Doing it the Hard Way

Saturday saw us on the road again but even though we have had many happy away days, this one was going to prove different with the likes of Barton and Tiote missing. Arguably our two best players this season would be missing the game due to suspension. The midfield was put together with Smith making a rare start with Gutierrez, Nolan and the still rusty Guthrie. Lovenkrands would be missing out as well whilst Ameobi made a comeback from a short break from a injury.

The game never really got going from a Newcastle perspective and a penalty given for handball by skipper Nolan was not what we needed. Bolton then doubled their lead and then went further ahead until Carroll got one back and we showed signs of a comeback for about five minutes. The game got worse though when they got another goal and to top it off the ref who should have gone to Specsavers gave another penalty for a good tackle by Enrique. Two bad penalty decisions on the day flattered Bolton who were the better team though still not a great team. They have been said to play good football but I did not see it. I did not see it from anyone in a Newcastle shirt either. A terrible day and a non performance by Smith and Guthrie who look very short of match practice. Smith, who was brilliant last season was not the same player. We lacked Joey's passion and ability to get the ball to the tall forwards with some accuracy. Tiote was missed as a holding player and we suffered because of his absence. Williamson clashed with Elmander early doors but the ref gave nothing and I saw it as an accidental clash as two players reacted to a long ball but ran into each other, as much Elmander's fault as it was Williamson's. I did argue about Colo's sending off before seeing the elbow in the replay. No arguments there - Colo should have walked before the ref pulled his card out. Williamson is not the type to go for another player, more of a honest hard worker to be honest but the FA have looked at it and he has been charged with violent conduct. So that leaves us with the very slow looking Campbell and unused Steven Taylor for our game with Chelsea with Kadar the only other center half on the bench.


We lacked Joey's passion and ability to get the ball to the tall forwards with some accuracy


Chelsea have been going through a bad patch and have their own problems with injuries and suspensions but our squad can't be compared with that of the Premier League Champions. We went down to Stamford Bridge only a few weeks ago now and gave them a good kicking. Can we do it again without Barton and Colo or are Chelsea going to come up here and give us a hiding?

We don't know that is exactly it. We can be sure our home form has got to improve. Maybe the likes of Campbell and Taylor will help that home form? I personally would like to see these two fully fit playing alongside one another before Colo and Willi.

The midfield has got to change. Smith will just not do and we need width and both wingers supplying the front men or man. It looks like Carroll may lead the line alone as he did with England last week. Nolan and Vuckic in the middle and Lovenkrands plying in the hole with Routledge on the right and Jonas left. We need pace in the team and wingers. Lovenkrands can run so he can work between the midfield and Carroll. Lovenkrands has been poor this season but some hard work could get him back upto scratch. Routledge should be seizing his chances and this is his time - possibly his last opportunity of Premiership football. As long as we're solid in the middle and back we should not ship too many goals while still being a threat up top. If Andy Carroll gets the ball he will be a handful so a little support is vital. I predict a defeat from the West Londoners but just hope we don't do it the hard way again.

Highlights

Picture sourced from http://www.sportydesktops.com/wallpaper/B/3/

Home to Fulham

A second game at home in a week against a side who have also had a good record at St James' in recent years and with our home form being questioned by everyone, this was a game most Geordies feared we may well lose. The ex Toon man brought his Fulham to Newcastle without a win since early last year but St James' has a habit of breaking the opposition's bad records.

The game kicked off without Ameobi and Barton who were both missing due to injury and suspension. Lovenkrands and Guthrie came in to the first team to try and get the team back to winning ways. These two were called rusty after the match; an understatement in my book. Smith however deserves a chance in the first team and with Barton out, this was his opportunity However, Houghton decided against it and went with the rusty Guthrie. Lovenkrands came in for Ameobi and Ranger stayed on the bench although he would surely have been a better swap for Shola. Ranger has made some appearances this season and done well but Lovenkrands has come on or played in games and looked nowhere near his best, going missing in games and missing good opportunities. This was no different as two very good chances fell to him but both were missed. Newcastle played out a 0-0 draw. A decent performance and most were happy with a point at home or happy at not losing. The second half should have given us a goal and the points but it wasn't to be so Fulham went home with another away point to West London.

