I don't want to leave Toon Craig Bellamy has pledged that he will turn up for training with Newcastle United when they report back a week on Monday. And in an exclusive interview with the Chronicle from his holiday retreat in Majorca, the Welsh international told me today: "I have two years left on my contract at Newcastle United and at this moment in time I am not interested in moving." Time is certainly running out for both United and Bellamy, and D-day is on July 4 when the first-team squad report back earlier than usual for training to prepare for their Intertoto Cup tie in either Hungary, Turkey, or Slovakia on Saturday, July 15, or Sunday, July 16. When I spoke to Bellamy in Majorca late yesterday afternoon he already knew United's fixtures for next season. And he told me: "The Newcastle first-team squad are back a week on Monday and I will be there with them. At this moment I am not interested in moving anywhere else. "Whether I train with the kids is not up to me. But if that's what I am told to do, then that's what I'll do. "All I can do is act in a professional and respectful manner and see what happens after that. I will be keeping my head down and just getting on with my job. "I have two years left on my Newcastle United contract and at no time have I ever said that I want to leave the club. "What I will say is that the summer has flown by and I can hardly believe that it's time to report back for training." All United will say on the matter is that Bellamy and Hugo Viana, who were on loan to Celtic and Sporting Lisbon respectively last season, have been instructed by letter to report for training a week on Monday. But Souness has often said there is no way back for Bellamy as long as he is manager at St James' Park. Bellamy revealed that he had the chance to play Champions League football next season but he would not say with whom. He added that he has not turned down any club, although I get the impression he does not want to go to Aston Villa and that while he loved his time with Celtic, he feels that at this stage in his career Scottish League football is not what he wants. And Everton have lost interest in Bellamy because they cannot match the wages he is on at St James' Park. People in the media who have come into contact with Bellamy recently, myself included, feel that he is a changed man - and he would have to be if he was ever to pull on the black-and-white shirt again. There will be a media circus if Bellamy does turn up for training a week on Monday and the player realises that. My only hope is that Souness does not make Bellamy train with the kids or even on his own because that would not be in the best interests of Newcastle United. I always felt that Souness acted rather hastily in packing Bellamy off to Celtic, and while it is the longest of long shots, my wish is that somehow the United boss and the controversial striker are able to sort everything out. What Souness has to sort out first is United's signing of Turkish international Emre from Inter Milan. He has been in Turkey talking to Emre and his advisors and the United boss wants to push the deal through in the next couple of days.

2005/06: Craig Bellamy por favor... From Friday's Chronicle, what can either be viewed as an attempt at mediation on behalf of our errant number 10, or a cranking up of the pressure on Souness & Co. Craig Bellamy has pledged that he will turn up for training with Newcastle United when they report back a week on Monday. And in an exclusive interview with the Chronicle from his holiday retreat in Majorca, the Welsh international told me today: "I have two years left on my contract at Newcastle United and at this moment in time I am not interested in moving." Time is certainly running out for both United and Bellamy, and D-day is on July 4 when the first-team squad report back earlier than usual for training to prepare for their Intertoto Cup tie in either Hungary, Turkey, or Slovakia on Saturday, July 15, or Sunday, July 16. When I spoke to Bellamy in Majorca late yesterday afternoon he already knew United's fixtures for next season. And he told me: "The Newcastle first-team squad are back a week on Monday and I will be there with them. At this moment I am not interested in moving anywhere else. "Whether I train with the kids is not up to me. But if that's what I am told to do, then that's what I'll do. "All I can do is act in a professional and respectful manner and see what happens after that. I will be keeping my head down and just getting on with my job. "I have two years left on my Newcastle United contract and at no time have I ever said that I want to leave the club. "What I will say is that the summer has flown by and I can hardly believe that it's time to report back for training." All United will say on the matter is that Bellamy and Hugo Viana, who were on loan to Celtic and Sporting Lisbon respectively last season, have been instructed by letter to report for training a week on Monday. But Souness has often said there is no way back for Bellamy as long as he is manager at St James' Park. Bellamy revealed that he had the chance to play Champions League football next season but he would not say with whom. He added