The Newcastle United Blog

63 responses so far ↓

• 1 Leo // Apr 2, 2008 at 10:41

  u know for a second there i thought that joey barton had done an interview, which i had said to myself earlier that i dont expect joey will be doing many more interviews this season

• 2 Marty // Apr 2, 2008 at 10:54

  ED,i`m with you on that point that if we can totally take apart Spurs at their own place then we should be looking to win all our upcoming games,WHY NOT!!!!

• 3 Vitorbarbosa // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:14

  Yeah, to prepare for next season we need to give our best at the end of the season. Then, we can build on something. Else, we will make ourselves confuse and have no idea where we should start.

  Great ending doesn’t necessarily means great season ahead but at least there are things we can look forward to.

• 4 Spyro // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:16

  I just hope the team aren’t still dwelling on the Spurs thrashing because in many ways the Reading game may turn out to be a much more difficult game. Come on lads stay focused for the fans please.

• 5 CRAIGG // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:17

  KK looking at Lennon again in the Mail

• 6 Spyro // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:18

  i can see reading putting out a 4-5-1 and try work on the counter attack. 5 in midfield will be their means of overpowering our 3 men in the middle. We will need to kill the game in the first half with 2 goals i think. Otherwise i can see Reading piling on the pressure in the last 15 minutes and getting a draw or a smash and grab

  As long as the fans dont go to SJP expecting us to thrash Reading then we wil be ok i am sure. Reading will want to frustrate the crowd.

• 7 Spyro // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:19

  Craigg whats your view on the Reading game?

• 8 Jim // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:21

  “there’s absolutely no reason we cannot win each of our last 6 games”

  Agreed to a point but Chelsea (Home) and Everton (Away) will be very tough fixtures, especially if they’re needing the points for Europe and league position… And Barton can’t play against Everton.

  2 points from them would be good results given our season.

• 9 Spyro // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:22

  Jim i think the Everton match will not be as hard as they will be completely out of the running for fourth place, and comfortably in UEFA by that time

• 10 Charlie Bucket // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:28

  Also Everton have lost Cahill for the season, you could say he’s a bigger loss for them than Barton is for us.

  Agreed that Reading will be tough but they need all three points and I think they’ll go 4-4-2, it’s more Coppell’s style.

  Start in the same vein as the Spurs game and we should win, hopefully we can get one or two early goals otherwise it could be another long frustrating afternoon at SJP.

• 11 Jim // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:31

  I’m not so sure that they’ll be comfortably in UEFA. They’ve got Chelskie and Arsehole AND Villa, who have an’ easier’ run in. It could be much tighter than you think.

  Portsmouth have a fair chance of closing on them too.

• 12 James // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:31

  I think our attack is the envy of alot of teams.

  1) We have the pacy striker that can run from deep (Martins)

  2) We have a big fella to hold the ball up when needed (Viduka)

  3) And we have the fox in the box who will always score the vital goals (Owen)

  Not many teams have that kind of variety in attack. We just need to put a very creative midfield behind them and we’d be unstoppable next season.

• 13 CRAIGG // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:37

  My view on the Reading game is that we will win but not as convincingly as Spurs or Fulham, I think we may win 2-1 and i feel that they will play 451 and frustrate us.

  I also think we will be back at 442 by the End of this match as they will try and crowd us out in the middle with Harper, Cisse and Hunt who will play centrally as Doyle plays wide right when they go 451 Convey will play wide left.

• 14 Jim // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:37

  James… that sounds like the stuff that Spurs come out with about Berbatov, Keene and Bent!

  Has Viduka got another top class season in him? Carrol will need another year of nurturing. Martins misses more shots than he scores. Owen’s getting a good return but needs plenty of service, unlike Rooney who can take all the glory going forward from the 1/2 way line.

  I would like to see an attacking striker in Rooneys mould come in for the reasons stated above. Bent? Ashton? Yon Fabiano dude? Not quite the same, I know, but who else could do what Rooney does?

• 15 Spyro // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:45

  I dont really think Bent is like Rooney, Bent is more like a lesser version of what Owen used to be. He stands in line with the defenders and then waits for the throughball and chases it to get one on one with the keeper.

  I also think we have a Rooney style striker in Martins, if he improves in certain areas he will be mirror image of Rooney. Just look at their qualities.

  Loads of effort, win more balls in the air then they probably should, strong, fast, both tend to finish the half chances more often then the clear cut ones etc

• 16 Spyro // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:49

  i agree 100% with your view on the Reading game Craigg, i think if we perform we will win, but not by much.

