A New Era

Ever since Graeme Souness took charge of Newcastle United we started on our slippery slide to the Championship. Some players bought by Sir Bobby Robson, who were frankly a disgrace to the club, were also to blame but Souness started the rot. Having stabled the club from the shock of Keegan's 2nd departure in Jan 1997, Robson built a team to at least challenge for a spot in Europe. However not all the fans were behind Sir Bobby and in the end neither was Shepperd.

Robson was then followed by Souness who was brought in to sort out the bad lads.

He lasted 87 games and took us down the table. Shepperd then got Glenn Roeder, who was running the youth academey very successfully, to help out along with Shearer and we picked up form and managed a 7 position finish - enough to see us into Europe. Roeder impressed and was given the job but things went badly wrong although we won the Intertoto cup and gained entry into the Uefa cup, our league form suffered as do most teams who enter the Intertoto cup.

Roeder took us down the league table and was then axed to make way for Sam Allardyce. As Shepperd brought in Big Sam he also sold the club along with the Halls to the present owner and Enemy Number One Mike Ashley. Ashley thought of Newcastle United as a bit of fun and began watching the away games amongst the fans with his xxx large replica shirt on. Things did not go to plan and Allardyce was far from pleasing the Geordie nation with drab football week in week out, it was only time before the fans got restless. Having spent many games amongst the fans; Ashley then fired Allardyce and paid him off . The club now had no debt but also no manager. In comes Kevin Keegan and Newcastle erupts with joy and confusion.

The media can't believe it saying it will all end in disaster but the majority of Geordies are happy.

Keegan is in the stands to see Newcastle take on Stoke and give them a thumping in the F.A. Cup replay. Keegan's first game against Bolton at St James' is an emotional encounter but the game itself was forgotten quickly. Another 9 games passed before we got that first win and the media were all over Newcastle United, again blaming the fans . I find it very difficult to understand how it's all down to the fans - is it because of our passion, money or patience? The press seem to have an agenda against the supporters of the club by printing rubbish and false statements, if only they did they're homework before they print. People believe the crap they publish but it's simple: all we want is good football so why bother paying if it's ugly?

So Keegan finally got the win we were looking for and the points started flowing in and we avoided certain gloom and our premiership survival was assured. The new season came with some question marks hanging over the club - Denis Wise, his signings, players up for sale.

Manchester United away was not the start we wanted but it meant we got it out the way early. Newcastle get a 1-1 draw and everyone was happy. This was followed by a home win to Bolton and an away win at Coventry and James Milner's last game. This prove to be the straw that broke the camels back as Keegan left the club because his hands had been tied in the transfer market. All Keegan wanted was to be able to buy some decent players and keep our best. As rumours circled that Owen was put up for sale and Milner was released, Keegan did the right thing and turned his back on Ashley not the club. Keegan is no puppet and would not pick Denis Wise's team each week. Although Ashley had an easy decision to make, Keegan or Wise, he picked his London buddy as the Media rubbed their hands together and proclaimed Newcastle United a joke club. Keegan still has his integrity and Ashley's seat was now empty at away games. He is not welcome to suffer with us and we can never forget what he has done to this great club. We had been dragged through dirt for many years now but Mike Ashley dragged us, through shit and left us there. He has released a statement to say sorry but it is weak and it's not going to get us out of the championship.

We need to get behind the new manager but we must also appoint the right man. Shearer, Bruce or whoever it is, we have got to keep going and supporting the club.

The club - who or what is the club? Mike Ashley and Derick Llambias, or the fans players and manager?

If the club is Assley and lameass then we need to take a long look and begin getting them out or turning our back on them and not going to the games. Personally I hope we get rid of the two and get a good manager capable of getting us out the championship.

Going away to Doncaster and scuntorpe will not be easy and we could stay down for years before we get back.

We must not forget that Ashley dragged us through the shit and left us there, we have to get him out and hope for a future for OUR club.

United Again

Newcastle didn't let us down on a night of high tension for the north east. Widely predicted to go down, both teams put on a show that didn't fail to entertain the neutral. However to a Middlesbrough or Newcastle fan, it was indeed a painful game to watch for most of the time. Some big performances from some big players won the game on the night but it could have gone either way. I feel we were the worthy winners in the end. The bookies have now slashed the odds for us to go down as Hull City replaced us in the drop zone with many predicting they will go down along with Middlesbrough and West Brom. Nothing is set in stone yet with only two games to go and with the opposition still vying for the league title or a European place, no team down the wrong end can be assured of an easy game. While the future of Newcastle is now held in our own hands, we must be united again as before to create an atmosphere like that against Pompey and Middlesbrough. St James' park full and boiling over with passion must be a daunting place to go for even top professional players, so to create an atmosphere against Fulham could go along way to guaranteeing our premier status for next year. It's going to be tough but I believe we will do it with the players we have. On the night we saw some football that was a little desperate at times, lots of luck, hesitation, plenty of sloppy passing and some tired legs. At least we saw spirit and endeavour from every single Newcastle player and after going one down after 3 Mins we needed it. Fortunately Newcastle got an early equaliser and pushed hard until we got the next two. The substitutions were good as Gutierrez looked tired as he was being knocked off the ball too easily. I think everyone wanted Obafemi on the pitch but not at the expense of Michael Owen as he put in a good shift, but the change proved to be pivotal as Martins fired us into ecstasy. St James' went mad as Martins leapt on Shearer who was as animated as the rest of his fellow Geordies. Peter Lovenkrands, a lucky player in my eyes after his goal against Manchester Utd, got the final goal which put the game beyond doubt and enabled the Toon army all over the world to actually sit back, smile and enjoy 5 minutes of football. What a game, what a night but the hard work has just begun. Howay the lads. pic

