Newcastle Need To Keep Carroll And Taylor

By Luke Edwards on May 3, 10 03:09 PM

There are a couple of contenders for the chant of the year at Newcastle United, although my personal favourite has to be the one about Fabricio Coloccini and the liberties he can take with supporters' wives.

Apparently the Argentinian did not know anything about it until I politely told him during an interview and tried to give him a vaguely censored grasp of the song's lyrics. I've since been told he liked it even more when he learnt exactly what they were singing.

So no longer does Coloccini have the best haircut in English football, he has one of the best chants as well. But I wonder how Andy Carroll and Steven Taylor feel about the latest popular terrace ditty?

As Carroll warmed up on the touchline during the 1-0 win over QPR last Sunday a chant of "He shoots, he scores he breaks your "f****** jaw Andy Carroll, Andy Carroll" burst into life.

The Gateshead lad appeared to wince a little when he heard the song being chanted so audibly for the first time, but his uneasiness might just pale in comparison to Taylor's.

I revealed on Saturday that Taylor will be offered a new deal by Newcastle this summer, as well as Chris Hughton's strong conviction both will still be at St James' Park next season. United's manager seemed to be genuinely confident of this fact and brushed aside concerns about any lingering resentment between them.

I can't say I share it, although I genuinely hope he is right. Whatever the rights or wrongs of what has happened, both are vitally important to Newcastle's chances of staying in the Premier League and building towards an even brighter future.

To lose one of them would be a big blow and would also mean they had to be replaced. Given his age and the length of his existing contract, Carroll will be staying, whatever happens at his forthcoming court hearing for an alleged assault.

But what about Taylor? He is out of contract next summer and has been flirting with the idea of leaving his hometown club for a couple of years.

The Sunday papers seem to constantly be filled with unnamed sources reflecting on Taylor's dissatisfaction at the club and they have to be coming from somewhere.

And then there was that strange tale about Barcelona wanting to buy him, although the men's toilet may well have been the origin of that particular little transfer story!

Taylor's pride may well have been dented and he is bound to have been frustrated by a long term injury, although he has been happy enough with the situation to return to training.