We must battle through this period and do all we can to get as many points on the board before Christmas

Now Joey Barton is out for another two games, we are going to need someone to step up into the first team without too much disruption. Tiote is now out for the Bolton game as he reached his 5th yellow against the Cottagers. That leaves us with Gutierrez, Nolan, Routledge,Smith, Guthrie and Vuckic. That means we will have a first team place for any of these players. Key to this period is not to lose. We must battle through this period and do all we can to get as many points on the board before Christmas. Routledge will have to do better if he is to come in to the first team as so far he looks out of his depth. On a brighter note though, Simpson has come in and hasdone very well, he looks like an improved player since last season and Timmy Krull is begining to make some fantastic saves. All is not bad, far be it. Things are good and we still have competition for places even with key players out injured or suspended.

Barton, Tiote, Gosling, Ben Arfa, Harper and Ameobi - it could be argued that 6 first teamers are out but Houghton has not mentioned this fact. He doesn't need to we sit in the top half of the table and still have players competing for places. The fact that we have six players to come back into the squad must give the confidence that we can come out this season alive and kicking in the Premiership.

Bolton are high flying at the moment with Elmander and Davies having a blinding season. It's not going to be an easy place to go and take the points. They are well drilled and can handle the aerial threat of Andy Carroll. Newcastle will have to be at their very best again on Saturday to give the Toon Army something to shout about again.

Rovers DONT Return

Blackburn were the visitors last night with a canny record on Tyneside in recent history. However with confidence at a high after taking the point at the Emirates, Newcastle came into the match looking to stop the recent rot against Rovers. A measly crowd of just over 41,000 turned up for a drab game which saw our poor home form return in style against a team in the bottom five. Unsurprisingly an unchanged side was named and the snow held off.

The first three minutes proved crucial for Rovers who took a sample of the refereeing Tony Pulis has been going mad over the last week or so. Gamst Pedersen ran out to collect a ball going away from goal to the sideline with chase from Gutierrez. G Pedersen saw Gutierrez so he backed up and knocked the Argentinian winger off balance and somehow the ref managed to give a vital free-kick to Rovers. In my book that was a clear foul on us with a possible yellow card. The ref gave it to Rovers though and from the non-clearance by Tiote, Pedersen won the ball on the edge of our area, had a couple of touches and BAM. 0-1 Rovers up at St James' again and Al lard dyce was happy. A dreadful game ensued but no goals followed.

The second half saw an almost identical goal to Sunday's win at Arsenal. Joey Barton floated a cross from near the dugouts and Carroll, rising higher than any Rover, put the ball in the back of the net to make it 1-1 and set St James' alight. Although Newcastle should now have the momentum, as usual against inferior teams this season, we sat off and never looked like taking the lead. Blackburn were terrible though and I have no idea how their fans can bear to watch that kind of football. No wonder they did not sell their meagre 1,700 ticket allocation. They were the team who scored next though. A long punt down field saw Roberts beat Colo, knock down Williamson and stab the ball past Krull. 1-2 Rovers and eight minutes to go plus stoppage time. A few half chances and a penalty claim was all that we could muster and a chance to go fourth went begging. We still stand 5th and have another mid-table team who always do well at St James' on Saturday; Fulham visit for the normal 3pm KO.

More front page paper tripe will be taken from this game when Mr Barton gave Gamst 'rent boy' Pederson a slap in the gut for not much really. Barton got away with it on the night but the cameras picked up on it as did the Sky News pundit who mentioned it about 20 times in as many minutes. Joey is on four yellows at the moment but that incident will surely warrant a ban of 2 or three game maybe more with his past.
That incident and injury to Ameobi sees our run of games with an unchanged side more than likely come to an end. Let's look forward to the rematch at little Ewood Park as we are in good form away and should spank Al Lard ayce's Rovers team easily.

Highlights
picture sourced from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1328505/Newcastle-1-Blackburn-2-Allardyce-enjoys-happy-return-Roberts-late-strike.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Good to Good to be Good to be a TOONER

Newcastle United made the trip to the capital amid a media circus of fresh allegations and reversed psychology from non other than Arsene Wenger. The point was to take Newcastle's eye off the ball and fall into the trap. The pre-match broon ales were flowing and the Toon were sitting comfortably in 9th with the weekend fixtures going our way. Anything more than a loss would see us climb above the Unwashed, Super Spurs and Bolton. During the build up to this early Sunday kick-off, I almost uttered the words, "If we wi... " but was given a quick "don't bother" look by a few Geordies so I shut up mid sentence and kept what I should have said to myself. The post game talk seemed to give the impression that success would be if we kept the number of goals down. If we could grab a late equaliser then great, that would do to take us up to 5th. All in all, there did not appear to be any high hopes in the media for Newcastle.

