Milner rues 'tough' Toon term

04 May 2009 09:19
James Milner feels that his former club Newcastle United have paid the price for the off-the-field uncertainty on Tyneside.[LNB] The Magpies have endured a difficult campaign after ex-boss Kevin Keegan left the side last September and then owner Mike Ashley's position came under scrutiny.[LNB]Keegan's replacement, Joe Kinnear, has since undergone a triple heart bypass operation and current interim coach Alan Shearer has been drafted in.[LNB]Milner, who left St James' Park for Aston Villa last summer, is set to meet Newcastle on the final day of the season but hopes that the relegation-threatened club will have avoided the drop by then.[LNB]The winger said in The Sun: "I've been receiving texts about the last game of the season saying 'what if you score and send Newcastle down?' [LNB]"I'm a Villa player and it could happen so I'd like them to be safe by then. [LNB]Not ideal"Stranger things have happened and, hopefully, Alan Shearer can work his magic and get them out of it. [LNB]"I still know Alan Smith and Steve Harper - and the staff are a great bunch. [LNB]"There's a lot of experience there, it shows though when things happen off the field, it doesn't help. [LNB]"It was the same when I was at Leeds. It's tough to play. People are always asking questions about what happens off the field rather than coming in and concentrating on football. As a player, it's not ideal. [LNB]"Maybe that might be one reason why things aren't happening at Newcastle. There's been a lot of managers in a short space of time. [LNB]"I hope Shearer has the same ability as a boss that he had as a player. I hope he does it for them."[LNB]

Source: SKY_Sports