Robson cooking up Magpies masterplan

Newcastle manager Bobby Robson and chairman Freddy Shepherd have sat down to plot the way forward for their club next season.

The pair were in Manchester last night to represent the club at the Champions League final but before they headed off they got together to discuss their plans for the summer.

United have already landed Lee Bowyer on a free transfer and are continuing to maintain their interest in Feyenoord midfielder Brett Emerton.

The 70-year-old, who moved house last week, is planning only a short break before getting his teeth into the latest phase of his masterplan.

“I don’t need to switch off football and give my brain a rest, to be honest,” he said.

“I’m trying to plan a short holiday abroad maybe towards the middle of June.

“But that’s all I need and I’ll be looking forward to the start of the season when we all report back around July 4.”

The Magpies have already been linked with more than a dozen players since the end of the last campaign, one of whom is Tottenham defender Stephen Carr, who has been linked with a part-exchange deal involving Carl Cort.

Cort has suffered a miserable three years on Tyneside since Newcastle beat Tottenham to his signature, with injuries restricting him to just 28 appearances and behind Alan Shearer, Craig Bellamy, Shola Ameobi, Lomana LuaLua and Michael Chopra in the pecking order up front.

United know that his track record means they will have to write off a proportion of the fee they paid but are hopeful of recouping at least some of their investment.

Spurs boss Glenn Hoddle has lost Teddy Sheringham, Les Ferdinand and Sergei Rebrov in recent months and has been warned he will not get Brighton’s Bobby Zamora on the cheap.

Hoddle is desperate to find the right man to partner Robbie Keane, and although he is an admirer of wantaway Sunderland hitman Kevin Phillips, there is likely to be stiff competition for the 29-year-old.

Wolves have also been linked with a move for Cort after failing to land him on loan last season and there is little doubt that Newcastle would listen to offers, especially from Spurs if that could pave the way for an approach for Carr.