This was a result Newcastle fans were hoping just wouldn’t happen.
After being thrashed 6-0 at Old Trafford a few weeks back, the Red Devils strolled through this game, and ended up 5-1 winners even though they hardly got out of second gear most of the game.
Newcastle started the game off brightly enough, and at least for 15-20 minutes were holding their own against Manchester but then once the first goal went in from Rooney on 25 minutes when he was completely unmarked at the far post following a left wing cross from Ronaldo, things went downhill.
Newcastle tried to hold out until half time but after 45 minutes Ronaldo scored when he was put clean through by an exquisite through ball by Michael Carrick.
At half time it didn’t look like we could salvage the game but were hoping the boys would at least go down fighting but after 56 minutes Ronaldo got his second when he went through and easily put the ball past Harper, who had replace the injured Shay Given at the half.
Thankfully it looked like Manchester were happy at 3-0 and slowed the game down but then a strange thing happened. Newcastle actually scored a goal. Andy Carroll had come on for Joey Barton on 61 minutes and following a left winger corner he headed the ball down (actually if was off his shoulder) and Faye smashed the ball home.
But what we expected then happened as Manchester raised their game and scored within a minute as Wayne Rooney shot home. To make the scoreline even worse Louis Saha, who was on loan at Newcastle in 1999, shot home in injury time after he and Rooney combined together brilliantly. Saha had replaced Ronaldo after 61 minutes.
The bottom line in this game is that the Red Devils were streets and streets ahead of us, and the only consoling factor here is that we didn’t really expect any points from this game.
But now in our last 10 league games we’ve lost 7 and drawn 3. But even worse is that our goal difference is now a staggering -22. Only Reading on -23 and Derby on -43 have worse goal differences.
In the last 10 league games we’ve conceded 26 goals and scored just 5 goals in getting a measly 3 points. That’s worse than relegation form.
Our next game is next week against Blackburn at home, and if we cannot get anything out of that game a relegation fight will be on the horizon.  Our performances over the last 2 months have just not been good enough. The worrying thing coming out of this is our players may not be good enough, and if we do survive the drop we’ll need a lot more than 4 top players to add to our squad.
Comments very welcome - but please keep them decent - thanks.
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61 responses so far ↓
1 ToonKing // Feb 23, 2008 at 19:37
disgrace, and poor Bobby had to watch this……..
2 Faroe Gordie // Feb 23, 2008 at 19:39
JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!
3 Griff // Feb 23, 2008 at 19:40
Smith didnt pass one ball forwards today. Shocking.
Its strange, it doesnt hurt when we concede a goal any more. I am used to it.
Why doesnt Enrique play? Hopefully Martins and Owen will oust out Smith.
Butt played quite well but all he can do is run, dive, run dive get booked, shout, go red. Miss the ball, etc.
4 Gordon // Feb 23, 2008 at 19:43
like I said before:
So much money wasted at our club buying FORMERLY good players who through injury (Owen, Duff, Smith, Cacapa, Carr - to a small extent Given), age (Butt, Geremi) or off field problems (Barton) are nothing more than NAMES…
5 Michael // Feb 23, 2008 at 19:44
No tactics.
6 Edd Case // Feb 23, 2008 at 19:45
It just shows how far down hill the club has gone.
It wasn’t that many years ago we were challenging for the title ourselves, not look at us.
What pisses me off even more though, is that Mike Ashley didn’t bust the bank to bring in more players, like Woody etc.
He’s a billionaire apparently, so why not spend some of it on his ‘new toy’?
We desperately needed new players in January, even the blind could see that but we didn’t get anyone of note in, bought kids and let Rozenhal leave! Madness.
We are rightly in the gutter.
I can only think of one person who’s smiling right now. Fat Freddy Pig-faced twat Shepherd.
I bet he’s laughing so much he’s pissed himself - how many millions did he get???
We are going to be relegated people, you all know it.
But at least we can look forward to another Championship title, I hope…
To be honest, maybe it’s a good thing.
