Season review? Nah, i'll give it a pass.....

Was thinking of writing up a season review but after reflecting on what has been a season of disappointment, internal problems on and off the pitch and underperforming players, i decided not to waste my time on it. I know it is my team for almost 15 years and all that but that feeling of huge disappointment in me just took its toll. I'm sure all newcastle fans understand what i'm going through. We are all going through the same thing. For those who hasn't got the slightest idea of what i'm trying to say, don't bother trying to understand because if you ain't a football fan, you won't understand.

In my opinion, i can't see the dark grey skies hovering St James Park clearing anytime soon. From reports and end of season reports from various websites, i just have that feeling of resignation that it will be another long, hard season for us lot again. Bellers is gone. According to Souness that is. Insisting that he will never play for him again. That are some stats about him. Later on that......

Aaron hughes might also be on the way out. Geez man. I can't believe they are selling him. He may not be world class but he does his job when required and always do his best. Robert may soon follow suit. One person who is out is Patrick Kluivert. The most disappointing player this season, period. High hopes at the start of the campaign but nothing to show for. I was so excited at his arrival that i thought this is it. Its our time now, coupled with the Nicky Butt, James Milner and Stephen Carr signings. But i wasn't to be. And with news over the sale of Woodgate and the supposedly bid for Wayne Rooney when clearly we needed a centre back, i could sense that all is not well. And unfortunately i was right. At the end of August with 2 points and 2 losses, Sir Bobby was sacked. He had lost it. The players, the plot, everything. From that onwards, it was always going to be a long hard struggle throughout the season and it proved.

Well, i'm going to stop right here because its just no use going through the whole season. Its just painstaking to do so. Souness has got to do something about the situation. If he doesn't, then things are just going to get worse. We can all hope. One thing sure remains though, we will all continue to support the team through the good and bad times. And by god we will.

PS: Below are some links about players statistics:

Toon Players Ratings for season 2004/05

Stats of Key Players

There the season goes, again......

Not a bad result to end your season with. A 1-1 draw with the champions didn't seem to be a bad result. But the final league standings shows an appalling 14th place finish. Didn't reflect to good on the season does it. The match was as good as a pre-season outing with chelsea intend on not going out of first gear while we were playing for pride or not to finish lower than 13th. I'm not sure if those were on the players minds. As usual, the team started with a bunch of youngsters who didn't do too badly either. Even the start of the game was bizarre, Jose Mourinho grabbing his former left-back Celestine Babayaro and insisting that the Nigerian international join the Chelsea ranks when United clapped them on to the field.

As for the game itself, United finally scored a home Premiership goal for the first time since Robert's free-kick against Liverpool on March 5 - a total of 323 minutes of football ago. United's lead came courtesy of an own goal, Geremi robbing Titus Bramble of his first Premiership goal for the club by knocking in an Alan Shearer flick-on from Charles N'Zogbia's corner kick. The players were even embarrased to celebrate the goal. Like the same failings througout the season, we again succumbed to concending a goal when we take the lead. Only this time it came from a penalty. Unfortunately, Babayaro gave the Chelsea fans something to be grateful to him for when he got the wrong side of Eidur Gudjohnsen to give acting skipper Frank Lampard the chance to equalise from the penalty spot within a couple of minutes of United's opener.

Another game with the headlines grabbed by the referee. Fussy Yorkshire referee Howard Webb managed to book no fewer than eight players - four from each side - in a low-key match. Another referee who is trying to hard to be hated by us. Then there is Laurent Robert. The Frenchman got the biggest cheer of the day when, at the end of the game, he climbed off the substitutes bench and threw his shirt top, vest, boots, socks and shorts into the crowd. And what about Patrick Kluivert? The Dutchman ended up with 13 goals in his first - and last - season in a black-and-white shirt. Yet every fan in that stadium yesterday must have known that had he applied himself to the talents he has then Kluivert would surely have bagged twice as many goals.

So in the end, we found out that Birmingham City had moved above us by beating Arsenal in the last minute and Fulham did likewise because they scored six against Norwich City. Unbelievable. Talk about running out of luck. However, at least we did not lose, thanks mainly to another breathtaking save from Shay Given six minutes from time. And once again youngsters N'Zogbia and James Milner showed that they can live with the champions.

