Nolan: We have got to sign players
Aug 4 2009 by Darren Kelso, The Journal
KEVIN Nolan believes signing new players should be an even higher priority than appointing a permanent manager at Newcastle United.
And the 27-year-old has reassured the Magpies they will have no difficulty attracting them.
The club’s self-imposed transfer embargo was lifted by Obafemi Martins’ move to Wolfsburg on Friday but with no permanent manager, all the talk has been of outgoings rather than arrivals.
Sebastien Bassong, Habib Beye, Fabricio Coloccini and Geremi are all expected to follow Martins out of the club in the not-too distant future.
And with the likes of Michael Owen, Mark Viduka, Cláudio Caçapa, David Edgar and Peter Lovenkrands having been released at the end of their contracts, Nolan believes new signings will be needed.
“You can never ever take away what Chris (Hughton, the caretaker manager) and Colin (Calderwood, his assistant) have done,” said Nolan. “The lads are more than happy to take this (the management status quo).
“But one thing we may have to do if things stay the way it is, is bring a couple of new faces in to freshen things up and strengthen in places where we need strengthening.
“It’s major, big decision time for people upstairs and that’s up to them. We’re just getting on with things on the pitch and they’re doing their thing.
“We’re not here to ask for anything, just produce on the pitch.”
The uncertainty surrounding a
club which has been on the market since shortly after relegation from the Premier League was confirmed in late May has prevented the appointment of a manager and could make it hard to attract players.
Nolan, though, does not expect it to be a problem.