So we headed down toward Gilespie Road for the game with about 20 mins to go. When we took our seats, standing up obviously, the Geordies were in good spirits and the battle of the stands looked to be over before kick off; it is the Emirates afterall. The game kicked off with pressure from the home side and a free kick by Flabbyass that hit the wood work. Arsenal came close again but this time Timmy Krull made an astonishing save to tip the ball over from Nasri for a corner. Newcastle played an epic match and threw all we had at the ball to snuff out anything Arsenal could come up with. We even took the game to them and the after match stats tell the story of how we came to the Emirates and played Arsenal well and not of a performance where we would sit back and hope for a 0-0. Great performaces again from the likes of Tiote, Barton, Ameobi and Carroll but more to the point all the boys especially the defence played their role in this encounter.


I almost uttered the words, "If we wi... "

Arsenal did get a slice of cold revenge served up by local hero Andy Carroll - one that was promised from captain Nolan after the heavy defeat sustained at home to Arsenal only a few days earlier. With the game at 0-1 to Newcastle the ref blew his whistle for half time. The atmosphere in the ground was good and the second half kicked off to the sound of the Geordie Vuvuzela. We carried on the battle as in the first half but Arsenal were the team to come closest. Walcott, who scored 2 in the Carling Cup, picked the ball up in a packed 18 yard box and let go a shot that once again struck the cross bar. AFC 0-1 NUFC the score stood at and with the game coming to a close, Flabbyass was lucky to stay on the pitch with some awful challenges the like of De jong would be proud. Ameobi came off towards the end for his second standing ovation in a week. Young Nile Ranger came on and could have sealed the match when he decided on an overhead kick instead of squaring the ball to Kevin 'Funky Chicken' Nolan. 2 minutes later, Ranger chased a ball down the right and beat his man only to be professionally fouled by Koscielny. The Arsenal defender was rightly shown the red card and the home team played out the last few moments to the sound of boos and jeers from the home fans. Meanwhile the Geordies boys are jumping for joy in the away section as the lads come across the pitch to throw their shirts and applaud the support. Up to 4th in the Premiership and not far off Arsenal with Man City to play an hour or so later. A win from City would see us slide again but only down to 5th. The applause were all for Newcastle today as we put in a memorable shift with emphasis on team work.

Newcastl have Alardyce and his Rovers team at st Jamse' on wednesday one that must not be waisted its vital we get points from these games now that we seem to have put our dodgy home form behind us.

One more thing good on the Gooners for taking the defeat well, they all said after the game we deserved it, they were not happy about it but they gave us credit. I applaud them for that.
the highlight


picture sourced from http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/nov/07/arsenal-newcastle-united-premier-league

Are you watching Fabio?

Article by Mark Pinkney

Joey Barton is my favourite Newcastle player. Wow, this is something I could not even imagine uttering not too long ago.

As a £6 million 2007 signing, it has a been a long few years of serious injury problems and even more serious off-field issues, including months of jail time. I believe everyone deserves a second chance, but it is fair to say that Barton has been given more second chances than most. Many have questioned the decision by Newcastle to continue to support him, especially through numerous off-field issues but although a long time coming, he is now starting to pay back that support and answer his many critics in style.

This season, his crosses, free kicks and passing have been getting better and better. Last week his build-up with Shola Ameobi, another player slowly winning back my confidence in him, culminated in his inch perfect cross for Andy Carroll to head home the game winner against West Ham. Off the ball, he defends hard, pressuring the opposition - along with Nolan and Tiote - in a way that reminds me of the sometimes lone determination James Milner had in a Toon shirt in our last year before relegation. Something that has really impressed me this year has been Barton's ability to deal with the niggle of the game as well. This was highlighted best in his display against Mick McCarthy's Wolves, in which he frequently picked himself up and walked away without complaint as he was targetted tackle after tackle.


he is now starting to pay back that support and answer his many critics in style


With the current 4-4-2 formation giving him two towering strikers in Ameobi and Carroll to aim at, and with Nolan always there to sniff out deflections, knockdowns and any other loose balls in the goal box, Barton has every chance of continuing to be one of the most valuable contributors to the team. If he is able to continue his current form and keep his cool, on and off the field, he will soon be winning back the hearts of more and more Toon fans. I, for one, believe it will be thoroughly deserved. After all, it has been a very long and hard road back for Joey Barton.

