All,
for those of you unable to attend games at Gallowgate for whatever reason here is the tenth of my match accounts for this season, including personal thoughts as a Newcastle supporter as the day’s events unfolded both outside and inside St James Park.
The unveiling of a new number nine at St James Park is the football equivalent of sitting down to a meal prepared by a top chef or drinking a vintage wine or sampling a special brew of ale or watching a classic film or listening to a great tune. They all need to be fully embraced, before being reflected upon and then savoured to obtain maximum enjoyment from the experience. With that thought in mind, I again made the trip into Newcastle for some Sunday devotions at the Cathedral on the hill and the game against Villa.
Optimism was to the fore as I met fellow Magpies at our usual watering hole for a spot of pre-match training. The smash and grab raid at Blackburn that delivered another three points to The Toons overall total having bolstered most if not all of those round the table. Opinions fore and against were quickly voiced regarding a repeat of the six nil drubbing. Many of those present maintaining it would be a very different game to that of eighteen months ago. Although one participant did point out that it was one year to the date that the four all draw happened against The Gooners so best be prepared for anything to happen.
As training picked up a pace, the talk turned to the The Toons, Demba Duo of Ba and Cisse. Just how good are they together as little was seen of them for Senegal during the ACN? Who cares appeared to be the consensus as the Premier League is a different beast altogether. With little or no doubt among this group of Newcastle faithful that both Ba and Cisse would score against Villa, although Cisse would probably also have to come off the bench to do it. Despite the opposition having shown some good away form predictions ranged from a tight two one to several three nil or three one scenarios plus one two all draw which got a few jeers. With pre match training ended we headed off up to the ground.
The lines of peopled queued waiting to get in St James Park appeared in good spirits and there was an obvious air of anticipation surrounding the debut of Cisse. Once more entry was trouble free and I even had time to check the starting line up, before finding my seat. APee pretty much keeping faith with those that had done the job for him at Blackburn. So Perch, Raylor and Best all retained their positions, with the most notable and obvious change being that of Ba for Shola.
Now safely in my seat and with usual greetings and handshakes to those who sit around me out of the way the teams arrived out on the pitch. As they finished the pre kick off preliminaries I wondered to myself what sort of reception the two former Toon players, plus the third we had on loan from last season, would receive? This question was quickly answered as Shay Given made his way towards the Leazes End goal to terrific applause from the home fans. Quite whether that applause was, also for the other two I will let you make up your own mind. As the game finally kicked off one of the guys next to me jokingly asked how long I reckoned it would be before the cries of dodgy keeper would be heard. I said it depended upon what kind of game Given had, but hoped it wouldn’t be one of his better performances.
During the opening five minutes, it looked to me as if Villa had really come to give the Toon a game and was certainly up for it. Bent and Keane making probing runs across the back four while Ireland marshalled the midfield alongside Petrov and Clark. That provided Charlie N’Zogbia with plenty of space to make his runs against Danny Simpson. Meantime Newcastle had started rather sluggish and to be honest I thought a bit out of sorts. The midfield trio of Guthrie, Perch and Raylor all had to work extremely hard just to get close to the ball. Slowly though as the game, progressed Guthrie began to see more of the ball and his confidence grew. With ten minutes gone, he played a superb through ball to Leon Best, which the forward then took on towards the Villa box. However just as he was about to pull the trigger and shoot on goal a block tackle from Warnock both ended the scoring opportunity and ultimately Leon’s participation.
Yet it was while Leon received treatment a couple of things happened. Namely that the majority of the crowd had their first sighting of Papiss Demba Cisse as he warmed up in front of The Leazes End much to the delight of The Toon Army. While at the Gallowgate End, Toon stopper Krul made his first major save of the match to prevent Newcastle going a goal down. The big man doing his job too perfection by denying Bent when clean through on goal following a neat passing interchange by Villa. This was a big let off in my view as Villa definitely proved to be the better side during this period of the encounter.
However having celebrated a fantastic save the crowd were soon on their feet again for an entirely different reason as they gave a big Geordie welcome to their latest number nine. Cisse appeared almost stunned by the roar and standing ovation he received on entering the fray. The Toon Army sending the striker a clear message, if one was actually needed, that he is now one of us!
The contest now became a much more open affair with both sides looking to create an opening. Keane was proving to be a thorn in the side of The Mags defence, ably supported by striker Bent and the pace of N’Zog. While Ba was keeping the Villa back line honest with his work rate. Cisse also began to make his presence felt with his link up play, use of pace and movement.
