The end for Steve Harper and Peter Lovenkrands?

Posted on November 2nd, 2011 | 18 Comments |

Steve Harper and Peter Lovenkrands: Looking for a way oot.
Harper and Lovenkrands: Looking for a way oot.
In the last week, both Steve Harper and Peter Lovenkrands have made very strong suggestions that their days at Newcastle United are numbered.

Firstly, speaking in an interview with Brighton and Hove Albion’s website and also in the club’s match programme, currently on loan ‘keeper, Steve Harper, has once again become weary of his peripheral role at Newcastle United. The goalkeeper said that now he was a bit more settled in at Brighton, he would definitely be open to extending his trip to the seaside further, also adding that he wished he had “moved on” ten years earlier.

Harper, who joined the club from the mighty Seaham Red Star back in 1903, and was a close personal friend of the Magpies’ legendary Edwardian centre forward, Albert Shepherd, said on extending his current one month loan from the current deadline of the 20th November:

“I’m certainly open to that, definitely, but the focus this week is Tuesday and Sunday and hopefully getting four or six points.

“Then Sunday night I’ll speak to the manager and my wife and see how she is getting on with the kids and we’ll take it from there!”

Harper, who has of course spent years on the sidelines, with ex-keepers, Pavel Srníček, Shaka Hislop and then Shay Given occupying the number 1 jersey most times, then expressed his regrets on not making a move ten years ago. He could possibly be referring to the time in 2002 when he actually handed in a transfer request but eventually stayed. Harper said on this:

“If I could have spoke to myself ten years ago I think I’d have moved on then.

“I hadn’t played a competitive game for about six months before coming to Brighton so it was nice to blow the cobwebs out.

“I didn’t want to do nothing for the last years of my career. I could be here until January, the longer the better.”

Speaking on settling down on the South Coast he also commented:

“I feel a lot better after having a few days down here. Last week was a bit of a whirlwind but now I’ve spent four days in and around the lads I feel a lot happier, and more settled.

“Brighton is certainly different. I’ve had a lot of managers at Newcastle who all like to play in different areas of the pitch, but the way Brighton play is a breath of fresh air.”

After a brief spell under Ruud Gullit as the number one choice, he once again found himself on the sidelines on Gullit’s departure, a few injuries to Shay Given excepted. Then, when he finally found himself as first choice once more on given’s departure to moneybags Man City, he himself succumbed to injury in the last pre-saeason only to have his place usurped once more, this time by ambitious young Flying Dutchman, Tim Krul, on the back of a string of successive performances. In a further humiliation, he then found himself as number three after current manager Alan Pardew and new goalkeeping coach Andy Woodman brought in an old friend from their Charlton “Dream Team” days, Rob Elliot, as stand in for Krul.

Meanwhile, reserve striker / winger, Peter Lovenkrands, who played an important role in Newcastle’s Championship promotion campaign in the 2009/10 season when he scored 16 goals in all competitions, has also strongly suggested that he wants out of the club due to a lack of first team action. He told Danish TV channel, TV2, about how his agent is currently trying to find him a new club. The Great Dane said on this:

“I’ve talked to the coach (Alan Pardew) and he would like to extend my contract, but I cannot wait for that.

“In January, I can talk to whoever I want, so my agent is working to find me another club.”

Refusing to rule out a move in the January trnsfer window, he then added somewhat cagily:

“There are lots of things I’d like, but I’m keeping my cards close to my chest.”

“There have been talks with the club about an extension, but it’s not something that happens before January or next summer, so right now we’re looking for other options.”

To borrow the title of a famous film, Mike Ashley’s and Alan Pardew’s Newcastle United is “No country for old men”, with the emphasis being on young, usually foreign livestock who can be displayed in the Premiership shop window, then sent to market when the price is right. Hence, it’s probably wise for the two players to make a move sooner rather than later, with current club captain, Fabricio Coloccini possibly being the next cab off the rank if the club do not acceed to the player’s wage demands.

Time will tell on that one.

NUFCBlog Author: workyticket workyticket has written 1093 articles on this blog.

