Positives? I think not.Newcastle United reserves lost 4-3 to Sunderland earlier in the week but some comments by Peter Beardsley got me thinking about team attitudes and how they might affect results.
Yesterday I was visited by a bunch of Bible-bashers called Seventh Day Adventists and their big beef with things – amongst all the problems the world faces – is that they think the Sabbath should be on a Saturday. I argued the advantages of making it a Wednesday to break the week up, but they soon realised I wasn’t being altogether serious and left before I had to release the caged tiger I keep for just such callers.
This reminded me of a Christian I used to know and one thing that really annoyed me about him was his eternal optimism. Our job at the time was to write software for satellites and even when two years of software work – and many more years than that of hardware work – exploded on the launching pad, he simply said “never mind, I’m sure it will all turn out okay”. He came to work happy, was happy throughout the day and went home extremely happy. And this made me very grumpy indeed.
Which brings me, in a round about way, to our reserve team’s 4-3 defeat against Sunderland earlier in the week about which Pedro said:
“There were plusses from the performance – there always is.”
Alan Pardew: Up to the task?Speculation about any departure by Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew is incorrect according to John Carver, but what of Pardew’s prospects for the season ahead anyway?
There has been some speculation that Alan Pardew might walk after being let down by Ashley and Llambias in the transfer window, although Assistant Manager John Carver dismissed that idea yesterday.
Carver said: “Why is his position in doubt? This has been a good start for us. We have picked up seven points from three matches and we are into the third round of the Carling Cup. We are going in the right direction.
“If you had told people we would have what we have now, they would have snapped your hands off. How can people question the position of the manager? It’s absurd.”
It sounds a bit like Carver has got the wrong end of the stick actually. I think any speculation was about whether Pardew might decide to leave rather than being sacked. I don’t think many people thought his position was in ‘danger’ as such. (more…)
Won't be rushed backGood news as Newcastle United’s Hatem Ben Arfa – injured since the pre-season game against Sporting Kansas City – undergoes a light training session with the physio.
Given our failure to recruit an additional striker, we have to hope that Best continues the way he’s been going and that Shola and Ba come good. Alternatively, we’ll be looking for goals from midfield and Hatem Ben Arfa could just be the man to come good for us in that respect.
It’s good news then that he seems to be making his way back from injury and took part in his first training session yesterday. It was apparently only a ‘light exercise’ session (my equivalent of which is just lifting the one pint) but it gave physio Derek Wright a chance to assess the player.
Apparently the club aren’t too keen to rush him back from this injury and I get the impression it’ll be October before we see him available for first-team selection. (more…)
January target?Newcastle United a reputed to be looking to strengthen things at right-back with Manchester City’s Nedum Onuoha allegedly being in the frame for a January transfer.
I’m not entirely sure where the rumour came from originally, but there’s one on a mild simmer about us being in the market for a new right-back.
Actually, come to think of it, it probably started when Danny Simpson was allegedly on the verge of signing a new contract earlier in the summer but for some reason didn’t. Simpson is contracted with us until the summer of 2013 and has been the subject of the occasional bit of transfer speculation, although nothing substantial enough to class our need as ‘desperate’.
Whether Simpson stays or goes, though, I can in fact see the need. We seem somewhat short of defenders just now and I think the right-back position could do with some more competition. Come to think of it, our defence could do with a few more numbers in general. A couple of injuries could easily put us in the mire and the fullback positions in particular seem to be undermanned. Besides Simpson and Santon, I guess there’s always Perch, and both the Taylors can fill in at fullback in an emergency, but I would hardly call that ‘depth’. (more…)
Deathmatch v BartonNewcastle United midfielder Yohan Cabaye muses on the English game and is looking forward to playing against Joey Barton in our next league game.
Things seem a bit flat of late. By which I don’t mean that they’ve been run over by a passing steamroller, but rather since the transfer window closed – and without a game last weekend – there just doesn’t seem to be a lot happening on the ‘Toon News’ front.
I’m curious to see how Pardew will attempt to talk around the abject disappointment of the late transfer window dealings. Or lack of them in our case. I actually feel for the guy as I reckon his disappointment will be equal to ours and yet – if history is any guide – he’ll be tasked with trying to put a positive spin on things.
He could start by mentioning Yohan Cabaye, who has been speaking to The Journal to tell them he’s all fired up to play opposite Joey Barton in our upcoming game against QPR.
Yohan said: “I am looking forward to it. I’m sad to see Joey go. I will be happy to see Joey again next week – and to win against him!”
Well, hopefully, although I don’t think QPR will be pushovers by any stretch of the imagination. (more…)
