Say nothing or say sorry?

One good thing to come out of last night's debacle: Saylor has quit Twitter. Here's hoping he now gets his head down and starts performing like the player some of us still hope he might possibly be. With Sideshow Bob still injured and MYM a liability of late, we certainly need it.

Little Big Lad may not have followed Saylor's lead, but he did at least have the good grace to use Twitter to say sorry. Now we await apologies from some of his more senior colleagues whose personal displays were more pathetic.

Question time

Further proof that Newcastle Utd players and Twitter should never mix: the club's attempt to elicit questions for Saylor using the hashtag #AskTayls gets hijacked. Some of the queries are priceless. For the record, I'd rather fight ten duck-sized Andy Carrolls than one Andy Carroll-sized duck.

(You gotta) fight for your right (to play)

That's the message from the Silver Fox to those currently on the fringes of the first team. He was prompted to come over all Beastie Boys by media mischief-making from Saylor's agent Willie McKay (yes, him again), who went public on his client's dissatisfaction at being left kicking his heels on the bench. McKay had suggested that Saylor was eyeing up a loan move, and indeed 'Appy 'Arry was then promptly credited with an interest in inflating QPR's already ludicrous Championship wage bill even further, but the Silver Fox was quick to quash that possibility.

In doing so, he also named MYM, HBA and Papiss Cisse, which implies that they too may have expressed disgruntlement at their current predicament, albeit privately rather than in public. It's hardly surprising, and as the cliche goes, having his players fit and champing at the bit to be involved is a nice problem for the Silver Fox to have. That said, it's still a problem, and one he needs to manage carefully. Those currently in possession of the shirts, perhaps against the odds (Big Lad and Mike Williamson in particular), have repaid the manager's faith and fully merit their selection - but if we're to safeguard against the inevitability of injuries and loss of form in the second half of the season. it's vital that we don't weaken our squad in January by letting those on the fringes leave. (Obertan Kenobi being the obvious exception...)

As for Saylor, our advice would be for him to gag McKay, knuckle down and learn the error of his ways. Admittedly he's been injured for much of the season, but his absence from the first team is also attributable to that stupid red card earned in our very first game of the season - a game which was already proving a very tough challenge with eleven men, let alone ten. Since that Monday in August, he hadn't pulled on a black and white shirt for competitive action until yesterday, when named (together with Spidermag) as one of the overage players in the U21 squad that beat Norwich in front of 125 spectators - a fact he will hopefully reflect on next time he thinks about doing something rash.

Sayling close to the wind

So it's a slap of the wrist and no more for Saylor over his recent questionable tweet. The FA have made the right call in not punishing him, as they (and the club) have in reminding him of his responsibilities and the public nature of social media - a fact that seems to escape the attention of an alarming number of footballers. The message is clear: if you're going to indulge in "banter", do so behind closed doors rather than in public where it can be taken out of context.

"Banter" backfires

Racist tweets directed at our players are nothing new, sadly - after all, Big Lad, Little Big Lad and even the whole club have all been subjected to abuse. However, it's now emerged that one such tweet has been sent by Saylor. The offending tweet has since been taken down and an apology issued, and Massadio Haidara (one of those to whom it was addressed) has laughed it off as "just bander [sic]", but disciplinary action from the FA and/or Newcastle could nevertheless still follow, and he really should know better. Or maybe he does, and this was just a way of prolonging his holiday from first-team responsibilities.

New deal for Dummy?

It looks as though Paul Dummett's reward for an impressive pre-season and an encouraging introduction to the first team, culminating in Saturday's goal against Liverpool, will be the offer of a new contract. That's if the Silver Fox gets his way - and you'd imagine Jabba wouldn't be inclined to quibble given that the young left back is just the sort of cost-free homegrown player he wants us to be producing.

Here's an interview Dummett gave in the summer to the Ronny Gill, in which he talks about the importance of self-confidence when you're training with your idols, the value of last season's loan spell at St Mirren and the encouragement he's received from the Silver Fox.

Dummett has said he'll be involved on Sunday whether as a player or a supporter - in truth, it looks like being the latter, with the Silver Fox saying a fit-again Saylor would "get the nod over Paul because you need experience in the derby". Saylor obviously greater experience, but you do wonder whether he's not actually the greater liability in the circumstances - a player who is just returning from injury, who is always liable to do something daft and rash (see the sending-off in his one appearance of the season so far, at Man City) and who will be given a particularly torrid time by the Mackem crowd...

England calling

Congratulations to Saylor who has, finally, been called up by Roy Hodgson to the current England squad. Having seen centre-halves drop like flies (or, in the case of Rio Ferdinand, complain for ages that he’s not being picked and then decline to turn up when he eventually is), Roy was left with little choice but to turn to our former England U21 captain.

