With four-and-a-half months of the season gone, and roughly the same amount of time left to play, now is as good a time as any to look back at what has been yet another eventful half-season for Newcastle United. Throughout the clubs ups and downs, there have been individuals who have disappointed, while others have done well in the face of adversity.

First, let’s look at five individuals who have disappointed, and hope that they can all learn from their mistakes.

Villains

5. Glenn Roeder

Mr. Roeder has not quite managed to repeat the good work seen during his tenure as club caretaker. It should not be ignored that our current injury crisis could have been averted had he signed a couple of defenders during the summer transfer window. Instead, he wasted his time by endlessly travelling to Holland to watch Dirk Kuyt – who had already made a gentleman’s agreement to sign for Liverpool. Roeder’s tactics have also lacked a killer punch in the final third of our matches, with the lack of decent substitutions causing the side to throw away leads at home in games we should have won. Finally, the decision to delay Ameobi’s hip operation so that Shola could play in the InterToto Cup was an appalling decision to make, and left us struggling up front in several matches.

4. Freddy Shepherd

We have suffered from lack of squad depth once more this season, and some of the blame must be aimed at the man who controls the purse strings. It cannot be ignored that for every player Shepherd buys for his manager, there is usually another player leaving to accommodate the player on the wage bill. Subsequently, for Newcastle to have a successful season, they need to have luck with injuries – something you can never rely on at St. James’ Park. Was also the only chairman to sack anyone mentioned on the Panorama investigation into bung taking, leaving the club really short on coaching staff.

3. Titus Bramble

With the strict Graeme Souness keeping Bramble on the straight and narrow, the centre back appeared to be finally turning potential into ability. Out goes Souness and in comes Roeder, and over the summer, Bramble immediately goes off and crashes his car into a house. It is said that Bramble’s off the field antics affect his performances, and judging from his overweight frame, and his lack of concentration and sharpness shown so far this season, I would have to agree.

2. Damien Duff

It cost £5 million for a two-time Premiership winning Chelsea left winger who had been a star player in the 2002 World Cup and was at an age at which he should be in his prime. Newcastle United fans were celebrating what should have been one of the best value for money signings in world football that summer. However, it is Chelsea who are laughing all the way to the bank. During his time here Duff has halted the first-team opportunities of the demoralised Charles N’Zogbia – one of the few bright sparks of the 2005/06 season, and hasn’t justified his place in the starting eleven, showing little in the way of forward penetration. Since he has been out injured, our results have been much improved - something that cannot be ignored. Liverpool and Tottenham fans must be glad that Duff rejected the chance to join their club.

1. Stephen Carr

Where to start? It is worth mentioning that he has been responsible for more conceded goals and dropped points than any other player in the team. Another shocking fact is that despite being our first-choice right-back, he has been outperformed by Solano, Taylor, Huntington, Edgar, and even James Milner when they have played in that position. During the debacle at home against Sheffield United there was a dispute between fans in the East Stand and both Carr and captain Scott Parker. Parker has apologised, Carr hasn’t. Finally, Carr has missed several matches with a bruised toe. According to Roeder, Carr can run around in training as normal, but it hurts when he strikes the ball. Hasn’t Ameobi been playing through the pain barrier for years? Many would have thought that during our injury crisis, Carr would have been patched up and sent out on to the field. It is likely that either the fans have been misinformed over the extent of Carr’s injury, or that the player just simply does not have the heart to play for Newcastle United.

All is not doom and gloom however, and there have been several highlights to the season, mainly thanks to several heroes at our club who have given the fans a reason to be optimistic for the remainder of our season.

Heroes

10. Nigel Pearson

Is it a coincidence that results have improved since the arrival of Pearson as assistant manager? Since his arrival, our defence has looked more organised, and he is sometimes seen marshalling the defence during match days. He definitely seems to be doing his job well enough considering how makeshift our defence has been since the day he joined.

9. Glenn Roeder

Earlier, I was critical of Roeder, but it is also impossible to admire his impeccable behaviour in the face of adversity. It is easy to be negative, but his optimism has rubbed off on the players, and in recent weeks, he has started to turn results around. Good luck to him.

8. Shay Given

Given showed incredible bravery against West Ham, winning a 50-50 ball and getting himself hospitalised in the process. Had he chickened out of the save, it would have made little difference as we were 3-0 up at the time. Ironically, this bravery probably cost us points, as Steve Harper and Pavel Srnicek have both shown in his absence why the Irishman is such an important member of Newcastle United. On his return, Given has rescued many league points with some excellent saves.

