Coverage for the week of the 16th - 22nd January 2006

As the song said, “It’s grim up North.”  Dark days, dark moods and dark words coming from all sides at the moment.  We’re an embarrassment on and off the pitch, a roiling soap opera that if it were any other club it would be funny.  But it isn’t and the apathy we’re seeing on the pitch is spreading to the stands, and frankly I can understand why.  We pitch up expecting to be disappointed these days and Tommy Cooper is more likely to make a comeback than we are.  Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

We start the week in the aftermath of the capitulation at Fulham.  (Article) A gruelling match (Article) with the pick of the headlines coming from The Mirror (Article).  I suppose we are like a M*A*S*H unit with our injury list like.  Chris Coleman, a close third to Arsene Wenger and Alan Pardew in the “Moaner of the Year 2005” competition had plenty to say.  Both to Lee Clark beforehand (Article) (Article), though there was no “row” apparently, and about Babayaro, who can’t be guilty of any rash challenges because he never puts that amount of effort in surely!  (Article) (Article).  I can’t stand managers who have plenty to say about other team’s players.  Speaking of which Souness too was well quoted after the game.  Bemoaning bad luck (Article) and injuries (Article) blah blah blah.  We’ve heard it all before.  He’s at a low ebb; bless him (Article).  Well just imagine what we are at then.  I’ll leave the last word on our rankness at Fulham to Tony Cascarino, someone who usually gets up my nose by you have to admit he has a point.  (Article)

On the back foot, no pun intended, this week was “England’s Michael Owen.”  On the back of quotes attributed to the England manager, denying that he is unhappy (Article) (Article) (Article) (Article) with a curt statement from FFS which leaves me with more questions than answers (Article).  Still, nice of the lad to give us a mention, albeit looking like a hasty afterthought, once he’d finished talking about his love of the horses.  (Article)  So that’s England, Liverpool, horses, NUFC. Or am I being cynical?

The transfer rumour mill rolls on, in spite of repeated reports that there’s no money to spend.  So now it’s either odd freebees like Vignal (again)(Article) and random foreign “stars” whose agents are making mischief (Article), bizarre or unlikely swap deals (Article) (Article) and, of course, Nicholas Anelka.  (Article)  Just the character we need around the place right now.  One minute he’s happy in Turkey (Article) (Article) the next he’s not (Article).  Who knows?  I can’t help but think he’ll end up here by hook or by crook.  Great.

Injuries.  The main cause of unrest this week.  News arrived that Stephen Carr was in need of another operation, this time on his stomach, that could potentially see yet another player out for the duration.  (Article) (Article) (Article)  At the same time it was confirmed that Shola Ameobi could be another long-term casualty with ongoing hip problems (Article) along with Steven Taylor’s continued shoulder related absence.  (Article) (Article) Add Emre to these three and you have 4 players who have played on with concerns over their fitness to “help the cause” only to find they are out long term.  I just wonder where the medical advice is coming from.  Coco the clown?  Winnie the Pooh?  Especially when you think Carr and Souness’ alleged falling out a couple of weeks ago was over whether or not the Irishman was fit enough to return to action.  Anyone seeing him play since his hernia and groin problems could tell he was at best 50% fit.  Except perhaps a circus comedian and a fictional bear.

And then the silence was broken from the boardroom.  FFS made a statement that is in no doubt a dig at the manager and his constant use of the injury list, which is admittedly as unusual as it is long.  (Article) (Article)  Playing out mainly in the Journal (Article) this rapidly degenerated into a war of words as Souness hit back (Article).  United we stand, divided we fall?  The chairman made this appointment and he would do well to remember that when it comes to pointing fingers and shouldering blame.

Meanwhile in the run up to the fixture against a Bellamy-less Blackburn, Souness was asking for Luque to be given more time.  (Article) (Article)  Whilst you can talk about making comparisons with Henry and Pires, for me this lad has shown nothing, not one sign, that he is worth the good money we paid for him.  Another case of what we are told and what we can witness with our own eyes being at odds.  Time he delivered.

John Gibson (Article) and The Mirror’s Simon Bird (Article) were wondering who got the best deal when Souness left Blackburn.  I think we know the answer and don’t think the same question hasn’t already been posed within the tf bunker.

Also in the Blackburn build up Emre declared himself fit (Article) and ready for action.  He also gave a canny, if somewhat carefully worded, interview with The Journal aimed squarely at getting the supporters behind him.  (Article)  Typically Coco and Winnie declare him unfit, again, and he does not even feature in the bench, amidst worrying claims fro Radio Newcastle summariser John Anderson that the lad has gone AWOL and is uncontactable.  Curious.

Then followed the almost predictable loss to Blackburn.  (Article) (Article)  Yes there were injuries and yes the ref was poor but really we just can’t hide behind that.  We had enough quality on paper at least to see off a workman like Blackburn side.  We’ve been saying that most of the season though haven’t we?  Luque meanwhile looked disinterested and only showed a turn of pace to run off down the tunnel when substituted.  Coward.  The press preferred to concentrate on the deterioration of relations between boardroom and managers office   (Article) (Article) (Article) with rumours of a sacking within 48 hours and a director of football in place (Article).  The Independent’s Simon Turnbull should really buy a new joke book though  (Article), while Brian McNally at the Sunday Mirror (Article)  and this Sunday Times report (Article) both express concern and derision at Souness’ repeated attempts to duck questions.  Souness himself meanwhile remains defiant.  (Article) (Article)  We await the next instalment with baited breath.

Perhaps the only glimmer of hope this week is that as Shay Given is touted as the next Republic of Ireland captain (Article) we have, at last, opened contract talks with him.  (Article) (Article)  Personally I think he’d be crackers to sign owt right now.  We can but keep everything crossed that he is mad enough to stick with us that bit longer.  Especially as we lie so close to danger (Article) and for once I agree with Supermac that this situation must be sorted out now or we really are doomed (Article).  It just serves to make this piece reminiscing of what should have been 10 years ago seem like light years away (Article).  “If only” should be added to the club crest I reckon.

NM