Shearer's anger as Martins cries off
Apr 13 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal
Martins clearly has a part to play, and Shearer rubbished rumours that there was anything more serious to the incident.
“He didn’t sleep in at all, that’s not true. I spoke to him this morning and asked him. I’ll speak to him again on Monday morning and we’ll have another look at it. Hopefully it’s not too serious,” he said.
“We were meeting just after 11 o’clock, to be honest, so he hasn’t broken any curfews.”
Shearer was happy with his players’ bravery – but less with the basic error which led to Stoke’s goal in the 1-1 draw. Shola Ameobi had admitted his culpability in the dressing room after the game.
“I’m asking the players to be brave, to demand the ball and show me out on the pitch what they show me in training, and they’ve done that today,” he said.
“I just thought it was right to change one or two things around and leave one or two people out. I asked the players to come in and do a job and they’ve done that. The more players we can get fit, the better chance we’ve got of survival.”
Meanwhile, Habib Beye reckons it will take 12 more points from the remaining 18 to save United.
“Hopefully this will give us a bit of momentum now because after they scored few people would have expected us to leave with anything,” he said. “Now we have six matches left, 18 points to play for and we know we can stay up.”
NEWCASTLE’S up-and-coming under-16s will be given a chance to shine at under- 18 level in the run-in to the end of the campaign.
The Magpies’ Academy coaches are taking a close look at the younger players – and handed three of them a debut in the 2-2 draw against Sheffield United at Benton on Saturday.
Ex-Liverpool goalkeeper Ben Robinson and local lad Ryan Page in midfield were given debut starts – while 16-year-old Eritrean striker Patrick Nzuzi grabbed the second Newcastle equaliser 10 minutes after coming on as a 63rd-minute substitute.
Jordan Chappell’s 44th- minute shot into the right corner from the edge of box gave the Blades the lead but Ryan Donaldson levelled on 62 minutes after a great right-wing run and cross from Michael McCrudden.
Corey Gregory fired a Connor Brown cross inside the near post six minutes later to put the visitors ahead again, but Nzuzi’s goal split the points.
