With Obafemi Martins (ankle) and Mark Viduka (calf/hamstring) returning to full fitness, Shearer feels their comebacks will also help create more chances for Michael Owen to add to his four Barclays Premier League goals this season. Keegan will have to choose which strikers will play against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

"For the first time this weekend he could have a full squad to pick from with his centre-forwards - Owen, Viduka, Martins, (Alan) Smith, (Shola) Ameobi and the young lad coming through Andy Carroll," said Shearer, Newcastle's record goalscorer.

"The strikers they have would trouble any defence. Mark Viduka has been a miss being injured and hopefully he will be back for Saturday and give them an extra dimension."

Despite scoring two in his last three appearances, Owen has struggled this season and has also lost his place in the England team.

"Michael needs chances," Shearer added. "He needs players and everyone around to create them. At the moment they are not scoring goals and not creating chances which is disappointing but if they get everyone fit you'll see them creating and Owen scoring.

"I speak to him now and again but he doesn't need anyone to tell him what to do. He's been in this position before and he'll be in it again after he's been on a goalscoring run. That is the life of a centre-forward."

Diego Maradona:"Llegar al área y no poder patear al arco es como bailar con tu hermana."

Ronaldo:"Pelé es muy conocido por las tonterías que dice, es gracioso, no hay que hacerle caso. Romario dijo que Pelé es un poeta callado. Yo le he respetado. Pido a Dios que cuando deje el fútbol no quiero ser una persona amargada que comenta y dice tonterías de la actualidad. Quiero ser recordado por lo que he hecho."

Pelé:"Voy a decirles algo aparentemente blasfemo, pero con una lógica. ¿Saben que en cualquier encuesta soy más conocido que Jesucristo?"

Roberto Perfumo:"De pibe, yo era 'morfón', individualista. Mi maestro Duchini un día paró la práctica: '¿Querés jugar solo? Bueno'... Sacó a mis compañeros y me dijo. 'Ahora corré'. Claro, los rivales me hicieron 15 goles y terminé ahogado, boca arriba. Y entendí que jugar para el equipo es la única forma de seguir vivo."

Hugo Gatti :"Maradona es un gordito." (antes de un partido en el que Boca se enfrentaba al Argentinos Juniors de Maradona, el gordito le terminó haciendo cuatro).

Diego Maradona:"Si me muriera y en el cielo se pudiera jugar al fútbol, no me gustaría hacerlo con Pelé."

Nereo Rocco:"Péguenle a todo lo que se mueva, si es la pelota, mejor."

Carlos Bilardo:"La mujer es como un jugador: si no quiere en determinada posición, no hay que insistirle."

Jorge Valdano:"Ganar queremos todos, pero sólo los mediocres no aspiran a la belleza. Es como pretender elegir entre un imbécil bueno o un inteligente malo."

Diego Maradona:"La pelota no se mancha."

Johan Cruyff: “Mis delanteros sólo deben correr 15 metros, a no ser que sean estúpidos o estén durmiendo”.

Néstor Fabri (previo a un Platense - G. Jujuy): “Señora, si su hijo no quiere tomar la sopa, hágale ver este partido”.

Ian Rush (tras su paso por la Juventus): “No pude acostumbrarme a vivir en Italia. Era como vivir en un país extranjero”.

Alfredo Di Stéfano: “Jugamos como nunca y perdimos como siempre”.

Vanderlei Luxemburgo (explicando el sistema de juego del Real Madrid): “El cuadrado mágico nace de los ángulos mágicos”.

Negro Enrique (Argentina – Inglaterra 1986): “Con el pase que le di a Maradona, si no hacía gol era para matarlo”.
(El Negro Enrique fue quien tocó en corto sobre Maradona, en su propio campo, antes de que el Pelusa recorriese 53 metros, regateando a quien se le ponía por delante, para marcar el gol más bonito de la historia).

J.B. Toshack (Tras un Rayo – Real Madrid): “Mis jugadores han corrido hoy por el campo como pollos sin cabeza. Es difícil hacerlo peor”.

Steve Lomas: “Alemania es un equipo muy difícil. Juegan con once internacionales a la vez”.

Thierry Henry: “A veces, en el fútbol, hay que marcar goles”.

Mauro Bellugi (Ex Inter.): “Trapattoni no se discute. Es el mejor de Europa, y puede que de Italia”.

Luis Chavarria: “Estoy contento por mi debut, lo hice bien y por suerte lesioné a Francescolli”.

Vinnie Jones (selección Inglaterra): “Ganar no es lo importante siempre y cuando ganes”.

Bill Shankly (Ex entrenador del Liverpool): “El fútbol no es una cuestión de vida o muerte, es mucho más que eso".

Bill Shankly: "También pasamos malos momentos: un año acabamos segundos".

Romario: “Si no salgo por la noches no marco goles”.

Collymore (Ex Leicester): “He remitido al club una solicitud para ser traspasado. Pero déjenme decir que no quiero dejar el Leicester”.

