From the Telegraph

ROBBIE ELLIOTT, the Newcastle defender, has called for a united front as his increasingly nervous side close in on their Champions League goal.

Elliott returned to the starting line-up for the first time since Feb 17 for the 1-1 home draw with Fulham on Monday night as Newcastle stuttered back into fourth place.

It was a poor performance and one from which they were slightly fortunate to escape with something to show for their efforts. However, it left them a point clear of Chelsea in fifth place, and with a game still in hand on their closest challengers, their fate remains in their own hands.

Even so, the tension is starting to tell on and off the pitch, and sections of a home crowd which has provided stunning support over a whirlwind season greeted the final whistle with boos.

That came as a bitter sting to manager Bobby Robson and his players, and while they know the fans who travel to Derby on Saturday will have swallowed their disappointment and will be ready to back their favourites once again, United know they need to raise their standards.

"It was obviously disappointing not to get the three points at home and everyone knows that we didn't play to our full capabilities, especially in the second half," said Elliott.

"But you never know, come the end of the season that one point might be what we needed, so it's not all doom and gloom. We're still in fourth place with a game in hand and I think people have got to remember that.

"I can understand the fans being on edge. But if they are on edge, how do they think the players feel? It does the players no favours when the crowd is like that, and I was very, very surprised with them.

"I have never known them to be like that in all my time here. We were 1-0 up and the fans were booing us. It just doesn't make sense.

"If they want to help the team get into fourth place, they have got to get behind us and not be against us. We are trying to go about our jobs, but being booed can't help."

Elliott, who returned to the club from Bolton on a Bosman free transfer last summer, can understand just how the supporters feel, largely because, as a locally-born player, he is one of them, but he is urging them to keep the faith in the weeks which lie ahead.

In particular, he is pleading with them to lay off fit-again striker Carl Cort, who is struggling to find his form after his latest injury problems.

"The fans are starting to pick on certain players now and that does us no favours," he said. "I just hope that will be the end of it now. Carl Cort is an outstanding player. He is still only a young player and it just baffles me. I don't know what they think they are going to get from booing.

"The supporters pay their money and it's up to them what they say. But it would be nice if we all got together and re-grouped.

"There are only five games to go and if we can all get together, we can qualify for the Champions League and take it from there.

"It's in our hands. If we win our games we will do it. We've got a massive game on Saturday where we need to get three points, and we will be working hard on the training ground to put things right."

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

Answers

Angry Replacement

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

Oh he's not happy is he?

Well lets hope the booing was a wake up call to the team. I don't necessarily agree with the crowd's reaction but I think too much has been made of it frankly. We had all just watched a poor performance and seen 2 points p*ssed away.

Given the ferocity of our away support, then I'm sure players and supporters will have all kissed and made up by Saturday night.

Maybe the players have to stop taking our 'great support' for granted now.................

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

Given the fickleness of some of our so-called supporters Carl Cort would have been a hero if he'd planted that header the other side of the crossbar and put us 2 up. SJP would've been rocking as the self-belief and excitement would've come flooding back.

It's a big little word is "if" ain't it ?

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

"It's a big little word is "if" ain't it ?"

Ask Rudyard Kipling - he made a career out of it...

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

......and there was me thinking it was Telly Savalas. If I'd only known better.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

"Maybe the players have to stop taking our 'great support' for granted now........".

I think that's the real point here Lynda, and it applies to the entire Club, not just the players - they all need to "wake up and smell the roses".

I happen to be one of the perhaps 30,000 "old school" fans who would never, ever consider booing the players. However, since 'The Pied Piper of Maine Road' changed the Club forever, we have another 15-20,000 "new spectators", many of who have an entirely different perspective.

Since these 'spectators' joined the expected glory trail, we have:

* blown a 12 point lead in the PL

* capitulated in two FA Cup Finals

* and lost another Semi at Wembley that we really should have won

* had a three or four abysmal seasons in the PL during which we flirted with relegation several times.

Throughout his period SJP has been effectively sold out, and the same fans and spectators now being chastised have demonstrated both their loyalty and their willingness to put their hands in their pockets for ever-increasing wads to continue supporting/watching the team.

What those loyal fans/spectators now sense is yet another massive let- down - apparently because one player has been injured for a few weeks - but assisted, they instinctively believe, by some flawed team selections and dubious substitutions.

Rather than allowing it's players to lash out at those spectators - the Club, and indeed those same players, should get off their pedestals and accept a dose of reality.

