23rd March 2005
By
Gaz Pearson
Over the coming months the history of Newcastle United Football Club
could be re-written and the long wait for the Magpies to steal silverware
could be over. With two trophies up for grabs and being arguably the
best team in the Premiership at the moment (on form), we may never
have a better chance of bringing some much overdue success back to
Tyneside. However, it could all go pear-shaped and the Toon could,
once again, fall flat on their faces. Thus, maybe we should prioritise
one trophy over the other to ensure we are crowned either F.A. Cup
Kings or UEFA Cup heroes?
I am sick of always saying, season after season, that we are overdue
success…blah, blah, and blah. We all know we are and we are all united
in our want for some glory. Yet I wonder how many of you would say
yes if I say to you that we should prioritise one trophy over the
other and go all out to win it? Hopefully the majority would agree.
Being a realist I have to say that the most likely option for us is
the UEFA Cup.
Manchester United on there day will hammer us, and deep down we all
know it. Rooney and Co will destroy us because of the simple fact
that they are Manchester United. Like it and lump it because it's
the truth. On our day we will give any team a game and of course I
hope I am wrong; my heart tells me I am but my head is telling me
otherwise. It's saying fuck the FA Cup, (we all know that the FA want
an Arseholes v Man Utd final anyway), lets concentrate on the UEFA
Cup and bring a European trophy back to St. James'.
The teams left in the UEFA Cup, albeit decent sides, are very much
beatable and I think if we can overcome the hurdle of Sporting Lisbon
there will be little to stop us being crowned UEFA Cup champions.
The UEFA Cup seems to be kind to us, up to this point in the competition
at least, having reached the semi-finals last time round. If we prioritise
it then surely we must fancy our chances of winning it this year?
However, what if we go all out in both the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup
and come away with nothing? A nightmare scenario but one that could
easily come true.
I sincerely hope not but I do think that this is warning that must
be at least considered. I'm sure most fans are praying for the Toon
to deliver both trophies but come on, we all know its unlikely to
be both, I mean when have the footballing God's ever been that kind
to our club in the past?
Since the golden years of the 1950's Newcastle and the FA Cup appear
to have had a messy separation with the latter seemingly hell-bent
on humiliating its once frequent partner. Ronnie Radford anybody (sorry
for swearing)? The Stevenage saga? The two Cup finals we didn't show
up at? The semi-final against Chelsea where we played them of the
pitch and still got beat? I don't know about you but maybe the FA
Cup isn't our competition anymore?
So let's remove the doom and gloom for a moment then. Maybe then the
FA Cup owes us one starting with a victory against Mr Glazer's new
toy in waiting. I'd love more than most a victory over the red circus.
Then what? We'd end up with Arsenal in the final. They will probably
be fully strengthened and firing on all cylinders again. Henry, Pires,
Ljunberg, Vieira? Nope, I can't see the FA Cup being the one for us.
Therefore I believe that the UEFA Cup must be realistically our number
one priority this season and take the FA Cup, not lightly, but not
go all out and ruin our chances for European success. You never know,
Greame and Alan's fairytale final against the Rovers could be written
in the stars? I hope so, but I doubt it. The more likely eventuality
is a full moon sky over Lisbon on a Wednesday night in May. Just think
about it, one cup or two cups? Or no cups? |
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