1. We won’t go into financial meltdown, that’s already sorted.
2. Players like Butt, Smith, Viduka, Carr, Barton, Owen, Duff, Milner, Emre, will all leave.
3. We can bring in at least 15 new, young, fresh players with the thirst and hunger to do well.
4. It could kick-start on battered engine into life once again.
5. We might stand a chance of beating the odd team in the Chamionship!
7 Gooderz // Feb 23, 2008 at 19:49
Agreed, having a forward who doesn’t look forward (or even sideways) is just shocking.
We still need something different at the back though. Again there were many times where it looked as though they were playing musical statues, but someone hadn’t turned the music back on.
Edgar is the most likely candidate as the captain of the reserves and showing some fine form with leadership, with Kadar a close second for his composure in defence. And this change would probably see Faye play a bit further forward, who is now a better striker than Smith.
8 Hobs // Feb 23, 2008 at 19:51
To Edd Case:
..We might even WIN the Championship!! A trophy!!!
9 GP // Feb 23, 2008 at 19:52
A relegation fight “on the horizon”? Have you seen the league table lately?
10 Obafan // Feb 23, 2008 at 19:54
Griff and Gooderz - 500% right about Smith, but why should he change his playing style. I think every time again his name is the first on the paper. I’m not defending him, not at all, but the people who need to see that, don’t or just don’t want to see that. And I really start to think that they don’t want to see that.
11 toon4lyf // Feb 23, 2008 at 19:55
uce r retards hoping for relegation and emre is a great player ….i think results will start to pick up now when martins emre enrique return because them 3 players make a huge diffrence
12 Macca // Feb 23, 2008 at 19:58
It’s an improvement. LOL!!!!
13 Steven // Feb 23, 2008 at 19:59
I am angry that certain people are putting us in the championship already, its people like that who sang ‘you don’t know what your doing’ to big sam, look at us, thanks to certain fickle fans and a chairman (chris mort) we are a laughing stock, from one of the best english managers to some blast from the past glory ex-manager who has NO IDEA. I was really hoping that news of DIC with a take-over were real, saddly not true.
14 Obafan // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:00
toon4lyf - I see Martins on the bench for Smith. Enrique is a complete mistery, and from today we can put Viduka also as a mistery; what, happened to them.
And Emre, the one to open up the defences would have started on the bench, cause KK loves Barton - Butt in the central area. Why? Don’t know.
15 GP // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:00
Good news is that the teams around us got beat too.
16 James // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:00
I am so disappointed with our team! we have the talent but the players just don’t seem to care. It’s disgusting and I think more than a few should be shown the door! The problem is not with the talent, it’s with the mentality of the players. They are weak mentally, they fold up and stop playing right after they go down. Oh and our defense is laughable!
17 Obafan // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:05
Given: lost his credibility
Beye: thank god he playse for us.
Faye: strong, but on his own
Taylor: big f**l who makes the one mistake after the other
Zog; should not play cause not interested anymore
Milner: lots of spirit, but not enough at this level.
Butt: had his top years, is over it
Barton: give him a few drinks before the game, perhaps
Duff: fighting with himself
Owen: no delivery for him, very frustrating
Smith: best pal of the manager
Harper: good 2nd half
Cacapa: should ALWAYS partner Faye, so we don’t have to watch Taylor’s foolish mistakes
Carroll: very difficult to prove what he is worth
Geremi: should have started today
Ameobi: seen enough of him (nice lad)
Viduka?????
Enrique????
18 Steven // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:05
I also noticed that some key backroom figures at newcastle e.g. Mark Howard have left, this worries me further, since I assume Keegan feels such key backroom staff are not needed???? With his physio and other important medical staff leaving us, where are the replacements?!!! I think its safe to say its Keegan who does’nt know what he’s doing. We are in a mess.
19 ToonUSA // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:06
:’(
What is there to say, God Help us.
