|
|
WE CAN SHUT OUT THE GEORDIES 1-3-07
Tom Warnock
Well well, lots to mull over and discuss in this weeks column isn't there! We've had a league victory which keeps us in touch with the top half, a debut from our January signing and an almost debut goal, and we're into the last eight of the FA Cup. Almost forgot to mention the fact we'll be attempting to complete a double over the skunks on Saturday.
I emphasised the importance last week of beating Reading and that if we were to have any hope of sneaking a European slot it was vital. It brings us three points closer to them and we now lie eight behind them. It's a big ask to overhaul this amount with just ten games to go. Not least because two teams below us have games in hand. If Villa and Manchester City were to pick up maximum points we could drop two positions.
All I'm concerned about is that we still have something to play for right up until the end of the season. Let's get into the last three or four games of the season within touching distance of a European spot. This should be one place extra after the finalists of the Carling Cup will both qualify, but it's so complicated how they allocate extra places, I daren't venture into that discussion just yet.
The form of the strikers got our season back on track, and it's they who continue to win us games. Make no mistake our results would be significantly worse without Viduka and Yakubu. The game against Reading threatened to be another rout after our early goal. Despite the score being 2-1 it was a game we always looked like winning, and we had the chances to make it more.
New signing Lee Dong-Gook finally made his debut and he showed us a glimpse of what he can do. He looks hungry and lively and his debut and follow up appearance at West Brom were both promising.
It was a relief to finally make it to the next round of the FA Cup. It was always going to be a very tough game, and West Brom will feel they deserved more than a one goal lead at half-time. We just didn't turn up in the first half, but did well to quell their attacks and keep it to just the one. Brad Jones should be disappointed for their goal as he should have been able to anticipate the shot and at least make some effort to save it.
Dong-Gook had a great chance to win the tie when the ball broke to him. His finishing hasn't been great on the chances he's had but its early days and we all know once the first goal for a new club comes, more usually follow. He looks to be a better option than a Malcolm Christie or a Jason Euell, and offers something different to our first choice partnership.
In the league, we can leap frog the Geordies by getting a long awaited victory at Sid James Park. I'm sure like me you've stopped counting the years gone by since we last won there and all we care about is beating them.
We came within seconds of doing it last season, but in true jammy Geordie fashion they thwarted us at the last second. This time it can be different. With our strikers and the return of Woodgate to SJP, we can shut them out at one end and do just enough at the other to win the game and complete a famous double.
Victory there would be oh so sweet. Its one thing doing it at home but when your in that away end, the look on the Geordie's face when we put one in the net is why we become football fans. I believe we're better than them, and Saturday is a perfect chance to prove it.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE NEW HOLGATE MESSAGE BOARD
BACK TO WATSON AND WARNOCK INDEX
|
|
|
|