Picture sourced from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1305214/Joey-Barton-dismisses-Nazi-salute-claims-Newcastle-United-goal.html

If anyone scores we're on the piss

The Mackems make their annual trip to Newcastle for some culture, education, some fine architecture and a lesson in football. The crowd was waiting for this one and the Geordies put aside the rift with fat boy Ashley and filled the stadium to watch one of the greatest humiliations of our time. The lads started with a little nerves which is a good thing as it shows they care and understand what it means to us. The Mackems started the game quite well, seemed to win the 50/50 challenges and looked the more committed team. Slowly though Newcastle shook off the nerves and began stamping their authority on a game that will go down in Geordie folklore.


After the ugly start and a few harsh yellow cards, Newcastle got on the score sheet with a superbly taken goal by Captain Newcastle. Nolan, with his back to goal and four Mackems on the line, put the ball beyond them and in the place every Geordie was hoping for. The atmosphere was fierce and the fans must have sucked that ball into the back of the net. One nil up in the derby is the first object as the team that goes ahead tends to win the game and with that goal Newcastle really started the show. After another eight minutes we had the ball in the Mackems net again. Again it was Nolan who did the funky chicken dance to the joy of the home crowd. The Mackems were quiet and looking rather sad in the away end but the Mags were loving it. The ref had his part to play in this game and dished out cards left right and centre. When Jonas Gutierrez was tripped by Nedum Onuoah, Ameobi Cooley put the penalty away after offering it to Nolan for his hat-trick. 3-0 at half time; who would have thought. I witnessed some clown at West Ham last week saying Sunderland were better than us although he was a Geordie as well. I told him he was daft but he kept on going on about it; I wonder how that kid is feeling tonight.

The second half brought many different feelings. With three players booked do we make a change? The first half was feisty and I could not see it easing up. No way, if anything it would get more hectic as Sunderland tried to dig in to claw back some much needed pride. It could either be another game that just peters out into nothing or we could come out and take the humiliation one step further and go down in history.

The second half kicked off and it was the same as how the first had ended, with us on top. Looking to get on the score sheet, Andy Carroll broke away and our former joker (Bramble) took down Carroll. The ref did not hesitate and it was bye bye to Titus, who with his head down was a sight not to forget. Nothing came of the resulting free kick but Andy Carroll's next chance hit the bar as he threw his body to the ball - a magnificent attempt - but the rebound fell to Shola who did not disappoint as he took it from 18 yards or so and struck the ball with skill that you normally see from Brazilians. It was a fantastic goal one, that will be replayed again and again by all the Shola Ameobi fans (that's all of us, eh?). Good on you Shola, you did it again.


I witnessed some clown at West Ham last week saying Sunderland were better than us


With the game now at 4-0 Newcastle United had two players on for the hat-trick. And it was the captain who got it with a little help from Ameobi. The ball came over from Barton on the right wing, Ameobi flicked the ball on to Nolan who poked the ball past a hapless Mackem to make it 5-0. Another goal from Ameobi would have really rubbed their noses in it but Houghton took him off soon after. Ameobi then took a standing ovation from the 50,000 Geordies. Nile Ranger came on and looked like he wanted in on the action but instead our clean sheet took a slight dent as the Mackems got one in to spoil our clean sheet although it did nothing to stop the party which was about to start. For Geordies all around the world this was a great victory and one we need to build on. Our first win since Villa at home, a great way to do it and against the right team (if that's what you call 'em). Now sitting 7th in the Premier League, Newcastle won't be worried about loose journalism from one sided fools in the mainstream press.

The game had too many heroes to mention but Joey Barton stands out. He has come to Newcastle under a cloud with many, many critics, including Newcastle fans. I, for one, have never condoned what has gone on in the past but always maintained he was a class footballer and if you look back at the older posts I have mentioned how important he will be this season; a key player, arguably our best player. He has said many times he owes this club and he wants to pay us back for sticking with him. He is certainly doing that now and over the last few weeks his performances have been second to none. What has impressed this season is his temperament. While he is a tough tackling player he takes a lot of bad tackles just to see if his temperament can handle it. It has and when challenged he takes it, does not roll around and try getting players sent off. He may shake his head in displeasure but he gets on with it like a man. Yes, he gets stuck in and yes, he can still go a little too far but when Rooney does it it's always said that no one would want to take that out of his game. It's the same with Barton. Take that away from Joey and you have a different player, certainly not the player he is. I think everyone at Newcastle is now a Joey Barton fan and I am sure everyone wanted him to get on the score sheet today.

