Black and White Toon

Being Cheeky

2012-01-05T23:21:00.002Z

Hello, I tried this once before and it worked superbly so i thought I'd have another go.

Unfortunately this blog has pretty much fallen away over the last 12 months due to job and family commitments but I am relaunching my writing career with a book.

The topic focuses on what makes a club a 'big' club and, without giving to much away looks for a way to resolve the issue once and for all. As Newcastle fans we've long been the centre of this age-old debate, with our inability to bring home silverware regularly being contrasted with our fantastic support as others try to determine whether we are a 'big' club or not. In fact I've got a whole chapter on it!

Anyway, to the point in hand: research.

If you could all put aside your bias to one side and fill out this short survey it'd be a great help to an aspiring writer.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9GPB6J3

First 100 respondents get a lifetime of love and respect from yours truly.

Thank-you all.

HTL.

TOONPEDIA: Newcastle Utd 5 - 0 Manchester Utd

2011-01-10T12:00:00.002Z

Premier League --- 20 / 10 / 1996 --- St. James' Park

As fans flooded into St. James' Park on a cold October night everyone to a man knew they were going to see something special.

The defending champions came to town having not conceded a goal in nine hours and nine minutes of football, with the seemingly unbeatable frame of Peter Schmeichel the keystone of an impressive United back line.

Kevin Keegan's 'Entertainers' couldn't boast such an impressive defensive record but their 'score-one-more-than-you' attitude had put them on a run of six league wins and the Magpies were in no mood to lie down for Alex Ferguson's side. The Toon were a wounded animal, having thrown away a supposedly unassailable twelve point lead over the Red Devils the previous season and then been thrashed four-nil at Wembley in the Charity Shield by the same team at the start of this one, revenge was the dish of the day.

Keegan's men had their pride on the line, they didn't want to win, they wanted to make a statement and avenge the mistakes of the previous term.

Newcastle were out of the traps in a flash and had an early reward when Alan Shearer nodded David Ginola's corner back across the box to the waiting Darren Peacock. The ball bobbled into the goal and despite Denis Irwin's clearance and Schmeichel's protests the goal was given and the Toon were ahead.

There was no arguing with the second goal of the game as Ginola produced a memorable strike to double the lead. The Frenchman received the ball on the edge of the box and with his back to goal he shouldered off Gary Neville to make half a yard and unleashed a vicious strike that rocketed into the net.

The second half continued in much the same vein when the irrepressible Shearer smashing the post before Nicky Butt and David Batty were booked for trying to smash each other. Shearer's influence was plain for all to see and he set up Newcastle's third after finding space on the right flank, sprinting past Irwin and knocking back a pin-point cross for Les Ferdinand who's headed effort pin-balled off bar and post before settling in the net.

Newcastle were away and weren't going to be caught. Shearer got a deserved goal of his own in the 70th minute starting and finishing a move that proved Newcastle's attacking nature. A magnificent double save from Schmeichel may have been enough to thwart most teams but with Newcastle's embarrassment of attacking riches there was always going to be someone to tap the ball into the net and this time it was the Geordie number nine.

St. James' Park was in awe of the performance they had seen from their team but what they were unaware what they were to see next would become an iconic image of both their club and of the Premier League. Defender Phillipe Albert picked up the ball in the centre of the pitch and dashed towards the box. Schmeichel took a step forward and Albert sent an audacious chip goalwards, leaving the Danish keeper rooted to the spot as a packed house were sent into ecstasy.

The game has been refereed to as Keegan's greatest managerial achievement and it seemed the manager agreed, resigning from his position a couple of months later stating he believed he had taken the club as far as he could.

Alex Ferguson blamed jet lag and then bizarrely claimed his side were unlucky not to score five of their own but things weren't to get much better for the Manchester United manager as his side lost 6-2 to Southampton in the very next game.

Newcastle were unable to capitalise on their memorable victory as they finished second to Manchester United for the second successive season but did, in the process, qualify for the debut season in UEFA's rebranded European Cup, the Champions League.

References
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1172309/
http://www.freewebs.com/nufcuk/history.htm
http://www.cs.le.ac.uk/people/nghani/etreport.html
http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/on-this-day-in-history-october-20
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK4wFKYtipo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995%E2%80%9396_in_English_football
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996%E2%80%9397_in_English_football#Premier_League
TOONPEDIA ARTICLE #3

Reality Cheick

2011-01-09T11:00:00.012Z

Remember Wednesday? Wednesday was a good day. Yesterday wasn't Wednesday. Yesterday was Saturday. Saturday wasn't a good day.

After showing their Best against West Ham in midweek, Newcastle were brought brutally back to Earth with a crushing defeat to League Two Stevenage Borough in the FA Cup Third Round on Saturday.

Newcastle never looked good enough to see off a superb Stevenage side who totally outclassed a side sitting a mere 74 league places above them, and thoroughly deserved their 3-1 win.

More bad news came in the shape of a red card for midfield powerhouse Cheick Tiote, who could have little complaint at his dismissal for a flying lunge, that will now see him miss next weekend's massive Tyne-Wear derby.

The Magpies have been frustratingly inconsistent all season, as just a fleeting glance at our results shows. A home loss to Blackpool was followed by a Ben Arfa inspired win away at Everton. A 4-3 league cup win over the champions at Stamford Bridge was followed by defeat at home to Stoke City while our win away at Arsenal was followed up by another home defeat, this time at the hands of Blackburn Rovers.

It was shaping up to be a good weekend at about five o'clock yesterday evening after both Sunderland and Middlesbrough had crashed out of the cup to lower league opposition. Yet, instead of cruising into the fourth round we compounded those defeats and rounded off a bitterly poor weekend for North East football.

After defeat at Spurs I said there was no need for Toon fans to panic, and I would reiterate those claims today. Yes the banter will be nearly unbearable at work on Monday morning and no the media will never miss a chance to drag up footage of this game as an example of the 'magic of the cup' but that's football and occasionally you have to take one on the chin.

The bigger picture shows us sitting eighth in the league and, as I've already mentioned, with some impressive performances under our belts. What we do need to do is add a little more quality to our squad and maybe show a couple of players the door. Alan Smith looked a shadow of the man who captained the side for much of last season and James Perch, whilst admittedly out of position, isn't good enough to cover for Jose Enrique.

On the plus side Tim Krul again looked like a good reserve keeper, pulling of a superb save in the first half of the match, but has now gone seven games without a clean sheet. In contrast Steve Harper kept two in a row after his return from injury and perfectly illustrated the difference between a first-teamer and a reserve player.

That said, the team that Alan Pardew sent out was one that should've strolled past the League Two side, a centre back we paid £10 million for in Colo, a striker fresh from a SJP hat-trick in Leon Best and a midfield duo who are being mentioned in the same sentences as the words 'England' and 'squad' in the shape of Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton.

Pards' excuse for the game was tiredness, saying his players were "running on empty", but I don't want excuses. I don't even want an apology. I just want a performance to show the players were hurt and a result that can make me forget about this defeat.

You don't often get such a quick chance to make amends, but that is exactly what the players will have when they take the short trip to Sunderland next weekend.

The Toon will have to be at their very best when they take on a Sunderland side who have plenty to prove to their own fans after their crushing defeat at SJP in October, as well as suffering an equally embarrassing cup exit yesterday, losing at home to a team that usually wear black and white stripes.

I'm taking that as a sign, and you can't stop me.

One In, One Out?

2011-01-05T13:22:00.000Z

Newcastle United have confirmed the permanent signing of French winger Hatem Ben Arfa from Marseille, but the biggest transfer story involving the club revolves around a potential exit.

Twenty-three-year-old Ben Arfa becomes Alan Pardew's first signing since stepping into the role of Newcastle manager but the leg work for this transfer was done long before the current Toon boss came into the frame.

The Frenchman took no time at all to become a Geordie favourite while on loan this season, smashing the winner on his full debut against Everton back in September. The winger suffered a devastating leg break against Manchester City but the Magpies have decided to complete his permanent transfer and fans will be desperate for the exciting youngster's return.

More concerning news emanates form Sky Sports who claim the club have knocked back an approach from Tottenham for eleven-goal top scorer Andy Carroll. There has been no news on potential figures but it is believed that the club have informed Spurs the player is not for sale at any price.

Personally, no amount of money could replace Carroll, who has developed into a talismanic part of the team. And the Newcastle fontline would be much less of a threat without the 21-year-old England striker.

In a lengthy statement last year the Newcastle board set out their stall with regards to transfers, with one of the main points of the document being that Newcastle would not be a selling club. They also stated that they would, when possible, be looking to promote players from within our youth system.

The statement read, "The days when players such as Alan Shearer, Steve Bruce, Peter Beardsley and Michael Carrick had to leave Newcastle to begin their illustrious football careers elsewhere are over. Newcastle United is more than aware of the great passion for the game of football that exists locally and is intent on ensuring that every great Geordie footballer has the opportunity to play for his home team club."

Carroll is one of the few shining lights to have come through our youth system in recent years and if this statement is to be followed I would be surprised and disappointed to see Carroll leave for anything other than a very hefty fee.

That said you just never do know with our club. We've had a reported interest for some time in the out-of-favour Spurs men Robbie Keane and David Bentley, and the North London club may try to tempt us with a player-plus-cash deal.

Even with those two in the mix I'd be reluctant to do any business that resulted in Carroll leaving the club. After Chris Hughton's disgraceful sacking it could just be the last straw for many a Toon fan should our No. 9 move South.

War Of The Worlds

2011-01-01T17:00:00.003Z

Taking reference from the comments on my latest post it seems our recent trip to North London may have upset a few of the Spurs supporters.

The matter in contention being Newcastle's, shall we say, robust style of play. It's a point opposition fans have raised to me before, most notably the case of my former housemate. The Loyal Royal was less than impressed with how we went about dismantling his boys at the Madejski but I put the moaning down to jealousy and fear that we were closing in on Reading's coveted 106 point record.

However since the argument has once again raised it's head I felt it was time to tackle the issue head on. It's that old argument of playing effective football at the expense of good football.

There is no denying Spurs play much more attractive football than ourselves but it's much easier to play attractive football with the likes of Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon and Rafael van der Vaart in your team. Every successful team has to play to their strengths and when you look at our three best players, Carroll, Nolan and Barton, their strengths are, their strength.

Whatever the reason it's led to a relative war of the footballing Worlds.

The thing that gets me is how if it's happening to your team you hate it, but if your team hand are handing it out it's passed off as good old fashioned football. Spurs fans may have been 'outraged' at the brutality of our midfield but have Spurs fans not cheered when Wilson 'The General' Palacios crunches through the back of someone? Every team does it, and you can't have it both ways.

Lest we forget we have been on the receiving end of plenty of the rough stuff this season. Remember the relentless abuse dished out by Wolves on Joey Barton? When the Daily Mail started their match report with the line, 'Karl Henry spent 90 minutes smashing Joey Barton all over the Wolves pitch.'

I don't expect Joey to recieve much sympathy but he's not the only member of our squad to take a battering. Andy Carroll suffers much the same abuse from defenders as Peter Crouch and yet most referees wave away the protests, because he's a big lad. Then the worst happened when Hatem Ben Arfa became Nigel De Jong's latest victim back in October, suffering a double leg break.

To be honest I've never had a problem with roughing up your opponents, I'd much rather stay up playing bad football than go down playing well and in a physical game injuries will happen, you just have to accept it and move on.

I hate to label certain teams like this but reputations are earned for a reason and Stoke, Blackburn and Bolton (pre-Coyle) have all made direct football work for them. All these teams have set a base and then attempted to bring in a flair player or two to give them that edge, Elmander at Bolton, Pennant at Stoke etc.

Newcastle obviously identified this as the best way to stay up and brought in the brute force of Cheick Tiote and the raw talent of Ben Arfa. With the Frenchman's unfortunate leg-break we've reverted to type, get the ball in the box and let Andy do the rest.

At the end of the day, of course I would love to have a Bale-like player ripping teams apart single-handed, but if we're still a Premiership team when August comes around, it doesn't bother me too much what the football is like until then.

But, maybe that's just me.

Don't Lose Your Head

2010-12-28T20:19:00.003Z

Newcastle suffered their second successive defeat of the Christmas period as ten-man Tottenham comfortably completed a two-nil win.

Spurs wing wizard proved too good for the Toon as a Gareth Bale wonder goal compounded Aaron Lennon's earlier strike to see of the Geordies. Tottenham were shown their second straight red card in two games when Younes Kaboul inexcusably headbutted Cheick Tiote in the second half.

Even against ten men the Toon looked toothless in attack, missing the influence of suspended captain Kevin Nolan, and the crosses of Joey Barton, who had moved into the middle from the right flank to play the Nolan role.

Alan Pardew has suffered something of a reality check after an impressive 3-1 win over Liverpool in his first game in charge with defeats against Manchester City and now Spurs but there really isn't any need to panic.

We must remember we are a newly promoted side and that survival is the main aim. Despite two straight defeats we still sit four points above the dreaded drop-zone and have upcoming fixtures against relegation fodder Wigan and West Ham.

These are the games we need to concentrate on, and if we can play like we did against Man City (minus the first five minutes) we will get points out of these games. Against the citizens we were unlucky not to come away with a point, even with a shocking first five minutes. We ran all day and produced chances to score, let's just hope the players are rightly motivated.

Therefore I am reserving judgement on our position and our manager until the 16th January, by which time we will have beaten Wigan and West Ham, advanced past a plucky Stevenage in the FA Cup and completed a magnificent double over the great unwashed.

On the other hand, what if that doesn't happen...?

Sleeping With The Enemy

2010-12-28T13:29:00.003Z

Don't judge me, I've become a media whore.

After being approached by good friend and Young Blogger of the Year Award nominee Mark Tilley I couldn't resist playing the role of Newcastle 'expert' in a candid interview, ahead of our imminent visit to North London.

I've been an avid follower of Mark's excellent Tottenham Blog since it's inception a couple of years ago and even though I'm obviously not a Spurs fan, his insightful and comedic comments are always worth a read.

Check it out now. Oh, and check out comment number one from the highly likeable 'SpursJon', giving football fans everywhere a good name.

Should Toon Break Policy For Petrov?

2010-06-08T14:29:00.005+01:00

Newcastle have made it clear in recent statements that they are only interested in bringing in players of the younger generation, but they do say you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

I'm all for nurturing young talent and I definitely don't want to see the likes of Peter Beardsley, Steve Bruce, Alan Shearer and Michael Carrick slip through our fingers at youth level again, but I've always felt a successful team needs a blend of youth and experience.

On that note, Manchester City have announced that they will be releasing a trio of experienced players when they're contracts run out, they include former Mackem loanee Benjani, Brazilian full-back Sylvinho and most interestingly of all, Bulgarian winger Martin Petrov.

Chris Hughton has very recently ruled himself out of any race for the signatures of Sol Campbell, Jimmy Bullard and Andy O'Brien, presumably citing age as one of the main factors against any transfer but there's something about two of this City trio that caught my eye.

First things first, Benjani is not a player worthy of out time, despite a good season with Portsmouth a few years ago he has failed to shine since his move to Eastlands. Not to mention the fact he is basically ruled out of a move due to association with the great unwashed.

However Sylvinho and Petrov could offer something to the cause at St. James'. Both well versed in the Premier League as well as having a good knowledge of the Spanish leagues which would make bonding with players such as Jonas, Colo and Jose Enrique fairly easy.

Thirty-six year old Sylvinho could offer some cover in the left-back position this season, and help improve Enrique with his experience, not to mention what he could offer to young Tamas Kadar.

Petrov could play a more involved role in the first team, only a year ago he was being linked with Tottenham and Aston Villa before being convinced to stay on at City by Mark Hughes. Surely he can still offer something to a Premier League team such as ourselves with his pacy runs and an eye for goal.

I wouldn't expect the Bulgarian to oust Spidey from the starting line up, but he could provide cover on the left flank which we are seriously lacking whenever Jonas has been unavailable. I mean does anybody really think the left wing is the best place for Danny Guthrie?

One issue remains; wages. I doubt these players would come dirt cheap but as long as there isn't a major fight for their signature we could perhaps convince them to sign on for a year at as little as £20k a week. A big offer from the likes of newly promoted Blackpool wouldn't be the biggest surprise in the world but perhaps the lure of playing in front of 52,000 fans a week could just seal the deal.

At the end of the day we're going to need players this season. With the likes of Nicky Butt and Fabrice Pancrate already confirming their departure from the club, the more players we can get in for free the better, especially if there as talent as Petrov.

Take a look below if you're still unconvinced, you might remember the first goal.

A Kit of Alright - First Images of New Puma Shirts

2010-05-24T13:28:00.009+01:00

One of the most hotly anticipated days of the (off)season, for myself at least, has finally arrived. It's kit day!

