Magpies require a little tinkering

Dec 8 2009

by Mark Douglas, The Journal

FOR Newcastle United, simply avoiding catastrophe in the transfer window will represent sterling progress on recent seasons’ efforts. Mike Ashley has chalked up profits in each of the last four windows but dented the playing squad in the process – and the trick this January will be to keep Newcastle ticking along with one or two solid additions in the process. The first priority is keeping the men who have enabled Newcastle to rush into pole position in the Championship, which means all but the most ridiculous of offers for the quintet of Kevin Nolan, Steven Taylor, Steve Harper, Jonás Gutiérrez and Fabricio Coloccini should be brusquely rejected. Not only are they pivotal to United’s chances of maintaining the comfortable distance between themselves and the rest of the chasing pack, but they also offer a sound foundation to build if promotion is clinched at the end of the season. As for additions, Hughton knows that he has a limited budget but has proved adept in his first forays into the transfer market. The signing of Matthew Kilgallon is virtually a done deal but that does not mean the end of Taylor or Coloccini. Instead, Hughton has simply recognised that injury to either of that pair would spell trouble, just as it did when United’s form suffered in their absence at the end of October. Hughton also wants a striker and a left-back, but at least one of them will have to be a loan capture. Jermaine Beckford was on Alan Shearer’s list of targets in the summer, but Hughton denied interest a few weeks ago – and there are doubts about whether the Leeds striker is clinical enough to justify an inflated price-tag.

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