The flying Dutchman?

I'm not sure what's most surprising in this article: the fact that Tim Krul has lost his place in the Dutch national squad or the claim that, were he to leave in the summer in a bid to regain it, one of the prime candidates to replace him would be Fraser Forster.

Let's take that first point. While Krul has suffered slightly with form and fitness issues since the turn of the year, just as the whole team have, he remains an excellent goalkeeper and is surely worthy of consideration for his country ahead of the likes of Swansea's Michel Vorm. That extraordinary match-winning display at Spurs back in November should have secured him a slot for life...

As for the second, we would look rather silly to have let Forster go only to then buy him back (no doubt at an inflated cost). For his part, Forster was desperate to leave St James' Park and get the first-team football he craved, apparently aggrieved that his path to our first team was blocked by Krul. As the Dutchman's replacement, he wouldn't have to worry about that any more, but nevertheless, having left slightly under a cloud, you do wonder whether he would really "welcome a return to Newcastle", as the Journal insist. Perhaps the widely anticipated ousting of the Silver Fox, the man who denied him the opportunity to stake a claim for the position, would be the key to any deal.

Quote of the day

"If you can't do your business in the summer, then I don't know why because there is plenty of time."

A telling statement from the Silver Fox, in the midst of a complaint about the fact that the transfer window stretches beyond the start of the season until the end of August. The implication, of course, is that, with a day to go before the window closes and with all around us engaged in frenzied activity, we've already done all of our business and are happy to settle with what we've got. Not exactly reassuring, is it? Retaining our key players was one objective of the summer - but the other was to add further quality and strength to the squad, and I suspect few fans are likely to agree with the manager that Vurnon Anita, Romain Amalfitano, Gael Bigirimana and Curtis Good constitute a sufficiently impressive shopping basket.

Regardless of our transfer policy, one long-term target (and one who's expressed a desire to come) Mathieu Debuchy might be reconsidering now that his club Lille have made it into the Champions League even without the spark supplied by the player who destroyed us on Saturday evening, Eden Hazard. Incidentally, Celtic also made it through - no doubt the delight (and relief) of Fraser Forster and all those who barracked me for suggesting the Hoops had little to look forward to this campaign.

Old boy is a new Bhoy

And the departures keep on coming. To say it's been in the pipeline for a while would be a massive understatement - but Fraser Forster has finally left the club on a permanent basis, joining Celtic, the team for whom he's played on loan for the past two seasons, for a fee in the region of £2m.

The 'keeper declared: "I want to win things as a team and improve as an individual and I think I will be able to do that at Celtic." Well, Fraser, with Rangers facing up to the prospect of liquidation and life in the fourth tier of Scottish football, the traditional two-horse race will now be a one-horse procession. A succession of championship winners' medals looks certain, but the move is hardly suggestive of a player with a huge amount of ambition, as big a club Celtic feel they are.

Forster's been voicing a thinly-veiled desire to leave Tyneside for some time now; nevertheless, allowing an undeniably talented youngster to go doesn't square with our general policy, even if we've received reasonable compensation for him. With Steve Harper not getting any younger and Rob Elliott yet to convince, might we now be in the market for serious competition for Tim Krul? The general recruitment drive has stalled for a while but needs to get back into gear soon.

Squeaky bum time for Fat Sam

Just as the heat is on in the race for European places, so is the battle for a place back in the Premier League, and an enthralling Championship game on Monday evening saw two former Toon managers pitting their wits against each other. Fat Sam's West Ham trailed 3-1 to Chris Hughton's Birmingham before fighting their way back to a 3-3 draw. Some consolation, but Reading's victory at Brighton last night means Fat Sam's expensively assembled outfit are six points adrift of an automatic promotion spot. Needless to say, we're wishing one of the two bosses well - and are amused at the disgruntlement of Hammers fans complaining about the team's current brand of (non-)football...

Meanwhile, down in League 1 the Lone Ranger has become the Loan Ranger, promotion-chasing Sheffield Wednesday the club mad enough to temporarily take him off our hands. Since arriving at Hillsborough in late March, he's made four appearances, all of which have ended in Wednesday victories, and actually scored in the 2-0 win at Lee-Clark-less Huddersfield. Let's hope he's determined to put himself in the shop window and not just cause havoc elsewhere - the sooner we're rid of him the better.

