Obafemi Martins’ pile driver of a goal at the Lane a couple of seasons back still haunts me. I thought we would win that game comfortably but the inconsistent African came up with some magic to ruin that Sunday for me. I can see this Sunday being a different story.
I have a lot of time for Newcastle, especially their fans but I really fear for their Premiership status this season. The arrival of their messiah Alan Shearer is a move borne out of desperation rather than planning.
Shearer is clever. He didn’t fancy the job in the middle of the season because he knew the side was full of average, lazy and injury prone players who would have needed a serious kick up the backside and possibly even some headlocks the likes of which we’d not seen since Keiron Dyer was part of the Toon. By taking the job at this late stage of the season, he has nothing to lose. Save Newcastle from relegation and he’s untouchable for life. If they do get relegated, he’s lost no face because he didn’t have time to do a proper job and can walk away before next season if things behind the scenes aren’t the way he wants them.
If I was a Newcastle fan I would have been very happy with Joe Kinnear and the job he did under difficult circumstances. I don’t believe that any other manager would have had the club in a better position with the resources he had at his disposal.
Supporting Spurs I can identify with some of the issues the Newcastle fans have faced over the last ten years or so, false dawns etc but having Bobby Robson at the helm and the first reign of Keegan must have been amazing.
Harry has a strong squad to pick from for Sunday’s encounter with Alan Hutton now fit, David Bentley staking a claim for first team action with two goals against Arsenal reserves and Wilson Palacios returning from his one game ban.
Like with West Ham last week, I just think the current Tottenham side will have too much for the Toon Army at White Hart Lane. I realise they will be playing out their skins for both Premiership survival and to avoid the wrath of Sir Alan but they just don’t have the quality to take all 3pts. Had the game been at St James’ Park I would have been worried but current form points to a comfortable Spurs victory.