As the clock reached the thirty-minute point, the first goal arrived, although at a cost. The ball swept into the Villa goal area from the left by Guthrie for Ba to challenge for it with the visitors defenders. From that exchange, it dropped towards Ryan Taylor, who had made his way into the area from the right side and bravely attempted to get a shot on goal, only to be completely wiped out by Warnock. Despite that incident, the ball somehow went back across the goal area to Ba. Who smashed it home into the bottom right corner past a struggling defender and the returning Shay Given in the Villa goal to send the Toon one nil up.
In my view, even if Ba had not scored it should have been a penalty for the dangerous tackle. Certainly, the Villa full back was extremely lucky to be on the pitch and not given his marching orders with a straight Red from referee Mark Halsey. Not that it was much comfort to Raylor as after a lengthy stoppage he was carried from the pitch to sympathetic applause from the crowd. That injury meant a second enforced substitution and reshuffle for Newcastle as Obertan came on for Taylor. As following the first injury involving Best, Villa appeared determined to exploit Newcastle’s misfortune. Yet the back four of The Toon remained resolute sticking to the task of holding Keane and co at bay. In fact, The Mags could well have gone further ahead with decent efforts from both Ba and Santon.
As the game headed deep into added time, however Newcastle were finally undone by a lapse in concentration. Jonas losing the ball when from where I sat in the stand it would have been easier to put it out of play. The ball quickly played across field to Keane who was central in the eighteen-yard area who then fed N’Zogbia. The wingman simply sprinting past Colo before clipping in a neat cross for the lively Keane to get his just reward with a goal and the equaliser right on half time. This was a blow to The Toon, however in my opinion probably a fair reflection of the way the game had gone with Villa deserving to go in level.
Conversation during the break was mainly about the partnership between Ba and Cisse. Most Mags around me being more than satisfied with what they had seen and accepting in Premier League terms it’s a work in progress. I did however receive one strange message at half time about Stephen Ireland. In that, apparently he had given Alex McLeish a mouthful of the four-letter variety from the sidelines during a dispute with his Manager about the way the game was going. This tirade of abuse had been picked up somehow then relayed to all and sundry via twitter and a subsequent text said I was not to expect him out for the second half. Sure enough, he never made it out for the second period.
The second half almost got off to the perfect start. Following an almighty scramble in the visitor’s goal area involving Ba, Cisse, and most of the Villa defence, which was ultimately cleared. That set the tone for the next quarter of the game with Villa on the back foot for most of it as they dropped deep and tried to hit the Toon on the break. Cisse was now really beginning to show what he could bring to this Newcastle team with his powerful running at pace, darting movement pulling defenders with him and a real determination to get on the end of any opportunities to score. A few chances did come his way including a very good header, but not the guilt edge opening he required. It was almost as if everyone in the ground was waiting for that special moment which was coming, we just had to be patient for it to be worthwhile. When it did finally arrive, the noise almost took the roof off!
Jonas can be as frustrating as they come, however every so often he does produce a fine run and actually gets in a cross, which just screams for a striker to be on the end of it. That is exactly what he did on seventy minutes after picking the ball up on the left. Nothing fancy just did the defender for pace and delivered the ball in for Ba to dummy and his pal Cisse doing the rest. The striker incorporating a sublime touch to take the ball before almost in one movement unleashing as sweet a left foot strike into the top left hand corner as I have seen in years, past a despairing Given. Who didn’t have a cat in hells chance of keeping the ball out and in fact may still be in mid air trying to reach it. If ever a clear message needed sending to our most benevolent owner this was it. Quite simply pay the money and this it what it gets you.
To be honest the rest of the second half drifted past me after that goal. Yes, Krul made another brilliant stop to ensure victory, but even that is almost par for the course during this amazing season. Jonas continued to get the ball and just run with it like an Argentinean Forest Gump. Villa had plenty of possession still but the fight had gone out of them. Despite having a very good game, N’Zog was eventually removed by McLeish possibly as he didn’t want the lad to be permanently traumatised because of the booing he had received throughout the game. Mind you Bent had to put up with the same, but then again he is an ex Mackem so no love lost there. Not that any of it really mattered as this day belonged to one man Papiss Demba Cisse and probably most of his teammates would not begrudge him that on his debut.
Positives…...another goal to savour long in the memory from a Toon number nine, still fifth despite no one quite believing it, finally a strike force to put fear in the opposition and the ride isn’t finished yet!
Negatives….more injuries to an already depleted squad and at times our defence looked fragile.
Next up is an away game against Spurs on Saturday 11th February live on ESPN with a five thirty kick off. Expect that to be a tough test of how far The Mags have come this season without it being a complete spoiler.
CWL
I've seen Newcastle United win silverware!
I didn't pay attention to Canny's proposed theory as it only came across as something borne out of his own life experience. I didn't want to intrude on that and I'll let him deal with that himself (out of respect). If anything I have my head firmly on my shoulders and thinking more clear than I ever have.
