N'Zogbia & Kinnear trade insults

There is little love lost between N'Zogbia and Kinnear

Charles N'Zogbia has suggested managing Newcastle is beyond the ability of boss Joe Kinnear, who has hit back by saying the player lives in a "fantasy world".

Midfielder N'Zogbia, who left the Magpies to join Wigan during the transfer window, said: "Newcastle needs someone to control the club properly."

But Kinnear responded: "His comments are laughable really.

"He lives in a fantasy world. In the end there was only one thing I could do - send him to Wigan."

Last week Kinnear upset N'Zogbia when he referred to him as "Charles Insomnia" during a media conference.

The 22-year-old Frenchman reacted by refusing to play for Kinnear again - and he subsequently left St James' Park in a £6m transfer to the Latics.

"When you hear the manager say something like this about you, then you know he doesn't respect you," said N'Zogbia.

"If he doesn't respect you, what's the point of playing for him?

"I wasn't happy playing at Newcastle, there was no conversation with the manager. I was playing but when you are young, you need somebody to tell you what to do.

"When there is no conversation you want to move on."

However, Kinnear claims N'Zogbia was always trying to engineer a move, and has questioned the integrity of the player.

"There was not a day when he didn't have some Mickey Mouse story about a club that wanted him," added Kinnear.

"First it was Arsenal, then Manchester United, then Real Madrid, then Aston Villa and Lyon.

"I think he needed bringing down to earth and I can assure you nobody tried to stop him going."

The row comes a day after former Magpies keeper Shay Given also fired a parting shot at his previous employers, following his switch to Manchester City.

Given spent 12 years at Newcastle but admitted that by the end of his stay he was no longer happy.

"They made me do things I didn't want to do and this was an opportunity to further my career and pick up more silverware," he said.

"In the last six months it has been fizzling out. It has not been enjoyable going into training."