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!
Derby were a poor team, devoid of confidence after a 6-0 thrashing at Liverpool and who are prepared for a constant battle against relegation this season. Yet still they secure three points thanks to Jim’ll Fix it United.
Newcastle were supposedly a revived side, unbeaten in five games and already looking capable of pushing for a European place. The manager Sam Allardyce had impressed with his actions in the transfer market and appeared to have instilled a new professionalism at the club which would mean nights like these would no longer haunt the Magpies.
But here it was again, a lacklustre, uninspired, disjointed, embarrassing collective away display which got exactly what it deserved. All right, so the Magpies should have had a penalty when David Rozehnal was hauled down rugby style in the area, but nobody really argued they deserved a point.
They certainly didn’t in the pub where I watched the game and there were also some far from complimentary things said about the manager’s substitutions when they were chasing the game.
United created just one clear chance from open play, in the first half, which Rozehnal - a central defender in case we’ve forgotten - fired wide. That isn’t good enough, plain and simple, particularly against teams as weak as Derby.
Michael Owen may well have been tired after international duty, but what on earth can he do when he doesn’t get a decent pass all night? Obafemi Martins fared little better when he came on, while Shola Ameobi just had one. He was caught offside depressingly frequently, was incapable of winning the ball in the air and was unable to control it on the ground. Good night’s work lad, you certainly pushed your case for a first team place there didn’t you!
The defence looked shaky against the high ball, a weakness that led to Kenny Miller’s goal, while players like Charles N’Zogbia, Geremi and Nicky Butt, who had generally done well this season, had shockers. As for Steven Taylor, you might well be a Geordie, you might well love the club and you might well have plenty of promise, but play like this and you’ll be lucky to get £3,000-a-week let alone the £30-40,000 you’re after!
As for the midfield, where is the creativity? I’ve mentioned it before in earlier entries, but you can’t expect to break teams down with a midfield containing honest and solid, but ultimately unimaginative defensive players like Alan Smith, Geremi and Butt.
As for Smith, he isn’t a winger so please don’t play him out there. No wonder he is frustrated, dedicated professional or not. I see Sam has already felt the need to tell him to calm down on the pitch as he is on the verge of a suspension. The captain’s armband (when Geremi was replaced) no assists, no goals and four yellow cards so far in his Newcastle career.
Only James Milner looked like he might make something happen. Derby had obviously realised that watching Newcastle’s previous games so they simply instructed the players to double up on him to nullify the threat. A simple ploy, but oh so effective.
One of the biggest problems with trying to manage Newcastle United is the knee jerk reactions to results. Win and the team are the best thing since cavemen discovered the effects of fermentation, lose and the team are the worse thing since cavemen discovered hangovers!
This was a poor performance and there are certainly some reasons for concern, but it’s still far too early to start worrying too much. Newcastle, under Allardyce, were always going to be a work in progress this season and there will be plenty more setbacks along the way I’m sure.
Hopefully this will act as a catalyst, West Ham will be on the receiving end of the backlash and an otherwise solid start to the season can mean this result and abject display is quickly buried.
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