There is often an argument that being relegated can do a football club wonders – You can 'start again', regain a winning mentality, and get rid of the highest paid players crippling the wage bill – the ones who failed to turn up on a Tuesday night in December down at Craven Cottage.
Newcastle United have been on the slide for years, so when they finally went down in 2009 it was no surprise. However, they have bounced straight back by winning the Championship. But do they have the same quality and impetus that they showed in 1993 when Kevin Keegan took them up from the old Division One?
Keegan’s men burst on to the Premiership scene in 1993, drawing at Manchester United thanks to a typical Andy Cole finish. Indeed, the relationship between Cole and new signing Peter Beardsley was one of the stories of the 93/94 season, leading Newcastle to a fantastic 3rd place finish in their debut Premiership season. Cole himself hit over 30 goals, in a team that would eventually go on to be labelled as ‘The Entertainers’. Keegan himself produced the most entertaining moment of this era, comically lambasting Alex Ferguson live on air in 1996, for comments the Scot had made about Stuart Pearce days earlier.
However, slowly but surely, Newcastle slowly imploded. The super-high expectations of the Geordie faithful seemed to dwarf the younger players (not literally)coming through. Alan Shearer retired and wasn’t properly replaced. The glory days of Ginola, Asprilla and Gillespie were long gone, and were replaced with depressing Saturday afternoons watching David Rozenhal, a past-his-best Nicky Butt (who only seems to be able to chip the ball in the air for inept team-mates to fail to control), and Jean Alain Boumsong. Many ‘big name’ players on big salaries also let the club down horrendously. Lee Bowyer, Emre and Michael Owen show your faces.
Managers also contributed heavily to the capitulation of the Toon Army. Ruud Gullit almost destroyed the soul of the team when he outrageously began to drop Alan Shearer, in a clear battle of egos, in which of course there was only going to be one winner. After a brief resurgence under Sir Bobby Robson, Graeme Souness (surely a catalyst for disaster) continued the downward spiral, followed by Glenn Roeder, Sam Allardyce, Keegan (again) and then even Alan Shearer. In the end it was the man who had only ever been an assistant, Chris Hughton, who turned Newcastle’s fortunes around.
Chris Hughton did a great job taking Newcastle back up, and getting rid of the dark clouds that surrounded St James Park. However, a lack of investment this summer will most likely be their downfall. Their squad is almost identical to the side that went down in 2009, and although morale will be higher than during their relegation season, there is only so far morale and determination can get you. In defence, Jose Enrique and Steven Taylor may well have earned Championship plaudits last time around, (indeed Taylor has earned comparisons to John Terry in recent years, possibly not a good thing) but they did not stand up to be counted when they were last in the Premiership. Fernando Coloccini looks the best bet to gain defensive recognition, but Newcastle have never been known for their outstanding defensive abilities – an issue Hughton will be keen to address. Otherwise Newcastle will have to rely on the reflexes of Steve Harper, Tim Krul, and Ole ‘don’t call me Steve’ Soderberg.
Their midfield lacks pace and creativity, and players like Guthrie, Smith, Nolan and Barton are arguably too similar, in ability and physique, to pose a problem for most Premiership sides. Kevin Nolan bagged 17 league goals last season, reminiscent of his free-scoring midfield days for Bolton Wanderers, but any Newcastle fan expecting to see Nolan repeat those feats regularly this season should note that Nolan hasn’t enjoyed really a good goalscoring season in the top flight since the 2005/06 season. Indeed in the 20 games that Nolan played in the 2008/09 season, he failed to score a single goal. At 28 years old, the zest of bursting into the opposition penalty area to convert a striker’s knock-down is fading fast.
Up front, Shola Ameobi still masquerades as an up and coming home-grown striker, when in reality he is now 28 years old and never looked like being the next Temuri Ketsbaia, let alone the next Alan Shearer. His young strike partner Andy Carroll, last seen in the Premiership sporting a cornrow hair cut (surely a first for a white Geordie centre-forward), showed promise as a dominant aerial striker in the Championship, but whether he will be allowed such space by defenders or indeed service from colleagues this season, is yet to be seen.
Peter Lovenkrands, Wayne Routledge and peripheral Argentina World Cup ‘star’ Jonas Gutierrez offer faint hope on the flanks for a club that had some cracking wingers in the nineties. Wayne Routledge could well be a star this season should he play regularly, but note the significance of the word ‘could’, as Routledge has not once proved himself to be able to stand out consistently at the top level.
A friend of mine who supports Newcastle commented the other day, rather nonchalantly in fact, that a mid-table finish was realistic. Wow. Expectations of Newcastle fans are often high, but surely most Newcastle fans must fear that as the squad is almost identical to the one that went down in 2009, they will be in for a tough season. They could always bring Keegan back though eh?