But at the end of the season there are 51 points between United and Chelsea and everyone of us will be hoping to see four or five top-quality signings(or perhaps more) in the summer to get us challenging for a Champions League place next season. Bring on the summer.....

Toon Players Ratings vs Chelsea

Pre match: Newcastle vs Chelsea

One more game and its back to the drawing board, again. Holidays will be cut short or it should be cancel as most of the players deserved it. A season which started out as a promising one but ends up with kicks on our asses. Well, i'll probably discuss more about this season in our season review at the end of the season, in my next posting. But back to this week's finale of the premier league. Chelsea is back in town for the 3rd time. They have beaten us once while we have beaten them once too. There's really nothing for either side to play for. My guess is that they will probably field a second team but then again, their second team is as good as anyone's first team. Geez.....

We have one last chance to show that we still have something to show for despite a disastrous season. Well, actually its not us, but souness. Its not like his head is on the chopping block but if the team plays like a bunch of drunken sailors(from what we have seen this season) then the fans(us) will get on his back to make this summer's rebuilding plans more nervy and edgy, for my souness himself. Back to the game then, we as usual, are missing key so-called first team players. I'm not sure if souness would give harper a chance in goal. But i wouldn't mind giving given a chance to rest. In defence, i would prefer to see taylor partnering boumsong but i think souness would prefer bramble over taylor. Taylor would probably fill in at left or right back if babayaro or carr is unfit. And we do have ramage as cover. As far as next season is concern, i would prefer one or two defenders coming in although we do have bigger problems in other positions.

Milner, N'zogbia and Ambrose might get another chance(or last chance) to show what they've got. Having said that, its not like they are leaving anytime soon. Even robert is not getting a look in. During last week's match against Everton, the camera was focusing on robert, sitting on the bench and i was just wondering what he was thinking. He looked like a sad lonely figure. I will definitely miss him if he goes. He has done so much for us but then again he has so much to frustrate everyone at the club. I hope the fans show their appreciation for what he's done at this club by giving him a good reception. Despite what Souness and others say, I think he really loves the club and will be sad to leave.

I thought Michael Chopra may have got a start, but obviously the manager feels he's better off with Kluivert and Shearer up front. Is it the last we'll see of Kluivert as well? New reports are saying that the previous reports about him leaving at the end of the season is untrue. Paddy and Big Al have had a strange partnership up front. Sometimes they look dangerous but other times they look static and predictable. Let's hope we see a refreshed Shearer hoping to make one final mark at the end of a disappointing season for him.

I'm not sure how upped are our players are but if we do play to our potential and continue the work from the previous weeks, i for once think that we can nick this one. 1 nil to us and hopefully shearer or milner will break their duck.

Toon Players Rating vs Everton

Shay Given: 7 Did well to keep us in the game with some saves but didn't had much to do really.

Titus Bramble: 7 Had a good game without much trouble only for some wayward passes and sometimes panicked when opponents closed him down.

Jean-Alain Boumsong: 8 Getting better and better with each game. Looked solid with no problems whatsoever.

Celestine Babyaro: 6 Doesn't looked injured for once but i think we need a better left back than him.

Stephen Carr: 6 Did ok but had some prolems with kilbane runs but didn't have much joy attacking wise.

Darren Ambrose: 6 Cover the most of the ground but for nothing really. Hey, at least he's trying to prove something. Should have scored in the first half.

Charles N'Zogbia: 7 Did his best. I'm sure Robert could learn a thing or two.

James Milner: 7 Made some good runnings and combined well with kluivert and ameobi. But still lack the finishing and final ball.

Jermaine Jenas: 7 Did well on his return. Not a natural holding midfielder which sometimes leaves the back four exposed.

Patrick Kluivert: 6 Could and should have scored with his chances. Linked up well wiith the midfielders and with ameobi. But is this the end of his toon career?

Shola Ameobi: 7 Up until his sending off. Did well on the left wing. Closing down well and link play with kluivert was good. The swipe at Cahill was just too stupid.