that he has not turned down any club, although I get the impression he does not want to go to Aston Villa and that while he loved his time with Celtic, he feels that at this stage in his career Scottish League football is not what he wants. And Everton have lost interest in Bellamy because they cannot match the wages he is on at St James' Park. People in the media who have come into contact with Bellamy recently, myself included, feel that he is a changed man - and he would have to be if he was ever to pull on the black-and-white shirt again. There will be a media circus if Bellamy does turn up for training a week on Monday and the player realises that. My only hope is that Souness does not make Bellamy train with the kids or even on his own because that would not be in the best interests of Newcastle United. I always felt that Souness acted rather hastily in packing Bellamy off to Celtic, and while it is the longest of long shots, my wish is that somehow the United boss and the controversial striker are able to sort everything out. From our own angle this may come down purely to funds - or the lack of them. We've got a negligible amount in for Robert and nothing yet for Bowyer, Viana or Bellamy - with our biggest saving since last season being the Dutchman off the wage bill. If we still have to pay Bellamy's wages and don't see the £5m or so in for his transfer, can we really afford to sign both the quality* striker and the defender that we need to go with the two new midfield arrivals? * by quality we mean not some cobbled-together package to acquire a lard-arse Aussie cast-off from within the shadow of the Transporter Bridge. Or summat like that. PS - Bellamy's nickname among some of the players? The Gimp. Link: Figo update Nothing from the English end of things since the confirmation earlier in the week that we had made contact with representatives of Real Madrid's Luis Figo. However other continental clubs linked with a move for the 32 year-old from Portugal now include Stuttgart plus a couple of Turkish outfits including Galatasary - who were apparently in financial turmoil only days ago..... Manchester United assistant boss Carlos Queiroz was quoted on Friday as saying that the Old Trafford club had no interest in either Figo or Michael Owen - who Newcastle continue to covet. Holiday news: Shola's postcard from Cyprus Home thoughts from abroad, courtesy of Shola Ameobi's own website, in which he reveals that he'll miss the start of the season through injury: I'm in Cyprus at the moment on a family holiday, but I've still been following the news from back home and noted with interest that we're playing Arsenal at Highbury on the opening day of the new season. Unfortunately I'm suspended for the first couple of games, but I wouldn't be fit enough to face Arsenal on the opening day anyway. My hip operation went very well, but it takes a minimum of three months to recover fully from it, so I won't be available until late August at the earliest. It's a bummer to miss such a cracking first game but I have to make sure I'm right before making my return from injury this time. This leaves the manager with Alan Shearer as our only striker for the Intertoto Cup games in July because of the departure of Patrick Kluivert and the situation involving Craig Bellamy. He does have the likes of Kieron Dyer who can play up front, but it's probably more likely that the gaffer will delve into the transfer market and bring one or two forwards to the club over the next few weeks. I'll be interested to see who he brings in, of course. I was delighted that Graeme Souness signed Scott Parker from Chelsea. Once he gets himself fully fit he will be a great acquisition for the club and I have no doubt that he will do a superb job in our midfield. He's the sort of player who takes games by the scruff of the neck and we needed somebody like that. Erm....I thought we already had a scruff of the neck exponent in midfield?

Intertoto: Dubnica to face Turks Dubnica (Slovak) 2 Vasas (Hung) 0 (Dubnica win 2-0 on aggregate) Three possible Intertoto opponents became just two after Slovakian side Dubnica beat Vasas from Hungary 2-0 on Sunday evening. The first leg was goalless so it's the Slovakian side who will face Turkey's Ankaraspor in Round Two, the first leg being next weekend and the second a week later in Ankara. The winners will then play us in Round Three. Full Intertoto details here. Rabbit off: Emre arrival in doubt Latest quotes from the agent of our supposed signing from Inter, Emre, seem to suggest that the Turkish midfielder may end up at a Premiership side other than Newcastle. Speaking to BBC Sport, agent, Ahmet Bulut said: "The clubs Emre wants must find an agreement with Inter. "Emre will play in the Premiership next season and we hope the interested clubs can agree a fee with Inter next week. "We have four clubs interested in him - Newcastle, Everton and two others." "I cannot say about a fee because I am just the agent of the player. "We cannot have an agreement with any of the interested clubs until a fee has been agreed with Inter." Reading between the lines it could well be that, once again, we have been used as bait in someone else's deal, presumably