Coverage for the week of the 31st October - 6th November

What is there left to say about Kieron Dyer? Work-shy layabout? Victim of circumstances? Master of his own downfall? Self styled king of bling? Reformed character living a monastic lifestyle? All of the above? Or something different? This week has seen yet another roller coaster of highs and lows surrounding this hideously well paid young man as once again you’ll see his name, more than any other, mentioned here as I try to make sense of the week’s goings on at NUFC through the eyes of the ever watching media.

The week’s reportage began with coverage of the excellent away win at West Brom. (Article) (Article) Another victory in which somehow the other side were unlucky in the eyes of some. Unbelievable. I’d agree that Given made a typically brilliant save at a crucial time (Article) but that’s what he is there to do is it not? And isn’t it a team game? Well actually we proved yet again that the modern Premiership is a squad game, resting Shearer who typically came off the bench to notch the third. (Article) Getting plenty of praise for a neat 20-minute cameo was the returning Dyer (Article) (Article) Finally we all think he’s back and can show us that he is worth his reported £90,000 a week contract. All seems rosy in the camp with plenty of talk about where we can go and what we can achieve like this from Scott Parker, for example (Article), and this from The Sun about possible success with Shearer and Owen in form and in tandem. (Article)

Meanwhile whereas the decision to bench Shearer would once have sounded the doom monger’s bells in the press for Souness, we now see reports that he is happy to accept what he is asked to do. (Article) Something that he has always said all along of course but has been chosen to be omitted or made small print as “player does as he is asked by manager” doesn’t make as interesting a headline does it?

By the midweek we were getting into the build up for the weekend’s fixtures, ours at home to Burberryham of course, with news that the squad has been booked for another “bonding session” in the forthcoming international break. (Article) Lets hope for similar results to when we had one at a similar time last year. Peter Ramage, showing the kind of attitude we like of those in black and white was being encouraged to make himself a regular. (Article) And there was whinging about “poor Birmingham’s injury problems.” (Article) Well as no one shed a tear for us why the hell should we have sympathy for them? Scott Parker meanwhile was waxing lyrical about Emre (Article) and Steven Taylor likewise about Nobby (Article). Which almost looks like a happy camp with good morale and team spirits. Blimey!

Then, of course, it had to happen. Dyer out again. Reason and length of time unspecified. A very short club statement (Article) (Article) and a whole range of theories and rumours from nervous breakdown to hepatitis abound. What is clear is that this is something utterly unique (as ever with NUFC) and there is a hell of a lot more to this than meets the eye. The club are determined to protect him and make sure that anyone who will listen knows that he has their total support. As has been the case for a long time may I add, go back to the fight with Bowyer and you’ll know what I mean. His career is “safe”, for example (Article) and he’s been living like “a monk” according to the chairman. (Article) FFS the world authority on the monastic lifestyle of course. I wonder if the hair shirt is an Armani one? Anyway, as we’re told of his tears (Article) and asked to have sympathy for him (Article) all I’ll ask is this; what if he’d played the game at the Smogside last season out on the right and not given SBR lip and treated the shirt and captain’s armband with such contempt? I wonder where he and indeed NUFC would be now? Karma is a funny thing, what goes round comes around and whilst if there is a genuine medical condition that is hampering his progress is there any wonder that there will be many in the crowd who still get frustrated and angry at the mention of his name?

Meanwhile on a brighter note, Michael Owen has been speaking to the press about how happy he is on Tyneside and loving living the Northumbrian life. (Article) (Article) (Article) (Article) So much for get out clauses and deals to take him back to Merseyside now eh? Mind you they’ll still be whinging in Liverpool about it for a while yet as Crouch makes £16million look better and better value every week.

The weekend brought low-key reaction to a low-key win over Burberryham. (Article) (Article) (Article) The papers more ken to report on Shearer’s forthcoming hernia op (Article) and obsessing about Chelsea and Man U.

Transfer talk this week suggested a possible return for Butt if Burberryham go down (Article) (Article) Return in so much as we’ll find someone else daft enough to palm him off too to take his wages off our books I should think. Speaking of palming someone off Amady Faye was linked with West Ham and Wigan (Article). Hands, snap, off! Also longing for a way back and having the door firmly shut in his face was Lauren Robert (Article) (Article) following further self inflicted problems after behaving like a tit at the SoS.

Speaking of the village of the damned, their financial results were released mid week. (Article) (Article) (Article) Ours came out last week to doom and gloom. How come them do they get away without the same fanfare of misery for results that are not just worse but are abysmal. Bearing in mind they had a “successful” season in winning the Championship they made a £9million loss. Compare to our £4.5million profit. Their turnover was only 30% of ours with bigger debts which are secured by the increased valuation of their ground, soon, I’m sure, to be the best venue for England U-21 games outside of Hull. Everyone goes on about “the next Leeds waiting to happen.” Say it quietly but there’s a chance it may do come the end of the season and they are still in the bottom three.

Talking of Makems going down, I’ll leave you with the news that there’ll be one more empty seat at the SoS as this week one of the Evening Chronicle’s Makem Punters Panel was convicted on fraud charges for taking over £370,000 from his company to pay off gambling debts. (Article) Sympathy has already been forthcoming of course. (Article) I wonder if Niall Quinn is his favourite player?

NM