[Toony]

TOON IN CRISIS - ROBERT



Friday September 27 2002




Newcastle winger Laurent Robert claims his club are in crisis and have no chance of qualifying for the second group stage of the Champions League.

Sir Bobby Robson's side are 15th in the Barclaycard Premiership and have lost their first two Champions League matches against Dynamo Kiev and Feyenoord.

Frenchman Robert, a £9.5million signing from Paris Saint Germain in August last year, said: ``We're in a state of crisis. I try to give the team a lift, but I can't do it all by myself.

``We haven't taken a single point from two Champions League games and now we'll have to try to qualify for the UEFA Cup by finishing third in the group.''

Newcastle spent £13.5million in the summer, recruiting Titus Bramble and Hugo Viana, but Robert believes more should have been done to strengthen the squad.

``We still have the same team, but the club ought to have signed players to strengthen the side,'' Robert told a Paris newspaper, according to the Daily Star.

The 27-year-old is concerned his chances of breaking in to the international side are suffering too.

``As far as the French team is concerned, I had a very good season last time but they still didn't talk about me. So Newcastle's current results aren't going to change things much.''





- Bugger !