You're only a poor little cockney...

Photo by Yeo Seow Sean

Their faces were all tattered and torn. Well they were after the thrashing we gave them. The game started with Chelsea pressure as I took my seat among the Chelsea fans in the east stand and far too many eastern Europeans? Yes, the Chelski boys.

On six mins Newcastle old boy Van Aanholt made it one nil with a crisp finish and all the Polish, Russians and Slovakians went nuts around me. I was sat high up on the half way line just behind the NUFC dugout. To my left was the Toon Army. The singing coming from the away end was enticing and made me think of ways to go join them but the game soon turned from one of fear of becoming a rout to a brilliant game of football and I was singing all the songs under my breath as I found it hard to sit quiet amongst the Chelski boys and girls.

20 minutes in and Newcastle settled and began to compete. With Lovenkrands not up to it all evening and Gutierrez playing some wayward balls early on and almost getting R Taylor sent off by playing a hospital ball, it was hard to see us getting back in. On 27 mins though we created our first promising attack, only for our young forward stuck out on the wing to find himself with an opportunity. He took it impressively to put us level with a half volley. At that point I celebrated quietly not wanting to draw any attention early doors. The Russian next to me gave me a long, dirty scowl and I looked back with a big cheesy grin and a wink. five mins later Ameobi was away when he was brought down and it gave us an opportunity nobody saw coming. Ryan Taylor stepped up and guess what? Haha, yes 1-2 to the NUFC. The Toon Army went mad and my own celebration was that bit bigger than the last as I found it hard to contain my excitement. A punch in the air followed by a "GET IN" and a few glances came my way but I was loving it. The Russian was not happy sat next to a delusional Geordie. Who is this idiot thinking Newcastle can come down here and beat us at home, I am sure he was thinking to himself. The half time whistle went.



"He was going nowhere so I think he decided to shoot from about 25 yards. He seemed to tap it and it curled around the defender and the goalie to make it 1-3 to the Geordies"



Second half I thought, It's going to be long and difficult. The first was-non stop action end-to-end stuff and a brilliant game but Chelsea did look very dangerous on the attack. Both teams were basically playing their bench and a few kids so it was even stevens on that front; something that some Chelski boys would use as their excuse later only to find out we had made 10 changes to their nine from previous games.

"If Shola scores we're on the piss" rang out at some point in the first half and Geordies do like to keep a promise so guess who stepped up next. You got it - Ameobi got himself into some space on the right attacking the away end and received the ball with one defender in front of him. He was going nowhere so I think he decided to shoot from about 25 yards. He seemed to tap it and it curled around the defender and the goalie to make it 1-3 to the Geordies. Now as the away end erupted my celebration grew too. I stood up punched the air and shouted, "COME ON". This time more people turned to look who was celebrating but nobody said a word.

The game was still young and now Chelski had to come up with something but what happened next was a sub. Kalou came on and within 10 mins he was injured going down in our box for a good three to four mins. Not long after that Benayoun went down in the same place as Kalou, again for a few minutes. Chelski were now down to 10 men and with about 20 minutes to go we somehow forgot to play. Chelsea saw an opportunity and used it. They got a goal back to make it 2-3 via Anelka and looking at the clock I remember thinking this is going to be a long night. The fickle Chelski girls and boys then booed our young left back Shane Ferguson for going down. Now 2 players in blue had gone down earlier for a number of minutes but as soon as a Mag goes down they forget their own time wasters. Wankers.

The game still ebbed and flowed like the Thames River just behind us and we held out till the 87th minute.

The weak Referee was in tatters too, bowing to the pressure of the so-called big boys and awarding one of the softest pens you will ever see. Alex actually fell down - nobody touched him but no Chelski fan wanted to talk about that incident after the game.

They were back in, 3-3 and extra time now looked likely. If it did they had the momentum but there was a feeling about Newcastle, one I had before the match.