A number of sites are reporting that two leaked images of both a brand new home and away shirt are in fact the genuine articles, and I'd be inclined to agree.

Being the obsessive that I am when it comes to new kits I've been trawling numerous websites for weeks now waiting to see our prospective new kits. In the process I've seen leaked pictures of every team's new kit, from Manchester United to Accrington Stanley and the one thing that seems to ring true is that when these images are 'leaked' they turn out to be genuine.

We've known for some time that Adidas are out and Puma are in, one website in particular found it amusing we'd be wearing a black cat on our shirts for the next two years.

First impressions of the new designs are that whilst somewhat uninspired, they are thankfully much less offensive than last seasons legendary away kit. The main topic of conversation seems to be the unusual cut of the neck but personally I like a bit of originality.

We clearly weren't quite as high a priority for Puma as some clubs and I for one am disappointed not to have seen a design similar to that of the rumoured new Tottenham shirt.

Still though, what do you guys think? Better or worse than the last set, or just a different logo?

"Take the gumshield, Chris."

2010-05-14T16:13:00.008+01:00

It may not be difficult to take the Michael out of the Premier League's overpaid and often underachieving 'stars' but what is something of a rarity is to consistently get people laughing.

Mysterious Spurs fan, tehTrunk, has gathered something of a cult following on the interweb with his mock animations of the goings on at White Hart Lane. Living with a Spurs fan means I've been a fan of his for some time and you can imagine my joy when I heard that this week the North Londoners have drawn Newcastle in the cup.

No one escapes a tongue lashing at Spurs and they've kept the same modus operandi as they take on Newcastle with Hughton, Jabba and even the great Alan Shearer getting the treatment. Take a look at the video below.

Oh and remember, it's only a joke!

Making A Statement

2010-05-13T12:00:00.000+01:00

It's been a busy week for everyone. So much so for myself that I've barely been able to keep up with all the nonsense coming out of St. James' Park.

On Sunday, Newcastle released a statement outlining the future for the club that seemed to address the press, the fans, the players, their agents and just about anyone else who holds any interest in the Toon. As if that wasn't enough, a second statement was released to add the little fact that our esteemed owner was in no rush to have his £111 million loan to the club repaid. To be fair, it's an easy thing to forget.

The media were thrown into a frenzy when the original statement was released as it revealed that nobody on the Newcastle board would be willing to say anything about anything. Not now, not ever. Ironically, something the second statement seemed to almost immediately contradict.

Apparently the press believed this was a bad thing which of course it is, for them. The news makers have had more than their fair share of fun with quotes from former chairman such as when the ignominious Freddy Shepherd once claimed the manager's position at the club was one of the top five job's in Europe.

In reality this is a good thing for Newcastle fans, after all no news is good news, right? The infamous statement also said that only the manager and the coaching staff would comment on football matters, such as selection, tactics and transfers. Again, definitely good news.

The biggest talking point from the statement was by far the subject of transfer funds. The Sun and The Mirrror conveniently forgot stories they ran just a few days ago that claimed Chris Hughton would have between 15 and 25 million pounds to spend this summer, to report that he would in fact have nothing.

Once again they had read between the lines and found something that wasn't there. When we take a look at what the statement actually said, it read like this.

"The first team squad that won the Championship this year will form the basis of the team for next season in the Premier League. There is no plan for new capital outlay on players."

To me this says that the board haven't handed Hughton a blank cheque and sent him out into the world. Instead they've asked him to be prudent and make the most of what he's got, which isn't to big a surprise in a week when we've found out that the Toon have suffered £30 million losses in succesive seasons and, despite promotion back to the Premier League, don't expect to break even until 2015.

I never expected us to go chasing big names this summer, or even little names with big prices and this statement seems to have confirmed that feeling, but I do believe that Hughton will be backed if he believes a player is truly worth their price tag. As he was with both Wayne Routledge and Mike Williamson in January.

Let's not forget we signed just one player last summer and that was a man who had been with us during the back end of the previous season, in Peter Lovenkrands. Yes, it is definitely a different task going up a league than going down one but there is no denying this group of players is almost completely different to those that were relegated.

It's certainly not the same Kevin Nolan and Alan Smith that fumbled around the Villa Park pitch on that fateful day and Andy Carroll has discovered something of a clinical touch after a season in the second tier.

Team spirit has propelled us this season and I believe that is the most important thing at the club right now. I'm not too bothered who comes in because I genuinely believe we already have a squad capable of staying up.

You can quote me on that.

A Job Well Ton

2010-05-02T16:15:00.005+01:00

A Peter Lovenkrands goal was enough to see of ten man QPR at Loftus Road and round off the season in style.

The Toon smashed through the 100 point barrier and became the first team to do so for four seasons, and just the fourth team in history to make such a total at this level.

But reaching the magical mark isn't just something to look back on in a few years and be proud of but is a symbol of how far this group of players has come this season.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the turnaround has been nothing short of magnificent. From the form and attitude of individuals to the spirit of the whole team, it's strange to think that largely the same group of players could perform so differently.

The biggest transformations have been seen in the performances of Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll. Seventeen league goals each and over ninety games between them this season have seen the two become talismanic players in the Newcastle line-up.

But it's not just the players that were relegated that proved their worth to the club. The signings Hughton made in January have more than done their job too. Wayne Routledge has scored three goals and created another seven in his sixteen appearances for the Toon, while Mike Williamson has become a mainstay in the back-line since his move from Portsmouth.

Saving the best 'till last of course means it's time for Chris Hughton to receive some praise. A man who had previously taken charge of two caretaker spells at the club was some way down the list of possible managers for many fans and yet now I worry about where we'd have been without him.

His ability to take the sting out of the media's attentions and get the player's in the right frame of mind with his laid back style of management has worked a treat for the Toon. A less than inspiring pre-season was soon forgotten when he won three of the first four Manager of the Month awards.

Hughton picked up his fourth award of the season this week when he was announced the top manager for April. The ever-modest manager saluted the whole team when he picked up his latest accolade.

Hughton said, "It's been a great month which has seen us secure promotion and the title but these awards are for everyone because it has been a real team effort from day one."

So that's that for the Toon, time to get ready for a return to the ~~horrors~~ glitz and glamour of the Premier League, we may not enjoy a season as much as this one for some time.

New Season Sales

2010-04-27T19:10:00.005+01:00

This summer contains a major tournament or what many professional footballers refer to as a 'shop window', so let's hope Chris Hughton's got his chequebook handy.

The rumour mill has started already with Hughton linked to a move for long term target
Erik Huseklepp, a star for Norwegian side SK Brann. Let's hope the rumours are true and we get our shopping done early.

It is well known that careers can be built on a good couple of games at a major tournament, particularly the World Cup. Every club manager in the world will be watching the tournament hoping to pick a diamond out the rough, the only problem is that a good tournament can often add a zero or two to the end of a price tag.

Most recently Andrey Arhavin's performances for Russia at Euro 2008 gave him the choice of Europe's elite clubs before he eventually sealed a £15 million move to Arsenal. It was written at the time of his transfer to the Gunners that Arshavin could probably have moved for somewhere in the region of £8m prior to the tournament but his sparkling form on the world stage.

It would certainly be a good idea to do our shopping before the tournament and not only for financial reasons.

Ironically I believe our lack of transfer movement last summer helped produce an incredibly strong bond between the players and was undoubtedly responsible for the spirit we have seen from the team all season.

The players had all summer to think about what had happened and only a few escaped Tyneside after relegation. Getting new faces in early would see the whole squad bond over the entire preseason schedule, much like what happened last summer.

However let's not forget some players may leave Tyneside too. A good tournament from Jonas or Colo could turn heads and at the end of the day money talks, and a big offer for either would likely see them shipped towards the exits.

One player who seems set to leave SJP this summer is Steven Taylor after his infamous 'Jawgate' bust up with Andy Carroll. However it perhaps won't be to Spanish giants Barcelona as one online publication suggested, oh and the swap for Carles Puyol, what have you been drinking?

Home Sweet Home

2010-04-24T17:17:00.012+01:00

Newcastle secured an unbeaten home season as they drew with Ipswich. In fact the Tractor boys' point is only the fifth point to leave St. James all season as the season to remember rolls on.

Ipswich somewhat spoilt the party atmosphere on Tyneside with Jonathan Walters stoppage time equaliser but at the end of the day the Magpies can be immensely proud of what they have achieved.

There have been many great moments to look back on with the season starting brightly at St. James'. The opening day's creditable 1-1 draw with West Brom was well and truly put in the shade as Shola Ameobi announced himself as a genuine threat.

Two headers and a penalty gave Shola his first career hat-trick and instantly transformed himself in the eyes of many a Toon fan.

USE YOUR HEAD: Ameobi scores the second of his three goals against Reading

Lovenkrands cup hat-trick against Plymouth, and the 5-1 and 6-1 thrashings of Cardiff and Barnsley respectively also sit in the mind rather nicely as does the feeling of pride I held when Newcastle twice fought back to a draw against a confident West Brom side in mid-January. The result kept us six points clear of the Baggies at the time and in the context of the season was a massive point.

But nothing can trump the memory of Jose Enrique's goal against Nottingham Forest. The Spaniard's strike pushed Newcastle an unassailable 13 points clear of Forest in the race for promotion and was unofficially the moment we returned to the Premier League.

At the time I spoke about the visible relief from the the men in black and white as the team celebrated with a ten man bundle on top of the full-back and ever since that goal today has seemed inevitable.

BREATHTAKING: Enrique admitted he couldn't breathe during this celebration

There is one more target for the Magpies as they make their final trip of the season to Loftus Road next week to face QPR. A single point will take the Toon to 100 for the season and put them amongst the best ever Championship teams.

But today, as the Newcastle players gather in the centre of the St. James' Park pitch and lift the league trophy high above their heads, they can rest assured they've done their fans proud.

Everybody's Talking About It

2010-04-20T17:45:00.006+01:00

Job done. Newcastle secured the Championship title with a confident two-nil win over Plymouth Argyle, condemning the south coast club to relegation in the process.

Despite the title looking like a formality for some time it was more than relieving to wrap it up last night. The Magpies performances this season have got people talking about the club for all the right reasons once again.

Henry Winter welcomed the Toon Army back to the top flight with open arms on his Twitter account. The respected journalist tweeted, "Shows devotion of Newcastle fans that 2,000+ schlepped to Plymouth to see Champ secured. Prem will be a better, noisier place with Toon back."

Midfield star Kevin Nolan wanted to make sure his team got the respect they deserved for the job they've done. After the title clinching win over Plymouth Nolan told the press, "Everyone is now saying it is easy and we should have done it, but at the beginning of the season, we weren't favourites to win this league, we weren't favourites to even go up automatically, so it just shows what we have done."

Tim Herbert wrote of Newcastle's victory in The Guardian, "The final whistle prompted a black and white pitch invasion and the Green Army admirably swallowed the pain of relegation to applaud the best team in the division."

The final word goes to our victorious manager, Chris Hughton, "It’s an incredibly proud moment for me, it’s been a long and tough season but nights like that make it worthwhile."

Ash Is To Blame, Again

2010-04-19T13:48:00.004+01:00

Yes once again Ash is to blame for unfortunate circumstances on Tyneside, but it's not perhaps the 'Ash' you would've thought.

This time it's well out of Big Mike's hands as the volcanic eruptions in Iceland have forced the Magpies to take the coach on what just happens to be their longest journey of the season.

The players embarked on the fourteen hour, 800 mile round trip to the south coast on Sunday afternoon, with the aim of securing the league title. A single point will be enough to put Newcastle clear of West Brom and secure a championship that has looked to be in the bag for some time.

Toon chief Chris Hughton is less than worried by the trip and has pointed to the team's spirit to keep them occupied for the journey.

Hughton told nufc.co.uk, "Yes, it's not ideal, but we will be doing everything we can to make sure it doesn't affect our preparations for the game.

"But it's just as well our lads get on well and have got a good team spirit because it is a very long journey."

Fabricio Coloccini will not be making the journey after being ruled out for the remainder of the season but could be replaced by the fit again Fitz Hall.

Shola Ameobi Piles On The Pounds

2010-04-12T23:06:00.008+01:00

The good people at NUST have got their sticky mits on a signed Newcastle United shirt and decided to auction it off to one of you lucky people!

The strip belongs to none other than Toon hitman Shola Ameobi and has been signed by the entire first team squad, but the best news yet is that NUST have promised to donate 100% of the proceeds to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

The shirt was worn in the memorable 2-1 victory over Sheffield United at SJP as Newcastle secured their return to the top flight of English football.

I expected a couple of hundred pounds to be raised but it turns out my pockets are nowhere near deep enough. The current bid for this historic item is at an astonishing £1,070! If you can afford it you can make a bid here but if you can't, why not donate whatever you can to this worthy cause.

--- UPDATE ---
This item was sold for an astonishing £4,800. Thanks Toon Army.

Apologies In Advance

2010-04-12T15:14:00.006+01:00

In a shameless plug I am requesting readers of this blog to do me a huge favour.

Being the useless and ill-prepared student that I am I suddenly realised you need research to write a dissertation. Mine is, as you would probably expect, about football. More specifically about football replacing religion in society. If you could fill in this 60 second survey I would forever be indebted to you and will instantly return to writing about Newcastle United. You know, after the dissertation anyways.

Thanks to everyone that has the heart to click on the link below.
I love you.

Football and Religion - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SDSHLC6

Celebrate In Style

2010-04-06T00:03:00.008+01:00

We did it and we celebrated in style. Kevin Nolan's superb overhead kick provided a victory to top off a great day for the Toon.

With promotion assured and a six point gap in the title race, tonight, was a very good night.

Highlights of Monday night's match are here on the BBC Sport website.

Happy Mondays: Newcastle Promoted To Premier League

2010-04-05T19:20:00.005+01:00

It's official, promotion is ours!

With six games to spare Newcastle are assured of an automatic promotion spot thanks to Nottingham Forest's inability to beat Cardiff at home.

In truth promotion has been a near certainty since the season defining 2-0 win over Forest in late March. The scenes of joy and relief were clear for all to see when Jose Enrique fired home the second of the game deep into injury time.

A ten man bundle ensued and ever since that moment the media have referred to us as "promotion-bound".

Still it's a great feeling to have it officially confirmed.

It was bumper bank holiday of good news for the Toon as title rivals West Brom could only draw with lowly Watford. The result sees the Magpies remain three points clear with two games in hand on the Baggies.

A win against Sheffield United later tonight will push the Toon within touching distance of the trophy. The aim for the toon has to be to push on and achieve some simple targets.

Win the League
Remain unbeaten at home
Reach 100 points

Hughton has been able to do a good job of keeping the players heads on the game and the end of season run-in will be no exception.

That said, the promotion party starts here!

A Day To Remember?

2010-04-03T11:55:00.005+01:00

Today could be a memorable day for the young(er) Toon fan such as myself. I'm talking about those with only a vague recollection of the painfully close Premier League campaign of '96.

The boys and girls who have only the briefest memories of our impressive cup runs in '98 and '99 and only had the slightest of glances at our Champions League years because 'Eastenders is on the other side' (I hate my sister for that).

This is the moment that could see Newcastle lift their first trophy since the last time they were at this level in 1992. If Forest should lose today at Bristol City and we can roll over bottom club Peterborough, we'll be guaranteed a return to the Premier League.

My heart says we will and for once my head agrees. Forest have lost their last seven games away from The City Ground, a run that culminated in a two-nil defeat at SJP which almost certainly condemned the Reds search for promotion to the lottery that is the play-offs.

Traveling to Bristol City is not the easiest when you're in good form and the Ashton gate boys will not make it an easy trip for Billy Davies' men.

However let's not get carried away, as I've read many times this week there is still a job to be done. The Baggies comfortable win over Leicester last night showed that they are not going to let up in the race for the title and I believe it's a result that makes promotion today all that more likely.

West Brom's win means Forest currently sit a mammoth twelve points off automatic promotion, a truly painful blow, whilst Albion have closed to within one point of the Toon which should spur on the Magpies to restore a four point gap with victory today.

However if it does all go to plan just remember one thing, enjoy it. It could be a while before we feel this good again.

When Saturday Comes

2010-03-30T01:01:00.020+01:00

Six points. That's all we need.

Two wins will guarantee that Newcastle return to the top flight at the first time of asking, and it's going to feel oh so good.

The win over Nottingham Forest has once again illustrated the incredible leap in both professionalism and determination that this squad has taken since the dark days of last season. Despite dominating the majority of the game the Magpies and their manager refused to panic that the game was still tied, confident their pressure would pay off.

