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About this blog

Blog on the Tyne is dedicated to bring Toon fans everywhere the most up to date NUFC views, opinions and comment.

The author Lee Ryder, proudly born and bred on Tyneside, has followed the fortunes of the club over the last three decades as a Toon fan and football writer.

From the high octane atmosphere of St James' Park to the Premiership grounds up and down the country and into Europe - this Blog has been there.

But the coverage doesn't stop at first team level.

Blog on the Tyne is also proud to be there to witness the future of the club with regular coverage of Newcastle United's reserve side, as well as all things black and white.

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May 2008 Archives


Turk Heads home - but what next after Emre departure?

Posted by Lee on May 31, 2008 9:14 PM

He was supposed to be the magician that many Toon fans had been waiting for ever since the day that Peter Beardsley hung up his boots.

But despite some major highs and some lows that were lower than a snake's backside, one of Newcastle's main flair players leaves Tyneside without having fulfilled his massive potential.

Emre's departure may not go down well with sections of Newcastle fans and that's hardly a surprise given that if anybody could unlock the majestic skills inside the diminutive Turk - it was surely Kevin Keegan.

The loss of Emre leaves Newcastle shorthanded in midfield, with Joey Barton out of action for the foreseeable future, and a man down when it comes to some creation.

Continue reading "Turk Heads home - but what next after Emre departure?" »

Could it be one more for the road for unsettled Toon stars?

Posted by Lee on May 30, 2008 9:22 AM

Summer transfers will always be a huge topic for Newcastle United fans and with the last game of the season against Everton just three weeks away already anxiety is building on the streets of Tyneside.

United's small squad needs additions but the holiday season for managers probably means there won't be much action in the next fortnight.

Yet while new fresh faces are needed badly at St James's Park, the players who go out of the exit door could be just as important as those who come in.

Continue reading "Could it be one more for the road for unsettled Toon stars?" »

Toon are top of the stops so why all the talk about Wayne's world?

Posted by Lee on May 29, 2008 5:53 PM

Wayne Hennessey was the latest target to be linked with Newcastle United today but surely this is simply another case of plucking names out of thin air.

Hennessey if you didn't know (and let's be honest he's hardly a household name) is a promising young keeper with the mighty Wolves.

But don't go running out to get his name printed on the back of your top just yet.

Continue reading "Toon are top of the stops so why all the talk about Wayne's world?" »

Can Newcastle learn from past mistakes

Posted by Lee on May 28, 2008 8:33 AM

Hindsight, is a wonderful thing in football but in a week when former Newcastle United coach John Carver admitted he predicted the slippery slope endured by Toon fans in the four years since Sir Bobby Robson left the club, there can be no greater time for the current regime at St James's Park to learn from mistakes made in the past.

During his time at Barcelona, Sir Bobby had been told he wouldn't be the manager of the Nou Camp club for the 1997/98 season.

Back then Louis van Gaal moved into the dugout and Sir Bobby moved upstairs (a role he later described as the best paid scout in Europe) but sacking the former England manager never crossed anybody's mind at Barca.

Why on the earth did Newcastle not do something similar?

Continue reading "Can Newcastle learn from past mistakes" »

Our faith in Keegan shows realism in the Toon goldfish bowl

Posted by Lee on May 26, 2008 8:01 AM

When it comes to enduring stick Newcastle United fans are usually first in the queue when it comes to getting walloped off the national media.

But after the sacking of Avram Grant it's clearly evident that there is more than just one soap opera going on in the Premier League at the moment.

Yes look no further than Chelsea.

OK, we know they have spent squillions to get where they are and that they should probably do better.

But imagine any Newcastle United manager leading his side to two cup finals and second place in the table?

Continue reading "Our faith in Keegan shows realism in the Toon goldfish bowl" »

We all sing together

Posted by Lee on May 23, 2008 12:30 PM

For years Newcastle United fans craved some kind of section where they could let off steam in an area of the ground where everybody wanted to do the same thing.

And now largely due to Chris Mort, they've got one.

Since St James's Park was rebuilt from the crumbling concrete mess - before Kevin Keegan took United into the promised land of the Premier League - it's no secret that we've still had some of the best atmospheres of all in both the top flight and in Europe.

The list of crackling atmospheres that have scared the opposition to death is still long when it comes to the black and white army whipping their team into a frenzy.

Continue reading "We all sing together" »

Mort can leave Newcastle with head held high - but what next?

Posted by Lee on May 22, 2008 5:49 PM

It doesn't happen very often in football.

But sometimes you have to give credit where credit is due.

And in the case of Chris Mort it would be more than warranted.

The Toon chairman will not leave St James's Park straight away with some other unfinished business still to come.

Continue reading "Mort can leave Newcastle with head held high - but what next?" »

Barton's jail stint must be a lesson to Toon young guns

Posted by Lee on May 20, 2008 5:56 PM

Joey Barton's six month stint in jail for a "violent and cowardly act" outside McDonalds does nothing but put Newcastle United in a bad light.

It's bad enough when players don't do the business on the field but when they don't do the business on the field and then act like nutcases off it - it has to leave Toon fans, many of whom are currently scraping together money for their season tickets, wondering why they should bother.