It had to be Ameobi to get the Toon Army going. He rose the highest for the corner kick late in the 90th minute and put the ball into the back of the net. Well, you can imagine the sight of the Geordies. This time I stood up, raised both hands and jumped up and down. The lads celebrated as a whole team in front of the Toon Army and the Chelski fans now started to make their weary way home to the sound of an ironic song from the Geordies: "THAT'S WHY WE'RE CHAMPIONS THAT'S WHY WE'RE CHAMPION THAT'S..." It was not over yet as the 4th official put 6 minutes up on the board. The boys held firm and took the win. We went to the pub to decipher Ameobi's first goal and have a few in celebration. After all, "If Shola scores, we're on the piss...".
TOON TOON...

Highlights

Sing Your Hearts Out For The Lads

With the Mackems just around the corner United are under pressure to perform. So far Newcastle's season has been up and down with some big highs and some big lows and it's difficult to say how it will turn out with the results we have been having.

Losing to Manchester United away from home was acceptable as was the draw away to Wolves.
However to win our first home game of the season 6-0 against one of the Premiership's better teams was very unlikely but we did it. The away victories at Everton and then at Chelsea in the League Cup were astonishing(we were one down after 6 minutes after all) but the defeats to Blackpool and Stoke at home caused much unrest with the home crowd. The League Cup has taken us to the extremes of the football league in the form of Accrington Stanley and Chelsea and produced 12 goals. A very welcome addition to the season if only we could bring some much needed silverware, even if it's "just" the League cup.

Is the premiership season going to carry on like this? It would certainly be a change for the regular away fans to see us winning but are we going to change it around and start getting results at home? We certainly need to or we know what Hansen et al will say.

Far be it for me to offer advice to Chris Houghton but the team looks like it needs a bit of pace upfront. With Lovenkrands not featuring much this season we have been left with 3 players who are all roughly the same kind of player albeit of differing abilities.

The one good thing that has come through this season is the young talent on show and in the wings of the first team - they certainly have made a big splash in the League cup so far. Has Mike Ashley got something right? It's not something I would like to admit or shout from the Gallowgate end but the youth set-up certainly looks very healthy and the two promising buys in the off season in the form of Ben Arfa and Cheik Tiote have certainly boosted the squad as well as the confidence of the fans with some promising performances. They will need to stand up and be counted in the game against the Mackems as will every player on the pitch. Experience will no doubt be a key factor in the derby so don't rule out Nolan, Smith and Barton starting as they all know how to handle themselves and seem to thrive on a tackle. Just what the Toon Army love to see but a winner from a local lad would be hard to beat and Andy Carroll could do some damage to the black cats' back four. He will be looking at the wingers to provide ammunition; failing that we can always rely upon Aycliff and his old NME boys to get the job done.


"The League Cup has taken us to the extremes of the football league in the form of Accrington Stanley and Chelsea and produced 12 goals"

With arguably 12 players under the age of 25 looking at the first team for a place and 6 more under 20 waiting in the wings - it's not a bad position to be in, especially with the balance of experience we have in players like Smith, Nolan, Barton, Campbell, Lovenkrands, Coloccini, Gutierrez, Enrique and Harper. Obviously we will have our injuries but fingers crossed nothing compared to the two years pre-Championship.

Our young lads will get a chance just like Krull, who now finds himself starting, and they need to grasp that chance by both hands as competition for places looks hot. To be in the starting 11 at St James' Park on 31st October should be a massive motivation. We look good enough to beat the auld enemy by playing football but we can also get stuck in. With our Geordie Number Nine leading the lads to battle we can rest assured they will take the battle to the enemy. They do care who wins, they will play for you and me. That does not mean we can't help though. You know what you need to do - get up and sing your hearts out for the lads. Turn St James' into a deafening arena and put the enemy to bed. Again.

Delusional,Carried Away or just plain Excited?

Newcastle have once again stuck the boot up the media bandwagon's arse for a second time after a very bright start to the new Premiership season.
All the talk last season was about how far would we fall and how quickly. Relegation to the 3rd tier of English football occurred; the whispers of Leeds United were heard around St James' Park during the off season and became a worry for many of us.

