Demba Ba: Hat-trick hero and M.O.T.M performance.Right, let’s have some ratings for the Blackburn win!
It was pretty much good stuff all round with a decent showing from a team that’s starting to gel. Very few black marks, the odd smudge, but nothing we couldn’t surmount.
Here goes!
Tim Krul 7.5:
Tim is fast becoming yet another top Toon ‘keeper and Toon legend at a young age. He did most things well, well, he didn’t have too much to do! Maybe needs to bark at his retreating defenders a bit to get them into position when facing an attack, as it was a case of players stood waiting for the shot that got Blackburn back into the game with a goal. Not wholly his problem though.
Danny Simpson 7:
Getting better with every game. His only smudge was backing off a bit when Olsson put the cross in for Hoilett to score. Got up the field to support (even in the dying minutes), but got back to defend. Good fitness too. (more…)
Tough, but could be worseNewcastle United manager Alan Pardew sees our fourth round Carling Cup draw as ‘tough’.
Alan Pardew sees the next rounds’ Carling Cup draw as ‘tough’ but is thankful we weren’t drawn away against one of the ‘top’ clubs. Pardew said:
“It’s a shame [that it’s an away draw], but we want games because these players want to play.
“It’s a tough game, but we could have been drawn against one of the top clubs, who are all still in it, away from home, so it’s not the worst draw we could have had, but it’s still a tough draw.
“Blackburn will be hurting from today [Saturday’s game against them] and that’s going to make it even more difficult.” (more…)
Highlights of a game in which Newcastle dominated with almost 60% of the possession and many more shots on target than Blackburn Rovers (see stats below).
Features Demba Ba’s hat-trick, and a consolation goal for Rovers from Junior Hoilett.
Have now posted extended highlights of the game for your viewing pleasure!
A Demba Ba hat-trick sees Newcastle United cruise to a 3-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers and maintain their 4th place in the Premier League.
On paper we should be the better team this season, but Blackburn have a record at St James’ Park second only to Manchester United in the Premier League, so the superstitious amongst us might have had cause for concern.
A disclaimer before I start: I watched the match on a very shaky internet feed and missed bits of it here and there, so if my match report contains glaring holes, you know why.
The Toon analysts in the dressing room had clearly been doing their homework as they appeared to have identified Givet as the weakest link at left-back in Blackburn’s defence and almost from the off we started attacking down the right, which was to become a familiar pattern for a lot of the game with Obertan making a lot of the running.
We dominated well for 25 minutes before the first goal, with Ba, Best and Gutierrez having chances on goal only to put them over the bar. Blackburn’s David Hoilett was the only player to give us any real signs of trouble when he dribbled easily past Gutierrez into the box and it took a great piece of defending by Coloccini to counter the danger. (more…)
Sign of the times @ St James' ParkVenue: St James’ Park, Newcastle Date: Saturday, Sept 24th, 2011 Kick-off: 3:00pm Referee: Martin Atkinson
This week will see Newcastle United playing at home for the first time in four games, as Indian chicken mogul owned Blackburn Rovers pay a visit to St James’ Park.
The game will also be notable in that it will be the first one since Newcastle United’s new sign has been erected, flanked by further Sports branding to give the home of Geordie football a further air of class, sophistication and dignity.
Of course, the most famous link between the two clubs in modern times is Alan Shearer, who former Blackburn owner, Sir Jack Walker, famously refused to sell to Manchester United. So it was that Shearer subsequently became a Newcastle player for a then world record fee, and eventually, one of the highest goalscorers in Newcastle United’s history, arguably the highest, depending on whether you think Jackie Milburn’s wartime goals counted or not.
Of course, the days when Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United broke world record transfer fees are long gone now, though Newcastle currently find themselves rubbing shoulders with the kinds of clubs who can still afford such mind numbingly expensive transfer deals, standing as they do in the last of the top four Champion’s League places in the Premiership going into this game. (more…)
