Fergie's got the Blues

Another loan departure, and this time it's Shane Ferguson off to try his luck in the Championship with struggling, cash-strapped Birmingham, where he'll be lining up with no fewer than four ex-Toon players (Darren Ambrose, Steve Caldwell, Peter Lovenkrands and captain Stephen Carr).

The move also reunites the Northern Irishman with Lee Clark, one of his first coaches upon arriving at St James' Park. The Blues manager has apparently been pursuing Fergie for a while now, and is hoping he'll hit the ground running: "I think he will be a big favourite with the supporters."

For his part, the winger is already talking about the possibility of the loan deal extending beyond this initial month. First things first, Fergie - get yourself in the team and then you can try to impress.