In the best display of the season, which has been one of the worst seasons for Newcastle fans in recent memory (and that’s saying something), Newcastle United produced a scintillating performance of attacking football at White Hart Lane this afternoon.
Kevin Keegan - his magic is starting to show through
The game was a joy to watch - at least for Newcastle fans - and hopefully shows what’s in store for the Newcastle faithful next season. It’s not often a team that’s fighting relegation produces a 4-1 win at White Hart Lane, and win the game on merit too.
But that’s exactly what happened today and this augers so well for how Newcastle can perform in the league next season under Newcastle maestro Kevin Keegan and his back-room staff.
Kevin and Newcastle have taken some criticism since January, but they are now starting to answer the critics and but for better luck at Birmingham this would have been 3 league wins in a row.
But we are also too sage to get carried a way with just one win (or is that two?) but it’s more the way the team won today that is so exciting to Newcastle’s fans.
Owner Mike Ashley and Chairman Chris Mort took a calculated risk in January when they dismissed Sam Allardyce, more for the manner in which the team played than anything else. They didn’t want to have another rebuilding season next season so elected to make the change in January.
Kevin came in and the team had to totally adjust to a new way of playing under Keegan, and it took a good number of games to get our first league win under Kevin, which was just last week against Fulham.
But now a second win in succession in London today has set the Geordie fans on fire with what is possible in Keegan’s second coming at the club.
The players deserve full credit today for a gutsy and inspired display of attacking football - well done lads - you did us proud!
We’re sure it’s also a huge relief for Newcastle Owner Mike Ashley and Chairman Chris Mort, who’ve had to endure a very very tough first season on the playing side at Newcastle. But perhaps things will be on the up from now on.  
Roll on the summer, and since we will be safe in the PL we can now look forward to which players can make us into a better team for next season.
Comments welcome.
29 responses so far ↓
1 CRAIGG // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:10
I said we were safe last night when Bolton lost but that has settled it Keep it up lads and roll on next season.
2 Dirk // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:11
3 AndyW // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:15
I reckon we’re safe now, not mathematically I know but this mini-run has come at the right time and the lads are playing for next year’s shirts. Time to think about what we need. Replacement for Viduka, understudies for Owen and Butt, a properly dominant centre back and a replacement for N’zogbia for starters I reckon.
4 iain // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:16
i didnt think it was all out attack i rather thought we played a very measured game based on possesion.
we drew spurs in and then attacked them when they lost there discipline.
if anything that was the kind of football you would expect from an international team or top cl team
it certainly wasnt an all out attacking throwing men forward recklessly kind of performance that the press has made out is the only way keegan knows how to manage.
5 Tom_Toon // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:17
Craigg, i got an apology to make to you, fair play mate.
6 Ian Johnson // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:17
Great game we most surely now are stopping up, also great to see us top north east team yet again. Poor smoggies and mackems
7 wsq // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:20
The game against Reading is going to be the real acid test of whether we have rid ourselves of pathetic displays (ask you to remember souness’s, roeder’s and sam’s times when we get beaten/hammered by the likes of derby).
I hope those days are over.
8 Zx // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:20
And to those who criticised not only KK but the men(Chris Mort and Mike Ashley) who appointed him…
SHAME ON YOU!
9 wsq // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:24
iain i agree, it was measured and calculated attacking football.
10 MattyDread // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:24
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_3366969,00.html
Looks like awld Gus has come to realise what he’s let himself in for…
11 kenneth // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:25
Do anyone have the gols from the 2 half ??????????????????? PLEASE
12 wsq // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:26
enrique looked good today. the only problem is when we come up against better teams that have pacey wingers.
13 iain // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:27
http://videos.sapo.pt/H9jtVzZZRDGflrqSPbaD
14 wsq // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:27
http://101greatgoals.magnify.net/item/4T3QVDT4L0V77TQQ
all the goals
15 wwe // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:28
I will be outraged if we lose 2 reading because they are a team that we should be able 2 beat but NAW!!! we always seem 2 lose against them i will be much happier if we beat reading because they r a low class team ( no offence )
16 Chris F // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:31
yup, fantastic performance. second half was even, we started well and shouldve gone ahead.
the difference today was that when we went 1-0 down, the heads didn’t drop. that used to happen all the time under allardyce, and it’s taken the players a couple of months to rid themselves of that mentality under Keegan.
Butt’s equaliser was vital, and i said to my mate that it was the perfect time to score, as it would give KK something to build on in his team talk at half time, and will have absolutely scuppered that of Ramos.
