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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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September 2007 Archives


A Long Hard Season For Sunderland?

Posted by Luke on September 3, 2007 2:48 PM

It is one of football’s perceived wisdoms that you find out more about a player’s character when they are losing than when they are winning, but the same can also be said about managers. Step forward please Mr Roy Keane.

It is easy to be charming and positive when you are dealing with victories and it is simple to be calm and encouraging when you are regularly taking all three points. But the smiling, suave and sophisticated disguise can quickly disappear when results start turning against you.

Keane’s performances off the pitch have been just as impressive as his achievements on it since he became Sunderland’s manager, but will we begin to see a different side to him as the Black Cats struggle for points in the top flight?

Continue reading "A Long Hard Season For Sunderland?" »

The Best And The Worst Of The New Arrivals

Posted by Luke on September 4, 2007 3:14 PM

As attention shifts this week to international matters and a squirming Steve McClaren doing his best impression of Graeme Taylor as a bumbling England coach, I have taken the time to reflect on this summer’s transfer activity in the North-East.

Like most people, there are players I like and players I don’t. In fact, there have been a few in the past who I would quite happily leave burning if I came across them when they were on fire. Note to authorities and editor. Of course I would not really do that, I would immediately run over to help and call the emergency services. Nobody - no matter how annoying in a professional capacity - should be left to burn alive.

And the same is obviously true of new arrivals. There will be some new signings who tantalise the tastebuds and others who will provoke that face people pull when they smell something they don’t like - think a fat guy’s feet after an eight-mile hike across the Sahara desert or a full festival toilet and you’ll know what I mean.

With this in mind and after much deliberation I’ve decided who, for me, is the best signing of the summer for Newcastle and Sunderland and who could be the potential donkey, packing his bags in a few months’ time and heading for a “fresh challenge” in Coca Cola League One. You might have other ideas so let me know your thoughts...

Continue reading "The Best And The Worst Of The New Arrivals" »

Club Or Country?

Posted by Luke on September 6, 2007 1:47 PM

It is every youngster’s dream to play for their country, to wear the national colours with pride and represent the nation in sporting battle, so why has the England football team become an inconvenience, an after-thought, an unwanted distraction which has sadly become a source of embarrassment rather than pride.

Has the Premier League become so important and the riches of the Champions League so enchanting that international football is nothing more than a disruption in an already crowded season?

A friend of mine once said that he couldn’t care less if England won or lost as long as Newcastle United were doing well. I suspect it is a sentiment that is shared by many other football fans, particularly in the Premier League.

Continue reading "Club Or Country?" »

Steve McClaren Has Still Got Bad Hair

Posted by Luke on September 10, 2007 1:31 PM

Useless England team and unpopular coach are lined up for the slaughter with semi-automatic weapons on Saturday morning. By Saturday evening and a 3-0 victory over Israel later England are now not only going to qualify for Euro 2008, we’re going to win the whole thing God damn it!

This, of course, is a perfectly normal reaction to an England performance and result. Lose and the players are a disgrace, they aren’t interested, the big name stars are over-rated, the manager is a red-faced clown with bad hair and a dour personality and there are too many foreigners in the Premier League.

Win and the players are superstars, among the best in the world, a golden generation ready to destroy all who dare to stand in front of them with a manager whose tactical genius and superior intellect not only makes him a natural leader of men, but also means he can pull off masterstrokes like recalling Emile Heskey. He’s still got bad hair and an irritating manner mind you, but hey, pressure? What pressure!

Continue reading "Steve McClaren Has Still Got Bad Hair" »

Steve Harper Is England's Number One

Posted by Luke on September 11, 2007 2:51 PM

According to someone, once upon a time, a long time ago, there were three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics. And, according to someone else, a long time ago, somewhere in the world, there are two kinds of statistics, the kind you look up and the kind you make up.

Nevertheless, love them or hate them, statistics are everywhere in sport compiled, presumably, by people with leather patches on the elbows of tweed jackets, who used to be a member of the chess club at school after losing their dinner money to bullies and who now enjoy watching University Challenge with a cup of hot chocolate while playing Dungeons and Dragons online.

Continue reading "Steve Harper Is England's Number One" »

Two Bold Predictions

Posted by Luke on September 12, 2007 1:53 PM

Bored of Eng-ger-land? Bored of international football? Bored of Ian Wright talking in barely comprehensible English about his son Shaun Wright-Phillips? Bored of Steve McClaren's red face and crimes against hair? Well fret not because normal Premier League service will soon be resumed.

And I'm going to do a very brave thing, perhaps it is a foolish thing, perhaps it is a divine intervention, perhaps I can see into the future, perhaps it will just put the kiss of death on both teams, but I'm predicting wins for both Newcastle and Sunderland this weekend.

Continue reading "Two Bold Predictions" »

Keep It Rock Solid

Posted by Luke on September 17, 2007 2:17 PM

Talking about a bank, mortgages and savings account is not normally the domain of a sports blog and, considering the fact my financial track record is about as impressive as George Bush’s foreign policy it isn’t generally a subject I like to offer advice on.