Of course there are plenty of reasons why they should and will but this must be the end to players finding themselves struggling in the deep end.

Continue reading "Barton's jail stint must be a lesson to Toon young guns" »

We'll meet again...

Posted by Lee on May 12, 2008 9:06 AM

Newcastle may have spluttered their way over the finish line at Goodison Park but even though the home side were celebrating a well deserved place in Europe, the main talking points after the game were still surrounding United and just who will be at St James's Park next season.

If you are a Newcastle United fan, it's impossible to ignore the Michael Owen situation.

His final tally of 13 goals indicates an injury free campaign next time around in Kevin Keegan's side will hopefully see that continue.

But with Manchester United's interest in the player said to be genuine the quicker that Owen's Toon contract (which has one year to go) is sorted the better.

Continue reading "We'll meet again..." »

Toon crawl over finish line in low key fashion

Posted by Lee on May 11, 2008 4:48 PM

NEWCASTLE UNITED ended their troubled campaign with a 3-1 defeat at Everton today as the Toffees secured their place in the UEFA Cup.

On a tough afternoon for Kevin Keegan’s side only the brilliance of Steve Harper prevented the scoreline getting out of hand on Merseyside.

United boss Kevin Keegan handed Andy Carroll his full Toon debut as the Geordie striker replaced Achilles victim Mark Viduka in a 4-4-2 formation.

Continue reading "Toon crawl over finish line in low key fashion" »

Crisis? What Crisis?

Posted by Lee on May 9, 2008 4:30 PM

Anybody waiting for a crisis to unfold was left disappointed after the "showdown" talks between Kevin Keegan and Mike Ashley in London.

In a nutshell the Toon hierarchy sat and discussed transfers, pre-season plans, the mistakes made from this season and the way forward for all things black and white.

Nobody was shown the door, and nobody had their bottom smacked leaving KK and Co to concentrate on finishing the season with a bang.

Continue reading "Crisis? What Crisis?" »

Jolly Boys outing for Toon hierarchy

Posted by Lee on May 8, 2008 9:50 AM

TOON fans left wondering what's going on after "showdown" meeting announced -

So it's another unwanted twist in the history of Newcastle United.

Kevin Keegan's comments about Newcastle not making it to the top four seem to have coincided with a meeting in London village that our friends from the south have described as a "showdown".

KK has apparently been "summoned" down to London to be told in no uncertain terms not to speak his mind again!

Or at least that's what the London Press would have you believe.

Continue reading "Jolly Boys outing for Toon hierarchy" »

Three leave Toon but where does Keegan turn next?

Posted by Lee on May 6, 2008 11:09 AM

The exit doors have already swung open at St James's Park with one game left of the Premier League season to go.

And through them go Peter Ramage, Stephen Carr and James Troisi - all of them with different stories to tell about their time in Toon.

Now with talk that Kevin Keegan will trim his squad down from 27 to 22 and bring in four or five quality additions to replace those seeking pastures a summer of transfer speculation is almost upon us!

Yes paying 3 Euros for a paper just to see that we've been linked with Johnny Foreigner and sightings of top La Liga superstars outside the Clayton Street chippy in Toon are about to begin!

Continue reading "Three leave Toon but where does Keegan turn next?" »

Did Chelsea defeat show exactly where Newcastle are these days?

Posted by Lee on May 5, 2008 9:33 PM

It was a far cry from Portsmouth and Liverpool at home but also a million miles from the feel-good factor injected via wins over Fulham, Reading and Sunderland.

But Newcastle United's 2-0 home loss to Chelsea was a real mixed bag for the Toon Army.

The pre-match atmosphere and the crowd's first class showing throughout the game proved exciting times may well be lying in wait.

Yet - and a point that was pressed home by Kevin Keegan - in the post-game press conference, Newcastle are still a long, long way behind the top four and with a slight sniff of dejection around Special K afterwards, it seems that the defeat against Chelsea has ended up being somewhat of a reality check.

Are Newcastle miles away from the top four? And is a top five position - the same one that cost Sir Bobby Robson his job - best thing Toon fans can hope for?

Continue reading "Did Chelsea defeat show exactly where Newcastle are these days?" »

Toon fail to kill off Chelsea title dream

Posted by Lee on May 5, 2008 5:10 PM

NEWCASTLE UNITED failed to kill off Chelsea’s title dream tonight at St James’s Park as Avram Grant’s troops ran out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Michael Ballack and Florent Malouda.

The defeat against the Champions League finalists ended the Magpies’ home campaign in disappointing fashion and ended Kevin Keegan’s seven game unbeaten run.

United made just one change to the team that drew at West Ham with Abdoulaye Faye shaking off a groin injury to replace David Edgar who had still not recovered from a knock to the head at Upton Park.

Continue reading "Toon fail to kill off Chelsea title dream" »

Toon really can give Chelsea the Blues

Posted by Lee on May 4, 2008 5:03 PM

So now it's pretty straight forward then.

If Newcastle United beat Chelsea at St James's Park - the dream is over for the boys from Stamford Bridge.

Yes the boys from Stamford Bridge who have piled on so much misery on the Toon Army on the majority of trips to Dennis Wise's old club.

Now though the tables could be turned.

Continue reading "Toon really can give Chelsea the Blues" »