Alan Smith: Holding on...Some time ago, when Leeds United and Newcastle United last played a friendly game in 2009, David from excellent Leeds United ‘blog, ‘The Scratching Shed’ very kindly wrote a match report of the game.
At long last I have now finally returned the favour by writing a ‘blog on one player who unites both clubs. I am of course referring to Alan Smith, who has been linked with a return to his home club in recent times.
In it, I have given a recap of Smith’s ups and downs (mostly downs it must be said) on Tyneside, since he joined the club as one of a series of somewhat misguided signings by Sam Allardyce in the Summer of 2007.
Has been a key player for us.Having already taken a look at our goalkeepers and defenders, the focus for the next edition of our player review moves up the pitch again to see how our midfield have performed throughout the season.
It’s been a strange position for us this year. On one hand, some say the midfield has been our achilles heel, it lacks mobility and creativity. On the other hand though, it has been a position that has yielded a return of 30 goals from the season. Without checking, that is probably a damn sight more than what we have had in return from the past few seasons. Of course 17 of them have come from Kevin Nolan which has helped improve that figure, but despite the criticism that has been aimed at them from time to time they have chipped in with their fair share of assists aswell. After all, strikers need service from somewhere, right? (more…)
Looking and feeling a little rusty in the middle?The previous review of the current squad, took a look at the Newcastle defence, an area that this season we’ve been surprisingly strong in, given our poor reputation in recent years.
Today’s review looks at arguably the fulcrum of a successful team, the midfield, the place that could and should control a game and dictate the style of play. Our midfield this season has been very much part of a strong defensive ethos, and while we have grafters in there, we’re also lacking some natural creativity and pace.
Looking at the current crop, it really makes you pine for some of our former midfielders who have graced the hallowed St James’ turf in the last couple of decades. Reminisce about the grace of French wingers David Ginola and Laurent Robert. Recall the guts, determination and drive of Robert Lee and Gary Speed. Consider the guile we had in Emre, albeit fleetingly, and the sheer brilliance of Nobby Solano. Even having pure pace a la James Milner, Keith Gillespie to worry the opposition. You can even look at some of the less popular characters. We would kill for the pace of Kieron Dyer and dare I say, I could forgive Jermaine Jenas. Possibly even Damien Duff is a big miss? Maybe that’s stretching it…
Anyway, that was the past, what about the present? (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…)