North of the border, the formalities of Celtic's SPL title win were completed with a 6-0 rout of Kilmarnock. Fraser Forster kept another clean sheet, and the papers are once again reporting that the Bhoys are intent on stepping up efforts to sign him permanently.

And finally on our round-up of goings-on beyond St James' Park, Rocky scored an injury-time winner as ten-man Liverpool beat Blackburn 3-2. Well done, Bigger Lad - you now have as many league goals for the Scousers in over a year as midfielder HBA has for us, despite the latter having a year out injured...

The boy's (and the Bhoys) doing good

It's grim up north? Not a bit of it. Fraser Forster kept another clean sheet on Sunday as Celtic cantered to a 5-0 victory at Hibs, their 18th straight league win. With Rangers having been deducted 10 points for entering administration, the Bhoys are a whopping 17 points clear at the top of the table. Who says the Scottish Premier League is uncompetitive?

Another Toon loanee enjoying a five-goal romp at the weekend was James Tavernier, who played at right back as the MK Dons embarrassed Oldham. (Alan Smith has an injury and didn't feature.)

Rather less happy, however, was Haris Vuckic's Saturday afternoon. Inexpicably dropped following his man-of-the-match-winning display against Peterborough, the Slovenian was given more than half an hour from the bench but couldn't prevent Cardiff from slumping to a 3-0 defeat at Ipswich, former Magpie and Bluebird Agent Chopra on the scoresheet.

Keep on the move?

No surprise to learn that Celtic are eager to convert Fraser Forster's loan move into a permanent deal this month - and I'd expect Jabba and the Silver Fox to agree (on the condition that the fee's acceptable). While it would be a shame to see the promising young 'keeper leave, he's made himself at home in Glasgow and some of his quotes have suggested he already sees himself as a Celtic player, somewhat estranged from his parent club, with whom he doesn't see much of a future.

That would leave us needing a new stopper, with Steve Harper not getting any younger, Rob Elliot yet to convince and Ole Soderberg seemingly not rated by the Silver Fox. Filling that gap could wait until the summer, though - there are more pressing needs at present.

Clean sheets, double trouble and rarer-than-hen's-teeth goals

Congratulations to Fraser Forster, who on Monday marked his temporary side Celtic's tenth successive SPL victory with a clean sheet against bottom club Dunfermline. With Forster proving a powerful repellent between the sticks, the Hoops have reeled in rivals Rangers to lead the division by two points. Might we choose to cash in on him this transfer window? I suppose it all depends on whether Steve Harper goes out on loan again, with Hull being mooted as Harps' next seaside destination.

In the news for less savoury reasons are a pair of midfielders who not long ago wore the black and white stripes. First ASBO, who was red-carded for the fifth time in his career against Norwich. The noted philosopher and friend of Jabba and Llambiarse had given QPR the lead in the battle of the two promoted sides, but his dismissal - for allegedly head-butting Bradley Johnson - turned the game in the Canaries' favour and they ran out 2-1 winners. The decision was harsh (something even Wor Al - hardly ASBO's biggest champion - conceded on Match Of The Day), but Colin Wanker has done himself no favours with the FA (or opposition fans) by joining his captain in accusing the Norwich midfielder of "conning" the referee. For his part, Johnson has taken the opportunity to pass public comment on ASBO's oral hygiene.

And then there's Stephen Ireland, admittedly rarely sighted in Toon garb, who allowed girlfriend Jessica Lawlor to tweet a photo of himself supping booze and chuffing on a shisha pipe. Arguably most remarkable, though, were the topless midfielder's silver snakeskin strides. As Newcastle fans will recall, this isn't the first time that Ireland's been caught in compromising circumstances on camera. Needless to say, Alex McLeish was less than impressed, muttering something about him not doing himself justice on the pitch for Villa - words the player seems to have heeded, judging by the goal that helped the Midlanders to a shock 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.

Villa were brought crashing back down to earth on Monday by Swansea, thanks in part to Wayne Routledge. Our former winger's goal at Villa Park was - unbelievably - his first ever in the Premier League, at the seventh club and more than 100th time of asking...

Debutant Dan eyeing up first-team spot

With an impressive full debut for England U21s under his belt, might Dan Gosling have played himself into contention for a starting berth against QPR on Monday? He won't be able to dislodge the central midfield pairing of Mr T and Yohan Cabaye, and Spidermag remains a fixture on the left, but he might displace Obertan Kenobi on the right, or alternatively come in for Peter Lovenkrands if Alan Pardew opts to repeat his approach against the Mackems of leaving one up front.

