SOCCER: Suddenly things look much better. The weekend capture of Damien Duff from Chelsea has already had some Newcastle players purring, with goalkeeper Shay Given even revealing that Duff was inwardly seething with resentment at Jose Mourinho's refusal to guarantee him a place at Chelsea.
Given, Duff's old friend and Republic of Ireland team-mate, said his arrival will be crucial. "The manager and the chairman have done a fantastic job persuading a player of Damien's calibre to sign," he said. "But I also spoke to Damien a few times myself, so I musn't have done a bad selling job either.
"Damien's had a difficult time at Chelsea but he's hungry to prove people there wrong and I think he will. I really believe we've made one of our best signings in many years. He's not had regular runs of games at Chelsea and that's not been easy for him but we'll see a fantastic player who, at 27, is just reaching his prime."
After Saturday's 3-0 victory in Lillestrom, Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder can now fill the days before Friday's Uefa Cup draw working on his ambitious transfer strategy.
Roeder is reputedly close to capturing Miroslav Klose and progression from the Intertoto Cup to the Uefa Cup's second qualifying round will do no harm in making St James' Park an attractive proposition.
Roeder has apparently had some interesting debates with Freddy Shepherd, Newcastle's chairman, regarding potential targets, some of whom have been scouted by Alan Shearer, and all the manager requires now is a couple of new strikers to connect with Duff's crosses.
"This is certainly going to help in terms of finance and transfers," Roeder said on Saturday evening before heading for the flight home and a meeting with Duff, who will be officially unveiled today.
"I've drawn up a tight short-list of players I like and I'm working through it," Roeder said. Asked whether Germany's Klose, the leading scorer at this summer's World Cup, featured, he replied: "He's a top drawer striker and you have to admire someone of his calibre - but he might not want to join a club not in the Champions League."
At least Newcastle are in the Uefa Cup and Lillestrom's manager, Uwe Rosler, was keen to identify Roeder as an integral factor in getting them there. Interrogated about the potential of Shola Ameobi - who ended the Norwegians' hopes with two fine first-half goals - the former Manchester City striker seized an opportunity to compliment the visiting manager.
"If Ameobi really wants to improve he should listen to Glenn," enthused Rosler. "Glenn is a really good manager because he speaks very well to players. I've heard him, he knows how to talk to them."
Roeder certainly needed such communication skills as he prepared for the second leg of a tie awkwardly poised at 1-1. Tellingly, Ameobi used to have a reputation for being laid-back, not to mention a bit soft when it came to the idea of playing while carrying an injury, but, after he damaged an ankle in training last week, Roeder cajoled him into attacking action.
Further coaxing was required to persuade Charles N'Zogbia to swap his life on the left wing for an unfamiliar central midfield role and Emre Belozoglu - who curled in a 90th-minute third from 20 yards - to vacate midfield for the relatively uncharted terrain of the centre-forward's beat but it all conspired to confound Rosler's game plan.
Meanwhile, former Republic of Ireland midfielder Matt Holland believes Charlton Athletic can challenge for European football with Darren Bent and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in attack.
Holland reckons his club possess the best strike pairing outside the top five Premiership sides and one that can propel them into the Uefa Cup.
"It was a big coup for us to get Jimmy on board - he's in the top-10 list of all-time Premiership goalscorers," said Holland. "To put him alongside Darren, who was leading English scorer last season in the Premiership, means there will be plenty of goals. Strikers win matches and those two up front will be a good combination. The aim has to be those European spots. Firstly we have to make sure we get enough points to stay in the league."