Saylor’s prospects of making his senior debut for his country look reasonable, when you consider that the options in front of him are similarly inexperienced and in the majority of cases are short of game time this season. Hopefully he’ll enjoy the confidence boost and return reinvigorated (and still fit) for the games which lie ahead.

As one Newcastle player’s England career looks to begin, one of our old boys is calling time on his, with Little Saint Mick finally deciding to put himself out to stud at the end of the season. 

Of course, there are those who might suggest Owen stopped playing football a long time ago… 

Unable to force his way back into the England fold once Shteeve McLaren went Dutch, our one-time striker never managed to live up to the heights predicted when he emerged as a youngster who was widely expected to beat Bobby Charlton’s England scoring record.

As the list of goals/games in the BBC article illustrates, Owen's career never fulfilled the potential he showed at Liverpool, thanks in no small part to his appalling attitude when on Tyneside when he repeatedly put country before club to the detriment of all parties. 30 goals in 79 games over four years is frankly nothing but a pitiful return for a £17 million signing earning a ridiculous amount of money per week.

The fact that in a montage of career highlights, the Guardian completely glosses over the four years he was a paid employee of our club speaks volumes for the contribution made by our record signing.

Proud though he undoubtedly is at being called up by his country, I somehow don't think Saylor will make the same career choices.

More rain on our parade

It never rains but it pours - in both a literal and a metaphorical sense. While the elements continue to vent their fury on the country, fate is doing much the same to our squad. The latest casualty is Saylor, who picked a hamstring injury to match HBA's in Sunday's dismal defeat at St Mary's and who joins the queue for a bed in the treatment room. At least he'll be in good company for his two-month lay-off - Dreamboat's out of action until the start of February too...

Our consolation as regards Saylor's absence is that Sideshow Bob is now suspension-free and James Perch is also available again after injury. The question now is whether those hardy individuals who are actually fit can produce the goods on a literal wet Wednesday night in Stoke. We triumphed at the Britannia last season courtesy of a Demba Ba hat-trick, and so it's good to know that he's one of our very few in-form players. How we could do with a repeat - Villa's late win over Reading last night leaves us just three points clear of the relegation zone.

Quote of the day

"I would rather go and collect stamps than stick on that shirt!"

Saylor, when asked if he'd ever contemplate turning out for Sunderland. That wasn't the only provocative comment he made, claiming that no Mackem players are good enough to make it into our side. That may possibly be true, but pride before a fall and all that... At least he had the sense to add: "It is all very well having that but we have to go out and deliver that."

Meanwhile, some Neanderthal of a red and white persuasion has tried unsettling Big Lad with racist abuse on Facebook. Here's hoping the Mackem Slayer delivers a suitable riposte on the pitch tomorrow.

Smudger signs on for Dons

There surely can't have been many people who've gone to Milton Keynes and declared "I've come to the perfect place" - but those were the exact words of Alan Smith, who has sealed a permanent move to the MK Dons following his release by Newcastle. The goalshy striker/lumbering midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan in Buckinghamshire, coming close to helping the club into the Championships via the play-offs.

During his time on Tyneside, Smith never really came close to living up to his price tag or reputation, and his departure hardly gives cause for tears to be shed. True, he was instrumental in the dressing-room revolution that turned the club around post-demotion - but ultimately paying him £60,000 a week to be our "head cheerleader" was more than a bit excessive given the newly instilled culture of fiscal prudence. Smith was markedly better during our one-season sojourn in the Championship than he ever was in the top flight, so League One may well prove to be more his level.

Meanwhile, John Carver has been talking enthusiastically about the returns to fitness of Saylor and Sylvain Marveaux, claiming it'll be like having "two new players". Understandably, though, he stressed the importance of remaining cautious and protective of Saylor in particular - we've rushed him back into action before and it's ended badly.

One reason that Saylor is "itching" to get back into action, no doubt, is fear that the competition in his position is about to hot up. The Silver Fox, who already has Mike Williamson at his disposal, has been talking about recruiting another option to partner Sideshow Bob, with FC Twente's Douglas still the most likely candidate. Watford's Adrian Mariappa, the subject of several failed bids in January, has now been linked with Wigan, so that particular ship might be about to sail.

Saylor speaks

Not sure it's exactly gripping viewing, given the inane questioning of the BBC's faceless football drone Dan Walker (though at least it's not Garth Crooks), but here's Saylor on this week's Football Focus Forum. Our crocked central defender talks about getting fit for the Olympics, THAT waistcoat and the fact that Demba Ba's initially sub-par Toon performances were due to something called "Ramadam"...

