isegrim 9577]

The club have also had Cameroon striker Pierre Boya on trial and could sell Emre to Bayern Munich to help fund their winter rebuilding.

Sounds a bit like the usual fabricated tabloid story for me. There has been nothing in Jormany (that I am aware of) that suggests that Bayern are in for Emre. Wouldn't mind it though.

[The Fish 10430]

I don't think there's owt to gain in selling Emre, eh's a tidy little player and to improve on him would cost us far more than we'd get by selling him.

 

the "long term service" clearly indicates an interest in younger players, so I'm thinking he's talking seriously about Bales and Barnes.

 

I don't know where we'll get the money from (freddy normally steps up at this point) but we have to sign a couple of full backs and a legitmate targetman.

 

Crouch is not a legitmate targetman

[peasepud 59]

"We've had good private discussions, but we'll not be bandying them about. I'm not going public, why would we tell the world who we want when that might alert other clubs to them.

 

Two reasons, why we wont be bandying them about,

 

1 is that everyone would laugh and

2 when we sign nobody of any worth then we wont look as daft as usual (which is a good thing)

 

Tell you what though it'll be funny to see Oliver trying to pretend that Glenn has told him all about his plans.

[Baggio 0]

Not a 100% sure but I think Ben Haim is out of contract in the summer, an underrated player who would walk into our back four.

 

Stephen Warnock is shite though, even more injury prone than Babayaro.

[Shearergol 0]

i'd support the mackems if we signed crouch.

 

seriously.

 

[Rob W 0]

I'm sure FFS will announce a bid for some SUPERSTAR

 

he always does

[Happy Face 29]

I know it's only the second but as desparate as we've been to sign someone (anyone) and as much as everyone at the club has harped on about desparately needing the transfer window to come around so we can get them, it all seems to be rather quiet. Have they not been working feverishly on negotiations to get peopole in ASAP when the window opened? I fear another last minute scramble for entirely uninspiring signings. Dilly dallying could cost us a place in the cup, never mind the points available through January.

[Papa Lazaru 0]

I know it's only the second but as desparate as we've been to sign someone (anyone) and as much as everyone at the club has harped on about desparately needing the transfer window to come around so we can get them, it all seems to be rather quiet. Have they not been working feverishly on negotiations to get peopole in ASAP when the window opened? I fear another last minute scramble for entirely uninspiring signings. Dilly dallying could cost us a place in the cup, never mind the points available through January.

 

Exactly. The window opens in January, but that doesn't mean you have to start all your planning and action on the 1st of January!

 

But based on our work during the summer where we decided the best plan was first to take a nice long holiday, then piss about until after the world cup, then fanny about watching the same players who we didn't end up signing, and finally get some players in! It suggests not to expect much to happen until the end of the month, but hopefully we've learned something this time!

[The Mighty Hog 488]

More importantly the photoshoppers on here haved so far failed to deliver a Secret Squirrel/Roeder hybrid. Preferably avatar sized aswell.

[Isegrim 9577]

Regarding Bayern's alleged interest in Emre. They have just signed the German prospect Jan Schlaudraff for next season because he had a release clause allowing him to leave for 1.2m Euro and who is likely o be seen as their creative attacking midfield player ("planning" ).