one of the two unnamed clubs. Bellamy I: Nothing vague about Craig What looks like an olive branch is being extended from Spain via Thomson House to St.James' Park, but for Craig Bellamy's impeding return to United to be anything more than temporary pending his sale would require some unprecedented U-turns from a number of club figures. While Graeme Souness has taken the majority of flak (and praise) from fans for the decision to dispose of Bellamy, his Chairman, assistant and Captain have also made their feelings known on a number of occasions: Shepherd, January 2005: "It needed to be done. Some players have been getting away with challenging the authority of the manager and seemed to believe they were untouchable. "Graeme has had the guts to say enough is enough and has shown in the strongest manner possible that he won't stand for indiscipline." McDermott, February 2005: "People who have been here for 40 years have begged me not to let him back. "I've never come across so much hatred and unrest over one person - what I've learned about him has astonished me. "I have no axe to grind with Craig Bellamy, but in the six days I've been here what I've heard means I don't want to meet the guy. "You cannot have one player thinking he can run a football club." "Some of the things said by Craig, not just last week, but throughout his whole period at this club have been disgraceful." "That (Shearer text) message alone should mean Bellamy can never play here again. Souness, February 2005: "There are certain things you can forgive and forget. "But if I'd been seen to be weak in this case there was no future for me with the players in the dressing room or any job I have after Newcastle." Shepherd, March 2005 "Bellamy is a good player, there is no doubt about that. "But I think when you call your manager a liar on television that speaks for itself. I think it would be very difficult for him." Shepherd quoting Shearer. April 2005: "He was so riled he reacted. He (Shearer) told Bellamy he would knock his block off if he ever set foot back in Newcastle." Shepherd, April 2005 ".... he said he was going to come back here from Celtic. "I can tell you there is no chance of that. Bellamy has taken on a hero in Alan (Shearer) and there is only one winner of that one. And it is not Bellamy. Souness, May 2005 "Craig Bellamy can never play for me again....I could not have handled the Craig Bellamy situation any differently from the way I did. Shepherd, June 2005 "The situation has not changed. It is as simple as that. Even by the bizarre standards of this club, it seems beyond belief that the Welshman will ever wear a Newcastle shirt again in competitive competition. But for it to happen, there has to be some unprecedented fence-mending and back- tracking - not just from the Manager as seems to be the commonly-held view. Bellamy II: Craig Bellamy por favor... From Friday's Chronicle, what can either be viewed as an attempt at mediation on behalf of our errant number 10, or a cranking up of the pressure on Souness & Co. Craig Bellamy has pledged that he will turn up for training with Newcastle United when they report back a week on Monday. And in an exclusive interview with the Chronicle from his holiday retreat in Majorca, the Welsh international told me today: "I have two years left on my contract at Newcastle United and at this moment in time I am not interested in moving." Time is certainly running out for both United and Bellamy, and D-day is on July 4 when the first-team squad report back earlier than usual for training to prepare for their Intertoto Cup tie in either Hungary, Turkey, or Slovakia on Saturday, July 15, or Sunday, July 16. When I spoke to Bellamy in Majorca late yesterday afternoon he already knew United's fixtures for next season. And he told me: "The Newcastle first-team squad are back a week on Monday and I will be there with them. At this moment I am not interested in moving anywhere else. "Whether I train with the kids is not up to me. But if that's what I am told to do, then that's what I'll do. "All I can do is act in a professional and respectful manner and see what happens after that. I will be keeping my head down and just getting on with my job. "I have two years left on my Newcastle United contract and at no time have I ever said that I want to leave the club. "What I will say is that the summer has flown by and I can hardly believe that it's time to report back for training." All United will say on the matter is that Bellamy and Hugo Viana, who were on loan to Celtic and Sporting Lisbon respectively last season, have been instructed by letter to report for training a week on Monday. But Souness has often said there is no way back for Bellamy as long as he is manager at St James' Park. Bellamy revealed that he had the chance to play Champions League football next season but he would not say with whom. He added that he has not turned down any club, although I get the impression he does not want to go to Aston Villa and that while he loved his time with Celtic, he feels that at this stage in his career Scottish League football is not what he wants. And Everton have lost interest in Bellamy because they cannot match the