With a couple of exceptions, the general level of performance on Monday night was not disappointing, it was PATHETIC. Unless, and until someone from within the club can offer a reasonable explanation for that standard of performance - like "our key players are physically and mentally exhausted after an over-reliance on too small a group of players towards the end of an extended season" ie. the truth - it seems entirely understandable to me that the legions of 'new spectators' will give voice to their displeasure in the only way they can - welcome to the real world, Newcastle United.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

A few issues I have, if I may. The performance was dismal, but I think it was very largely due to nervousness rather than could-give-a- damn attitude. It's almost as if we think the players/manager are doing it out of spite and that they actually like letting us down. The fans booing therefore doesn't help, and neither does getting on players' backs.
Secondly our pessismism has a self-fulfilling air about it. We look at past experience and seem to think there is an inevitability about it all. IT'S NOT HELPING.
Thirdly, the failures you list Clarky were all under previous management and mostly different players, so it's a bit unfair to use them as an excuse for booing the present set up.
Lastly and I'll shut up, we seem very sure about the mistakes made re subs/team selection. I'm not so sure myself and certainly feel we have to be more restrained and constructive in our criticism, and not let the obvious frustration get the better of us. The manager and team have done a fantastic job this season, which is now reaching a tense climax. We should have more belief in the team that got us into this position. Our 4th place is not a fluke.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

Agreed Clarky, Sod off Elliott.

I didn't and wont ever boo the team but the fact is when the team play as badly as that and look so disinterested in a game of football then the crowd will react. How many poor perfomances do they want us to cheer them on to. Let's all cheer on the lads to another game where they throw away a two goal lead and two/three points. The club needs to realise that at this stage of the season there is no time for people to find their form, no time for patience, and no time for excuses. Poor performance by an individual should result with a game on the bench. sustained poor performance should result in a spell in the reserves.

The clocks ticking.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

Look. Think of it this way. You're a manager of a team of people (not football), and they've been doing a great job all year. You know they could do even beter, but the signs of effort and improvement are undisputable. Towards the end of the year, there's this massively important job. When the pressure starts to tell, a few mistakes start being made. What do you do? Jump down people's throats telling them how useless they are? Criticise each and every decision made? Or try and get them to relax and instill some confidence back into them? And let's not blame the current side for the long term failure of the club. Have some faith.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

This was more like last season Pete, where they didn't even seem to be on the same planet and lost against useless sides that shouldn't have been allowed to play on the same pitch as us. This season has been charaterised by some very ordinary performances achieving great results - often because of the outstanding workrate of a single player. They've all enjoyed making little coquettish remarks about "Who knows where we may end up" but it's time to "stop your grinnin' and drop your linen". They have to start earning victories now or end up with nothing. Some heftly slices of luck along the way will have been in vain if they don't pull their fingers out and start working their bollocks off. Nobody has ever booed a team who fight. Players who slink off meekly down to the Inter Toto spot after being top deserve everything they get.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

Come on Softie. How many times have we come from behind this season? We have shown plenty of resilience and determination this season, throughout the team. I seriously think we are misinterpreting the signals here. The paralysis of movement is more akin to a rabbit in the headlights rather than a lazy w@nker that can't be ar@ed to lift a finger.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

I can categorically state that I have seen only 3 performances this season where we were firing on all cylinders. We've been downright spawny plenty of times and have been helped out by some surreal defending (remember the Everton keeper taking Xavier's head off thinking it was the ball?). I know a good performance when I see one and I've seen bloody few this season but enjoyed some fantastic results. It's no surprise that Craig Bellamy is being idolized, he has been everything we've ever asked our players to be: 100% go for 90 minutes. He's given the rest of them the slack to make mistakes (i.e. go behind so often that we have the chance for great comebacks - never wanted to lead from the outset?) and poor passes and now they need to repay that by taking the strain themselves for the last few games. They're meant to be professionals ffs. One last effort and they could be playing at the highest level most of them will ever achieve. Is this any time to be arsing about? I don't think so.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

Fair enough, Softie. Personally I think the team deserves to be 4th and hasn't just got there by luck. I haven't had the benefit of being a season ticket holder, but in a lot of the games I have seen live and on TV I think we've shown a lot of character and team spirit, albeit not necessarily consistently throughout a match. And treating them all like a bunch of no good wasters isn't going to get them playing to their potential.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

It's all right saying that they've done a great job up to now and that they've had a long season. This is now, we're in a good position to play against the top teams in Europe/World and if they don't pull there fingers out they'll be trying to qualify for UEFA cup through the intertoto. It doesn't matter what level you play at if you ain't performing you aint gonna play week after week until you prove you can. I'm also sick of hearing how long the season has been. Is this not the reason we have such a large squad of registered players? If some of them are tired then play someone whose fresh. Those on the bench will play like mad if they get a chance cos they will be looking to stay in the first team. I think that too many players (and not just ours) take first team football for granted and should learn that there are other players waiting should they let standards drop.