20 Michael // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:06
James I think you are rather reticent in saying it so I will, I agree we have the players with talent but what is lacking is a competent manager. No tactics.
21 Macca // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:06
Obafan..why has Given lost his credibility? It’s not his fault that he’s injured.
22 GP // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:09
Micheal - And what was so different under Fat Sam?
23 Kelvin Koogan // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:11
Why does KK like Butt? He also liked that other waste of space Batty mind you
24 Jon // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:12
Get Taylor out of that defence!!!!!!!!!!!
25 Obafan // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:12
Macca - I just think he was not completely play fit. What happenned looks very strange (I find it strange) if a keeper has to be substituted at half time if you know that the last game the same thing happenned and he had to come back from an injury…
26 Jon // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:13
and where was Enrique today?????
27 Obafan // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:14
Jon - Thank you m8, finally someone who sees what Taylor does in our defence. He is sh*t.
28 Mike // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:16
Well don’t really care about the result cause ManU are a far superior side.
What troubled me is that our central midfielders are doing nothing out there. I almost forgot Butt and Barton where playing because we completely bypass them on our attack. I know it’s mostly because they lack the skill to be out there… so there points to one of our problems… we have no middle of the pitch…
yes our defense is very poor but we have to get some creative central midfielders who can be part of the attacking buildup and actually be noticeable out there on the field
29 Macca // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:18
Obafan..it’s an injury you wouldn’t wish on anyone, because it’s always at him, a slip here or there and he can aggravate it. My cousin he plays rugby, he’s a similar injury, and I’m telling you you wouldn’t wish it on anyone. He’d be running to work and he could pull it, which he has on more then one occasion, lol! It’s that easy to aggravate. IMO he shouldn’t have been played if he was injured, but that’s down to the manager though, of course he wants to play, every players wants to play.
If he didn’t go off because he was injured, it would have been said. My heart really goes out to Given though because it’s a pain in the ass.
30 Nomis_jade // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:20
I get so frustrated watching the team. Butt is absolutely useless and gives nothing to the team. Surely he his there to prtect the back four, and he doesnt at all! The play always broke down today because of him or smith. Carroll showe he can hold the ball up better than smith and win the odd header, but i still see viduka better than both. Ok he doesnt work quite as hard but he scores f**king goals and hold the ball up really well! I cant belive Butt and smith are still in the starting 11 let alone the subs. Change these two and i think the team would flow better. Other tahn that taylor needs to be dropped for a bit cos he is making to many errors. He will be a great player but there is still to much pressure on such young shoulders and eyes are on him all the time with us shipping 4,5 or 6 goals all the time.
Finally we desperatley need a win. Not a draw, a win agains Bburn.
31 Tom_Toon // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:21
I had a hernia once
ive started the cider.
32 toon4lyf // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:25
agree with mike the centre mid today was woeful when martins emre enrique cum back we will be class
33 Toon_Under // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:26
Well it was an improvement, at least we got on the board.
Without sounding cracked record like, Smith and Butt need to go. And while he didn’t do much later on, Barton seems to get into space and no one gives him the ball - I remember a break down the middle and barton was all alone out right, but we went left where all the red shirts were. No wonder why he gave up - Butt refuses to pass to him and prefers a wild lob down field.
For those Taylor fans, I hope you watched todays game - he makes these same basic errors every game but it is often covered by whoever is next to him, and then they get blamed for the goal. Not today. He needs to stick around, but he’s well short of world beater and will be for a while yet.
I hope Carroll keeps getting a run again next week, and N’Zogbia either pulls his finger out or pisses off.
Last but not least, why the hell can we not make simple passes? that’s the main thing holding the current squad back (that and a sheer lack of class). And why is it that when we do pass it’s always behind the player so we lose all momentum? KK needs to pick out the better players and then put the reserves in around them, get some heart back.
34 Macca // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:27
Tom_Toon..hernia eh?? Ow. Cider, about two cans of Bulmers ahead of ya. LOL!!
