Coverage for the week of the 4th - 8th January 2006

What is it about Newcastle United?  Why can we never have a quiet week, be off the back pages or just get on with the business of football with as little fuss as possible?  Why do we constantly make dramas out of our crises?  In a week that should be remembered for only the outstanding individual achievement of one of the club’s all time greats, we are once again the ongoing soap opera that is NUFC.

The week didn’t start well either.  Following rumours that his injury was indeed more serious than first thought (and we all know what to make of medical opinions from our back room staff), Scott Parker added to our injury woes as he went into a London hospital for a knee operation.  (Article) (Article).  4 – 5 weeks out they reckon.  (Article) (Article)  Once our lot get their hands on him again, you could probably double that.

On the way out this week was Lauren Robert, off to Benfica on a free.  (Article) (Article) (Article)  His departure has been greeted with a mixed reaction.  Personally I’m just glad he’s off our hands and it’s a reflection of how much trouble he is perceived to be that we have had to let him go for nowt.  He wasted his talent here in my opinion.  He could have been something really special if HE wanted to.  A symbol of the “high wage low performance players” that have dogged the club writes Tim Rich in The Telegraph (Article).  I’d tend to agree.  Supermac, off on his own one man crusade in whatever direction he thinks will make him popular, thinks otherwise (Article).  I’d agree with one thing, when he was in form going forward he could be devastating.  He just didn’t do it enough and ultimately only he could have done something about that.

Then came the main talking point of the week.  Amidst rumours that FFS and the ‘tacheless wonder were in summit talks looking to discuss his future (Article) our manager came firing back at his critics.  Firstly through the written press claiming that he is “no quitter”(Article) (Article) and that he will “fight on.”  (Article)  The words of someone proud and determined, someone with his head in the sand or someone holding out for a £3million pay off?  Make your own mind up.  The criticism kept on however.  Glenn Roeder being touted as an interim replacement by many having been present at the midweek reserve game with FFS (Article) and seen down at Spurs overseeing our capitulation (Article).  On the brink of an exit? (Article)   Possibly.  But don’t worry he only missed the reserve game because it was his wife’s birthday.  (Article)  Interesting excuses number 31, the spousal birthday get out clause.  Whatever the excuses though, the axe looked like it was most definitely swinging (Article) with curious rumours of what could happen in the summer.    Meanwhile it was hard to find fault with Graham Taylor’s view of where Souness is going wrong (Article). 

Then Souness appeared in yet another Sky Sports News “exclusive” interview.  (Article) (Article) (Article) David Craig always there to bring the NUFC media circus into town.  It was a very odd move in my opinion.  Whilst I can follow that he is trying to get a message across to the fans, what he is saying seems to be in direct opposition to what we are seeing happening on the pitch.  The best example of this being his statement that he wants us to “emulate the football played under Kevin Keegan”.  (Article)  Well we still can’t defend so I suppose in one way we already are, but in all seriousness have we ever in his time on Tyneside even looked close to playing that sort of free flowing attacking football?  He also reckons rid of “dodgy characters” we are a dressing room united (Article) and that his “disagreement” with Steven Carr was mischievously overblown.  (Article) (Article)    Again this may be the case but once more we’re airing the dirty laundry in public and this just feels like such familiar territory.  The response from the fans has been mixed, as this selection of e-mails from Sky Sports would confirm (Article).  It seems we are as divided as ever and whilst we remain so we aren’t in a position to help the team on the pitch.  That said it really is down to the management (and the boardroom too for that matter) to inspire by turning his words into action on the field of play!  And whilst he goes to the unusual length of asking the chairman to ignore the pressure being brought to bear externally (Article) (Article) (Article) it is no wonder he is still seen to be in trouble (Article).  And whilst he has bollocks like this attributed to him (Article) its no wonder support is in short supply.  Though whether or not Tim Rich’s article in The Telegraph is support for Souness as much as it is criticism of NUFC is open to debate (Article). 

And so we went onto FA Cup round 3 weekend.  Are you sick of that bloody Hereford goal yet?  No? Well you can watch it to your heart’s content on the BBC’s virtual replay (Article).  Twats.  It was definitely win or bust (Article) or Souness’ D Day (Article) or whatever ultimatum related cliché you care to choose.  A “cup of fate” with Sam Allardyce the big favourite to step in if Souness gets the elbow.  (Article)

Allardyce himself was also pissed off, with just about everyone it would seem.  Over his link with us (Article) and at Radio 5’s Alan Green (Article) (Article )(interestingly another “personal friend of Souness by the way) and the FA even.  Despite being warned off by his chairman (Article) the link remains a strong one (Article) and a space that should be watched as time goes on.

The Mansfield game should be best forgotten.  Indeed it could be had Shearer not equalled Jackie Milburn’s goal scoring record.  A feat that deserves ultimate respect.  He deserved a bigger stage and a better game as his record equalling goal made up for a dreary game and another desperate performance.  (Article) (Article) (Article) (Article) 

Shearer’s comments have been typically understated, dedicating the goal to his mum on the eve of her 60th birthday (Article), saluting the fans (Article) and paying tribute to Wor Jackie (Article) as he drew level with his goals total.  Full of pride (Article) (Article) as his career draws to its close it is no wonder Souness wants him to carry on (Article).  Or is that another sign of the manager’s increasing desperation.  I’ll leave the last word on Shearer to his good friend Rob Lee (Article). 

Well that’s about it for yet another week in soap opera land.  What to leave you with for now I wonder?  Amidst a week of ongoing speculation over ins and outs perhaps Stuart Rayner of The Journal asked the best question.  (Article)  Is there really any point in keeping Lee Bowyer?  Michael Owen meanwhile reckons he’ll be back quicker following his operation.  (Article)  Lets try fully fit instead of quick this time eh Michael?  We’ve seen what happens when you rush players back under pressure thanks.  Simon Jordan is brilliant as ever in his Observer column, this time putting Alan Pardew well and truly in his place (Article).   David Lacey finished his column summing up the feelings of 52000 Geordies most weeks (Article) and The Journal finished a good week for them by asking yet another pertinent question.  (Article)  Will we ever catch up?   I, for one, severely doubt it right now.

NM