Quantity over quality: Newcastle boss Shearer has his hands full with a squad of 40

19 May 2009 16:10
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

Source: Daily_Mail