Substitutes:

Peter Ramage: 6 Replaced the injured Carr and did well. Had some nervy moments but handled it well. He is not a right back at trade by the way.

Alan Shearer: 5 Hardly touch the ball or didn't at all. Couldn't do much with predicament. Bellamy might have been a more effective substitute. He ain't here at all.

Boss Man:

Graeme Souness: 7 A good plan with a solid formation. Everything was going according to plan until Barry Knight's intervention. His post match interview was kinda depressing. Didn't really know anything new to say. I think he just wants this season to end and start afresh. I do hope he has some kind of plan for renewed optimism next season.

Champions league? We're having a laugh...

Another miserable away match, which is self-inflicted and the referee the main talking point. How many times do we have to suffer everytime we have an away match. Playing well until a point where the referee made a bad decision or lack of discipline and self inflicted wounds coming back to haunt us. This time the culprit is Shola Ameobi.

I wouldn't say Everton deserves to be in the champions league but they are at 4th spot aren't they? Throughout the season, Everton have always depended on hard work, the referee and luck. Lots of it until there aren't too many for the rest of the team to use especially us. Lady luck hasn't shine on us since the beginning of the season. So this results didn't surprise me at all. We had the home team ragged and looked like an averaga team. Well, they are an average team, no doubt.

Yet again we had chances to score and win it and yet again we fail to take it and were punished. Their first goal came from a free kick which wasn't a free kick in the first place. Boumsong adjuged to have foul Bent. Everyone thought there wasn't anything on it but the ref, Barry Knight, thought otherwise. And by the way, this is the same referee that sent off Bowyer, Dyer and Taylor in the game against Villa a t home. We lost the match 3 nil with him having a bad game. Poor decisions costing us that day and again, it proved that lighting do strike twice. Geez....

So free kick given, and David Weir was given a free header to head home the first goal albeit against the run of play. N'zogbia was the guarding the far post and could have done better. Again we see the naivity of an 18 year old :( After the goal, felt like we've kicked in the teeth. But we've been kicked so many times before that there's nothing much left really. Second half resumed with us tryign to get a goal until a moment of madness from Ameobi. He took a senseless swipe at Tim Cahill( i would have done the same thing) and received a straight red card. Cahill promptly went up the other end and made it 2-0. Cahill should imho, been off too. Not from a straigth red but for a second yellow card. He lunged stupidly at Given and got away with it. He should have gotten a yellow there plus the yellow he got from tugging Ameobi. Right there, the referee has made a blunder and imo cost us the game. Cahill is another little wanker and be sure he will receive a hot reception when he comes to our place next season. He might be technically sound(not gifted) but his attitude and character is just rotten.

Once again Newcastle fans had a grandstand view of our self-inflicted stupidity and a ref who clearly dislikes us was given the bullets to fire at us. A fitting way to end a miserable season on the road and disgracefully the defeat means we are certain to finish in the bottom half of the Premiership with 15th position still possible.

Team: Given, Carr (Ramage 45), Boumsong, Bramble, Babayaro, Ambrose, N'Zogbia, Jenas, Milner (Shearer 82), Ameobi, Kluivert.
Subs n/u: Andrew O'Brien, Harper, Robert.

Booked: Kluivert.

Sent Off: Ameobi (56).

Everton Martyn, Hibbert, Yobo, Weir, Watson, Carsley, Bent (McFadden 74), Cahill (Stubbs 89), Arteta, Kilbane, Ferguson (Beattie 63).
Subs n/u: Wright, Pistone.

Booked: Carsley, Cahill, Arteta.

Goals: Weir 43, Cahill 59.

Crowd: 40,438

Referee: Barry Knight (Kent).

Pre Match: Everton vs Newcastle

The 3-1 win at Fulham on Wednesday finally gave us something to cheer about as we head to our last away game of the 2004-2005 season. Good news on the injury front gives renewed optimism going into this match, but against an Everton side desperate for Champions League qualification at the rather amusing expense of their rivals makes this game a tricky one.

