Newcastle United 2-2 Norwich City |
|
Date:
Wednesday 25th August 2004
Kick Off: 8.00pm UK
Venue: St. James' Park
Att: 51,574
Ref: Mark Halsey
Comp: Premiership |
| Premiership
Match Report In Association With Toon
Ale |
|
What Now For Bobby
& The Lads?
Once again United left the field to a chorus of boos after letting
slip a 2-0 lead against Norwich City at St. James' Park to end the
game 2-2 with what can only be described as a disjointed, disorganised,
bereft of ideas performance that, even at this early stage of a make
or break Season, begs the question; where do we go from here?
Two goals from Aaron Hughes and Craig Bellamy either side of the break
should have sent us on our way to a comfortable win despite a less
than comfortable performance but in typical Toon fashion we capitulated
and allowed Norwich back into the game.
Within moments of Bellamy's strike, David Bentley pulled one back
with a 22-yard shot that slipped through Shay Given's hands and with
just over a quarter of an hour to go, Gary Doherty, the quickest to
react to a Given parry, leveled the scores from 3-yards out.
Which was nothing less than what Norwich deserved, having more than
matched us throughout. In fact they were the better team and on this
evidence they will surprise a few teams. Well played the Canaries.
Not well played Newcastle however. Only a select few can be pleased
with their performance and any designs on securing that final Champions
League spot seem as far away as a Dire goal.
Speaking of Dire, after all the crap we have put up with over his
desire to play in the centre, he got his big opportunity alongside
Butt in place of the injured Jenas and what did he do? Nothing! He
just eat up air and ran about. A typical Dire performance - an empty
one. Booed on the field and booed off it with the Norwich City supporters
up in the Sir John Hall West Corner joining in too, chanting "Dire
is a w@nker", summing up exactly how wanted he is. If he plays
one more minute in the shirt he clearly has no respect for, it will
be one minute too long. GET RID NOW!
Newcastle's overall performances was just as bad. No cohesion, belief,
spirit or inventiveness. Everything was predictable and sloppy. The
players have no confidence and only Hughes, Carr to some extent, Butt
and Bellamy can hold their heads up high. Not good enough and on this
evidence we are a mess and all the strikers and defenders in the world
won't fix the problems that are now beginning to increase with each
game. Both on and off the pitch.
Toon
Player Ratings Vs Norwich
Next up: Villa
Vs NUFC (Saturday August 28th 2004 Premiership 3.00pm K.O)
| Newcastle
United |
Norwich |
Match
Facts & Stats
Half-Time: 1-0
Full-Time: 2-2
Yellow Cards: 1
Red Cards: 0
Goalscorers: Bellamy (39),
Hughes (51)
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: 0
Substitutions: 2
Ameobi (for Milner 74), Bowyer (for Dire 83)
Injuries: None to report of
Goalscorers: Bentley (52),
Doherty (73)
Yellow Cards: Fleming (53)
Red Cards: 0
Substitutions: 2
Jonson (for McVeigh 67), McKenzie (Bentley 72)
Injuries: None to report of |
| Given |
Green |
| Carr |
Edworthy |
| Hughes |
Fleming |
| O'Brien |
Charlton |
| Bernard |
Drury |
| Milner |
McVeigh |
| Butt |
Holt |
| Dire |
Francis |
| Robert |
Bentley |
| Shearer |
Huckerby |
| Bellamy |
Doherty |
| Substitutes
Bench |
| Harper |
Ward |
|
Elliott |
Helveg |
| Bowyer |
Svensson |
|
Ameobi |
Jonson |
| Kluivert |
McKenzie |
| Fouls, Possession, Shots,
Corners & Saves |
| Newcastle |
The
Game |
Norwich |
| 14 |
Fouls |
10 |
| 52% |
Possession |
48% |
| 10 |
Shots
(on target) |
4 |
| 12 |
Shots (off target) |
6 |
| 12 |
Corners |
5 |
| 6 |
Saves |
9 |
It's been 5 months since we last won a League game. The 2-2 draw makes
it 300 Premiership points under Bobby Robson. 9th draw in our last
14 matches (all competitions).
| How The Goals Were
Scored |
NUFC Goal 39 Minutes: Craig Bellamy
Carr's right-wing cross was headed down by Shearer into the patch
of Bellamy who smashed home a volley past Green and a stranded Norwich
defender on the line from 8-yards out.
