Geordie Boot Boys

Thomas Frank has named three Tottenham Hotspur players who will not feature against Newcastle United this week.

Newcastle United face Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, as Eddie Howe’s side continue their defence of the trophy they won at Wembley back in March. The Magpies are eager for more success, and the same goes for Spurs after their Europa League triumph.

That is why this is such a big game at St James’ Park, with Howe expected to rotate his Newcastle United side.

Thomas Frank will do the same, and he has no fresh injury problems to worry about ahead of facing the Carabao Cup holders at St James’ Park.

Cristian Romero ruled out of Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur

“No, all good from the guys that played yesterday,” he told Spurs’ official website.

The Spurs boss also provided positive updates on Dominic Solanke, Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie. However, none of them will be fit enough to return to action against Newcastle United.

Frank added: “Dom [Solanke] stepped forward, step by step. Cuti [Romero] on the pitch today, not a timeframe. Destiny [Udogie] on the pitch as well today. Three steps forward.”

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While that trio will not be involved at St James’ Park, Frank still has enough options to rotate his side. During his pre-match press conference, he confirmed he would be doing exactly that amid the gruelling run of fixtures.

“Of course there’ll be rotation, playing every third or fourth day,” Frank said.

“If you want to compete over 60 games, you can’t play the same XI. So there’s a fine balance. That’s one of the beauties of being head coach, that’s all part of the good fun.”

Newcastle United return to action on Wednesday night as Eddie Howe welcomes Tottenham Hotspur to St James’ Park.

Eddie Howe’s attention turns to the Carabao Cup this week.

Newcastle United beat Fulham 2-1 on Saturday afternoon, with Bruno Guimaraes bagging a late winner.

The Magpies were not in full flow against Fulham, but still managed to grab the win with Bruno’s finish.

After Champions League and Premier League wins, Howe is now looking for a victory in the Carabao Cup.

Three Newcastle United players who need to start against Tottenham Hotspur

Newcastle host Tottenham in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup as Howe looks to retain the trophy.

The Magpies boss will be considering changes as Spurs make the long trip to the North East, with some rotation required.

Summer signing Aaron Ramsdale is certainly one man who needs a start.

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The goalkeeper has played just once this season, and that came in last month’s Carabao Cup win over Bradford City.

Nick Pope is playing well, but you never know when you will need your backup goalkeeper to step up.

Ramsdale has impressed Howe in training, but he needs the minutes on Wednesday night just to gain some sharpness.

Injuries to Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall mean Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn have taken on major workloads of late.

That means Emil Krafth may need to come in for an appearance, firstly to hand Trippier and Burn a well-earned rest.

A secondary aspect here is that Krafth may yet be needed for first-team action if any more injuries emerge.

The Swede also started against Bradford, and while it’s a big step up to face Spurs, he needs the chance to play.

Our final pick goes to Anthony Elanga, whose Newcastle career has yet to truly take off.

The winger came off the bench against Fulham and had a hand in Bruno’s winner, pinching possession back to spark a counter-attack.

Elanga needs minutes to prove himself, and Wednesday should offer the perfect opportunity to build up some momentum.

William Osula start looks likely

We didn’t include forward William Osula here, simply because he looks likely to start up top.

Howe praised Osula after Saturday’s win over Fulham, as he came off the bench to make a huge impact.

Bruno’s late winner came as he followed up Osula’s shot to score, after the Dane showed off his speed to hurt Fulham.

Osula scored twice against Bradford in the last round, so he should receive another chance to start against Tottenham this week.

Spurs will pose a real threat, but with key players taking on major minutes in recent weeks, Howe will surely rotate before facing West Ham United.

Jose Mourinho will attempt to strengthen his record against Newcastle United tonight.

The Special One is in town, as Newcastle United take on Benfica in the Champions League.

It is set to be another exciting European night inside St James’ Park, with Jose Mourinho back at a club he holds dearly because of Sir Bobby Robson.

During his managerial career, Mourinho has faced Newcastle United with Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, and now he arrives with Benfica after taking over the Portuguese club in September.

Jose Mourinho has won more than half of his games against Newcastle United

Since his first meeting with the Magpies in December 2004, Mourinho has managed a team against Newcastle United on 21 occasions.

He has usually been victorious over those 21 games, with the 62-year-old winning 11 of his 21 games versus Newcastle.

Across the other 10 games, Mourinho has overseen five draws and five defeats.

