Steve Harper, the Newcastle goalkeeper, kept Newcastle in the game after just 12 minutes yesterday against Blackpool, when he made a terrific double save.
Steve Harper – two excellent saves after 12 minutes yesterday
But Steve couldn’t do too much about the goals Blackpool did score, a penalty from Adam just before half time, and a last minute goal from DJ Campbell, completley against the run of play in the second half.
And on Newcastle United TV after the game, Magpies’ captain Kevin Nolan was very disappointed with both the result and the Newcastle performance, but he asked the Newcastle fans not to panic (too much) after just one bad result.
This is what Steve Harper said today:
“Over the years, there has been too much of a roller-coaster.” “After Aston Villa, we were probably going to finish in the top eight. Now people will be mentioning the ‘R’ word.”
“But we won’t be doing that. We know we will win games that we are not expected to and in this league, you can lose games that you are expected to win.” “We have got a tough game next week and we will battle on.”
The Tangerines played a good game yesterday, and for them it was just a fantastic result, but on the other side of the coin, it was a game Newcastle had been expected to win, and win comfortably.
And of course the game was never 2-0, but after hardly having the ball in the second half, and with Newcastle pushing up to try to get an equalizer, Blackpool broke away and made it 2-0 on 90 minutes, so it even looked like a comfortable win for the Tangerines.
And after thinking of those two goals again – I just got a pain in my right arm.
The Newcastle keeper continued:
“I had watched a couple of Charlie Adam’s penalties before the game and he went the other way, so that’s the reason I went that way.” (that’s rather odd thinking) “Their goalkeeper had one of those special days that can happen every now and again.”
“But it is a very disappointed dressing room in there.””Goals change games in the Premier League and when a team comes here, you don’t want to give them anything to hang on to, and that’s what we did.”
“We gave them a penalty and they managed to hang on to that, and they caught us with a sucker punch at the end when we had to go chasing the game, so it was a disappointing day.”
But the result was much worse than the performance yesterday, and Newcastle fans should not over-react too much to just one game.
It’s just like the 6-0 win against Villa, but we were never going to win the league after that one result. Similarly we are not going to get relegated because Blackpool have won at St. James’ Park.
A good way to think of things this season is – we’re never as good as we think we are after a win – and never as bad as we think we are – after a defeat.
And after a draw – no – we shouldn’t have won the game.
If we do that we may just be able to get through this season, maybe, but of course it’s never easy supporting Newcastle United. 😀
Comments welcome.
49 comments so far
G
Sep 12, 2010 at 11:03 PM
Comment #41Starting to get bored of saying this now, but 4-4-2 Diamond, with overlapping fullbacks. Look at our squad, it is screaming for it.
CT
Sep 12, 2010 at 11:18 PM
Comment #42HWT! oops, maths not my strongest, but good idea tho. t`morrow, wifie gettin cheesed. LOL!
CT
Sep 12, 2010 at 11:20 PM
Comment #43G, man! your abro!!check my post35, natural 4 us!!
G
Sep 12, 2010 at 11:25 PM
Comment #44Bang your CV down to the fat man CT. I will be the fitness coach, as I live and breath I swear I can teach impressionable young men the dangers of smoking, drinking and shagging far too much!
G
Sep 12, 2010 at 11:27 PM
Comment #45The last category may have been an exaggeration like (more like ‘not as much as I would like, but more than I deserve?’)
CT
Sep 13, 2010 at 12:17 AM
Comment #46G! p off, u b the manager, me fitness coach! i`m better Qualified, love to chat———– but must go, duty calls! Bugga, think Rooney`s got probs!!! T`morrow!
Penguin PJ
Sep 13, 2010 at 12:37 AM
Comment #47Agreed with someone here, the Blackpool game was a good opp to drop sumbody. Either Jonas or Smith. A reminder to the rest of the team that no one is ‘untouchable’ which brings me to Nolan.
Not quite sure about him being the Captain for us. I’m sure Harps could handle the armband. He’s one of the senior players & the longest serving player for the club. Just don’t like the idea that Nolan is untouchable this season.
I would have love to play with 2 strikers against Blackpool. Either Shola or Ranger to partner Carroll, to take some of the defenders off Andy. With Loverboy takin over Jonas’s spot. Reckon Bambi & McLovin showed enough to earn their place in the last few weeks.
I love Spidey & wouldn’t sell him just yet. We need competition in those areas. Maybe if only he & Routledge could just improve their crossing. Big IF.
Overall quite happy with the performance from the lads. We created enough chances to win the game. And mo importantly, didn’t HBA looked brilliant when he had the ball? Was just thinkin quietly, if Adam had missed the penalty, would we would have gone to win 6-0 again?
Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Guess we’re not qualifying for Europe then eh? Oh well 🙂
baro
Sep 13, 2010 at 2:36 AM
Comment #48————————–Krul————————–
R.Taylor—-Willo—————-Colo—-Enrique
—————-Guthrie————Barton————
Routledge————–Ben Arfa————-Jonas
—————————-Carroll———————
dave 1961
Sep 13, 2010 at 9:54 AM
Comment #49if Hughton does not have the bottle to drop Nolan & smith they will cost him his job, as the fans will not sit a watch as they cost us game after game, Nolan still has a job to play buy after 60 minutes when the opposition slow down to Nolan’s speed. Nolan’s got the brain of a footballer but the legs of a sloth.