By Shang

 

Oooh.... this gonna hurt. While Manchester rejoice, there's gonna be loads of heartache down Merseyside and the Midlands.
 
Pool being dislodged from the top at the stroke of death and Villa despite a gallant effort yet nothing to show for it.
 
A game of contrasting fortunes where the Devils were rather tepid while the Villains were good value for their lead in the first 70 minutes or so and inexplicably, a reversal of roles where the Villains stopped playing and the Devils came roaring back taking up the slack in the last 20.
 
Martin O'Neill would have rued how he walked away with zilch today and in the absence of Rio, Vidic, Scholes, Rooney, Berbatov, there cannot be another better opportunity to do one on Sir Alex at the Dream.
 
In what was a depleted Devils' outfit, it was clear to see the unfamiliar pairing of Neville and Evans in the centre were there for the taking and it was no surprise both Villa's goals came of headers with balls floated into the 6 yard box and a makeshift Devils' defence all statutesqued and seeming inability to deal with the aerial challenges. 
 
Be it tactical on the part of MON or Villa simply running out of puff, I thought the Villains self destructed when they decided to close shop and hang on to their lead with still a good 20 minutes or so on the clock.
 
If it was purely for tactical reasons, then I have to say it was a big big mistake, especially allowing the Devils go chasing a game at Old Trafford.
 
With the pace of Ashley, Gabby and Milner up top and the height and physique of Carew who was causing all sorts of chaos and discomfort, Villa certainly do have the players to compete and should have gone for the kill looking for a third rather than protecting what was a flimsy a goal lead.
 
With Ronaldo and Nani both averse to tracking back and lending a helping hand, it was a pretty exposed Devils' back four short on pace and vulnerable down the flanks.
 
With speed merchants Ashley and Gabby running Neville and co. ragged for most part of the game, it was not beyond Villa to go looking for another goal or so and consolidate on their lead.
 
Instead, they relinquished the initiative when in the ascendancy and let the Devils back in and it was to their detriment that they were pegged back with a backline working overtime that eventually capitulated.
 
Given Villa's lack of ambition going forward, the Devils were encouraged and morphed into a 5-3-2 or a 6-2-2, with Neville, Evans, Evra and O'Shea all taking turns going on the offensive in the final third of the pitch.
 
As is ominous of the Devils who excel and respond best in the most severe of adversity, any wonder it will be another sorry afternoon for Villa when the fourth official had the board up with 5 minutes to be added on?
 
That it was a piece of puzzling substitution from Sir Alex with the winning goal coming at the death was certainly a blow and why the Devils are at their most potent when all seemed lost.
 
While many were dumbfounded when in came a Federico Macheda strutting around, a deft drag back followed by a sweet strike with the right from the rookie 17 year old, is why Sir Alex knows best and the Devils are once more in pole and Manu are still prime to make it three Premier League titles in a row.  

 

By Shang

 

So there is justice afterall. Had Pool not walk away with 3 pips today, that would have been a travesty.
 
Call it a bar or a post, the woodwork or frame of the goal, it wasn't the Cottagers that were posing much of an obstacle but rather the above and some inspired keeping from Schwarzer that were the main stumbling block.
 
It would have been game over and a 4 to a nothing thrashing in 45 had Pool not been denied 4 times in 45 by the framework and Roy Hodgson must have been mightily relieved at how the Cottagers were still in it at the end of 45.
 
It wasn't a case of the Cottagers not showing up, but at times the football drummed up by Pool were simply unplayable and was utterly sensational and staggeringly out of this world.
 
The build-up play was excellent, the passing and movements were superb, the pace and thrust going forward were incisive and I reckon the twin strike force of Torres and Gerrard is about the best in the world now.
 
If Torres and Gerrard are deemed world class, then I have to say Xabi Alonso sitting in the middle of the park is certainly not far off.
 
