Posted by By RICHARD JIDEAKA, Austria on
Newcastle United manager, Sam Allardyce, admits he's desperate to hold onto star strikers Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins.
Newcastle United manager, Sam Allardyce, admits he's desperate to hold onto star strikers Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins.
Whether his ambitions for the club can persuade Owen to commit future to remain at St James' Park remains to be seen, but that is the new manager's hope.
He said: "At the end of the day, I do not know, I have not spoken to Michael. I can only speculate on the speculation.
"Until I get the chance to speak to him, I do not really know what he is thinking.
"But when I do get the opportunity to talk to him, he will tell me what he is thinking and whatever he is thinking, we will think and react on that. I will speak to Michael on the phone in the near future - and any other player who was not there today - and take it from there.
"For me, the speculation around Michael will be resolved as soon as possible once we get the chance to speak to him."
Asked further about Owen and £10million strike-partner Obafemi Martins, who went AWOL after claiming to be injured ahead of the season's finale at Watford last weekend, Allardyce added: "You would not want to lose your leading goalscorers, would you?
"Certainly from that point of view, they are two fantastic goalscorers who are very much a part of the future for Newcastle."