Powelly's Toon?

The Newcastle Chronicle today confirmed rumours that Newcastle United have been keeping tabs on Paul Powell (Benson & Hedges?). The report states that head coach Mick Wadsworth was at Gigg Lane to watch Powelly in action following the Magpies being “very impressed” with him in the Notts County game. The report also states that Denis Smith said that if Newcastle wanted to buy Powell it would cost them £2 million. Powelly himself said that he would only leave United if a premiership club came in for him, and Smith claimed that it was highly unlikely that anyone would be sold before tomorrow's transfer deadline, despite other rumours linking Mark Watson with Manchester City and Les Robinson with Notts County. The Newcastle Chronicle report also confirmed that Denis Smith's attempt to take striker Paul Robinson on loan were rejected by Newcastle (although it postulated that Robinson might figure in a Newcy bid for Powell) and concluded with the utterly patronising (though possibly accurate) assertion: “But to be fair to Robinson, and with due respect to Oxford he can do better than a team which is in the Second Division relegation zone”. Tossers!

Meanwhile Denis Smith has claimed that he is hopeful of bringing in another Premiership player on loan to increase squad numbers, as United are down to the last fifteen fit professionals.