Newcastle’s Steven Taylor : This club is a joke

They were not the words Steven Taylor envisaged spitting out as his beloved Newcastle United prepare for the new season in the Championship. ‘The club’s a joke,’ he said . ‘And the players haven’t got a clue what is going on.’

Welcome to Newcastle United, summer 2009.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. In May, when he fell to the pitch at Villa Park following relegation and clasped his head, Taylor could somehow see the green shoots of the club’s recovery even through the tears.

When he returned to the sanctuary of the dressing room Alan Shearer would be there and would become the manager to guide them through their troubles.

Twenty-four hours later, after a final debriefing with Shearer, Taylor and those members of the squad who still cared felt even more optimistic about the prospect of a season ahead in the Football League.

The former England Under 21 captain, who had played only a limited role in the club’s final throes in the top flight due to an achilles injury, was encouraged to stand down from European Championship duties.

He was still reluctant, but this was advice from Shearer and his medical guru Paul Ferris and their only concern was a summer of recuperation for the central defender.

‘Everyone thought he would be back in place,’ said Taylor, 23. ‘We thought it might take a couple of weeks but then Alan would be the manager.

‘And that’s why I missed the European Championship. He wanted me right for the start of the season and of course I was happy to do it. I have so much respect for him and whatever he says, you do it.

‘He said he would be back and would do it his way. I guarantee if he was still manager now, all our big players would still be here. The chairman would have had a headache over the wage bill but whatever Alan Shearer wants, you give him. He commands that much respect and he would take us straight back up.

‘I thought Alan would be named as manager and everything would be sorted. Instead the season kicks off and we still haven’t got a manager.’

It is 76 days since Shearer last addressed his troops and although he will be at The Hawthorns on Saturday evening for Newcastle’s game against West Bromwich, it will be back in the television studio rather than in the dressing room.

For that, Taylor is unable to suppress his anger – just as Shearer may struggle to hide his emotions on camera.

Of course he does not name owner Mike Ashley. He is still paying his wages, for now. But Taylor does not need to. He said: ‘The players are very frustrated because all we want to do is have a manager and a bit of stability. That’s all we ask for.

‘The new manager should be given time to do it his way and if he wants something just give it to him. The chairman, if he loves this football club, would do that. I’m devastated Alan Shearer has not got the job. As players, we haven’t a clue what is going on.

‘I’ve read every week that next week Alan is going to be named manager. Then Joe Kinnear is going to get the job, then Kevin Keegan and then Alan Shearer again. I don’t get it. The club is a joke.’

‘It was too boring last season and the place just felt dead,’ said Taylor. ‘Sometimes I never saw any of my team-mates until we played on a Saturday.

‘The players have to do it themselves because nobody else is in the dressing room. We have to help ourselves.

‘When Alan first came he said no-one was playing with a smile on their face. He put a smile back on our faces and the lads were enjoying playing their football and training. It was fun. When it got down to serious work we knuckled down.

‘The lads have had more bonding sessions this summer to try and gel more as a team. There are no big ‘I ams’ now because we are Championship players. You can’t say anything else. Why have that swagger when you are in the Championship?

‘You hear lower-league teams talking about Newcastle and saying they can’t wait to come here. We have got to stop being nicey, nicey and turn our ground back into a fortress. We have to make sure every player that comes here knows every tackle has got our name on it.’
Source : The Daily