While Mourinho’s overall record against Newcastle is strong, it is a different story when you only focus on the games at St James’ Park.

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Away from home, he has won just three games out of 12 at St James’ Park. His most recent victory on Tyneside was with Tottenham Hotspur in 2020. Interestingly, that is his only Premier League win away at Newcastle.

He has won 25% of his games at St James’ Park, while he has won 52% of his games against Newcastle United in total.

Eddie Howe will hope that record gets worse on Tuesday night in the Champions League.

Jose Mourinho loves visiting St James’ Park despite his poor record

Given the quality of sides that Mourinho has managed against Newcastle United, it is quite surprising that his record at St James’ Park is as poor as it is.

Despite his stuttering form on Tyneside, Mourinho admitted during his pre-match press conference that he absolutely loves St James’ Park and has briefed his players to expect an incredible atmosphere from the Toon Army.

“Today they [Newcastle United] are a team that is very close to bigger things, bigger things that these people here deserve,” he said.

“It’s a completely different area from London, the culture of Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, the biggest teams in London, it’s completely different from the culture, from the society in this area. I love playing here.

“I told the players in the conversation I had with them yesterday that even as an opponent, that even as an opponent, it’s beautiful to play here. It’s fantastic to play here. You will see tomorrow that the atmosphere is extraordinary.

We have to cope with that emotion. We have to cope with it. We have to be strong enough to cope with it.”

Former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley is not going to join one of the Magpies’ rivals despite interest in Tottenham Hotspur.

More than a year after her Newcastle United departure, Amanda Staveley has been plotting a route back into the Premier League.

It has been reported over recent months that Staveley wants to buy Tottenham Hotspur, and that interest went public on Sunday.

Days after Daniel Levy’s shock departure, Spurs announced they had turned down takeover interest from two consortiums, one of which included Staveley.

Staveley has confirmed there will be no takeover bid, with Tottenham Hotspur deemed not for sale.

Simon Jordan says ‘fair play’ to Amanda Staveley

Whether or not Staveley will go back in for Tottenham Hotspur in the future remains to be seen. She would not be defeated when it came to the Newcastle United takeover, attempting to buy the club from Mike Ashley for years.

Staveley was heavily criticised throughout the takeover saga, with TalkSPORT’s Simon Jordan often taking aim at the eventual Toon director.

However, Jordan has now delivered a fresh verdict on Staveley on TalkSPORT, praising her for the deal she was eventually able to do at St James’ Park alongside PIF and the Reuben brothers.

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“It depends who is going to write a cheque,” he said when asked about Tottenham being sold.

“Amanda Staveley is a hustler. She will get in the middle of a deal and create an outcome. Fair play to her, she created a deal at Newcastle and got paid well out of it.

“If she can create another opportunity here then she’ll do the same.”

What happened to Amanda Staveley’s Newcastle United shares?

When the Newcastle United takeover went through in October 2021, Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners owned 10% of the club.

Following completion of the deal, Staveley was named on Newcastle United’s board of directors. She was the public face of the new ownership, becoming even more popular on Tyneside and within the club.

During her reign as director, Staveley’s shares in the club decreased. They went from 10% to 6%, and by July 2024 she had sold her entire stake in Newcastle United.

Staveley left Newcastle in 2024, with her shares split between PIF and the Reubens.

Former Newcastle United owner Amanda Staveley is set to release a statement quashing her reported interest in buying Tottenham Hotspur.

Speculation over what the 52-year-old has planned after leaving the Magpies has made the rounds over the last 12 months, but very little movement has actually been made.

Amanda Staveley announced her departure from Newcastle United in 2024 alongside her husband, Mehrdad Ghodoussi, following a turbulent PSR deadline, which almost saw them handed a points deduction.

Despite reports, Staveley remains good friends with Newcastle’s ownership group, having been seen with Jamie Reuben in London a couple of weeks ago.

Just a couple of months after leaving Newcastle, reports emerged suggesting that Staveley wanted to buy Tottenham Hotspur from the Lewis family. However, Staveley is now set to comment on those rumours publicly.

Former Newcastle owner Amanda Staveley does not want to buy Tottenham Hotspur

Staveley attended Newcastle’s Carabao Cup final win against Liverpool in March, a sign she still cares about her former club and the fans very dearly.

However, it has been confirmed that Staveley was looking for prospective backers of a bid for the club in recent weeks. Following Daniel Levy’s departure as chairman, a source close to the Lewis family has said that the club is not for sale.