Chris Hughton was forced into removing on-fire top scorer Andy Carroll at the start of the second half but was able to replace him with Shola Ameobi, making his return from injury. The seasoned Toon striker has had an injury hit season but has shown he is a more than capable of scoring goals in this division.

After 70 minutes of goalless football Shola picked up the ball on the edge of the area, created half-a-yard of space and fired the ball into the far corner of the goal, clipping in off the foot of the post before settling in the net. The strike was Ameobi's ninth goal of the season, that may not sound prolific but the 28-year-old has been restricted to just fourteen appearances and has almost certainly missed out on a hatful of goals due to persistent injuries.

The most significant moment in this match came deep into injury time as Jose Enrique secured victory with his first ever goal for the club. As the full-back's strike hit the back of the net St. James' Park erupted with joy as the Toon chalked up a massive victory in the promotion chase.

But the most telling factor that we are almost there were the celebrations from both the players and the manager. Enrique had a grin so wide I'm surprised he managed to get his shirt over his head as he ripped it off before being wrestled to the ground by a delirious Spiderman.

The Spaniard was duly mobbed by his teammates as the cameras caught images of Chris Hughton jumping into the air, before turning to the crowd and signalling his delight with a pump of his fist.

Enrique celebrates his first Toon goal before being mobbed by his teammates

You could feel the relief that gushed out of the team as they screamed in ecstasy. But it was more than that, it was more a feeling of accomplishment that all the hard work of this season has finally paid off with such a big win. We haven't seen celebrations like it all season. Not in the 6-1 thrashing of Barnsley, or the 4-0 win over Ipswich at Portman Road. This was a uniquely raw celebration of pure joy from everyone connected to the club. Even Fat Ash couldn't contain his excitement, he almost looked like he cared...

Promotion, it's in the bag.

It could be confirmed this weekend as we travel to bottom club Peterborough. Should we win against the Posh and Forest lose to Bristol City at Ashton Gate we will be mathematically secured of promotion.

With Forest now on a run of seven straight away defeats and Bristol City a tough place to go to, as we know from experience, it's a major possibility. By close of play this weekend we could once again be a Premier League team.

I wish it was Saturday now.

A Right Royal Result

2010-03-27T20:26:00.003Z

Here's one for you? When is a win not a win? When it's a draw.

Title rivals West Brom stumbled in their promotion push as they missed a golden opportunity to regain top spot from the Toon for the first time in nine games.

The Baggies draw with in-form Reading was just the tonic Newcastle needed to calm their nerves ahead of their crunch game against Nottingham Forest on Monday night. The players now know that even if they should suffer defeat at fortress St. James' they will still retain top spot in the Championship.

Monday's game is a golden opportunity to all-but secure promotion with a win pushing the Toon a massive 13 points clear of third placed Forest, with a game in hand. With just six games left Forest will have a maximum of just 18 points remaining and it would take a collapse of dramatic proportions to see Newcastle fail to secure an automatic promotion slot.

Once promotion is secured they can focus on taking home a trophy and seeing off the resilient Baggies. The men from the Black-country have stuck with Newcastle throughout the course of the season, but with two games in hand the Magpies can give themselves a seven point bumper before tackling the final six games.

However the players must now finish the job. The club has come so far from the heart-breaking final day defeat at Aston Villa last season and learnt harsh lessons along the way. But now we find ourselves within touching distance of the Premier League, an achievement that will mean the squad have well and truly earned their Summer holiday, for once!

It's so close, I can almost taste the inevitable disappointment. HTL.

Have YOUR Say

2010-03-26T18:49:00.005Z

The Newcastle United Supporter's Trust is campaigning for change at SJP with many campaigns such as the 'Yes We Can' project aimed at a supporter owned Newcastle United.

You can have your say in how the trust is run by simply visiting the trust's website and voting in the up coming elections.

Check out the trust and what they have to offer the fans of the mighty Toon!

JAWGATE: The Rumour Mill Is Churning

2010-03-25T00:00:00.007Z

So it's been common knowledge for a while now, Andy Carroll has given Steven Taylor a right royal smack in the mouth.

The puns have been all over the papers with anything from 'Jaw-dropping' to 'Hitman' sitting next to Carroll's smiling mug after he fired home the winner against Doncaster on Tuesday night. And yet, despite the considerable press coverage very few confirmed details about the incident have emerged.

The story that seems to have been accepted as 'truth' revolves around Tayls texting antics with Carroll's ex-girlfriend. Apparently young Andrew was a little upset that Taylor had gone and sent his former love a text message while the team were on an away trip.

Now, in some places the row took place during training, some say it happened after and in one terrifying report it is claimed Carroll attacked Taylor in the car park before the session. For some reason this report cast an image of Carroll lurking behind parked cars before launching a vicious tirade of physical abuse on the defenceless defender.

However perhaps Taylor's not really the victim here, I mean obviously he is physically, but is there any chance the Newcastle Sports Personality of the Year has, ironically, managed to disguise his true personality?

I must stress this is nothing but a rumour but I have heard it from a few different sources. According to some Taylor has something of an attitude problem and it hasn't sat well with the rest of the squad. His efforts to manoeuvre a move to Everton in the summer upset some of the players and big names at the club such as Harper, Butt and Smudge have approached the management with regards to 'helping' Taylor out the door.

Is it true? I don't know.
Is it surprising? Somewhat.
Is it possible? Absolutely.

Tayls has had his jaw wired shut and some reports say Carroll had surgery on his hand, although we saw no bandages last night due to some strategically placed gloves. The club have been so tight lipped on the issue you'd think that it was they who had had their jaw wired shut. However it's not an unprecedented response.

The club stayed deathly silent during the summer when the club was constantly surrounded with questions over the future ownership of the Magpies and it wouldn't surprise me if Mike Ashley chooses to ignore the press in dealing with this incident.

However, let's give him a chance. He's launched an internal inquiry and let's wait and see if that leads to another embarrassing Bow-Dyer like public 'apology' or if they get the slap in the face they both appear to deserve.

Andy Carroll Breaks Steven Taylor's Jaw

2010-03-22T23:48:00.008Z

The Daily Mail is reporting that Newcastle's in-form striker, Andy Carroll, has broken defender Steven Taylor's jaw in a training ground bust-up.

There is no comment so far from the club, manager Chris Hughton or either player involved in the alleged incident.

A broken jaw would almost certainly mean that Taylor would miss the remainder of the season. The former England Under-21 captain had only just returned to training after several months out through injury.

The bust-up is rumoured to be over the difference between the players wages with Taylor's weekly pay estimated to be treble that of Carroll's £10k.

Carroll already has one court date after an alleged assault in a Newcastle nightclub but this incident could prove much more damaging to his future on Tyneside.

The striker's superb form of late, with eight goals in his last nine games, has seen growing claims that he should be handed the coveted No. 9 shirt for next season.

However if the assualt on one of the Toon Army's favourite son's turns out to be true, his Newcastle future may not stretch that far.

Take A Seat, Joey

2010-03-22T15:58:00.006Z

The news coming out of SJP is that Joey Barton is ready for a return to first team action against Doncaster tomorrow night and I don't really know what to make of it.

Barton is undoubtedly a talented player but he has never really lit up the pitch for Newcastle and has failed to really dominate the middle of the park in the way that you often imagine he could.

Should we be happy to be welcoming a bit of strength in depth, or worrying that it could unsettle the squad at the worst time of the season?

I would expect Barton to take a place on the bench for the trip to the Keepmoat but when he it is decided that he is fit to start, who could possibly be dropped from the Newcastle midfield?

Jonas led by example on Saturday evening with his unfaltering work-rate helping to drag the Magpies back into the game at Bristol City. Danny Guthrie has grown into his role in the middle, a position that has always suited him far better than playing wide and Kevin Nolan and Wayne Routledge have become vital to the Toon with their respective abilities to score and create goals.

So what for Joey? A place on the bench is all that seems to fit. His attacking talents have been overshadowed by Nolan's terrific season and his defensive abilities will almost certainly fall second to Smudge, who is expected to be back to face Forest next Monday.

Even Smudge will find it difficult to oust Guthrie in his current form as the former Liverpool man has shown his ability to supply real quality in the final third. Something Carroll and Lovenkrands have thrived on in recent weeks.

There is one way back for Barton. A change back to 4-4-1-1 would make space for Barton in the middle of the park as Kevin Nolan pushes forward to play off Andy Carroll. With Lovenkrands injured and Best not showing his ability it is a real possibility.

However it's not a change I'd welcome. I always prefer playing 4-4-2 and whilst Best is yet to score he has integrated himself well into the side and came within a whisker of opening his account on more than one occasion at Ashton Gate on Saturday.

Last time I wrote a piece about Barton returning for the Toon the headline was Barton's Back With a Bang. At the moment I'd be more than happy if he didn't come back at all.

TOONPEDIA: Newcastle Utd 3 - 2 Barcelona

2010-03-19T08:00:00.007Z

UEFA Champions League --- 17 / 09 / 1997 --- St. James' Park

Newcastle may not have had as many historical and momentous European nights as some clubs but few could predict that their first ever Champions League match would turn out to be one of their most memorable.

After sneaking through the qualifying rounds with an extra-time victory over Croatia Zagreb, Newcastle were promptly drawn in a group that contained Ukranian champions Dynamo Kyiv, who boasted a young striker by the name of Andriy Shevchenko in their team, Dutch side PSV Eindhoven and La Liga runners-up Barcelona.

Having been drawn in the so called 'Group of Death' for their first ever Champions League campaign in the 1997-98 season, the Magpies task was made even more daunting when the fixtures revealed their first game would be against Spanish giants Barcelona.

The Toon had to face a team of living legends that included names such as Luis Enrique, Rivaldo and Luis Figo.

With many people expecting Barcelona to run riot over the European rookies Newcastle walked out to a packed St. James' Park with little pressure on their shoulders. The relaxed atmosphere amongst the Newcastle squad was clear for all to see as winger Keith Gillespie soon put his mark on the game.

The Irishman took the game to the Spanish side and their left-back, and supplied a constant threat with his incisive running and pin-point passing. However there was one man who would forever have his name associated with the fixture, Faustino Asprilla.

The Colombian forward had lit up St. James' with some outstanding displays of flair and trickery which combined with his electric pace had struck fear into the hearts of many a Premier League defender.

It was Faustino's pace that allowed him to make the incisive breakthrough for Newcastle in the first half, latching onto a through-ball before knocking the ball past the Barca 'keeper and winning a penalty.

Legendary official Pierluigi Collina pointed to the spot and the Colombian picked himself off the floor to take the spot-kick. The South American hitman calmed his nerves and readied himself to take the spot-kick, only to be ordered to re-spot the ball by the Italian referee. However even this couldn't sway Tino's focus as he firmly struck the ball home and give the Magpies a lead in the 22nd minute.

But it was to get better for Asprilla and Newcastle when Gillespie beat his man down the right-flank before delivering a dangerous cross to the edge of the six yard box. Tino lost his man and rose highest to head home his and his club's second of the night before half-time.

In the second half Newcastle weathered a storm from the Spanish side before Gillespie picked the ball up in his own half and started on another thrilling run down the flank. A quick burst of pace saw him beat the defender and leave him for dead as he advanced towards the penalty area before delivering another divine cross for Asprilla to head home in a carbon copy of Newcastle's second.

Asprilla wasn't the only one doing somersaults as every member of the Toon Army celebrated an incredible result. The hat-trick ball went to Tino and despite a fight back from Barcelona, that saw Luis Enrique and Luis Figo grab a goal each for the visitors, Newcastle saw out the game and picked up a historic victory.

The game remains fresh in the minds of many a Newcastle fan as one of the greatest nights in Newcastle's history and the performance of a certain Colombian means his name will forever be synonymous with European nights at St. James' Park.

References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcelona_FC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997%E2%80%9398_UEFA_Champions_League
http://www.uefa.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierluigi_Collina
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5336303159400842544#
http://www.nufc.com/2009-10html/unitedvallopp.html
http://www.nufc.com/html/robert-info.html

TOONPEDIA ARTICLE #2

"Are you in or are you out?"

2010-03-15T21:00:00.002Z

Chris Hughton has certainly got his players well trained on Tyneside after not just one, but two came out to praise the Newcastle manager in recent days.

First up was newly crowned Championship player of the year Kevin Nolan, who thanked the gaffer (along with just about everyone else) during his acceptance speech. "I am delighted to pick this up and I want to thank my team-mates, Chris Hughton, all of his backroom staff and the fans and, of course, my family."

Nolan went on to point out, in no uncertain terms, that Hughton has had no easy task in turning the Newcastle squad into Championship leaders, and signalled the soul-crushing embarrassment of the 6-1 walloping received in pre-season at the hands of League One outfit Leyton Orient as a major turning point for the squad.

"People thought that we would do a Leeds and go down again, but we got together after the Leyton Orient game and that probably put us where we are now to be quite honest. That 6-1 thrashing has played a massive part in our season.

"We tried to play it down at the time, but we were all hurting. It actually made all the rubbish come to the top and it was a case of 'Are you in or are you out?'

"Everyone should appreciate what Chris has done for this club. Mike Ashley realises what he's done. In pre-season, he didn't have to go to Leyton Orient, he didn't have to endure that, but he did and we thank him for that and that's why we want to repay him and win the title for him.

"Our main aim is to get promotion and win the title and if we can do that I'll be a very happy man to have given it to Chris Hughton because he deserves it."

Before Nolan's words were dry on the paper, in-form striker Andy Carroll came out to praise his boss saying, "Chris and Colin [Calderwood] have done a great job by getting the team 'as a team'. They kept everyone together as a team, and it's showing on the pitch."

This season there has been a whispered question echoing around Tyneside, "Would Hughton keep the job if/when we are promoted?" After seeing the resounding support he has from the players, I think we'd be fools to replace him.

Boring, Boring, Shearer

2010-03-12T19:45:00.003Z

I'll admit, it doesn't take much to get me to criticise someone, especially at the back end of last season. Everyone got a handful, Colo, Ashley, Owen, Kinnear, anyone and everyone was criticised for our spectacular fall from the Premier League...well, almost everyone.

There is one man that I have never criticised, the mighty Alan Shearer. Yes he was the man at the helm on that fateful day and yes his experimental line-ups didn't exactly give us the greatest chance to stay up, but I knew he always did what he believed was best for the club.

However, after worshipping the man for some thirteen years I finally (and regrettably) have a criticism. He needs to lighten up a wee bit.

In an interview for the Guardian's Small Talk feature the legendary frontman appeared to get a little ruffled by their questions. If you're unfamiliar with Small Talk it's very similar to FourFourTwo's, Ask a silly question feature where the questions are often very loosely based on football and can range as far as "Would you drown a bag of kittens for a tenner?"

I'm a big fan of these features because they're often funny, and they truly bring out the personality of the interviewee but on this occasion I'm somewhat disappointed at the results. They say you should never meet your heroes and I feel like this interview has struck on a similar cord, revealing Shearer to not quite be the man I had imagined.

I won't go into details but for those of you who still have your innocence over the Great Man's sense of humour, probably best to give the article a miss.

Let The Mind Games Begin

2010-03-11T21:15:00.003Z

Chris Hughton broke his silence over Newcastle's promotion credentials today after issuing something that sounded considerably like a rallying call to his Newcastle team.

The Toon boss has been relatively tight-lipped over the chances of Newcastle returning to the top flight this season but has now called for consistency in the Championship run-in. With Newcastle currently six points clear of closest rivals West Brom and a game less played, it's looking good for Hughton's men.

Baggies boss Roberto Di Matteo kicked off the first round of mind games with a sly comment about Newcastle's promotion chances on Tuesday, and seemed to be desperate to put some pressure on the Magpies.

"I have been saying for a while now that it is probably going to go down to the last few games. But I think this month will probably be decisive in terms of Newcastle pulling away or not." said the former Chelsea star.

Admittedly it's not exactly the sort of scathing attack that is often associated with Premier League title races, but it was a statement designed to inject some pressure in to the Newcastle squad.

Di Matteo knows that for his side to claw Newcastle back then the Magpies have to slip up, and with just one league defeat in the twenty-odd games since Chris Hughton took permanent charge the Toon may need to be forced into an error.

With Lovenkrands claiming there's no pressure at home and the absent Steven Taylor eyeing up a League title perhaps it's no surprise that Di Matteo has sensed it's time to play the over confidence card. Basically saying it's Newcastle's title to lose from now on.

Hughton responded with the typical calmness that has oozed out of his press conferences all season, and has subsequently seeped into the players themselves.

"We're approaching a run of games that come thick and fast. Having a head of steam up going into them is very important. A run of consistent results over the next seven weeks should see us achieve our objective."

The 'objective' is undoubtedly promotion as oppose to the title, but if we can maintain a winning mentality for long enough to see us go up, I'd back us to take the title too.