Meanwhile, in the senior England squad there's been a familiar warning for a familiar face. It seems the multi-million-pound move to Liverpool hasn't persuaded Rocky to mend his ways and curb the partying and pint-guzzling that regularly got him into trouble on Tyneside. Wor Al has had a pop at Fabio Capello for making the warning public, but Rocky's managers at both international and club level certainly have a right to demand he cleans up his act - otherwise it could be a sorry case of wasted talent.

Elsewhere, FC Sion's unceremonious ejection from the Europa League for fielding ineligible players has earned Celtic an undeserved reprieve and with it the chance for Fraser Forster to pit himself against some of the top sides in Europe. Celtic's group contain both Udinese, who ran Arsenal very close in their Champions League qualifying play-off and who boast Italian international sharp-shooter Antonio Di Natale up front, and Atletico Madrid, who have just replaced Sergio Aguero with Falcao. Suffice to say that our loanee 'keeper can expect to be kept busy...

Quote of the day

"That’s his opinion. I think the SPL’s a much tougher league than people give it credit for – but everyone’s entitled to their opinion and I’m just proud to come and play for such a massive club as Celtic. The chance to play in Europe is something that very few clubs and very few players get to experience. Everyone want to get through on Thursday for their own reasons. Obviously Alan Pardew is the manager at Newcastle and he can have his opinion – as anyone can – but I think it’s important that we focus on ourselves and don’t worry about anybody else."

Celtic loanee Fraser Forster takes issue with Alan Pardew's dismissive characterisation of the Scottish Premier League.

It wasn't the only opportunity the big 'keeper seized to have a subtle dig at Pardew: "In football you never know – things change in a split second – so I was serving my time back at Newcastle over the summer and put the work in. It dragged on a bit but I’m just happy to be back. There’s nothing better in football than having someone who really wants you and someone who’ll put the confidence in you." Anyone else sensing a strained relationship? If Forster's desperate to leave on a permanent basis, then that would explain our otherwise mystifying interest in Charlton's Rob Elliot - but why didn't we just accept the Bhoys' money when it was offered rather than insisting on another loan deal?

Forster's second League debut north of the border ended in embarrassing home defeat to St Johnstone at the weekend. Another loanee fared better, though, James Tavernier having a key role in the winning goal as Carlisle overcame Bournemouth, after which manager Greg Abbott singled our man out for praise.

Meanwhile, Michael Richardson's loan spell isn't exactly going to plan. Although he played the first 68 minutes for Leyton Orient on Saturday, the Os ended up losing 5-0 to London rivals Brentford, and are now the only team in League One yet to pick up a point. Phil Airey didn't feature for Hibs either in Saturday's home defeat by St Mirren or last night's League Cup pummelling of Berwick, while Kazenga LuaLua was a second-half substitute as Brighton threw away a two-goal lead and with it their 100% record on Saturday. Last night's sub appearance will have been much sweeter, the Seagulls sending Ol' Cauliflower Face and a strong 5under1and side crashing out of the League Cup at the first hurdle. I suspect he may have celebrated Craig Mackail-Smith's winner more than most...

Loose lips sink ships bids for League One goalkeepers

Oh the irony.

Here's Alan Pardew on ASBO's post-Gunners social media outpourings: "I think Joey regrets his tweets about the Arsenal incident. I think it's hurt him a little bit. Me and him have had a lot of conversations about Twitter and his profile and everything else and I think he now understands that the best answer he can give is with his performances on the pitch. He's been a lot quieter on Twitter this week and I think both he and us are better for that ... In today's society I can't tell Joey to shut up, just like I wouldn't tell anyone else to shut up in their private life. He is his own person. All I can give him is my advice and guidance and I have definitely given him that."

All fair enough, you might think - ASBO's silence would be a blessing. But when you consider that the man giving the benefit of his "advice and guidance" has just been reported to the Premier League authorities by Charlton for breaking a promise and making public comments about their 'keeper Rob Elliot, it all seems ridiculous rather than merely patronising. (Our insultingly low bid of £100,000 was dismissed out of hand, in case you were wondering.)

