Season 2006-2007

NEWCASTLE UNITED

 v

BOLTON

Harper, Srnicek, Krul
Carr, Bramble, Moore, Taylor, Ramage
Solano, Milner, Parker, Butt, Duff, Emre, N'Zogbia, Pattison
Ameobi, Martins, Sibierski, Luque, Rossi.

- Michael Owen (knee), as we know, is out till next year with the injury he picked up at the World Cup.
- Shay Given (abdomen) is unlikely to fit until 26^th November.
- Nobby Solano (hamstring) has recovered and is back in training, so may feature.
- Kieron Dyer (hamstring) has recovered and is back in training but is still some way off full fitness.
- Olivier Bernard (fitness) has played a few reserves games now but is still not ready to play a 1st team game.
- Celestine Babayaro is suspended.
- Steve Harper (groin) picked up the injury in the last game but should be fine.
- Emre (ankle) may have a late fitness test but should be fine.
- Stephen Carr (hamstring) may have a fitness test but is expected to be fine.

My thoughts:

Glenn Roeder and the management team have had a fortnight to dwell on the clueless performance away at Man United and given the fact we currently lie 4^th bottom of the "Last Six Current Form" table, with four points from the possible 18, things look pretty desperate these days.

At present none of us, including Roeder it seems, know what our best starting XI is, see http://www.aussiemags.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=419. Now that normally means a team has an excellent squad with plenty of good players vying for several positions, however, worryingly for us it’s more like none of our players are in form.

Injuries have yet again hit us with Owen and Dyer not kicking a ball this season, Given out for a couple of months, Nobby out the last few weeks and Shola playing with a worse hip than my Granddad had. This isn’t time for excuses though, as Roeder needs to pick a system and starting XI that will be settled for the next few weeks at least because all this chopping and changing can’t be helping matters. Now whether it’s Luque upfront, or behind the front 2, or Duff down the right, or even god for bid 3 at the back, we all need to get behind his decision and hope it works.

Bolton at home starts a sequence of 7 games in the next 21 days(including 2 UEFA Cup and 1 Carling Cup games) so things really need to start to turn around, and fast, if our season isn’t going to fall apart.

Something positive to grab a hold of is, Bolton have failed to win in their last 11 visits to St James’ Park, which stretches back to the 1970s. And also at least the game is live on TV...
 

HOWAY THE LADS!!!