No Boro move for Smith

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has confirmed that he will not be making a move for Newcastle striker Alan Smith.

Smith was a target for Boro last summer when he was allowed to leave Manchester United but he opted for Tyneside ahead of Teesside.

And now Southgate says he will not be going back - mainly because he sees Smith as a striker.

"My view of Alan Smith is he's a striker and the situation at our club is I'm quite happy with the four strikers that we've got," he said.

"I would not foresee us bringing in another striker this summer."

Source: Sky Sports

FA Premiership Table

Final Standings
Premiership Champions 2007-2008 - Manchester United

POS	TEAM	P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1	Manchester United	38	27	6	5	58	87
2	Chelsea	38	25	10	3	39	85
3	Arsenal	38	24	11	3	43	83
4	Liverpool	38	21	13	4	39	76
5	Everton	38	19	8	11	22	65
6	Aston Villa	38	16	12	10	20	60
7	Blackburn Rovers	38	15	13	10	2	58
8	Portsmouth	38	16	9	13	8	57
9	Manchester City	38	15	10	13	-8	55
10	West Ham United	38	13	10	15	-8	49
11	Tottenham Hotspur	38	11	13	14	5	46
12	Newcastle United	38	11	10	17	-20	43
13	Middlesbrough	38	10	12	16	-10	42
14	Wigan Athletic	38	10	10	18	-17	40
15	Sunderland	38	11	6	21	-23	39
16	Bolton Wanderers	38	9	10	19	-18	37
17	Fulham	38	8	12	18	-22	36
18	Reading	38	10	6	22	-25	36
19	Birmingham City	38	8	11	19	-16	35
20	Derby County	38	1	8	29	-69	11
Table standings correct as of 14 May 2008

Smith 'happy' at Newcastle

Alan Smith’s agent insists the striker is not looking for a move away from Newcastle, despite speculation suggesting Middlesbrough are preparing to launch a fresh bid to sign the player this summer.

A £6 million signing from Manchester United last summer, Smith, like many of his Magpies team-mates, has had a disappointing campaign for the North East club.

Though often deployed in midfield, Smith failed to score in 34 appearances for his club this season.

Middlesbrough could offer the former Leeds star an escape route were he in need of one.

"That's the first I've heard of it," Alex Black told setantasports.com of reported interest from Middlesbrough.

Boro were interested in signing Smith last summer before he opted for a move to rivals Newcastle but Black believes Boro's interest, old or new, is a moot point.

"There were a lot of clubs interested in Alan but whether clubs are or aren't interested in Alan it doesn't matter. Alan is happy where he is."

What role Smith has at St James' Park under Kevin Keegan remains a private matter.

"Talk of his future is between Alan and Kevin," added Black.

"What Alan's looking forward to now is a good break and coming back fresh next season.

"Alan's not looking for a move and he's happy to stay at Newcastle."

Source: Setanta Sports

Match Report: Everton 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd

Everton 3 - 1 Newcastle United
Barclays Premiership


Everton: Howard, Neville, Yobo (Baines 85), Jagielka, Lescott, Pienaar, Fernandes, Carsley (Rodwell 90), Osman, Yakubu, Anichebe (Gravesen 85).
Subs Not Used: Wessels, Gosling.

Goals: Yakubu 28, Lescott 70, Yakubu 82 pen.

Newcastle: Harper, Beye, Faye (Cacapa 46), Taylor (Ramage 90), Jose Enrique (LuaLua 79), Smith , Butt, N'Zogbia, Owen, Carroll, Duff .
Subs Not Used: Forster, Tozer.

Booked: Duff, Smith.
Goals: Owen 47 pen.

Attendance: 39,592

Referee: Peter Walton

Read the full match report on the BBCi website

Smith wants chance to prove his worth

Newcastle United’s Mr Versatility Alan Smith is banking on a return to Kevin Keegan’s starting line-up for the first time in two months at Goodison Park tomorrow – against the club that tried to sign him last summer.

And Smith has two chances against Everton with his former Leeds United striking partner Mark Viduka ruled out through injury and midfielder Joey Barton unable to travel to his native Merseyside because of his bail conditions in relation to his two assault charges.

However, despite his versatility, Keegan has always seen Smith as a striker, and if the England international does get the nod that’s where he hopes he will be playing, even though he will face competition from young James Carroll.

Smith has yet to score in a black-and-white shirt and you have to go back to November 2005 for his last goal in the Premier League.

Last summer Everton boss David Moyes tried hard to land Smith, then a Manchester United player, but the 27-year-old opted for St James’s Park instead.

Smith has had a tough first season with United and has had to wait patiently for opportunities since he was dropped after defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in early February, with Keegan refusing to change a winning team apart from when he had to through Steven Taylor’s illness and Abdoulaye Faye’s injury.

Looking at the situation tomorrow with Viduka and Barton out, Keegan said: “Every time a player gets injured, it’s a blow.

“All managers are the same. You have a board in your room, and you move that player where it says injured, and you look at what you have left. You say ‘Right – it’s an opportunity for this guy’. That’s the easy part. The hardest part is for the guy to grab that opportunity.

“There will be opportunities for one or two players this weekend at Everton, but that doesn’t mean to say it will weaken the side. It may be, by doing this at this time, that we strengthen it.”

Keegan will also be without Emre, who has joined up with his Turkey team-mates for a pre-Euro 2008 training camp while James Milner is still short on fitness and will not be involved.

Source: Chronicle

Match Report: Newcastle Utd 0 - 2 Chelsea

Newcastle United 0 - 2 Chelsea
Barclays Premiership


Newcastle: Harper, Beye, Taylor, Faye , Jose Enrique (N'Zogbia 77), Geremi (Duff 71), Butt, Barton, Viduka (Smith 46), Owen, Martins.
Subs Not Used: Forster, Cacapa.

Booked: Faye, Jose Enrique.

Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, Terry , Carvalho (Alex 79), Bridge, Essien, Obi, Ballack, Anelka (Lampard 66), Drogba (Shevchenko 86), Malouda .
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Joe Cole.

Booked: Terry, Malouda.
Goals: Ballack 61, Malouda 82.

Attendance: 52,305

Referee: Steve Bennett

Read the full match report on the BBCi website

Smith Rangers talk rejected

Alan Smith's agent has rejected reports linking the Newcastle man with a move to Rangers.

Recent reports have suggested Rangers are lining up a swoop for England international Smith in the summer.

Rumours over a possible switch to Ibrox for Smith intensified over the weekend after the former Leeds and Manchester United star was spotted at at the Old Firm derby.

Smith's representative Alex Black has played down the rumours and says the player is happy at St James' Park.

Happy
"Alan has no intention of leaving Newcastle, he is happy at the club," Black told skysports.com

"All this Rangers talk has come about because he was at a couple of their games.

"It was just a coincidence as Alan got tickets for the Old Firm game and he went with a few friends to experience a Rangers v Celtic game as he is a football fan.

"Alan is not thinking about anything else but coming back fresh for next season and helping Newcastle to success."

Source: Sky Sports