Showing posts with label Newcastle United. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Newcastle United. Show all posts
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Joey Barton Superstar?
THE controversial Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton yesterday revealed his belief that he is as good as anyone in the country. At first glance, it would appear that Barton has rejuvenated himself, with a droll, dry sense of humour to match. However, upon close inspection, the man Sam Allardyce once relied on to try and keep Newcastle in the Premiership (and failed), was actually truthfully stating his apparent worth to the England football cause.
Although some fans would argue that Barton would have offered England an improved tenacity in midfield than what was present in South Africa, what England were in need of most was the ability to keep possession. Both a lack of world-class technique and an aptitude to look for a short pass was the downfall of Fabio Capello’s team. (Though it doesn’t help when your defenders are out-paced by Miroslav Klose) It would take the most ardent of Newcastle United fans or even a close family member of Joey Barton to claim that he would have improved England in that area.
Barton instead is a battler, a destroyer if you will, who although showed a goalscoring streak during his Manchester City career, would not be expected to fulfill such a goal-scoring responsibility at international level. However, supporting England shouldn’t just come down to claiming an average midfield battler would do a better job than our current crop. ‘Get Batty on’ was often the desperate cry of the Elland Road faithful in 2004, though to no avail, as they saw their beloved Leeds United (and David Batty) slide out of the Premier League. Surely fans in the 21st century, who are regularly witnesses to Pro-Zone, Andy Gray's numerous on-screen gadgetry, and even Andy Townsend's 'Tactics Truck' can suggest a more innovative and intelligent tactic than just sending your enforcer on to ‘sort em out.’
At 27 years old, Barton has less than 200 top-flight appearances to his name, and he is rightly more well-known for his altercations, both and off the pitch. He is one-paced, a competent passer, not blessed with real skill, and has an awful disciplinary record. Apart from a decent shooting ability, Barton’s only real positive attribute is his ability to influence and drive on others around him. However, team-mates look to these types of players to set standards and positive examples, and they usually demand ultimate respect. One feels that Barton cannot fully gain this respect with what he has done previously in not only his career, but also his life to date.
His only real accolade to date was his one and only England cap, coming on for Frank Lampard against Spain in 2007, for just over 10 minutes. He hasn’t played for the national side since. Even ex-Bolton striker Michael Ricketts played more minutes for England, albeit just 45, in a friendly against Holland in 2002. Ricketts however, is wise not to come out in the press and laud his own abilities to the national press. Quite what Barton was thinking is somewhat-baffling, and suggests his impending return to the Premiership in August should be one to watch.
Although some fans would argue that Barton would have offered England an improved tenacity in midfield than what was present in South Africa, what England were in need of most was the ability to keep possession. Both a lack of world-class technique and an aptitude to look for a short pass was the downfall of Fabio Capello’s team. (Though it doesn’t help when your defenders are out-paced by Miroslav Klose) It would take the most ardent of Newcastle United fans or even a close family member of Joey Barton to claim that he would have improved England in that area.
Barton instead is a battler, a destroyer if you will, who although showed a goalscoring streak during his Manchester City career, would not be expected to fulfill such a goal-scoring responsibility at international level. However, supporting England shouldn’t just come down to claiming an average midfield battler would do a better job than our current crop. ‘Get Batty on’ was often the desperate cry of the Elland Road faithful in 2004, though to no avail, as they saw their beloved Leeds United (and David Batty) slide out of the Premier League. Surely fans in the 21st century, who are regularly witnesses to Pro-Zone, Andy Gray's numerous on-screen gadgetry, and even Andy Townsend's 'Tactics Truck' can suggest a more innovative and intelligent tactic than just sending your enforcer on to ‘sort em out.’
At 27 years old, Barton has less than 200 top-flight appearances to his name, and he is rightly more well-known for his altercations, both and off the pitch. He is one-paced, a competent passer, not blessed with real skill, and has an awful disciplinary record. Apart from a decent shooting ability, Barton’s only real positive attribute is his ability to influence and drive on others around him. However, team-mates look to these types of players to set standards and positive examples, and they usually demand ultimate respect. One feels that Barton cannot fully gain this respect with what he has done previously in not only his career, but also his life to date.
His only real accolade to date was his one and only England cap, coming on for Frank Lampard against Spain in 2007, for just over 10 minutes. He hasn’t played for the national side since. Even ex-Bolton striker Michael Ricketts played more minutes for England, albeit just 45, in a friendly against Holland in 2002. Ricketts however, is wise not to come out in the press and laud his own abilities to the national press. Quite what Barton was thinking is somewhat-baffling, and suggests his impending return to the Premiership in August should be one to watch.
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