wages he is on at St James' Park. People in the media who have come into contact with Bellamy recently, myself included, feel that he is a changed man - and he would have to be if he was ever to pull on the black-and-white shirt again. There will be a media circus if Bellamy does turn up for training a week on Monday and the player realises that. My only hope is that Souness does not make Bellamy train with the kids or even on his own because that would not be in the best interests of Newcastle United. I always felt that Souness acted rather hastily in packing Bellamy off to Celtic, and while it is the longest of long shots, my wish is that somehow the United boss and the controversial striker are able to sort everything out. From our own angle this may come down purely to funds - or the lack of them. We've got a negligible amount in for Robert and nothing yet for Bowyer, Viana or Bellamy - with our biggest saving since last season being the Dutchman off the wage bill. If we still have to pay Bellamy's wages and don't see the £5m or so in for his transfer, can we really afford to sign both the quality* striker and the defender that we need to go with the two new midfield arrivals? * by quality we mean not some cobbled-together package to acquire a lard-arse Aussie cast-off from within the shadow of the Transporter Bridge. Or summat like that. PS - Bellamy's nickname among some of the players? The Gimp. Emre I: Inter confirm departure.... ....but it's not Emre. Speculation that the deal had been done was fuelled by an outgoing transfer update that appeared on the official Inter Milan site on Friday afternoon, but in the event it proved to be confirmation of Franco Semioli moving permanently to Chievo. Emre's agent had promised on Thursday that things would be revealed on Friday, but he's been silent - so far. There's also nothing from Newcastle regarding the deal, which is now leading to speculation that a financial stumbling block still remains to be surmounted by the Magpies. Whether this is with the selling club, the player or indeed his representatives isn't clear, but confirmation from United of the signing would be most welcome as the new season approaches - and our squad remains in desperate need of reinforcing. Hopefully something will be forthcoming sooner or later - who knows, it might just sway those soon-to-be-ex-season ticket holders before Monday's deadline.... Emre II: Emre: Souness convinced me Emre - changing his stripes Inter Milan's Turkish international midfielder Emre has confirmed to the media in his native Turkey that he has agreed to become a Newcastle player - crediting the persuasive powers of United boss Graeme Souness for his decision. And thanks to NUFC.com's cunning linguist Graham Megennis we now have a translation of the article which appeared in Friday's edition of the Istanbul-based daily newspaper Hurriyet: Emre is at Newcastle by Ilhan Soyler Emre Belozoglu, who besides Fenerbahce received offers from 6 British Teams, has chosen Souness's team. The young star said "I'm going to a well established and large club, I'm very happy for it". Even though Fenerbahce's offer was more attractive he said he never wanted to play for Fenerbahce. After announcing his wish to leave Inter 3 months ago Emre received offers from Fenerbahce and six British football clubs including Newcastle United, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal. Emre made the decision to wear the Newcastle United strip for the next year. Earlier this week the management team of Newcastle United (coached by Galatasaray's old director Graeme Souness) went over to Milan to meet the Inter management. After two days of negotiations the British and Italian sides came into a final agreement. After the decision Emre was contacted by Newcastle United and was asked if he was happy to go ahead with the decision. After Emre's request to talk face to face, Graeme Souness and one of his colleagues quietly travelled to Istanbul to meet Emre and his agent, Ahmet Bulut. The outcome of the meeting was satisfactory for both sides. "I'm very happy." Emre stated that he's very happy to be transferred to a well established British team. "Many teams including Turkey's Fenerbahce approached me but I have always said that I wanted to play in Europe for many years to come. "I'm still very young, I do not want to go back to Turkey so soon, as I have a lot to do yet. Newcastle United is one of the biggest teams in Britain and their offer was very attractive, that's why I chose to be with them. "Galatasaray's old director Graeme Souness being there played an important role in my decision. I'm a player of Newcastle now. I believe that I will be very successful there". Another newspaper Sabah also carried the same story under a headline of "Adali Emre" or Island Emre - a reference to his moving to the British Isles. Awards: Youngsters rewarded This week saw the annual Newcastle Schools football presentation evening, when young lads (and lasses) from the city gathered at St.James' Park to be rewarded for their efforts over the previous season. Pictured is U15s striker Rob Nolan (left), who was presented with his top scorer trophy and a signed shirt from Newcastle Academy / Reserve forward Marc Walton

