Villa 4 Toon 1
Thank goodness for Niall and Biffa, if it hadn't been for them I'd have a totally awful day. As it was NUFC.com had struck a deal with Paddy Power with some very generous odds for Owen to be the first scorer. As a result I'm £120 better off than I was at the start of the day.
It all started so well - in many ways. A trouble free M6, a bright sunny day, and even an early goal. I made the mistake of saying at half time that this was the best that I'd seen us play for some time and that we were making Villa look ordinary. I should have known. The second half had the worst type of groundhog day - it was Manure away again. Let in an early goal and complete panic - no concept of defensive shape, nor of any creativity. Joey Bloody Barton hasn't the ability to pass a ball to one of his own teammates. Alan Smith isn't ever, ever going to score in a black and white shirt - he just runs around like a headless chicken, snarling at people. Fortunately for my blood pressure I missed the Carr handball, but apparently, he thought he was playing a completely different sport - basketball.
Those three were the worst, but the whole lot are culpable - again. Why don't they seem to care? When the Villa fans started chanting "There's only one Kevin Keegan" in the most sarcastic way, then you know that we are in trouble. Whisper it quietly, relegation might be looming, its certainly not far away.
As you can see, I took my camera along, and bumped into the person 2nd from the left on the way into the ground. Mike, was this what you expected to buy into? I suspect not.
Oh, and to the throwback racist near me - crawl back under your unenlightened stone, Enoch Powell is long gone and this is 2008. Grow up and shut up.
One final thing - can anyone explain to me why a Norwegian felt that Birmingham was so cold today that he wore gloves throughout the first half? John Carew, you are a joke. Mind you, I wish he'd bloody kept them on, when he forgot them for the 2nd half he got a hat-trick.
Rant over - I'm off to enjoy a good bottle of wine - thanks to Mr Owen.
2 comments:
Hi Karen, hope your trip to B6 wasn't too unbearable yesterday.
To give a Villa fan's perspective, I wouldn't worry about relegation. Ignoring the obvious change in fortunes in the second half, Newcastle in the first were far from the worst team we've had at VP this season.
Owen will score vital goals and Milner looked different class. I doubt you share my scepticism regarding Mr Keegan, but I think he needs to take a long hard look at his half-time team talks. Martin's showed him up yesterday.
All in all, it was one-way traffic towards the Holte in both halves. But Newcastle won't face a wounded animal for 45 minutes every week so I expect your lot to be looking up rather than down the table in the not-too-distant future.
Chris
Thanks for the kind words about us not getting into a relegation scrap... But if we are saved from that ignominy it'll only be because Derby, Fulham and another one have self destructed worse than Newcastle.
You are completely right about O'Neill - no doubt his team talk was a good 'un and tactically bringing Harewood on and moving Maloney out wide was perfect. Our static defence couldn't cope with the pace and variation. As for Keegan, he could never make a substitution the first time round, and he doesn't show much sign of having learned how to do so since he's been away.
As for Villa - you have some cracking players - Davies is a class defender and I've liked Maloney since he was at Celtic. BTW thank god we hung onto Milner when he almost went to you...He's been our best player all season.
Villa will be in Europe next season without a doubt, O'Neill is a good manager for you - so much better than the days of David O'Leary - now they were grim trips to Villa Park :-)
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