Season 2007-2008

NEWCASTLE UNITED

1 v 4

PORTSMOUTH

Post Match Comments:

Newcastle manager Big Sam said: "Disappointed is an understatement - I am devastated by what has happened here today. I am completely gutted inside.  The players have be organised, understand how they should play, keep their shape, keep their discipline. Portsmouth did not have to put us to the test because we gifted them the game in those 12 minutes."

Portsmouth assistant coach  said: "It was an excellent performance, with some great individual displays. We kept the ball really well and that was really pleasing. We have made a conscious effort this year to get more points on the road. I think our formation, playing with an extra man in midfield, really helps us out. And I thought that we were excellent today."

I had an acupuncture session booked at 5 o'clock. If you'd asked me at 3 o'clock which would cause me the most pain, watching the Toon or having 6 whopping big needles stuck in me right leg I would have give you the wrong answer.

On paper Sam's team selection looked ok. Two wingers, Barton in the middle of the field with Butt, Smith up front with Owen and arguably our best defensive selection with the players available.

Alarm bells started to sound from the off with Milner and Zogs both being played on the wrong wings. Barton's passing was rubbish, in fact the whole team wasn't able to string more than 3 passes together, and the opposition was able to avoid any play against Butt. The Toon was on the back foot and with 8 mins gone Portsmouth had a corner. A poor clearance had the ball drop at Pamarot's feet who, in turn, unleashed an absolute thunderbolt into the top corner. It was a class finish and Harper had no chance of getting to it.

The game had hardly got restarted when Butt was dragged out of position by the neat Portsmouth passing, leaving the two centre backs exposed.  A simple dink to Benjani, between Cacapa and Faye, was volleyed home leaving the Toon supporters spitting venom at the defence. But Portsmouth weren't finished just yet.

2 minutes later a near identical move this time had Utaka skipping past Cacapa and then the flailing Harper. He coolly slotted the into the empty net and the Pompy fans must have thought all their xmas' had come at once. The air turned blue.  Big Sam ran down from the his seat in the directors box, through the seething crowd in the Milburn paddock and into the the Toon's dug out. 5 mins later Cacapa was subbed off for Rozehnal, but by then the damage was done and people where already making their way to the exit.

The Toon pulled on back 5 mins later, but this just summed up the game. We where having the rely on Portsmouth to make a mistake to get shots on goal while they just seemed to be able to push forward when ever they wanted.

The rest of the game was a simple story of the opposition soaking up everything we threw at them with relative ease.  Anything Sol Campbell couldn't take care of the easily dealt with by James. 20 mins from the end Kranjcar blasted a free kick through Newcastle's milk bottle defence making it 4 – 1 to the visitors.  The trickle of fans leaving became a torent and, with 80 mins gone, I walked out.

What an utterly sh*te display.

AUSSIE MAGS By Rogue Pieman