When we don't have the ball we at times look a complete shambles. We can't hold a two goal lead at home. When they forget themselves, which is all too often, the defence looks like it doesn't know what day it is. I know, let's buy a striker.
£20 million bid for Rooney. At least it shows ambition. The only trouble is it's difficult to understand why he would want to join a team who can't win a game never mind a trophy. Not only that, but the only player currently really on form, and incidentally once of our opponents tonight, decides to publicly announce in a post match interview that, should we get our man, he'd have to consider his position. The fact he decides to say this in public, on live television is just typical of Newcastle. We seem to have the worst PR machine in the world. If we can make ourselves look foolish, or wash our linen in public, then we will. Bellamy has a point though. We already have two strikers on the pitch (granted it's Shearer's last season but still) and another two sat on the bench. We have at times had all four on the pitch. The problem a lot of fans have is understanding why we don't take our twenty million (or 23.5, or however much it's up to by now) and spend it on some central defenders.
Anyway, there was a game tonight, between episodes of the soap opera which is the Toon. Norwich were promoted last season as first division champions (that brings back memories, the only cup I've seen us lift...) That doesn't, with all due respect, make them premier class. Given the problems of the past week or so, we really needed a win. Of course we didn't get it. It seems to be turning out worse than last season. Now we're losing away and drawing at home.
The first half was fairly even. While Norwich were playing well, it that does tell you how poor we seem to have become. Our ex-player Huckerby should have scored near the start, the inability of our defence to concentrate (and the seeming inability of our players to stay on their feet, both this game and the last) once again evident. At the end of the half it was their ex-player who gave us a barely deserved lead, with a shot fortuitously bobbling its deflected route into goal. We'd actually had one chalked off for the ball being dubiously ruled to have went over the byline, but we really could have little complaint had we went in level.
Having got the lead we should have come out second half on fire and ready to rush through a weak Norwich defence. Instead we struggled again. Like the first half Robert was playing his vanishing role, while Dyer---given his chance to impress in the on position he'll agree to play in---failed miserably to impress. Butt looked good again but (ha) he was being given plenty of opportunity to demonstrate his defensive qualities. In short we weren't on fire. We were barely warm.
Robert finally did something, in delivering the corner for Hughes to head in the second. That should have killed the game. That it didn't is probably partly down to Norwich replying so quickly. That even the ultra reliable Given made a mistake somehow feels symptomatic and unsurprising. Yet it wasn't all the bad luck of that mistake. It was the fact you almost expected Norwich to be able to come back.
Once they had their goal we again fell into the sort of team we were against Spurs, virtually incapable of putting a couple of passes together. We were made to look better than we were simply by Norwich stretching themselves in search of the equaliser---which inevitably came.
The number of draws last season was bordering on the ridiculous, but at least they tended to be away. Now they're just every game, when we're lucky. It has to get better than this. Sir Bobby will argue that we could have had 9 points from these first three games rather than the 2 we have (and indeed we did have other chances in this game, yet you just knew what the result would be---where as with good teams you just know they will win...). I think even he knows that's a smoke screen though. It's certainly never felt like we've been robbed of points all that much.
So where now. Well, Aston Villa. More to the point there is less than a week before the transfer window closes until January. If we end up with Rooney and a centre back or two it could be one of the great coups. If we end up with Rooney but no defenders it will look like one of the most foolish transfers, on the part of both parties, ever. Let's hope he comes, the defence comes, the win at Villa comes and the next entry talks about the resurgent, inspiring, brilliant Newcastle we dream of.
(@22:08)
