It was a pretty uninspiring start to the season last Saturday at SJP when the Newcastle United Eriksson experiment of putting out a team without a decent recognised centre-forward delivered, well, an Eriksson-like result. The Norwegians looked fit and capable in the first half but by the second 45 we were well in control, enjoying plenty possession but short of ideas as to how get the ball into the net.

This game has taken on a massive meaning. There are heavy hints from those in the local press extremely close to the club who are spinning the line that qualification for the UEFA Cup might be the only way funds are released to purchase the players we need for the new campaign. I don't remember being told this back in May when the back-pages were full of bull-shit about us being after Van Nistlerooy. This is a nonsense. Had Roeder's recovery ended up in 8th would we have spent the summer reconciled to starting the new season with a trimmed down squad and no adequate replacement for Shearer or further players brought to the club to replace those who have left? Fuck knows what Shepherd's up to but when long serving Mags are having saloon bar discussions about the inexorable decline of Newcastle United then its time to worry .

There are rumours circulating that Roeder and Shepherd are not enjoying the best of relationships and its not difficult to see why. Once again, our preparation for the new season appears ill-conceived, shoddy and unprofessional. As a consequence the mood amongst the support is decidedly down-beat. An exit from the Intertoto tomorrow would plunge the club into depression and hardly set up the right mood music for the new season. But Roeder is in the clear. Its his Chairman and his ludicrous "footbiz" approach to our football club that is under scrutiny. Its difficult to find anyone who has any confidence in him whatsoever after almost a decade of disappointment with him in the Chair.

Don't even think about blowing this in Norway!