It was certainly an interesting day yesterday, with Alan Pardew's men trying to do a deal to bring Carroll 'home'.
But Liverpool, despite saying they were willing to loan out their England striker, will not do a deal with a Premiership club.
They clarified the situation, saying a loan deal is only for clubs across the North Sea in Europe (with Inter Milan supposed to be interested) ... not for a side that could rob them of Premiership glory.
West Ham tested the water with a £15m bid yesterday afternoon, quickly pushed back in manager Big Sam's face.
But the Reds would be willing to talk if the offers reached £20m or beyond.
Then there is the matter of Carroll's £80,000 per week wages, because the Geordie boy would rather stay at Anfield and fight for his place, rather than take a £30,000 per week drop.
It's all interesting stuff ... and with Carroll yet to join his Liverpool team mates in the States, I'm sure the Reds would like things sorted while he is in the country.
As for him returning to Newcastle, I'm sure the Geordies are NOT their prefered choice, for two reasons:-
1) Losing £15million on the transfer (to the club that sold him) would not only hit them in the pocket ... but make Kenny Dalglish look like a right knacker for paying £35million for him in the first place.
2) The Reds know that Alan Pardew knows how to get the best out of Carroll ... unlike Mr Dalglish. Newcastle finished above the Reds last season - and it would look most likely to happen again with a strike force including Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse and the hairy one.
NEWCASTLE UTD 1 MONACO 0Newcastle United (4-4-2): Steve Harper; Davide Santon, Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Jonas Gutierrez; Romain Amalfitano, Mehdi Abeid, Gael Bigirimana, Sammy Ameobi; Shola Ameobi, Demba BaSubstitutes: Rob Elliot, James Tavernier, Ryan Taylor, James Perch, Dan Gosling, Cheick Tiote, Sylvain Marveaux, Gabriel Obertan, Haris Vuckic
Demba Ba's close range header has gave Newcastle a 1-0 half-time lead over Monaco in their friendly fixture on Monday night.
The Senegal international capitalised on hesitation in the Monaco defence midway through the half, and it was no more than the Magpies deserved, having carved out a number of good opportunities.
Shola Ameobi and Mehdi Abeid both threatened for Alan Pardew's side, but their French opponents went close too, with striker Ibrahima Toure a constant threat.
United should have been ahead inside 45 seconds. When Romain Amalfitano's corner wasn't cleared properly, Davide Santon collected the loose ball, strode forward and slipped it right into the path of Demba Ba.
The front man drove the ball across the danger zone and Shola Ameobi met it with an inventive back-heel, only to see his effort strike the foot of the post and rebound straight into the grateful keeper's arms.
Monaco's first chance arrived in the ninth minute courtesy of striker Toure. The dangerous forward connected with Nabil Dirar's corner from the right but, under pressure, could only volley well over the top.
The Magpies were soon back on the attack and Abeid flashed a left-footed strike from distance well off target, but they almost gifted their French opponents the opener.
Santon, playing at right-back, attempted to head the ball back to Steve Harper, but sold his keeper short, allowing Yannick Ferreira Carrasco to nip in. The left winger lobbed an effort over the on-rushing Harper but it dropped agonisingly inches the wrong side of the upright, much to Newcastle's relief.
Harper was then called upon to make an outstanding stop on 26 minutes, denying Toure from almost point-blank range. He didn't know too much about it, but the veteran's face was what prevented Toure from edging Monaco in front with a fierce shot from Carrasco's delivery.
But it was United who broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute through Ba. Danny Simpson's free-kick to the far post was headed across the face of goal by Mike Williamson, and when Monaco failed to clear their lines, Ba rose highest above keeper Daniel Subasic to nod in from a couple of yards.
With half-time approaching Toure was again Monaco's dangerman, nodding a corner down and wide, but Newcastle reached the break unscathed and could have been further in front, but Subasic denied Shola Ameobi after the big man had been fed by a great ball by brother Sammy.
Pardew made three changes at the break - James Perch went on for Mike Williamson, Haris Vuckic replaced Sammy Ameobi and James Tavernier replaced Mehdi Abeid for tactical changes.
Most of Monaco's best attacks in the first half came down the left and despite the new personnel for United, that was the case again. From a beautiful delivery, Germaine rose above Perch to send a powerful header off the angle of post and bar with Harper beaten for the first time tonight.
On 57mins Newcastle's fourth substitution, Ryan Taylor replaced Davide Santon, with the versatile Merseysider slotting in at right-back.
62mins: Both sides made triple substitutions, with Cheick Tiote, Dan Gosling and Gabriel Obertan on for Gael Bigirimana, Shola Ameobi and Romain Amalfitano from a Magpies perspective.
Jonas Gutierrez took the captain's armband from Ameobi, who started as skipper tonight.
78mins, Sylvain Marveaux came on for Demba Ba.
Good defending from Tavernier then leads to an attack as the youngster played a raking long ball for Obertan to race onto and the Frenchman had all the time in the world to size up a shot as he ran clear of the defence, only for his effort to be blocked. Following up is Gosling, but his goalbound effort is blocked on the line.
Steve Harper made another big save, this time to deny Valentin Eysseric from close range after slack defending from the Magpies.
That proves crucial as the whistle blew seconds later.
TOON FAN COMMENT: Sherwoodmag: "I watched the whole game on espn and it was a decent workout.Monaco are a few weeks ahead of us in terms of their pre-season and passed the ball well at times but although we didn't pull up any trees we looked comfortable.Late on Obertan looked a handfull up front but should have scored.
Vukic needs to work harder,he has the skill but shows no effort."
PRE-SEASON FRIENDLIES:-
MONACO 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Ba)Harper, Santon (Ryan Taylor 57), Simpson, Williamson (Perch 46), Gutierrez, Amalfitano (Obertan 62), Abeid (Tavernier 46), Bigirimana (Tiote 62), Sammy Ameobi (Vuckic 46), Shola Ameobi (Gosling 62), Ba (Marveaux 78). Subs not used: Elliot, Coloccini.
CHEMNITZER 1 NEWCASTLE 0Elliot; Tavernier (Simpson, 70), Williamson, Perch, R Taylor (Santon, 70); Obertan (Gutierrez, 77), Abeid (Bigirimana, 70), Gosling, Amalfitano; Vuckic (Shola Ameobi, 70), Sammy Ameobi (Ba, 77). Sub not used: Harper.
Sat 21.07.2012 Fenerbahce v NUFC (at Stadium Sopron, Hungary - 7.00pm KO)
Fri 27.07.2012 NUFC v Olympiakos (at Algarve Stadium, Portugal - 8.45pm KO)
Sat 28.07.2012 NUFC v SC Braga (at Algarve Stadium, Portugal - 8.45pm KO)
Sat 04.08.2012 ADO Den Haag v NUFC (*an exhibition game) (5.00pm KO)
Sat 11.08.2012 Cardiff City v NUFC (at Cardiff City Stadium, Wales - 3pm KO)
Source: FOOTYMAD
