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Riecco Paul “Gazza” Gascoigne: sta bene, sta valutando un’ offerta di Mourinho per trascorrere un mese a Milano, teme seriamente per la permanenza in “Premier League” del Newcastle, definisce Rooney il miglior giocatore inglese attuale mentre per il passato incorona Bryan Robson e dichiara che gli sarebbe piaciuto giocare con Lampard, Gerrard e Fabregas. Di tutto e di più nell’ inetrvista rilasciata al “Daily Mail” sotto riportata integralmente. Intanto Terry promette che contro il Barcellona a “Stamford Bridge” si vedrà un Chelsea più aggressivo, sospinto dai propri tifosi. Qualche giornale ha tacciato i “Blues” di difensivismo per il pareggio a reti bianche del “Camp Nou” ma è innegabile che per la squadra di Hiddink si sia trattato di una buona base di partenza per il retourn-match. Infine, continua a fare discutere il possibile passaggio alla “Premier League” di Celtic e Rangers. Tony Mowbray crede che le due squadre di Glasgow darebbero un apporto importante al campionato  inglese, portando in dote due rilevantissimi bacini di utenza. Avvisa , però,  i due clubs scozzesi che in Inghilterra la concorrenza sarebbe davvero dura e che ipotizzare un posto nelle prime quattro posizioni appare ,almeno inizialmente, improbabile, il che vorrebbe dire, se non addio, arrivederci alla “Champions’ League”.

EXCLUSIVE – the Gazza interview: On his fears for Newcastle, going to Inter with Jose and being back in love with the game

By Lee Clayton ( “Daily Mail” )
Last updated at 2:54 AM on 01st May 2009

“Some good football news to share from the North East: Paul Gascoigne is alive. Today, he looks healthy and well and is wondering whether to take up Jose Mourinho’s offer of a month under his wing at Inter Milan.As hard as this may be to imagine, he is writing poetry regularly as a way of understanding his emotions ‘about the birds, the trees, the sound of the wind — anything I find that is beautiful,’ he announces proudly.A good night out is sitting alone in the cinema (‘I just love popcorn, there is something about it, don’t you think?’), or a ticket for one to the theatre. The most significant change since we last spoke, 18 months ago, is that he is sober and says he hasn’t touched a drop for five months. It’s also important that he is falling back in love with football and that, too, is helping his recovery.

Geordie through and through: Gazza shows off his silky skills amid the redevelopment at St James’ Park, he fears that Alan Shearer’s Newcastle are running out of timeAlan Shearer, his former England team-mate, allows him use of the gym at Newcastle’s training ground, where he also spends time watching his nephew Cameron, an attacking midfielder, emerging through their academy.In the boom-and-bust world of Gazza, it is entirely possible that tomorrow could be a bad day, though he says: ‘Today was a bad day, so I’ve come to speak to you! I thought I had pig flu this morning, but don’t worry, I’m feeling better

now.’ And then the old smile returns, stretching from ear to ear.Not so when the subject moves to his beloved club, who have one foot in the Championship. The last time Gazza felt this sore about Newcastle, Vinnie Jones had a strong left hand clamped tightly around his lock, stock and two smoking barrels 21 years ago.

I remember being physically sick before the game. I’d heard about Vinnie but he looked huge. I was getting the attention from the photographers when he walked up to me and said: “I’m Vinnie Jones and I’m a f****** gypsy. It’s just you and me today, fat boy, just you and me.” He
kicked me all over the pitch and even when he went off to take one of his long throws, he whispered menacingly: “I’m off to take a throw-in, but I’ll be f****** back!” Then Vinnie stood in front of me waiting for a free-kick; he grabbed me by the b***s and I screamed in agony,
but thought nobody had noticed. Someone took a photograph, they must have made a fortune out of it, as it became one of football’s best-known images.