7. Our youngsters

We have all seen Steven Taylor and Peter Ramage play for us before, and this season both players look better than ever, in particular Steven Taylor, who in recent games has been the important lynchpin of our young defence. Paul Huntington made his first start against Chelsea, and did a good job against Arjen Robben, and also managed to get an important goal against Spurs. David Edgar made his first start against Manchester United, and capped off a decent defensive performance with a shock equaliser. And who can forget Tim Krul’s outstanding ten-out-of-ten performance between the sticks against Palermo in the UEFA Cup? All of the above players have much to learn, but Newcastle supporters can be hopeful about the future.

6. Kieron Dyer

This time, Kieron Dyer seems to have put his hamstring problems behind him. Over several months, he has put a lot of effort into returning to full fitness, and he has kept much of his pace, and even seems to have returned as a more mature and intelligent player. Through his pace, some decent teamwork, and the emergence of an eye for goal, Kieron Dyer has been the catalyst for our climb out of the relegation zone towards mid-table safety.

5. Obafemi Martins

Our new number nine took a while to settle into the team, but since the return of Dyer, Martins’ performances have improved, possibly as a consequence of more space being made available for him. The Nigerian needs to work on his off the ball runs, and needs to improve his decision making, but he has demonstrated an ability to score from any position using any part of his body, and is fast becoming a crowd favourite. Ten goals at this stage of the season for a 21 year old in his first Premiership season is not bad going whatsoever.

4. Nolberto Solano

Nobby has been a revelation at right-back this season. He kept a steady head and remained error free, while at the same time he has made several important challenges, and has even got forward well to support our attacks. As ever, he has given 100% for the club he loves. While the Peruvian was at Boca Juniors, Diego Maradona described him as the best right-back in South America. You can see why.

3. Nicky Butt

Hated by his own fans, Nicky Butt was loaned out to Birmingham in 2005. When he returned this summer, the majority of our fans hoped that we could quickly get him off our wage bill. Instead, the defensive midfielder has sat on the bench without complaint, and when he was finally called upon he has put together a string of excellent performances, using his experience to marshal the defence. He has also shown an eye for a quick pass to allow the team to break forward quickly. The fans are now won over, a core section even preferring him to play in central midfield instead of our captain, Scott Parker. Well done Nicky, you have done us all proud!

2. Antoine Sibierski

Upon hearing the news of the signing of Sibierski, Newcastle fans tried laughing in an attempt to stop themselves from crying. For starters, Manchester City were happy to give away a player who was ultimately a makeshift striker sat in their reserves. From the day he joined the club however, Le Sib has been nothing but a leading example of professionalism and hard work. He hasn’t played badly either, scoring some important goals, providing a few key assists, and offering the team some kind of aerial and physical presence. He has undoubtedly worked hard on his partnership with Martins, taking some of the weight of expectation away from our new number nine. Off the field, he has been an example to all, putting the team and the fans ahead of his own personal ambitions, and always showing an incredibly positive and optimistic outlook on everything. He is undoubtedly the most humble person at the club, recently apologising to the fans for missing a chance against Manchester United even though few blamed him. Of all the players whose contracts expire at the end of the season, Antoine is the most deserving of a prolonged stay.

1. James Milner

It would be easy to feel sorry for James Milner. First, he was relegated with his beloved Leeds United. His performances however were promising enough for Sir Bobby Robson to bring him to Newcastle. However, after only a couple of games, Robson was sacked, and Milner found himself out in the footballing wilderness under new manager Graeme Souness, who famously announced to the world that “you can’t win anything with eleven James Milners.” It is said that Milner often found himself in Solano’s shadow, a claim that was proven true when Newcastle agreed to loan Milner to Aston Villa as part of the deal to bring Solano back to St. James’ Park.

On Milner’s return, Roeder tried to sell him to Aston Villa in an attempt to raise money, and at the last minute, the club backed out of the deal when they found themselves unable to spend the money the transfer would raise on other targets. Milner found himself stuck on the bench, with Solano and Duff being the first-choice wingers. In short, the treatment of James Milner by club officials has been nothing short of a disgrace, especially considering that he is still only 21. Milner however, has kept his head down and refuse to complain, instead choosing to concentrate on doing his best for Newcastle United, and over the past few months, he has been one of our best players. Subsequently, he has been the most heroic individual at the club, and deserves a big pat on the back.