October 2007 Archives
Newcastle fans' 610 round trip for nowt!
Posted by Lee on October 29, 2007 2:01 PM
Getting out of bed at the crack of dawn was bad enough for anybody who made the long trek to Reading.
But having woken up and focused on the task in hand, Newcastle United fans had every right to expect their side to go for the throats of Reading.
In fact up against a side who had leaked seven goals at Pompey and four at Blackburn, it could be said that Newcastle should have been the team dishing out another hiding despite the Royals decent form.
Yet that didn't happen and instead the black and whites appeared shot shy and once again incapable of keeping a clean sheet.
Continue reading "Newcastle fans' 610 round trip for nowt!" »
- Post to:
del.icio.us
Digg
Newsvine
Nowpublic
Reddit
United beaten by a Long shot
Posted by Lee on October 27, 2007 4:52 PM
NEWCASTLE UNITED went down to a disappointing 2-1 defeat at Reading today as the Berkshire side halted their mini revival.
The dejected Toon Army trooped out of the Madejski Stadium with nothing to show from their long journey as a late Shane Long goal won it for the Royals.
Continue reading "United beaten by a Long shot" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Newcastle and good defence in the same sentence? Surely not
Posted by Lee on October 25, 2007 9:11 AM
I don't want to get carried away but part of Big Sam's revamp at St James's Park has been to get the defence sorted out and so far it seems he is going in the right direction.
That of course will well and truly be put to the test at Reading on Saturday but at the moment Cacapa and Abdoulaye Faye look like giants capable of finally ridding us of the dodgy defence tag.
We haven't quite reached the class of Kevin Keegan yet and we might never do that but if we can keep on churning out results like Spurs and Everton and get the away form sorted or at least show more fight unlike Derby and Man City, there's every chance we'll all be smiling as we head into the winter.
Continue reading "Newcastle and good defence in the same sentence? Surely not" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
No Monday night blues this time for Newcastle
Posted by Lee on October 22, 2007 9:37 PM
Barton return Spurs on Geordies in Toon victory
NEWCASTLE UNITED continued their superb hot streak at St James' Park by taking care of Tottenham Hotspur.
The Magpies had started the night slowly but an Oba Martins goal lit the black and white touch paper before strikes from Cacapa and James Milner cancelled out Robbie Keane's strike.
United began the game with Emre in the middle of the park alongside Nicky Butt but returning star Joey Barton had to be content with a place on the bench.
The reshuffle meant that Charles N'Zogbia began wide on the left and Geremi wide right with James Milner dropped to the bench.
Continue reading "No Monday night blues this time for Newcastle" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Newcastle and Spurs play hide and seek
Posted by Lee on October 20, 2007 12:38 PM
Well something certainly has to give if we are to believe the vibe coming out of the respective dressing rooms as we go into the big one.
And I'm not talking about the egg chasers in Paris either!
We don't need egging on whatsoever when it comes to having the odd drink in Newcastle so I'm sure the rugby world cup final won't be any different.
But for us it's really all about Monday night and Tottenham Hotspur.
Continue reading "Newcastle and Spurs play hide and seek" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Owen form vital for Toon against Tottenham
Posted by Lee on October 18, 2007 11:03 AM
He might be feeling pretty dejected at the moment but it will be all black and white eyes on Michael Owen again come Monday night against Tottenham Hotspur.
The St James' Park clash with Spurs will see United continue their best start to a season at Gallowgate since the 1995/96 campaign when Newcastle almost won the Premier League.
Those days seem long gone now but despite a couple of shocking road trips to Derby and Man City, the home form has been encouraging and Michael Owen's form is now vital to maintaining that.
Continue reading "Owen form vital for Toon against Tottenham" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
No one likes us. We don't care. We are Newcastle
Posted by Lee on October 15, 2007 1:25 PM
I'm lucky enough to have lived and followed Newcastle United around the world at a time when everybody loved us.
I was privileged enough to be able to speak to the one and only Peter Beardsley this week and I asked him to reminisce the Entertainers period when the nation took us to their hearts.
He acknowledged it was a great time to be a player but for fans it has to be the best era to have been supporting the team.
Continue reading "No one likes us. We don't care. We are Newcastle" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
What Joey Barton really said about Newcastle and England
Posted by Lee on October 10, 2007 8:20 AM
He'd just played 65 minutes of Newcastle's reserve game against Wigan, spurred on the rest of his young team-mates in the second string and then stayed to sign autographs for some kids until every one of them was satisfied.
However, the reserve scene was nothing new to Barton - after all he had been to the rest of Newcastle's second string games to cheer on the future of the club and had played in their last game at Man City at the start of his comeback.
Then in his only interview with a newspaper - because none of the others bothered to turn up - Barton speaks of his hopes and dreams as his return to Premier League action gets nearer.
His words were exactly what Newcastle fans wanted to hear but clearly met with disapproval from the rest of the country.
Continue reading "What Joey Barton really said about Newcastle and England" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Newcastle star Owen gets the wrong end of the stick
Posted by Lee on October 9, 2007 10:17 AM
You can't blame him for being sensitive but Michael Owen should know better.
The Toon Army would never go as far as to boo their star striker and you have to go some length for the Geordies to get on your back - don't forget Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer got a standing ovation a few days after their disgraceful punch up against Villa in 2005!
Owen's fitness of course has sparked a national debate today with many insiders believing there has been a major disagreement about the player's involvement in the two Euro 2008 qualifiers with his manager Sam Allardyce.