Bowyer returns from his suspension, but according to assistant manager Alan Murray has a 'niggle' and might not play. With the season running out of games, have we seen the last of Bowyer? Jenas and Babayaro return to the squad after injury and the unexpected return of Bramble mid-week gave the defence a boost. Shearer also returns after his rest.

The return of the injured players (and Shearer) gives Souness a selection dilemma as to whether to persevere with the youngsters who have impressed many, or to return to the players that have let us down many times this season. At left back, I expect Babayaro to return. This is very harsh on Taylor, who although out of position again performed well and is having a good debut season. Baa gives us left-footed balance, but personally I'd rather see a player with hunger and desire playing there (blimey, I'm sounding like Graeme Souness!).

In midfield, the trio of Milner, Ambrose and N'Zogbia did well again, all contributing in the way of goals or assists. The crosses by Milner and N'Zogbia against Fulham were excellent and they really don't deserve to be dropped. Ambrose is scoring goals from midfield - something our other midfielders have a tendency not to do. To recall Jenas at the expense of one of these three would be extremely harsh. In recent months JJ has been poor and I can't think of any reason, especially in and end of season match, to recall him.

Up front, Kluivert and Ameobi did well on Wednesday, and like the three midfielders they both made telling contributions. Shearer returns though and I expect him to play this one, although who will partner him (if anyone) is anyone's guess. Souness must have realised by now that Shearer and Ameobi just don't work up front alongside each other, and because of this I'd give Kluivert another chance. He's not impressed me much this season, but he was good on Wednesday and even Alan Oliver had praise for him! There is no harm in giving him another chance, we all know about Shola after all.

To win this one, we need our wingers to get the ball into the box once more. There is nothing to lose for us here, but Everton have everything to lose. They'll probably be a bit nervous and we should get at them. If our pacy players run at them it will worry them and put them under pressure. At the other end, the return of the Boumsong-Bramble partnership is good news and I hope it retains the level of quality it had before Titus' injury. Everton are strong at set-pieces so we'll have to be on guard.

With Everton fighting for a champions league spot and we're fighting for pride, i think Everton will fight for everything like what they have done throughout this season. However pressure will be on them to win tonight so i wouldn't be surprise if we can get a goal. 1-1 shouldn't be too bad for us eh :)

Finally...

Finally our winless drought had come to an end, with the help of a very very poor Fulham side which happened to beat Everton 2 nil on the weekend. The win puts us up to 12th spot with a chance to get the tenth place. But it will take some sort of a miracle to get that now.

After witnessing our inept ability to score in the past two games, we finally got it right with Ambrose's goal. The lively Charles N'Zogbia sped his way past his marker to dig out a high cross which James Milner nodded down for Ambrose, with the ball taking a deflection on it's way. The midfielder swung his right-foot at the ball and drove home from 8-yards out. From then onwards, we control the game despite some misplaced passes courtesy of Amdy Faye, most of the time. But not to say that the others didn't either. Fulham did have one or two more chances but not really clear cut chances. The 2nd half began with us controlling and getting the all important 2nd goal. Kluivert heading home an N'Zogbia corner on the hour mark, capping of a steady performance. Just hope he gets to start against Everton and prove himself against. Its a last chance saloon for him now.

With 15 minutes left Ameobi made it 3-0 with a rare headed goal, his first in the League since January, this time Milner providing the cross. After some poor displays from previous games, Ameobi did quite well in this game and deservedly got a goal. Got stucked in at the left wing and played quite well, compared to previous games that is. But still, his poor control and dribbling skills needs to improve. Souness has spoken out about his disappointment with Shola. Perhaps, Bellamy could teach him a thing or two.

3 goals up and all over. We just needed to keep ball and play around but as the newcastle that we are, keeping 3 straight clean sheets is just too much to ask. With just under 5 minutes to go, Milner lost out in midfield to Liam Rosenior who threaded a perfectly weighted ball through to former Toon target Tomasz Radzinski with the Canadian running onto it and side footing home past Shay Given. Bramble just failing to cut it out before the striker could get onto it. This created a frentic finale with Given needed to make a superb save from Brian McBride at the end. In the end, we picked up a deserved 3 points and it was about god damn time we did.

Toon Players Ratings vs Fulham