What We're Reading
Departed Given Slams Newcastle
- Times, Friday, February 6, 2009 3 PM
"I felt the way they dealt with the whole thing was a bit disgusting," Given said. "The way they dealt with my family and me, I felt they could have made it a little easier to be honest. But that's the way they dealt with it and I'll move on now. I'd like to separate the supporters from the people who are running the club. The fans were absolutely amazing to me, but I just felt that the people who dealt with the whole situation could have been more helpful."
Former Newcastle winger Charles N'Zogbia, although known for serial complaining down the years, was more damning, in particular with respect to manager Joe Kinnear, who in a post-game interview last month referred to the player as 'Insomnia'. "I think the place is fine, but it needs someone who can control the club properly," N'Zogbia said. "Here [at new club Wigan Athletic, manager] Steve Bruce controls everything and that's what you need. If you go to a club and you don't know who's in charge then you really don't know what's going on. He [Kinnear] might talk to some players, but not to everyone. I wasn't really happy at Newcastle. There was no conversation with the manager."
Kinnear dismissed the forward's words. "It's laughable," he said. "He lived in a fantasy world. There was not a day when he didn't add some Mickey Mouse story about a club that wanted him. First of all, he came in and told me Arsenal wanted to buy him, then the next week it was Aston Villa, then the next week, it was Manchester United, then the next week it was Real Madrid, then the next week it was Lyon. There was only one thing I could do -- send him to Wigan."
