Newcastle United really know how to wish their supporters a Merry Christmas don’t they. Gee, thanks Sam, I’ve always wanted a home draw against Derby County, so beautifully wrapped in “we deserved to win the game� wrapping paper as well. You shouldn’t have...no really you shouldn’t have.
I had argued long and hard last week that the 1-0 win at Fulham should have been celebrated and that Sam and his players deserved credit for the victory, even if the performance was poor and the standard of football ugly.
Perhaps I was wrong because the performance and standard of football was almost just as bad against Derby and this time there wasn’t even a victory to console anyone with.
Yes, winning ugly away from home is a habit worth having in football and all the best teams in the country are capable of doing it, but nobody has played this badly at home against a team who will almost certainly be back in the Championship next season and who had, before Sunday, scored only one goal away from home all season.
Newcastle fans, I think, have accepted the Kevin Keegan brand of football is not going to return to SJP and they accept results are the most important thing when it comes to judging a manager, but they cannot and should not have to accept dire performances like this, at home, against the worst team in the league.
Away at Fulham on a freezing cold Saturday night, maybe, but not at home when they, at considerable cost, come to be entertained. Not good enough, no matter what statistics you gather from Prozone or whatever stupid bloody Computer program they use!
Sam claimed his side had not got what they deserved because they had lots of the ball and had more shots on goal. Well, actually, they did I’m afraid. Yes they had lots of possession and did carve out a few clear cut chances - particularly in the first half - but how many outstanding saves did the Derby goalkeeper Stephen Bywater have to make? By my count, just one brave stop to fist away James Milner’s second-half free kick.
This was, to use language about as strong as I can get away with on this blog, crap, garbage and useless. I think you will appreciate that, should you meet me in a pub over the Festive period, my language would be considerably more colourful.
Being the fair-minded, look at the wider picture kinda guy I am, I should also point out that Newcastle have extended their unbeaten run to four games and have risen to ninth in the table. Mark Viduka’s performance and goals also illustrated what a class player he can be on his day.
That, though, is the extent of my Christmas goodwill. As for Alan Smith as captain, I’m just baffled. Apart from Arsenal at home, has he had an effective game for Newcastle? He has played at least five games in his preferred position as an out-and-out striker and has he ever looked like scoring?
Oh and why oh why did Newcastle’s midfield compromise of Nicky Butt, Joey Barton and Smith for so long in the second half, with Emre sat on the bench and United chasing the game against poor opposition?
As Viduka said after the game, it was a draw that felt like a defeat. Yes Mark, you’re right, it did. Bah humbug! Orient have slipped down to fifth in the table as well, double bah humbug.
- Post to:
del.icio.us
Digg
Newsvine
Nowpublic
Reddit
« Previous | Home | Next »