Related Posts:


18 Responses

  1. Eeek!
    Has Mr. Hellraiser sliced Peter’s fyace off & presented it for his close-up, 2D style?

    :)

  2. Gutted for Harper!

    Always thought he was a great ‘keeper & he’s never let us down.
    TSK!

    Lovenkrands, again, he’s done a good job for us, scored some great, match winning goals.
    But obviously at this point in their careers it’s normal that they wanna be playing regular football before they hang up their boots.
    Would love to see Harper back as a ‘keeper coach in the future too.

    All the very best to both of them.

    Thanx Lads!

  3. Think I’d rather have Harps than Elliot, but I can understand his situation. McLovin’ as well. not keen on the idea of letting strikers go until we have another one in. But then, I don’t run the club.

  4. Would be sorry to see Colocinni go, as he is playing so well, but eighty grand a week is not exactly cheap, plus his agent naturally will ask for more and refuse to except less, unless it includes a four year deal perhaps.
    After all this will probably his final contract and he will be looking for a good one.

    As for Harper and Lovenkrands, they too will be trying to maximize their final years in the game, but obviously Krul is the choice goalie here and doubt if Loven. will get any starts, they will be looking elsewhere.
    Hopefully, Smith is also on his way if they can get rid of him, pretty soon we will be rid of the deadwood, which of course raises the question, can we then hang on to the guys that got us to third place ?

  5. WT you need to resize that picture of the Great Dane he looks as though he’s been pasted onto a large balloon :)

  6. The picture is perfectlly sized, I’ve met the man, it’s a very good likeness.
    Harper found it hard to get back into the team after the war IMO!
    Good luck to them both whatever happens, they’ve both been good servants to the club.

  7. Collo was a giant on Monday and has been all season, he’s one player that Mike should pay over the odds to keep. He wouldn enhance the Barca team, never mind any lesser ones.

    Feel sorry for Harps, I said years ago he should have left us and would probably have played for England had he done so, if he’d had regular first team football.

    Lover has always struggled for 1st team football and his chances are diminishing even more so now. Been a good squad player though and I hope he gets a good move.

  8. Grumpy Old-Toon says:
    November 2, 2011 at 7:20 pm

    “Collo was a giant on Monday and has been all season, he’s one player that Mike should pay over the odds to keep. He wouldn enhance the Barca team, never mind any lesser ones.”

    Grumpy, didn’t you know that he and Carlos Puyol are actually clones from a secret experiment to produce the perfect central defensive captain with a lovely 70s perm?

    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fmTMUaMR2zY/TgqlwC7Wo7I/AAAAAAAAHgk/PBfOtLPOtjI/s400/Carlos%2BPuyol%2BWallpapers%2B%25284%2529.jpg

    Well now you know. ;-)

  9. please please dont let colocinni go,he is probably in the top 2 defenders in the premier league at the moment ,it would be suicide to sell him.he is looking like an old fashioned “nut and boot” english center half !!!!!!!!

  10. zippie, he’s getting old and won’t be playing at his current level for much longer. Sell him in the summer (£12 million is not to be sniffed at) and buy a quality younger centre back to replace him.

    If we hang onto him for longer than that we won’t get much for him and it’ll make it a lot more difficult to find a quality replacement.

  11. Marveauxless says:
    November 3, 2011 at 12:01 am

    “zippie, he’s getting old and won’t be playing at his current level for much longer. Sell him in the summer (£12 million is not to be sniffed at) and buy a quality younger centre back to replace him.”

    zippie, with his contract situation and other factors we’d be very lucky to get anything like that. I’m saying it’s impoosible but if we did it would be like Carroll. Do you remember what people were saying we’d get for Enrique, and then what we did actually get in the end? He has a good few years in him yet though so long as he doesn’t get injured and looks after himself.

  12. Collo going sould b out the question, we wont gt no1 the quaility of him at present he best defender in league, big thanks to harps n lover for there time bt time t move on for both of them i rekon. Thanks n good luck lads.

    HWTL