TOONPEDIA: Laurent Robert

2010-03-09T06:00:00.010Z

Laurent Robert (born 21 May 1975 in Saint-Benoît, Réunion, France) is a French Footballer who played for Newcastle United from 2001-2006.

The left winger was known for his electric pace and ability to score goals from long range and was a set-piece specialist. Robert signed for the Toon Army from Paris St. Germain in 2001 for a fee of £9.5 million and quickly became a fans favourite.

GOAL-DEN TOUCH
In the 2003-04 Premier League season Robert, who had already made spectacular goals his trademark, scored a remarkable overhead-back heel goal against Fulham in a 3-1 victory at St. James' Park.

This goal was used in the movie Goal! 2: Living the dream... as a goal by fictional Newcastle United striker Santiago Munez. This was the second of Robert's goals to be attributed to Munez after a spectacular free kick he scored against Liverpool was shown as a strike by Munez in the original Goal! movie.

Despite his undoubted ability Robert was often criticised for his work rate and labeled as lazy by many Toon fans. Often supporters were left to ponder which of Robert's split personalities would turn up from game to game.

ACRIMONIOUS DEPARTURE
In the summer of 2005 Robert fell out with Newcastle manager Graeme Souness and was subsequently loaned to Portsmouth for the season. During the loan spell he fell out with the south coast club's management by refusing to take a place on the bench in a match against Sunderland, storming out of the ground and returning to Newcastle for the last few games of the season.

The fall-out eventually led to his permanent departure from Newcastle and he joined Portuguese side Benfica. Since his departure from the North East he has had spells at Levante, Derby County, Toronto FC and Larissa.

After his final appearance at St. James' Park, Robert striped down to his underwear (right) and ran the length of the pitch in a bizarre display of his affection for the Newcastle fans. The gesture was warmly received by the Geordie faithful.

In December of 2009 rumours abound that Robert was looking for a return to Tyneside with English newspaper The Daily Mail reporting that the Frenchman had enlisted Newcastle winger Fabrice Pancrate to help him orchestrate a move back to the club.

However the transfer did not materialise and at the time of writing Robert remains a free agent.

NEWCASTLE RECORD

League		Cups		Europe		Total
Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
110	22	16	5	29	5	155	32

References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurent_Robert
http://www.youtube.com
http://www.nufc.com/html/robert-info.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1233129/Former-Newcastle-star-Laurent-Robert-admits-St-James-Park.html
http://www.nufc.co.uk

TOONPEDIA ARTICLE #1

Spidermag, Spidermag...

2010-03-08T16:50:00.000Z

There were many topics that could lead the focus of this post after such a successful weekend's football for Newcastle.

Another goal-rush at St. James', West Brom losing to QPR, pushing eight points clear in the promotion race, Lovenkrands scoring again, Guthrie replacing Smith and so on, and so on. But there is only one man that I could feature, the man that's dominated all the pictures surrounding Newcastle this weekend. That man is Jonas Gutierrez, aka, Spidermag.

For the first time in almost two seasons we got to see the infamous Spiderman mask in celebration of Jonas' wonderstrike against Barnsley. In many ways this goal felt like Jonas' first real goal for Newcastle. His strike against Peterborough earlier in the season took a notable deflection on his it's way into the net and we didn't see any sort of celebration from the Argentinian.

This time around his effort in the demolition of Barnsley has capped a string of good performances. His final ball has become a consistent danger-maker (yes I have just made that up) and if he can continue to cause havoc with his runs down the left goals is all he needs to add to his game.

A strike of such quality illustrated why Spidey is the only member of the Newcastle squad that is going to South Africa this summer to strut his stuff at the World Cup. Legendary Argentina coach Diego Maradona has shown something of an affinity to the player since he took charge of the national team. Going as far as to tell the media that the Argentina team consisted of "Mascherano, Messi, Jonas and eight others," naming the Toon's left winger as a major part of his plans.

Despite Maradona's assurances on his international place it has taken a while for Spidey to win me over. He always looked dangerous and you could never fault his work-rate but he regularly failed to produce in the final third and failed to provide goals.

I was desperate for things to change and it appears that they have. If Jonas can keep up his good form and continue to produce crosses and goals of the quality he has shown in the last few games he could soon become a bona fide Superhero.

Keep Marching On

2010-03-02T22:30:00.001Z

So another month has passed and still we proudly sit atop the Championship table.

Looking back February was something of a topsy-turvy month. The Toon produced a fantastic display to cruise past Cardiff early on before twice failing to win away and slipping, briefly, into second spot.

However a stumbling run of results from promotion rivals West Brom and Nottingham Forest saw Newcastle spring back to the top of the table with a 4-1 win over Coventry. And then a confident run to the end of the month saw Newcastle pull five points clear of their closest rivals.

With a five point lead to work with a run of good form behind us it's time to push on through March and, perhaps, leave ourselves within touching distance of promotion by the end of the month.

March brings with it two of the biggest fixtures of the season, a trip to play the Smoggies on Teeside before rounding off the month with a home game against Forest. This match looks unlikely to be a promotion clinching game, with a fair few points still available through April and May, but a win over one of our nearest rivals would give the side a welcome boost to kick on through the final days of the season.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Before Forest we have trips to Doncaster and Bristol as well as a less than straight forward home game against Scunthorpe. The players have to keep taking each game as it comes and for as long as possible keep the game against Forest on the periphery.

We start the month by welcoming Barnsley to SJP, and with free-scoring Peter Lovenkrands apparently fit and ready to rejoin free-scoring Andy Carroll up front on Saturday, who would bet against Newcastle to carry on their free-scoring home form? Not me.

The Man Less Likely

2010-02-27T00:19:00.011Z

Carrying on from the previous post at which I looked at the players who could possibly don the number nine shirt in Tyneside, I would like to conclude with a few slightly more outlandish suggestions.
Without looking to deeply at these options there are a few outside chances that, whilst their quality is undeniable, are still only outside shots to make the move to the North-East.

Option #4 - The Outsiders

Robbie Keane
What the fans said:

Kevin Reeve - "Robbie Keane, he scores goals for fun and clearly not wanted at spurs"

The Irishman has made a loan move to Celtic and his time at Spurs seems set to end one way or another. Undoubted quality but has struggled to find form recently.

Attitude: 6/10
Availability: 7/10
Goalscoring: 8/10
Suitability: 9/10
Team Work: 6/10

Overall likelihood of signing: 7/10

Lukas Podolski
What the fans said:

Keith Morioka - "I love Podolski, I even have his FC Köln shirt, but he's been crap this year. Bad form, and at times lazy."

The Bayern Munich striker has been pushed out of the first team of the German Bundesliga outfit and while his quality would be welcome, his wages would not.

Attitude: 5/10
Availability: 7/10
Goalscoring: 7/10
Suitability: 6/10
Team Work: 5/10

Overall likelihood of signing: 6/10

Craig Bellamy
What the fans said:
Stephen McClenn - "Would have Bellamy back anytime..."

His move to Manchester City was more to do with Mark Hughes than anything the new owners at Eastlands were offering him. Will he be frozen out by Mancini? Is there really a way back to SJP?

Attitude: 2/10
Availability: 7/10
Goalscoring: 8/10
Suitability: 6/10
Team Work: 5/10

Overall likelihood of signing: 5.5/10

Editor's Choice
My personal choice would be Kevin Doyle. I've always been a fan of the Irishman and he plays the traditional striker role very well. Whilst he doesn't have exceptional pace what he does have he utilises well to beat defenders. Decent in the air and an confident finisher one-on-one he appears to be the complete striker.

What wins it for me is the value for money you get with the deal. I would expect the Wolves striker to be available for around £6 million in the summer which is a better price than I would expect to pay for any of the other players highlighted in this article.

He may not be a world class striker but it would be a refreshing change for the Toon to build slowly toward safety rather than go all-out on a big name signing who costs the Earth and fails to deliver the goods.

Here's to a better, possibly Irish, future.

The Man Most Likely

2010-02-24T15:48:00.038Z

Earlier this week the Newcastle United Supporters Trust posed an intriguing question to their fans through the medium of Facebook.

Who would you sign to wear the number nine shirt and lead the line if (or perhaps when) Newcastle return to the Premier League?

With nigh on 150 responses there were plenty of suggestions from the Newcastle faithful. There were the odd one or two that you just couldn't see happening, Sunderland's Darren Bent is one that just doesn't fit for numerous reasons. While another over ambitious fan suggested bringing back Oba Martins...no, just no.

On the other hand there were some interesting suggestions, and as promotion seems to be edging ever closer it seems to be just about the right time to get over confident and start taking things for granted.

So what are the options? I've highlighted a few and judged them on five different factors; attitude, availability, goal-scoring, suitability and team-work.

Option #1 - James Beattie
What the fans said:

Chris Gutierrez Smeaton
"I wouldn't give him the number 9, but what about james beattie next season?"

Matt Lightfoot
"Either James Beattie from Stoke or Ricky Lambert from Southampton."

Kevin Reeve

"Not james beattie he'd be on the bigg market every neet!!"

A proven goalscorer who has mountains of Premier League experience and over a hundred goals to his name. But perhaps it's his availability that makes him such an intriguing target, after an alleged fall-out with Stoke boss Tony Pulis.

Whilst his form faltered at Everton and he isn't exactly setting the world alight at his current club, when Beattie has had regular games he has supplied regular goals. In 235 games at Southampton he produced 76 goals and an even more productive spell at Sheffield United saw 34 goals in just 65 games for the club.

However he may be a little too old for Hughton as he turns 32 on Saturday. Hughton seems keen on bringing in the next generation of Newcastle stars and would probably pass on the opportunity of signing the former England international.

Attitude: 6/10
Availability: 8/10
Goalscoring: 7/10
Suitability: 6/10
Team Work: 6/10

Overall likelihood of signing: 6.5/10

Option #2 - Kevin Doyle
What the fans said:
Richard Jackson
"Wolves go down n I'd buy kevin doyle in a shot, proven top league goal scorer!"

Mark Wallace
"I quite like Doyle but we need a 20 goal man, don't think that's him."

Steven Mole
"Kevin Doyle. Very much doubt we can afford any of these anyway. Hughton's not really a big draw for top players..."

The young Irishman shot to fame with Reading after his £78k move from Irish side Cork City. His goals propelled the Berkshire side into the Premier League and a successful first season in the top flight saw Doyle bag a respectable thirteen goals.

An injury hit second season restricted Doyle to just six goals the following year and as his goals dried up so did Reading's chances of survival. Relegation back to the Championship followed and Doyle rediscovered his scoring form that had won promotion for the R's. However his eighteen goals came in vein as his side finished fourth and failed to progress past the semi-finals of the play-offs.

Doyle has always looked capable of playing in the top flight and has earned rave reviews from current manager Mick McCarthy since his summer move to Wolverhampton Wanderers. At twenty-six years old he would appear to have his best days ahead of him but his availability may be an issue. Whilst he would likely be affordable, any possible transfer hangs on the fortunes of Wolves as relegation to the Championship would all-but force the midlands club into a sale should any offer be received.

Attitude: 9/10
Availability: 5/10
Goalscoring: 7/10
Suitability: 8/10
Team Work: 8/10

Overall likelihood of signing: 7.5/10

Option #3 - Carlton Cole
What the fans said:

Glen Perryman

"Newcastle have the chance to buy some quality from the 3 teams going down. I would love to see Carlton Cole as No.9..."

Ash Nufc Walker
"I'm with Glen, Carlton Cole would be a top signing!"

The former Chelsea striker struggled to find his form after his move to West Ham but the arrival of Italian boss Gianfranco Zola changed the striker's fortunes. Last season Cole recorded a career-high twelve goals and his improved form earned him a call-up to the England squad.

Despite an injury hit year Cole has managed to notch nine goals in just twenty appearances and is on course to surpass the his tally for the previous year. However his style of play and the option he gives is a role already filled at the club by the likes of Andy Carroll, Shola Ameobi and Nile Ranger and he may not be the type of player Hughton is after.

West Ham's new owners are keen to set the club up on a stable financial footing and selling Cole may be a good way to do this, quickly. However his availability, much like Doyle's, will vary dependent on the league his club find themselves in next season. His manager will be unwilling to sell and the highly rated hit man, who is reported to be courted by arsenal, will not come cheap.

Attitude: 8/10
Availability: 5/10
Goalscoring: 6/10
Suitability: 3/10
Team Work: 8/10

Overall likelihood of signing: 6/10

Tomorrow I'll be taking a look at a few outside chances before deciding on the man I think is most likely to pull up a pew at SJP.

Watch this space.

Newcastle Gambling On Promotion?

2010-02-22T17:42:00.003Z

Just as us Toon fans start to get accustomed to being a successful club with secure finances and a stable squad news comes to knock us off our perch.

The News of the World reported on Sunday that owner Mike Ashley had to make an emergency £25 million loan to Newcastle to keep the club running.

The financial constraints placed on the club by the large wage bill and reduced turnover meant the loan was a necessity to keep the club operational until the end of the season.

That's understandable enough but when you read on in the article I get a terrifying sense of de ja vu back to Freddy Shepherd's time at the club. Hearing that the loan means that money still to come in from the summer sales of Obafemi Martins, Damien Duff and Sebastien Bassong and the £11 million parachute payment from the Premier League is effectively spent already.

Now it's not all bad, the loan also allowed Hughton to bring in four permanent signing in January along with two loan signings. These were all necessary to keep up the promotion push towards the Premier League and a return to the top flight would almost instantly solve the club's money issues.

The club would make £40 million from television money alone and the wage bill, which has been slashed this season, may be extravagant for a Championship club but will be more than manageable in the Premier League.

However you can't help but feel all our eggs have been placed in the promotion basket. What happens if we don't make it back at the first time of asking? Will Ashley continue to make multi-million pound interest free loans to the club? I doubt he could even if he wanted to.

So don't laugh too hard at the likes of Portsmouth and Crystal Palace as we revel in our 'Champions elect' tag as if it doesn't all work out we could be sitting in their [court] seat very soon.

It's Good To Be Home

2010-02-20T22:56:00.010Z

After that, ahem, slip-up at Derby and a salvaged point at Swansea it feels wonderful to return to SJP and get back to winning ways.

As you undoubtedly are aware, my educated reader, Newcastle are the only club in the football league to still have an unbeaten home record this season and just recently it's got even better. In our last four home games we've racked up a maximum twelve points, an outstanding fourteen goals and we've conceded just two.

Special praise must go to Danish super striker, Peter Lovenkrands. The lad has managed to bag four goals in those four games but has only actually been on the pitch for 172 minutes. That's an average of a goal every 43 minutes. An outstanding spell of form underlined when he found the net after just three minutes against Preston on Saturday.

Let's hope the injury that forced him off the pitch after just 15 minutes of the same game isn't too serious. His recent form in front of goal has helped push us back to the top of the league, after the briefest of flirtations with second place.

The bad news is after two games at home we have to go away again next weekend. Watford the destination and the mid-table side don't have the worst of records at Vicarage Road. But it's not the hosts record that concerns me, it's the visitors.

A severe case of travel sickness has seen the Toon army fail to pick up victory away from home since 9th December. Some seven games ago. It's hard to put your finger on the problem, we have scored an acceptable seven goals and also picked up two clean sheets.

It's not good enough for title challengers but it's also not as bad as you might expect. Failure to win against ten men at Leicester stands out, as does the hammering received at Pride Park. But in the same period we've taken points off Barnsley, Sheffield United and Swansea who are far from walkovers.

Perhaps it's just one of those runs where things don't quite work out for you. A goal here, a block there and it could change the whole complexion the streak. If it carries on much longer, we may have a problem but as long as our home form props us up, we're OK.

So it's off to Watford, and whilst their more than respectable home record stands as it does (W7, D4, L3) there's just a feeling in my waters that it's about time we broke our duck. After all they have got to travel to Ipswich on Tuesday whereas we get an unprecedented week between fixtures.

Oh, and if I am wrong we'll be back in Toon the following week, so the pain shouldn't last too long.

It's Just Not Cricket...Or Is It?

2010-02-17T13:36:00.006Z

It seems global sporting franchises are the order of the day and cricket looks set to be the next sport to succumb to the far east money men as both Manchester City and Hampshire C.C.C. take the first bold steps to World domination.

But, is there room for another club to muscle in on the action? England cricketer Graeme Swann certainly hopes so. The England spin bowler is an avid follower of the Toon army and is more than keen on the idea of playing for a Newcastle United cricket team in the money-spinning Indian Premier League.

The Northampton born Toon fan has heard the news that Manchester City are interested in partnering with an IPL franchise and has expressed his interest in being a part of a Newcastle team.

Swann told The Sun, "It would be great. I'd happily play cricket for Newcastle United. It can't be Sunderland - they will be bankrupt soon like the rest of them!"

