Jaztheman
Chairman of Selectors
Saturday 5th January
After our last game against Everton, their gaffer David Moyes and me had become good friends, even telling of our admiration for each other in the press. The biggest news however is that James Milner has been sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £10,000,000. He served us well and I hope he has a great future ahead of him. We still haven't decided on a few bids though, especially Michael Owen's bids. Tottenham recently offered £6,000,000 plus Gareth Bale for him, but A.C still have their £15,000,000 bid registered. Which offer shall I accept? Our Premiership position is still at the top of the table although we now turn our attention to the F.A Cup as we play Coventry City.
Our F.A Cup campaign saw us face Coventry City in the F.A Cup 3rd Round. Coventry were having a fantastic season so far in the Championship as they were 5th and only 3 points off top spot, despite being predicted to come 16th in the league! We were at home and were definitely expected to win this game, even by a comfortable margin. St.James' Park would be the venue for today's match, and we were hoping for lots of goals. The board want us to reach at least the 6th round so that means that we must win up to then to satisfy their needs. Margaritescu is injured and will not play todays match whilst a few players are lacking the fitness to play. Carroll has returned from his loan but as he is cup tied he is definitely not going to play for us in the F.A Cup. Good luck to us. Big decision today will be that Mirel Radoi, the club captain, will not start.
The match started the way my favourite matches always start, by us scoring in the first 10 minutes! From a Taylor clearance, Michael Owen ran straight onto it and dislodged it past the out coming Konstantopoulos, 1-0 up after 6 minutes, the dream start. 2 minutes later and Coventry come close as a 30 yard free kick from Kevin Kyle brushes the outside of the post. Minutes later and Elliot Ward brings down Emre in the box and... penalty! Emre takes it himself... and scores! Right into the bottom right hand corner and that marks a 5 minute double salvo from us. We then get an acute chance to make it 3-0 but we ever so slightly hit it wide as Michael Owen sees his shot go past the wrong side of the post. 3-0! A wonderfully attacking move, as Barton puts a through ball into Martins who brings out the keeper, only to pass to Michael Owen, who finishes the break cleanly and gets his second of the afternoon. Great fast flowing football. Screamer! Belozoglu Emre gets his second of the afternoon after receiving about 10 yards from the box and then hits a powerful shot to the far post, which lobs the keeper and rounds of a beauty of a shot. 4-0 up after only 25 minutes. We could be in for a field day here! 5! By god he's made it 5, and only after 27 minutes too! Another fast attack as Emre takes the ball on himself only to but Martins through, who this time doesn't pass, takes the shot himself, and buries it into the net. 5-0! What a day. Attack, attack, attack. Seems to be today's motive as Martins and Torje are both denied before the break, both making Konstantopoulos make great saves. Coventry looked clueless in the first half though as the referee for today, Ben Jenkins, brings the half to an end. Fantastic!
Not much I can say really apart from wow, we really were THAT good. I can't wait till they come to the Premiership next season(!) Emre and Owen are both playing blinders and I want to get rid of them both... Certainly something to think about. As long as we don't concede two I don't really care much about the second half, as 5-1 or 5-0 will certainly do me. Come on!
10 minutes in and Robbie Simpson scores for Coventry, not the best start I hoped for. Anderson Sliva passed to Robbie Simpson on the edge of the box who turned and side footed his shot past Shay Given in goal. A good finish but I am not conceding anymore! Emre in to Owen, Owen shoots comes to Martins... What a scramble but the main thing is it has ended up in the back of the net! Replays show that it has been awarded.... to Obafemi Martinss, who got the last touch. A scruffy goal, as a number of players all got tangled up and it just trickled across the line. Not the most attractive goal, but a goal nonetheless. Butt and Radoi come on for Beye and Barton as I don't want to concede anymore as Coventry have started regaining their composure and knocking the ball about, generally having more possession. I have also brought Owen off for Viduka. He had a great game today, scoring two and assisting one. Good man. Only one more chance came in the second half as it lacklustered that little bit of spark which was there in the first half as Martins turns on the motor to narrowly miss after a Viduka flick on. The final whistle goes and it is another win for us and a win that see's us progress into the next round of the F.A Cup. Hooray!
A fantastic first half won the game, quite simply, for us as we took a 5-0 lead at the break. Individually and as a team, our work ethic and our passing play were phenomenal. Owen, Martins and Emre stole the show with everyone else playing their part, but all 3 players scored 2. They all got one assist as well. It was Viduka's first appearance in a while, but we can't really judge him on the 15 minutes he was on, although he was quite poor. Can't wait to see who we have next in the cup.
Everton hammered Weymouth 8-0 away and Fulham hammered Grays 8-0 at home as most Premiership teams won. No Premiership teams out yet although Reading drew at home to Acrrington and a few others drew. Next few game should be easy as we have West Ham(H) in League Cup Semi Final then Wigan(H) and Middlesborough(H) in the Premiership. Should win all 3 games, lets hope I am right. "Not all who wonder are lost" - J.R.R Tolkien.
Newcastle 6 - 1 Coventry
Owen 6,23
Emre 11(pen),25
Martins 27,63
Given - 7
Enrique - 8
Beye - 7(Sub 82)
Faye - 8
Taylor - 8
Barton - 8(Sub 75)
N'Zogbia - 8
Torje - 8
Emre - 9
Owen - 9(Sub 75)
Martins - 9
Harper - Unused Sub
Smith - Unuesd Sub
Radoi(c) - 6(On 82)
Butt - 6(On 75)
Viduka - 6(On 75)
After our last game against Everton, their gaffer David Moyes and me had become good friends, even telling of our admiration for each other in the press. The biggest news however is that James Milner has been sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £10,000,000. He served us well and I hope he has a great future ahead of him. We still haven't decided on a few bids though, especially Michael Owen's bids. Tottenham recently offered £6,000,000 plus Gareth Bale for him, but A.C still have their £15,000,000 bid registered. Which offer shall I accept? Our Premiership position is still at the top of the table although we now turn our attention to the F.A Cup as we play Coventry City.
