Hughton har talat
Chris Hughton har talat med pressen i dagarna och "avslöjat" en del planer inför sommaren, behandlat ämnet Carroll/Taylor, reflekterat över säsongen och dementerat ryktena om en ny "Director of Football". Dessutom fyller Kevin Nolan i om läget i laget och vad han förväntar sig av sommarens nyförvärv. För en Newcastlesupporter är det väldigt trevlig läsning.
Detta är saxat från nufc.com
Om Andy Carroll och Steven Taylor:
"We will be looking at starting new contract talks over the summer with Steven Taylor and there is absolutely no reason why he and Andy Carroll cannot play in the same team together. I expect both of them to still be here next season.
"They are both very important members of the squad. We have a lot of good young players who you would like to think will continue to develop at this football club. That includes Steven and Andy – they have been big players for us this season.
"It is not be all and end all, but it is good to have local lads playing for the club. It doesn’t happen very often anymore, but we have got four or five in the first-team squad who grew up as Newcastle fans. That’s unusual.”
Om Andy Carroll och tröja nr. 9:
"If he asked for the number nine shirt for next season it’s something that I would have to seriously think about. I am aware of what that number means here. There is responsibility that goes with that number. One thing that I am sure is that he is big and brave enough to want it.
"If we look at his progress this season he’s answered a lot of questions that we’ve asked of him. The biggest one was for somebody of his size and prowess we wanted more goals from him. He’s certainly given us that. He’s given us more impact in games. There are areas that he still needs to develop. For a big man he is a good footballer, there are areas of his link up player that need to develop and I am sure they will. We probably couldn’t have asked any more of him.”
Om Fraser Forster och Tim Krul:
"Fraser has had an excellent season at Norwich and we have been kept up-to-date with his progress while he has been down there.
"We rate him very, very highly. We are very fortunate in that department. Steve Harper has had a fantastic season, but we also have two excellent young goalkeepers in Tim Krul and Fraser Forster.
"It is difficult on one hand because there are three of them, but Tim and Fraser are still developing and it will be interesting to see how they develop over the next couple of years.
"We rate them both and we will decide what we are going to do when the time comes, but we want to keep them both, that’s for sure.
"Loan deals are something we can look at because Fraser has benefited from his time at Norwich and Tim has also gone out on loan in the past and enjoyed it. It’s a really nice problem to have.”
Om rykten angående en Director of Football
"What I have been told is that there’s absolutely no truth in the story. Some clubs have gone down that route - and when I worked at Tottenham Hotspur there was a director of football - but really, it’s just a title. At some clubs the chief scout is in effect the director of football, at others it’s the chief executive or the club secretary.
"It all depends on what the responsibilities are. Some directors of football have a bigger responsibility on the scouting side and some are more on administration and contracts. The role is quite varied but as far as I know it’s not something we’re doing.”
Om spelar- och ledarvärvningar:
"The backroom and scouting staff side of things does need building up again - it’s very difficult to do some things when you’re not a Premier League team. So much effort goes in to trying to achieve promotion, that you’re left trying to do things in other areas, like scouting and technology, which you’d like to push on further, a bit later than everyone else. There are areas we’re evaluating at the moment and whatever changes and additions we need, we’ll certainly do.
"I don’t envisage too many coming in and I don’t expect too many wanting to go. We are buoyed by the fact teams have gone up in recent seasons, like Wolves and Birmingham who have done well in the Premier League. We have also seen players develop here. Yes some went down a year ago but many are better players now than what they were then. I do not envisage too many coming in.
"My responsibility will be to assess the players who we have. We are the back of a good season. Players have improved, made progress and they have momentum. We have a squad who can compete for places in the best league. I have to decide where to strengthen and to bring in cover.
"I don't expect anyone looking to leave this club. The players have worked very hard to get us in the top division so they can be part of it. We want to get the season out of the way. It is ongoing situation scouting players and who we'd like to bring in. We will have meetings.
Om vad förväntningar och vad klubben åstadkommit:
"We needed a period of stability. That has come with winning games and talk being of what we are doing on the football pitch. We need stability in the Premier League. No one expects promoted teams to be knocking on the door of Europe.
"100 points would be a great way to finish off. We have had targets this season and achieved most of them. It is good to have something like that to play for. It is an added incentive for us and after the emotional game last week it will be a tough game.
"The most important achievements we have already, promotion, winning the league and staying unbeaten at home. So we focus on that and these are the things we will look back on in years to come and get some satisfaction from.
"We have an incredibly passionate crowd. It is their club. They want to see a team winning. As long as they see that they will take people to their hearts. When things are good up here it is a delightful place to be. We have put some smiles on faces."
Kevin Nolan om läget i laget:
"I think the core of the squad is already there for next season. Whoever we bring in it can't just be done on the basis that he’s a top player, he’s a big name, so he’ll do. It can’t be like last time. We’re not going to make a big-name signing and then focus everything on that player.
"We’re not going to splash out £20 million on this one, £10 million on that one and five on that one and suddenly say, 'These are the main men’. I don’t think this club thinks like that any more. I don’t think you can do that any more with the way finances in football have gone.
"Chris is very shrewd, he knows what he wants and he knows how to get it. He is very good with the business side of things as well as the football side of it. I’m sure he will get the players he wants. I’m sure we will see three or four new additions this summer but they will be great additions.
"They will be players who fit into the squad and give us something a little bit different. They are going to be people who connect with the place, players who buy into what Newcastle United is all about, which at this moment in time is a togetherness, grit and determination. We will play our football when we can, but we want to win - that’s the mentality we have as a group.
"You have to give your heart to this football because there is no point coming here if you’re not going to do that. The least the fans demand is effort and commitment and a passion about playing for this club.
"If you’re not up for that it's not worth bothering to come here. I think that’s why some players have found it difficult to come up here in the past, they didn’t fully understand that or appreciate it."
