With yesterday's link with Andres Mendoza being reported elsewhere this morning George Burley is keeping to his silence. After refusing to be drawn on Pablo Couñago the Town boss continues not to comment on any specific players.

Burley said: "Romeo and Simon Hunt have covered a number of games but nothing definite has been agreed as yet. We continue to monitor a lot of players and we are hoping to bring in new players in the next few weeks."

Richard Wright came through his hernia operation OK and has joined Keith Branagan in recuperating. Jim Magilton is also recovering from his varicose veins operation and is therefore not included in the Northern Ireland squad for their upcoming games.

Released winger Sean Friars in once again included in the Northern Ireland U21s.

George Burley has won yet another Manager of the Year award. With the Carling and FourFourTwo awards already on the Burley mantlepiece he now has to find space for the LMA award voted for by the members of the League Managers' Association.

However, not everyone is pleased that he has won the awards. Gerard Houllier seems to think he should have won it and is convinced of bias against foreign managers: "I didn't expect to be Manager of the Year because I'm a foreign coach and I think it is always a little bit more difficult for foreign coaches to be given credit in England."

The man never stops does he?

Town's U17s play the second leg of their FA Premier Academy final at St James' Park this evening (KO 7pm). With a 5-0 lead from the first leg a victory looks well on the cards although Newcastle's youngsters have been known to go on goal rampages of their own.

In their quarter-final they went to table-topping Derby and won 6-1, so the lads should beware.

Squad: Kelly, Beevers, Richards, Bonwick, Chaffey, Westlake, Bloomfield, Ambrose, Bent, Burton, Dickinson, Robinson, Bligh, Okay, Murkin and Bowditch.

Photo: Action Images

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