No seriously though my cousin was in a car crash and he actually (freakishly) ruptured his bowel and his spleen. Or something like that, thankfully he’s fine. But his groin it’s very frail, cause his middle core was shattered and so is his knee..he’s got a few nails in it. He’s still a fabulous rugby player though. Just sadly very injury prone.
I wouldn’t wish it on anyone though, if it’s anything like what Given has it’s a horrible horrible injury.
I think that Man U really set the bar though, we talk about wanting to be in Europe wanting to challenge the title winners but like that’s where the bar is, that’s the difference.
35 Davy C // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:34
I think that Keegan got it tactically right today but unfortunately we shot ourselves in the foot! AGAIN!
Man U play with Carrick sitting deep and Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez further forward leaving a huge gap in the centre of the park. To try and play against this he dropped Smith a little bit deeper. He won a lot more ball in that 10 yard off the centre two position and that’s why he passed it back to the midfield to link up and bring in either the two wingers or Owen.
However, the midfield two (I’m sure if Emre had been fit it may have been a different game entirely) weren’t up to it and Barton again had a nightmare. Weactually lost so much simple ball in that centre part that Man U didn’t really have to try.
It’s so frustrating when Duff and Milner ran their hearts out, Faye battled for and won almost everything, Beye stopped Ronaldo for most of the game and Zog looked dangerous coming forward, to see the team get tonked as a result of a few individual silly mistakes.
I personally don’t think Taylor is good enough and if he didn’t have a Geordie passport he’d be barracked by the crowd. I’d rather see Cacapa with Faye.
Maybe it’s time Keegan used Zog in the centre of midfield where he can do some damage rather than being wasted at left back.
Ifs and buts again.
Roll the sleeves up and get ready for Blackburn.
36 Toon_Under // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:40
That’s one part I missed (thanks Macca for the Man U comment!), Man U were on another level today and I don’t think they really got out of second gear. Three of the goals were absolute gifts, Rooney’s was just brilliant and we wouldn’t have stopped that one, and Saha, well..
Well done to Man U and if they keep playing like they have been they deserve that title. It’s all pace and skill, both of which we don’t have..
37 Michael // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:45
We have 28 points on the board with 7 victories. 26 of these points are from Big Sam, 7 of the wins are from big sam. Keegan has managed 2 goals, and tw0 points in 6-7 games. He is a “jester”.That is the difference. Had Sam been there I am sure we would not be fighting for europe, but we would be in the 30’s by now.
38 Whitey // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:51
Steven Taylor was awful today. He made mistake after mistake and cost us the important goals. For Manchester Uniteds second he took his eyes off the ball at the vital moment which allowed Ronaldo to go throught and score and for the second he should of tackled him not run past him (F**KING Idiot). I could have defended better then him today.
39 hanzemre // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:52
Oh no there we go again..another pathetic performance. KK must be joking to start with Butt & Smith in every match after all they did in last few games, that was NOTHING but just run walk & made stupid tackles.Hope it was true that Enrique is stil injured as N’Zogbia is becoming useless player in LB.If not,KK to blame if both players do go next summer. Taylor our favourite player is becoming a clown in defense, but wait a sec! he is still young & learning his football so he is entitled to make stupid mistakes in every game he plays..hmmm
40 Dragoner // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:56
people finally recognise taylor is the weak link in defence, i have been saying it since about 5 games into the season, yet everyone jus jumped on my back “hes our best player” lol, what an embarrassment
41 Dragoner // Feb 23, 2008 at 20:59
but make no mistake, we are where we are now not because of players or managers, it is the board who are ultimately to blame. Managers do not appoint themselves do they. Keegan was picked because he is cheap and to keep nufc fans happy so that the cheapskates wouldnt have to buy in january. In the space of less than a year they have already proved they dont have a clue about running a football club. i dont have to list their errors i am sure everyone knows them.
42 Mico // Feb 23, 2008 at 21:00
Just want to say again that as a Manchester lad and a Man Utd supporter you guys are amazing in your honesty.
