Soccer:Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has dismissed speculation linking Andy Carroll with a dramatic return to the club, claiming the rumours have "no foundation". The 23-year-old has struggled with both injuries and form since his €40 million move to Anfield on transfer deadline day last January.
He has scored just six goals in 12 months for the Merseysiders, after netting 11 in the first five months of last season in a black and white shirt.
Speculation surfaced earlier this week that with Liverpool reportedly eyeing striking reinforcements - including Toon star Demba Ba and Villa frontman Darren Bent - Reds boss Kenny Dalglish was prepared to let Carroll leave for a cut-price €22 million. However, the striker's agent and Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias swiftly scotched the rumours, with Dalglish soon following suit.
Now Toon chief Pardew has issued a denial, dismissing out of hand speculation of a proposed January bid.
"I think it's unfair on the Newcastle public and I think it's unfair on Andy," said the 50-year-old. "It was speculative journalism that had no foundation."
Meanwhile, defender Mike Williamson is refusing to look too far ahead as the Magpies attempt to remain in the upper reaches of the Barclays Premier League table. The 28-year-old's return from injury has coincided with a resurgence on Tyneside which has seen the team end a run of six league games without victory to rekindle their unlikely challenge for a top-six finish.
Wins over Bolton and champions Manchester United have strengthened their grip on seventh place and they are only one point adrift of Liverpool in sixth, sparking the more optimistic fans to talk of European qualification.
That would represent a major achievement for a club which only returned to the top flight last season and which has since seen Carroll, full-back Jose Enrique and midfielders Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton all leave. However, as he prepared for Sunday's home clash with QPR, Williamson was content to tackle each match as a separate entity rather than imagine what might lie ahead.
He said: "It's a cliché, but we are taking every game as it comes. For me personally, when you start getting carried away with targets and looking where we could finish, it just gets a bit too much. You take every day as it comes and then come the last game of the season, we will see where that brings us."
Newcastle established themselves as the latest Premier League surprise package when they went 11 games unbeaten at the start of the campaign. But with 20 games played, they continue to rub shoulders with the division's big spenders despite having rebuilt their squad on a more humble budget, and that is a source of immense satisfaction.
In addition, they have managed to do it in some style with Ba and Yohan Cabaye having produced sublime strikes in the 3-0 victory over United, while Hatem Ben Arfa and Jonas Gutierrez scored final individual goals to knock Blackburn out of the FA Cup last weekend.
Williamson said: "People were waiting for the bubble to burst, but we have just got an honest group of lads - although saying there are no superstars after the goals the other day, you would beg to differ. But we have just got an honest group and we know if we carry on working hard and applying ourselves in the way we do, we have got goals in the team and we have got a back four and a midfield which can keep clean sheets.
"Everybody needs a bit of luck along the way. Even the top teams go through sticky periods like we have done, but no, I am not really surprised. I know how hard the lads worked in pre-season, the togetherness when they were away, and you just feel the bond we have had for the last couple of years. It's just carried on."
QPR will arrive on Tyneside with new manager Mark Hughes taking charge of his first game, but without suspended skipper and former Magpie Joey Barton.
Williamson said: "It would have spiced the game up a little bit. He's a good player and he does bring a lot to that team, so I suppose it's a plus-point in that way."
However, they will have eight-goal striker Heidar Helguson among their ranks, and Williamson knows from personal experience what a threat he can be.
He said: "I have played against him once before and he has got a tremendous leap for a little man. He's very, very good in the air, so our set-pieces will cater for that. It will be important for us to win the first contact and if not, react to the second ones. We know he's a big threat and we will have to look at that on the set-plays."
