Keep the beast

According to reports, we've moved to fend off interest from Arsenal in one of our players. For once it appears that it's not Shay Given who is the object of their affections, but rather Charles N'Zogbia. Undoubtedly our young player of the season, N'Zogbia has proved a constant threat to opposition defences with his strong direct running, and has picked up a handful of goals along the way (an all too rare occurrence from midfield this season).

Having eventually joined the club after Le Havre cried foul, N'Zogbia has steadily established himself in the first team, and is now rightly regarded as a player who, when he receives the ball, immediately gets the crowd excited.

Hopefully he'll sign the extended (and doubtless much improved) contract we've offered him, and will form one of the mainstays of our midfield for years to come.

For all his errors of judgement, Souness may just have got one thing right when he predicted N'Zogbia could become a "beast" of a player. Fingers crossed Charles is with us long enough to live up to our rapidly rising hopes and expectations.