tim krul
18
Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa Steven Taylor
Fabricio Coliccini
Davide Santon
JUST A FOOTBALL CLUB? 19
IT’S FAR MORE THAN THAT!
WORDS//BRIAN HALL - AUTHOR OF LIFE OF BRIAN IN BLACK AND WHITE
hatem ben arfa
Moussa Sissoko
Papiss Cisse
AS IT
RS
WORDS//MAX FLINDE
Yohan Cabaye
Sylvain Marveaux
Yoan Gouffran
STANDS
As we approach the new season
with no signings, many of us are
wondering who will be in the
starting 11 for the opening game
away at big spenders Manchester
City. This is the team I would pick
if all are fit to start.
Hopefully we can go into the new
season with a renewed belief in our
own ability after a horrendous season
last time round. I can honestly say it
was one of the worst in my memory.
Mike Ashley has not done anything
to show us he wants to improve our
squad, adding only to his catalogue of
balls ups by employing JFK. Why he
has come back to Newcastle United,
none of us know but he has already
caused embarrassment with his
loose tongue and I can see it happen
again and again. Only time will tell
if he will end up as manager again.
I wouldn’t bet against this scenario
happening before the season is finished unless we manage to get some
good, early results and get some
confidence into the team.
The best way for us to get results is
for us to have a go - you only have to
look at the way Swansea approach
games. Swansea go out to win. When
they want a win, they will have a go
at City, not play for a draw and hope
to sneak one at the death. Man City
will take us apart if we sit back. They
may take us apart even if we have a
go but at least we, the fans, can have
a team we can be proud of and just
maybe, we can go there and win.
Manchester City are in a different
league to us but beating them is not
impossible and being our first game,
we could take them by surprise.
I want to see Marveaux get a few
games under his belt and settle into
the first team. With him and Ben Arfa
in midfield we would have flair, pace
and most of all, chances. All Pappis
Cisse needs is a half chance to start
firing in goals and with the Gouffran
running alongside him, I think they
could do well.
The Targets
We definitely need another forward
for competition and injury but
attempting to buy three forwards
seems to be a little over the top
unless they are buying with an eye
on selling Cisse? I think we could do
with another play maker in midfield
and offload Cabaye. He has been too
inconsistent since he joined and as
I have said many times before, he
goes missing in games far too often. I
am also a little concerned about our
goalkeeping options. If Krull doesn’t
get fit for the start of the season and
his injury drags on, or he sustains
another injury, I don’t know if we
are in safe hands with Rob Elliot. He
has made a few good appearances
and some fantastic saves but in my
opinion, he is not ready for first team
at St James’ Park. Our number three,
Jack Alnwick, is surely not ready for
first team football but he could find
himself in the first team if we suffer
injuries like last season so another
tried and tested goal keeper would
be a sensible target for us.
Our defence is looking ok at the moment and I hope Debuchy can force
his way into the team as he is a great
player although he didn’t impress
last season. He seemed to lack pace
and in the Premier League, pace is an
attribute many managers are looking
for. He does like to get forward but
with Ben Arfa playing on the right,
we need a more stable defence. Marveaux, Sissoko along with Ban Arfa,
will provide enough attack.
I have lost a little bit of hope for
Newcastle United as of late but
it only takes a decent run to get
everybody going again and hopefully
the lads can do just that. As it stands
though, I am not happy with the
ongoing circus Newcastle United has
become.
Thank God England are playing
decent cricket in the Ashes.
I have long held the view that
Newcastle United are not exactly
your average football club. And I
am not talking about events both
on and off the pitch, because I
don’t really feel like going down
that path!
No. I am expressing a view that this
institution represents far more in
terms of simply footy.
This is a little, canny proud region,
somewhere between England and
Scotland, only recently described as
having many parts which are uninhabitable, remote, and, well, desolate. That came from some buffoon in
the House of Lords. So what.
The key point though, as John Hall
once put it, is that Geordies – loosely
defined, that is – are the Basques of
England. Fierce, proud, passionate
identity, never to be surrendered.
And therein comes the place of Newcastle United in people’s lives here.
Whether NUFC fans have a season
ticket, travel to every away match,
live in Australia, never get to a
match, or a just a Granny in a cafe,
so many people in this region see
this club as quite an important part
of their lives. Their culture. And that
is felt with intens