We have to make amends – Hughton

Jul 29 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

“We know where we went wrong and it’s up to us to put it right in front of our own support

against Leeds. There can be no excuses. We don’t want to dwell on it for too long, but at the same time it is important we remember just how short we fell of the standards that are required.

“The players have got to have been stung by that experience. Irrespective of what people may think, there is a desire among the players to do the best they can. They have their pride and they know that, regardless of what happens in the future, they need their fitness at this stage of the season.”

One player who has supposedly complained about the state of limbo at St James’s Park is Sébastien Bassong. The Frenchman, who is wanted by Tottenham Hotspur, has not played a pre-season game for the Magpies after revealing his intention to quit the club following relegation, but Hughton denied there was anything sinister behind his absence.

He said: “Sébastien Bassong will play against Leeds United. There hasn’t been anything untoward going on. He has just had a different training programme to everyone else, but he is training with the rest of the group now and will be involved on Wednesday night.”

How long Bassong will remain a United player remains to be seen. Although a transfer embargo is in place, which prevents the departure of any of the club’s players no matter how frantic they are to escape, the 23-year-old has emerged as Spurs’ chief target following their successful pursuit of Peter Crouch this week.

Harry Redknapp is struggling for centre-backs as Jonathan Woodgate, Michael Dawson and Ledley King are all carrying injuries and the Tottenham boss has made sure his interest in Bassong has been leaked in the London media in the hope it puts pressure on the player to demand his release.

Whether that will have any effect on persuading the Newcastle hierarchy is unclear, particularly as they do not want to spark a mass exodus of players.