  Also, concerning the Milner not being that fast question, let me explain

  I do not think Milner is slow, definitely not, but fast wingers are players like Pennant, Pederson, Lennon, SWP, Nani, Ronaldo etc. Milner is closer to the speed of Bentley, Barnes or Jenas, the players who can operate on the wings, but are better, and more effective in a more central role.

• 17 Jim // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:50

  I don’t agree that Martins is clinical enough in front of goal. He rounded the Robinson superbly at the weekend but he misses the goal a lot.

  He’s athletic and scores spectacular goals. I just wish his efforts were at least on target more often than not.

  Don’t get me wrong, I love the dude for his commitment. I just wish his striking technique was more consistent… and the confidence to run at players continues.

• 18 James // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:50

  Jim - I agree about Viduka, but I’d still keep him for another season. Almost as a fourth choice striker. I mean he didn’t cost us anything, so there’s no real gamble.

  Carroll is well below PL standard at the moment. He should be loaned out to see what he can do.

  Fabiano won’t leave Sevilla (trust me, as I also support Sevilla and his family is all based there).

  Bent may come. But I’d rather go after Huntaleer. He has the best goal scoring ratio in Europe and would only cost £12-15 million.

  But I agree, that kind of Rooney player is exactly what we need. Who doesn’t?

• 19 HeronMag // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:51

  Reading will be a totally different game to Spurs. They’ll be aware the lads have their tails up and will play a very physical game to try to break us down.

  I’m interested to see how Coppell tries to react to our 4-3-3 formation. If he plays 4-4-2 we might have problems with our width.

  Let s just hope our power through the middle of the park rips their gameplan to shreds!

• 20 joe // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:51

  Jim, not many ppl play rooney’s position, as he can double up as a target man and a withrawn striker. Something of a forward playmaker. Cant think of any players but bent and ashton are most definitely not in the same mould as him.

• 21 James // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:55

  Martins we all know misses more than he scores. Otherwise he’d score more than Ronaldo.

  However, his goal against Spurs was his best goal by far. Because when he did the hard stuff by taking it around the defenders, he showed COMPOSURE to slot it home, instead of just blasting it like he normally does.

  So maybe with the confidence KK gives him, and picking tricks up from Owen, we will see a much better goal return next season.

• 22 CRAIGG // Apr 2, 2008 at 12:12

  Milner Maybe he would be worth a try centrally. He played up front a bit in the Intertoto under souness and scored a few.

  We know he is brilliant wide right and left on his day and i saw him play in the middle (ACM) for leeds a couple of times notably when he scored against the mackems and broke the youngest scorer record, He was easily our best player under Sam as well playing on the left and right of a front 3.

  There was a leeds player called Paul Madely who wasnt really great in any position but played in every outfield position he played over 525 matches for leeds when they were regarded as one the best club sides in the world and he also played 24 times for England despite never really nailing down a regular position every week at leeds, It just remains to be seen if Milner is happy being moved about and not being a starter every week i think he would be as long as he got regular playing time, His attitude is far better than N’Zogbia who already moans about playing LB and CM.

  I can think of these positions which Milner has played and done well in:

  RF
  LF
  CF
  RM
  LM
  CM

  It hasnt done Phil Neville badly in getting England caps, By being able to play in a few positions and Milner is better in his positions than Neville is in his.

• 23 elfer // Apr 2, 2008 at 12:18

  I was at St. James’ when they lost against MANU and after the game I said that we will finish one place higher than Spurs…seems that the loughs are turning a little bit into silence!

• 24 Spyro // Apr 2, 2008 at 12:23

  i dont think Milner would mind being moved around, he doesn’t come across as a moaner. He is like Scholes, he just wants to play football. I too have seen Milner play a sort of second striker role, much like Hleb for Arsenal, and he was good. KK should give Milner the same sort of role as Jenas for Tottenham. A sort of freerole in the middle. Milner can use both feet, works much harder than Jenas and would probably be better at that position than Jenas could ever be.

• 25 Spyro // Apr 2, 2008 at 12:24

  ED WHY THE HELL IS THAT RUBBISH ABOUT DUFF WANTING CARR TO STAY STILL UP!?!?! PLEASE GET IT DOWN!

