The North-East media circus turned up in great numbers at the Riverside last night expecting to see Michael Owen defy talk that he wouldn't be continuing his comeback against Middlesbrough but Saint Michael wasn't around.
That wasn't a big surprise and we now know that there has been no setback in his comeback bid either.
Yet that didn't stop big Andy Carroll shining like a beacon at the Riverside against a team that are supposed to contain some of the most talented youngsters in the North-East, not to mention former La Liga star Gaizka Mendieta.
And even the former Barcelona and Valencia ace must have been opened mouthed by the glittering display from Carroll that was probably worthy of the Nou Camp!
His Toon coaches and the people around him won't let this kind of talk get to him but looking at Carroll last night it seems nothing or nobody will get him, he is hungry and a like a man possessed when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net in a Toon shirt.
During these often painful times on Tyneside this has to be a breath of fresh air.
Shola Ameobi, also on the comeback trail last night, was also impressed by the treble strike from Carroll during the 5-1 rout.
The Geordie does not seem fazed by the attention he's getting and after helping set up James Milner to win a penalty on Saturday at Portsmouth, a chance against Chelsea could yet beckon for Carroll.
The youngster seems destined to bag a first team goal before the season is out and that's saying something with just four games left and Ameobi and Owen ready to return too,
Is it time to unleash the 18-year-old Carroll against a Chelsea side who won't have a clue who he is?
Or worse still in their case, just how much damage could he cause to their title hopes.
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