Now, according to Sky Sports, Staveley is set to release a statement on Monday saying that she does not intend to take over Tottenham.

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Spurs ownership is reportedly very complex because it is subject to the UK Takeover Code, which is governed by a takeover panel. The only way Staveley can make a formal bid for Spurs is if they are invited to do so by the Lewis family, or if a rival announces their intentions to make an offer for the club.

Any takeover bid for Spurs, a club which has developed significantly off the pitch over the last 15 years, would need to be in excess of £3.5bn for it to be deemed acceptable.

Why Amanda Staveley decided to leave Newcastle United

While on-pitch success has arrived in Staveley’s absence, there is no doubt that she laid the foundations for everything that has come in the last 12 months, and will come in the future.

Fans were understandably gutted when Staveley and Ghodoussi announced their departures. It was like the end of an era on Tyneside. She wanted to be part of the club when they won the Carabao Cup, but it was not to be.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was gutted when Staveley left. The 47-year-old believed he had lost a close ally at the club and was left wondering who he could turn to.

In 2024, Staveley took an interview following her exit to share the truth about her Newcastle departure.

“My preference would have been to stay with Newcastle, but life doesn’t always work out exactly how you want it to,” Staveley told The Athletic.

“Nothing is going to replicate that.

“I fell in love with Newcastle, the club and the people and that can’t change, but I didn’t want to get in Newcastle’s way. It’s got to be about what’s best for Newcastle.

“Mehrdad and I are keen to be hands-on. We’re hard-working people, I love to be very busy and to engage and I love football. Very sadly, we have to move on to other projects and that might involve us taking a stake in another club or buying another club and that’s difficult. But it’s possible.”

Former Premier League goalkeeper Brad Friedel has cited Newcastle United in a discussion about Daniel Levy’s Tottenham Hotspur departure.

The decision to move the 63-year-old out of his position as executive chairman came as a big surprise to many. Daniel Levy has been part of Tottenham Hotspur since 2001, so it was a huge decision to make for their owners.

Tottenham are hoping the change will bring them more wins, both on and off the pitch, and end a remarkable run from Levy, which saw them move into a new stadium, welcome lucrative new partnerships and win a European trophy.

In an interview last month, Levy was critical of PIF at Newcastle United for ‘pumping’ money into the club, whereas they had worked from the ground up to build their empire. While Levy is gone, former Spurs goalkeeper Brad Friedel has stated that he would have never made the one big decision Newcastle decided to make over the summer.

Brad Friedel says Daniel Levy would not have sold Alexander Isak

Alexander Isak’s transfer saga stole the headlines all summer, with the 25-year-old confirming his intentions to leave Newcastle in July.

Newcastle were insistent that Isak would not leave, but realised his position as star striker was untenable, and did not want to risk him going on strike for months. Liverpool signed Isak for £125m, a British record transfer fee.

With Newcastle doubling their money on the Sweden international, the sale has been deemed ‘transformative’ for their PSR position, allowing them to improve their starting XI in January and beyond.

However, Friedel suggests that Levy would not have allowed such a transfer saga to happen at Tottenham.

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“It’s interesting. Every player knew that they didn’t have the power to get moves for instance,” he said on Sky Sports News.

“So, this Isak deal that we saw transpire over the transfer window, he would’ve stayed a Tottenham player.

“He wouldn’t have lost a negotiation like that. I was there for the two transfers of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale, two of the world’s greatest players.

“Daniel got maximum value, and if you notice, he never sold inside England. So you’re not playing against them unless they’re in the Champions League.”

Despite Levy’s comments, he still had some sense of admiration for what is happening on Tyneside. Tottenham wanted to appoint Eddie Howe as head coach following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou, with Toon fans branding the reports as ‘laughable’.

Friedel played for Newcastle in the 1990s under Kevin Keegan, but was unable to get a work permit to make a permanent move before signing for Liverpool in 1997.

Despite what he says and what others believe, Newcastle were right to sell Isak on deadline day. Although the transfer fee was less than what they were hoping for, it still represents significant profit for the club and gives them significant PSR headroom.

Additionally, Isak had completely lost the trust of the Newcastle fans, who were happy to see him go after everything that had gone on through the summer.

Two new strikers have been signed in Isak’s absence, so it is clear they are happy to move on with Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade.