I still don't like the fact they booed Cort though.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

Those on the bench will play like mad if they get a chance cos they will be looking to stay in the first team.

Unless of course yu are taking Gary Speed's or Alan Shearer's place, in which cae, as soon as they can walk, you'll be back on the bench.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

I don't think I'm making my point very well here. I'm challenging the almost unanimous opinion here that our performances recently have been due to the players not pulling their fingers out and bad decisions by Bobby Robson and his staff. Because we see this as the reason for misplaced passes/lack of movement/being caught offside etc, our reaction is to increase the pressure on the players and give them a hard time. Does everyone agree that the root of the problem is the players not making enough effort? You may all still come to that conclusion, but think about it a bit. It's not a simple equation where skill + effort = great error free football. IMHO ;-)

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

No Pete I do not agree, (nothing personal) The team is not good/strong enough.

The performance against the lower teams, (Fulhams record in past games has been discussed elsewhere on here) they are 16th we are 4th. We should have buried them along with Villa after the Everton game. It is not a matter of the team being under pressure, going to Anfield, Arse and manure when they are playing well is under pressure, NOT playing Fulham at SJP.

We are supposed to be a big club, so tell me why we have a CB playing at LB? A defensive M/F coming on and playing up front?

This is a mickey mouse organization running the club. As far as I am aware we only have 2 regular first teamers out injured, Speed and Bellamy. Sorry to go on, I stayed up til 0300 to 0500 to watch that disgusting non performance and then went to work. I have not made comment on it til now because I wanted to cool down, but I still have not done so!

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

I really am beating my head against a brick wall here ;-)

'No Pete I do not agree, (nothing personal) The team is not good/strong enough.' The performance against the lower teams, (Fulhams record in past games has been discussed elsewhere on here) they are 16th we are 4th. We should have buried them along with Villa after the Everton game.

Don't disagree. We should have won. But if you think we should have won, presumably you think we are good enough to be able to do so. You can't have it both ways

It is not a matter of the team being under pressure, going to Anfield, Arse and manure when they are playing well is under pressure, NOT playing Fulham at SJP.

I disagree. We had little to lose against sides everyone agreed were better. The pressure against Fulham was huge and is increasing the more we bleat and moan and the closer (or further away) the 4th place and Champions League gets.

We are supposed to be a big club, so tell me why we have a CB playing at LB? A defensive M/F coming on and playing up front?

Possibly. Obviously Bobby Robson's a crap manager then.

This is a mickey mouse organization running the club. As far as I am aware we only have 2 regular first teamers out injured, Speed and Bellamy. Sorry to go on, I stayed up til 0300 to 0500 to watch that disgusting non performance and then went to work. I have not made comment on it til now because I wanted to cool down, but I still have not done so!

I therefore assume you think the performance was entirely down to players who can't be arsed?

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

There were many sad aspects to the Fulham game apart from the loss of two valuable points. The booing was uncalled for. I cannot believe that true supporters would boo their own team or a specific player for a bad performance. ( I sometimes wanted to boo Batty for some of his persistent fouling -- I hated players like him wearing a black and white shirt. Thoe original selection of Cort, Speed and Elliot has come in for a great deal of criticism -- and not without some justification. It seems that Bobbie Robson has now come to the belated conclusion that Cort, whatever his latent talents, is a luxury we cannot afford in this crunch period. Speed, for the most part, failed to come to grips with his job of commanding the midfield so that Dyer could play more forward. I have nothing further to say about Elliot -- his dedication to the club is admirable but ... The substitutions were strange and ineffective. The occasional slip up is inevitable -- it happens to Man Utd and Arsenal -- but on balance, a team ear the top f the table should be burying those near the bottom.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

"Does everyone agree that the root of the problem is the players not making enough effort?"

Err yes.

"You may all still come to that conclusion, but think about it a bit. It's not a simple equation where skill + effort = great error free football. IMHO ;-)"

The equation may not equal error free football but it does equal great football with minimal errors. It also allows you the chance to get the ball back, if, like Fulham you hunt in pairs and close down. We have the pace to break in midfield but Cort just doesn't provide it up front.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2002

I agree with Pete on the errors front. Jeering the team at every opportunity does not help them to correct the mistakes.

