18th March 2005
 Shay
Given
Shay made a couple of decent saves and couldn't be blamed for
any of the goals really. After the second went in he looked
resigned to a long and painful afternoon. It wouldn't surprise
me if he was off in the Summer and who could blame him?
|
6 |
 Stephen
Carr
Carr got forward well throughout but his delivery was awful
and defensively he was very weak, often getting dragged out
of position and left on his backside as Rooney and Ronaldo took
it in turns to torment him. |
5 |
 Jean-Alain
Boumsong
Held the defence together at times and seemed on a one man mission
to keep out Man Utd - he was everywhere and made countless telling
interceptions with his feet, head and body in the opening 20
minutes. Was at fault for Scholes' header but the cross should
never have came in. He tried to bring the ball out of defence
and to get things going but the movement ahead of him was so
static he was often pounced upon and left all alone to get rid
of the ball. |
7 |
 Steven
Taylor
Not the greatest of games from young Taylor playing at centre-half.
At times he showed all his huge promise but at other times he
should his inexperience and rashness which contributed to nervy
moments at the back. He'll come good though because his head
never dropped and by the end he was there, pointing and cajoling.
|
6 |
 Celestine
Babayaro
Firstly he doesn't look fit which demands the question; why
did he play? And secondly, he was awful. Every time Man Utd
attacked down the left he was beaten easily and at times the
Nigerian looked like he couldn't give a damn. Not helped by
Robert either. Awful!
|
2 |
 James
Milner
I feel sorry for Milner because he came into a team struggling,
up against a very powerful left-flank in Heinze and Rooney and
with the sheer ineptness of those around him in using the ball,
he was always going to struggle and struggle he did, badly.
It was embarrassing at times as he got pushed and shoved off
the ball, as he fought just to get a toe on it, as he looked
for options that weren't there when on it. NUFC is not a club
to blood youngsters or to develop them, not in our current state. |
4 |
 Amdy
Faye
He did nothing. He didn't protect the back-four, he didn't get
on the ball and those rare times when he did, he gave it straight
back to the opposition. Now I know he's a new signing and he
has played well at times and is a welcome squad addition in
my opinion, but his passing is shocking and if he can't do the
simple things, what point is there in playing him? Is it him,
the coaching or is just the way of life at NUFC at the moment?
He may as well not have played for all the good it did us. |
3 |
Nicky
Butt
Man Utd's 12th man who had a hand in a couple of their goals.
Showed no commitment whatsoever and had he not had a Newcastle
shirt on, you would have sworn he was playing for the team in
Red as he gave the ball away time after time, as he allowed
his man to escape his clutches time after time. Disgusting! |
0 |
 Laurent
Robert
Just one of his countless other nothing performances in the
Black & White shirt and exactly why he gets criticised and
why he should be one of the first out of the door in the Summer.
In fact, don't play him again and that goes for all the other
wasters. Pathetic! |
3 |
 Alan
Shearer
Toiled away up front as ever but the service wasn't none existent.
At times he was our play maker as he got on the ball and it
was he who set up Shola for his goal. Another trophyless year
for Big Al and one has to wonder, why he would want to play
on for another season with this shower of crap. |
5 |
 Shola
Ameobi
It says it all when Shola was our best player. Worked his socks
off and unlike the vast majority of his team-mates, he cared
enough to put himself about and grabbed himself a well taken
goal. Numerous decisions went against him but he kept plugging
away, feeding on scraps. My man of the match.
Well played Shola lad. |
7 |
Substitutes:
 Charles
N'Zogbia
Came on in place of Faye in the centre and put in a decent if
unspectacular shift. Got back, helped stem the tide and won
a few tackles and showed more commitment than most.
|
6 |
 Andy
O'Brien
Came on for Babayaro and had a steady, solid half. Never put
a foot wrong.
|
6 |
 Patrick
Kluivert
Apparently he came on with just under half an hour to go.
|
0 |
The Boss Man:
 Graeme
Souness
Couldn't have done much more with the team selection although
why he picked Babayaro who is clearly unfit (mentally and physically)
I don't know but he recalled Robert as many had hoped and gave
Milner a chance on the right as many had been calling for in
the past few weeks. Then the game got underway... as the manager,
and I have praised him and defended him, it's his job to organise,
to lift them and to create an effective game plan. The team
were as badly organised has they had been at the start of the
season, they showed no spirit or fight and if the 'game plan'
consisted of hoofing it long.
|
3 |
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