Just like any one who loves football we Reds appreciate other teams and supporters when the team aspire to play attacking and entertaining football and the supporters, however passionate and loyal, do not resort to the hundred excuses we hear from other teams every week.
I feel the wrong guy got the job although I understand 100% why he got it. I don’t think Kev can attract the calibre of player you need to get back up there so I think the summer is going to be a time of reckoning and parting of the ways for your club. I hope you get it right next time but soon it will be too late to sell the club to a true top class manager.
All the best! You Geordies say it as it is and are deserving of respect!
43 Dragoner // Feb 23, 2008 at 21:02
I got a feeling ashley is not going to spend like we all want in the summer, instead he will probably get mort to appoint an assistant manager, probably shearer or something, in order to take fans minds off of transfers. then we will probably struggle again…if we are even in the premiership next year, it is far from guaranteed.
44 Michael // Feb 23, 2008 at 21:11
Well said by Dragoner. The moment you realise a football club is a business, you understand that a their objective is to maximise shareholder wealth.
Europe is one way of doing so, so is keeping a run in a competiton going for as long as possible. TV rights and games the fans have to pay to watch or enter the stadias.
In business they forecast, what will happen in the future? Then they set the budget accordingly. Many things can be done for a business to improve shareholder wealth if Europe is not possible, long cup runs are not possible, and that is to cut costs. i.e. do not spend in the Jan transfer window, Sack the highly paid manager of staff (Sam), but all the while keeping the paying fans coming through the gate.
So what do they do, Bring Keegan knowing the Fans will turn out in their hundreds, and they probably charged entrance fees to come and see Keegan just in the stadium holding a Newcastle scarf and shirt.
Curbed spending by not signing anyone in the transfer window. It is Ironic, Northern Rock collapsed and they sponsor Newcastle who too are collapsing.
45 Dragoner // Feb 23, 2008 at 21:14
i agree michael, sam was not great at our club, then again, im sure if we kept him we wouldnt be as close to relegation as we are now.
Sam - draw with arsenal, should have drawn with chelsea, beat bolton away, draw with middlesbrough away
keegan - smashed twice by arsenal, smashed twice by man u, draw with bolton at home and draw with middlesbrough at home
46 Dragoner // Feb 23, 2008 at 21:16
actually you cant blame keegan for first smashing, it was pearson
47 hanzemre // Feb 23, 2008 at 21:27
i blame all including the ref & linemen too for not favoured us & help us out this mess..hmm am i right?
48 jj // Feb 23, 2008 at 21:32
givin to scared to come for ball after his injury
49 Swede1891 // Feb 23, 2008 at 21:33
i agree with you people saying that it will be a lot better when emre, martins and enrique(?) are fit..but the problem is that kk are doing the same moronic decisions as allardyce did:(.. so they would probably be left on the bench anyway…butt&barton&smith were completely useless vs villa…and just as poor today again..but they will surely start next game..:(:( sad but true..the fact is that we only have a few class players:…EMRE, BEYE, MARTINS, ENRIQUE, NZOGBIA (when in right position)..will drink away my sorrows now..cheers!
50 jj // Feb 23, 2008 at 21:34
Mico is a macum
Mico is a macum la la la la la la la la
Mico is a macum
Mico is a macum la la la la la la la la
Mico is a macum
Mico is a macum la la la la la la la la
Mico is a macum
Mico is a macum la la la la la la la la
51 Dragoner // Feb 23, 2008 at 21:36
people on here blame other fans for sam not getting sacked earlier. That is just stupid. if the board were really that bothered about what the fans thought then sam would have been sacked earlier as many fans hadn’t liked him from the start. the REAL reason sam was sacked in the transfer window was because it gave the board an excuse for not buying the players we all wanted. i.e. we didnt have enough time blah blah blah. the board probably planned sacking sam since the beginning of december. All they have done since taking over is try to pull the wool over our eyes. It is just a shame that many of us continue to fall for it. e.g. the whole redknapp shambles, some people still truly believe it was just a smokesreen! lol
52 Michael // Feb 23, 2008 at 22:05
Sam was on a high wage, comparable to top managers in the league. Keegan, can bring the fans, and since his appointment, they have been flirting with idea that shearer would join him. Why you may ask, my thesis goes some such: Shearer will be appointed when signs suggests the fans can endure these drab performances no longer. Shearer will be thrown in and the fans will clap and ’shut up’ There will be a buz around st James park.