• 26 King Kev-4-3-3 // Apr 2, 2008 at 12:28

  carr and duff can both go

• 27 Spyro // Apr 2, 2008 at 12:29

  Actually i would actually rather if we didnt buy wingers in the summer, but more players like emre and milner who can operate the wings but are better in the middle. If we have a fairly narrow midfield our passing football would be immense in the middle of the park and we wouldnt rely on the pace of our out and out wingers to get us forward. Our fullbacks can do all of the work on the wings

• 28 CRAIGG // Apr 2, 2008 at 12:32

  Why are you saying that, We all want Carr to stay if we dont renew his contract we risk letting him go on a free to Barcelona, Real madrid, Inter and Bayern who are all interested. The guy oozes class, Top drawer defensively and a great attacking outlet also very versatile remember his fine efforts at left back under Roeder.

  If he goes i think i will get a petition going calling for Mike Ashey, Chris Mort, Kevin Kegan and Aurthur Cox to resign imiediately and i hope we retire the number 2 shirt as an everlasting tribute to Carr and his unrivalled effort and consistancy over the past 3 seasons.

• 29 DC Magpie // Apr 2, 2008 at 12:34

  “but who else could do what Rooney does?”

  Owen

• 30 Jim // Apr 2, 2008 at 12:51

  DC Magpie… if only Owen had Rooneys strength then perhaps but Owen’s not the same style. Not worse, just a different style.

• 31 James // Apr 2, 2008 at 12:57

  I love Rooney as much as anyone, but despite all his brilliance, he will never score as many goals as Owen.

• 32 HeronMag // Apr 2, 2008 at 13:11

  Has anyone here seen much of Jermaine Beckford?

  I’ve seen loads of reports saying that Dennis Wise is trying to organise his transfer from Leeds at the end of the season.

• 33 CRAIGG // Apr 2, 2008 at 13:22

  Ive seen him and he gets on the score sheet a lot, Loads of Championship and premiership clubs have been watching him. He Scored 50 odd goals in the conference in 80 odd matches, And he has scored a load for Leeds this season. He is 6″2, a big Target man actually just what we need with Shola gone and Carroll maybe going out on loan next season.

  Where have you seen this ?

• 34 James // Apr 2, 2008 at 13:22

  HeronMag - he’s scored 11 goals this season I believe. But I reckon buying him is just Wise trying to give Leeds some money to help them out. Beckford would go straight into the Reserves.

• 35 ObaFan2 // Apr 2, 2008 at 13:27

  Martins suffered under BSA but who didn’t.

  Oba’s early season was wrecked imo and his confidence knocked. He’s back now and working hard and look at the players he’s around learning from : Owen and the Duke. Oh and KK ofcourse

  Oba is a Geordie and given time will prove how good he actually is.

  That 3rd goal at Spurs was absolute class, a goal any team in the EPL would have been proud of and was created by Oba.

  So lets forget the “Oba misses so many chances” bit until the end of the season, watch and enjoy. Both Owen and Oba will be trying to score as many goals as possible, who will be top scorer?

  Opportunity for a poll Ed?

  Btw Bent is pap, like a Rooney… nah……

• 36 CRAIGG // Apr 2, 2008 at 13:28

  Theres probably more truth in this One than the Saviola story as we only have one Big CF but 2 little CF, He may be worth a punt.

• 37 steve // Apr 2, 2008 at 13:29

  Stop waffling on about Rooney, he’s a great player but not a great striker - he’s only managed 10 goals playing for Man Utd in top form and walking away with the title - Owen and Martins have aeach scored 7 playing in an underperforming Newcastle team

  Now if we could get Ronaldo in midfield instead of Geremi…..

• 38 CRAIGG // Apr 2, 2008 at 13:33

  I think theres more Chance of finding a nice Hotel to stay in Sunderland.

• 39 Spyro // Apr 2, 2008 at 13:36

  Djibril Cisse is the answer to our tall striker problem, and i think we will go for him too

• 40 CRAIGG // Apr 2, 2008 at 13:41

  I think That Ashton would be the answer but whether We could get him or West Ham would sell him is a different matter.

  But Cisse would be a great Signing if you want pace, power and goals

• 41 Spyro // Apr 2, 2008 at 13:53

  i think west ham would want to sell as fans have even started to prefer cole to ashton now, they call up the radio shows and constantly complain about him being way too pedestrian in some of their games and that he doesn’t score enough goals. I dont really like him personally, not since people started comparing him to Shearer

• 42 Wayne // Apr 2, 2008 at 13:53

  Anyone find it interesting how Atalanta are complaining about us signing Zamblera, describing us as being ‘pirates’?

  The kid must have some quality to provoke such a fuss.

