Bobby on Dyer: "Kieron Dyer is not for sale - at any price. "I tried to sign a top English player but his club would only contemplate a deal if I included Kieron. They had no chance. "I am hoping to talk to Kieron soon about extending his deal to keep him here after I have retired."

On Wadsworth: 

"I'm back from my holidays refreshed, fit and raring to go - and quite able and prepared to take on Mick's work for the first few weeks of the new season. I refuse to rush into signing a replacement. I am not going to panic. I want to consider it carefully and i will make up my mind over the next few weeks. I have not just lost a top-class coach but a friend as well.

"There was a lot of rubbish written about Mick in the local papers last season. Rather than blame me for our dip in form last season, the local media chose to blame Mick -- and that upset him.

"The criticism from the media and a handful of supporters was unfair. Had they ever seen him work? Had they asked the players what they thought of him? Of course not.

"One guy even wrote that he could not handle Premiership stars. Just ask Alan Shearer, Rob Lee or Gary Speed about that. The man had knowledge, ability and authority."

On new signings:

"We have bid for a number of top players already this summer and we are confident of clinching a big name signing in the next couple of days. We had hoped to bring in Boudewijn Zenden from Barcelona but we have been talking to him for six weeks and I have given up.

"If he wanted to come to Newcastle he would have been here by now. We cannot afford to wait. We need a top-quality left footed player and we have one lined up.

"We put our money on the table for Zenden, just as we did for Everton's Francis Jeffers and you cannot do much more than that. The transfer market is going crazy at the moment but I am confident we will have at least one more new player on show when the new season kicks off next month."

On Intertoto participation:

"The Intertoto came out of the blue. The club wanted to take part so I couldn't say no. 

"We are not going to have the best preparation and we will be playing Lokeren without Clarence Acuna, Dyer, Shearer, Lee and Cort. We had a good pre-season programme arranged - a training camp in Sweden, then down to Faro to play Seville and Florence. But we had to scrap it all.

"At least the Intertoto will give us some good, competitive matches and we will have to win without proper preparation. The Intertoto has it's difficulties and complications. It is a tricky situation but we will do the best we can."

On the Premiership: 

We need a bit more luck this season. Of course we will get injuries, illness and suspensions but hopefully not to the degree we have suffered in the last 12 months. All we ask for is a fair crack of the whip, and with so many good players coming back after injury I am sure we will have a good season.

On his own mindset:

As for me, I still love it and I need it. I am more than ready for the challenge and I am determined to win at least one more trophy before I gallop off into the sunset.

  
(interview with Bob Harris)
 
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