Given's Spanish lessons lost on Brazilian team-mate

[Jimbo 175]

Newcastle United's Brazilian defender Claudio Cacapa was delighted to score his first goal for the club in the 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Monday but he was rather less enamoured of his goalkeeper Shay Given's linguistic skills.

 

Given has been learning Spanish in an effort to improve his communication with a new defence which also includes the former Villarreal full-back José Enrique. But the Irishman only managed to confuse Cacapa, who scored with a second-half header against Spurs, when he tried to put the lessons into practice.

 

 

"A few of the new lads don't speak much English so I've been trying to learn Spanish to help communicate with them," Given said. "Unfortunately I tried to speak to Cacapa in Spanish as I'd forgotten they speak Portuguese in Brazil. He just gave me a blank look; I don't think he was very impressed. It wasn't my finest moment."

 

Given, though, has been impressed by Cacapa's impact at St James' Park since the 31-year-old, who has been capped by Brazil, arrived on a free from the French champions, Lyon, last summer.

 

"The good thing is we've got players like Cacapa, who has been successful in France for five years, and he's come in and done extremely well," he said. "He reads the game so well and that doesn't mean he has to be fluent in English. He is a calming influence at the back and you can see why he won so many titles with Lyon."

 

Newcastle's goalkeeper also believes the team's encouraging start to the season has changed opinions on Tyneside of the manager, Sam Allardyce, who was appointed in May after leaving Bolton Wanderers. Newcastle are eighth in the Premier League, two points off fourth place, and have enjoyed their best start to a campaign since Kevin Keegan's "Entertainers" in 1996. Last season the club finished 13th.

 

"A few things have been said about Sam Allardyce's teams not playing attractive, attacking football but we've scored three goals in each of our last three home games; that's as good as anything the so-called Entertainers teams could have done," said Given.

 

"We're scoring a lot of goals, especially at home, and that's very important for the fans. I think they are enjoying how things are going and so are we."

 

Key phrases for Shay

 

Stick it in the mixer

 

Bota logo dentro da área

 

If they wanted entertainment they'd be down the Bigg Market

 

Se eles estivessem procurando entretenimento, iriam para a Feira do Bigg

 

Remember, if Panorama calls it's strictly 'no comment'

 

Lembra-te, se o Panorama liga é totalmente 'sem comentários'

[Tooj 17]

[Noelie 103]

Que?

[luckyluke 2]

Remember, if Panorama calls it's strictly 'no comment'

 

Lembra-te, se o Panorama liga é totalmente 'sem comentários'

 

[Holden McGroin 6958]

he is clearly learning Spanish so he can move to Barca or Real in the Summer. BURN HIM !!

[RlCO 0]

"a mim, a você, a mim, a você"

 

"to me, to you, to me, to you"

[Greg 6]

Need to learn how to communicate in some form, nearly cost us an own goal yesterday.

[Brock Manson 0]

Need to learn how to communicate in some form, nearly cost us an own goal yesterday.

 

Opening his mouth would've helped avoid that incident tbh.