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Luke Edwards is Chief Sports Writer of The Journal and uses his blog to give a unique and entertaining insight into events at Newcastle United and Sunderland.

As well as football, Luke also regularly takes a wry look at the biggest sports stories from across the North-East and beyond. From cricket to rugby and basketball to boxing, some are criticised and some are praised.

Sometimes provocative, sometimes laugh-aloud funny, but always interesting Luke Who's Talking also gives you the chance to interact with Luke and have your say on all the major sporting issues.

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Hurrah I'm Not Dead

Posted by Luke on October 27, 2006 12:53 PM | 

Hello there. Just thought, for those of you who have been plagued by sleepless nights and panic attacks since Newcastle's defeat at Boro, I should let you know that I am still alive.

Naturally, the on-going concerns about Newcastle United may have occupied your mind rather more than my health, but the operation went well and I'm at home recuperating.

Thankfully, the wonders of modern technology mean I can still write my blog from my sick bed, inbetween games of Football Manager and PGA Tour Golf, interspersed with the drivel that is daytime television!

So what have I missed?

A Newcastle victory in a monsoon which has at least lifted the pressure on Glenn Roeder a little and nothing much at Sunderland, who must be delighted to have moved out of the media glare for the first time since Roy Keane became manager.

I'm told, Newcastle's manager hasn't been happy with the media (particularly Journal/press) reaction to the Boro defeat so he only answered three questions after the 3-0 win over Pompey. That's his perogative of course and I'm genuinely pleased he got a win to ease things a little.

I don't know if he has noticed if I'm not around at the moment, but I haven't received a Get Well Soon card from either him or chairman Freddie Shepherd. How rude!

Although I'm also told that Shepherd was not at St James's Park to see the game on Wednesday night so maybe the card is in the post!

Anyway, it seems the pressure has eased a little on manager and chairman with the Carling Cup win, but somehow I suspect the discontent isn't going to be far away from the surface all season.

Finally, though, I'd just like to say welcome back Kieron Dyer. There are those of you out there who will instantly smirk at that comment knowing that Kieron and I have been mates for years, but I don't think there is anyone out there who isn't pleased to see the injury-prone one up and running again after seven long months of rehabilitation.

I'm sorry if this entry isn't full of my usual wit and sparkle - if they ever are - but I'm quite heavily dosed up on painkillers at the moment and, as I'm on sick leave, I shouldn't really even have my laptop open let alone take the time to write a blog so...

I'll be back online after the weekend. Let's see what new twists it brings.

Finally - and I mean it this time - has anyone out there ever had morphine? Great ain't it!

Comments (6)

Mick Foster wrote...

Get well soon Luke,

It would appear that our local press might have one reporter who isn't in the pocket of Shepherd, at least the Journal seems to have kept it's independence.

Remember, you're supposed to act for your readers, I think.

Well done.

Shepherd Out.

Posted by: Mick Foster  | October 27, 2006 7:59 PM

Commulus wrote...

Hurrah indeed bonny lad, Get well soon! And don't get hooked on that morphine stuff or you will end up like Alan Oliver, experiencing feelings of joy when in reality, it’s bloody painful. It does however explain why so many of his reports are uncritical of the regime.

Are your fellow hacks as sedate and humourless as they seem? I once sat behind the press benches, and after a goal, there was a huddle of contemplation,’ was that a telling cross, or a searching cross’, much scribbling and consensus, and so the art of thinking died.

Don’t worry about your fellow countryman, Glen Rodent (now dubbed Conan the librarian) he will be gone before long, not because he is a bad manager, but because the job is too big for him, it was too big for even better men than him, so logically it would be a miracle if he survives a season. What was his record again? Seventh position, then relegation repeated (almost) three times, that’s not a record, it’s a stanza!

It requires some audacity to take on the task of manager of this stupid football club, Gore like Niagara, and as audacious as Martins taking the No. 9 shirt – I can’t help thinking that we have paid 10 million quid for a player who is nearly as good as Lua Lua, the jury is still out, but the scaffold is being constructed.

Get well soon
On behalf of the lads, halfway up the wild hills ‘O’ Wannie.

p.s. I see Dyer’s oot again! And I am sorry that I am so discourteous to a former player who has served the club so admirably in the past, but to me its about winning.


Posted by: Commulus  | October 27, 2006 11:24 PM

Oneball wrote...

Dyer's injured again! What a surprise. We need to cash in on him. He's costing the club nearly as much as the chairman and he's doing about as much work.
We might as well sign Darren Anderton and Jonny Wilkinson too!?!
Shepherd & Dyer out!

Posted by: Oneball  | October 28, 2006 9:35 AM

Bob Ack wrote...

I watched my first live league game since seating became comulsory on Saturday against Charlton. Len White, Jimmy Scoular were my heroes.
On the game the lads were all over Charlton first half. My solution put Duff centre forward.
Keep the ball on the ground through balls every time for Duff to run on to.
The lads were hitting high balls into the middle, waste of time the defenders were massive. Keep it on the floor. Big defenders are slow.
Rossie was fast the first minute he ran onto a spilled ball by their goalie. He was quick. The lads should have played through balls all the time for Duff and Rossie to run onto.


Posted by: Bob Ack  | October 29, 2006 10:52 PM

Daniel wrote...

Luke

Sorry to hear that you're not well. I get the impresssion from your logs that I can probably relate old friend (if you catch my drift). You know where to reach me if you want to chat...

Dan Lloyd

Posted by: Daniel  | October 30, 2006 8:55 AM

Little Lord Fauntleroy wrote...

Just as we thought it couldn't get any worse, it did!! What a way to spoil a weekend. Exactly whose idea was it to start a football match at 5.15 anyway? Never mind charging those poor unsuspecting armchair supporters £8 to watch that drivel! I shan't mention how much I paid in advance with yet more false hope and expectation...
Saturday's performance confirms several fears that I've had lately.
1 - We're absolutely toothless up front. Charlton were there for the taking and we managed a 0-0 draw with them!
2 - Roeder hasn't a clue about his tactics. Why does he continually change the team around for Duff? He looked laboured on Saturday and spent most of the game either on his a*se or complaining to the referee. What about Solano? He was poor but still played 83 minutes when we had our most consistent performer of the season warming up on the touchline until it was too late. What exactly was Milner supposed to do in 7 minutes?
3 - We're in trouble and it isn't going to get any better soon. Without this ridiculous transfer window, we could bring another striker in, but alas, we're stuck with the unfit and rubbish we've got. If we don't start scoring goals, we're going to be in relegation trouble... And quite frankly, that is unbelievable.
4 - The fans who did turn up are going to complain to each other and message boards that we need a new chairman but for some reason they won't stand up and call for the Fat Fred's head at the ground.
Shepherd out, Roeder back with the Academy - Anyone with some money to invest and a decent business brain in with a decent manager who has a good pedigree.
LET'S DO IT NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE

Posted by: Little Lord Fauntleroy  | October 30, 2006 12:56 PM

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