Newcastle United’s summer transfer business is not going to stop after Malick Thiaw, with another deal not far away.

The Magpies are starting to get very busy in the transfer window, with Malick Thiaw joining Newcastle from AC Milan.

The 24-year-old was unveiled as a Newcastle United player on Tuesday night, becoming the third senior signing of the summer.

A fourth might not be far away, with Newcastle close to signing Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa.

Why Aston Villa are selling Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle United

Geordie Boot Boys have spoken to transfer expert Graeme Bailey, who has stated that Newcastle United are looking to sign the midfielder for a fee of around £40million.

“Newcastle have long liked Jacob Ramsey but there was never that chance to move,” he said.

“This summer things have changed. He did have some talks with Villa about staying but it became apparent that change was being considered by Villa and the player himself.

“Eddie Howe is a huge fan and Ramsey offers versatility. He can play across the front three and even as a number 10. They are excited about this kid.

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“But this deal is not done yet, Newcastle whilst excited are not getting ahead of themselves.”

Newcastle United ahead of Premier League rivals to sign Jacob Ramsey

Newcastle United are not the only Premier League club that is interested in signing Ramsey, but it is Eddie Howe’s side who are leading the race.

That is according to Bailey, who has told Geordie Boot Boys that Tottenham Hotspur have not progressed their interest in the 24-year-old.

“He wasn’t interested in West Ham, or even Nottingham Forest,” he added.

“There has been some interest from Tottenham Hotspur, but that has not progressed as of yet and now Newcastle are in prime position to land him.”

Newcastle United have ended their losing streak by drawing 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur in pre-season.

An entertaining first half ended with one goal apiece. Brennan Johnson had looked to pour more misery on the Magpies with his fourth-minute opener, but Eddie Howe’s side fought back and levelled through a wicked Harvey Barnes strike.

Unlike Spurs, Newcastle United didn’t make a single change at the break as Howe aims to put his side through their paces after many were rested against Team K League.

A competitive half, which included many tackles that wouldn’t look out of place in a Premier League encounter, lacked a goal before the pace was derailed by Son Heung-min’s emotional farewell.

No side could find a winner and the game finished level.

Here’s how the players rated in the second half.

Nick Pope – 7

Wasn’t tested until the 72nd minute but got down to it well when he finally was. Made another good save and one strong catch, which was all that was asked of him.

Kieran Trippier – 7

Continued to play exciting passes into space for Murphy to work with and managed to keep his left flank more secure than in the opening half.

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Fabian Schar – 6

A great hooked clearance early on but otherwise Fabian Schar was rarely tested.

Dan Burn – 6

Met his match for strength when he came up against Mathys Tel but a lot more comfortable than in the first half as Newcastle controlled from the off.

Matt Targett – 7

His good display continued into the second half and he nearly got an assist with a dangerous cross into Gordon. Staked a case to be used more next season.

Lewis Miley – 6

A quiet second half after a bright opening 45 but was still tidy on the ball.

Bruno Guimaraes – 7

Took a nasty slip that looked worrying but shook off the knock to put in a typically industrious display. Even as the sitter in midfield, he was always looking to burst through the lines on the ball.

Joelinton – 6.5

Lucky not to be punished for a wayward elbow in the face of Archie Gray but the game became the exact sort of battle the Brazilian thrives in as he put his considerable strength to good use.

Was dispossessed to give Spurs their first opening and little quality on the ball, though.

Jacob Murphy – 8

Even more lively than in the first half, with explosive running into space, dangerous deliveries and continued great link-up play with Trippier.

Scrumptious ball for Gordon to score, but he was flagged offside, and some more great passes as he was the biggest threat for either side.

Anthony Gordon – 7

Only played 16 minutes but was a real danger in the box again. He was unlucky not to score after four minutes and then when he did find the back of the net with a smart finish, he was rightly flagged offside.

A really promising display from him up front.

Harvey Barnes – 6.5

Some more nice touches and threatening moments but didn’t get as many openings or real chances as he did in the first half.

Substitutes

Will Osula – 5

Immediately put himself about with his powerful running and drew a booking for Spurs when he burst past him. A lot of effort but little to show for it.

Tino Livramento – 6

A solid but unspectacular display at left-back before moving back to the right.

Lewis Hall – 6.5

A welcome return to the field for the first time since his season was cut short by injury and, within moments, he was making an important interception on the recovery.

