They call it the Steel City and Newcastle United are going to need nerves of steel in Sheffield if they are not going to be pulled into a relegation battle this weekend.
I couldn’t resist a little play on words there – I can be self-indulgent sometimes – but there is no doubt that, if Newcastle lose to Sheffield United on Saturday, they are in trouble.
I’m tempted to write that a win for the Blades would cut manager Glenn Roeder like a knife, but there isn’t any need to be clever when a win would leave Neil Warnock’s side – currently one place and one point above the drop zone – three points behind the Magpies.
Roeder is adamant he has not even contemplated the possibility that United are in danger of being dragged into the relegation reckoning. Well maybe he and his rabble of a first team should start thinking like they are because most of their supporters do.
It would be nice to say Newcastle are being pulled into an unexpected relegation battle, kicking and screaming, but there has hardly been a whimper from within St James’s Park since the 1-0 home defeat by Manchester City.
I’m sure there will be a rallying cry of sorts in the next few days, but I think most fans are bored with the same old faces making the same old promises. It’s time for lights, camera action please.
Win at Sheffield United and relegation will seem a long way away, the anger will subside a little and attention can turn to rebuilding . . . blah de blah de blah! Lose and we might get similar scenes to the those seen when Sheffield United won 1-0 at St James’s Park last November.
As for Roeder, he has urged his players to support Obafemi Martins more. I agree, the goalscoring burden must be shared, although it would be nice if the Nigerian international looked as though he was bothered. To score 16 goals in your first season in English football is some achievement, but Martins hasn’t had a good game since the first leg against Alkmaar.
He went missing in the second leg and hasn’t looked interested since. I’m not having a massive go at him because, by and large, he has done well in difficult circumstances, but when Newcastle have needed him recently, he has been poor.
He’s not the only one by any means, but he is supposed to be one of Newcastle’s ‘big hitters’. People have had a pop at Scott Parker recently, but I’d argue he has done considerably more than Martins to try to shake Newcastle out of their malaise.
As for Roeder’s claim that Martins can play alongside Owen next season, good luck with that! Has Martins got a single assist this season? I can’t remember one.
His link-up play is generally poor and Owen needs a link-up striker to feed off. You’ll have two out-and-out goalscorers in the same side and that rarely works. It’s a bit like playing two destructive midfielders in the centre of midfield at home, against rubbish opposition . . . hang on, oh yes, Newcastle already do that with Parker and Butt don’t they!
But hey, what do I know. I haven’t even got a coaching badge . . .
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