Needs more games?Cold, damp and pretty miserable, and that was just my fatha. Well no actually, the weather did a good impersonation of mid-December (or else I’m just getting auld). And the first half of the Newcastle vs Hartlepool reserve match sort of felt a bit sorry for itself at times. But with the news that Fabrice Pancrate would be gettin a trial run-out in tonights game and Peter Lovenkrands would be getting some much-needed match fitness, the gate was somewhat swelled by it’s usual numbers and the atmosphere was quite vibrant.
Starting off the night by heading to The Strawberry from work, I realised it had been a while since I’d been in for a pint. It might be my last for a while, judging by the funny looks I got from the regulars looking over my shoulder as I opened my IPhone to browse the blog and discovered picture after picture of naked men. ‘Summat funny about him’ the look said, so I finished off my Babycham and headed to the East Stand.
Eagerly grabbing my A4 teamsheet, I sat down to study the first eleven and realised I only knew half of the team. What happened to the reserves being for first teamers down on their luck? It’s not really ‘the stiffs’ anymore is it? Anyway, some ‘Poolies’ behind me, were inferring that it was a strong eleven that they had out, so our youngsters seemed set to face a stern test. (more…)
Chris Hughton's roman emperor look.Although much criticism has been levelled at the communication skills of our erstwhile Owner and Managing Director, it isn’t an accusation that could be made about Newcastle United manager, Chris Hughton, recently. The quiet man turned up the volume slightly since his permanent appointment, with the ammunition of recovering from a recent mini-slump and being at the top of the league after 16 games.
Speaking on the team’s fairly recent rocky patch (a couple of defeats preceded by a pair of lacklustre draws), Toon’s Cockney Colossus said:
“I think expectations had got higher and higher after our start to the season, but the little slump was a timely reality check. It reminded everyone that we are not going to simply walk this division. We are not going to run away with it.”
“We have a six-point cushion again and that is good, but we have to maintain our recent form. We have seen how difficult this division is now because we didn’t know too much about it before we actually got into the games. If you look at the season so far, everyone is taking points off each other. (more…)
Plenty in reserve!There are plenty of things going at St James’ Park at the moment. Some of them have an indirect effect on events on the pitch, and others slightly more direct. One of those which is plainly obvious to some of us, is the direct effect the exclusion of Nile Ranger is having on Newcastle’s first team affairs.
Surely it’s no coincidence that the last three games have been relatively fruitless as the young striker has sat as a frustrated spectator on the bench?
Of course, the beginning of Ranger’s end as a regular starter was the QPR game, and ironically the new boy’s arrival and his replacement that day, Marlon Harewood, came on to grab a valuable equaliser. But since then, Harewood has had more involvement and along with Carroll and Lovenkrands have occupied the front position(s), leaving Ranger with the odd ten minutes at the end.
It’s easy to be quite literal and say Ranger hasn’t actually scored but for me, Ranger offers far more than the other strikers and is more valuable overall. I’ve waxed lyrical before about his attributes but it has been glaringly obvious that his movement, desire and ability to bring people into the game are sorely missed. And he has already proved, once he breaks his duck he will almost undoubtedly score goals for fun. (more…)
Hughton making the most of itWe waited with bated breath, following weeks of anticipation, even though the outcome was almost inevitable. Despite rumours of several incoming loans and transfers, today’s 5pm transfer deadline passed with only one addition to the squad and undoubtedly the biggest positive most fans took from today was that it appears that we managed to keep hold of everyone currently signed on.
Peter Lovenkrands proved to be the only body we managed to get on board before the summer transfer window slammed shut. Opinions of Lovenkrands are fairly high, ranging from those who think he’s canny squad player to others who think he will set The Championship alight. I’m at neither end of the spectrum but I suspect he will get more joy at this level than he did in The Premiership.
The problem is, that he represents what’s wrong with this football club, like they’re making it up as they go along. It seems both we and Lovenkrands flirted with the idea of a longer contract but could never agree and yet we had to go back, cap in hand because the situation was so dire that we had few other options. He’s a good option, no doubt, but it’s frightening that’s he so far the sum total of all our transfers-in activity. And how much has Hughton been kept in the loop as his public statements have cried out to the board to signal the arrival of new recruits while at least his pleas to stave off the sale of anymore of the current squad presumably were honoured. Who knows what ideas Hughton had and how many of the names mentioned in the public domain were on his wishlist? (more…)