Shearer is a contignecy and thus had to be delayed, you cannot play all your aces yet, you know. If my theory is correct, then it is only business like and demonstrates a canny business mind from Ashley.
53 Leo* // Feb 23, 2008 at 22:49
was it just me or was the ref wank! he got everything wrong! even gave us freekicks when it shouldnt have been(although only gave us freekicks in the middle of the field) the little b@stard pr1ck
54 Davegnufc // Feb 23, 2008 at 23:45
I commented on the fact Taylor is very mediocre two weeks ago,and I got a few comment saying that he was U21 captain and Chelsea were after him etc, Well my answer to that is on current form he does not deserve to be in this toon team let alone anybody else’s, the facts are he can’t pass, has no positional sense and he flatters to deceive anyone who can argue otherwise is deluded and not watching the same games I do week in and week out.
Toon 4 Life!!
55 steve stonehouse // Feb 24, 2008 at 0:56
I thought that today Newcastle were complete and utter crap
but on reflection, I was wrong
I withdraw that statement
we were not that good!!!
56 Johann // Feb 24, 2008 at 1:22
Taylor is having a bad season. We can´t hide from that. But if you are going to curse him time and again then make a solution. Cacapa clearly isn´t, he makes more mistake. So you saying that makes you a hypocrit. I´d like to see Edgar come into defense. I´ve liked him for a very long time as a player. But we need to choose 4 players to play in defense and stick with them. Give them confidence.
57 Nicky Butt is crap! // Feb 24, 2008 at 1:27
johann i agree.but untillthe summer im afriad we cant put out a back 4 goodenough! ilove faye but i agree with what alot of you are saying,he is a good dm and he would be a much btter bet there than licky buttcrack twatbag gizzstain! tayls is just naive and he has bags of potential but he isnt ready yet… beyeis great (usually) and we have a good lb in enrique, but sadly keegan doesnt seem to agree with that!
58 Michael // Feb 24, 2008 at 1:51
Blackburn next, a must win game if there ever was one for Newcastle. Defeat there, that will be about as many chances as we will get, we are two wins for the bottom teams.
A good manager can work a set of bad cards, this is why I say tactics are important. You play a formation and a strategy to maximise the strengths of your team, even if you have a poor team, you maximise their strengths. That is what Tactics are for in this Game.
Trying the same formations and players and hoping they will just click is not going to happen. Perhaps KEv should should seek council from more tactically minded people, outside Newcastle, clearly and by his own admission he does not know what are tactics.
What does he do prior to a player coming on, he waves a sheet of paper scribing diagrams and issuing instructions, bet if you went down there he would simply be moving his lips and on the sheet of paper he would probably have the few pages of the heat magazine, no?
59 TooooooN // Feb 24, 2008 at 6:12
I miss those days when we play against manchester utd where eventho we lose but we lose with get level of fighting(we lose 0-1 or 0-2) but now we lose as a matter of 5-6 goals conceded. even derby country don’t concede that against man utd! i just think all of our players sux and i wish we can replaced all current players….
60 Johann // Feb 24, 2008 at 9:57
Yea Nicky we really need to wait untill summer but still we can´t get us relegated now can we !
61 Ronnie // Feb 25, 2008 at 0:30
you had a tactical genuis with Big Sam,maybe he man would not have played the style of soccer you like but he would have brought you the right results,you needed to grind out the results to ensure safety and build from there
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