...one Shay Given.

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Three precious points against a top five side - who really cares about the rest?

Far from being a smooth, controlled performance, but we had everything we asked for last week - 100% commitment all over the park.

Liverpool will undoubtedly feel aggrieved to have lost, but we've been on the receiving end plenty of times this season, so the odd break or two was well overdue. The fact we were battling against both Liverpool and a totally incompetent set of officials didn't exactly help us.

With Goma's absence, a general lack of height in the team - especially in defence - caused us problems throughout, especially from corners. However, I thought Liverpool's desire to capitalise on this physical weakness actually might have cost them the game as they continually humped the ball forward to Heskey.

MOTM was unquestionably Shay Given who made a string of top-class saves, and it was smashing to hear the crowd chanting his name. Everyone else made a meaningful contribution, and that was the difference between last week.

While not a convincing performance, a very important victory in preventing our season prematurely going down the pan, and hopefully gives us something to build on again.

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2000

Answers

Clarky - it certainly "sounded" from the typed word like Shay had a blinder. IMHO, he has improved overall this season. He's always been a good shot-stopper, and (almost?) adequate dealing with crosses. What used to really let him down was his kicking. From what I've seen this season, that has improved significantly, and consequently his confidence too. He also tends to punch more this season than last and that often gets the ball out of the danger area.

He took a lot of stick in the past - mostly deserved. Nice when it turns round and the crowd get behind him. If only he had a commanding CH in front of him!

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2000


You are spot on Screach. While it would be churlish to be overly critical after what was an extremely hard-fought victory, and one that certainly warmed the cockles of my heart after that spineless cr@p last week, nevertheless some of our defending was comical - culminating in WB knocking a back pass from a throw out to him past Shay and almost into his own net.

To me, the need for a really commanding Centre Half becomes more obvious every game. I was actually very surprised when BR brought on Acuna (maybe 5'7"?) for Bassedas towards the end rather than Caldwell, whose height and physical presence could have proven vital. However, we won and therefore Bobby was right.

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2000


Of all the reported crocks, I was sure that Goma would have made it. Perhaps Gary Speed's collar was just a fashion accessory to deflect Mickey from the real problems.

Seems that Shearer aggravated his back injury and will be doubtful for Wednesday. Leave him at home to recover. We have a hard series of matches coming up after that. We need him more against Gregory's Girls and @rse than we do against Francis' lot. We've been saying for some time that we have to be able to cope without him.

How was his game today (apart from not scoring)?

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2000


Shay given'ssaves were excellent but his kicking was still very poor. On the occasions that he through the ball out he put his defenders under enormous pressure. I don't think I would give Given the MOM award as the mastch sponsors and Clarky did. I thought Solano, Griffin and Hughes all had fine games as did Lee and Speed in the centre, Overall it was very similar to last weeks game against the maKems with the exception that Newcastle did have a bit more go about them and generally hassled Liverpool. The Ref and the linesmawas very poor booking about 4 of our players for nothing. Again a linesman was extreamly poor with about 10 offsides that weren't going against us. Check out the stats in the papers and see how many we had compared with the rest of the gaes yesterday, he was shocking.I can't say that I was too impressed with Barton as a cenre back and Domi and Bassedas didn't do much on the left.

The big differance between last week and this was luck. Last week we had none this week we had some. To be honest there isn't much differance in the quality of most of the teams that have been to St James' in recent weeks which reflects in the league table . Five points off second sounds canny but there are a good dozen teams of which we ARE ONE THAT COULD END UP IN THIRD SPOT COME MAY.

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2000


Shearer still looked as if he hadn't gotten over last week but was committed as were the rest of the team (but nervous), even though they drooped back to defend they harried for the ball and looked as if the wanted to win.

The officials were crap again, some of the "offsides" were laughable, Barton was a mix of excellent & crap, the crowd was good. I still cannot believe we won, they were a better side - it was probably a good to show on the telly, for the neutral.

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2000


S'funny - but I was equally sure Goma wouldn't make it, although the scuttlebutt yesterday was that he would play.

Players like Speed and Shearer just get on with it, accepting that playing with niggles is part and parcel of the game.

Unfortuately, the foreign players dont seem to have the same attitude - and before someone accuses me of unecessary xenophobia, AG had an MRI scan early in the week that said there was no physical damage to his calf muscle.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going....

