Whitewashed By 'Arry And Co.

This instalment should be kicked off with a critical review of Saturday’s whitewash defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur and that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

After a week of media microscope treatment for Harry Redknapp, the whole nation was tuned in to watch Newcastle United throw away a match in record time and gift title-hunting Spurs a generous three points.

I have a sixth-sense for identifying complacency but to be quite frank it didn’t take that to predict an embarrassment last weekend.

The run of good form Alan Pardew has instilled into the club has been highlighted throughout the season and rightly so but in turn as the good PR heightens so does that imminent fall from the sky. Everybody knows the current NUFC squad is at worst a top half team and no better, something that ‘Arry and co enforced a reminder of.

Hull City manager Nick Barmby was approached by Sky Sports with a proposed weekend feature piece but the crew were turned away in a bid to keep the spotlight off the Tiger's good run of form to prevent the football world from picking up on how well they had been playing, all to avoid that 'fall from the sky'.

All the talk of ‘top four/five/six’ had understandably gotten into the players heads on Saturday and as a result had forgotten the things that originally brought all that talk about. A team cannot cross the white line just expecting to play well by default.

I didn’t manage to cast my eyes over the team's warm-up but I imagine it was lacklustre, light-hearted and lightweight because the troops certainly weren’t rough and ready to battle from the first whistle on Saturday.

Pardew and Steve Stone need to ensure that the pre-match preparation hard work is followed through in the warm-up and consequently not thrown into the gutter on the ten minute mark because a clinical team like Tottenham Hotspur will capitalise on that mistake and... embarrass you.

No FA Cup fixtures remain to bolster the fixture list which is somewhat saddening because with both Manchester City and United out of the fold, it could be anyone’s to lift this year. I can’t help but wonder.

Senegalese duo Papiss Cisse and Demba Ba

However a free-weekend for the squad to do whatever they like to rest up and recharge will do no harm (excluding any Joey Barton/Andy Carroll/Nile Ranger-esque misdemeanors), especially for the returned African trio of Papiss Cisse, Demba Ba and Cheick Tiote.

I for one am becoming ever more impatient by the day to know how the Toon Army's season is to conclude.
Will it be a disappointing finish to an encouraging start or will last weekend prove to be nothing more than a blip with the team defying all odds by pipping Liverpool and Arsenal to the European post?

We can dream.

Strike A Match

Newcastle United, a Premier League club with a history and a reputation for prolific strikers. How can it be that a player of Shola Ameobi’s calibre has remained on Tyneside for 12 years?

It became quite clear by the time Ameobi hit his 24^th birthday that his potential had been overrated and lost in the wash, his legs still remain as gangly as ever. However I must admit he does offer the side an ‘X’ factor in that he may run riot with his physical presence but more often than not, he is a gamble and nothing more than a contingency plan to Demba Ba.

Peter Lovenkrands, Leon Best, Nile Ranger and Xisco were the only remaining forwards on the club’s payroll before yesterday’s signing of Papiss Demba Cisse from Bundesliga outfit Freiburg.

The point being that even a rocket scientist could tell you that excluding our Senegalese front two, the rest are not talented enough to wear the Premier League lion on their sleeve.

Lovenkrands – The Danish hitman was signed on a 6-month deal after a successful trial period back in January 2009, only to find himself surplus to requirements at the end of that contract. However due to a lack of both striking options and time in the following transfer window (no surprise there) the red-faced Toon hierarchy reverted their initial decision and strangely offered him nothing less than a three-year contract.

Best – A surprise signing given that the 25 year-old had never scored more than ten goals per season in the divisions below the Premier League. I assume that he can only have been acquired as nothing more than a stock player but the offering of his long contract may dint my theory.

Ranger – This young man has more notches on his rap sheet than his goal scoring chart. Late cameo roles have shown raw talent and promising physical attributes but likewise to the ongoing revelations that surround Toon target Ravel Morrison, the baggage he carries probably outweighs his talent - probably why is he out on loan and publicly excluded from Pardew’s plans.

Xisco – The Spaniard has spent more time on loan in his home nation than on Tyneside since his arrival and it’s a big surprise to me that more hasn’t been made of his outrageously big transfer fee (£5.7million) which has seen a return of nothing more than nine appearances and one goal since 2008! I do wonder about the scouting mechanisms that club’s employ.

I long to see a clear-out of deadwood in the summer, namely the above and of course Alan ‘Smudger’ Smith who continues to pick up £50,000 per week until at least this summer.

On the up, we have a potential deadly duo in Demba Ba and Papiss Demba Cisse but no doubt the football world will be at the ready to shoot them down but I have faith!