Season 2006-2007

FK VENTSPILS

 v

NEWCASTLE UNITED

Given, Harper, Krul
Carr, Babayaro, Taylor, Bramble, Moore, Ramage, Boumsong, Huntington
Solano, Butt, Parker, Emre, Duff, Pattison, N'Zogbia, O'Brien
Ameobi, Luque, Milner

Michael Owen(knee), as we know, is out till next year with the injury he picked up at the World Cup.
Kieron Dyer(hamstring) is unfit but some positive noises have been made about an end of August or early September return.

My thoughts:

After three pre-season games which have seen us score an encouraging seven goals and concede a worrying six goals, what have we learnt?

Well as these games are friendlies and as ever included a raft of substitutes from both sides you could argue not a great deal. Let us remember the important thing however, and that is we have improved all the players’ fitness levels and given every fit squad player a decent run out and it’s not the actual results for once.

However, if we analyse certain aspects of our play it tells a slightly worrying story. The topic which is never far from any Newcastle Utd fans lips, the defence, has reared its ugly head again.  The centre half partnership certainly looks wide open again. Sloppy mistakes and lapses in concentration by Moore, Taylor and Bramble were all evident in both the PSV and Villarreal games. So just who is Roeder’s first choice partnership? I don’t think anybody, except himself(hopefully), knows for certain. Any team with a good defence has a settled centre-half partnership and for me it is essential Roeder picks one and doesn’t chop and change it around too often unnecessarily, hence giving them time to form a good understanding.

On the positive side our attacking play from the midfield and the forwards has been encouraging. Seven goals in three games is a decent return against the opposition we played. Set pieces have been well executed, especially the corners where we’ve actually scored direct from for a change. The wide men have got their crosses into dangerous areas in the box and the passing although a bit slow in tempo has been accurate. Nobody can argue in the midfield department we have an abundance of talent and with the possible arrival of Thomas Graveson, this would only be strengthened.

Whether you like him or loathe him, the current fact is that under Glenn Roeder Shola Amoebi is our only fit proven goalscorer in a black & white shirt. He has looked a lot more confident, his touch has improved, he’s getting into a much better position in the box and his finishing has been lethal at times. If we look at the stats for all games, including friendlies, since Roeder took over they speak for themselves, games 19(1) goals 11. The Shola & Shearer partnership was never the greatest really, Shola isn’t naturally suited to pick up and run onto flick ons and they both wanted to be in the same areas of the box. With Shearer retiring this has given Shola a massive opportunity to stake a claim on being the number one striker at St James’ Park and so far he is taking that. Sadly he still has a long way to go to convince the doubters but while he keeps hitting the back of the onion bag they will stay reasonably happy. One last thing on Shola, I would like to see him play alongside a smaller pacey striker, as they would compliment each other perfectly I think, oh hang on a second we’ve got one of those somewhere haven’t we…

The UEFA Cup is an important competition for Newcastle this season as if we can progress to the latter stages, it will bring us the extra revenue a club of this size should be getting every year and will give us another chance to chase that allusive trophy.

A trip to the Latvian capital of Riga awaits us as we take on little known side FK Ventspils. The advent of cheap Easyjet flights in Europe has opened up Riga to the west and turned it into an up and coming party city. Groups of lads on stag do’s(buck parties for you Aussie’s) now flock there every weekend to live it up on cheap beer and women.  No doubt the Toon Army will be rubbing their hands at this away trip!!

Like Lillestrom we take on a team half way through their domestic season and FK Ventspils are unbeaten after 16 games. Even after a defeat in their local cup last week we are taking on a team who are in great form and at the peak of fitness.

With our fitness levels now up another notch or two closer to full fitness and given the talent at Glenn Roeder’s disposal you’d have to say we should be too strong for our Latvian opponents. However, there are no easy games in football these days and if we take this game lightly and don’t give them the respect they deserve, we may come away with egg on our face.

Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.
 

HOWAY THE LADS!!!