Hugo's hope suffers blow Jun 27 2005 Hugo Viana's hopes of remaining in Portugal next season are fading fast after two of the country's leading clubs pulled out of planned moves to recruit the midfielder this summer. The exiled Newcastle player is becoming increasingly frustrated with the close-season stalemate which has left him uncertain of his immediate future. And the news that both Benfica and Porto have withdrawn their interest is a shattering blow to Sir Bobby Robson's £8.5m signing. "It's been a very difficult time for me and I still don't know what will happen," explained a player who kickstarted his faltering career while on loan at former club Sporting last season. "At this stage of the summer every player is starting to think about next season but I don't know where I'll be. "I was told a deal would be sorted out by the start of the month and then I was told it would be by the end of last week. But still nothing has happened and I may have to move away from Portugal again. I am ready to go anywhere to play football." Unless a transfer can be agreed within the next week then Viana's first port of call will be Newcastle in seven days' time. Although the 22-year-old insists he has not been contacted by United with a view to reporting for pre-season training on July 4, he has no intention of staying away. And, unlike outspoken colleague Craig Bellamy, Viana is still in a position to resurrect his Magpies career after departing the club on good terms. However, the former European Young Player of the Year has no desire to return to the Premiership in the long term and Newcastle are still in talks with Sporting with a view to agreeing a deal which suits both sides. The Lisbon club are the only Portuguese team capable of putting together a package to suit Viana and United now that both Porto and Benfica have withdrawn their interest. But the fact that negotiations between Sporting and Magpies officials have dragged on for six weeks suggests a compromise is unlikely. Porto are looking elsewhere following an indifferent campaign while Benfica have decided not to trade in their rivals' former players. Relations between the two Lisbon clubs have never been better and Stadium of Light chiefs believe the recruitment Sporting players past and present would only damage a new spirit of cooperation. If Viana is frustrated at this summer's status quo then Newcastle are equally keen to resolve a situation which has dragged on for 14 months. The Portuguese international accepted he had no future on Tyneside in May 2004 - when he was booed by sections of the St James's Park crowd following a lacklustre performance against Marseille - and that view was shared by United. But after offloading Laurent Robert for a fraction of the fee he cost from Paris St Germain and with Craig Bellamy's value plummeting, Freddie Sheperd and his board cannot afford to sell Viana for less than £3m. Finding a club to match that fee is proving far more difficult than either Newcastle or their player ever imagined.

Everton still intent on landing Bellamy Jun 27 2005 Everton remain determined to add Craig Bellamy to their Champions League roster despite reports that, having lost patience with a striker who has proved aloof to their initial advances, the Merseysiders have begun to look elsewhere. And with Celtic confirming their efforts to recruit the 25-year-old on a permanent basis are ongoing, Graeme Souness will hope the awkward reunion scheduled to take place in seven days can be avoided. The Newcastle boss, who this week will try to complete the signing of Turkish midfielder Emre, knows that, unless a buyer can be found for Bellamy, the striker will return to Tyneside for the start of pre-season training a week today. But with the Welshman's suitors lining up to put their respective bids to the test, it seems there could finally be some movement on the Bellamy front before then. Everton were strongly linked with Andrew Johnson over the weekend with the inference being that the Goodison Park club have turned to the Crystal Palace striker having abandoned their interest in Bellamy. But The Journal understands that that was a smokescreen designed to put pressure on the United player and his representatives after so far failing to succeed with conventional methods. Whether Everton's attempts to force the hand of a player who personifies stubbornness will succeed remains to be seen. But although Bellamy's reluctance to broker a deal has deeply frustrated the Goodison board, David Moyes is still keen to secure his services and is expected to continue his pursuit. Aston Villa are also keen to acquire Bellamy, who was also linked with Rangers over the weekend. Celtic, for whom the striker made a major impact following his loan move to Parkhead last season, are still hoping they win the race for his signature. Celtic's chief executive Peter Lawwell said: "Talks are ongoing with Newcastle and the player's representatives and I'm hopeful that a deal can be done." Whether the SPL giants can muster the £5m it would take to clinch the deal remains to be seen and another loan transfer would only be considered by United as a last resort.

