29th March 2005
By
Dev
 Sir
Bobby Robson left his office at St. James' Park looking like a beaten
man. Clutching an antique golf club and a hastily packed box, the
man who's face already tells a thousand stories, was now about to
embark on his final chapter. Although many felt his dismissal was
coming, few would have predicted the timing.
After the shock £13.4m sale of super-crock Jonathan Woodgate, the
Toon Army were rubbing their hands at the prospect of more signings...
at least two top centre-halves were needed to fill the gaping hole
left by Woody. As we held our breath in the dying moments of the transfer
window imagining who our new defenders might be........"Toon in Rooney
Raid". Amazingly, Rooney chose Man Utd instead of the Mighty Magpies
and the window abruptly closed.
Although the club had snapped up Nicky Butt, Steve Carr, 'world superstar'
Patrick Kluivert, James Milner and Charles N'Zogbia... the gaping
hole in the team's defence was there for all to see and for the opposition
to expose. The first 3 games just confirmed the fact and Sir Bobby
was the fall guy.
As the tabloids prepared more lunch for the Geordies to get stuck
into in the shape of new potential managers, only one name mattered
to the locals. Ottmar Hitzfelt was the fans favourite, a strict German
disciplinarian, Ex-Bayern Munich coach with a fine record of success.
The man who was given the job was not even in most peoples top 20.
Graeme Souness.
The mood in Tyneside was now as low as most people can remember, leaving
Souness to move into Sir Bobby's old office almost un-noticed. After
a start of 9 games unbeaten, Souness certainly steadied the ship but
the situation behind the walls of St. James's was now the worlds worst
kept secret. Nicky Butt and Steve Carr were pronounced injured for
the remainder of the season, Alan Shearer joined them in the treatment
room after pulling a hamstring and the team started to drop points
like a scene out of Hansel and Gretal.
Finally, the window opens on January 1st 2005 and Souness can finaly
prove his worth. While many held their breath for Brett Emerton, Lucas
Neill, Barry Ferguson and Jon Stead... Souness only had one thing
in mind. You would have to go back many many years to find a previous
Newcastle United manager who had built his team starting from the
back but after signing Jean-Alain Boumsong, Amdy Faye and Celestine
Babayaro, Souness had significantly strengthened the back-bone of
a predominantly light-weight squad. The future was looking better
already.
Since Craig Bellamy departed (which seemed to heal Steve Carr and
Nicky Butt almost instantly??) Graeme Souness and Newcastle United
have gone from strength to strength. There is a new mood around St.
James's and you can almost smell a trophy.
It's time to fall in line with Graeme and the team... we are so close
to success now it's almost frightening. If St. James' Park continues
to turn up the volume, success is almost written in stone. |
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