Today I am sure I heard a song that really should have been sung last week at West Ham. The song goes like this: "THERE'S ONLY ONE CHRIS HOUGHTON, ONE CHRIS HOUGHTON, WALKING ALONG, SINGING A SONG, WALKING IN A HOUGHTON WONDERLAND". How funny was it also to see our Manager doing Kevin Nolan's funky chicken on the Captain's third goal.

Quality manager and getting better all the time. Will we be able to hang on to him?
Personally I don't think he would go anywhere at the moment, he is not that kind of man and anyway what better job in football is there? Not getting carried away as we have Arsenal next week but all we want is another honest performance from the lads which I am confident of getting.

Howay the lads.

Highlights

Picture sourced from http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/01/06/toon-star-s-good-deed-115875-21945643/

Same old Arse nal always cheating

The optimism on Tyneside was high for this encounter with Arsenal in the Coca-Cola Cup game after we gave the champions a good thrashing on their own turf. The fact that we were to make nine changes did not seem to affect the Toon Army; it felt like we were bound to win. Arsenal was a different prospect with first team players in the team and first team players coming back from injury and all the talk about Arsenal winning F all for 5 years. In short this is Arsenal's season, yes, the Carling Cup. Our season on the other hand has got to be the Premiership. Chris Houghton made the changes but still felt we could match Arsenal for 90 minutes. If the game was to be judged on chances rather than goals then Chris Houghton would have been correct. We started the game on the back foot but it took only a few minutes for Arsenal to start the cheating - as Ranger was through on to the goalie his hand was pulled back to knock him off stride to prevent 1-0 to United. Newcastle kept a clean sheet for almost all of the first half when a soft goal went in via Krull's head. A terrible time to concede and we came out for the second half feeling unlucky to be one down. The ref Andre Marriner (West Midlands) surely had a red jersey on under his FA kit and when the second goal went in I was surprised the ref did not celebrate with the rest of the Gooners. The second goal has been talked about for the challenge from an offside Bentner who was not active, apparently, although he was when he brought down Williamson. Also nobody seems to be talking about Walcott who was a foot offside as the ball came over from the defensive header. Benter should have had two yellow cards before his goal came from his part in the first goal as he clearly looked at Williamson before knocking him down and in the first half he was shirt pulling Perch who could have, and almost did, suffer a nasty injury because of his cheating ways. That said the game is completely different and the game could have been ours as we never gave up and continued to bombard the Arse nal goal. The 0-4 score line was one of flattery, and not one that paints the true picture.


"the Toon Army we were bound to win"


Let's forget this trophy, it was a distraction anyway and only good as a way of getting the young lads experience. After going two down it was dangerous for Chris to bring on first team players. With the derby coming up who needs Messrs Carroll and Barton injured or sent off. Talking of sending off, along with Bentner Joey Barton was lucky to stay on the pitch. You could see in his eyes at 0-4 that he wanted to dish some punishment out and he certainly knew what he was doing in the late challenges he made. Smith was good along with Vuckic on a night to forget. Joey Barton will have to go easy on the Mackems as he is a marked man and we know what he is like when things are not going well. Hopefully he will play and do what he does best. I would be tempted to play Smith, Tiote and Barton and play Carroll up front. However I have a niggling feeling Ameobi is going to score. I don't care who puts the ball in the Mackem's net - Ameobi or Carroll.

picture sourced from http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/may/03/premier-league-liverpool-newcastle-united-alan-shearer

Job on the Tyne is all mine all mine

Media speculation about Chris Houghton's Newcastle job has been doing the rounds this week only for him to mastermind yet another away victory to settle the nerves and silence the media who have nothing better to do than start rumors of a fine up coming British manager.

Newcastle were playing a Hammers side at the bottom of the Prem but with only one loss in their last five games. The Hammers started the game singing about bubbles in the air and within 12 minutes the West Ham fans were jumping in the air as Cole got on the end of a loose shot before Enrique could react and slipped the ball past Krull; 1-0 the Hammers. From that point on though, Newcastle took the game to West Ham just as the battle in the stands was being won by the Toon Army. The ball did not take long to fly into the back of the net of the home team. The Newcastle fans went mad and proceeded to wind up the home fans who never seem to be able to take defeat well. They are going to have a long hard season inn the Prem and one of my bets to go down. Surely they deserve Championship football if they carry on like they did in the second half. They could not get near us and the Geordies in the stands were in full voice drowning out any attempts of the home fans to inspire a poor West Ham team. On the back of a tough week Andy Carroll came up with his 5th Premiership goal this season to burst the hammers bubbles and send the Geordies onto another level and up the already deafening songs. The game was never in any doubt as we took apart West Ham and we really should have had more with efforts going wide.