  And in response to Atalanta, we’re only doing what Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool have been doing for a lot longer than we have.

• 43 ObaFan2 // Apr 2, 2008 at 13:53

  This has been added to Oba’s wikipedia from 2/4/08 :

  Gary Megson is ready to give up El-Haji Douif for Martins and a million pounds. After the inital offer was on the table Newcaslte Boss Kevin Keegen was wrapped with the deal and is going to push it through over the summer.

  Lol

• 44 Spyro // Apr 2, 2008 at 13:55

  Obafan2 you just added that didnt you lol

• 45 ObaFan2 // Apr 2, 2008 at 13:57

  Did I **** Spyro lol, I’d have to change my name for 1

  We cud just buy Douif if we wanted anyway cos looks like Bolton are going down!

• 46 Spyro // Apr 2, 2008 at 14:10

  would rather Cahill and Taylor as back up for left back

• 47 HeronMag // Apr 2, 2008 at 14:11

  I saw the Jermaine Beckford story in a few places but I’ve traced it back to the Mirror… Hmmm.

  Maybe not as much truth in it as I thought lol!

• 48 Macca // Apr 2, 2008 at 14:12

  Reading have a lot of game winners, Harper, Kitson, Doyle, who hasn’t scored in a while, he’s been playing on the wing about though, but em, he’s always a threat, young Shane Long, was barely on the field against us earlier in the season and won them the game, he’s a bit of a danger as well, but for me Stephen Hunt is our biggest worry. He’s not like some of the players in the league at the moment, you look at Ronaldo and who he rarely tracks back, Hunt always will. He’ll run his ass off for every second of that game. He came on as a sub with Ireland in some European qualifier and he was knackered after 10 mins because he was running all over the pitch. He is, IMO, one of the most underrated players in the premiership. Not only is he a good starter but he’s a brilliant impact sub. He always gives 110%, he a work horse, and he’s bloody good. He’s come close to scoring some crakers this season but they’ve either come off the wood work or he just missed. We’ll need to try and keep the ball from him, if we don’t we’ll have a serious problem. I’ve said before that I’d love if we could bring Hunt to this club, I just hope that he doesn’t show me why against Newcastle. We need to mark them and mark them tightly or we’re in potential trouble.

• 49 dougnufc // Apr 2, 2008 at 14:16

  Obafan2, you made that up didnt you?

  Cuz if thats true I will be so unhappy

• 50 Macca // Apr 2, 2008 at 14:16

  Steve. Completley off topic, but anyway, Rooney has only scored a few goals, a few being a lot for us, this season because he’s unselfish, he’s everywhere, last night he was defending like crazy, and then legging it up the pitch. He’s so enthusiastic and he might have not scored that many this season but Ronaldo can thank him for his 36 goals because for the majority of them, like last night, Rooney has set him up.

  Anyway, lets pray to God that we still don’t have a hangover from beating a poor Spur side come Reading.

• 51 Spyro // Apr 2, 2008 at 14:20

  man for man our squad is miles ahead of crappy readings, however, in terms of effort we will need to match them as they need the points more than us

• 52 James // Apr 2, 2008 at 14:33

  Owen will score on Sat and send Reading packing

• 53 King Kev-4-3-3 // Apr 2, 2008 at 14:49

  wich sick feck put that sick joke on wiki?? he wont leave us atall, anyone seen how goo ismael miller is for west brom, he is like yakubu

• 54 Vitorbarbosa // Apr 2, 2008 at 15:14

  The closest to Rooney is Tevez. Both of their style is the same. I have no idea if we stand at least 1% to get him here, but I rate him more than Rooney.

  Reading won’t be an easy game. It’s about live and death and I expect Reading to come out with 4-4-2 and try for winner.

  We are not that good that other team need to play us using 4-5-1, defensive minded and hit us on the break. I never see Reading playing a defensive game because they never defend. The leak in goals like we do.

  A draw will not harm any team but I expect a win from every match if we are going to wrestle the title from MU next season.

  :p

• 55 ObaFan2 // Apr 2, 2008 at 15:15

  Ok lets get this straight, I did not put that on wiki………..I love Oba………

  Oba is a Geordie.

  weird though that this has appeared and no other speculation anywhere else…….. maybe it WAS posted 1/4/08 …………………………

• 56 Spyro // Apr 2, 2008 at 15:20

  someone being a bit silly, guys dont read into it

• 57 Whitt // Apr 2, 2008 at 15:53

  Carlton Cole is 10x the player Ashton is.

