Truly in the dumps


- Berated by injuries
- Lack of transfer funds
- Low on confidence
- Players in the team not doing the job.
- Officials failing to realise the reality of the clubs current state.

Its not looking too shabby, but im more than sure that our fortune will change very soon.

But how soon is soon? It could be all too late

Good news is that Given looks set to play on Saturday.

In the England v Portugal under-21 game yesterday Hugo Viana got an assist and Ameobi was named man of the match. Portugal scored the winner eleven minutes from time when Helder Postiga scored with a handball.

Dyer was on the bench against Liechtenstein but didn't play.

I heard people at the U-21 game said that Ameobi showed what he can really do and the man of the match award will do him and his confidence a whole lot of good.

Dyer is still in the slumps and SBR has to realise that it is time to give Dyer a bit of bench time, until he can rekindle his confidence.

Everton will be more than a tough opponent for us and with Woody out i can't see OB and Bramble coping against speedsters Radzinski and Rooney.

However, Bellamy is back and it seems as though Robert has restored his relationship with Bobby, which could only mean a starting place on the left wing where he belongs. So he better be whippin in crosses all day.

Hopefully we will create solid chances this time, which has been lacking so far this term. I'm really confident that Shearer and Bellamy's partnership will be firing on all cylinders at Goodison

That's if Bellamy's fully fit. He looked fit enough to me in the Italy game. If he isn't I'd play Lua Lua.

I'm not sure what lineup I would choose, but it'd be a pick of this lot:

----------------------Given

Hughes--O'Brien--Bramble--Bernard

Solano--Viana/Bowyer--Speed/Jenas--Robert

-------------- Shearer--Bellamy/Lua Lua


If we need to defend a shaky lead we could sit Speed just in front of the back four. Otherwise, if he's tiring, bring on one of Jenas/Dyer/Bowyer (whoever's on the bench). What would yous play?

I hope Solano and Robert play on Saturday as I think we'll need the width. I hope Bobby plays either Bowyer or Viana in the centre. We need to really get at them early on because I get the feeling every time they get the ball in our half they are going to give our defence problems. It's imperative that we keep possession in midfield (something we've failed to do lately). Speed has been giving away a lot of possession lately and Bowyer's passing has been dodgy at times, Viana's precision passing could prove useful if we play him in the centre.

Alternatively, if we were to go with the diamond formation (which we won't), this one might be interesting:

--------------Speed
Solano-------------------Robert
--------------Viana

Dyer's final ball is very poor but Viana's final ball is brilliant. Viana might be just what we need to a) keep possession and b) unlock defences with that killer final ball to Shearer. At the moment Dyer is lacking severely in both skills.

Last edited by evil_bastard on Sep-12-2003 at 13:51

I reckon 2-1 defeat. Shearer will score for newcastle.

Everton will score within 15 minutes and newcastle will score just before or just after half time and then everton will score between 70-75 minutes.

quote:

Everton will score within 15 minutes and newcastle will score just before or just after half time and then everton will score between 70-75 minutes.

That's exactly what happened last year when the two teams met.

Evil, the diamond formation you suggested is what I'd like to see the team play with, but how often does Sir Bobby change the formation of any team. So a diamond would be unrealistic, which is a pity since I could see it working as a treat for the Toon.

Still unsure if we can rely on Hughes to produce the goods at right-back. He's just weak in all areas and I'd pick Griffin ahead of him due to his consistency.

-----------Given

Griffin--OB----Bramble--Bernard

Solano--Bowyer--Speed/Viana---Robert

--------Shearer--Bellamy


Good news, Woody has been included in the squad and SBR has even revealed that he might be 100% fit, which is a HUGE bonus if we are to win this game.

Just found this on a newcastle website.


Premiership:
Everton (a)

Everton v Newcastle

Squads:

NUFC: Given, Caig, Griffin, Hughes, Bernard, Woodgate, O'Brien, Bramble, S. Caldwell, Speed, Dyer, Robert, Solano, Bowyer, Viana, Jenas, Shearer, Bellamy, Ameobi, LuaLua.

EFC: Wright, Watson, Pistone, Stubbs, Weir, Unsworth, Radzinski, Ferguson, Jeffers, Simonsen, Kilbane, Naysmith, Gravesen, Rooney, Yobo, Linderoth, McFadden, Martyn, Clarke, Chadwick, Osman, Hibbert.

