Coverage for the week of the 12th - 18th December

No they don’t you know.  And not just Corporal Jones’ “fuzzy-wuzzys” either.  Managers of London sides on the wrong end of a gubbing off us don’t either.  From “being bullied” to losing a game 4-2 that the opposition claimed to be “in control” of the excuses have been interesting to say the least.  And its not like it happens very often either.  Us gubbing London teams that is, not managers finding excuses.  The only odd thing is it wasn’t ours doing the complaining.

With Wenger still bleating on (Article) the win over Arsenal showed a side to NUFC that we always love to see.  (Article)  (Article) (Article)  Wenger aside, I think we were all in agreement that we need to see more of the same from those chosen to play in black and white.  Certainly the players are.  Shearer (Article) (Article), the revitalised Amady Faye (Article) and Michael Owen (Article) (Article) all demanding more of the same.

John Gibson led the local press with the obvious yet very appropriate “that’s more like it” headline (Article) while Alan Oliver went with the “street fighter” tag.  (Article)  Luke Edwards at The Journal meanwhile was demanding flair to go with that pride (Article.  I suppose we’ll get that when KCD 1 makes it to the end of the comeback trail will we?

Scott Parker was probably the last person on Tyneside to enjoy the victory mind you.  Concussed after having his lights put out in a “clash” with Lehman’s elbow he can’t even remember the goal apparently (Article).  Speaking of which the only place I heard any condemnation of Lehman’s elbow meeting Scott Parker at high speed was on talkSHITE with Rodney Marsh actually sounding sensible for once.  Whatever next?  A fit Kieron Dyer?

Well no.  He was suicidal apparently.  (Article)  (Article)  (Article)  And it’s not his hamstrings after all.  It’s his weak “gluts” and unorthodox running style.  (Article)   So it’s not just our back four that has a tight arse problem.  By the end of the week, forming a three-line whip within Thomson House, the Evening Chronicle (Article) and The Sunday Sun (Article) were crying for Dyer’s return.  And as for his medical condition that is slowing his return have you guessed what it is yet?  Answers on a postcard or stuck down envelope please.   I can hazard a bloody good guess myself like.

So with everything seemingly rosy in the garden, and none of the should he stay or should he go reportage that they seem to thrive on, the midweek press coverage was more of a sedate miscellaneous selection of injury updates and quotes from whoever they could get to talk.  On the treatment table things were possibly looking up for Steven Taylor, now not needing an operation (Article).  (Article) This week anyway.

Shola Ameobi meanwhile was saying he was just happy to be playing, left wing or wherever he can get in.  (Article)  I still can’t work him out.  I’d love him to grasp the chance he has to assert himself as Shearer’s successor but the more I see of him the actions just don’t match the words. The front 2 right now pick themselves, when fit.  (Article)  Shearer still getting praise from all sorts of places because he is still doing the business (Article) albeit in a different way these days.

Peter Ramage had plenty to say as well, from being fired up by criticism (Article), though I don’t think much could be directed at him personally, to praising the endeavours of Scott Parker.  (Article)  Ramage has been well quoted over the last few weeks and I must say I am much happier listening to this sort of stuff from an honest young pro than the sort of whinging “why won’t the pass the bal to me” stuff we have had emanating from certain former players in the not so distant past.

Little Mickey and Big Jean Alain, well one of them may well be part of some comedy double act, shared a birthday celebration this past week.  (Article)  Made out by Sky Sports News to be some sort of celestial work of the gods that this should be so (they shared a birthday ffs), Owen was the more vocal of the pair.  Voicing opinions on Scott Parker (Article) (are you getting the hint yet Sven?), wanting to play more (Article) and his top 6 aspirations.  (Article) 

The outcome of those desires does depend on more of the same as we showed against Arsenal more often.  As we were reminded yet again by the main man (Article) as we began the build up to the weekend fixture at West Ham.  With Souness revelling in a new lease of life (Article), Nobby Solano (Article) and old boy Rob Lee (Article) were desperate to see us end yet another London Hoodoo (© Alan Oliver). 

Which duly we did, despite our best efforts to shoot ourselves in the foot (again) with an own goal and a bizarre handball from Shola keeping West Ham in touch right up to the dying seconds as Michael Owen completed what I hope is the first of many hat tricks in a black and white shirt.   Not that we deserved to win of course as most of the weekend’s identikit reports would have you believe. (Article) (Article) (Article) (Article) (Article)  Only the Sunday Sun (Article) and once again Patrick Barclay (Article) being anything like fair.  This whole Patrick Barclay being nice to Newcastle thing has me wondering where the sucker punch is going to come from in the next few weeks if I’m honest.  Cynical?  Moi?  Oh aye.

Everyone agreed on one thing though.  Owen was the difference.  (Article) (Article)  Even Alan Pardew once he had stopped doing his Arsene Wenger impersonation.  (Article)  Keep him fit, which I can only hope and pray that we can, and keep him scoring and the top 6 suddenly doesn’t look too far away, even with our defensive frailties.

Speaking of which a word of respect and best wished to the family of Jean Alain Boumsong. We’ve, rightly in my opinion, been asking questions of him this season.  He certainly hasn’t always looked an £8million defender has he?  But with these kind of off field pressures (Article) (Article)  I think the fact he is playing at all is highly commendable.  It will never stop me criticising where it is due but at the same time I wonder if other players feeling “suicidal” with their lot say could look at this and put a lot of their “troubles” into perspective.

The transfer speculation remains warm rather than red-hot.  Portsmouth, the new football soap opera trying to take our crown, want Amady Faye back.  (Article) (Article)  But on the cheap.  (Article)   Oh no you don’t.  Bugger I thought I’d get through this without any Christmas references.  I just couldn’t help myself.  Oh yes I could.  Alreet I’ll pack it in now.  Elsewhere we remain linked to some random Swede (Article) and the pie in the sky award goes to those linking us with Roma’s Antonia Cassano.  (Article) (Article)  Then again we said that about Owen not so long ago didn’t we?  Oh yes we did.  Sorry.

I’ll leave you this festive week with my best wishes to you and yours and something to ponder.  How many more excuses will they come up with for The Beasts and their low crowds at UEFA cup games?  This week saw 9000 grace the Smogside.  Remember this is the club that claims to have the biggest number of season ticket holders living within a 10-mile radius of the ground.  So distance isn’t an excuse.  So what has been used?  Amongst the best I’ve heard are the weather (in the mildest week in December, and with all them chemicals raising the temperature?), Christmas (which happens the same time every year I believe), difficulty parking in midweek because of late night shopping (!?!) and lack of excitement at The Smogside.  What you mean the ground that has actually (and check the stats for this) seen the most Premiership goals on it (total of home and away) so far this season?  Having the next England manager elect in charge is the best way to avoid criticism it seems.

NM