2005/06: Rearrangements The expected butchery of the fixture list for the benefit of SkySports is still to be revealed, but were we to be successful in our first two Intertoto ties, then the away game at Bolton on Tuesday August 23rd would clash with the second leg of the final. Latest links: London calling? While both Lee Bowyer and Hugo Viana sit in the departure lounge, Toon midfielders are being linked to other clubs, specifically Jermaine Jenas and Nicky Butt. JJ has once again been mentioned in connection with Spurs - the previously- discredited Robbie Keane swap getting another airing - while sources in the Smoke continue to credit Arsenal with an ongoing interest in the 22 year-old England squad player. A new link over the weekend saw new boys West Ham linked with a £2m move for Nicky Butt - perhaps as he's a slightly cheaper option than former Hammer Bowyer? As for the aforementioned Viana, along with Bowyer there's nothing on the immediate horizon that the press have a hold of, although there is still the small matter of Charlton's recruiting campaign which could yet see one of our excess of midfielders heading for the Valley. Finally and for the record, the apparent disinterest of Liverpool in acquiring Luis Boa Morte has once again seen him mentioned again in connection with the Magpies - although Fulham are yet to confirm whether we have been given permission to speak to their player. Transfer uncertainty: Emre confusion Latest quotes from the agent of our supposed signing from Inter, Emre, seem to suggest that the Turkish midfielder may end up at a Premiership side other than Newcastle. Speaking to BBC Sport, agent, Ahmet Bulut said: "The clubs Emre wants must find an agreement with Inter. "Emre will play in the Premiership next season and we hope the interested clubs can agree a fee with Inter next week. "We have four clubs interested in him - Newcastle, Everton and two others." "I cannot say about a fee because I am just the agent of the player. "We cannot have an agreement with any of the interested clubs until a fee has been agreed with Inter." Monday's Chronicle asserted that both Inter's transfer fee and the player's wages were yet to be agreed - somewhere in all of this nonsense lies the truth, allegedly.

Court date: Checkpoint Charlie Newcastle were represented in Switzerland today (Monday) as the saga concerning our signing of Charles N'Zogbia was the subject of a hearing in the Court For Arbitration in Sport. The independent body have been enlisted by N'Zogbia's former club Le Havre, who continue to stand by their original claim that the youngster was under contract until 2006. Newcastle in turn are adamant that they reached an agreement with the French club and paid an undisclosed amount in compensation. The midfielder, who turned 19 last month made ten starts and nine sub appearances for United's first team last season and scored twice in his eight reserve runouts.

Souness is a child - Robert Tue 28 Jun, 7:38 AM Laurent Robert has claimed Newcastle manager Graeme Souness should be sacked after branding his former boss "childish". The French winger recently ended his controversial spell in the North-East by joining Portsmouth. The 30-year-old fell out with Souness soon after the Scot took over at St James' Park last season and criticism of his team-mates and coaching staff spelled the end of his time at Newcastle. Robert told The Sun: "Souness put kids in the team and left me on the bench to annoy me. He's just a child. "We would have won the Uefa Cup last season if Souness had possessed the intelligence. "If he keeps going like he has been he'll quite simply get fired. And he'll deserve it."

Bellamy Set For Souness Snub Mon 27 Jun, 4:09 PM Newcastle boss Graeme Souness has no intention of performing a U-turn over controversial striker Craig Bellamy. ADVERTISEMENT The 25-year-old Welsh international has vowed to turn up for pre-season training on Tyneside as ordered next Monday after failing to win a permanent move away from St James' Park following his very public bust-up with Souness. Bellamy, who has spent the last six months on loan at Celtic, has even declared himself ready to train with the club's juniors if so instructed, and there is a chance that will be his fate. Chairman Freddy Shepherd insists the decision over whether the £6million striker can ever play for the club again rests with the manager. Souness promised in the wake of his relationship breakdown with the Welshman that Bellamy would never play for him again. Privately his stance has not shifted, ahead of Bellamy's imminent return. It could add up to an interesting Monday morning at the club's Benton training ground, with Portuguese international Hugo Viana also due back from Sporting Lisbon if no agreement on a permanent deal is reached. Porto and Benfica have dropped out of the race to sign Viana. With less than three weeks before Newcastle embark on their Intertoto Cup campaign, against either Turkish outfit Ankaraspor or Slovakian side Dubnica, Newcastle look to have only skipper Alan Shearer and 21-year-old Michael Chopra to lead their line. Patrick Kluivert's disappointing spell on Tyneside came to an end with his move to Valencia, while Shola Ameobi will miss the opening weeks of the season as he recovers from surgery on a troublesome hip injury. In different circumstances, Bellamy's availability would be a boon, but Souness is sticking to his guns and remains determined to offload the former Coventry and Norwich forward. Celtic stepped up their bid to sign him over the weekend and Everton maintain an interest. Speculation that England midfielder Jermaine Jenas could be used to lure Tottenham's Robbie Keane to Tyneside has been played down, and any cash approach for the 22-year-old - Spurs have been linked with a £6million move for the player - would almost certainly be rebuffed. Souness is hoping to field the former Nottingham Forest starlet, as well as £6.5million signing Scott Parker and Inter Milan's Emre Belozoglu in the same midfield. Emre has met with Souness, but the two clubs are yet to reach agreement on a fee, and the issue of the player's wage demands remain unresolved. "We still hope to do a deal with Emre - we want him and the boy wants to join us," said Souness. "But we have not come to an agreement with him yet. "He is one player on my list. He can play wide left, through the middle or off the front. He is a good player who can play in a number of positions." The Magpies came a step closer to learning the identity of their first Intertoto opponents when Dubnica beat Vasas to secure their passage to the second round. After a scoreless first leg, goals from Peter Kiska and Lukas Tesak set up a trip to Ankaraspor next weekend, with the second leg taking place a week later. The winners will host Newcastle on the weekend of July 16 and 17, with the return leg taking place on Saturday, July 23. Victory for the Magpies would put them into the semi-finals and in with a chance of a place in one of the three finals and qualification for the UEFA Cup.