Our F.A Cup campaign saw us face Coventry City in the F.A Cup 3rd Round. Coventry were having a fantastic season so far in the Championship as they were 5th and only 3 points off top spot, despite being predicted to come 16th in the league! We were at home and were definitely expected to win this game, even by a comfortable margin. St.James' Park would be the venue for today's match, and we were hoping for lots of goals. The board want us to reach at least the 6th round so that means that we must win up to then to satisfy their needs. Margaritescu is injured and will not play todays match whilst a few players are lacking the fitness to play. Carroll has returned from his loan but as he is cup tied he is definitely not going to play for us in the F.A Cup. Good luck to us. Big decision today will be that Mirel Radoi, the club captain, will not start.
The match started the way my favourite matches always start, by us scoring in the first 10 minutes! From a Taylor clearance, Michael Owen ran straight onto it and dislodged it past the out coming Konstantopoulos, 1-0 up after 6 minutes, the dream start. 2 minutes later and Coventry come close as a 30 yard free kick from Kevin Kyle brushes the outside of the post. Minutes later and Elliot Ward brings down Emre in the box and... penalty! Emre takes it himself... and scores! Right into the bottom right hand corner and that marks a 5 minute double salvo from us. We then get an acute chance to make it 3-0 but we ever so slightly hit it wide as Michael Owen sees his shot go past the wrong side of the post. 3-0! A wonderfully attacking move, as Barton puts a through ball into Martins who brings out the keeper, only to pass to Michael Owen, who finishes the break cleanly and gets his second of the afternoon. Great fast flowing football. Screamer! Belozoglu Emre gets his second of the afternoon after receiving about 10 yards from the box and then hits a powerful shot to the far post, which lobs the keeper and rounds of a beauty of a shot. 4-0 up after only 25 minutes. We could be in for a field day here! 5! By god he's made it 5, and only after 27 minutes too! Another fast attack as Emre takes the ball on himself only to but Martins through, who this time doesn't pass, takes the shot himself, and buries it into the net. 5-0! What a day. Attack, attack, attack. Seems to be today's motive as Martins and Torje are both denied before the break, both making Konstantopoulos make great saves. Coventry looked clueless in the first half though as the referee for today, Ben Jenkins, brings the half to an end. Fantastic!
Not much I can say really apart from wow, we really were THAT good. I can't wait till they come to the Premiership next season(!) Emre and Owen are both playing blinders and I want to get rid of them both... Certainly something to think about. As long as we don't concede two I don't really care much about the second half, as 5-1 or 5-0 will certainly do me. Come on!
10 minutes in and Robbie Simpson scores for Coventry, not the best start I hoped for. Anderson Sliva passed to Robbie Simpson on the edge of the box who turned and side footed his shot past Shay Given in goal. A good finish but I am not conceding anymore! Emre in to Owen, Owen shoots comes to Martins... What a scramble but the main thing is it has ended up in the back of the net! Replays show that it has been awarded.... to Obafemi Martinss, who got the last touch. A scruffy goal, as a number of players all got tangled up and it just trickled across the line. Not the most attractive goal, but a goal nonetheless. Butt and Radoi come on for Beye and Barton as I don't want to concede anymore as Coventry have started regaining their composure and knocking the ball about, generally having more possession. I have also brought Owen off for Viduka. He had a great game today, scoring two and assisting one. Good man. Only one more chance came in the second half as it lacklustered that little bit of spark which was there in the first half as Martins turns on the motor to narrowly miss after a Viduka flick on. The final whistle goes and it is another win for us and a win that see's us progress into the next round of the F.A Cup. Hooray!
A fantastic first half won the game, quite simply, for us as we took a 5-0 lead at the break. Individually and as a team, our work ethic and our passing play were phenomenal. Owen, Martins and Emre stole the show with everyone else playing their part, but all 3 players scored 2. They all got one assist as well. It was Viduka's first appearance in a while, but we can't really judge him on the 15 minutes he was on, although he was quite poor. Can't wait to see who we have next in the cup.
Everton hammered Weymouth 8-0 away and Fulham hammered Grays 8-0 at home as most Premiership teams won. No Premiership teams out yet although Reading drew at home to Acrrington and a few others drew. Next few game should be easy as we have West Ham(H) in League Cup Semi Final then Wigan(H) and Middlesborough(H) in the Premiership. Should win all 3 games, lets hope I am right. "Not all who wonder are lost" - J.R.R Tolkien.
Newcastle 6 - 1 Coventry
Owen 6,23
Emre 11(pen),25
Martins 27,63
Given - 7
Enrique - 8
Beye - 7(Sub 82)
Faye - 8
Taylor - 8
Barton - 8(Sub 75)
N'Zogbia - 8
Torje - 8
Emre - 9
Owen - 9(Sub 75)
Martins - 9
Harper - Unused Sub
Smith - Unuesd Sub
Radoi(c) - 6(On 82)
Butt - 6(On 75)
Viduka - 6(On 75)
Ah well, never mind you Sky Blues! Nothing like this year's real FA Cup, not anywhere near as many shocks.