Graeme Swann is just part of a strong contingent of Newcastle fans in the England Test Team, along with fast bowler Graeme Onions and former international Steven Harmisson. Whilst the banter is fierce with Twenty20 captain Paul Collingwood, who comes from Wearside and supports fierce rivals Sunderland.

Next year the IPL competition expands from eight to ten teams and will leave room for another outfit to take to the field. Any chance Ashley follows the oldest game of them all?

Ringing The Changes

2010-02-12T18:18:00.002Z

With Blogger smashing through the barriers of technology once again, the bright-eyed amongst you will have noticed a few changes to B&WT over the past week or so.

With the addition of some new content I have introduced seven new pages that will provide more complete coverage of Newcastle United.

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ABOUT
First of there is a page that will introduce newcomers to the blog and let those of you who don't already know me, find out a little about who I am.

THE CLUB
Next we have an introduction to the club with a little about the history and evolution of our beloved Newcastle United. I've also included a few paragraphs about the history of our famous badge and magnificent St. James' Park stadium.

SQUAD
The next addition is a full list of the current managerial and playing staff. Simples.

STATS
The stats page aims to keep you up-to-date with all the important facts and figures for the anoraks amongst you. You know who you are.

Just click on the Stats tab and you will be taken to a page where you can choose to view either the current season stats or the all-time club records.

TOONPEDIA
This page may take some time to get going and it will most likely never be complete but I believe it's something for real Toon fans to enjoy.

I will compile an online Newcastle United encyclopedia with everything from player profiles to classic match reports and articles on important moments in the history of the club. However it must be noted this is a work in progress and will be updated as regularly as possible.

CONTACT
Do you really need this explaining? Contact details for myself and the club. 'Nuff said.

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I hope these additions are welcomed and appreciated and please feel free to drop me an email or leave a comment as to what you would like to see on the blog in the future. Particularly if you have anything specific you would like to suggest for the Toonpedia section.

HTL.

Split Loyalties

2010-02-09T14:31:00.005Z

With the World Cup fast approaching I've taken up a vital position on another blog. Fear not, my commitment to this glorious online publication will not falter.

My dedication is showcased in the first of the regular Player Focus pieces I shall be providing for World Cup Latest. As I picked the one Newcastle player that will be in South Africa this summer, pacy winger Jonas Gutierrez.

Check it out here. I like it. I think you might too.

No Number Nine? No Problem.

2010-02-05T14:18:00.004Z

Chris Hughton has confirmed that the famous Newcastle number nine shirt will remain vacant for the rest of the season.

The Toon chief has reaffirmed the comments made by new signing Leon Best that the famous jersey must be earned by a member of the Newcastle squad.

"I want somebody to earn the right to be Newcastle’s No 9." Hughton told The Times, "I don’t want to suggest that the strikers here aren’t worthy of it because each of them has a real strong value."

The decision proves just how much Hughton understands the club and it's fans. The manager knew questions would be asked as to why none of the five strikers at the club has been awarded the coveted number and moved to assure fans not to panic.

Hughton also underlined his hard work ethic and desire to build a squad by taking the decision to stretch his transfer window cash to secure four permanent signings in January. The usual tactic to splash out on one big name as a quick fix was clearly never going to be a part of Hughton's transfer system.

Doubts were raised as to how much (if any) money would be made available to Hughton and how he would spend it, but the Newcastle boss took his time and refused to be drawn into a bidding war for Leeds United striker Jermaine Beckford.

Hughton is fast becoming a well respected man in football, not just for his side's on field success but also for the way he has conducted himself through tough times on Tyneside.

Now with his first trip into the crazy world of transfers, he seems to have come out the other side unscathed, is there anything this man can't handle?

Playing Like Champions

2010-01-31T00:17:00.007Z

An uninspiring performance against Palace was followed by nothing more than a run around against Leicester as Newcastle extended their lead at the top of the Championship to four points.

By all accounts the three points picked up against the Eagles on Wednesday night was something of an undeserved victory, as the visitors attempted to play their way out of their devastating off-field problems. Palace dropped into administration before the game picking up an automatic ten-point deduction that seemed to light a fire in the belly of the squad.

Constantly threatening on the attack meant debutant Mike Williamson earned his Man of the Match award, regularly being called into action. Whilst fellow new-boy Wayne Routledge was able to make his mark, setting up Nile Ranger to seal the game in injury time.

Moving to the weekend and after Forest lost and West Brom, despite winning, found themselves five points back off the pace, the Magpies had the chance to push comfortably clear of the chasing pack. However a trip to the Walkers was never a guaranteed points winner and the hosts always looked the most likely to take three points.

Before the game Hughton may have taken a point back to SJP but when the home side were reduced to ten men with less than half-an-hour on the clock I expected the team to go for the throat and finish of City.

But it wasn't to be, with Leicester looking more than comfortable for the majority of the match and Newcastle looking toothless, aside from the odd offside goal.

Hughton's decision to leave both Lovenkrands and Jonas on the bench suggest he was more than happy to settle for a point as the introduction of either would've provided more of a threat than the increasingly useless Fabrice Pancrate.

However you can't always be putting four past Ipswich or scoring last minute winners and when you look at it objectively we are in a better position than we were at the start of the weekend, just not quite as good as it could've been.

Sometimes you've got to win ugly, it's what champions do.

Window Watch:Routledge Signs From QPR, A Perfect Ten?

2010-01-26T13:20:00.011Z

Just a few hours ago during an early morning sport chat I bemoaned the lack of a right winger at SJP, hours later we sign Wayne Routledge from QPR.

The club broke the surprising news on their official website and whilst the fee is undisclosed they have confirmed the former Spurs and Crystal Palace player has commited to a three-and-a-half year deal and will wear the number ten shirt.

Routledge is a player I've always liked, since his impressive season in the Premier League with Crystal Palace and whilst he hasn't pushed on to become the star some expected he is a perfect fit for the Toon.

Danny Guthrie has filled the right midfield role so far this season but is more suited to a central role which has lead to a lack of danger down the flank.

The attacking instincts of Routedge should bring goals and his form this season has brought a return of two goals and eight assists for QPR and may end the striker hunt Hughton was apparently on.

In other news, former loanees Marlon Harewood and Zurab Khizanishvilli will not be returning to the club after the former suffered an injury setback and the later opted for a move to the Madejski and a Reading loan spell.

And finally the drawn out transfer of Mike Williamson seems to be nearing an end with much of the media reporting the Pompey defender to be within hours of securing a move to the Toon.

My Name Is Jack Bauer, Howay The Lads

2010-01-25T13:33:00.007Z

This video is not only a cracking piece of emotionally inspiring work but it also features one of the most famous celebrity fans the Toon have ever had.

When he's not too busy saving the world Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland from 24) clearly loves nothing more than to watch the Toon, unfortunately for him he chose a devastating last day defeat at Villa Park. Catch 'Jack' just eight seconds into the video.

Can't win 'em all.

P.S Watch the whole thing it's worth it. It's reaffirmed my love for Smudge.

We Were Never Gonna Win It Anyway

2010-01-25T13:15:00.006Z

So, it's Monday morning and yes the weekend's football didn't go exactly to plan but let's not panic just too much.

Now you may expect the same old 'It's only the cup' and 'We can focus on the league' response to come out of my mouth...and you'd be exactly right.

Don't get me wrong, I love the FA Cup, I love a cup run and I particularly love clubs from outside the Premiership doing well in the cup. Unfortunately it wasn't to be for us but let's take an objective look at what we've missed out on.

A trip to Reading - It's not exactly Stamford Bridge is it? We've already got one of those to squeeze into a random midweek the last thing we need is to have to do it twice.

Money - There'll be plenty more if we get promotion back to the top flight.

The 'Magic of the Cup' - Let's see how 'magic' WBA think it is when they have to squeeze three fixtures into a week whilst their promotion rivals can have a nice long rest in between league games.

Yes the cup is a nice distraction when you're having a run but let's pull all the cliches out of the bag and focus on getting promotion.

A three point lead with a game-in-hand? Let's make the most of it.

Window Watch: Money Matters Delay Williamson Move

2010-01-22T18:07:00.010Z

More transfer troubles have arisen over the possible move of Portsmouth defender Mike Williamson to SJP.

First Jermaine Beckford's rumoured move disappeared, and then Matthew Killgallon ended up on the wrong side of the river at Sunderland.

But this is the most perplexing story of the lot and it seems we're not to blame. No, instead it's that dodgy accountant at crisis club Portsmouth.

According to Sky Sports News, Williamson has undergone a medical and agreed personal terms with the Toon but the move has been delayed from the Fratton Park end.

Pompey agreed a fee of just under a million pounds with Newcastle but the deal would see the south coast club owing Williamson's former club, Watford around £1.1m.

Therefore any move will leave penniless Portsmouth hundreds of thousands of pounds out of pocket.

At the moment the news is that the transfer is delayed but I can only see this being resolved in one of two ways.

1. Pompey ask for a higher price, we refuse, deal cancelled.

2. Pompey ask for a higher price, we refuse claiming a price was already agreed, force the transfer through.

An almost laughable situation but being a Newcastle fan means very little surprises me and I actually feel a little sympathy for the Pompey faithful.

Still, sooner them than us, eh?

Window Watch:Simpson Set For Permanent Move

2010-01-20T11:56:00.007Z

Sky Sports News report that the Toon and Manchester United have agreed a permanent deal for full-back Danny Simpson.

The twenty-three year old has had a successful loan spell at the club this season with 20 appearances in the Newcastle first team, before returning to Manchester on Tuesday.

Reports claim personal terms have been agreed by both club and player and once Simpson completes a medical he is expected to sign a two-and-a-half year deal.

The youngster had seen off competition from Ryan Taylor to make the right-back position his own this season and has been a vital part of the tightest defence in the Championship.

Elsewhere Nottingham Forest are reported to have knocked back a bid for midfielder James Perch. Assistant Manager Colin Calderwood obviously knows the player from his time with Forest but it is unlikely the Reds will sell on the cheap to one of their main promotion rivals.

Forest boss Billy Davies dismissed the offer out of hand, saying, "We are looking to build a squad at the City Ground rather than dismantle one and James is not leaving.

"Newcastle's offer for someone we value so highly as a player and an individual was derisory and I'm disappointed it made it into the public domain."

And finally, Toon target Jermaine Beckford is now being linked with a move to Everton. Personally this is a non-starter for me, Moyes is an astute man and I'm sure he can find a much more suitable striker to fire Everton back towards Europe than Beckford.

In fact the more I think about Beckford's decision to withdraw his transfer request the more I think perhaps we knocked him back. Lovenkrands is scoring, Shola is fit and Carroll is always a threat at this level.

With goals coming from the middle of the park too, do we really need another striker?

Perhaps one more on loan just to sure things up. Harewood did a decent job but if he was coming back I would've expected it to have happened by now. My choice would be to make a cheeky offer for James Beattie, who is apparently not on the best terms with Tony Pulis at Stoke.

A loan until the end of the season would bring in a proven goalscorer and, in my opinion, a quality player. Just the boost we need to kick on to the end of the season.

Three Stripes And You're Out

2010-01-19T23:39:00.006Z

After fourteen years with Adidas it has today been officially confirmed that Puma will become our official kit maker from next year.

I have nothing against Puma, their kits are fine and I particularly like the goalkeeper kits they have produced for Spurs this year.

For me, the key point of this story is the decision, taken by Adidas, to end their partnership with the club. Citing the change in fortunes as a major reason and stating that they had become disillusioned with the future of the club.

Adidas has, in my time as a Newcastle fan, been synonymous with the club and I will miss the iconic three stripes running down our sleeves. On the other hand only a two year deal has been agreed so perhaps promotion, survival and a new owner may see the return of the famous three stripes to Barrack Road.

So we've lost our kit maker, our heroes (Keegan and Shearer) and our beloved St. James' and it's all because of one man.

Thanks Mike, anything else you can take from us?

P.S Northern Rock have extended their sponsorship of the club for another four years. God only knows what happened to the deal signed with Carling a couple of seasons ago.

Our Thoughts Go To Peter Lovenkrands

2010-01-16T22:01:00.003Z

Sad news from SJP today that hat-trick hero Peter Lovenkrands' has suffered the loss of his father.

Little details have been released about this sad event and Peter has understandably returned to Denmark and asked for privacy.

Our thoughts go to Peter and his family.

It's Been A While

2010-01-15T22:18:00.004Z

Punish me. Just two days short of an embarrasing four month blog-less streak. How could I let this happen?

My sincerest apologies go out to you all. So what have I missed?

OK, it went a little something like this, strong start to the season, 4-0 over Roy Keane's Ipswich (get in), Nolan on fire, Hughton's permanent appointment, Ashley doesn't sell, Jose Enrique on fire, eight wins in a row, Rookie Ranger's first goal, Ashley re-names St. James', disappointment in the League Cup, Colo finds his level, cruised past the Smoggies, ten point lead, standard poor Christmas, linked to Beckford, linked to Kilgallon, Beckford wants to come, Kilgallon not so much, Lovenkrands hat-trick and now the biggest game of the season.

Monday night brings about a possibly Championship winning game. Three points over West Brom won't hand us the title, especially with Forest, Leicester and Cardiff looking ever so hungry for promotion, but it will hand us a nine point lead over (arguably) the strongest opposition in the league.

I would never write off West Brom, or anyone for that matter, and it would be far from exceptional for us to throw away a big lead, after all, we have done it before.

But with the new-found spirit amongst the team and Hughton's wizard-like ability to stop the players being affected by anything off the pitch I really would back us to see it through.

Their only appears to be one problem and that is the constant fear of an open transfer window.

Bolton's link with Carroll doesn't scare me to much as he's not been the commanding force many had expected, but I would still rather keep him than sell him. Harewood's exit hasn't left us desperate for striking options as Lovenkrands and Ameobi have started to assert themselves in this division but Ranger hasn't quite found his feet and if another striker left they would have to be replaced.

Beckford could be the man to come in, and my friend's in the know tell me it's a done deal, but will he cut it in the Prem? Better the devil you know and all that.

The players I would hate to lose would be any of the strong spine running through the side; Harper, S.Taylor, Nolan, Smith or Ameobi. I'm sure it would take a big bid to pry them away from the club, but in the current climate and under the current regieme, money talks.

There's still a terrifyingly long way to go until the end of the season and pretty much anything could, and probably will, still happen.

Watch this space, I'm back on the case.

How Do You Spell That?

2009-09-17T12:50:00.003+01:00

Geordies sign Georgian reads nufc.co.uk as Newcastle sign Blackburn defender Kisandfish...Khiszanish...Khizani...Zurab.

I jest, Khizanishvili signs on a three-month loan deal and I for one am ready to immediately overplay what is, at best, a solid signing.

Defensive reinforcements have been the order of the summer at SJP, or at least the only order that's been met as takeover turmoil continues to roll on.

Just in case anyone is keeping count the Takeover-ometer is registering 117 days without news.

The Georgian defender becomes the third 'new' signing on Tyneside this summer after Danny Simpson agreed a loan move from Manchester United and the inspired signing of Danish international Peter Lovenkrands (where did they find him hiding?).

Five clean sheets in a row before yesterdays defeat at Blackpool said a lot more about the poor attacks we have faced than the quality of our defending, in my humble opinion, and I'd be delighted to slot the Blackburn defender in the centre of our defence, right next to Tayls.

Take a rest Colo, you've 'earned' it.

Hopes Well And Truly Grounded

2009-09-06T20:27:00.005+01:00

The Telegraph is the latest newspaper to spend a few column inches on talk of a Newcastle takeover being close to completion.

Well actually due to my upper-lower-middle class background I daren't pick up a copy of the Telegraph for fear of it turning to ash in my unworthy hands, but they did deem the story worthy of taking up a few megabytes of their website at least.

I can't help but smile when I imagine the club with a new owner, I mean the on-pitch form's already here, so with Big Al' in charge and a few last minute loan signings slipped in when the Football league's window technician turns his back, would push us dangerously towards looking like a 'healthy' club.

However I, as with many other Toon bloggers, have had our fingers burnt by these stories so many times before that there seemed to be an unspoken rule not to write about takeover gossip.

The only reason I've broken ranks on this occasion is in the hope of reverse psychology playing a part. Everytime I've been optimistic over a potential 'deadline' the club seems to disappear of the map for a few weeks, so this time, if I shun the deal as paper talk, maybe, just maybe it'll go through.

Right, here goes.

A deal by the end of the week? Bollocks.

(Fingers crossed)

Window Watch: T- Minus 72 Hours

2009-08-29T16:09:00.005+01:00

It suddenly occured to me how worryingly close the transfer window is to slamming shut for another four months.

