Result: Charlton 1-1 NUFC
Newcastle once again dropped points again after talking the lead with
a 1-1 draw at the Valley this afternoon. United opened the scoring
on 39 minutes when a brilliant left wing cross from Bernard was dispatched
with aplomb from the the head of Craig Bellamy.
5 minutes after the break calamitous defending from Andy O'Brien allowed
Kevin Lisbie to flick the ball over the Irishman's
head to go through free on goal where his shot took a deflection off
Stephen Carr and into the back of the net.
A spate of goalmouth action at both ends with both sides clearing
off the line at some stage wasn't enough to force a winner that neither
deserved. 1-1 was a fair result but Souness will be far from happy
with two dropped points. The 7th time this season we have took the
lead only to drop points. The draw moves us up into 8th.
Full match report and player ratings to follow...
Souness: Robert Has A Toon Future, But...
He has to wise up according to our manager Graeme Souness who told
Sky Sports:
"Laurent has a future here but he has got to do things I want him
to.
"I want him to channel his anger by showing me what he can
do in training and by improving as a player.
"No one has questioned his ability at going forward but he
has to impress me when we do not have the ball.
"We have to have 10 outfield players when we are not in possession.
It's no good having nine.
"I can understand him not being happy but it's something we
have to address because we will be giving ammunition to our enemies
if we give the impression that things are not harmonious here."
On This Day In NUFC History: Toon Debuts
104 years ago today two Newcastle players made their debuts in the
Black & White shirt. John Auld, a Scottish international
signed from Sunderland - becoming the first player to leave the Wearsiders
for the Toon and John Connell, another Scotsman signed
from St Mirren.
Their debuts come against Manchester City in an away fixture with
United winning the game 2-1 with debut boy Auld getting on the scoresheet.
The United team that day was:
Watts (GK), White, McDermidd, Miller, Auld, Stott, Lennox,
Connell, Smellie, Aitken, Wardrope.
Both Auld and Connell would go on to have short careers at the Old
Gallowgate with Auld making just 15 appearances and scoring 3 goals
and Connell 25 appearances and 3 goals.
The signing of Auld was a controversial signing, not least because
of the club we raided for his signature but because of the manner
in which we went about it. Instead of paying Sunderland a fee, which
they demanded, Newcastle registered Auld as an amateur player therefore
invoking a rule that stipulated no fee can be exchanged for amateur
players. The Mackems we not best pleased.
Another Toon player to make his debut on this day (1959) was George
Luke, a Geordie winger, in a 4-3 defeat away to Fulham.
The United team that day was:
S.Mitchell (GK), Whitehead, McMichael, Scoular, Stokoe, Bell, Tait,
Hale, White, Eastham, Luke.
Lets Hope It's Not One Of Our Lot!
From the BBC
Premiership star 'tests positive'
The Mail on Sunday has reported that a Premiership player tested positive
for a "banned substance". Neither the player nor the club can be named
for legal reasons, and the Football Association refused to comment
on the report on Sunday.
The FA said it was tightening its doping programme after Rio Ferdinand's
missed drugs test in 2003.
It said in July it would increase the number of tests in the 2004-05
season by 20% after a review by Lord Coe.
Michael Owen To The Toon On Loan?
Sunday rumours...
The Sunday Mirror claim we have offered Real Madrid's Michael
Owen an escape route back to the Premiership by asking his
club if we can take the England striker on loan - with Real apparently
willing to let him go if we pay his 90,000 a week wages. But Owen
wants to stay and fight for his career at the Bernabeu.
In other Sunday rumours, the News of the World are claiming that Craig
Bellamy is heading for showdown talks with Graeme Souness
over the Scots decision to play the Welshman out wide on the right
- with Bellamy willing to hand in a transfer request.
Sir Bobby To Spill The Beans Over Big Al/Fat Fred
Feud?
Sir Bobby Robson's autobiography 'Living the Game' is to get an update
to include a new chapter which will cover his sacking and final 12
months in the United hot-seat, apparently. Rumours abound that Bobby
will expose his 'relationship' with Alan Shearer and Freddy Shepherd,
warts and all style.
It's common knowledge that Bobby and Big Al fell out and that relations
between the manager and Chairman were somewhat strained. Whether Bobby
will reveal to what extent remains to be seen. I guess we'll have
to wait and see.
Update: From today's
Telegraph (17/10/2004)
An updated, authorised, biography
of Sir Bobby Robson to be published next month will include a new
final chapter entitled Betrayed, detailing the breakdown of the former
Newcastle United's manager's relationship with Alan Shearer, his captain.
Written by the journalist Bob Harris, a longstanding friend and regular
biographer of Robson, who was sacked by Newcastle at the end of August,
that final chapter also charts an often difficult relationship with
Freddy Shepherd, the club chairman. Signficantly when Sir Bobby was
presented with a special sword by the city of Newcastle at the conclusion
of The Match, a pro-celebrity football show filmed at St James' Park
and recently screened by Sky, both Shepherd and Shearer pointedly
vacated the directors box before the on-pitch ceremony.
While Robson is understood to feel betrayed by Shearer after reviving
his career on succeeding Ruud Gullit at St. James' five years ago
- it is apparently no coincidence that he lost his job after dropping
the No 9 for his final game in charge, a 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa
- he is deeply dismayed by Shepherd's decision to pay him his compensation
settlement in monthly instalments until May rather than as a lump
sum.
Should the 71-year-old secure another job, such instalments will either
cease or be reduced depending on the differential between Robson's
former remuneration and any new salary. Although Robson has previously
denied that Shepherd interfered in his transfer activities, the new
chapter - in which Sir Bobby is not quoted directly - suggests otherwise.
Indeed, it appears that the decision to sell Gary Speed to Bolton
Wanderers and replace him with Nicky Butt was not entirely the manager's.
Moreover the update - appreciably toned down by lawyers prior to publication
- reflects Robson's disappointment that, having offered Shearer a
free rein as captain, he did not exercise the control over Newcastle's
young players that might have been anticipated from such a senior
and influential figure.
Having initially been happy to groom the local hero as his successor
he duly changed his mind, telling reporters that Shearer, who is at
present studying for his coaching badges, would be much more suited
to a media career.
Intriguingly Gullit, now in charge of Feyenoord, was dismissed days
after dropping Shearer to the substitutes' bench for a home defeat
against Sunderland and has since publicly described his bete noire
as a "bad apple" and that he regretted not selling him.
Tellingly, Shearer apparently became disillusioned with Robson after
the latter's forlorn attempts to sell him to Liverpool in the summer
of 2003. When Robson dropped him for a meaningless second leg UEFA
Cup encounter in Norway last season, Shearer made his indignation
extremely plain and the exercise was never repeated.
It now seems that the manager's detection of a lack of boardroom support
for his gesture deterred him from omitting Shearer - who at the age
of 34 has lost much pace and mobility - from some League games for
tactical reasons and this arguably cost Newcastle a Champions League
place.
Since succeeding Robson, Graeme Souness has showered Shearer with
generous praise but also made a point of omitting him for a UEFA Cup
match at home to Bnei Sakhnin of Israel, thereby almost certainly
dropping a not so subtle hint that no player is indispensable. |
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