sempuki

Toon cash in on TV encounter - but Roeder counts the cost By COLIN YOUNG Last updated at 20:47pm on 5th November 2006 Reader comments (0) Toon hit rock bottom Middlesbrough reached the final last season, played 15 games to get there - largely, like Newcastle, in front of indifferent home crowds - and won only three times in the Premiership after a Thursday nightshift. So far, Newcastle have won just one in five after a European encounter although this defeat was the most inexcusable. Thursday's impressive victory over the admittedly weakened Palermo appeared to be a turning point in a season which is proving a major struggle for manager Glenn Roeder. But instead of starting to pull away from the bottom three, only a post saved them from falling to the foot of the table. Alan Quinn's shot hit goalkeeper Steve Harper and his upright, denying Sheffield United a second goal to add to Danny Webber's headed effort, the first on their travels this season. Roeder recalled six players who had been rested on Thursday but Damien Duff and Scott Parker, usually two of his most influential players, looked like they had actually put in a shift in Sicily and then walked all the way home. Newcastle had the option to delay this fixture but turned it down to take Sky's cash. Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock offered to move it long before the draw was made for the long trip to the Serie A leaders but Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd expected to win at home to the Yorkshiremen, no matter what the circumstances. Paddy Kenny will not have an easier game in the Premiership. Charles N'Zogbia hit the bar with an ambitious shot but the Sheffield United keeper did not make a save while Harper warmed his hands twice before Webber beat him with a firm header from Nick Montgomery's surprisingly measured cross. "The one bit of class all day," said Warnock. "Not his strength at all." Harper admitted Newcastle are "lacking character and mental strength". "It's tin hat time," said the keeper. "You need mental strength when you're behind at home and the fans are getting frustrated, but it's not happening. If you're not a good character and haven't got it, I don't think you should be at this football club. You look to your big characters to get on the ball, get out there and do something with it." The "We want Shepherd out" chants started 10 minutes from the end but was a reaction to the dross on the field. Roeder shifted uncomfortably in the technical area and withdrew from sight for the final stages but not once was the abuse aimed at him or his players. Sporadic fighting broke out among home fans as, time and again, Harper, a goalkeeper with a dodgy groin, was asked to hoof the ball to Giuseppe Rossi, one of the smallest and most inexperienced strikers in the Premiership. Kenny was not the only one wishing it could be like this every week. Visiting centre halves Phil Jagielka and Claude Davis could not believe their luck. At the other end, Titus Bramble punted the ball even higher than Harper and Craig Moore became embroiled in a tit-for-tat squabble with Rob Hulse which should have been halted by a red card. Hulse may not have come close to scoring but he did annoy the Australian who was completely lost for the winner. Replacing Alan Shearer was always going to be difficult and so far Newcastle have failed. Injuries have not helped, but neither have their signings. Shola Ameobi is about undergo hip surgery and join Michael Owen on this season's permanent sick list. Obafemi Martins is out for another week and has one goal in eight Premiership games after his £10million move from Inter Milan. Roeder has been forced to use Duff as a striker, where he is clearly not comfortable and, strangely, the Irishman is struggling for form, although the constant changing of positions - he was more effective as a left back - cannot be helping. Rossi, meanwhile, scored twice against Portsmouth but the Manchester United youngster has been sent by Sir Alex Ferguson to learn his trade and he is being forced to do it the hard way, such as trying to win headers from aimless high balls. Roeder was unfortunate to inherit Albert Luque, who cost half a million less than Martins. He is likely to earn the full amount of the Sky money before his misery is ended in the January transfer window and, on the evidence of this lacklustre, indifferent contribution, unlikely to spend much of the time playing. In what must have been a painful Match of the Day analysis, Shearer neglected to mention Luque was an option for the Newcastle manager. But it is unlikely it was an oversight. Newcastle's record goalscorer said: "Rossi is finding it tough, Shola needs an operation, Michael Owen won't play this season and Martins is injured so they are asking a young kid to play a very difficult role but Glenn has no choice because there is no one left. The problem is the lack of goals. It's a worrying time." Shearer acknowledged Warnock had "done his homework" and the United boss is confident his side can finish above Newcastle. "I won't tell you why but there are seven or eight teams we can finish above," said Warnock. "I knew we had a difficult start and if we could just be two or three points adrift by the end of November I would be quite happy. Anyone in the bottom half could be involved in it."