The thing with Cort was he was jeered BEFORE he'd made a mistake by about 50% of the people around me, same with Robert.

Now I do sit in Level 7 where the "new spectators" sit but I'd expect a bit more support for the team than that.

Arsenal and Liverpool etc weren't pressure situations as we were the underdogs. Against the small teams we are expected to stuff them and frankly don't know what to do.

The simple fact is too many had bad games. We can carry a few, maybe 2 or 3 having a poor game against a lowly side, but not nearly the whole team. Also too many picked scapegoats - mainly Cort, Robert and Speed, when others were just as bad.

Hopefully Bernard playing left back for the reserves is some indication that Bobby Robson is considering his options at left back.

-- Anonymous, April 11, 2002

Pete, my disagreement is with the fact that the downfall of the team is because of lack of application. That was the question you posed in the middle was it not?

I thought I clearly stated that I thought the reason was that we are not good enough nor do we have enough depth in the squad. On occassion it may be due to lack of application, I also think that this lack of application is remarkable in the light that it only seems to be around when we play crap teams.

Nothing to gain except three points against Arse, 'pool etc and hang on to 4th spot.

And for the record, no I am not entirely happy with the management of Mr Robson. He has done some great things for the club, however he has made some mistakes which have cost us points. Cast your mind back to the games where we do not change tactics or formation when we are getting beat, the lack of substitutes, the constant playing of Barton, Lee, Speed, Shearer etc.

I cannot remember hearing catcalls and jeers all the way through the match.

-- Anonymous, April 11, 2002

I have to concur with Gus in that, certainly in our section, I could not here people Booing until after the whistle. Certainly the collective sighs became audible when one pass after another went astray, and you certainly couldn't say we sang our hearts out from start to finish. The problem with the Cort situation wasn't so much the Boo's as a definite cheer when his number appeared on the fourth officials board. I can't recall hearing any Boo's as he went off.

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2002

While it's not unusual, my April 10 post has been entirely mis- interpeted.

I was neither defending the boo-boys, attacking the attitude of the present playing staff, or the ability of the Manager.

I was simply trying to offer an explanation for the booing last Monday. I would never participate in this because I feel it is highly counter-productive. However, I do feel I understand why this phemonena has arisen, and believe it is here to stay.

On the substantive issues that have subsequently been debated on this thread:

* I think the team spirit and attitude, and indeed fitness levels - of the players this season has been generally excellent. However, I do worry about LR's attitude and the potential wider effect of this on the squad

* I feel the team has generally performed much better this season, particularly in away games where they have picked up a lot of points. However, I feel we have slightly over-achieved, and have been at full stretch all the time.

* I believe the squad is far too thin on quality, meaning a nucleus of senior players have borne far too heavy a burden. BR has been very reluctant to use his squad players - this suggests he believes they are not good enough, in which case several of these should be shown the door in the summer. Right now I think the team is more mentally fatigued than physically, and imo the extended season with tight resources are probably the biggest issues influencing current team performance.

* I believe BR has made mistakes - in tactics, in team selection, and in the use of substitutions; however, everyone makes mistakes, especially in a sport like pro footy. In overall terms he has done extremely well, and is solely responsible for the continuing trend of improvement in playing strength and results. Hopefully, he can continue his marvellous rehabilitation of the Club.

* I believe we are likely to finish 5th in the PL which would be disappointing considering where we were 6 weeks ago. However, this would be a decent result, and a major step forward for the Club. We are gradually making progress, and with a another couple of good signings should be capable of making a real push for honours next season, hopefully boosted by a place in European competition.

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2002

Very balanced, Clarky. Still think we will get 4th though. Although I share your sense that we have over-achieved (perhaps achieved close to our maximum ability with some consistency), I also feel we over- estimate some of the teams around us.

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2002

simmer down chaps, Fulham really battled against us. I mean REALLY battled. Our lads looked at sixes and sevens. Cort is making a recovery after never really properly getting going for us and Speed and Elliot were returning after lay offs (for differing reasons). I'm not that suprised we were crap. Fulham tackled hard and deserved the point. Our team looked creaky before the game and so it proved. But NEVER boo the team. Thats despicable and 150 000 times worse than playing badly. Come on the lads! ps, see you at the Charlton match!

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2002

Thats what I said clarky, you just used more words and explained it better!

I cannot always take the time to fully explain what I mean, as oppossed to not being able too, so, I try to do it as quick as possible with my limited resources. (Brain)

That was why you thought I was attacking you re Caldwell for Scotland.

-- Anonymous, April 12, 2002