— GAZZA: MY STORY

“Newcastle are running out of games in which to reverse a run that has brought one win in 18 league matches and a place in the bottom three, with Liverpool at Anfield to come on Sunday. The Geordie nation is gripped by fear.‘You see their faces, the people here, they know it’s looking grim,’ he says. ‘They ask me for some good news, something positive. I try, I do. This place must have a Premier League team, the city demands it, but the fans know they are running out of time. It shouldn’t be like this.’Gazza is remembered differently here, as the boy before life became complicated and dangerous for him. He was the teenager who cleaned Kevin Keegan’s boots, took them home to show his friends and lost one on the bus coming back. He played 92 league games for Newcastle after signing his first professional contract for £25 a week in May 1983, before he was sold to Tottenham for £2million. In today’s market, the same transfer would cost £20m, maybe more.He has spent the week like the rest of us, watching Champions League football. ‘I make notes, look at games differently, analyse strengths and weaknesses,’ he reports. ‘I could not believe the power of Chelsea the other night,nor how quickly Barcelona moved the ball. But they still couldn’t shake Chelsea.’Two years ago, he couldn’t watch a match. The modern game ‘sickened him’, with the robots taking over midfield and talent being trampled by the ‘Patrick Vieira clones’.‘I know now that I couldn’t handle watching it because it reminded me of what I didn’t have. Now I can marvel at Wayne Rooney. He’s the next captain of Manchester United.The many faces of Paul Gascoigne: Gazza can be serious as he talks about his personal demons and his fears for Newcastle but the playful Geordie boy is never far awayThere’s nothing that boy cannot do, but he should smile a little more, show us he’s enjoying it like we’re enjoying him. Steven Gerrard is another who needs some help dealing with the pressure of winning matches. Smile, lad, you can really play. I wish I could play with him, help with the load.‘For different reasons, I like watching Didier Drogba. When you see him playing up alone against four brutes and he’s taking them on — I’m glad I didn’t have to play against him. He’s a beast.‘I think I’ll take up Jose’s offer, you know. I’ve been in the game longer than him, but he’s 20 years ahead of me with what he knows. You’re right, I’m loving the old game again. It feels good to me.‘I’d reached the point where I would buy the papers, read the front pages and then throw them away. Now I start at the back pages again. That’s a good sign too, isn’t it?’The chat drifts back to Newcastle. ‘You know, we should be up there, playing in the big matches, against the top players. It’s unimaginable that Newcastle might drop out of the top league.‘Look at the squad: Joey Barton, Kevin Nolan, Alan Smith, Damien Duff in midfield. Then the forwards: Obafemi Martins, Mark Viduka, young Andy Carroll. And Michael Owen can make himself a little hero here — he just needs to find his touch, get into the box, find his confidence.

Confidence: Viduka (left) is yet to score this season, while Martins and Owen have mustered a meagre 15 league goals between them

‘In a perfect world, the gaffer would pull on a pair of boots himself and keep us up. He could do it, you know. I was watching him in the gym the other day, he’s still a fit, strong boy.‘He impresses me, he always did as a player. Now he’s the gaffer and is working every hour, staying late, desperate to find a solution. I think he will stay beyond this season, because it will grip hold of him. It might have happened already. I hope he stays. This club, this city, it needs Alan Shearer. Redevelopment is strong here, the place is buzzing, we just need the team right.‘I don’t know why Newcastle isn’t right. It has to be. Maybe Freddy Shepherd might come back in, that would be good. I do know that it’s right to have a Geordie manager of a Geordie club. We should promote young English managers more in our country.‘You have to spend time here to understand the mentality of the place. When I go to the ground, before a match, I become anxious, excited. When I’m at home. I can hear the roar from miles away. Alan will give people more to cheer about here. He has to stay on.’Gazza, who turns 42 this month, has fond memories of his brief time at the club.‘I would have stayed, but they sold Chris Waddle and Peter Beardsley, two world-class players, so I went too.’