As this dark episode in the history of Newcastle United reached its painful denouement, a full moon illuminated the Tyneside sky, but it is the elusive light at the end of the tunnel which Magpies' supporters crave most. An increasing number of fans fervently believe that a brighter future can only be achieved once their club emerge from the foreboding shadow of their larger-than-life chairman, Freddy Shepherd. More than 1,000 of the most vocal confirmed as much long after the dust had settled on this disastrous result and only the presence of mounted police prevented a tense situation turning nasty. It is understood that Shepherd will return from a short break in Spain this week after missing what his manager, Glenn Roeder, correctly described as the worst performance of his nine-month tenure. In the mean time, attention will inevitably focus on the future of Roeder and it is deeply ironic that a trip to Manchester City is the next Premiership test facing a coach desperately clinging to a post he initially shunned. It was immediately following February's listless 3-0 defeat at Eastlands that Graeme Souness, the previous Newcastle manager, was summarily dismissed by Shepherd. If tomorrow night's Carling Cup tie at Watford is seen as a mere distraction, only a win will suffice against City on Saturday. Anything less and heads - or at least one head - will surely roll. For Keith Gillespie, the former Newcastle winger who returned to St James' Park with Sheffield United, the rapid decline in the club's fortunes must appear especially dramatic. "It's a crying shame," he said after Danny Webber's 68th minute goal, Sheffield United's first away from home in the League this season, sentenced Newcastle to a seventh Premiership defeat. "When Kevin Keegan was manager we played entertaining football," Gillespie added, "but they've failed to do that since. I can understand the fans' frustrations because they're down near the bottom of the League." Roeder, to his credit, is refusing to hide at a time when his normally vocal chairman is proving conspicuous by his absence. "That performance has to be a one-off," he said after Sheffield United's fully deserved victory. "It was as bad as anything the fans have seen since I took charge. It is my responsibility to achieve better results." Failure to do so at Manchester City and Roeder may find that responsibility is taken out of his hands. Goal: Webber (68) 0-1. Newcastle United (4-4-2): Harper; Carr, Moore, Bramble, Babayaro; Milner (Luque, 66), Butt (Solano, h-t), Parker, N'Zogbia (Emre, h-t); Rossi, Duff. Substitutes not used: Srnicek (gk), Ramage. Sheffield United (4-4-2): Kenny; Kozluk, Jagielka, Davis, Geary; Gillespie, Montgomery, Leigertwood, Quinn (Law, 90); Webber (Kabba, 72; Kazim-Richards, 88), Hulse. Substitutes not used: Bennett (gk), Short. Referee: S Bennett (Kent). Booked: Newcastle Carr, Babayaro; Sheffield United Davis, Hulse. Man of the match: Jagielka. Attendance: 50,188.

Does he think he can take the piss forever? If he stays past this crisis he's going to have to move his fat arse out of the North East, as there's only so much piss taking the fat **** can do until someone sticks the nut on him. Am close to it myself, and am not a violent person. :wullie: Just a fed up one. I am not a violent person either but I gave the couch a shellacking after Sheffield United scored. If the fat one was in my living room at the time he'd have really gotten some. I'm still angry 2 days later - it shows you how much this football club can affect your life - usually negatively.

FREDDY SHEPHERD jetted back into Tyneside last night and vowed to ride out the storm at St James’ Park. The Newcastle chairman has been in Majorca helping wife Lorelle recover from a health scare. He missed hearing a large section of fans shouting for his head after the disastrous 1-0 home defeat to Sheffield United. Newcastle have slumped to joint bottom of the Premiership after taking just five points from their last 10 games. To compound matters, Shepherd is also believed to have had a major bust-up with manager Glenn Roeder over the scheduling of the game. The club chose to accept the £350,000 Sky cash and play on Saturday night despite a tiring UEFA Cup trip to Sicily on Thursday. Roeder said: “I was hoping Palermo was a turning point but the big concern was playing the game so quickly.” The Belgravia Consortium are waiting in the wings to buy out Shepherd. But a source close to him said: “Freddy is no quitter. “Changing the manager or the chairman wouldn’t put the ball in the back of the net. It’s a case of trying to get through until January when the squad can be strengthened.” Roeder insisted: “The chairman isn’t out there playing. He selects managers and I have complete responsibility for the team and the squad. “I accept that and would not want it any other way.” Newcastle’s decision not to postpone the game 24 hours enraged fans. Website nufc.com said: “The false economy of taking a few hundred grand while risking the club’s top-flight status was a risk never worth taking.” Former skipper Alan Shearer said: “Glenn is trying his best but has his hands tied — his only striker is Giuseppe Rossi which is why they’re struggling.”