Park Seung-soo – 6

As one Korean legend left the field, potentially one in the making entered to loud cheers for his second appearance in a Newcastle shirt. Put himself about and got one moment when he dazzled with some tricks on the ball.

Mark Gillespie – 6

A rare appearance for the goalkeeper who came on with 10 minutes to go and was alert to any danger.

Anthony Elanga – 6

Didn’t see much of the ball in a brief cameo.

Emil Krafth – 6

Solid.

Travis Hernes – 5

Came on late.

As Newcastle United fans await further news on Alexander Isak’s future, Yoane Wissa appears to be getting closer to a move to Tyneside.

Before it emerged that Alexander Isak wants to leave Newcastle, the club’s focus was to sign a striker who could play alongside and provide cover for him.

After missing out on Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool, the Magpies turned their attention to Yoane Wissa. The 28-year-old is keen to leave Brentford, and looks ideally suited to what Eddie Howe needs.

It was reported on Thursday that Wissa to Newcastle was progressing, and now a further update suggests that the striker really could be Toon bound.

Yoane Wissa only wants to sign for Newcastle United

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has provided more details about Newcastle United’s pursuit of Wissa.

Despite interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest, his only focus is a move to St James’ Park.

“I’m told that one is progressing well,” Downie said.

“There is hope and expectation that it will get done. One bid of £25million has been turned down. They are in talks over a deal for about £35million. Brentford know Newcastle are desperate, which is not helping the situation.

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“However, the player has made it clear he wants to move to Newcastle. He is not interested in Spurs. He is not interested in Nottingham Forest. Newcastle is the club he wants to go to, and the two clubs need to come to some kind of agreement. I am not expecting a number of bids to go in and be rejected. I think they will sit down and come to an agreement.

“I would expect some kind of movement there over the weekend, is what I am hearing. Wissa sounds like he is fairly close.”

Yoane Wissa is immediately endearing himself to the Newcastle United faithful

At a time when Isak wants to leave Newcastle during a summer in which the Magpies have missed out on multiple key targets, it is refreshing to hear that a player actually wants to move to St James’ Park.

That will delight the Toon Army, as they want to watch players who are totally committed to the cause on Tyneside. They want to watch players who want to don the famous black and white stripes and represent the region.

That is Wissa’s stance, despite also attracting interest from Spurs and Nottingham Forest.

In truth, his stance regarding Spurs is surprising. A move there would allow him to stay in London and give him the chance to play under Thomas Frank again.

Either Spurs’ interest is not actually that strong, or Wissa wants a fresh challenge. Either way, he could soon get that at Newcastle United.

Newcastle United are hoping to beat Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Yoane Wissa.

It has been reported that Wissa is open to joining Newcastle, while a move to Tottenham Hotspur has to be appealing too. After all, it would reunite him with Thomas Frank and allow him to continue living in London.

That puts Newcastle United under a bit of pressure, but Eddie Howe will be hopeful of tempting the 28-year-old to St James’ Park.

Kevin Nolan has predicted Wissa will join Newcastle, as the Magpies attempt to finally strike a deal for a striker after missing out on Hugo Ekitike, Liam Delap and Joao Pedro.

Newcastle United ahead of Spurs in Yoane Wissa race

Fans will be fearful that the Wissa pursuit has the same outcome, but it is actually Newcastle United who are the frontrunners to secure his signature at this moment in time.

That is according to the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, who has told the Last Word On Spurs YouTube channel that the Magpies are ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Wissa.

“From what I am hearing, Newcastle are a bit further down the line in terms of firming up their interest in him,” he said.

“But that asking price that Brentford want will be difficult for most clubs.

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“Difficult for the player as well, because his head is all over the place from what I read from one of my colleagues at the Telegraph, Sam Dean, was saying he’s not doing pre-season camp in Portugal with Brentford because of the unsettling nature of the speculation around his future.

“I’m sure that will rumble on for the next few weeks.”

How much Newcastle United must pay for Yoane Wissa

While Newcastle have done a bit more work towards a deal, a fee has not been agreed. An offer of £25million was turned down, while Geordie Boot Boys understand that Newcastle United have been preparing a £30million bid.

Even that might not be enough to satisfy Brentford’s demands.

According to the Telegraph, Brentford want at least £40million for Wissa, who is in the final year of his contract at the Gtech Community Stadium.

However, the Bees do have the option to add another year onto his deal, so his contract effectively runs until 2027.