Newcastle United Football Club News

• Nickname:Magpies
• Founded:1881
• Manager:Alan Pardew

• Ground:St James' Park
• Capacity:52,193

Sam calls for experience

21 Jun 2007 - 08:43:50

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Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce is looking to add some experience to his defence in a bid to sure up the Magpies next season.

Allardyce expects Steven Taylor to be a cornerstone in his backline next year, but wants to pair the England Under-21 international with a more experienced centre-half colleague.

The new Magpies boss has already allowed Craig Moore and Titus Bramble to leave St James' Park on free transfers since he replaced Glenn Roeder last month.

Oguchi Onyewu was released following the end of his loan contract, while Celestine Babayaro is also poised to leave after being told he is surplus to requirements.

"I don't want to put too much pressure on Steven Taylor because he has been labelled a hero or saviour by the fans because of his passion for Newcastle United and the commitment in his play," he told the club's official website.

"But he is still a raw defender with huge potential and great promise and, while he is not quite there yet, he is still a great asset to this football club.

"I am looking to bring in central defenders with experience to play alongside Taylor and help him improve.

"It's not for him to be the main man, but we need to bring someone in to talk to him and bring him on and knock one or two rough edges off."