'Road to Wembley' slightly longer now...John Anderson probably summed it up nicely towards the end of his Radio Newcastle commentary, that both managers would have been happy with a draw before this game. But as the referee blew the final whistle with the score at 0-0, it will surely be Plymouth boss Paul Mariner who will be happier than his Newcastle counterpart Chris Hughton. Obviously this despite the inconvenience for their fans of another 800-mile-round-trip to St James’ for the replay, a week on Wednesday.
The FA Cup throws the form book out of the window, and even though Plymouth have improved in recent games, that suited them due to their lowly position. Newcastle, conversely at the summit of the Championship, made several changes to protect the squad from a demanding run-in ahead. And so if anything, with home advantage, you’d have been excused for putting Plymouth as favourites. However, Hughton still fielded a strong team, and but for some good goalkeeping and wayward finishing, we did enough to win this game. (more…)
Possibly some Derby fans. Or possibly not.I was just going to write the word ‘garbage’ and leave it at that for my write-up on the Derby game, my feelings shared by many Newcastle fans spilling out of St Jame’s Park after last night’s game. However, my choice to indulge in some enjoyable ales on the way back to the station for the last train, has given me time to ponder.
And yes, we were still garbage, but there is more to it than just that. Even as I made my way from Durham, I sensed that things seemed flat amongst the supporters, and undoubtedly that was evident on the park for some of our players last night. This word ‘complacency’ has almost lost all meaning, as the doubters and knockers rub their hands in glee at the prospect of another black and white collapse following an impressive lead. While the ‘Class of 96’ was certainly more high-profile, something tells me that our detractors would enjoy our demise just as much this time round. (more…)
Ram-raid!Well let’s hope the lads have worked off the excess turkey they were clearly suffering from against Sheff Wed, before they meet The Rams at St James Park Monday evening. Despite our lacklustre performance on Boxing Day, resulting in a 2-2 draw with Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle United still go into the Derby County game top of the league, a position we will continue to hold going into 2010, regardless of the result against Derby.
Let’s hope Chris Hughton has had the lads training hard today to get the sluggishness out of their systems. Conversely, Nigel Clough won’t be looking forward to taking a patched up Derby County team up to the northeast to meet the league leaders. Clough’s team were booed off as the Rams lost at home to Blackpool on Boxing Day, their second home defeat in a row. He was frustrated with his side against Blackpool and admits he doesn’t know what to expect against Newcastle:
“We seemed incapable of doing the simple things,” said Clough. “We looked very nervous and very short of confidence.”
“The confidence is very fragile and we looked short of ideas. At times we couldn’t pass the ball to a white shirt.” (more…)
Two goals and two fingers!Seems like everybody was expecting a tight if tidy affair at St James’ today and with two of the meanest defences in the division, a high-soring game wasn’t on the cards. But with barely a third of the game gone, Newcastle were three goals to the good and showboating as some of the travelling contingent headed for early beers.
Expectations were high that Swansea would prove to be a well-organised and competent football team, particularly stingy at the back but a new-look forward line of Peter Lovenkrands and Marlon Harewood put paid to that theory within half an hour of the kick-off, and Swansea looked like just another fairly average Championship side. Eeh that Marlon Harewood, eh? I always knew he just needed time to settle in…
Harewood’s first came from a bouncing ball in the box and with the defence hesitant he headed the ball in the net to make it 1-0. After some good build up play on the left, Gutierrez finally managed to do what we have been crying out for him to do and delivered perfectly with his left, so that Lovenkrands had the simplest of headers to make it 2-0 with 21 minutes gone. And before we’d reached the thirty minute mark, more good work on the left and and an almost identical cross from Lovenkrands and a similar finish from Harewood and the game looked to be beyond the Welsh side at 3-0. (more…)
Not underestimated?Alan Smith believes that Newcastle Untied’s fans are as much the reason for our good start to the season as the players on the park. Having averaged over 40,000 for our homes games this season, I think we’ve dispelled the theories that we would see some 20+ thousand shaved off Premiership gates following relegation.
Smudger reckons that without the customary ’12th man’ theory, Newcastle wouldn’t be where they are in the league now. And he insists that the ’12th man’ isn’t just a factor at home either, it’s away as well:
“They want to see us win, and that’s what we’re doing,”
“Their support’s driving us on to keep winning, and long may that continue.
“It’s unbelievable. There’s times when people say it’s difficult to play in front of our fans, because they expect so much, but I think that’ll help us.(more…)