Magpies at Goodison - Premiership

1993/94: Won 2-0 Cole, Beardsley
1994/95: Lost 0-2 No scorer
1994/95: Lost 0-1 No scorer (FAC)
1995/96: Won 3-1 Ferdinand, Lee, Kitson
1996/97: Lost 0-2 No scorer
1997/98: Won 1-0 Rush (FAC)
1997/98: Drew 0-0 No scorer
1998/99: Lost 0-1 No scorer
1999/00: Won 2-0 Hughes, Dyer
2000/01: Drew 1-1 Unsworth og
2001/02: Won 3-1 Bellamy, Solano, Acuna
2002/03: Lost 1-2 Robert

Referee is Rob Styles, who was last sighted in pre-season when he took charge of our 2-1 victory over Birmingham City in the Asia Cup

2-2, three penalties, 8 yellow cards and 2 red cards. I haven't seen any of the game, just listened to it on the radio. Sounds like both sets of supporters feel they should have won, but after the incredible injustice at Goodison last year (easily the most injust game of the season) I couldn't give a fuck what the scousers think. I'm off to Liverpool on Wednesday to start Uni so no doubt I'll get enough of their bullshit then.

Same old predictable lineup this week, Robert/Speed/Dyer/Bowyer yet again. I know we don't like to play two wingers away from home but with them having a bunch of central midfielders I think we could have given Everton a shock on the flanks. Once Robert was off I was worried because our only width was Bellamy, a stand-in winger who would almost certainly drift forward into his favoured position. From what they said on the radio it sounds like we created enough chances but our defence was crap as usual. How much midfield cover they got I don't know. I'll wait and see the highlights on the Premiership tonight...

Btw, this thing with Woodgate sounds fishy. They're calling it a "stomach injury" yet there's talk of him getting a hernia operation keeping him out for up to six weeks. If he needs the treatment I'd rather he had it than risk him.

I'm pissed off at how we threw the game away on 88 mins with a penalty, but it was a tough away fixture against a bunch of cheating thugs, we could have come off worse. We've got Bolton at home next week, anything short of a win would be unacceptable.

Last edited by evil_bastard on Sep-13-2003 at 17:46

Some of the standards of the referee's this season have been really poor. Cards being shown uneccesarily, which really kills the spirit of the game. There has been no consistency from the referee's whatsoever

I think the same amount of cards were shown at the Southampton v Wolves game as well, with Newcastle's favourite Uriah Rennie heading that match.

quote:

this thing with Woodgate sounds fishy.

Yeh i want to know whats up with that as well. Firstly he needs an operation and will be sidelined up to 6 weeks. Then we are told that SBR says he is fit... I'm not sure whats going down with Woody. Prolly the club are trying to say that his "injury" was sustained at training, which in fact it was caused by fucking chick??

I'm troubled as to why SBR persists on playing the same midfield 4 again and again when it is obvious we need some kind of change. Supporters are beginning to sound like broken records when it comes to their views on what formation's should be deployed and who should be in the starting line-up.

quote:

I'm pissed off at how we threw the game away

Yeh I should be fuming as well, but not as angry as i should be quite suprisingly. And i think it has to do with the fact of seeing our team do the same thing week in week out. Loose our leads by doing stupid fucking things and Ive had enough in all fairness.

I read that SBR praised OB and Bramble after the Everton game. I just don't understand how someone can earn praise, when they allow the opposition to score. It's just not logical.

quote:

We've got Bolton at home next week, anything short of a win would be unacceptable.

If we do loose against Bolton and ím gonna fucking punch on with someone

The Newcastle vs Bolton game is today and I'm pumped since i can feel a goal-fest coming on !!

It's starting to look like SBR is considering what the fans are saying and he has decided to drop Bowyer and replace him with our no1 right winger in Solano. Surely a very good move since Bowyer has proven to struggle in that non-favoured position of his.

However it still remains a secret whether SBR will put Robert in the starting line0up after all that has been going on with him. I think SBR will decide to put all thoughts and feelings aside for today and put in the Frenchman, who has earned the highest amount of assists for the club in the last two seasons.

Woodgate is still a mystery, no one is really sure whether he is fit to play or indeed needs a hernia op.

The most likely formation/team for today would be:

---------------Given

Griffin--Bramble---OB/Woodgate----Bernard

Solano-----Dyer----Speed--------Robert

---------Shearer----Bellamy

The that Id like SBR to play today, but unlikely:

---------------Given

Griffin--Bramble---Woodgate---Bernard/Speed

Solano--Bowyer/Jenas--Viana/Speed--Robert

---------Shearer----Bellamy

Wish this game was televised so i could see the Maggies win 6-0

what a goal fest, once again another top quality performance. I say dont fucking pay the ****s until they start peforming.