However, given their prominent links to North-East sport and the vital sponsorship backing they have given to Newcastle United, Newcastle Falcons, Durham CCC and, most recently, the Newcastle Eagles, I would urge everyone out there to support the Newcastle-based bank Northern Rock during their present troubles.

There are probably some of you out there who have no idea what I’m talking about and who cannot understand why I haven’t talked about Sunderland’s win over Reading - correctly predicted by me of course - Durham’s push for the County Championship, England’s calamitous World Cup defence in the Rugby or the Twenty20 World Cup, but bear with me.

Continue reading "Keep It Rock Solid" »

Derby Debacle

Posted by Luke on September 18, 2007 12:21 PM

The world is constantly evolving around us and the speed of change can sometimes appear quite frightening, but some things look as though they will always stay the same - like Newcastle United’s failure to win trophies and their infuriating inability to beat poor teams away from home.

There are some things in life so familiar they are like a small child’s comfort blanket, reassuring and secure. And then there are things that are so persistently irritating they become as annoying as a group of mosquito bites on your back. Newcastle United are sometimes the former, but more often than not become the latter.

Monday night’s defeat by Derby County epitomised everything that has been wrong about Newcastle’s away performances for years. So much for the new manager, new players, new chairman, new Newcastle theory!

Continue reading "Derby Debacle" »

Andy Cole He Gets The Ball Scores A Goal...

Posted by Luke on September 19, 2007 5:09 PM

Every now and again in my job I am fortunate enough to meet people who I once admired and respected from afar and Andy Cole falls firmly into that category.

I also get to meet people who, had they chosen to enter the kitsch, tacky world of Saturday evening light entertainment, might be considered to possess the X-Factor. It is a perk of the job but it doesn’t always make doing the job properly easy at times.

I have a childhood confession to make. When I was growing up there were three players who, if I did not quite worship, their posters did used to cover my walls.

Continue reading "Andy Cole He Gets The Ball Scores A Goal..." »

The Boo Lottery

Posted by Luke on September 21, 2007 12:12 PM

It is always something of a lottery these days anyway, but it will be interesting to see who gets booed and who gets cheered at St James’s Park on Sunday.

Come on, it’s far too early to start booing Sam Allardyce and the players who embarrassed themselves against Derby County and anyone who does so should be taken outside and shot (with a water pistol as I’m not allowed to condone the murder of fellow football fans) unless, that is, West Ham win 4-0 and then boo away. I might even join you!

Nope, I’m talking about the receptions given to West Ham’s former Newcastle players because, in case you have forgotten, Alan Curbishley has decided the best way to improve things at Upton Park is to sign lots of players who have won nothing and generally under-achieved at Newcastle first! A novel recipe for success, but not one Gordon Ramsay (or most football managers) would recommend I suspect!

Continue reading "The Boo Lottery" »

Hammering The Not So Happy Hammers

Posted by Luke on September 24, 2007 12:03 PM

I’m not even going to mention his name, nope if you want more speculation about groins, hernias, operations and recovery times for you know who, you had better look elsewhere because I’m not going to let another injury to - thou shall not say his name - spoil a thoroughly enjoyable victory for Newcastle at the weekend.

The rest of the country can worry about that little chap’s injury and whether he will be fit enough to play for England in some game or other next month because, for once, I’m going to be happy with what I’ve seen this weekend because hammering the Hammers is something that should be savoured.

After the debacle at Derby, Sam Allardyce needed a result which hinted at bigger and better things, something that not only brought three more points, but a performance that suggested his side were not only functional, but also capable of a little flair and finesse.

Continue reading "Hammering The Not So Happy Hammers" »

Tired Excuses So What's The Point

Posted by Luke on September 26, 2007 5:36 PM

That’s that then, it’s all over, we might as well all give up and start following another sport instead. Arsenal are going to win everything....for the next ten years!

There was something depressing - okay Sunderland fans might disagree - for football fans everywhere in Arsenal’s victory over Newcastle United in the Carling Cup, that horrible sinking feeling when you think to yourself, ‘what is the point?

This was Arsenal’s reserve team, it wasn’t the same set of players who have put the Gunners at the top of the Premier League, it was a bunch of kids - average age of the starting XI was under 21 - who already have the ability, tactical nous and spirit to beat a decent rival team who, nominally at least, are in the same division.

Continue reading "Tired Excuses So What's The Point" »

Paula Radcliffe, The Smug Thousands And A Toilet Break

Posted by Luke on September 27, 2007 4:25 PM

It’s the Great North Run this weekend and a time for the unfit to feel shamed, chastised and humbled by those who cheerfully set off in shorts and vests to raise money for charity by running 13 miles on a Sunday morning.

Surely Sunday mornings were meant for something less exhausting than that, but still, every year, thousands of them turn up to put themselves through it all. And aren’t they so smug about it as well?

This time last year, I intended for one of those brave souls to be me, but, unfortunately, as with last year and the year before that and the year before that - and probably the year after this - the project never got beyond the vague idea stage.

Continue reading "Paula Radcliffe, The Smug Thousands And A Toilet Break" »