He's got it all to do now...
And TDH is talking, of course, about Glenn Roeder. A thoroughly embarrassing eight points from 11 games - where does that leave us? TDH can tell you.
According to TDH's calculations from last season, you need an average of 43 points to stay up in the Premiership. This squad has 27 matches left to garner 35 more points, or an average of 1.3 points per game. If you're on that pace for the whole season, you score 49 points. So this is not mission impossible - not yet, anyway.
One has to ask, though, where are the changes going to come from? We must now accept it as a given that, at any given moment, 50 percent of the top players will be out injured. Again, this Mystery of Tyneside has yet to be solved, despite TDH clamoring for an AC Milan-style computerized health regimen. So the powers that be must buy at least two more strikers and two more decent defenders in January. (Yeah, right.)
And wait - make that three strikers, since Rossi's loan deal might not be renewed. If I were Sir, I would get Giuseppe out of the Northeast while his knees are still intact.
As for last night, the only consolation was Woody continuing his splendid own-goal form at Watford. Good on you, Woody!
According to TDH's calculations from last season, you need an average of 43 points to stay up in the Premiership. This squad has 27 matches left to garner 35 more points, or an average of 1.3 points per game. If you're on that pace for the whole season, you score 49 points. So this is not mission impossible - not yet, anyway.
One has to ask, though, where are the changes going to come from? We must now accept it as a given that, at any given moment, 50 percent of the top players will be out injured. Again, this Mystery of Tyneside has yet to be solved, despite TDH clamoring for an AC Milan-style computerized health regimen. So the powers that be must buy at least two more strikers and two more decent defenders in January. (Yeah, right.)
And wait - make that three strikers, since Rossi's loan deal might not be renewed. If I were Sir, I would get Giuseppe out of the Northeast while his knees are still intact.
As for last night, the only consolation was Woody continuing his splendid own-goal form at Watford. Good on you, Woody!
posted by Daniel Altman at 10:52 AM
8 Comments:
Woody was unlucky with his own goal, mind. He had no option but to fling a leg at what looked like a goalbound drive from the Watford forward- replays showed it was in fact heading maybe six inches wide before the slightest diversion from our ex-centre-back's shin sent it skimming in off the inside of Schwartzers's near post (and Schwartzer should possibly still have got a hand to it, thereby saving Woody's blushes). I'd still take the lad back tomorrow.
But of course Woodgate would be mad to join us right now, wouldn't he? And it is indeed fanciful to imagine Roeder will be able to pick up a top-class quartet of signings in January... what elite European footballer in their right mind is about to join a seemingly moribund outfit like Newcastle right now? And it is not as if Roeder has the record of an Allardyce or a Redknapp when it comes to inspired short-term signings of overlooked/ written-off talent.
All this to worry about... and I hadn't even considered the possibility of the Rossi loan deal coming to an early end. Oh this is a relegation struggle we are in, sure enough, after eleven games the table can no longer be accused of lying...
It gets worse. Watford are 10-7 favorites to... well, in the past I would have said to upset us... in the Carling Cup on Tuesday. I fancy our chances, actually, but who's to say? Things can always get worse, as the lads proved on Saturday.
I'd take Woody back, too, though I'm not sure I would have said that a year ago (injuries or not). If it's a choice between a towering own-goal specialist and watching Steven Taylor pretend to take a shotgun round in the chest, er, I guess you'd have to take the former.
If we go down, this blog may be temporarily devoted to the spine-tingling action of bocce, quoits, or perhaps curling.
I don't knw what it is but a gandhi-like serenity has fallen over me in the wake of saturday's defeat. No, we are not too good to go down, but I am sure that there are at least three teams worse than us in this divison (and yes I include Sheff Utd in there, even though they thoroughly deserved their win). A couple of wins on the trot will take us into lower mid table, and Dyer's eventual return will give us a boost. Before he is sidelined again after being hit by a meteor or something. If worst comes to the worst, maybe we should follow Milan's lead and put in a few calls to the linesmen's Association, eh mara?
Also bloody hell, winning a penalty shoot-out! That's the first time we've done that in my lifetime.
hmm. I'd come up with a cutting response (quite possibly involving the sentence 'two words: Albert Luque'), but our results are so shit at the moment, I'm thinking about giving the linesmen a few calls...
First time we've won a competitive shootout ever, according to nufc.com. I tend to belive them - I can't remember one, either, and before I was born it was a game played by real men without any of this shootout nonsense.
I suppose we can take some comfort in Manure's exit to Southend - even the mighty take their tumbles when playing the meek - but my spirits aren't exactly rising as a result of such a squeaker. Let's see what the draw looks like from here.
This recent form, of course, begs another question regarding deals with fate. Perhaps you'd take 17th and one cup. Would you take 18th and two?
Very good questions. My answers are absolutely of course for number one, and do you know what I think yes as well for number two, in fact definitely yes, where do I sign? I told you we were a cup team didn't I? Well we're certainly not a league team.
And that penalty thing.. one of my earliest and most painful footballing memories is the second of the failures listed on nufc.com... when Jim Pearson saw his deciding kick palmed away by Sunderland's Barry Siddall and then walked behind the goal to bravely offer his personal apologies to the Gallowgate End. Emotions were running high, and after the game I narrowly avoided getting caught up in a brawl between rival supporters while waiting for my bus home outside the now-demolished Magpie Social Club. It was the nearest I ever came to 1970s football hooliganism!
Anyone else got tales of shoot-out misery to recount??
Ah yes, Bournemouth 1992...it was my first season as a season ticket holder. It was actually the only time I've ever stood at a football match (apart from John Anderson's testimonial, but that doesn't count), in the Gallowgate end, and also the first time I experienced truly profound heartbreak. At the time, for me, the FA cup was the most important thing in world, as it meant a 30 second appearance on Match of the Day. I remember doing the hyperventilating sobbing thing afterwards. I still hate Bournemouth.
Oh, I was 12 years old at the time, so don't judge me too harshly for crying after a football match. I haven't done it at least since we got beat by partizan belgrade....
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