|
|
WHAT A WEEK! 23-8-05
From a personal perspective, this week had the potential to be one of the best weeks of my life. It turned out to be a week in which the potential was never fulfilled.
I'll make it brief. Monday saw England draw the third test, which could cost us the Ashes. Wednesday saw a trip to York races end with me down on the money I started with.
On Thursday morning I got a slightly disappointing AS-level result and on Thursday night I couldn't sleep because of an interesting phone call that took place until 2am. Friday? Well that was the day I failed my driving test...
So Saturday came.
The last chance to save an otherwise awful week was, for the first time out of my hands. Only Steve McClaren and his trusty men could rescue this week and get a result away at Spurs.
But, just as this game was out of my hands, the ball was too often out of Mark Schwarzer's. A clumsy 2-0 defeat followed. What a week.
Should Schwarzer have saved from Defoe and Mido? Yes. Should the game have been wrapped up comfortably by the time Mido scored? Yes. But where does the blame lie?
Steve McClaren has taken a lot of the stick, and I can see why. Leaving Viduka on the bench? What's all that about? He is clearly a threat and the best striker we have at the club.
He is the only one whose signature is being chased by other clubs and he's a genuine twenty goal a season striker.
Why is Jimmy Hasselbaink getting a game every week? I would love someone to tell me what he brings to the team, and "experience" doesn't count. With Jimmy, if he's onside, his arse could well be three or four yards off. He's not even scoring goals.
And what the hell was the boss thinking on Saturday when taking off Matthew Bates and bringing on the attacking menace of Doriva? We were carving Spurs apart at 4-4-2 and they were offering very little by way of attack.
All that was missing was the finishing touch in front of goal. When Doriva came on it almost killed the game. If it's not broken, don't fix it.
The players have also got to ask questions of themselves. Downing and Hasselbaink both went close but should have scored. George Boateng had a glorious chance to score and didn't but to score goals isn't his job.
If these players had stuck their chances away, the game would have swung in our favour and I really believe we would have won it from there. It's not just the strikers who are to blame for the lack of goals. Midfielders have to take their chances too.
Schwarzer's errors were awful, but as James Bassett said on Monday, let's not forget his heroics at Man City last May. I have full faith in him. He makes the odd mistake but find me a keeper in this league that doesn't.
Over the years he has been a good servant to this club and I urge the fans not to get on his back. At the end of the day he's going to play in goal every week, and getting at him will affect the team's chances of winning.
We no longer have a central midfielder to score ten goals a season. Whereas last year it was Zenden who arrived from midfield to score, it's now Boateng. His goal scoring record in recent years hardly breeds confidence.
For this one, I blame McClaren. After all, he has only had since January to find a replacement for Zenden. If we don't get someone before the end of the transfer window, we can kiss our chances of qualifying for Europe again this year goodbye.
The Spurs result wasn't good but having said all that I have, the second half performance was encouraging. We need goals though, starting at Birmingham tonight.
The game being so soon after Spurs gives us the perfect chance to bounce back. Birmingham lost at home to Man City on Saturday and will be looking to get their season going, so it's not going to be easy.
Again, I'd take a draw but this time as a minimum. We've got to go to these places looking for the three points if we are to be genuine contenders for Europe.
By this time last season we had only one point, Newcastle having luckily escaped with a draw and Arsenal needing to score 5 times at home to beat us. We went to Fulham needing to win and get the season started, and did, 2-0.
I predict the same again, 2-0, although exactly where the goals are going to come from, I just don't know.
Last season, we lost at Birmingham and Spurs and look at how high we finished. Defeat tonight isn't the end of the world as we know it. Our season doesn't hinge on tonight's came, but it would be nice to get our first win.
Before I end, Newcastle managed to scrape a point at home to Premiership newcomers West Ham. I know these words will come back to haunt me when West Ham beat us both home and away, but I couldn't resist.
It was nice to see some fair play from Graeme Souness who must have disagreed with Paul Konchesky's red card, as he brought on Lee Clark to even things up.
No goals at home to West Ham though eh? Never mind. Oh by the way, I saw Nicky Butt scored this weekend for his new club, and that Laurent Robert fella scored a tasty goal for his too. At least there are some Geordies who still know where the net is, ey Souey?
At last, a reprieve from the week of hell...
Same time next week. UP THE BORO!
BACK TO ROCKLIFFE FILES INDEX
|
|
|
|
