Source: Daily_Mail
Quantity over quality: Newcastle boss Shearer has his hands full with a squad of 40
Despite having 40 professional players in his squad, Newcastle manager Alan Shearer was last night forced to play winger Damien Duff at full back after Jose Enrique got injured - with no other dedicated left back available to him.
This wanton waste typifies the malaise at St James' Park, where six managers in less than two years have produced a bulging, overpriced and unbalanced squad that looks set for the Championship.
Here, Sportsmail profiles the staggering £77million-worth of misfiring players who, after last night's 0-0 draw with Portsmouth, look set for visits to Blackpool, Plymouth and Doncaster next season...
GOALKEEPERS (4)
Name: Stephen Harper
Position: Goalkeeper
Signed: 1993
Manager signed by: Kevin Keegan
Cost: Nominal fee
Record this season: 12 appearances
Tim Krul
Goalkeeper
July 2006
Glenn Roeder
No fee (youth trainee)
No appearances
Ole Soderberg
Goalkeeper
January 2008
Kevin Keegan
Undisclosed fee
No appearances
Fraser Forster
Goalkeeper
July 2006
Glenn Roeder
No fee (youth trainee)
No appearances
DEFENDERS (13)
Name: Fabricio Coloccini
Position: Central defender
Signed: August 2008
Signed by: Kevin Keegan
Cost: £10.3million
Record this season: 36 appearances, no goals
Claudio Cacapa
Central defender
August 2007
Sam Allardyce
Free transfer
Seven appearances, no goals
Steven Taylor
Central defender/right back
July 2002Bobby Robson
No fee (youth trainee)
26 appearances, three goals
Sebastien Bassong (right)
Central defender
July 2008
Kevin Keegan
£500,000
31 appearances, no goals
Tamas Kadar
Central defender/left back
January 2008
Signed between the tenures of Sam Allardyce and Kevin Keegan
Undisclosed fee
No appearances, no goals
Geremi
Right back/midfielder
July 2007
Sam Allardyce
Free transfer
17 appearances, no goals
Habib Beye (right)
Right back
August 2007
Sam Allardyce
£2million
21 appearances, no goals
Ryan Taylor
Right back
February 2009
Joe Kinnear
Part exchange for Charles N'Zogbia
Nine appearances, no goals
Jose Enrique
Left back
August 2007
Sam Allardyce
£6.5 million
27 appearances, no goals
David Edgar
Central defender
July 2006
Glenn Roeder
No fee (youth trainee)
12 appearances, one goal
Ben Tozer
Central defender
January 2008
Kevin Keegan
£250,000
No appearances, no goals
Callum Morris
Defender
No fee (youth trainee)
No appearances, no goals
Darren Lough
Defender
No fee (youth trainee)
No appearances, no goals
MIDFIELDERS (13)
Name: Nicky Butt (right)
Position: Central midfielder
Signed: July 2004
Signed by: Sir Bobby Robson
Cost: £2.5 million
Record this season: 33 appearances, no goals
Kevin Nolan
Central midfielder
January 2009
Joe Kinnear
£4 million
Seven appearances, no goals
Joey Barton
Central midfielder
June 2007
Sam Allardyce
£5.8 million
Eight appearances, one goal
Danny Guthrie
Central midfielder
July 2008
Kevin Keegan
£2.5 million
24 appearances, two goals
Ignacio Gonzalez
Midfielder
September 2008
Kevin Keegan
On loan from Valencia
Two appearances, no goals
Alan Smith
Central midfielder
August 2007
Sam Allardyce
£6 million
Five appearances, no goals
Mark Doninger
Attacking midfielder
September 2008
Joe Kinnear
No fee (youth trainee)
No appearances, no goals
Jonas Gutierrez
Winger
July 2008
Kevin Keegan
Free transfer
29 appearances, no goals
Damien Duff
Winger
July 2006
Glenn Roeder
£5 million
29 appearances, three goals
Peter Lovenkrands (right)
Winger / striker
January 2009
Joe Kinnear
Free transfer
Eight appearances, two goals
Kazenga LuaLua (on loan to Doncaster)
Winger
July 2006
Glenn Roeder
No fee (youth trainee)
Four appearances, no goals
Jonny Godsmark
Winger
Youth player (yet to make debut)
No appearances, no goal
James Marwood
Winger
Youth player (yet to make debut)
No appearances, no goals
TRIKERS (10)
Name: Michael Owen
Position: Striker
Signed: August 2005
Signed by: Graeme Souness
Cost: £16 million
Record this season: 29 appearances, 10 goals
Obafemi Martins
Striker
August 2006
Glenn Roeder
£10 million
21 appearances, seven goals
Mark Viduka
Striker
June 2007
Sam Allardyce
Free transfer
Eight appearances, no goals
Xisco
Striker
September 2008
Kevin Keegan
£5.7 million
Seven appearances, one goal
Shola Ameobi (right)
StrikerAugust 2000
Sir Bobby Robson
No fee (youth trainee)
21 appearances, four goals
Andrew Carroll (right)
Striker
July 2006
Glenn Roeder
No fee (youth trainee)
14 appearances, three goals
Frank Wiafe Danquah
Striker
September 2008
Kevin Keegan
No fee (youth trainee)
No appearances, no goals
Wesley Ngo Baheng
Striker
January 2008
Kevin Keegan
Undisclosed fee
No appearances, no goals
Ryan Donaldson
Striker
September 2008
Kevin Keegan
No fee (youth trainee)
No appearances, no goals
Nile Ranger
Striker
September 2008
Kevin Keegan
No fee (youth trainee)
No appearances, no goals