Robert says Souness deserves sack Portsmouth midfielder Laurent Robert has launched a stinging attack on Graeme Souness, warning his former boss that he is on track to be fired. The Frenchman, who left St James' Park after being relegated to the bench, believes the Magpies would have lifted the 2005 Uefa Cup but for the manager. "We would have won it if Souness had the intelligence to see what was going on," Robert, 30, told The Sun. "If he keeps going like he has, he'll get fired and he'll deserve it." Robert had a series of rows with Souness after being dropped. "He put kids in the team and left me on the bench to annoy me. He's just a child," added Robert. I can see only a lot more pain for the players, the fans and the chairman while he remains manager "He made a personal matter out of our disagreement and, by punishing me, he punished the whole team. "I'm sure Alan Shearer told Souness he had to play me - but nothing happened. "He will get nowhere screaming at players and slamming doors." Robert also revealed that he was not alone in his dissatisfaction, while in the Newcastle dressing room. "Other members of the team aren't happy with him, though they don't have the courage to speak out. But I've never been afraid of anyone," he said. "We finished last season so badly that, towards the end, I just laughed at him. "And I can see only a lot more pain for the players, the fans and the chairman while he remains manager."

Celtic still hope to sign Bellamy Bellamy aims to stay at Newcastle Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell is still hopeful of bringing Craig Bellamy back to the Glasgow club on a year-long loan from Newcastle United. Lawwell told BBC Sport: "Talks are ongoing with Newcastle and the player's representatives and I'm hopeful that a deal can be done." Bellamy was a success at Celtic after joining the Scottish outfit in January. But that deal has run out and the striker's latest pronouncement is that he does not want to leave Newcastle. The Wales international was sent out on loan after a public row with the English club's Scottish manager, Graeme Souness, and that rift has yet to be resolved. Celtic do not appear willing or able to find the cash necessary for a permanent transfer, leaving Aston Villa and Everton in pole position to sign the 25-year-old should he be sold. Bellamy, though, appears unwilling to move to any English club outwith what he views as the top four: Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United or Liverpool

2005/06: Another Gallic big girl's blouse As inevitable as the premature ejection of British players from Wimbledon, here's some newly-minted waffle from Laurent Robert: "We would have won it (the UEFA Cup) if Souness had the intelligence to see what was going on. "If he keeps going like he has, he'll get fired and he'll deserve it." "He put kids in the team and left me on the bench to annoy me. He's just a child. "He made a personal matter out of our disagreement and, by punishing me, he punished the whole team. "I'm sure Alan Shearer told Souness he had to play me - but nothing happened. "He will get nowhere screaming at players and slamming doors." "Other members of the team aren't happy with him, though they don't have the courage to speak out. But I've never been afraid of anyone (except Andy Griffin) "We finished last season so badly that, towards the end, I just laughed at him. "And I can see only a lot more pain for the players, the fans and the chairman while he remains manager." All well and good and not without some merit - but neatly avoiding the fact of the 181 Newcastle games he featured in, 42 of them were under the stewardship of Souness - and in only a handful of those did he look vaguely interested in earning his wedge. And just in case you think you've heard all of this before somewhere.....then you'd be right. Let's return to the heady days of 1997 and the bleatings of another Frenchman, David Ginola, who fell out big style with another Scottish manager - and his assistant, Terry McDermott. "Dalglish doesn't have confidence in me and I don't want to be mucked about,. "We don't have the same conception of soccer. Matt Le Tissier said to me after the Southampton match, 'We can't understand why you're not playing all the time. It's crazy. Have you stolen his wife or something?' "It's very clear that I'm not Dalglish's favourite so I certainly won't stay with Newcastle if they don't want me anymore. "I want to be happy and I'm not going to pout because a bloke doesn't pick me to play. If he doesn't want me I'll leave at the end of the season." "It all depends on how Dalglish sees things, but his views won't change. It's clear that a foreign player shouldn't be on the reserves' bench. It means he is no longer any use to them. "I need to play football. I have withdrawal symptoms. Sitting on the reserves' bench is terrible. I'm on the verge of suffocating." 