Bobby Robson (Ex seleccionador de Inglaterra): “No los subestimamos. Simplemente eran mucho mejores de lo que pensábamos”; después del Inglaterra – Camerún del Mundial 86.

R. Atkinson (Ex del Atlético de Madrid): “Voy a dar un pronóstico: puede pasar cualquier cosa”.

Steve McMahon: “Yo pegaría a mi hermano si fuera necesario, eso significa ser un profesional de verdad”.

David Beckham (en su etapa en el Manchester United): “Alex Ferguson es el mejor técnico que he tenido a este nivel. Bueno, realmente es el único entrenador que he tenido a este nivel”.

Jorge D’Alessandro (entrenador): “Ese penalti lo debe tirar al palo corto”.

Hodgson (Ex del Inter): “Estoy confiado. Nunca he perdido en Parma. Nunca he jugado allí”.

Brian Horton (entrenador del Oxford): “Ha sido un partido de dos partes y hemos estado fatal en las dos”.

Brambati (entrenador): “¡Corran en parejas de tres!”.

Fran Clark (ex-entrenador del Nottingham Forest): “Todo lo que podía salir mal ha salido mal. Espero que podamos llegar a casa sin que nos pase nada…”; después de perder 7-0 con el Blackburn Rovers.

Carlos Bilardo (entrenador): “¡Los de colorao, los tuyos son los de colorao!”.

Mark Viduka (jugador del Middlesbrough): “No me importaría perder todos los partidos, siempre y cuando ganemos la liga”.

John Lambie (Ex del Patrick Thistle): Cuando el masajista le comunicó que un delantero que había chocado con un rival no recordaba quién era en ese momento, le respondió: “¡Perfecto! Dile rápido que es Pelé y que vuelva al campo de inmediato”.

Will Hunting - 31.01.08

Ziel der Reise ist es die Zusammenarbeit kroatischer Vereine in Australien herzustellen und damit junge potentielle Spieler nach Zagreb zu holen.

Preview #1 - Oman vs Australia (Group A, Sunday July 8th at Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok)...

In the Asian Cup 07, group A is seen as the 'group of death'. Iraq is a team that on their day, could beat anyone in the tournament. Co-hosts Thailand are going to be absolutely pumped to play at home. Australia is a newcomer to Asian football, but they are the team that went the furthest in last year's World Cup (being beaten in controversial fashion by Italy, the eventual winner). And Oman is seen as one of the rising stars of Asian Football.

So the games beginning on Saturday July 7th between Thailand & Iraq, and Sunday July 8th between Australia & Oman in Thailand will go a long way towards telling us who is going to be the force from group A.

Oman goes into the match as the underdog, but they are not to be taken lightly. They have a dynamic offense - scoring 14 goals in 6 qualifying matches, and their nets are kept by Ali Al Habsi, the first Omani to play in the English Premiership, and one of Asia's top keepers. They have a fast attack, supported by an offensive-minded midfield led by Ahmed Mubarak & Badar Al Maimani.

Australia go into the Asian Cup as overwhelming favourites, and their pace & depth should ensure that they get through the first match victorious. Players like captain Mark Viduka, Harry Kewell and Lucas Neill should ensure that Australia maximize the points. Still, in the hot humidity of Bangkok, anything can happen.

Argentinian Coach Gabriel Calderon had this to say: "It is football. Australia has very many good players, but sometimes surprises happen."

Oman certainly hope so.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Mark Viduka formed part of a lethal partnership with Yakubu this season up front for the Boro.  He had 19 goals in 37 total appearances for the Boro this season, 14 in the league.  The hefty Aussie has also played for Leeds and Celtic and he captained the impressive Socceroos in the 2006 World Cup.

Keeping him was a priority for Gareth Southgate, but all signs point to him departing this summer.  He reportedly rejected a 40k GBP per week offer from the Boro and will look to move on to bigger, and hopefully better, things in the summer.

Viduka is an attractive prospect for clubs.  In a climate where goals are hard to come by, Mark is a clinical finisher.  Age would normally be a concern, he is 31 years old, but since he relies on strength and technical ability over pace, he should be able to weather the aging process better than a more athletic player.  Most importantly, he is available on a free transfer since he is currently out of contract.

The two front runners for his services appear to be Newcastle and Manchester Utd.  Cynical Sam can lure him to Northeast with the prospect of big club money and guranteed 1st team football.  However, though he might not play as much, he would be afforded the opportunity to play in the Champions League and to win medals.

He will also most likely draw interest from other Premier League clubs, West Ham and Spurs (If Man U or Chelsea can pry Berbatov out of their clutches).  He also could interest second-tier Spanish and Italian sides looking to move up into Europe places.

This should be a difficult one to predict, but the opportunity to win titles and play in the Champions League doesn't come around very often, particularly for a player of his age.  If Man U are serious about signing the big lug, the taste of Manchester pies may be too much for him to turn down.