That was the product of the media as is the fantasy they created about Newcastle United fans and how delusional we are although they are the ones who tell us we are the greatest supporters and gave us the title "The Entertainers".

They forget where they applied these terms to us, a time we won't forget, a time we were never called delusional for uttering the words Newcastle United and premiership title in the same breath.



"We are a bunch of realistic fans with some optimism and pessimism thrown in"


However the media persist in dragging us down like any plastic Geordie (Mackem) would, but unlike the last 6 years we now have a bunch of lads that resemble a team. This group have strength, determination and what looks like an unbreakable team spirit.
I saw at Chelsea the subs warming up before the game - Nolan, Barton, Carroll and new boy Ben Arfa. They were keeping the ball in the air with 2 touches. The one who made 2 or 3 mistakes first got a round of ear flicking off the rest of the lads. Ben Arfa lost and to their joy they all gave him a flick to his ear. That showed that team spirit was high and they were friends not just colleagues.

Chris Houghton is looking more of a hero every week as he has gathered a bunch of down hearted, miserable bunch of footballers, injected belief into them and turned the club around from no hopers to winners. He got rid of the lead weights and kept those who were worthy of a place in the dressing room.

The first game back in the Prem could not get much harder and the 3-0 score did not do the game justice. A good performance and more importantly an attacking performance was how we set out from the start. Next came 6 goals at home to Villa, an important away point at Wolves and then defeat to Blackpool before we gave Everton a good game at Goodison and came away with the points just before travelling to Stamford Bridge and giving the champions a hiding.
Oh but Everton lost that game and Chelsea played their second team, they say. Actually we made 10 changes and they made 9 from their previous game. Who, I ask is delusional?

Bollox to them who say we can't dream. Who are they to decide our future? Surely WE are in the the best position to judge what's likely to happen.

The squad is looking good these days with a healthy balance of experience, youth and a depth to the team that has taken us to the lofty heights of the Premiership (6th the time of writing).

Every football fan dreams of success and why not. We are a bunch of realistic fans with some optimism and pessimism thrown in. No better or no worse than other football fans around the world.

The momentum we have gathered at the start of this season will go a long way to help us take the auld enemy apart at the end of October. But as confidence grows so too does the so-called delusion. Or so the media say.

Toffee's leave a sweet taste in the mouth

Visiting the old Goodison Park is usually a good day out apart from when you get unlucky and have to stand directly behind a large metal post in the away section. Newcastle's last visit ended all square as Everton got lucky and ended the game 1-1. This time was different although the Newcastle that travelled to Liverpool was not the same team that went down and as we have seen already this season, they work hard for each other and seem to be enjoying it.

It was a patchy game that took time to get going but when it did it was a good old fashioned English game of football. Everton had some chances but we would not sit back and take it - away from home or not. We went at them time and time again, more assured on each attack until from a distance of around 25yards Ben Arfa made a side step from a standing position and unleashed a shot no goalkeeper would have got near. A goal that this kid was looking for to get his name up there. This was a magnificent goal and his performance was a good one, always going forward looking to commit defenders to the tackle or trying to get beyond them. Ben Arfa so far looks to be a good signing and echoes of Robert come to mind.
Everton did have chances to bring the game back level and they should have as with some shaky defending at times, Newcastle looked very venerable at the back and an in-form Everton would surely have opened us up and punished us.

However the game was not dead then and we were simply not giving up and holding out for the draw. That would be incredibly dangerous as our defence was not the sharpest. Our best weapon was to carry on attacking. Attack we did and how we loved it and what a refreshing change to see Newcastle going to places like Goodison Park and press them for 90 minutes for the victory. That display deserved the 3 points and give the team a massive boost of confidence which put the disappointment of Blackpool behind us. The media will now talk about how Everton lost this game rather than give us credit as was the case last week when Blackpool thumped us.
The team seems to have got back into the pace of the Premiership much quicker than most expected and looks as if we never left. This result does show we are capable. We know what the media would say but they always have had a thing against us.