The immediate question, surely, has to be why on earth are we trying to sign Elliot in the first place? We've just sent a perfectly good 'keeper out to Celtic on loan, Fraser Forster instantly making his second Bhoys debut in a home shut-out against Sion. I simply don't understand why we would do that and then seek to bring in a replacement. It also suggests there's an alarming lack of faith in the understudies to Tim Krul and Steve Harper who remain at St James', namely Ole Soderberg and Jak Alnwick.

In the build-up to the derby Pardew was - inevitably - also asked about progress in securing a replacement for Jose Enrique. As well as throwing up the usual smokescreen about the quality of the existing summer signings, he said: "The left-back situation is a week down the line and the plan we had went straight into action." Hmm. Yes, it's "a week down the line" from when the Spaniard was sold, but his departure has been on the cards for months. How irritating that, once again, the left-back "plan" could only swing into action once the existing incumbent had been flogged off. As it is, Ryan Taylor will continue to deputise against 5under1and. Heaven help us.

Pardew's pre-match comments, meanwhile, had shades of Mourinho or Taggart or Wenger about them, putting pressure on the man in the middle, World Cup final ref Howard Webb, to be "astute": "The referee needs to make sure he referees the game from a completely neutral point of view because Joey has been in the press a fair bit this week". ASBO's a powder keg at the best of times - let's hope he can cling on to his self-control and help inspire us to another victory over the old enemy.

Forst out

As if following Kazenga LuaLua's lead - to all intents and purposes a Brighton player who just happens to be owned by us - Fraser Forster has gone back to what he knows for a second loan spell at Celtic.

Earlier in the summer Pardew claimed he had a tough decision to make over who to retain at St James' and who to farm out. However, it seems that Tim Krul - now a full Dutch international and selected for Saturday's curtain-raiser - remains Steve Harper's understudy and probable long-term replacement. The manager's decision might have been influenced by Forster fluffing his big chance to impress in pre-season.

The logic behind Forster's move might be questionable and curious given Pardew's previous comments about the poor quality of Scottish football making loans a waste of time, but it does at least mean the talented youngster remains on our books and will continue to amass first-team experience in front of big crowds.

Of our other loanees, neither LuaLua nor Michael Richardson appeared in their temporary sides' midweek fixtures, though James Tavernier (supported by ex-Newcastle reserve 'keeper Adam Collin) helped Carlisle to another clean sheet away from home.

Wayne waves goodbye to the Championship - again

On Saturday, despite losing at home to Leeds, Wayne Routledge's QPR celebrated the FA's dubious decision to avoid imposing a points deduction for transfer irregularities, which confirmed them as second tier champions. Jose Enrique can expect to come up against the nippy winger wearing hoops next season - although the hue of Enrique's own shirt remains uncertain.

Meanwhile, Ben Tozer scored what proved to be a spectacular winner in the final game of his loan spell at Northampton on Saturday, as the Cobblers won away to Morecambe. There was also weekend delight for another loanee, Fraser Forster, who kept a clean sheet as Celtic won 2-0 at Kilmarnock - but his hopes of emulating Routledge and picking up a title-winner's medal for his loan club remain slim, as maximum points for rivals Rangers in their last two games would secure the crown regardless of what Forster and Celtic can muster.

And finally, congratulations to Whitley Bay on their historic third consecutive FA Vase win yesterday. Bet the Bacardi Breezers were in full flow afterwards...

Quote of the day

"One issue I have at the football club is that young players should go out and learn their trade professionally at any club sometimes. That loan system works particularly well for that."

Alan Pardew extols the virtues of farming out the youngsters - a stance to be applauded, as there's no substitute for experience.

The player Pardew singled out for particular praise was James Tavernier, who "has done brilliantly at Gateshead – he’s a player that I keep hearing people say ‘I watched him, he was brilliant’. That’s great news. He might be the one that at the start of next year comes through for us out of that group." Or perhaps even sooner than that, given that he's now been recalled to St James' Park in the wake of Saturday's dismal defeat...

As we've said before, though, the loan system has the potential to be a double-edged sword. Fraser Forster may be continuing to gain big match experience at Celtic, unlucky to end up with a loser's medal from last weekend's Scottish League Cup final, but with each game you sense his willingness to return to Tyneside as understudy to both Steve Harper and Tim Krul will be waning, and I see us struggling to hold onto a very promising young 'keeper in the summer.