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 Wednesday
September 21 2005 By Kyzer Sosay Both Graeme Souness and his opposite number Mark Hughes have celebrated one year in charge of their respective clubs in the last week. In his first full season at the helm at St. James's, Souness has supervised ten victories from the first 39 League matches - Hughes 10 in his first 39. Up until Sunday gone Souness had not seen a victory in seven League matches, and witnessed just one clean sheet in eight. This was also Newcastle's first win in 44 years at Ewood Park in the top flight. On the final whistle, celebrating with friends in a Leeds pub I glanced at the big screen to see a perfect analogy of the match, the team and the club. The camera switched From Charles N’Zogbia, still beaming from his second goal in two games, to Shearer and Owen striding off the pitch with smiles on their face. The smiles were that of men welcoming an old friend, Charlie grinning like a Cheshire Cat seemed like a kid on Christmas morning. I looked at these three entirely separate and unique players and thought there it is, there’s the past, the present and the future of the club. The game was largely a dour affair, the first half dominated by Blackburn, no real fluency or invention in either side’s arsenal. This is typical of a Premiership where the emphasis is upon “not losing” rather than winning. We’re witnessing a disappointing increase in the use of that mindless 4-5-1/4-3-3 hybrid, a formation which breeds awful football from all teams and contempt from me. And certainly there is no value placed on entertainment, for all the theatre Mourinho brings to the press conference, he’s the reason for the grim football that is now the norm for the Premiership. The 62nd minute free kick that was to tear the net asunder was initially met with cynical derision from myself and most of the exiled Geordies surrounding me. “Shearer, straight into the wall”, “Nah, Bowyer’ll stick it in the stands!” When we saw the net bulge we all celebrated like idiots before staring sheepishly at the screen afraid to meet the gaze of anyone who heard our disparaging remarks. Honestly the game was poor and a 3-0 score line flatters us, our defending was largely haphazard, Taylor was the only player of the back four to come out with any credit. Babayaro was the main reason that Reid got so much of the ball out wide, and Carr’s tackle happy approach to fullback-ery permitted Bellamy and Pedersen their joy down the Newcastle right flank. Boumsong was atrocious, his younger centre half partner seemed more composed and experienced which is indicative of his dramatic fall from grace in my eyes. He started so well, I really thought that this lad from Rangers would be a decent signing and while he was never going to be worth the inflated fee, I hoped he could be good enough to keep my heads from my hands… he’s not. N’Zogbia was a constant source of energy and drive upon the left wing and perhaps the little man can challenge the more established players who are missing through injury. Certainly in his first two games he’s shown enough talent and application to give Souness a pleasurable selection problem. Two goals of differing styles but equal quality, the composure on the ball belies his relative inexperience. Clark, Bowyer and Amdy Faye? Well of them I can only be glad that we’ve better, brighter and stronger players to return. If we were forced to keep this midfield for more important games, or at least teams who are not so negative, we would surely be found out. Not a strong performance from any of them, but sufficient to beat a sterile opposition. We cannot rely on the other side to be poor every game however. Shearer and Owen were devoid of ideas, primarily because they were devoid of reliable service; Charles did his best down the left but a lack of movement from Shearer didn’t help us at all. Owen is agile, mobile and hostile, not shirking from the tackles of Neill, (who may be the dirtiest little shit I’ve seen for a long time) winning the free-kick that resulted in our first goal and willing to challenge Bellamy for the mantle of busiest forward on the pitch. Owen will score a hatful of goals once Emre, Dyer, Solano et al return; they will enjoy his cleverness in front of goal almost as much as he will enjoy their innovative use of the ball. He’s the present, he needs to be utilised properly, and the team sheet and team tactics need to be geared to his strengths and not his strike partner. The painful volume of long balls launched from our shaky back line to Blackburn’s was incredible, Shearer couldn’t lumber across to challenge for them and Owen shouldn’t be expected to try and out leap a man who has nigh on a foot height advantage. You wouldn’t use a rapier to cut down a tree; we shouldn’t use Owen to do the equivalent. Shearer played for 74 minutes and bar his goal was largely anonymous; I barely saw his famous right boot touch the ball in the first half. I have nothing but affection for a man who almost single-handedly took us all on a journey through Europe and some real highs and lows. However the man must swallow his pride and do what is best for the club, he must sacrifice his game for others, he’s got to allow his younger team mates to dictate the play, not demanding the whipped cross but supplying it. He mustn’t be berating a selfish run, but he should be offering himself as a foil. I guess the old war horse should really be taken out to pasture. If we had stronger squad of strikers I would be calling for his benching… Unfortunately the only strikers we have at the club are young dumb and not particularly attractive replacements. Which brings me to the point of this rant, Shearer is the past. He’s symptomatic of a different time, where big strong forwards could boss the game by dominating the centre half’s detailed with controlling the thundering behemoths. But this isn’t the game any more, it’s guile and trickery, its pace and precision. Henry, Ronaldinho, these are the men who can influence the game, not Duncan Disorderly. Big Al hasn’t the legs to carry his massive talent. If I’m honest I allowed myself a flight of fancy, I toyed with the image of Bellamy and Owen up front, feeding merrily upon the scraps thrown their way by an inspired midfield. Owen is certainly man enough to handle the pressure of replacing a man who is literally and idol. Thousands worship his every contribution and not one Newcastle fan can call themselves as such without remarking upon a glorious career unjustly bereft of his fair share of plaudits and awards. It doesn’t take a diviner to know that if he had chosen Manchester United, his private collection of medals would bulge the biggest of treasure chests. Michael Owen is perhaps one of the only footballers playing professionally who could truly “replace” the Lion of Gosforth. He has the pedigree, the ability in front of goal and the dour behaviour in front of the camera. It’s he who we can now lift above our shoulders, who else could possibly have been the man to take over the reigns of this demanding club. N’Zogbia and Taylor stood head and shoulders above their older compatriots, Steven bossing the back line before his harsh dismissal. That lad is not only a future Newcastle legend, but a shoe in for a place in England’s densely populated back line. Charles certainly has the skills that great managers look for in a player. Pace, passing and precision on the ball, but something else, he has the willingness to run his simply rapid feet all over the pitch in search of the ball. These are the future, these players have the potential and the players around them to carry their careers to the stars, instead of disappearing into obscurity as so many of their predecessors have. Does anyone remember Paul Robinson, Diego Gavilan… Hugo Viana? If Charles can learn from Nobby and Emre, if Taylor can take notes on Shearer… we’ve a promising future. Perhaps I’m a little excitable after a particularly unimpressive game, but it wasn’t the match I was so excited about, it was the bigger picture, the current team is passable, certainly capable in my eyes of European competition next year. The backbone is important, with Parker, Taylor and Owen we’ve a very strong spine. I’m so tired of complaining about the paucity of talent at Newcastle United, bemoaning the lack of fullbacks, the dire state of the man beside Steven Taylor, I’m sick of looking wistfully to the past. Maybe it’s time to start looking back to the future. As Dr Emmett Brown once said: “If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits eighty-eight miles per hour... you're gonna see some serious shit.” Well we’re picking up speed and I’m deciding on colours for my hoverboard. © Kyzer Sosay
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Blackburn Match Analysis: Past, Present & Future