Second half, Spurs clearly looked deflated, whereas NUFC were buoyant. At one point we had 83% possession, judged on the previous five minutes, and that told a tale.
That was an excellent team performance, Enrique and Beye did well getting forward to provide width, but never got lost upfield leaving us short at the back. enrique especially impressed me and i hope this talk of a new left back is more a move for competition for the Spaniard, rather than as a replacement, because the young kid has come on in leaps and bounds recently.
Shows what having faith in a players ability does for a manager. Maybe allardyce should make a note of that.
Spurs really were clueless and never looked like getting back into the game once we went ahead, aside from a couple of corners.
As for our defence, well what can you say? aside from being a bit slack in closing down malbranque for the cross that led to their goal, i thought they played exceptionally. Set pieces were defended well and corners too. Stark contrast to the back four of Spurs, who looked an utter shambles for most of the game.
I’m sure Chris Hughton enjoyed today a lot, after a lot of the stick he’s got in the press and online, specifically from Spurs fans claiming he couldn’t organise a defence to save his life.
Well, i don’t know who does his old job at Spurs now, but on today’s respective showings, he’s not doing it very well!
17 wsq // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:37
we could’ve defended corners a bit better.
keegan has got serious balls to drop duff zoggy and milner is he wasn’t injured..
so much respect for this guy.
this shows that keegan is also flexible, he doesn’t need wingers all the time.
18 boater // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:46
I was at the game today and have to say that it was an all round cracking team performance - but two players were really unplayable today- Martins and Barton…
Barton broke things up and then released the 3 forwards time and again… Martins is such a handful that if he doesn’t create or score he lures the opposition and creates spaces for others to exploit…
Beye and Butt - good shifts AND Enrique did very well.. still young and we should have the have the patience to allow players like him to develop for the future… harper IS a better keeper than given… there you go. just the one sour note… smith had 3 chances to release martins in the final 10 minutes and failed to do so (as was the case all season).. even picked up a yellow card I think …barton had once chance and we scored… smith is a gonner surely?!
19 CRAIGG // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:47
Tom_Toon it doesnt matter about the apology,
Im just happy that we can agree about KK and look forward to a future playing good football and winning matches.
20 m. // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:48
drink noooow, wherever we may be!!!!
21 spyro // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:50
We are a better team now because we are sticking with the same players and it is paying off. Many wanted Geremi and Barton dropped a few games ago because they thought they had a bad game, but look at them now, both are performing really well. The team is playing as…well, a team. Also i just want to say that what i said a few weeks ago looks like it is being put into practise, midfielders are coming back and protecting the defenders so that every time the opposition tries to get past a player they have two players to beat. great.
22 tonygreenthetannerballmagician // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:53
I just can’t believe we did today-after all we’re just a small club with deluded fans. The manager has no tactical nous and we can’t defend.Yet we won against Juande Ramos and the mighty Spurs in North London.Can you hear a Cockerel choking and a Magpie crowing,I think I can!!!!!!!!!
Can the Mail confirm if Mr WISE was at the match?????????.
Get in!!!!!!!!.
23 gordond // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:55
I dare Midd the yidd to come on & speak his mind now oooops he hasn’t got a mind well done lads .
24 gazza ny // Mar 30, 2008 at 17:56
All the goals
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/newcastle%2Btottenham/video/x4whmb_hl-1-4_fun
25 Scott // Mar 30, 2008 at 18:47
As a spurs fan at the lane today, I just want to say congrats to the Geordies. You sang your fkn hearts out and regardless or not of whether Spurs really needed to win, you thoroughly deserved it and well sung lads! Enjoy the beets tonight!!
26 Leo // Mar 30, 2008 at 22:11
from what i saw spurs attacked our right hand side, when teams have done that we have won, when they attack our left we seem more vunrable, maybe enrique is becoming too strong and it just seems this way i dont know
27 micepie // Mar 31, 2008 at 0:31
I don’t think we should underestimate the difference Martins had made recently, in place of Smith.
We could probably do with one more player with the as much spontaneity and attacking impetus lest Martins get injured. He also seems to be much more consistent now and not prone to give the ball away as he did last season at times!
28 domtoon // Mar 31, 2008 at 0:41
great pic of keegan - ala michael jackson OWWW!!!! *spins*
29 Domestic Cleaning // Apr 1, 2008 at 0:18
Newcastle United go go
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