Be it the crossfield diagonal passes picking out the widemen or the pinpoint raking long passes dropping nicely in front of Torres or Gerrard and that wonderful technique in striking the ball, the Spaniard just about has it all.
 
Always finding time and space to pick up a pass from the back four, almost every piece of Pool's attack goes through Alonso when he is in possession of the ball.
 
That Murphy and Etuhu were doing a decent job in the middle of the park but were still outclassed and simply could not measure up when Alonso is all poise and poetry in motion.
 
If Torres and Gerrard are largely instrumental in netting the bulk of the goals, then Alonso is the one that make both Torres and Gerrard play and the whole Pool team tick.
 
As for the others, even the much maligned Dossena was pretty impressive and not out of place in his makeshift left midfield role and could have netted a double had the framwork not get in the way.
 
Collectively, it was classy on the eyes, charismatic on the ball, composure in face of adversity and competence in duress to deliver a result. A thoroughly commanding performance from Pool albeit without the usual avalanche of goals.
 
As for Fulham, Roy Hodgson just about got his gameplan right staying patient and retaining possession. Trading punches with Pool in their free flowing attacking game as Villa found out would have self-inflicted and been suicidal.
 
A soak and strike on the counter strategy was always the way to go and even then with a Pool team in full flight and incessant pressure coming from all directions, eventually something has to give and there is only so much a woodwork or a framework can do.
 
That the difference between a pip or all 3 pips was down to an inspired piece of substitution with an Israelian coming on for a Dutchman was unfathomable given Benitez's stubborness in persisting with his favourite workhorse.
 
That victory came in the dying moments not with Torres or Gerrard finding the winner but a Benayoun delivering the killer make it that much sweeter.
 
Just as we were about to resign to the fact that Pool did everything they could but score, persistence and perseverance finally pay off and there is justice afterall.
 
Just as we thought it will be an afternoon where Pool will despair much to the delight of Sir Alex, Pool showed they will not give up without giving it their all.
 
Just as I thought the league is no more of a contest only a few weeks ago, certainly the heat is on and the race is back.
 
Just as I suspect Sir Alex might have been watching with eagle eyes today, show us what you got Fergie cos ball is now in your court.

 

By Shang

 

The hottest place to be is probably down Tyne if only a spare ticket is to be had.
 
With favourite son Shearer at the helm, it's no exaggeration St James Park would have been filled 2 times over with all of Geordieland galvanised and coming together as one.
 
Alas, it was not to be, another defeat and the Magpies are staring down the abyss and another afternoon of disappointment and despair.
 
What is clear to see, the Magpies simply do not have a squad nor the quality to compete, not against any of the Big Four anyway.
 
Up against what I thought was effectively an understrength Chelsea outfit, the Magpies were poor defensively, fragmented and abysmal across the middle, resulting in a toothless attack up top.
 
Sure there were lots of determination and defiance on the part of the Magpies, but in this league you  need more than grit and graft to win a game.
 
Without having to be at their best, the Blues were still a class apart with Lampard particularly outstanding with his craft and creativity and single-handedly ran the show.
 
It was simply shocking seeing Lampard given so much time and space and the complete freedom to prompt and prod with no one picking him up.
 
While Butt was making tackles all over the pitch and throwing his body for a cause, there was no direction in the centre with Nolan out of his league be it the orchestrator or the enforcer in the middle of the park.
 
Devoid of any services up top, both Owen and Martins have had to drop deep to retrieve, but without the pace nor the physicality to cover the final third of the pitch, it was all too easy and pretty routine for Terry and Alex sitting in front of Cech.
 
Once again, it was the defence that caved in, albeit a makeshift one in the absence of Bassong and Steven Taylor, but it was still unforgivable the manner they wilted and crumbled.
 
Without an authoritative figure to command and control, Coloccini was alarmingly vulnerable and mainly culpable. As the last man in defence, he should know better than to need too many touches when the ball is there to be cleared. A very poor goal to concede or should I say a gift.
 
