Season 2006-2007

FC LEVADIA TALINN

 v

NEWCASTLE UNITED

Not announced yet

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 he is set to return to training next Monday.
Olivier Bernard (fitness) still isn’t 100% match fit.
Celestine Babayaro (?) missed the game on Saturday and is a doubt to be on the plane to Estonia.
Steven Taylor (?) missed the game on Saturday and is a doubt to be on the plane to Estonia.
Guiseppe Rossi is ineligible.

My thoughts:

As this is Newcastle United, we seem to lurch constantly from one mini crisis to another. I said in the match preview for the Fulham game, that it was a ‘make or break’ game for the supporter’s morale, and unfortunately I was right.

Playing average and 1-0 up with 10 minutes to go, it looked like a workmen like job done and 3 points. However, the inevitable sloppy defending came back to haunt us once again, as Fulham, who had done nowt all game, scored 2 goals to win the match. On the final whistle, cue the sad sound of boo’s, as supporter’s morale had hit an all time low under Glenn Roeder’s short time as manager.

Now I personally don’t agree and struggle to understand why fans boo the players off the pitch. I have the belief you support the players constantly throughout the match. Don’t get me wrong, I’m the first to moan and groan in the pub afterwards, but during the match I don’t see how anything positive can come from it.

Everyone is different however, and some people feel better to relieve their frustration this way.  The whole point is that we are all frustrated with the way our beloved club is going. For too long we’ve seen the same problems reoccurring, whether it’s been under Gullit, Robson, Dalglish, Souness or even Keegan for example and it gets to us all.

I for one am staggered that we still have a shaky defence, this has been going on for the more than 10 years now, with loads of different players, formations and managers.  Is it now a cultural problem at our football club, will it ever go away?

So your football club is in a mini crisis, what is the best thing to happen next? A long trip to Tallinn, to play a small side who will be treating this game as their cup final, this certainly isn’t what we need right now!

The games are coming thick and fast, we have 5 games before September is out. This means Roeder has to sort something out, and quickly, otherwise we could end up on a dismal run and in serious danger of the season imploding.

The management team and players now know the challenge that waits them this season, have they the balls and character to rise to this challenge?

I’m sure like me you’re all hoping so, as this can’t continue season after season, at some point something has to give in.
 

HOWAY THE LADS!!!