"Andy Carroll came up with his 5th Premiership goal this season to burst the hammers bubbles"

Tiote was again very impressive and took hold of the game early on as well as cancelled out any attempts from the lacklustre Hammers. Joey Barton played out of position on the right wing but supplied both crosses for the two goals - a marvellous performance and great to see him getting back the form that won him his England cap. Andy Carroll's presence up front is massive and he set up the first goal after winning Barton's cross to give Skipper, and flatmate, Nolan his 4th goal this season and celebrate his return to the first team after missing last week's draw at home to Wigan. Simpson won his first game in the Prem and an easy start for him but things will get harder as our next Prem game is the biggest of the season, yep, home to the Mackems.



After the game, some West Ham fans were letting down the rest by trying to start fights out on the street and spitting at Newcastle fans walking to the tube station. This happened during the game too. A Newcastle fan got taken out the crowd by the stewards only for some filthy West Ham fans to spit on him as he walked away from the game. These sad individuals should be kicked out of football for good as they are there for one thing only and it's not football.

picture sourced from http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/23112009/8/photo/newcastle-united-manager-chris-houghton.html

Wigan (h)

Charles N'zogbia came back to Tyneside to haunt Newcastle and put 2 goals in as many minutes in the first half. Our poor home form continued into the game and allowed Wigan to go two goals ahead to give us an even harder task in getting our first points since the 6-0 thrashing we gave Villa. The game lacked much from that first home game of the season in both quality and passion. The game however turned in the 74th minute when Shola Ameobi headed home from a Gutierrez cross. That gave both players and fans a glimmer of hope and in the 94th minute Colo stepped up with a header at the far post to send the home fans into a frenzy. 2-2 and the ref blew the whistle for a point each. The game was one to forget and one point was duly welcome by the Toon Army after thinking another home defeat was on its way. A sign of a good team is one that played badly but doesn't give up hope. We did just that and got a point we did not really deserve.

picture sourced from http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2010/03/06/fabricio-coloccini-not-just-a-guy-with-wavy-hair-61634-25973152/

Manchester City Away

Going to Manchester to play the real Manchester club does not fill one with much excitement these days as there is always the worry about how many goals will spring up. At the very least we don't want to be embarrassed.

The game kicked off as one large grey rain cloud covered the whole of the UK. The team picked included Gutierrez and Ameobi with Carroll and Routledge thus dropping to the bench. Newcastle started well and were knocking the ball about with confidence. Then in came a horrendous tackle from De Jong. He came in with a lot of power and cut straight through Ben Arfa who immediately went down. As De Jong went in to make his so-called tackle, I heard the sound of a piece of wood cracking. It was Arfa's leg. A double break for Ben Arfa who waved to the Geordies on his way off the pitch. Tibia and fibula broken and a lengthy time out from the first team while he recovers and rehabilitates. The Referee did not red card De Jong; he did not even get a card. This could be a blessing as the rules state a player can not be punished if the referee has already punished the player concerned. That means Newcastle can take this further or indeed the Football Association can if they see it as appropriate.

The National coach of the Netherlands certainly feels the need to punish the player, and it's certainly not the first time he has done it. The World Cup saw him involved in hefty challenges against the USA and in the final against Spain.

The challenge on Ben Arfa was one that had probably been discussed, the old cliche take him out early or let him know you are there. As Ben Arfa was probably deemed their biggest threat, it was only five minutes into the match before De Jong got his chance to show Ben Arfa what he was in for. Disgusting challenge and one that deserves a hefty fine (taking into account the size of prem wages at the moment) and a lengthy ban from playing. This kind of thing does not belong in the game. A hard challenge is one thing but this is worthy of assault charges.

So with one of our better players forcibly removed, we got on with the game without even a free kick. The game unravels into match with Newcastle having lots of possession but on 18 minutes Tevez is on his own with only Mike Williamson near. The ball comes across from right to left then the tackle comes in from Williamson from the far side of Tevez. Williamson puts a leg out for the ball and clearly the path of the ball changes from right to left to left to right. Now if Tevez had got the ball it would have moved towards the goal or carried on it's original path. The tackle did get the ball and the contact that was made came from outside the box so how this referee came to the decision I don't know. He did not even consult the linesman who was in a great position to see the challenge. So the so-called big club (because they have money) get the decision they want and we have to take it on the chin. Krull was unlucky with the resultant penalty as the little Tevez put the ball away. The lead did not last long though and within six minutes Gutierrez was on the score sheet for the first time in the Premiership.

