It has been a difficult week for the club. What would have settled thing nicely would have been a home victory against a team which weren't exactly threatening the highest reaches of the table last season. Instead, though not surprisingly given that this is Newcastle United, the problems just seem worse as we capitulated to a first home defeat of 2004. The fact we really should have won this game doesn't help---it just seems to show how nothing ever quite goes right for this club.
For the first half we essentially controlled the game; the ball just didn't end up in the net. Paul Robinson was given plenty of opportunity to show why some, myself included, believe he should be the first choice England keeper. Bellamy was a constant threat and the protective presence of Butt seems to have given Jenas the freedom to be a threatening attacking force (the whole Dyer situation and his desire to prove his worth in that central midfield position won't have hurt either). We were somewhat unfortunate to go in level (and yes it is a worry that again I'm talking about our poor luck). That was the good bit, Newcastle as we hope they are---possibly not at the best but certainly not bad. Then came the second half.
It could be that we were just getting into our stride again when the goal came but certainly after that goal we weren't the team of the first half. It was quite some goal from Atouba, cutting in from the left to finish when the danger seemed well contained. It must be noted that the warning had been there in the first half, not so much in terms of quality of shot---his previous efforts had been badly off target---but in the fact that he had been getting the opportunity to make those poor attempts. The goal seemed to mark the point where we completely forgot how to play. Robert, who had done little in the first half other than cross and take corners badly, did even less than that. His ineffectualness seemed to rub off on Milner on the opposite side of the pitch as he vanished. The first half threat had always been mainly Jenas's strong running and Bellamy. The running stopped and Bellamy rarely found the space or service of the first half. We had a few semi-chances, mainly balls floating aimlessly over the box, but were never the first half team.
A triple substitution quarter of an hour away from the end smelt of desperation for something to come off more than anything. In fact the shape of the team was broken even more by it. Perhaps it is time to consider putting Kluivert on for Shearer or Bellamy a bit earlier, rather than ending up with three or four strikers getting in each others way. It made little difference.
Fortunately there is another chance when Norwich visit on Wednesday. We need to win that one, against a team fresh enough from promotion to still be considered lower league. The club has to move on this week, away from the events of the last few days. A mid-week victory would help achieve the right mind set for that. Let's hope for one, eh.
(@21:08)