• 58 Punk Skunk // Apr 2, 2008 at 17:30

  Rooney sucks, he’s a shrek lookalike, he’s nasty & gets sent off when it don’t go to plan…Aw yea, & he misses more sitters than anyone!..
  …He’s overrated by the media, 10 goals for manure as a striker, tells it’s own story!..
  …Tevez kicks his ass!..

• 59 Spyro // Apr 2, 2008 at 18:25

  Rooney doesn’t suck.. but yes he is overrated because it is fairly hard to find such good English talent nowadays and this is an issue being addressed at the minute with the youth academies etc.

  One thing i must say about Rooney though is that he is given a free pass when it comes to descent (if thats how you spell it). Every game i see him verbally abusing the officials yet he never gets booked for it. Same for John Terry. Where as players like Diouf and other foreign players only have to say one word and they go straight into the book, its not fair.

• 60 Macca // Apr 2, 2008 at 20:57

  Punkskunk..have you hit your head or what. You want overrated, try Owen.
  Would you turn down Rooney coming here, not like he would be still. I doubt you would. He’s only scored 10 goals this season, how many have ours scored. Rooney has set up or played a massive role in most of Ronaldo’s goals, he’s a selfless player, now clearly you haven’t seen many Man U games this season because you’d know that if you had, he is one of the hardest workers on the pitch. He was everywhere yesterday, brilliant. But he just doesn’t seem to get the right support for England.
  But all English players are overrated, especially Owen and Beckham. Owen’s scored how many this season, 9 goals and he’s underperformed all season, nearly every game he’s played with Newcastle. He scores off other peoples hard work, that is when he converts them. He’s missed some sitters. But he’s the next best thing to slice bread, the mesiah. It’s ridiculous. Even like here, when it comes to “the local lads”, sure if x is almost as good as y, we’ll play x cause he’s a local lad. Ed did a story about Harper there yesterday and he said that Harper was fantastic against Spurs, brilliant, or something like that. Now correct me if I’m wrong but the only time Harper did anything was when they scored. The media hypes up all the local players, and in general the English players. But Rooney isn’t overrated, the credit he has he deserves.

• 61 Ausgeordie // Apr 3, 2008 at 3:23

  I dont think Owen is overrated. Hes a great striker. But he has had lots of injuries and three different managers since he has been here. You cant expect anyone to be in good form with those two elements. Now he has settled is playing in an attacking team and is scoring a goal a match and making a nuisance of himself to defenders.

• 62 Ausgeordie // Apr 3, 2008 at 3:24

  Whitt - Carlton Cole is terrible!!!! My brother put him in his fantasy team and I laughed muy ass of. What he has he done this season? Scored one or two?

• 63 Reb // Apr 3, 2008 at 4:46

  Macca — first, I’m not going to argue that Rooney doesn’t deserve a lot of his billing as a great player, I think he does. He’s very good at what he does for ManUtd, no doubt.

  What I will argue is that Owen is over-rated. I think he’s under-rated, to be honest. He’s not underperformed all season, unless you’re referring to his injuries as “underperforming”. He’s scored 5 goals in 8 matches since Keegan’s arrival and his own return to fitness after a string of little niggling injuries in the first half of the season.

  He’s missed some sitters, and scored some half-chances, which balances out. More than, since a lot of his goals all season have gotten points for Newcastle (Wigan, Everton, Boro & Brum), while only the poor match v. Blackburn cost the club point(s).

  “He’s scored off other people’s hard work” — have you not watched the last half season? The lad’s run his socks off every match. He’s one of the hardest working players in the side, and despite his injuries is one of only two at NUFC in the Actim Top 100 currently (considering he missed so many matches, his place in the table isn’t poor).

  In his new position, Owen is revealing himself to be a far better footballer than he has been given credit for. He’s playing well, practically in the midfield, and still scoring. He’s leading the team as a proper captain should — by example. He’s playing in the position the club needs him in, not his preferred place or his ‘comfort zone’. Owen is integral to the new system at Newcastle, perhaps the fulcrum even — I can’t see another current NUFC player in that role doing as well as Owen has done the last few matches.

  And I’ve not even touched on his England career (and don’t intend to do). I don’t think Owen is over-rated at all. He’s a top-class footballer, and I think, still England’s best pure striker (Rooney being a sort of hybrid AM/ST).

  Owen is not as good at Rooney’s position as Rooney is, no doubt. But Rooney isn’t as good at Owen’s position as Owen is, either (Capello, are you listening?).

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