Coverage for the week of the 17th - 23rd October

Another week, another hamstring! Same old, same old at SJP! Apparently it’s them darned training pitches and something to do with drainage and how you never see players coming off covered in mud these days. And here’s me thinking it was because some of them are just lazy sods. You learn something every day.

The week began in the aftermath of the Wigan defeat. (Article) A defeat that was hard to take. (Article) Aye tell us about it. And tell the thousands who travelled down there, paying good wedge in the process. I’m getting more than a little fed up of lame excuses and apologies, this is a results business and personally I don’t care how we get them just that we do. Mind you when you get errors like that made by referee Phil Dowd and his assistant Andy “should have gone to Specsavers” Williams you can understand the frustration within the camp. It’s enough to make you throw your packed lunch across the room. (Article) Even more so when, like Steve Bennett earlier this season, he comes out and admits he was wrong AFTER the event. (Article) (Article) Unfortunate my arse! Every referee and assistant is human and is, therefore, entitled to the odd bad day and the odd mistake. Why is it though that more referees and assistants seem to be making more mistakes more often and usually with decisions that change games? While we’re on about referees, Souness made comment that Shearer gets a rough ride from refs these days. (Article) These days? For ages mate. Go back to Uriah Rennie sending him off and beyond. He gets NOWT. It’s almost conspiratorial. Think about how differently he is handled by European refs in UEFA cup and Champions’ League games and you’ll see what I mean. He does what he does in spite of them.

And with pressure building for our “proper” derby at the weekend (Article), the “injury situation” was the main talking point. Emre was fit (Article), Bowyer “possibly” (Article), Nobby would finally be ready (Article), and Dyer had “no chance”. (Article) He’s a “door opener” apparently. Well I’ve heard The Copthorne’s looking for a trainee concierge so perhaps we’ve identified a future career plan for the perpetually injured one. Provided his back can take it of course. Craig Moore meanwhile lasted only 45 minutes of a reserve game on his “comeback trail.” (Article) Wonder if we should be checking the small print of his contract now? Just a thought as our sick list continues to grow.

And then the inevitable happened. Amidst rumours on Monday that he had limped out of a practice game, ironically intended to improve Emre and Nobby’s fitness, Michael Owen suddenly became a doubt for the weekend’s visit of the great unwashed. (Article) (Article) I was wondering how long before he caught “Geordie hamstring.” Perhaps we should start a cull like they have done with the bird flu. And I know which repeat hamstring offender I’d like to start with. As the week went on Owen looked more (Article) and more (Article) likely to miss out, not just at the weekend but possibly up to a month!!! (Article) (Article) It’s enough to make you want to buy the farm. (Article) Don’t all rush at once but you can send your bottles of paracetamol c/o St James’ Park I’m sure.

And so the build up continued with comments from players both current and past. Current players well quoted came in the shape of Steven Taylor (Article), the level headed (if not level footed at the moment) Jean Alain Boumsong (Article) who still impresses me with his measured and professional comments to the media. It’s just a pity his nerves seem shot right now and I think could probably do with a rest to take the pressure off him. We just don’t have that sort of defensive cover and I can only hope he can get back to some sort decent form. If not it could be a long season for him. Also quoted was Shay Given who, when it was suggested he was of the few to play on both sides of the divide reminded everyone he was never a Mackem, only a “loanee” (Article). Another 100% adopted Geordie. Nobby Solano, also now a confirmed Geordie, meanwhile was relishing his return to action, making himself well quotable in the process. From showing his understanding of how important the derby match is to the region (Article) to backing the manager (the way a lot of the playing staff seem very, very keen to do) (Article) and finally to his relationship with SBR (Article). We always did wonder within the bowels of the tf bunker about what went on there. Some of us even got phone calls about it, apparently.

Plenty of ex-mags had their two pennorth as well. Bez (no man, the former left back, not the one from the Happy Mondays!) on “having the bottle” to win the derby match (Article), Warren Barton’s view (Article) and a plea from Scott Sellars to repeat his match winning strike and “write your name in history” (Article). Wonder if he knows what next weekend lottery numbers are as well?

There was plenty of opinion from the fourth estate as well, as you’d expect. The pick of this week’s for me being John Gibson (who should have a bloody good idea about it by now like) predicting a close fought battle with a vital “spark” likely to be the difference between the sides (Article) and Graham Taylor’s view, coming at it from an outsider’s point of view who obviously has a lot of time for all concerned at NUFC after another week in the region with “The Match”. (Article)

Of course with it being a derby week you get the usual array of derby match ups from people getting their hair dyed (could they have found 3 more camp members of the black and white faithful I wonder?) to a mini-derby between preschool kids. We won that one as well just for the record. Start ‘em young is what I say; it’ll help the mackem’s coping skills in the future. The Journal ran this feature on Steve Harmison and Paul Collingwood and their respective allegiances. (Article) This sums up some of the crucial differences between us and “them”. Compare their best results for example. You’ll understand what I mean.

I’ll close for this week with an interesting point of view on Amdy (or is it Amady now? I don’t know/care) Faye. According to OPTA and their stats on the Sky Sports website he’s been under utilised and that’s why he’s been less effective this season. (Article) And we just thought he was shite. See you’ve learned something else this week.

NM