If we can go to teams like Everton and get a result we can definitely go to teams like Wigan, Stoke and Bolton and get points so why should we not be excited about this season? Why should we bring ourselves back down to earth by listening to the media's "its going to be difficult" quotes? Why can't we finish in the top 10 if teams like Blackburn Rovers can do it? I don't see any reason at all even though we have been in the Championship for 1 year. It did us good. We got rid of the hangers-on and the high wages and kept a hold of some good hardworking lads who want to play for us. They are Premiership players after all and with young talent emerging everything is looking rather healthy on Tyneside. The bench at the weekend was full of top quality Premiership-experienced players who could play for half of the Prem and with players still to come back from injury too, this makes things seem much brighter. If we can't dream about the Toon then what do we dream about? We know we won't get into Europe and finishing in the top 7. We know we can at best finish behind these places but why can't we finish the top half? Because the media say so? Are we are afraid of being called delusional by a bunch of Mackems with a chip on there shoulder?

Bollocks. Get behind the Toon. Believe and dream. It's why we love the game.

Ben Arfa Goal

Oh they dont like to be beside the seaside...

Apart from going down by 6 to Arsenal, Blackpool have troubled the media and critics of the small seaside town club. They hit 4 past Wigan on the opening day of the Premiership and have come to St James' Park with confidence and the ability to play good football. Ian Holloway deserves the credit for this and he has hardly expanded the team since the Championship promotion came about from a Brett Ormerod goal that started the goal fest at Wembley against a reserved Cardiff City.

So for Blackpool to come to St James', a ground they were fully battered on last season in the Championship, sounds like they have balls of steel and firmly believe in what they are trying to achieve.

The game was not one to remember on our behalf as we had chance after chance but the Blackpool goalkeeper kept us out time and time again. The inevitable happened though just before the break when Blackpool grabbed an unlikely lead to go in at half time 0-1 up. The second half was a mirror of the first with the Toon piling it thick but unable to score against the superb Blackpool goalkeeper. Finally the net was breached again and again seconds before the final whistle to give Blackpool the 0-2 win they did not really deserve but all credit to them as they kept on going - an attribute which seems to have been produced by the Championship as all 3 promoted teams have shown fight this season.

picture sourced from http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Blackpool-v-Cardiff-play-off-final-preview-Blackpool-defender-Ian-Evatt-says-the-objective-all-season-has-been-5m-bonus-on-offer-for-reaching-the-Premier-League-article432423.html

Nothingnuex

Newcastle failed in another attempt to take all the points for us at an unlucky ground on Saturday - the Molinuex Stadium. A bright start gave everyone a buzz that another win against Brummie opposition would be forthcoming. However as half-time approached at 0-0 still, the Wolves grabbed a goal to put them 1-0 up for the break.

The second half saw us fight back and grab a goal for a well deserved point but many would argue we should have left with all three points. A comeback is a good sign especially away from home and another goal from our new number 9 can't do Carroll any harm although the Wolves players tried their best. They kicked and scrapped all day but big Andy stood up to them whilst carrying an injury from before this game. It was not just Carroll who saw the rough end of the many Wolves boots though. Our not so polished stone of Joey Barton was clattered all day long and did well not to retaliate as he has done in previous years. He took them like a man and when he did put the boot in, he got booked by a referee who quite frankly had no idea; 11 bookings on the day said it all. There was an exchange of words between Barton and ex-mackem McCarthy about the harsh treatment Barton was subject to. But the once a Mackem always a Mackem, and he just laughed in embarrassment as Joey questioned his tactics, obviously trying to get the midfielder wound up for the ref to send him off therefore making their game a little easier. In my book that's a cheat but what would you expect from a Mackem?

All in all a good day out and 1 important point for the long season ahead.

Highlights