A long run and pass came back to him off De Jong in the 18 yard area where he controlled and volleyed past Joe Hart. 1-1 and Newcastle were making Man City look average. The referee must have had a sky blue top on underneath as almost every decision went their way and with another injury to us things were getting worse. Coloccini was taken off for groin strain before the break and on came Sol Cambell for what marked a playing career that has seen him play in every season of the Premiership - something only Ryan Giggs can also claim. Sol came on and helped out the defence who again looked prone to opposition attacks, defending high up the pitch. We were lucky not to get caught playing the offside trap. Campbell came on and controlled the defence and dropped them a little deeper but as we did this we invited the pressure on to us. The game was still all about Newcastle who still had much possession and were attacking as well as knocking the ball about. Cheik Tiote was looking brilliant again (man of the match in my opinion), Gutierrez looked to have a long awaited good game and Ameobi did actually do himself proud with a decent performance. Routledge looked off the mark again but Nolan and Barton were both solid in the middle of the park.

Man City threw what they could into the pot and on came Adebayor who proved fruitless so Newcastle United fan Johnson pulled on his shirt, came on, and immediately tested our defence. It was not long before he had the ball in the back of the net, 2-1. We needed at least a point from this game and so far deserved the three so Andy Carroll got his chance off the bench. No clear chances came his way and with only a few minutes to go, Man City fearing a goal brought on Patrick Viera to tie up any loose ends and to waste the little time left on the clock. The game had one last chance for Mike Williamson from a corner kick only for him to head over the bar.

After the dust had settled the Dutch coach came out and said this about De Jong:


"I've seen it (the tackle) on TV. It was a wild and unnecessary challenge. I don't think he did it on purpose, but he goes in way too hard in this challenge.

"That's a pity, because he doesn't need tackles like this. The strange thing is that the referee doesn't give a card. Apparently there are other standards over there.

"I have a problem with the way Nigel unnecessarily searches for the limit....I just told the players- I told them that I saw no other option. In the future I will agree with Nigel to talk. Now I want the staff and the players to concentrate on the next two important qualifiers."
Van Marwjik




And from St James' Park today came this from Colin Calderwood, “At first the tackle looked really strong – he went into the challenge very, very quickly. We tried to get a quick look at the replay, but there was no replay coming up on the camera in the tunnel.

“But I wouldn't want to take that type of challenge out of our football. The consequences of the challenge are horrible but there was a certain amount of misfortune in that Hatem’s legs were attached to the ground a little bit and the force with which de Jong hit him definitely moved the leg.”

Highlights

pictures soursed from http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/18092010/8/photo/newcastle-united-hatem-ben-arfa-celebrates-scoring-first-goal.html and http://www.smh.com.au/sport/football/ben-arfa-suffers-horror-break-as-city-prevail-20101004-162z5.html

Stoke H

The game started poorly. Newcastle failed to pick up the pace in the game and were lucky to get the penalty decision as the Stoke defender did not need to make the challenge. Nolan put the ball away just before half time only for us to concede a goal soon after the long throw tactics were brought in by Tony Pulis with about 30 minutes to go. As the game went on it looked more likely they would grab another as we struggled to come up with anything resembling football. Eventually they did grab their second goal and the three points were taken away from Tyneside thanks to an OG from Perch who threw himself at the ball from a corner only for him to head past a stranded Krull. Another three points go to a smaller club for the second time this season while playing at St James' Park. This home form has got to be addressed with a home fixture against Wigan coming after the international break.

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

Arfa Keane

Unconfirmed reports link Robbie Keane to tynside and comments from Chris Houghton have only fuelled speculation about the Irishman.

Chris Houghton commented
"His name has been mentioned and that is what we would expect at this stage. We are close to the end of the transfer window.”

"He is, though, a player who I know very well. There is an association there and a connection."

Also 3 other names have been floating around as a player was spotted at the Darsley Park training ground. Ryad Boubebouz, Nasim Boukhelifa and Hatem Ben Arfa were all spouted as being spotted. Its is most likely the the second of the three, a french born Algerian who has appeared for Man City XI pre season.