sourced from: http://www.zimbio.com/

Time To Pray

Well it's been two games now since I last wrote. After the disappointment of the Portsmouth game and knowing we were to travel to Liverpool, I felt there was nothing much I could say that hadn't already been said.
Joey Barton's antics at Liverpool were not what we needed in a relegation battle more like cool heads and lots of passion. I have always stood up for JB but that was a silly challenge and it didn't help on the day. However what followed in the dressing room at Anfield will, I believe, help muster some courage from our weary footballers. Frustrations were aired and negative feeling set loose and left at Anfield, well hopefully they were. If we can now go into the Boro game and get an early goal it could set us on our way.
Fulham have always proved a challenge to Newcastle Utd so we must win our next home game and of course hope Blackburn, Hull and the Mackems get beat. that happens and it's all in our hands.
We will travel to Villa Park on the last game of the season needing something I imagine and I believe we can and will do it; I really think we can go to Villa and win.
We went one nil up last year in the glorious sunshine but that day Villa put 4 past us after we went ahead and we lost 4-1.
The remaining fixtures are there for the taking and once again we ,the Toon Army, have got to be right behind the players and make St James's a cauldron.

Every body now

Stoke proved to be a tough match for Newcastle on Saturday but a goal from local lad carrol got us a well earned point at the Britannia stadium.
I questioned Shearer's choice of strikers at the begining of this match as Ameobi started the game and he proved to be a big disappointment once again by failing to defend corners, his man lost him once before the goal came.
The actual goal was again Ameobi getting lost and ball watching while ex mag put the ball in the back of the net. I would have hauled the lad off at half time and threw Andy Carrol on. In the 68th min that's what happened and we ended the day with another local hero.
Can we go to Whiter hart lane on Sunday and expect a performance like last year and the year before? We all surely hope so, as both games proved to be two of the best games I've been to over the last few years. Harry has turned the fortunes of his spurs side since taking over and a win for them will put them into the comfort of mid table survival ready for another long hard slog for next season. We now need to pick up points at places we are not expected to before our three home games against Pompey, Fulham and the Smoggies. The question is can we do it?
Well Liverpool are not going to give up anything as they pursue the league title so our only hope is this game its going to put immense pressure on the lads on and off the pitch but we must all stay strong and positive.
If we believe we can stay up we can and will but if we feel we have no hope then why bother trying, ask yourself do you want to see Newcastle United in the premier league next season.
If yes then give everything especially if your going to the game.
Back at st Jame's we must create an atmosphere like stoke we have one of the largest stadium's in the country but consistently we are not as loud as stoke fans. We are supposed to be the best fans in the country well out of 53,000 people only a fraction are passionate enough to sing and really get behind the team and create an difficult place for opposing players to ply there trade.
"Sing your hearts out for the lads"
photo source: www.chroniclelive.co.uk

Stoke City

So 0 points taken from Man U, Arsenal and Chelsea in our last games at st james and staring relegation in the face. We come up against Stoke City on saturday hoping again for a good performance and 3 points. If there was ever a time we needed 3 points since keegan joined as manager the first time its certainly now. Stoke have an impressive home record with only 3 defeats all season so we will have to be at our best. Shearer has come in now to save us from the drop and with a decent performance against chelsea we need to pick up a little against the smaller clubs as we looked a little tired on Saturday in the second half. Liverpool and Aston Villa now provide the most difficult fixtures on paper left this season and while West Brom and the Smoggies look to be doomed sunderland are looking increasingly likely to go down with difficult games against Chelsea, Everton and Man Utd to play and Hull who have been loosing games for a while now and only picking up draws here and there have a difficult task of Man Utd, Villa and Liverpool. So 3 point on saturday can really lift the spirits and give confidence to the players.
The doom mongers are all at us because we are a big club and they want us to go down but they have all been saying for years now we are not a big club and we dont have the best fans, well i hope to prove them all wrong by staying up first and then we will see.
so my prediction has now changed and i think we will finish above West Brom, Smoggies, Mackems and Hull yes i think the Mackems and the Smoggies are down with West Brom.
Lets hope the appointment of Alan Shearer will pay off and silence the critics again and then we can look forward to premiership football next season.

Playing with pride

Newcastle United never cease to amaze. Just when we think we will get a good thrashing, the depleted team put in an inspired effort and feel unlucky to come away with nothing against the league leaders. The fact that Smith has not played for a very long time, Oba out for weeks and players played out of position, says a great deal about the team and their ability. However as we have said before we need to build on this, its no good putting in a performance like that then go to Hull and roll over. We all know what that's like as it happens far to often.
Full credit goes to the caretaker and his assistant for the Manchester Utd game but we still need to get someone in before the end of the season and I believe Joe isn't the man.
Joe has done his best and obviously loves the game but he should quit football or at least take a lower pressure job. The Newcastle job comes with too much baggage but hopefully one day we will have our success.
Maybe Lee Clark will be ready for the job in a couple of years. A Geordie at the helm makes a big difference at St James' Park