World class: Gascoigne (front row, centre) lines up alongside former Newcastle team-mates Chris Waddle (front row, second left) and Peter Beardsley (front row, second right) before England’s ill-fated World Cup semi-final against West Germany

In those days, the first-team squad would share a bottle of Harvey’s Bristol Cream sherry in the dressing room after a game and, in a matter presumably unconnected, Gazza once drove a tractor into the wall of the dressing room at thetraining ground.He also remembers crashing Mirandinha’s new club car and teaching the Brazilian his version of English. ‘I can’t tell you how I translated “I want ice cream”. Wednesday was w***day. So when he used to say, “I like w***day”, it was the funniest thing.’It’s good to see him laughing and telling the old stories. He’s in top form, apparently in control — he even turned up 30 minutes early for our meeting — holding a man-bag and looking well groomed.And he’s not afraid to talk about his demons. ‘It’s scary where I’ve been, man. I’m telling you. I was sectioned because I was either a threat to the public, or to myself. Or maybe both! I’d had enough of life, the world had ended for me.‘I wasn’t in control. The more I tried, the worse it got. I was paranoid and I’d drink to see if I became less paranoid. I’ve learned I can’t change what I can’t control. I can’t turn back the clock and make it better. I can’t make the day perfect, but if I can improve it by two per cent, it’s better than minus two per cent.‘If I’m having a bad day, I write notes about football strategy, or my poetry. I want to show I still have something to offer to football. I will finish my coaching badges, look to people like Alan Shearer as an inspiration and wait and see. Whoknows? Football might not have seen the last of Paul Gascoigne.’The fog on the Tyne is lifting. Now all they need is for the football team to start winning.

Question time: Lee Clayton quizzes Gazza

Q: Favourite (current) player?

A: Wayne Rooney. I watch him develop, admire his versatility and his skill and thank (God) that he is English. What a player … he should smile more and realise how much he has going for him. Cheer up, lad; his pretty wife, his bairn on the way and playing for a great club. I hope he isn’t too old before his time.

Q: Which team would you like to play for now?

A: Hard question. I’d like to play with Steven Gerrard at Liverpool and ease the pressure on him to be the match-winner each week. He looks too anxious at times, but what a player! I’d like to help Frank Lampard for the same reason. Fabregas can really play and he’s hard too. Can I say all three?

Q: Favourite (all time) player?

A: Bryan Robson. That bloke was everywhere. I’ve seen videos of him when he was at West Brom with his curly Afro hair. I admire how he came back from so many injuries. He was a true Captain Marvel. I loved him.

Q: Best goal?

A: Against Scotland. Every time I see Colin Hendry now he says: “Just don’t say it, Gazza!” He’s still in the same place at the old Wembley, you know. I turned him inside out so many times, he turned into the ground. Go visit him there. I was playing in Scotland for Rangers, I loved the place … and then I scored that goal!

Turned inside out: Hendry (centre) is floored as Gascoigne lashes a half volley past Andy Goram

“I think Celtic and Rangers would relish the opportunity but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they would catapult themselves into the top six in England because it is a very competitive league.”
More immediately, Mowbray’s thoughts are on trying to revive Albion’s faint hopes of top-flight survival as they gear up for the away clash at Tottenham on Sunday. The Baggies are six points adrift of fourth from bottom but ended a run of 11 games without a win by defeating Sunderland 3-0 last weekend.
Mowbray said: “Spurs have got some world class players and their own aspirations of finishing seventh. We know it will be tough for us but we know we can give them a few problems. If we win that, we’ve got Wigan at home and if we win that…let’s wait and see.
“For me, it is about the next game. I don’t want to look at the bigger picture. It is very difficult for us and yet I am not going to say we are definitely going down or we can get back in the hunt.”
Scotland midfielder James Morrison and central defender Abdoulaye Meite are unlikely to have recovered from heel and hamstring problems respectively in time for the trip to White Hart Lane.

TERRY PROMISES BARCA A HOT BRIDGE RECEPTION

JOHN TERRY last night vowed Chelsea will get in Barcelona’s faces at Stamford Bridge – and go for the throat from the first whistle.