Not counting the half day left as I write this we are left with just three whole days before the chance of any more permanent sigings before the year of our Lord 2010 dawns.

Worth noting that would only be two days if the bank managers wern't too busy earning their wages to open on Monday.

With our paper thin squad already appearing to show signs of tearing at the top after Shola, Carroll and Xisco all preparing for their monthly trip to the treatment table that leaves just youngster Nile Ranger to lead the line.

"No worry," I thought, "We'll get someone in," but will we?

The dripping tap of information from St. James' has been firmly turned off once again with no news to report on the possibility of club ownership switching hands.

Hughton claims to be confident of holding onto players but back in May i'd have never believed you if you'd have told me i'd be sweating over the future of Kevin Nolan.

The scouse star has pulled a Shola and gained a lot of fans, including this one, for his exceptional effort and (whisper as not to curse it) goalscoring touch.

However rumours of Gary Megson being interested in taking his former midfielder back to the Premier League are hopefully, some way off the mark.

So, no new owner, no permanent manager, no permanent signings.

Nothing ever changes.

You Don't Give Up Ameobi

2009-08-17T14:22:00.006+01:00

Shola Ameobi's hat-trick against Reading has completely won me over, so much so that I can't think about anything else.

I'm more excited for Wednesday night's game than I have been for any game for quite some time.

This excitement may be born from desperation, the desperation to have someone to rely on, or it may just be nerves.

Either way, the butterflies flutter every time I think about Ameobi's lunging strides into the box to meet an inch perfect cross and fire home a fourth...wait, keep the feet on the ground.

Anyway, this new found high led me to remember this classic clip from 'I'm On Setanta Sports' where 'Dave' confides in Wayne Rooney over his addcition. Enjoy.

The 78th Minute

2009-08-16T16:02:00.017+01:00

A heart-filled and spirited performance cascades across St. James' Park, Shola looks a man reborn and we are promised an end to takeover speculation by the time we walk out against Sheffield Wednesday...on Wednesday.

Two out of three ain't bad. Whilst prospective owner Barry Moat's choice of seat gave the Sky Sports commentary team plenty to speculate over, I just can't bear to get my hopes up just to see them dashed once again.

There are plenty of pictures of Moat and Ashley, side-by-side from past fixtures, the only difference is that we know who we are looking at now.

But as much as I nail my shoes to the ground, I can't help but loosen my shoelaces and allow myself to drift of the ground just slightly, to think, "It can't exactly be a bad thing, can it?"

At least on pitch the Toon Army continued to show the fighting spirit that was showcased at The Hawthorns on the opening day.

Shola nabbed three goals and seemed to become a new man the instant his first header bounced, rather gracelessly, into the net.

The second of his trio was an accomplished powerful header(Below), fired into the opposite corner of the net whilst on the run, as if he'd been doing it for years...which we all know he hasn't.

Special praise reserved for Kevin Nolan who has really stepped up his game since relegation. Setting up Duff's equaliser against The Baggies with an inch perfect pass and then chasing a ball everybody else had given up on against Reading to bring about that crucial second goal.

"Who's that big lad wearing 23? It sure ain't Ameobi!" my Dad jovially ventured.

"His name's Shola, Dad," I replied, "Hopefully you'll be hearing it a lot this season."

But a noteworthy occurance took place during this encouraging victory. For the first time in a long time whilst watching the Toon, in the 78th minute of the game, I sat back in my seat. Sunk into the sofa and relaxed as the game was won.

In fact the last time we produced this scoreline, away at Portsmouth last December, is the last time I can remember a game being 'safe', before the referee blew his whistle.

Perhaps a sign of change? I wouldn't get your hopes up.

Watch extended highlights of the game here.

Oba's Sincerity Strikes A Chord

2009-08-11T21:27:00.007+01:00

Former Toon hitman Oba Martins has revealed that he left St. James' with a heavy heart and that he had to depart Tyneside to keep his career alive.

Whilst it sounds like the usual drivel that each and every departing player would churn out just out of courtesy, there has always been something about Oba that makes his words seem so much more sincere.

Now it's been a long day and i've written 15 stories for the slave drivers at Goal.com today so I can't bring myself to write anymore.

So here it is, another David Kifford original.

Newcastle United Will Stay In My Heart Forever - Obafemi Martins

VFL Wolfsburg striker Obafemi Martins has revealed that he found it hard to leave Newcastle United, but says he had to in order to relaunch his career.

The former Toon frontman left the club for the Bundesliga after a devastating season saw the Magpies drop into the second tier of English football.

However, Martins claims he will always hold a special place in his heart for the fans and the club.

"Newcastle United will forever stay in my heart but I have a whole lot of work to do now for Wolfsburg," The Nigerian international told BBC Sport.

"I gave my all to the club and the fans know that, unfortunately things went awry on and off the pitch.

"I had a wonderful time with the fans, players and management of Newcastle United but once I spoke to Wolfsburg, I saw a fresh start."

Takeover turmoil has engulfed St. James' Park this summer as owner Mike Ashley desperately attempts to offload the grief-stricken club.

With manager-in-waiting Alan Shearer admitting he has been "left in limbo" over his future, and no new signings, the club is ill-prepared for the new season.

Martins joined Michael Owen, Mark Viduka, Habib Beye, Sebastien Bassong, David Edgar and Peter Lovenkrands by heading for the St. James' Park exit when he joined Wolfsburg for £9 million.

Moat Makes Media Waves

2009-08-06T11:45:00.003+01:00

Newcastle United are all over the media, The Sun, Sky Sports, BBC and it's all the same story, that the Toon have a major contender to take them over.

Local businessman Bary Moat is leading a consortium and the widespread media coverage puts a warm fuzzy feeling in my belly.

News of all other potential takeovers has trickled through the press, replicated and repeated in turn but this news has come out of the blue and been splashed over everykind of media, press, TV and Internet.

The fact that this takeover is by a local man only adds to the joy and, whilst the fact that he claims apointing Shearer will be his first piece of business is nothing new, for the first time it just feels possible.

Maybe, just maybe, Moat can keep our heads above water. (Had to be done!)

Super Bobby Robson - A Hero For Always

2009-07-31T11:22:00.003+01:00

Sir Bobby Robson has died aged 76.

The legend passed away in his bed at 6:30am, on the morning of July 31st 2009.

The news will devestate thousands of fans, including this one.

The nicest man in football and possibly the world has graced many a life with his warm smile and welcoming honesty but lest not forget he was a true great of the game for his ability as well.

After a succesful playing career Sir Bobby took upon an even more succesful career in management as he managed clubs and country to success on the world stage.

Moulding the career of a young Jose Mourinho at Barcelona and crafting a succesful reign at boyhood club Newcastle United.

There are many more but the tears that fill my eyes and the lump that is weighting my throat, prevent me from giving the great man the tribute he truly deserves.

As I watched a tribute to the great man this morning a commentator on some grainy black-and -white footage of Sir Bobby scoring for West Brom stated "...and a header flicks it on to that great player Bobby Robson."

But Bobby was more than that, he wasn't just a great player but a great person, and the world is a worse place without him on it.

Sir Bobby Robson - Great Player, Great Manager, Great Person.

It Can't Get Any Worse, Oh Wait...

2009-07-25T17:15:00.006+01:00

Just when you think it is safe to allow a molecule of positiveness back into your mind, the pre-season campaign really kicks-off.

For those of you who haven't already been confronted by a 'friend' or attacked by a sibling that can't contain their excitement, Leyton Orient lay-ed the smackdown on Newcastle as they produced a stunning 6-1 win.

Whilst I have little optimism over the current off field affairs at the club, it appeared that the players had at least decided to knuckle down and play some football, sadly not.

The live text from this game was brought to us on the club website by Craig Hope, something fans have got very little left to cling onto.

And Hope uncannily pointed out before the match, "Kevin Nolan and Oba Martins get the game underway. Earlier sunshine has now made way with clouds gathering above Brisbane Road."

However, he couldn't possibly have predicted the storm that this cloud would contain. Newcastle were level for just four minutes of the fixture but perhaps it was just one of those games?

Live text exerts

3min - United spring an early attack down the left...

4min - LEYTON ORIENT GOAL (1-0)

9min - This is all Orient in fairness...

23min - LEYTON ORIENT GOAL (2-0)

29min - United are on the back foot...

30min - NEWCASTLE GOAL (2-1)

36min - United are clearly buoyed by their goal and you wouldn't bet against them finding a leveller before the break.

38min - And that equaliser almost comes via the right boot of Kevin Nolan...

41min - Steven Taylor sets off on a cavalier charge from halfway, but it's keeper Jones who again thwarts the visitors.

43min - This keeper Jones is proving unbeatable from open play!

HALF TIME

48min - Andy Carroll unleashes a fizzing 20-yard drive which is saved by Jones just inside the left-hand post - good work from Big Andy.

50min - Damien Duff's run and left-wing cross-cum-shot draws a subsequent "oooh" from the away fans as it flashes into the side-netting.

52min - Kevin Nolan comes close to netting his third of the summer with a shot which drops the wrong side of Jones' crossbar.

53min - LEYTON ORIENT GOAL (3-1)

55min - LEYTON ORIENT GOAL (4-1)

66min - Jones travels outside of the area at the expense of a free-kick. But the keeper redeems himself with a fine full-length save from Guthrie's dipping strike.

69min - Xisco rattles the opposition woodwork with a measured left-foot strike.

77min - Guthrie fizzes a rising strike inches above the frame of the goal - that was close and should have been a goal.

83min - LEYTON ORIENT GOAL (5-1)

86min - LEYTON ORIENT GOAL (6-1)

Full-time, United soundly beaten.

The score tells one hell of a horror story, but the 'highlights' perhaps tell a slightly different one. It seems the youngsters of Carroll, Guthrie, LuaLua and the like are desperate to play attacking football and when it works it works. (See Darlington 7-2)

However when it doesn't it leaves us very, very exposed at the back and, as ever, we just can't cope with it.

The team sheet provides no excuse, Krul, Beye, Colo, S. Taylor, Enrique, Jonas, Nolan, Barton, Duff and Oba were led by captain Smudge (Why not Taylor?) and that is almost certainly our strongest team in terms of experience.

All I can put this down to is a freak result, but maybe that's just because I can't bear to accept the alternative possibilities.

Ah well, friendlies don't mean anything anyway.

Do The Bookies Know Something We Don't?

2009-07-23T15:02:00.006+01:00

This morning some disturbing 'news' emerged from the bookmakers. This news was twofold.

Firstly, Chris Hughton was introduced to the pool of betting on who will be in charge of Newcastle on the first day of the season. The caretaker came in at 6/1 third favourite behind Gianluca Vialli [5/1] and of course big Al who still remains firm favourite at 1/2.

Whilst this is not too surprising due to the constant lack of activity on the rudderless ship that is St. James' Park, after all Hughton has been handed the reigns before and he knows the team as well as anyone.

The more worrying news was the speed at which Hughton's odds were slashed to 100/30 and brought down to second favourite.

Hughton may indeed still be behind Shearer in the stakes but the likelihood of his introduction at a short price suggests the bookmakers at skybet have caught wind of something at SJP. Pair that with the news that there is indeed a frankly, quite terrifying back-up-plan in the minds of Fat Ash and Llambias.

Now you may need to be sitting down for this but the news on the grapevine is that Ashley plans to 'weather the storm'.

This means holding on to players, paying their wages and praying we get promoted at the first time of asking.

For the first time I really believe that this season could see the end of the club I love.

Anything other than promotion will bankrupt the club and leave Newcastle destroyed.

If the bookies believe Hughton will be in charge at the start of the season then they must believe a takeover is some way off. If a takeover is some way off then Fat Ash must still be in charge come the season start. If Ashley is still in charge come the start of the season then we may not have a club by the end of it.

The plans to launch FC United of Newcastle start here.

It's The Not Knowing That Hurts The Most

2009-07-15T20:36:00.005+01:00

It was announced today that Joe Kinnear would not be appointed as Newcastle manager, after newspaper reports had claimed that the former Toon boss was set to regain the right to sit in the hottest of seats.

The most surprising thing? That after weeks, months even, of silence a sudden and abrupt response was forthcoming from the club.

In an item named simply "NUFC Statement" was the following;

REPORTS in the press this morning that Joe Kinnear is to be appointed as Newcastle United manager are not true.

The position remains that the Club is still in the market to be sold and is still negotiating with prospective buyers.

Cold, and to-the-point.

But why? After so much silence over the futures of players, agents claiming they can't get in touch with club officials, relentless defiance to reveal even the slightest information on the ownership and potential takeover of the club.

Why speak out on this, quite frankly, weak paper talk?

Despite being an optimist, I fear the worst, and I can only think of two reasons to explain it.

1) Fat Ash and Llambias are trying to keep the fans spirits up as they know that it is probably better to have no manager at the club, than to hir someone other than Alan Shearer.

2) Fat Ash and Llambias are trying to keep the club as buyer friendly as possible. They know that the potential buyers of the club will want to be able to instantly hire their own manager and don't want gossip to put of any of the bidders.

Now the second option is more than likely the pick of the two, why would they start caring about our feelings now?

The most worrying part of this means that bids are unlikely to be any further than the initial stages if they are worrying about scaring of investors.

If anyone had made any progress with a bid, the club would still be staying quiet and ignoring any gossip that comes along as Ashley and Llambias would be confident that it wouldn't be their problem for much longer.

They say, no news is good news.

I say, it's the not knowing that hurts the most.

Turning A Blind Eye

2009-07-11T01:06:00.005+01:00

It's been a tad quiet on this blog recently, which to be fair, has almost perfectly represented the amount of news coming out of SJP in the past days, weeks and months.

However whilst my fellow bloggers and bloggees concentrate on the endless takeover gossip, I just can't bring myself to raise the hopes of myself or any other Toon fan.

Instead I'd like to take a look at the apparent advantage we have from being a 'big' team in the Championship, or more importantly, the complete bunkum this is.

First off, we are regarded as a big scalp in the league with various players and managers admitting they were looking for Newcastle when fixture lists were released.

Secondly, I was looking forward to a return to 'real football' with relegation to the Championship. You know, three o'clock, Saturdays, young hungry British talent.

So far we have seen very little of any of this, with no players brought in, very few shown the door and just one three o'clock kick off in our first seven fixtures.

That's right, one in seven!

In a time where we thought we could wave goodbye to the television restrictions of the Premier League and faced with even more in the Football League.

Our kick-off times include a 17:30, 17:20, 19:45 and possibly the most ridiculous of the lot, 14:05.

It appears we've become something of a hot property for Television companies and the big fish is always the one that they want to catch.

Whilst I'm happy to be able to watch my beloved Newcastle from home, I'm worried that my hopes of a chance to rebuild the club out of the spotlight may be completely destroyed.

This may be me making a fuss over nothing, but I was hoping for a bit of traditional footballing values returning to SJP. It seems we could be a couple of relegations away from that.

Getting My House In Order

2009-07-03T11:44:00.004+01:00

Apologies for the lack of activity but unfortunately I've been hampered in my crazed obsession of writing about the Toon Army by a rather irritating need to move homes.

Anyways, for the next few days there may be somewhat less frequent posting and updating of the blog, but fear not, just think of me as Mickey O: Back to full fitness soon! (I'm so clever)

Anyway on the subject of the departing players five were released at the start of the month (check the sidebar) and international competitors were given an extra week off, oh and Obafemi managed to turn up twenty minutes late for the first day of training. Good to see Hughton has put the fear in the players.

Mickey O is joining Manchester United...seriously...no I swear...he's having a medical today...check Sky Sports News.

Oh and apparently some Malaysian consortium are getting close to buying us, which means we're unnervingly close to something actually happening at the club soon. Can't say much about the new owners really, as I know nothing about them, but at least we'll have some tough pre-season fixtures against the likes of Kuala Lumpur FA and Negeri Sembilan FA to look forward to next season.

Maybe some free tickets to Sepang for the Grand Prix too. The possibilities are endless.

P.S The header picture will be changed soon, unfortunately the replacement is hidden in a memory stick, which is hidden in a box, which is hidden in a room, which is hidden in my house...somewhere.

No News Is Very Bad News

2009-06-26T18:28:00.006+01:00

So the anticipated Londinium meeting for Shearer, Ashley and Llambias to 'thrash out a deal' never took place, and our club aimlessly glides towards the Championship without anyone at the helm.

As players agents claim they can't get in contact with anyone at the club, what chance have we got.

It seems even the press have lost interest in our soap opera, I can't remember the last time we were mentioned on Sky or BBC and with little pressure from the media it's unlikely there will be any rush from the board.

Even when Mickey O 'revealed' he would not be signing a new deal at the Toon, (scoop of the year for Sky Sports News) there was very little talk about the situation at out club.