I thought AS played fine, considering he was carrying an injury - he looked a little inhibited. I'm sure you could write the script from MN - he had little support up front - although I thought YKD did a little better today - got kicked from pillar to post, and as usual got no protection from the Referee - a new, utterly useless tosser. He worked hard, made his usual quota of telling passes and crosses, and ran down minutes off the clock at the death. Just another day at the office for Big Al.

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2000


Should he play on Wednesday?

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2000

Absolutely not - he should be strapped to the treatment table, all week.

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2000

Whatever turns him (or you!!) on. Give him a rest.

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2000

If we had a lack of height today, spare a thought for Wednesday when Dele Adebola will be playing and he's a lot bigger than Heskey. Burchill as well who is nippy and will be a handful. I'd play Caldwell against Adebola and Hughes against Burchill. Let Goma recover fully, there is no point in bringing him back for this one.

I'm with the REST SHEARER GANG, or at least play him for only a half to satisfy him more than the rest of us. Give Cordone and Lua-Lua a chance. Solano is a must along with Lee (if fit) and probably Acuna in the centre. Birmingham will hussle more than most premiership teams.

Drop Barton and play Domi and Griffin. Barton looked usually out of depth on the highlights today. For all his effort he is not up to the task. We have reached new heights of defensive competence recently and it is no surprise Dabizas and Barton have had nowt to do with it.

Tough match against Birmingham but hopefully we'll get a result. We need to rest the likes of Speed, Shearer and Goma sometimes and this is the perfect opportunity.

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2000



Didn't see many highlights of today's game. Just the goals. And a few of Liverpool's missed opportunities. Great saves from Shay! Can't believe Fowler missed though. Totally open goal! Definitely more luck on our part there. About time we get some too! :-)))

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2000

We were incredibly spawny but the day that we beat Liverpool was always going to be spawny - they've had more than their fair share of luck in this fixture. It was gratifying to see that ugly Jorman getting his own and actually helping make the atmosphere quite good.

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2000

The telly before the match showed SJ Hall, Lee Clark & Steve Watson standing in the posh bit, Peter Beardsley graced us with his presence last week (should have played 2nd half). Just goes to show, we all like to torture ourselves where Newcastle is concerned - unless it was the free drink (c;

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2000

De Builder, I really must pull you up on your dislike for Dick Barton. The facts simply don't support your view of him as the weak link in our defence. He had a howler yesterday, but was manfully filling in at centre back where his experience sometimes saved us where a young'un would have been turned inside out: anyone playing out of position can only ever be judged in that light and since the poor sod was a midfielder at Wimbledon he has never received a shred of credit for dropping back to fullback without the whinging and shoulder-shrugging the rest of them get up to.

When it comes to our League record, NUFC average 1.53 points per game this season. You would like to play Domi and Griffin as wingbacks ahead of Barton, however, in League games this season their average points per game are:

Barton = 2
Domi = 1.8
Griffin = 1.6

Statistically we have been more effective with Barton than any of the rest of them (and NUFC have been better playing with a back 4 than a back 3). Barton has missed a large chunk of this season through injury and his sending off against Derby (a game we won) and has only been involved in 3 defeats: the opening game against Man Utd, off injured against Everton before they scored to beat us and on as a sub against the mackems after we had conceded both goals, and if I had had to put money on any of our players having the spirit to get back to stop the loathsome Gray it would have been centre partin'.

Yes he gets caught out of position at times, and no he's no bloody use on crosses whatsoever, but if you want a senior player who leads by example and gives his all for the full 90 minutes then Wozza is the man. What's been lacking in the side is bottle, and Barton has it in abundance, so he makes my starting lineup every week until some of the supposedly more skillful players show a bit of fight.

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2000


Statto! Statto! Statto!

Get them specs off Softie!!

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2000



It's true then Softie. Blood is thicker than water. :o))

Actually I agree with you about your double. He is also capable of putting the odd good cross in.

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2000


What do you mean "Statto"?!? You should have seen all the stuff I decided not to post....scratching the surface friends, scratching the surface :-)

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2000

Barton had a mixed game it is true - but they, Hughes and Barton, handled Heskey as well as could be expected. Barton played very intelligently - covering Heskey's dangerous flick ons. Heskey is a completely transformed player from last year - he was awesome.
The lads played a very brave high line more or less inviting the through balls to Heskey - at no time did they defend deep.
Apart from the first twenty minutes of the first half and sporadic appearances in the 2nd half I though that our midfield was more or less overran - their midfield's physical presence and power was too much. We could have lost this game by 3 goals, but our luck held out.
Brilliant atomsphere at the ground - I can't speak today, voice completely gone.

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2000

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