By Peter Donnelly
September 27 2002

Laurent Robert has claimed that the Newcastle team are in a crisis and that the club should have bought more heavily in the summer, saying "We have the same team from last year but the club ought to have signed players to strengthen the side." Apparently talking to a newpaper from Paris, the Frenhcman 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."

Despite the signings of Titus Bramble and Hugo Viana, Robert also says Newcastle needed to improve their first team even more in the summer.

"We still have the same team, but the club ought to have signed players to strengthen the side,"

Saying we are in a crisis is just a bit over the top, dont you agree? Yes, we could have bought a class defender and an unstoppable foward but its easier said than done and there's still plenty time to get it right yet.

The left-winger commented on his international situation with France too, adding:

"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."