NUFC Goal 51 Minutes: Aaron Hughes
A right-wing Corner from Robert was met by the head of Hughes who
powered the ball past Green in the Norwich goal.
Norwich Goal 52 Minutes: David Bentley
Bentley was allowed to run at our defence unopposed before unleashing
a tame shot from 22-yards that squirmed through Given's hands low
down and into the back of the net.
Norwich Goal 73 Minutes: Gary Doherty
Fleming's shot was parried out by Given where the quick reacting Doherty
smashed in the loose ball to level the scores.
| Match Reaction From
Sir Bobby |
Sir Bobby said:
"We are naturally disappointed because we should have not allowed
a two-goal lead to disappear.
"That should not have happened, but we were still the better
side and we still should have won the game.
"I honestly thought we would get that third goal. We've dropped
points, but we should not panic.
"I cannot criticise the players too much because they were fighting
to the end to get the third goal.
"Kieron Dyer and Craig Bellamy both dragged chances wide, while
their goalkeeper made two good saves to deny Alan Shearer and Lee
Bowyer.
"Shay has apologised, but he shouldn't do. He has never done
anything like that in six years.
"We share in his disappointment and we stick together. He is
suffering, but he will pick himself up as we will do.
"It was a bad time for them to score. If we had settled down
at 2-0 we would have been far more comfortable."
| Match Reaction
From Nigel Worthington |
Worthington said:
"I was disappointed to be 1-0 down because we knew Newcastle
started quickly and I just asked the players to go out and match them
on that and from minute one, the work-rate was very, very good.
"The quality of passing was something I was stressing, especially
after Saturday, and I was delighted with that.
"At 2-0 down, Norwich never ever give up and there was always
a chance.
"The momentum was with ourselves. We limited Newcastle, we got
blocks in and we got bodies in the way and then when we did get out
I thought we moved it up the pitch very quickly and very well.
"It was a great point but it could have been three."
| Your Shout: Toon
Army Match Reaction |
Dr Gloom wrote:
Once again our "team" looked as though they had just met up with each
other 30 minutes before the game. The passing was a joke. Dyer was
a disgrace and should never be picked again. Shearer was very poor...I
am not saying that Kluivert would have made a difference in this game
but he should have been given a chance. Robson and his coaching staff
have no answers left. It is time they were cleared out and the sooner
the better. Even if we had nicked a goal at the end and stolen all
3 points I would be feeling the same as I am now and would say exactly
the same things. We could not beat a team which will almost certainly
be relegated and they gave us a lesson in team spirit.
Magic Fingers wrote:
What a shit performance; things aren't going to change until a lot
of people in the club change their attitudes. Dyer has to go, he is
a complete waste of space and is all talk; and his attitude to the
club is nothing short of totally disgraceful. All he can do is run
around like a headless chicken. Thought Bellamy was superb last night,
IMO he should be vice captain, I would hate to see him leave the club.
Butt again impressed me, with his attitude and work rate, he will
be a great signing. Robert, should also go, he is too inconsistent,
when he plays well he is awesome, but how often do we see him give
the ball away stupidly?
However, we can survive with him for this season. The defence last
night was obviously struggling, we need quality players, no more up
and coming talent, just quality. I like Aaron Hughes for the effort
he puts in to his game, but are he and O'Brien up to the job of playing
for a club capable of challenging the big 3 as first choice players?
We need to vary our style of play, don't always go for the same options
and play a more fluid style of football, then the problem of poor
deliveries would be solved. We should stop playing Shearer's game,
he needs to fit in the a new style of play. As for SBR, I have a lot
of respect for him, and I doubt we will replace him, he needs to toughen
up and show people he is in charge and stop giving in to the players,
he is supposed to be the manager. |
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