2005/06: Punters give Souness the slip And speaking of losing ones' shirt - or job, the odds on Graeme Souness becoming the first Premiership manager to relinquish his post next season have dropped from 13/1 a week ago to 5/1 favourite (with William Hill). Heavy betting patterns have been noted in the east end of Glasgow.....

Jenas holds key to revival By Paul Gilder, The Journal Jermaine Jenas has been reassured that he has a pivotal role to play at St James's Park next season after Newcastle warned his suitors that the England midfielder is not for sale. The 22-year-old has emerged as a summer target for Tottenham but, despite reports of a £6m bid being tabled and rejected over the weekend, Freddie Shepherd last night insisted there has been no official contact between the two clubs. The United chairman is adamant that, even if Spurs do firm up the interest revealed by The Journal on Saturday, any approach would fall on deaf ears. "We have not heard from Tottenham and, even if we did, we would tell them that JJ is not for sale," explained Shepherd, of a player whose performances during England's post-season tour of the United States were monitored with interest in Premiership circles. Yet with both his manager and his chairman having told Jenas that his future lies in the North-East, it seems certain that the former Nottingham Forest favourite will report for the start of pre-season training at the club's Darsley Park training base in six days' time. "JJ is a player we all rate very highly - Graeme made him captain last season when Alan (Shearer) was injured and that shows how important he is to us - and he will not be going anywhere," said Shepherd. Jenas is understood to have sought talks with Graeme Souness following Scott Parker's £6.5m acquisition from Chelsea two weeks ago and, although Newcastle's sole summer signing to date will increase the competition in midfield, Jenas has been told that he will be at the heart of United's plans for next term. That Souness is confident of wrapping up a protracted deal for Emre this week means his first-team squad will be oversubscribed with midfielders - with the Turkish international set to join Parker, Jenas, Kieron Dyer, Amdy Faye, Nicky Butt and Lee Bowyer, all of them full internationals, on the payroll. There will have to be cuts in personnel in that department and Butt was last night linked with a move to West Ham. But whilst the Magpies have already shown that they consider Bowyer to be expendable by agreeing to sell him to Birmingham City - the proposed transfer collapsed last week - the club's stance is different in regard to Jenas. Martin Jol is known to be a great admirer of Jenas and sources at White Hart Lane have insisted all summer that the talented midfielder is at the top of the Dutchman's wanted list. But although Tottenham last week accepted a significant cash settlement following Frank Arnesen's controversial defection to Chelsea, it seems from Shepherd's response that United's number seven is beyond their reach. Talks are ongoing with Internazionale in an attempt to finally secure the signing of Emre following last week's positive meeting with Souness in Istanbul. And with the players scheduled to return to work on Tyneside on Monday, Souness will hope for a busy few days on the transfer front, having so far seen all his groundwork deliver just Parker to St James's Park. Having been given an initial indication that Emre would be allowed to depart the San Siro for £4m, United now find themselves in the invidious position of having persuaded the player to join them without striking a firm deal with his club. With a clutch of clubs tracking the 24-year-old - attractive to Souness as a result of his ability to perform on the left-side of midfield - the Serie A outfit are in a strong position as they attempt to extract the maximum possible fee. Shepherd will not be held to ransom but with discussions set to resume this morning, Souness remains confident of success.