The only people that care these days are the fans and we are seeing a lesser mentioned side effect of relegation. The lack of influence from the press has undoubtedly kept the sale of the club at snail's pace.

I can't help but feel if we had survived relegation Sky Sports News would've set up 'Toon Watch' and had one reporter stationed outside SJP and another hounding Ashley, wherever he may be.

Unfortunately we did not survive, and we pay the price, without any mainstream media attention we turn to the local papers, which seem to have just a tad more respect on Tyneside than Ashley himself.

The Chronicle and Journal are interesting reads but they don't seem to do anything more than speculate as to what might be happening at SJP. They might as well be picking scenarios from a hat and reporting it these days as their 'sources' seem to be less knowledgeable than the bottle of HP in my kitchen cupboard.

I never thought I'd say it, particularly with all the bad news and black clouds at the end of last season, but I miss the media attention.

I'm convinced a sale would have gone ahead, or at least a manager would've been appointed, had there been some real media pressure that would embarrass Mike Ashley in front of the world, rather than just the North East.

Going For Bassong

2009-06-25T21:20:00.010+01:00

You may say I'm getting lazy, I'd say I'm getting industrious.

Yes this is another one of those posts where I force feed you some of my Goal.com writing and make little effort to disguise it as an original blog.

I only do it 'cos I care so much. Really. I don't want you to miss out on the buzz around SJP so here it is, and as you may have guessed it is revolving around Seb Bassong's imminent departure.

Reports suggest Tottenham are heading up the chase for the defender we have valued at £15 million, so here's the full story.

Tottenham Head Chase For Newcastle's Sebastien Bassong

Tottenham Hotspur are in pole position to complete the signing of Newcastle United defender Sebastien Bassong, according to reports on Tyneside today.

The French centre-back was almost the sole highlight of Newcastle's disastrous Premier League campaign which eventually ended in relegation.

The 22-year-old signed for the Magpies for just £500,000 last summer and won the player of the season award at the Tyneside club, becoming a fans' favourite in the process.

His success was particularly highlighted as £10 million-man Fabricio Coloccini struggled to assert his presence in the Newcastle defence.

Bassong has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs but reports in The Newcastle Evening Chronicle suggest Tottenham are the current front-runners.

Whilst Bassong has admitted he has held talks with two Premier League clubs it is believed Tottenham are the only club willing to match the Magpies' asking price.

Reports suggest that Alan Shearer informed club officials to demand £15m for the Frenchman, a price tag that has turned away Arsenal and is unrealistic for North East rivals Sunderland.

However Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is apparently willing to meet the price, but may try to negotiate a part-exchange deal involving one or two fringe players at White Hart Lane.

Written For Goal.com --- June 2009

If I were to have a guess I would've thought the players that could come towards us would be Chris Gunter and one from Giovanni Dos Santos or Adel Taraabt.

Both Dos Santos and Taraabt, have had loan spells away from White Hart Lane and seem set to leave one way or another. They would most likely jump at the chance to play regular first team football and (hopefully) be back in the Premier League in a season.

Not bad, and if we pocket somewhere in the region of £8 million as well it would be one of the best bits of business we're likely to do.

However if I were dreaming the players would be Michael Dawson and Gareth Bale, with Tayls and Habib we genuinely would have the strongest defence in the league.

Still Hitting The Headlines

2009-06-23T23:49:00.005+01:00

As I'm sure all you loyal toonites will know already Steven Taylor was reportedly deep in thought over his future at the club after the delay on Shearer's appointment as manager and just general chaos at the club.

This topical storyline was deemed news worthy by myself and I well and truly plonked it onto Goal.com just yesterday.

Here is the full article for those of you who didn't see this story.

Steven Taylor's Future Hinges On Manager Appointment

Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor will make a decision on his future after a manager is appointed.

Reports in The Shields Gazette claim the 23-year-old will stay if Alan Shearer is appointed as permanent manager, but will consider his options should somebody else be appointed to the role.

The England Under-21 captain returns to pre-season training next week and little progress has been made since he and his club were relegated at Aston Villa on the final day of last season.

Turmoil at the club has seen every player put up for sale but Taylor is on a list of players that should only be sold as a last resort, along with goalkeeper Steve Harper, midfielder Nicky Butt and fellow defender Habib Beye, as the Toon attempt to retain a spine for their Championship campaign.

Taylor has been tracked by a number of Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur, but is keen to stay with the Magpies.

The Shields Gazette source claims that Shearer told Taylor he would not be leaving for any price if he was appointed manager, but with time ticking away before pre-season begins, Taylor may feel he needs to make a decision soon.

Written For Goal.com --- June 2009

New Away Kit - Newcastle Goes Bananas

2009-06-22T15:14:00.007+01:00

Yes every blog will be talking about it, no I don't care.

The new away kit was unveiled today and if you havent seen it yet, click here, then return.

I know, I know...maybe it'll look better with Habib in it, give yourself a second look to take it all in...go on.

Or maybe me?

Yes that's right, yellow and white stripes, whether it is local heroes, international stars or dillusional bloggers, it is still yellow and white stripes.

Now I know what you're expecting, jokes like the one in the title, puns that refer to our defence looking more like clowns than ever before an the like, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to dissapoint.

I like it, in fact I may love it. It's unusual, different and massively unexpected three factors that would provoke bad responses. But it's not ghastly, and in no way painful on the eyes.

The more I look at it the more I like looking at it, then again, maybe it's just Tayls cracking smile.

Oh and by the way, a clever Mackem has already coined the chant "Bananas In Pyjamas, Going Down The League." however I'm sure a cleverer Magpie can swiftly change this to "Bananas In Pyjamas and We're Gonna Win The League!"

Quiet Weekends Becoming The Norm

2009-06-20T21:43:00.007+01:00

With a relatively newsless weekend around the Toon I decided to pass the time by posting up a story I wrote for Goal.com this past week.

It is Burnley boss Owen Coyle, politely stating his lack of interest in signing our very own upturned horseshoe Damien Duff.

Owen Coyle Laughs Off Duff Link

Burnley manager Owen Coyle has laughed off suggestions he is keen on signing Newcastle United's Damien Duff.

The Premier League may bring new levels of riches to clubs, but Coyle still believes the Republic of Ireland winger is out of Burnley financial reach.

Coyle told Burnley's official website, "I read a report linking us with Damien Duff, but he would be nowhere within our reach.

"There will be a host of players out there who are out of our reach. I had to laugh when I was away on holiday [and saw] we were linked with a couple of players who I had never even spoken to!”

The former Chelsea winger is not in Burnley's plans but Coyle did admit that he has had bids for players rejected this summer.

He also made it clear he has the final say on transfers and will be taking the lead in every potential move, adding, "Nobody will speak to clubs or players on my behalf, if there's somebody after them that will be me."

Written For Goal.com --- June 2009

It seems we will be faced with an unusual conundrum before the start of the season, not how to hold onto players, but how to offload them.

Well, Thursday Came And Went

2009-06-19T12:50:00.006+01:00

Another week, another piece of hope fading away.

Rumours that Big Al could be appointed manager by Thursday proved to be not entirely truthful, but none of us really expected anything to happen, did we?

It seems the cynics (myself included) that warned this could just be a stunt that happened to fall on season ticket renewal week would appear to have been proven correct, and with The Guardian reporting the sale may slow down further it could be a while until we see any real progress.

The 'Data Room' is officially open however and takeovers do take time so maybe I was expecting to much, however I don't so much want anything to happen but a few words from someone at the club would be somewhat reassuring that the cogs are turning.

In fact, the only person we've heard anything from recently is Sebastien Bassong, and that was only to confirm he is in negotiations with other clubs.

Negotiations maybe, but still there is no real movement in any direction for the club, as a fellow blogger points out, we may well field the same team in pre-season that lost to Villa on the that fateful day.

Finally, We Have Some Friends

2009-06-17T15:36:00.005+01:00

At last, some five hours after our entire schedule of league meetings for the season has been announced, the club have managed to cobble together three pre-season friendlies.

This will be the first piece of news that brings Toon supporters back down to Earth once again as our status as a Championship club is well and truly rubber stamped.

Past seasons have seen Newcastle take part in the Asia Cup, and welcome foreign stars to SJP for a friendly kick about, no this year. Away trips to Darlington and Huddersfield are followed by a potential interesting visit of Leeds United to the Toon.

I can't imagine there being anything friendly about these ties but perhaps that will be a good thing as the championship will be more physical than the Premier League.

If you take a deeper look into the fixtures that have been arranged it suggests that someone has decided the kind of tough matches we need to face and the kind of surroundings we need to familiarise ourselves with, whilst avoiding too long a trip away from home.

The visit of Leeds could suggest talks for Jermaine Beckford have progressed with a money-spinning friendly being arranged as a possible bonus for the Yorkshire club.

All it really gives us is a little hope that takeover talks are progressing so much so that perhaps Big Al has been allowed to set up friendly games. The news he could be confirmed as manager before the end of the week is also a boost, but it is convenient how this morale boosting news has just happened to fall on the same week as season ticket forms have been sent out.

Someone please sort out the sceptic in me.

Pack Your Overnight Bags

2009-06-17T11:24:00.009+01:00

It's fixture time! So finally we have some games to look forward to, not pre-season but new season. Bear in mind, the only reason we've got these is because it takes absolutely no effort from anyone in the Newcastle boardroom.

A tricky start to the season with an away trip to face West Brom, two teams currently less of a manager but plenty of summer reshaping to come before we truly no what kind of a challenge they'll be.

Same can be said about the visit of Reading as rumours circulate that their new gaffer, Alan Irvine is ready to cash in on hitman Kevin Doyle and midfield workhorse Stephen Hunt whom Everton are circling around with intent.

Sheffield Wednesday will complete the opening three games, and The Owls will be looking for revenge that has been some ten years in the making. Wednesday's last league visit (if my research serves me right) was Newcastle record home league win as the Toon put eight passed the Sheffield club who had no reply. A repeat of that performance would be nice.

Oh and we can all enjoy spending Boxing Day in Sheffield on the return visit.

An important date for your diarys, Tyne-Tees derby matches take place at SJP on 19th December and at The Riverside on 13th March.

As much as I can't stand our "official" website I will give you all the chance to see the full fixture list by clicking here.

Some Good News...

2009-06-16T12:32:00.005+01:00

...or at least some good rumours.

During my stint writing news for Goal.com yesterday I stumbled across this story, originally reported on the Evening Chronicle website I added my own little touch and posted it up for the whole world to see.

Thought the least I could do is show it to you fair people as it shows that despite our relegation to The Championship, we can still (occasionally) one-up those pesky Mackems.

Enjoy.

Norwegian Starlet Set To Snub Sunderland For Newcastle

Per Ciljan Skjelbred is desperate to join Newcastle United, despite their relegation to the Championship, and could snub a potential move to Premier League club Sunderland in order to fulfil his dream.

The Evening Chronicle claims the 21-year-old Norwegian prospect is eager to be part of a promotion push and will wait for the turmoil at the St. James' Park club to settle down before deciding on his future.

Reports on the paper’s website suggest that the Norwegian international will turn down Premier League football to join the Tyneside club.

Sunderland, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur have shown an interest in the Rosenborg playmaker, with attention also coming from Europe in the shape of Italian side Torino.

Potential Newcastle manager Alan Shearer had tracked the player during his time in temporary charge and is still keen to sign Skjelbred.

Newcastle are currently in limbo. The Magpies do not have a single pre-season friendly arranged and there is still uncertainty over who will manage the team next season.

Owner Mike Ashley is desperate to offload the club as quickly as possible and draw a curtain on his disastrous reign.

Written For Goal.com --- June 2009

The Hits Keep Coming

2009-06-16T00:32:00.005+01:00

Jamie Dunn's excellent Transfer Watch blog has kept providing us with the most head-turning, insightful and original transfer stories as of late, and this time it is particularly apt for Newcastle fans.

"Where Next For Michael Owen?" asks the Transfer Watch as a man with proven goal scoring pedigree and at what is considered a prime age for strikers is so desperate for a club he has to send out a brochure to show what he can do.

I wonder if Mike Ashley received a copy?

A Chink Of Light

2009-06-15T09:53:00.006+01:00

After a weekend of what is becoming worryingly familiar radio silence a breakthrough was made this morning as news was reported that an American consortium are actually willing to take the club out of Ashley's hands.

This news didn't come from Newcastle, as if it would, neither was it announced on the pathetic excuse of an official club website that is nufc.co.uk, it comes from the Independent.

Their sources in the city claim that an American group are ready to take a look at our accounts and that talks are at an advanced stage. Ashley has apparently made all the arrangements to accommodate a change of owner as quickly as possible.

So maybe just maybe something may be sorted soon, but bear in mind the word soon is losing all meaning at Newcastle.

A new manager will be appointed soon.

The sale of the club will be completed soon.

Fans will lose their patience soon.

At least we know the last one is true, for the majority it's already happened.

A Moment Of Clarity?

2009-06-11T19:04:00.008+01:00

As much as I enjoy the various blogs ridiculing and (attempting) to humiliate Mike Ashley even further in the eyes of the Toon Army, I'm always prepared to give credit where it is due.

Reports in various papers and websites, today continued to rant and rave about the ridiculous efforts to recoup funds by putting every member of the first team squad up for sale.

One report on the other hand told how Ashley had instructed that 'Prize Assets' are sold as a last option. Can this possibly be true, a rational decision?

The Sun went as far as to claim that Steve Harper, Steven Taylor and Nicky Butt were not for sale as Shearer had earmarked these players as his spine. With Andy Carroll on top that wouldn't be a bad team to build around.

Whilst I don't quite believe that they are 'not for sale' I can believe that Ashley has pushed them to the bottom of the list and initially tried to sell the flops, the unwanted and the unkeepable in the shape of Colo, Barton and Oba.

With apparent attempts to hang on to the much sought after Bassong, Beye and Taylor I must say, in all sincerity, thanks Mike.

Please don't let me down.

So What Exactly Does This Get Me?

2009-06-10T18:15:00.005+01:00

It's that time of year, season ticket renewal, whilst many of you may have just got your renewal form through your letter box I have very little belief that many of you will be sending them back with a nice fat cheque made out to Big Mike.

This is the time of year when the majority of us Toon supporters are dreaming of a season of success, well maybe not even that far, just a season of fight is a dream these days.

It's a bit rich to ask the loyal fan to pay for something that doesn't even exist as of yet, the chance to watch a Newcastle team play football next season.

With every member of the first team squad being flogged of to the highest, or maybe even quickest, bidder. We are faced with the prospect of watching a group of players flummox about the SJP pitch who don't as yet play for the side.

That's being hopeful, as with an owner who has disappeared of the face of the planet and no manager to speak of, the prospect of signing one single player is a long way off.

What's more likely is that we will have to blood youngsters who in all truth are two or three seasons from being ready to play a full season of professional football.

But as it goes we may have no other option but to hope some young Geordie's can blend with the left-overs we didn't want six months ago, but now are beginning to stay and save this club.

Shola Ameobi will lead the line and at this rate probably be handed the captains armband, as reserve team youngsters Nile Ranger and Mark Donninger are extremely likely to be called on to play regular first team football next term.

So I sympathise with those who receive a season ticket renewal form and try to fathom exactly what you are paying for.

Because these days buying a season ticket for Newcastle is like buying a ticket in a raffle, and your odds aren't good.

Villa Join Chase For Duff

2009-06-10T14:59:00.003+01:00

Aston Villa are believed to be prepared to offer Damien Duff an escape route from the Championship, but could face stiff competition from the Premier League new boys.

Reports in The Irish Evening Herald suggest that Villa manager Martin O'Neill is keen on the Newcastle United winger, but will have to beat newly promoted Wolves and Burnley to his signature.

Duff is now facing a fight to hold onto his international place with competition arising in the shape of Reading's Stephen Hunt and Celtic's Aiden McGeady.

A move to a Premier League club will give Duff's international chances a boost, but reports in Dublin suggest the player may be keen on a move to Europe.

Newcastle will be keen on selling to the highest bidder and it is thought that a bid from Spain or Italy may interest both parties.

Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapatoni's connections in Italy may make a move to Southern Europe more likely.

Written for Goal.com --- June 2009

Transfer Watch

2009-06-09T18:04:00.004+01:00

A colleague and friend has set up a brand spanking new blog dedicated to the wild world of transfers.

It's what everyone talks about in the summer so why not sort yourselves out and keep an eye on the Transfer Watch blog.

A fellow Goal.com writer and student at Southampton Solent University means you know you can trust the news on this blog.

The mighty Newcastle United will of course be a focus of his attentions, even if it is just to follow our former players to their new clubs.

Duff May Reunite With McCarthy At Wolves

2009-06-09T15:01:00.005+01:00

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is ready to launch a bid to secure the signature of Republic of Ireland international Damien Duff.

