Coverage for the week of the 13th - 19th February 2006
 

I know it’s hardly exciting in a goals galore, total football kind of way but I’m getting used to the way NUFC are going about business at the moment.  It’s simple, no nonsense and, for now, effective.  We’re winning games and whilst it’s far from where we should be, we’re showing some signs of the side we could be.  And we’re not making a song and dance about it in the media or waiting for the next bizarre “we’re now blaming the repetitive hamstring strains on bird ‘flu and are culling all poultry within a 20 mile radius of Darsley Park” excuse to bemuse us all.

Take the win over Villa for example.  (Article) (Article) (Article)  A hard fought battling win where we showed a definite steely resolve (Article) that we rarely saw under Sourness.  The win, still being called “lucky” by chest thumping Villa manager O’Dreary (and will be until March 2008 most likely), was well earned with the team as a whole playing their part, especially when down to 10 men.  Shay Given, who secured the win with a penalty save (Article) (Article), and a revitalised Shola Ameobi (Article), described by Sky Sports’ Pinocchio Thompson as “unplayable in the first half” singled out for their parts in particular.

Celestine Babayaro was dismissed in the match, his sending off judged by many to be more than harsh.  The club appealed (Article) (Article) (Article) and of course we all knew what the outcome would be.  Not only was his sending off upheld but he was given an extra game for his trouble after a fracas with the odious Tim Cahill earlier this season (Article) (Article).  I wonder what would have happened if it has been Steven Gerrard up in front of the FA for example?  Just a thought, like.

Our manager search goes on, and while we’re winning games there’s no hurry Fred, remember.  He does indeed seem to be taking his time.  The candidates are still growing as whoever is appointed is urged to avoid “Newcastle Disease” (Article).  It’s worse than bird ‘flu apparently.  Martin O’Neill remains favourite, but whilst he remains in the frame for the England job (Article) it has been suggested that the link is cooling (Article) as the press compile what seems to be a list of who’s who in football management.  This week we saw Houllier, some random German other than Ottmar Hitzfeld (Article) and Chris Coleman (Article) added to the list of possibles.  Also throwing his “hat into the ring” (a good trick that I’d imagine) was Claudio “Papa Lazarou” Ranieri (Article) (Article).  I wonder if the little fat red faced bloke from Chelsea is part of the package.  His team selections could be fun as well.  Dave, Dave, Dave, Dave, no not Dave, Dave etc etc.  Hitzfeld for his part seems now to have been ruled out by FFS (Article).  Cue wailing and gnashing of teeth from the brightly shirted corner of the tf bunker.  In the local press John Gibson seems to be falling into the O’Neill camp, suggesting his passion is what is needed at SJP (Article).  Alan Oliver makes a good point when he says that whoever gets the job must have a feel for the club (Article).  Above all that is something that is vital for our next appointment.  And while we have someone in place who is “Putting the passion back” (Article) I’m now beginning to wonder if we may already have the right man in place.  Just another thought.  I’m going to have to stop having them I reckon, too confusing.

Part of Roeder’s remit so far seems to have been to restore some positivity in the dressing room.   One in need of a lot of help in this direction is Albert Luque who seems to be responding well to Roeder’s methods.  (Article) (Article) (Article) It seems to be a combination of attitude adjustment and support (Article) and I think we all would agree if the lad can find a way to show us something of the player we know he can be, and everyone in Spain keeps reminding us he is we’ll all benefit.  It’s up to him but in some ways up to us as well to try and keep his head up.  This peace and love stuff just might catch on.

There’s plenty to keep the press talking on the transfer front.  Yet again we’ve been linked bringing Jonathan Woodgate back to his number 6 shirt.  (Article) (Article) (Article)  The link has been once again denied (Article) (Article) and I just wonder where these stories come from in the first place.  Must be a quiet news week.  That would also explain these random links;  Emre to Milan (Article) (Article) and bizarrely some Egyptian fella (Article)  (Article).  I wonder if his agent is a name often found lurking in the papers associating his players with NUFC.  Hmmm.  Viana’s time as a NUFC player (in name only it must be said) looks finally at an end (Article) and hat’s off to Nicky Butt whose midweek strop gave us an early contender for headline of the year courtesy of Setanta Sports (Article).  To add insult to injury apparently if they stay up they’ll have to keep him.  (Article)  Couldn’t happen to a nicer player or a nicer club, they deserve each other.

Speaking of deserving something it was announced through the week that Alan Shearer will be having a well-deserved testimonial game against Celtic.  (Article) (Article) The aim is that the monies raised, hoped to be around £1million, will go to charity, just the way it should be in my opinion.  (Article) (Article)  On a personal note I would hope that the charities that do benefit are local ones, ones to whom the source of the money would mean something and with fewer links in the chain more of the money goes where it is needed and is not lost in admin.

Then we were straight into the build up to the FA Cup tie against Southampton.  With Shearer waxing lyrical in his BBC column about his time on the south coast (Article) and Claus Lundekvam looking forward to a last battle with the Newcastle number 9.  (Article) (Article)  A battle that was destined not to happen, of course.

The main focus in the lead up to Southampton was the possible return of Kieron Dyer, who eventually started in the absence of the Lion and the renewed focus of Shola Ameobi who wanted to get more aggressive.  (Article) (Article) (Article).  He wants the number 9 shirt next season and I for one would love him to seize the chance to take it.  (Article)  Supermac called it right when he said Shola’s upturn in form reflects the team as a whole under Roeder (Article).  Shola needs to learn to get ugly and use his size to more advantage.  The neat flicks and Cruyff turns are all well and good but sometimes he just needs to put his foot through the bloody ball and have a go.

The cup tie wasn’t a classic but we got through to the quarter finals courtesy of KCD 1.  (Article) (Article).  All you can ask is that we progress, so job done.  Dyer’s form and scoring return a good start but not the over hyped run towards the World Cup that some seem to be gushing about.  (Article) (Article)  He’s only just starting to pay back our patience and investment.  Time will tell.  The most interesting comment post Southampton comes from an un-named source.  The players reckon that they “haven’t been this well trained in ages”. (Article)  It shows.  Now it’s up to the chairman to ensure the next appointment is the right one if we are to stay in the European rich list (Article).

NM