But Owen was clearly uptight after heading home the winner against Everton, perhaps in the knowledge that he was booed on to the field.
Yet this was never the case as Blog reader Eds says: "The Press are saying that Owen's goal celebration was down to the fact that he was booed - that is complete nonsense.
"Nobody booed him - if he thinks anyone did he got completely the wrong end of the stick.
"People were booing the fact that a potent match winner in Martins was coming off when clearly the man whose legs had gone was Geremi."
"Owen is a hero and would never be booed at SJP."
Yes, the pocket of travelling Everton fans were jeering the former Liverpool man - and I'm not surprised considering how many times he scored against them - but the disapproval that met his arrival on to the field was indeed aimed only at Big Sam's decision to withdraw Oba Martins from the action.
Continue reading "Newcastle star Owen gets the wrong end of the stick" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Barton on target as comeback continues in style
Posted by Lee on October 8, 2007 8:56 PM
It might not be everyone's idea of a Monday night out but at Kingston Park Joey Barton closed in on his target of being in Sam Allardyce's side for the clash with Tottenham at St James' Park two weeks tonight.
Barton once again showed some great touches and played 65 minutes of the 3-1 win over Wigan as the most senior member of Lee Clark's squad.
Over 600 punters turned up to cheer Barton's latest steps on the comeback trail after he shattered his foot at Carlisle back in July and he was afforded a warm round of applause when he came off mid-way through the second half.
Continue reading "Barton on target as comeback continues in style" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Emre saves the day for United
Posted by Lee on October 7, 2007 4:59 PM
St James' Park is not really designed to win tactical battles and grind out results, it's a theatre constructed to entertain, inspire and excite.
But winning a tactical battle and grind out a result (no doubt thanks to ProZone) looked like the only way of getting past Everton and David Moyes until Big Sam introduced Emre to save the day for Newcastle United.
True, England fans everywhere will be relieved that Michael Owen also entered the fray to nod home what turned out to be the winner.
Yet surely Toon fans will be relieved that at last, a bit of flair and skill won it for their side, thanks to Emre.
Continue reading "Emre saves the day for United" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
What shape are you?
Posted by Lee on October 5, 2007 1:59 PM
What works best for you 4-4-2 or 4-3-3?
Newcastle United's formation has never caused such a big stir and as United head into the game with Everton on the back of an error laden 3-1 defeat against Man City the question is what shape will the Mags line up with against the Toffees?
It was the unpopular 4-3-3 last week and the question of which direction United need to take this week is today's topic.
Kevin Keegan's attitude was simply to "give the fans what they want" with a team that went forward from all angles and had success, albeit no trophies.
And Ossie Ardiles' infamous diamond formation did used to cause plenty of post-game chew around the Bigg Market but that was mainly because Newcastle were terrible, mind you they did play some canny stuff under the little South American!
Jack Charlton used to like to lump it. Kenny Dalglish used to try and suffocate the opposition.
And Ruud "I never said that" Gullit's "sexy football" resulted in the dreadlocked Dutchman losing the plot and leaving Rob Lee, Alan Shearer and Duncan Ferguson on the sidelines in favour of Paul Robinson, Jamie McClen and Silvio Maric.
Boy, how we miss the Entertainers still!
Entertaining stuff is what we'd love to see these days but what must come with that is results.
And while grinding out results doesn't look good, there is sections of the St James' Park crowd who don't care how Newcastle win, providing they WIN!
But there's also sections that demand good football and can take the odd defeat.
And it wouldn't be Newcastle United if this wasn't complex which is where the 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 argument kicks in!
Continue reading "What shape are you?" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
No screws loose for United ace Barton
Posted by Lee on October 3, 2007 1:59 PM
So then Joey Barton has his recovering magic foot on the first rung of the ladder after getting through a 45 minute run out against Man City and the good news is he got through it unscathed.
Still playing with a screw in his foot Barton covered almost every blade of grass at Sport City and suggested he's got what it takes to give the Toon's season a shot in the arm.
Spurred on by his dad in the crowd at Sport City, Barton endured the boos from few pockets of the 500 that turned up but looked composed as found his feet again after shattering his foot at Brunton Park back in July.
But while City fans make out that they are glad to see the back of him, the good news for Newcastle United's loyal supporters is that they have a player capable of tearing open opposing defences and delivering that all important bite to the Toon midfield - which has been clearly lacking since day one of the season.
Continue reading "No screws loose for United ace Barton" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Barton gets through City return unscathed
Posted by Lee on October 2, 2007 8:40 PM
By Lee Ryder @ Sport City, Manchester
Joey Barton continued his comeback tonight in the shadow of his old stamping ground with a 45 minute run out against Manchester City.
Newcastle United headed to the North West with a strong squad as Barton kicked a ball again for the first time in match action since the July friendly with Carlisle United.
The Scouse midfielder got through 45 minutes at the Eastlands complex but looked lively during a first half run out.
Barton was booed by the home crowd of 500 in Manchester on a night when City's rivals took on Roma in the Champions League at Old Trafford in front of over 68,000 - but the England international took it all in his stride.
Despite speculation in the morning papers that Frenchman Ousmane Dabo would be involved in a potential clash with Barton the out of favour Man City player wasn't even in the stands as United lined up next door to the City of Manchester Stadium.
Continue reading "Barton gets through City return unscathed" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit