I’d like to say that Newcastle could feel aggrieved about the result but, as the opening few words of this mtach report suggest, they can’t, and will rightly attract criticism from quite a few quarters for this shambolic defeat.
In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really matter too much. Many of us are aware that surviving in the Premier League is the priority for this season and understand that a cup run can sometimes be a distraction that newly promoted teams can ill afford.
What has irked me though is the manner of defeat. I can take a defeat against anyone, as long as the team give it their best shot. Today they didn’t in my view and they came up woefully short against a Stevenage side who will be dining out on this cup upset – only the third ever instance where a League Two side has beaten a Premier League team – for some time to come.
Newcastle named a stronger than expected side that included the likes of Joey Barton, Kevin Nolan and Fabricio Coloccini, which suggested that the away side were trying to do things properly and professionally as they aimed for the fourth round.
Stevenage had other ideas though and took control of the game pretty early on. They didn’t geive Newcastle any respect and looked up for the game. To be honest, the longer the game went on, the more I felt that we could be on for an upset.
There was a lot of long balls played inthe first half, with not a lot of goal-mouth action on offer. Whatever Newcastle were trying, it wasn’t working and the two sides went in at half time still deadlocked at 0-0.
Nile Ranger came on at half time as Leon Best was withdrawn, presumably due to the heel injury he had been struggling with, but it didn’t have any significant effect on the performance. In fact the hosts scored the opening goal of the game just four minutes after half time when Stacy Long cut inside and had a shot which was going wide, and curling away from goal, until it met the head of Mike Williamson which deflected the ball into the net.
It got worse again on 55 minutes when Michael Bostwick arrowed a 20 yard shot into the back of the net via the post, but the most disheartening thing is that Stevenage fully deserved the two goal cushion.
From there it was always going to be an uphill task. It would have been easier had the away side decided to turn up, but today was one of those days that highlights just how fragile our squad is.
Cheik Tiote was brought on to try and influence the game, but he didn’t last long and was sent off after recieving a straight red card for lunging into a tackle. A red was harsh, but I doubt it will get overturned and we must now face Sunderland without him.
Joey Barton pulled one back in stoppage time after unleashing an unstoppable shot from 25 yards past the Stevenage ‘keeper. It was quite fitting really as he is the only Newcastle player I would give any kind of credit to today. It didn’t stop the hosts adding a third through Peter Winn with virtually the final kick of the game.
Stevenage will enjoy this day for a long time, and so they should. Thet outplayed and outfought a disappointing Newcastle side, but the history books won’t reflect the lack of professionalism on show the visitors.
However, they will read: Stevenage 3-1 Newcastle.
Stevenage: Chris Day, Ronnie Henry, Jon Ashton, Mark Roberts, Scott Laird, Lawrie Wilson, John Mousinho, Michael Bostwick, Stacy Long, Peter Winn, Chris Beardsley.
Subs: Ashley Bayes, Luke Foster, Charlie Griffin, Yemi Obubade, Ben May, David Bridges, Rob Sinclair.
Newcastle: Tim Krul, Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini, James Perch, Wayne Routledge, Kevin Nolan, Alan Smith, Joey Barton, Peter Lovenkrands, Leon Best.
Subs: Ole Soderberg, Tamas Kadar, Shane Ferguson, Danny Guthrie, Cheik Tiote, Phil Airey, Nile Ranger.
Attendance: 6,644.
Guthrie, Kadar and Ferguson on the bench.
Smith, Perch and Routledge in the team.
Is this really going to be the way forward using championship level players that are the footballing equivilent of a bout of crabs, Intead of blooding young players who would have given us superior technical ability, creativity and a balanced team sheet…
CC(Quote)
….and desire/hunger
richietoon(Quote)
Gutted more about losing Tiote than about losing a cup game. I hope Smudger is gettin his boots polished up and his game face on. And please god, let Andy, Jonas, Enrique, and Shola be fit for the scum.
Anybody heard anything regarding Ziani and Larsson?
OHurley(Quote)
OHurley – Only heard what other have about Ziani. I have an article coming up about it.
toonsy(Quote)
Desire and hunger maybe, but technical skill and experience? I agree that cup games are a great place to blood the youngins, but honestly I’d have probably played the same side Pards did. May have used Fergie on the left though and Barton on the right. Maybe would have used Guthrie in the middle. I think that this WAS a good opportunity to experiment with tactics and formations, though. Rather do it here than in a league game. Oh well, it’s over. Bring on the scum.