As to the second from Malouda, it is simply unacceptable how Ryan Taylor was beaten so easily on the turn in what I thought was a pretty one pace and pedestrian Malouda. Pretty slipshod defending and two cheap goals to give away.
 
Much as I hate to disagree, Shearer should do well to realise and not kid himself that Owen will be the one regularly knocking in the goals and keep the Magpies afloat.
 
Undoubtedly, the pace is gone and the legs are waning and yet we keep living in the past. Truth is the Owen today is no longer the one that used to terrorise defenders 10 years ago.
 
We keeping hearing shouts of just stick it into the box and Owen will do the rest but in reality, when was the last time he really turn it on and get it done when up against classier defenders, say a Rio and Vidic, Terry and Carvalho or a Carragher and Skrtel?
 
With the right level of service accorded and against the lesser lights, he may still be one of the best fox in the box but on his own or a defender on him, we know it is all uphill and a big ask.
 
All said, the loss today is not something unexpected but most importantly, the Magpies need to stay positive and turn it on when up against the teams around them.
 
Like I say, there are still points to be picked up and enough games left to be out of the rut.
 
With Geordie hero Shearer in full voice and all of Tyne behind, it's time to step forward and make it count.

 

By Shang

 

My love affair with Newcastle United Football Club date back to a decade and a half or so ago.
 
Not exactly my favourite, but just as many who have the Magpies down as their alternative team, waking up on a Sunday morning and looking out at how the Magpies had fare the day before has been a ritual for years.
 
It maybe for sentimental reasons in how the Magpies inexplicably imploded and threw away a 12 points lead back in 1995 that brought Tyneside into a state of mourning.
 
It maybe Keegan who gave a new meaning to the term unorthodox with his philosophy of "if we concede three behind, we will go out and score four up top" brand of attacking football.
 
It maybe the wing play of the G force of Ginola and Gillespie that brought with it the endless hours of sheer bliss and joy that had me in a frenzy.
 
Or simply the gregarious nature of the Geordies who made me feel welcome and started talking football over a pint at the local on my very first trip down at the Tyne. 
 
Now things are not looking up or to be circumspect, things are certainly dire.
 
To be out of the running for a place in Europe is if anything but a norm these days, but to have relegation staring in the face and possibly going down is a hard one to take and something the Geordie Nation can barely accept.
 
Many will have it down as Mike Ashley bottling it big time and largely responsible for the current state of affairs.
 
The instability that came about with the departure of Keegan, the refusal to loosen the purse strings and bring in big name players, the continental structure of the club, that recruitment policy where the Director of Football will have the final say and a whole host of whatever reasons.
 
While many are baying for blood, I thought the only mistake Ashley made was the day he decided to commit and take ownership of Newcastle Football Club.
 
In all honesty, I felt Ashley had been forthright and honourable in his duties and gave as much as he could where Sir John Hall was making a mess of it.
 
When Newcastle FC was down at the abyss, they needed a saviour and in came Ashley, an out and out Geordie, an unassuming bloke who believes in sharing a pint in the stands, who came forward and put his heart and soul into it.
 
It is pretty obvious that the club will never be run along the lines of the Manus or the Chelseas where cash will be splashed and money is nothing and spend for free.
 
The blueprint has always been that funds are limited and establishing an efficient scouting network and developing young talent is the way to go, something along the lines of Wenger and Arsenal FC.
 
Even then where cash is limited and having to balance the books, Ashley did loosen the purse strings and in came a whole host of players. Coloccini, Bassong, Gutierrez, Barton, Beye, Lovenkrand, Ryan Taylor, Enrique, Guthrie, etc. albeit average, but players good enough to keep the Magpies in the Premiership.
    
The Geordie Nation wanted Big Sam out and Keegan in and Ashley relented and we have the return of the prodigal son.
 
