Jonas Gutierrez

Jonas Gutierrez has insisted he is happy at Newcastle and says the future can be bright for the club on ssn.So thats another player to say he wants to stay,I still would like to see him out on the right when King Arfa comes back.

Newcastle have made it known goalkeeper Fraser Forster WILL return to the Toon after his loan deal at Parkhead.

Fraser Forster: "I will worry about Newcastle when I get back there at the end of the season - that has to be my approach. I'm here until the end of the season and then it will be up to the manager. You can't worry about it in February, can you? "I suppose Newcastle are a bit special in that we've got so many great keepers on the books. That competition is brilliant because it brings out the best in us. Steve Harper is such a top man for the club. "I am intending to come back and see the lads and talk to the manager in the next few weeks."

Campbell content with role

Veteran centre-back enjoying the ups and downs of Tyneside life

Campbell: Limited opportunities

Sol Campbell has indicated that he is happy with his fringe role as he waits to discover if he will earn a new contract at Newcastle.

The former Tottenham and Arsenal centre-back is behind Fabricio Coloccini, Mike Williamson and Steven Taylor in the plans of manager Alan Pardew.

Campbell has also not started a match since the victory over Liverpool in December and he only made an appearance as a substitute against Birmingham last week.

But the 36-year-old, whose one-year deal expires in July, is content to play when called upon asNewcastle aim to make sure they avoid Premier League relegation.

"At the moment I'm fit, I've been okay for a couple of weeks, but I'm happy to help out wherever and whenever I can," Campbell told the Newcastle Journal.

"I'll play when I can and I will support the team in everything. It's not over yet, we've got to keep on going, keep looking forward and keep positive. Once we are safe, we can look at what we can do after that.

Soap opera

"We're eight points clear of the bottom three and it's been a good season up until now if you look at what we were trying to do when I signed, which was make sure we stayed up at the end of this season.

"The boys have played really well and we could have had even more points than we've got.

"There have been a few games where we haven't got what we deserved, where things have not quite gone for us, so it was important that we got a win at Birmingham - and that sets us up nicely for the rest of the season."

This season has seen the usual amount of soap opera at Newcastle as Chris Hughton was ruthlessly sacked in December, while star striker Andy Carroll was sold to Liverpool for £35million in January.

But Campbell said: "I've enjoyed it here. It's been eventful and there have been ups and downs, but it's been good.

"I'm old enough to know you just have to get on with it.

"There are going to be problems and we've had a few changes along the way, but we have dealt with them.

"Everything is in the past. It's all about the league now and making sure we are safe."

Newcastle Attempt To Sign Cisse As Free Agent – This Month

There’s a report out today that Djibril Cisse has said he wants to end his contract with Greek football club, Panathinaikos, after being targeted by racist fans last weekend.

Djibril Cisse - on his way to Newcastle as a free agent?

The player will put in an official complaint to UEFA, after rival fans chanted racist slogans at the former Liverpool, Marseilles and Sunderland player, while he played for Panathinaikos during a recent game against Olympiakos.

People who do that kind of thing are nothing but ignorant -  that’s the only way to describe their antics, and it’s just a pity those fans couldn’t have been arrested and charged after the game.

It appears that the Say No To Racism appeals, which we fully support on this blog, haven’t been too successful over in Greece it would appear, well at least not with this disgraceful behavior, which we had read about last weekend.

The real news for Geordie fans is that Newcastle United are said to be looking to sign the striker as a free agent this month – if  the player can negotiate a way out of his current contract.

There are reports in France that the agents of the 29 year-old prolific goalscorer, are looking to find any legal loopholes that would allow Djibril to cite rights violations, and therefore leave the club immediately.

From what we see of this case, he should be able to make a good case to do just that.

Djibril told the French Daily L’Equipe today:

“This season the atmosphere in the stands has got worse – twice already, I have been the victim of monkey chants and racist insults.’

And talking about the game with Olympiakos last weekend he said:

‘It was the same thing again on Saturday night.” ‘They were shaking around inflatable bananas every time I touched the ball.”

‘This summer I’m leaving, that’s for sure. It’s impossible for me here. I don’t want to play in this league any more.”

If Djibril can get out of his contract,  that would make him a free agent immediately, and any club could sign him up to a new contract, and of course this would be manna from heaven for Newcastle United, who are short of experienced strikers up front, at least  through the end of the season.

The former Marseilles player, who has hit an amazing 48 goals in 75 appearances for Panathinaikos, since in signed for them in June of 2009, has shown he can score goals wherever he goes, and would be welcomed big time on Tyneside.

Newcastle fans don’t care what color or creed the players are who wear the famous black and white shirts – only that they play their hearts out for the Magpies.

We have to hope this can and will happen, and of course Newcastle over the last few years have shown themselves to be very adept at capturing some star players for nothing or close to nothing.

Those include Dan Gosling last summer from Everton on a free transfer, and Mike Williamson for a paltry £1M fee from Portsmouth a year ago.

This is definitely an interesting story, and we have to hope it is true, and that Cisse can get out of his contract in Greece.

For the record Cisse has played for Auxerre, Liverpool, Marseilles, Sunderland on loan (11 goals in 38 games), and Panathinaikos in his career, and in 439 first class club games has scored 208 goals.

And in 40 appearances for France he has hit 13 International goals.

We told you this lad can score the goals.

Barton relishing Toon role

Midfielder happy out on the right

Barton: New-found versatility

Joey Barton insists he does not mind where on the field he plays for Newcastle if it helps the team.

The 28-year-old has enjoyed a successful campaign this season, contributing to the team's main aim of survival following promotion from the Championship.

A controversial figure at times, Barton has been influential in lifting Newcastle to their current ninth position in the league.

A central midfielder by trade, the former England international has been forced to play of out of position by manager Alan Pardew; a fact Barton refuses to complain about.

"That was my greatest worry when (former bossChris Hughton) Chrissy told me I was going to play there against West Ham - how long will I stay here?" he told the Chronicle.

"It is then almost a case of if you go there and play too well everyone will see you as a right-sided midfielder.

"I am just happy to be fit and playing and being able to showcase my talent at a big club like this. I would play left-back, right-back or in goal if I could.

"I am just happy to play in the side, and I feel, at the minute, it is the best formation for us to play as a team."

Position

Despite not hiding his love for the combative central midfield position, a markedly more mature Barton is happy to be utilised in other areas of the pitch, even if it means supporting a lone striker.

"There will be certain games when the gaffer might feel it would be better for me to play in the middle. At Spurs, he felt it was better for me to play off the front man," he added.

"As I say, I am just happy being fit and well, and I am enjoying my football for the first time in a long time. Long may it continue."