OHurley(Quote)
Cool. I hear he’s a crackin player. Wot u think?
OHurley(Quote)
I know Pards can take blame for tactics and formations etc, but he cant take the blame for a team of highly payed players that looked as if they were out for a stroll.
The only player that I would say tried was Joey but even his passing was sh1te but he did look as if he was trying, the rest just turned up but never got stuck in.
I have seen a few suggesting that we should have played the younguns but if that had of happened and Stevenage had of battered them too then Pards would have been hammered for not taking it serious. I guess he will soon learn that at the Toon you can never winno matter what you do 🙁
Big Dave(Quote)
I would add Taylor to that list seeing as he hasnt done anything wrong since coming back, I would love to have seen the comments if Taylor had played like “Willo” did…
CC(Quote)
On recent performances Smith has been BETTER than Guthrie-I remember willing an injury on him in the west brom match he was that sh1te, and that was even before he kicked the floor instead of the ball and let them score. Smith did a job against manu/villa, hes nothing on Tiote but if we have the rest of our squad then hopefully they can carry him through vs the mackems. Can’t argue with the Kadar and Ferguson calls though, Perch was a joke as usual and the more I see routledge the more i’m convinced he was a pointless signing.
NewkieBrown(Quote)
should of played harper and fergie ,but fck it we were shiter than *****
batty(Quote)
Aye Guthrie was bad against WBA but other than that hes been played out wide this season, Last season he was outstanding and created pretty much everything i know it was the fizzy but i personally think he gives us a hell of a lot more than Smith.
CC(Quote)
Well just think, we could have played Nickey **** in the mid 😀 lol
OHurley(Quote)
Too bad he retired. hehe
OHurley(Quote)
He is playing out in China isn’t he?
toonsy(Quote)
TBH which ever 11 he picked should have been able to win that game(no disrespect to them)……or at the very least made a game of it. I’m more disappointed in the performance(or lack of) than going out the cup. A run would have been nice but I just don’t think we have a squad good enough to fight on 2 fronts and I’d rather concentrate on getting enough points to have us safe then see how many more we can bag after that.
richietoon(Quote)
aye scored on his debut….and missed a pen 🙂
richietoon(Quote)
CC-Aye I know where you’re coming from and in going forward and retaining possession he’s far better than Smith, problem is, we need a player in the Smith mould for most matches..we’ll need him for Sunderland anyway-even Stevenage tore through us after we’d lost Tiote/had Smith off. Plus we’ll need someone capable of injuring Bent/Gyan if things get bad 😀
Could play four at the back with collo in defensive mid as he played their for deportivo or something didn’t he? But i mean, on such short notice we shouldn#t really be messing with our defence, and especially not after Williamson’s performance today.
Unfortunately for now, Smith has to play, really can’t see him being left out. Lets hope he has one of his better days eh.
NewkieBrown(Quote)
Aye put it this way if i you offered me that ***** in exchange for the 6 points from Wigan and Wham then i would have snapped your hand off…
CC(Quote)
yep rich
batty(Quote)
Richie agree with you that no matter what team we put out should have won it. But i do think we should be trying to go for a good cup run because it will be the same every year when we need to make sure we are safe 😉
But I guess thats that out of the way now so we can concentrate on the League 🙂
Big Dave(Quote)
Aye Dave but hopefully next year we’ll have more quality in depth so we’ll be able to push on in the league and have more quality to help in the cup games and go on a cup run without worrying about the league position…..easy to say, not so easy to achieve 😉
richietoon(Quote)
Batty so we have a no show then so much for fighting talk 🙁
Big Dave(Quote)
kna dave pair of lasses they are 😉
batty(Quote)
Whey thats me lads, early neet from all me travelling.
Dave can ya not sort a King William lll avatar oot for OHurley 🙂
cyas tomorrow
richietoon(Quote)
was just watching highlights there or should I say low lights Williamson was lost today and I like the fella so im not having a cheap shot at him 🙁
Big Dave(Quote)
Richie take it easy Bud neet mate.
Yeah i’ll sent him one 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
shame s taylor wasent fit ,you can call him for things ,but he lways gives 100%
batty(Quote)
cya richie,soft ***** 🙂 only bloody 2 hours flight
icedog(Quote)
if the Ronnie Radford Award goes to stevenage.i will lmao seriously.
AngelOfDeath(Quote)