Now Ashley is definitely no Abramovich or a Mubarak Al Khaldoon, so just as there is an influx of players, there must also be a selloff to keep the club afloat and most importantly, Ashley has a case in trying to rid of certain players.
 
While we know Keegan and Ashley were at loggerheads over any sale, can Keegan make a case for any of these?
Mark Viduka - does he even play for Newcastle?
Alan Smith - a striker but when was the last time he score a goal?
Joey Barton - at 60 grand a week, but how many games has he play?
Michael Owen - at 100 grand or so a week and a contract running down, are you getting value for money where perpetually he is a fixture in the treatment room?
Geremi - what exactly does he do?
 
Given Keegan's record in the transfer market and penchance for spending big, much as I agree that the manager should have the final say in who comes in and who goes out, I have to say i'm in the camp of Ashley on this one.
 
Which leads me to Dennis Wise, the Director of Football. What exactly has Wise done to be crucified and be such a hated figure on Tyne?
 
If his job entails the scouting of promising young players on the cheap and bringing them over to Tyneside, he is merely doing what he is paid to do. If he is told that he will have the final say as to who to bring in and who to ship out, he is simply following the rules and doing his job as best as he can.
 
The only problem I can envisage is instead of operating out of London, Wise should have based himself in Tyne where maintaining dialogue and communication with the gaffer is the norm and way to go.
 
As for the gaffer, Mike Ashley has been berated for bringing in Joe Kinnear where I will readily admit is out of his league in the Premiership. But with an owner looking to sell and a club in disarray, which decent manager would have taken the job?
 
JFK took it cos he was happily gallivanting and out of job, so what has he got to lose? With the incentive of an obscene payout should he keep the Magpies up and a few hundred grand a game, anyone in a normal frame of mind and out of work would have jumped at it.
 
Now that JFK is in recuperation, Ashley has been lambasted for leaving Newcastle FC rudderless and failing to bring in another manager. Frankly, who can he bring in and who will want to come?
 
Surely any decent manager will steer clear or will only take the job if an exorbitant amount of money is to be paid upfront, but is there money to be spare?
 
Should results panned out on the field and the Magpies stay up, Ashley would have 2 managers on his book and will probably have to spare another mio quid or so on JFK as severance and keep the new man.
 
But in light of the credit crunch and having lost a few hundred mio quid of his fortune, is that how Ashley wants to manage his cash flow?
 
The Geordie Nation want Ashley out and Mike relented, doing the honourable thing of scouring the globe for buyers and will only sell out if he knows NUFC will be in good hands.
 
Unfortunately given the current credit crisis, there are no buyers to be had and once more Ashley is stuck with NUFC.
 
Even then, whatever money was to be had from the sale of Given and N'Zogbia, he ploughed it back and brought in Nolan, Ryan Taylor and Lovenkrand to strengthen the team.
 
By all accounts, Mike Ashley for me has been an honourable man and did as best as he could with the interests of NUFC at heart.
 
While many have been bitching and whining, honestly how many individuals would have put in as much money and effort as Ashley has done? And I stressed, it is individual and not a consortium we are talking about. Not an Abu Dhabi Group or a Hicks and Gillett collaboration nor a Glazer where ownership came about with more debts put on the club.
 
Like I say, the only mistake Ashley made if there was one, was the day he committed himself and took ownership.
 
For better or for worse, I implore all you Geordies to forgive and forget and get behind Mike and NUFC. Burn the bridges and bury the hatches and give the Toon Army one final lift, one more push.
 
There are still games and points to be picked up. Forget the upcoming ties against the Chelseas or the Pools, but get stuck in at St James when Portsmouth, Boro and Fulham come a visit.
 
These are winnable games or should I say must win games, so stand united behind the team and sing your hearts out. 38 points and a draw or so should see the Toon Army through.
 
Like what this rotund bloke who so proudly declare over a pint on my very first trip at the Tyne, "We Geordies will live for St James and I will die a Toon."

 

By Shang