Last home game against Watford - have to win to stay up. We don't. 0-0 at F-T, Owen kisses the badge (like Alan Smith did) and promises to stay to help us get promoted. He gets peddled for 5m. Sky focuses on grown men crying at SJP. This really could all happen and we need to do something about it while we can. The way I feel at the moment if nothing happens soon I'm going to fly over to Fatty's house and "stone" him to death with frozen pies!

And that's including Titus!

West Ham 1-0 up in injury time. Now firmly rooted in the bottom three. blueupset.gif

Out of the 3 panic buys of Bernard, Sibierski and Rossi our bald Frenchman has done the most. Who could have predicted that? I know I didn't.

He's been here since the end of August so it really does beg the question what the hell has been going on behind the scenes.

The soap opera of Newcastle United lurches from one debacle to another.

I reckon 36 points will be enough this year! I hope you're right!

Exit route? United to turn to Toon ace? Reports claim that Manchester United will turn their attention to Newcastle United skipper Scott Parker if they fail to land Bayern Munich star Owen Hargreaves. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is keen to land a defensive midfielder, and with Bayern keen to retain England ace Hargreaves, other alternatives are being examined. Parker is believed to feature highly on Ferguson's list, and he is performing well in a struggling Magpies side. Although Parker is keen to make a success of his time at St. James's Park, the temptation of playing for a genuine title challenger could prove strong, and a move to Old Trafford could aid the player's cause at international level. Newcastle are unlikely to be prepared to part with one of their best players, but a cash-plus-player deal involving the likes of Wes Brown, John O'Shea or even current Magpies loan star Giuseppe Rossi could tempt them into doing business in January.

I'm not looking forward to it at all. Far too depressed from yesterday's debacle. The consequences of relegation would be absolutely catastrophic and are too scary to think about.

Much of a muchness - like comparing a dog turd to horse manure. Souness was fortunate, if that's the word to have both Owen and Shearer, at least for a short time.

40 may not be enough and 6 points between now and January is a big ask for a team that can't create or score goals. Sorry for the pessimism but I really think we're in the mire this time.

I noticed how it hasn't been mentioned anywhere. Do people think supporters just randomly started booing ffs? Bottled a challenge, and just like any other player, if you do that the supporters get on your back, he turns around tells them to **** off, waves his arms around, sarcastically aplauds. Not an apology in sight ffs, disgusting actions from a so called captain. It's sad that our captain should have to resort to this against his own fans. I was there as a kid many years ago when Billy Whitehurst flicked the "V's" after being subbed and that was (thankfully) the last we saw of him. No chance this happening for Parker though.

That would certainly do me! To be honest I'd probably take 17th if it was offered the way things are.

I'd be over the moon with either Daum or Sven but would they come to this mess?

Given, Dyer (gulp) and Martins should be back. Will Roeder be still in charge? We'll find out tomorrow one way or the other.

I hope there will be at least 2 goals on Sunday from Arsenal because if they win by 2 goals we go above West Sham. As we are so obviously incapable of getting results ourselves we'll have to rely on the better teams winning against our rivals at the bottom.

Even if he is abroad this news will have reached the "Lord of the pies" by now.

Don't blame them, I feel like shouting at my computer.

Yet another relegation 6 pointer against Citeh followed by a mauling against Arsenal. Count in Watford on Tuesday and three successive away trips - it's not looking good at all.

Trying to lull us into a false sense of security! Plain as women from Sunderland.

You could be right but I think this could be the pie that breaks Freddy's back.