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[kennethlindheim]

Newcastle United have responded to the club's dismal demise in the UEFA Cup by halting new contract talks as they reassess their plans for next season.

The Magpies had been in discussion with Titus Bramble, James Milner, Antoine Sibierski and Nolberto Solano about deal extensions, but have decided to postpone talks following the catastrophic defeat in Alkmaar.

Bramble, Sibierski and Solano are all out of contract in the summer and, in theory, can discuss terms with other clubs under the Bosman ruling.

But the trio are keen to remain at St James's Park next season and have waited for three months to hear if they are going to be offered new deals.

However, United chairman Freddie Shepherd has decided to discuss each player's individual circumstances again with manager Glenn Roeder before making a final decision on their futures.

The Journal understands that Roeder is keen to see any extensions limited to two years as he feels players perform better on short-term contracts as they know they cannot slip into the comfort zone and allow standards to slip on the pitch.

The biggest question mark hangs over Bramble's future as Roeder was far from complimentary about the defender's performance against Alkmaar last week and appears to have made him the scapegoat for a woeful team display in Holland.

Roeder has always insisted that the 25-year-old would still be at Newcastle next season and had urged Shepherd to award him a new contract.

But talks have been slow to materialise and it remains to be seen whether Roeder feels the same way about the player following his less-than-veiled criticism last week.

Bramble, who was dropped to the bench for the miserable 2-0 defeat at Charlton which followed the Magpies' European exit, continues to split opinion among the club's supporters with some arguing the powerful defender just needs a settled partner alongside him to find consistency and others insisting the former Ipswich prospect has suffered too many concentration lapses to be given another chance.

Portsmouth and Celtic have been keeping a close eye on Bramble's situation and it will be an interesting few weeks as the player will have to make a decision on whether to wait for United to offer him a new deal or enter into negotiations with another club.

A meeting between Shepherd and Bramble's advisers had been scheduled for Monday this week, but it failed to take place.

Sibierski is another player Roeder has always maintained he wanted to keep, but talks have also stalled, while Solano has still not discovered if the club will take up the option of another year.

Sibierski's advisers are believed to have wanted a two-year contract for their client but Newcastle have offered only a 12-month deal to the 32-year-old.

Solano, who, until the defeats by AZ and Charlton, had been a revelation at right-back, is also expected to accept a one-year extension when it is offered.

Talks with Milner, who is represented by the Professional Footballers' Association, have been going on since the start of the year but have still not been finalised. Milner, though, has indicated he wants to stay at the club after finally becoming a first-team regular.

Shepherd and Roeder must also make a decision on Oguchi Onyewu and Craig Moore in the coming weeks. Onyewu has only signed on loan from Standard Liege until the end of the season, while Moore, who has just returned from a long-term hamstring injury, is also out of contract in the summer.

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