Given shows Souey how to be a man

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Unlike some people, Shay Given has made a point of putting the blame for Newcastle’s crap form on the shoulders of the players on the pitch rather than those off it.

“We have got to dig deep,” he stressed. “In an ideal world we would have all our players fit and you would see our real team, but other teams are the same and we have got to get on with it. Other teams have injuries and suspensions.

“If you are waiting for Kieron Dyer you could be waiting all season because he has been injured for so long.”

Too right, moaning about problems that affect all clubs has never really sat well with fans, media, or club chairmen so it’s a wonder why so many Premiership bosses continue to roll out the same old excuses. Newcastle have admitedly had a hard time of it from an injuries perspective but there’s no sympathy for having a whinge about it everytime things don’t go your way.

For Given, a player who has been one of the best keepers in the league for years, the exasperation of not getting anywhere is beginning to show

“Another season of under-achievement? You can’t deny that,” he said.

“We have got to improve because it’s not good enough for a club of this size and stature. We need to get back into Europe, we miss Europe.”