Six of the best and all the rest

So another season back in the top flight has kicked off. A tricky first game away against Premiership title contenders Manchester United ended any thoughts of an upset or possible point or three.Three goals however did flatter the Mancs but sloppy defending and missed chances cost us in a league where mistakes are highlighted. The score has not dulled spirit but seems to have brought the players together and given them one quick reality check; something needed if we are to compete in this league. Compete we have to and we know the consequence if we don't. Last season the team had unity and fought for points. This has got to be one massive positive for the fans. If they stick together then the fans will surely keep behind them, even at St James' Park. Work ethic is good at United at this moment in time. Better than it has been in a long, long time, and that is all down to one man who has his feet firmly buried in the turf, Chris Houghton. Yes, the man who was questioned by many about taking the hot seat. So far so good for the manager but we all know how quickly, and badly, it can all go wrong.

Giving the number 9 shirt to Andy Carroll seams to have worked a treat. A good performance against Man Utd and unlucky not to have scored but what a performance against Aston Villa this weekend. A performance not just from Carroll but the whole team. The city is buzzing from the win and those goals could end up being crucial come mid-May.A 6-0 drubbing of Villa has sent out the message that we are back in the Premiership with ambitions to stay and will attack like the good old days. If we can carry on playing good football and win our home games, safety is ours and Houghton will be a sought after man. The squad at the moment is a little thin so more players are needed if we are to do well and stay up. Accrington Stanley on Wednesday is another proposition altogether now. We are the big boys playing a tricky tie away to Accy Stanley "who are they" where the old boy Eric Whalley would love to see them progress. Should we go there with our first team?

It's for Chris to decide but I think Chris will give a run to a few fringe players for some much needed playing time in a long, long season.

Highlights

Captain who

Who is the question.

There is the Number 1 local lad, the 2 fill-in Captains and a new signing.

By the time you read this the decision may already have been made but would we be in agreement on the choice? In Chris Houghton I believe we have a no nonsense manager who will make the right decision to appoint a no nonsense Captain.

Harper, of course, would be a popular choice to lead the team out as he is a Geordie and has been at the club for a long time. He was the understudy to Shay Given for far too long and could have easily gone to play first team football for another club. His maturity and status in the dressing room stands him in a good position but all this time he has been gaining years whilst young Krull has been learning his trade. Now that the young Dutch stopper seems eager to push Harper out into the wilderness again, would it be right to give the armband to Harper?

Of the characters who took responsibility last season, Butt, Smith and Nolan all possess leadership qualities and are straight forward hard tackling grafters. With Butt gone, this leaves the Yorkshire lad fighting it out with the Scouser for the right to lead Newcastle United out in Old Trafford on 16th August.

Of the two likely lads however, will Smith be a regular for the season? Smith has experience of the Premier League but does tend to get injured. He has the respect of the team, manager and the fans but will that be enough to give him the armband especially when his track record indicates that he may not be playing week in week out?

A good all-rounder with loads of experience of Premiership football, Nolan may well be wearing the armband on Monday night at Old Trafford. He also has age on his side as he has just turned 28 whilst Smithy will turn 30 in October this year. Nolan could be in the first team for much longer and is in his peak.

The Captain should lead the team by example, be encouraging and offer advice where and when it’s needed. Nolan, played well last season and scored a hat full of goals but also managed to put in some absolutely terrible performances. Last season there were times when the fans were screaming for Houghton to get him off the pitch. This is not the performance we want to see from our Captain and at a higher level this season, Nolan may struggle. If Alan Smith can keep himself fit then he will be in a good position to lead the team. However there is another.

He has just walked into the club albeit a little unfit and with some stick from the media already. He also has vast experience, Premier League honours and England caps under his belt. Sol Campbell may just be worth a shot. He has been there and done it. He leads by example and was plying his trade at the Emirates just last season – can’t be too bad, can he? Once back to full fitness Sol could lead Newcastle to safety this season with Alan Smith as his Number 2. People may argue about his age. At 36 he won’t have many games left in him but this first season back in the top flight is of the utmost importance. Also who knows why the Captaincy has not been handed out so far? Was Houghton waiting for Sol who he knows well? Was Sol offered the captaincy as a carrot to bring him to United or are we actually the only team in the Premiership who wanted his experience? One thing is for sure we will find out very soon.

Does it really matter who is Captain of the team? We had 3 last season and we won the Championship easily. As long as we have leaders like Harper, Smith, Nolan, Campbell and Taylor we should always have someone to take the reins. However you never know what’s going to happen at Newcastle United. One thing is for sure, we all love the Toon.

picture sourced from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/newcastle-united/5819951/Newcastle-United-players-need-answers-about-future-says-Kevin-Nolan.html