The Newcastle winger has been placed on the transfer list with the rest of the squad as the Championship club attempts to slash it's astronomical wage bill.

The Evening Herald reports that the close relationship between the former Ireland manager and Duff remains from their days together at national level.

This brings a move closer as McCarthy looks to add Premier League experince to his squad.

Duff was one the first Newcastle player to pledge his allegiance to his club after their relegation, but may be forced to leave as the team struggles to cut costs whilst they search for a buyer for the club.

The former Chelsea star may be asked to help the club by leaving and may be keen on a move back to the Premier League to link up with his former national boss.

Written for Goal.com --- June 2009

Portsmouth Looking To Offer Barton Escape

2009-06-08T17:59:00.002+01:00

Portsmouth are willing to offer a contract to Joey Barton according to The Newcastle Evening Chronicle.

The former Manchester City player, relegated from the Premier League with Newcastle this season, has been persistently in trouble on and off the pitch.

Most recently Barton was suspended by Newcastle after allegedly abusing interim manager Alan Shearer during a training ground bust-up at the end of the season.

Shearer, who is expected to be named Magpies boss pending a potential takeover, was alleged to have told Barton he would not play for the club again.

The Toon will be desperate to slash their £76 million wage bill, as they prepare for life in the Championship, with high earners Michael Owen and Mark Viduka also expected to leave the club.

Any potential Newcastle owner will welcome cutting Barton's £60,000 a week from the wage bill.

Written for Goal.com --- June 2009

Smith Needs To Relieve "Guilt"

2009-06-05T15:11:00.002+01:00

Newcastle midfielder Alan Smith has expressed his desire to help his club back to the Premier League.

Reports in The Newcastle Evening Chronicle suggest Smith is happy to accept his fate and let the club decide if they want to sell him or not.

After two frustrating, injury-marred years Smith is happy to see out the remaining three years on his contract and repay the faith shown in him.

Despite reported interest from Blackburn, Everton and Fulham, the former Leeds and Manchester United front man is in no rush to leave.

Troublesome midfielder Joey Barton has also expressed his desire to stay despite high-profile bust-ups with interim manager Alan Shearer.

"My intention is to stay at the club and help Newcastle back into the Premier League. If Alan Shearer takes the manager’s job and if he doesn’t want me then my hands are tied.” revealed the former Manchester City man.

Irish International Damien Duff was the first Newcastle player to commit his future to the club despite the relegation to the Championship and Newcastle fans will be confident they can now hold onto some of their stars.

Written for goal.com --- June 2009

The Troublesome Trip

2009-05-01T21:50:00.005+01:00

A change of tact this week, the focus is solely on Sunday's trip to Anfield, but instead of repeating how this is a 'must win' game (which it is), I thought I'd reminisce about the arguably the most enthralling of Premier League fixtures.

Arsenal vs Manchester United? Merseyside Derby or perhaps the North London Battles?

Nope, none of those, Liverpool vs Newcastle, a fixture that always produces goals.

Cliché? Maybe. But there hasn't been a nil-nil draw in this fixture since the 1973/74 season, on top of that they truly provide the kind of entertainment that the Premier League is famous for, and the kind of football that English fans are proud to export to the world.

One fixture in particular stands out in the memory. In successive seasons, the attacking prowess of Newcastle was met with the never say die attitude of Liverpool at home.

As Kevin Keegan's Newcastle powered through the Premier League season and towards what was seeming ever more inevitably, their first Premier League title he met a Liverpool side who refused to lie down.

A slow start by the Magpies saw Robbie Fowler, steal in to grab a goal after just two minutes for Liverpool, but this little slip was soon corrected by the title contenders as first Les Ferdinand and then David Ginola scored to reverse the scoreline by 14 minutes.

During this season, it was expected that Newcastle, even against the might of Liverpool, would go onto win once they had their nose in front in any fixture.

However on this occasion their need to attack and play as if they have just one minute left in the cup final despite the score let Liverpool in again and Fowler picked up a second goal just after half time to bring Liverpool level.

A flurry of attacking exchanges eventually ended in a Newcastle goal through Colombian striker Faustino Asprilla, Newcastle were ahead again and now it was over...only someone forgot to tell Liverpool.

Stan Collymore poped up on the 68th minute and set up a thrilling finish.

Come the 90th minute and as Ian Rush and John Barnes exchange two yard passes to slowly zig-zag their way into the Newcastle box, eventually the ball bobbles towards the back post and "Collymore's closing in!" screams Martin Tyler.

Kevin Keegan hangs his head over the advertising board in disbelief, an iconic image of the Premier League and an iconic match for the Premier League scrapbook.

The following season saw an arguably more remarkable match where Newcastle battled back from a three goal half-time deficit, to seemingly snatch a draw with two minutes to go.

Only for Robbie Fowler to break Geordie hearts in the same place as the previous season with a stoppage time winner.

This season Newcastle fans saw a dominating display from the opposition as Newcastle shipped five goals in a crushing defeat, and only managed to produce one goal in response.

This weekend may not see a repeat of these classic fixtures, but I can solidly speak for one member of the Toon army when I say that a one-nil victory with a goal off Michael Owen's backside will do for me.

Howay the lads!

Fighting Spirit or Punch Drunk?

2009-04-13T23:25:00.008+01:00

Watching, somewhat nervously, as Newcastle fought back against Stoke on Saturday I couldn't help but feel a little let down by some of our players.

No doubt they ran all day, and they clearly want to keep the club up, but it's the way the small minority go about their business that worries me for our crucial end of season run-in.

Messers, Nolan, Guthrie and Ameobi are top of my list.

First up, our friendly midfield maestros. Whilst their inclusion in the team adds bite, grit and pure determination to our midfield I fear for our ability to finish the game with eleven men whenever either of them flies into a tackle or questions a decision.

The pure ferocity that erupts from the pair worries me beyond belief and with the upcoming fixtures set to become ever more crucial as each game passes, will they be able to keep their heads? At the Britannia stadium Nolan seemed desperate for a punch up and he is unlikely to be protected by his captain as little Mickey just seems desperate for a decent ball.

Moving onto Owen's strike partner for the day, the ever-pointless, never-useful Shola Ameobi. I struggle to find a reason why still has a shirt at Newcastle.

Is it due to his four goals in 21 games this term? It can't be because of his failure to score last season, so it must be due to his somewhat persistent injuries that have meant we've never seen enough of the guy to realise quite how useless he is.

It's not inaccurate to say he actually hampered the team by being on the pitch against Stoke. His apparent inability to sprint, shoot and jump leaves me scratching my head as to why he was on the pitch, let alone given the duty of marking the oppositions best header of the ball.

To call Ameobi a Donkey, would be harsh on Donkeys. In fact fielding a Donkey up front would probably not have aroused much more than a, "Aay, our Shola's looking lively today." from the travelling Geordie faithful.

I believe the only time Ameobi sprinted during his painful 74 minutes on the pitch, was to the touchline, when super sub Andy Carroll replaced him.

As it happened, Everything Shola wasn't, Andy was.

The born-and-bred Geordie threw himself at everything in the air, connecting more often than not, in both attack and defence. The Stoke defence were bemused at the aerial threat and it eventually produced a wonderful headed goal.

A goal that could save our season.

If I were Alan Shearer one of my goals for the remaining six games of the season, would be to make sure Carroll gets as much time on the pitch as possible.

Timing Is Everything

2009-04-09T23:28:00.004+01:00

Newcastle head into a crunch relegation battle against Stoke City with somewhat less media coverage than last weekend's game against Chelsea managed to attract.

Alan Shearer's first game in charge saw media representatives from all corners of the footballing world inside St. James' Park, and if three more of the Geordie faithful had turned up it would also have been the biggest crowd of the season.

The timing of Shearer's appointment was questioned, many suggested it would have been a better move to take charge after the Chelsea game, a match that Newcastle were unlikely to get anything out of, with or without Shearer in charge.

But perhaps now we are seeing the canniness that Shearer exercised in his timing, to take charge when he did meant that whilst dreams of a debut victory existed, realistically it was a game Newcastle could afford to lose. Now he has had ten days to learn what his squad has to offer, and for his squad to understand his way of thinking.

An open training session at SJP attracted 7,500 fans and with 3,000 following the team down to the Britannia stadium maybe they can see that they still have the support to push on and survive the dreaded drop.

Media coverage has dropped off since the open training session and given players a chance to relax and enjoy training with their new boss.

The atmosphere seems calm, and I'm just hoping that a storm is brewing up to be released on the pitch.

Preview: Stoke City vs Newcastle

2009-04-09T22:47:00.013+01:00

Premier League - Britannia Stadium - Saturday 11th April - 17:30

TEAM NEWS

Spanish left-back, Jose Enrique joins Steven Taylor and Peter Lovenkrands on the injury list but Sebastien Bassong brings a boost to a frail Toon defence. The Frenchman has been a big hit on Tyneside and fans will hope his return can sure up a defence that has failed to keep a clean sheet in it's last five games.

Obafemi Marins and Michael Owen are expected to start up front and Owen bagged a brace in the reverse fixture. Tall striker Andy Carroll could make an impact from the bench with his aerial threat against a strong Stoke defence.

Stoke's only injury problem is the long term absence of Madamy Sidibie and with a fully fit and fully confident squad, including free scoring striker James Beattie, Tony Pulis' men will be more than ready for the visitors.

HISTORY

Played - 33
Stoke - 17
Draws - 9
Newcastle - 7
Goals - 79

PROBABLE LINE UPS

STOKE
Sorensen, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Higginbotham, Lawrence, Delap, Whelan, Etherington, Fuller, Beattie.

NEWCASTLE
Harper, Coloccini, Cacapa, Beye, Bassong, Nolan, Butt, R. Taylor, Jonas, Martins, Owen

PREDICTION

This will be a very close and likely painful match to watch for all involved. The football on show will not be the most beautiful that the world has ever witnessed but it will be some of the most exciting and nail-biting action all season.

STOKE 1 - 1 NEWCASTLE

Move Over Colo?

2009-04-07T17:59:00.002+01:00

Newcastle's latest defeat to Chelsea a defensive lapse that has seen yet another of our men in stripes have his diagnosis confirmed as a serious bout of centre-back-itus.

On the face of it he seemed to be the signing of the summer, Fabricio Coloccini was brought in at the staggering cost of £10m and was expected to finally solve the problem of a leaky Tyneside defence. Unfortunately he has gone the way of Titus Bramble and Jean Alain Boumsong and despite looking like a solid buy has consistently been overpowered and too easily fooled.

For the away trip to Manchester City, Colo was moved into defensive midfield, his 'favoured' position. It was hard to see why as he failed to complete a pass over five yards for the entire first half and was dropped back into the defence at half time.

The answer is a tough call that I wouldn't like to make, but it is a rather clear one. The Argentine defender must take a place on the bench whilst Steven Taylor and Sebastien Bassong are given the chance to expand on what promises to be a flourishing partnership.

Bassong has been something of a rarity for Newcastle in recent times, a good buy. Just one million pounds was spent to secure the Frenchman's signature and he has looked more than comfortable with the pace of the Premier League.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how much money you spend on a door, if it doesn't fit the hole, you can't use it.

The Honeymoon Is Over

2009-04-07T17:31:00.002+01:00

It's harsh, but it's football.

Alan Shearer's first match in management went the way most would have expected, with a solid win for Chelsea. Fans flocked to St. James' for a glimpse of Newcastle's latest messiah but unfortunately on this occasion, miracles could not be delivered.

Hark though loyal followers! This is not a defeat that condemns Newcastle to relegation, it does however mean we are deeply immersed in squeaky-bum territory. The bus that takes the squad down to the Potteries this weekend will have to have a few extra seats to accommodate the three points that simply must join the players on their trip back to the Toon.

Shearer has been widely acclaimed as having a one-track mind, something he will need to install into the players. Victory is the only option for this club if they wish to remain amongst England's elite.

Whilst the task of avoiding relegation would still be possible, the already low confidence levels will take a deathly strike if we walk off the Britannia Stadium pitch with no points.

Preview: Newcastle vs Chelsea

2009-04-03T23:35:00.001+01:00

Premier League - St. James Park - Saturday 4th April - 15:00

Newcastle's gloom and doom will be wiped away if they can produce a result against title chasing Chelsea on Saturday. The return of Alan Shearer will rally the toon army and raise the temperature at St. James Park.

Chelsea Manager Guus Hiddink has warned against complacency and told his side they will have to work harder to combat the 'Shearer effect'. Chelsea come off a loss to Tottenham and will need to pick up all three points if they wish to stay on the tail of Liverpool and Manchester United at the top of the table.

TEAM NEWS

Interim Newcastle manager Alan Shearer will be able to welcome back Steven Taylor, Sebastien Bassong and Damien Duff from injury for his first game in charge.

Newcastle will need their strongest defence as they have to contend with the return of the Premier League's leading goalscorer Nicolas Anelka. But as the frenchman comes in his Ivorian teammate Didier Drogba will miss out with an ankle injury.

The London club will also be without full back Jose Bosingwa (hamstring) and England Under 21 international Michael Mancienne may deputise, whilst Newcastle will be without frontman Shola Ameobi (ankle).

HISTORY

Played - 64
Newcastle - 34
Draws - 16
Chelsea - 14
Goals - 163

PROBABLE LINE UPS

NEWCASTLE
Harper, Coloccini, Bassong, S. Taylor, Enrique, Nolan, Butt, R. Taylor, Jonas, Martins, Owen

CHELSEA
Cech, Terry, Carvalho, Mancienne, A. Cole, Essien, Lampard, Ballack, Mikel, Malouda, Anelka

PREDICTION

Newcastle will find it tough to get a result after a run of five games without a win and Chelsea will be fully prepared to fight to from minute one to minute 90.

Newcastle 1 - 1 Chelsea

Time Is Right For Ferguson

2009-04-03T19:04:00.002+01:00

An interesting week of international football caught the eye as England battled their way to two solid victories, but with no Newcastle players on England duty happenings north of the border may be more intriguing for the toon.

Scotland and Rangers captain Barry Ferguson and goalkeeper Alan McGregor were dropped to the bench for Scotland's qualifier against Iceland on Wednesday night and to find out why you must look back to the previous weekend. The two decided on a late night drinking session after the qualifier against Holland on Saturday and this serious breach of discipline saw them dropped for the following fixture.

This alone landed them in trouble, but what followed left fans and professionals embarrassed and disappointed. The pair decided that instead of graciously accepting their punishment and keeping their heads down, their best course of action would be to stick two fingers up at the TV cameras and watching audience.

They may apologise now but the damage has been done. Both were sent home from training with Rangers and suspended for two weeks, without pay. It's what followed this afternoon that will have stunned them as they were banned from playing for Scotland, for life.

As much as this may interest you, you're probably wondering what this has to do with Newcastle. With Ferguson's international career gone like dust on the wind, what reason is there for him to stay in Scotland?

He will undoubtedly be jeered by fans when he makes his return so why not get out and have one last flurry of comfort in England. He has long been linked with Newcastle and now may be the time Rangers are most open to a sale.

The Geordies have never been a club to turn down a player based on his reputation, look no further than Joey Barton, Lee Bowyer and Duncan Ferguson for proof of this. He would undeniably strengthen the midfield with both talent and experience.

There is perhaps just one hurdle to this potential deal, Newcastle's league status. If relegated this deal is off, but if they manage to stay in the Premier League then I feel this is a very realistic move.

Ashley's Final Gamble

2009-04-02T20:39:00.001+01:00

Interim Newcastle manager Alan Shearer insists Newcastle can be saved from relegation.

Shearer's official appointment came just hours after the announcement that controversial figure Dennis Wise had left the club. It was also announced that Wise's role as director of football, a role publicly criticised by former manager Kevin Keegan and Shearer, would cease to exist at the club.

Is this a sign of Ashley attempting to rebuild the club in the fans vision or just the desperate actions fo a chairman who knew what he had to do the bring in big Al?

As much as I hope i'm wrong, I fear the latter may be true.

Ashley has taken more than one managerial gamble; appointing Kevin Keegan pleased the fans, but something never felt quite right and he left after 22 games in charge. In came Joe Kinnear as interim manager before he earned the right to manage the club until the end of the season.

It was a seemingly strange decision to place the reigns of your team in the hands of a man who had been out of football for some time. However when you consider this was at a time when Ashley was attempting to sell the club, it was perhaps less a gamble and more the easy option.

So we find ourselves with eight games to go in the season, with three different men managing to achieve just six league wins between them, we now ask one big man to keep us up. A task that could require another four victories.

We now stand a much better chance of staying up with Shearer at the helm, but if it doesn't pay off, Ashley is all out of messiahs.