Given urges Newcastle to make signings
Posted on 3rd January 2007
Newcastle United shot stopper Shay Given has urged chairman Freddie Shepherd to dip his hand into his pocket and add new players to the club. The Newcastle United goalkeeper wants to see the Magpies move quickly in the transfer market after he has seen it been bought to the brink of collapse because of injuries.
Newcastle United have been linked with a number of players including Wes Brown and Southampton's wonder–kid Gareth Bale. Newcastle United have also been linked with Peter Crouch but the forward says he is going nowhere. Newcastle United did well against Manchester United in their last match with a patched up side but Given has warned against standing still and urged the club to make signings.
"Our team was strung together against Manchester United, we were struggling to get the bare minimum of players out there," said Given. "The treatment table has never been so busy during the whole time I have been with the club. I walked in there on Sunday and there was a board up with all the names on, and there were more injured players than fit players, which is no exaggeration. It's really bad and I can't put my finger on why."
Clubs have throughout January to make signings but Given wants to see something concluded within a week. "It would be nice to get a few new players this month – but even nicer to get some in this week so that they don't get cup–tied after the FA Cup games on Saturday. I don't know what the craic is in terms of new signings but we all know that we need to get some new players in and pretty quickly. The chairman is aware of that and he has said before he wants to strengthen in January. The manager has his targets as well and in an ideal world we would get them in this week, but that doesn't always happen. You could see against Manchester United that we only had 11 fit players to put in, we need new faces to add numbers to a small squad," said Given.
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