Sideshow the main man

According to the Chronicle, Sideshow Bob has been handed the captain's armband ahead of next season.

Undoubtedly one of our stand-out players last season, Sideshow Bob has improved massively from his early days with the club, when the physicality of the league looked to trouble him, and a season snuffing out Championship attacks (under the watchful eye of ex-defenders Hughton and Calderwood) clearly paid dividends.

Whether his appointment will help to convince Jose Enrique to stay looks doubtful, but it can't hurt.

Of the other candidates for the job, it seems to me that it was essentially a four horse race, with Steve Harper, ASBO and Steven Taylor the other names realistically in the frame. Of those, Harper looks to have a fight on his hands to stay in the side ahead of Krul and Forster, so is far from a certain starter next season. ASBO is too much of a loose cannon off the pitch (and in the last year of his contract) so that rules him out too. Given his criticisms of the board in recent weeks, and his Twitter comments on the Nolan transfer it was always doubtful that Jabba would sanction his appointment even if Pardew had wanted to give him the armband on a full-time basis.

That leaves Taylor, who got himself back in the team at the end of last season thanks to Mike Williamson's injury, and is now probably established as Sideshow Bob's first-choice partner, but as the second best centre-back at the club (at present) appointing him as captain would have made it awkward should Taylor lose a bit of form and Williamson perform well in training.

What will be interesting to see is who takes on the armband should Sideshow Bob be rested or injured. Will it go to one of the three mentioned above, or will Big Lad, Mr T or new boy Yohan Cabaye be entrusted with the role?

Stevie staying put

Like manager, like player. Alan Pardew has helped Steven Taylor - not so long ago transfer-listed and apparently an outcast at St James' - secure a new five-and-a-half-year deal. Taylor commented: "I joined the club as a boy and feel confident that I can fulfil all my professional ambitions here at my hometown club. I have never lost hope that everything could be sorted and that I could stay." Assuming your "professional ambitions" are loftier than the Championship title, Steven, I'm not quite so confident - but here's hoping, eh?

As we suggested might be the case a few days ago, bridges have clearly been rebuilt in persuading Taylor to re-sign - and for that we should be thankful to Pardew: "Steven is somebody who can be a bedrock of our defence for a long time to come, and it's great news that he's staying. I made it one of my priorities when I arrived." Of course, the development also suggests either that Chris Hughton was less concerned about Taylor's retention or that Jabba has been more inclined to trust in Pardew's judgement than that of his predecessor...

Taylor still has some rough edges that you'd hope might be smoothed off soon now he's approaching his 25th birthday, but he's a whole-hearted and passionate defender who we'd have found difficult to replace had he left us for a cut-price fee in January. His applauding all four sides of the ground after the Man City game could have been interpreted as a farewell but actually signalled his continuing commitment to the club.

Feliz Navidad

A belated Merry Christmas from Paul and I. Hope you and yours had a good one yesterday, and may this afternoon bring further festive cheer in the form of three points.

The official site has had a procession of players delivering their Christmas messages to fans. These brought few revelations of any interest - Rocky loved to visit the Fenwick's windows as a kid, sparring partner Steven Taylor looks forward to the first festive Coca-Cola advert, the Xisco Kid isn't a fan of wintry weather - while Jose Enrique mentioned an unusual way of paying tributes to team-mates: "I saw in Christmas at the house of Fabricio Coloccini and his family, along with my girlfriend Eva, and some of our friends, and it was great to watch the children open their presents. Colo's son, Tiago, even got a Spiderman outfit in honour of Jonas Gutierrez!"

ASBO is a wanted man

Another day, another hands-off message from Alan Pardew. Yesterday it was Rocky, today it was his in-form supply line for most of the season, ASBO: "We don't want to do any business".

Time was when, if anyone had offered us anything even approaching £5m, we'd have snapped their arm off. Clearly ASBO's now seen as an integral part of our first team. I'd say "How things change!", but that new leaf in terms of conduct he keeps promising is yet to materialise. He's used to being a wanted man, but not in this sense...

Also recently subjected to Pardew's powers of persuasion has been Steven Taylor. "I have been very impressed with the new manager. Since he came in, he's been absolutely spot-on. Within a day or two of him coming in, he sat down in his office and made it clear he wants me. He just wants to get the ball rolling." By the sounds of it, then, burned bridges could yet be rebuilt. With previous first-choice central defensive pair Mike Williamson and Sideshow Bob now both suspension-free, whether he'll keep his place in the side for our next game (whenever that may be...) remains to be seen.