Paul Dixon has been following Newcastle United for more than 35 years, 17 of which have been as a season ticket holder in the Gallowgate End at St James’ Park. Each week in his column, he takes a wry look at all things football – from a black-and-white perspective.
ISN’T the wonderful world of Newcastle United amazing?
At half-time I’d even forgiven Cameron Diaz for not turning up in a bathful of diamonds – by full time I was wondering if she’d turned up in our dressing room instead.
Never has the hoary old phrase “A game of two halves” been more appropriate. In the first half we attacked like a well-oiled Roman army of legend, in the second we defended like a very well-oiled Second World War Italian army.
While it is scant consolation to the away support, sometimes results like that are needed once in a while. A reminder that sometimes you aren’t as good as you think you are.
I wont be weeping and wailing too long after this, I’m more interested in the reaction at Brighton this weekend.
The squad gets found out occasionally, with some positions short of genuine competition, but as it’s the same squad that hammered Man Utd, I think that we can forgive this transgression from the season’s standard thus far.
This brings me to the surprising signing of Papiss Cissé. Now, be honest, when you first saw the news, what was your initial reaction?
1 – Well, that’s Ba away, or...
2 – A good signing who will nicely complement his international team mate?
It is interesting to note the difference in this transfer window to others. Clearly lessons are being learned.
The main lesson being to stop Derek Llambias saying anything at all. While Alan Pardew is correctly being accorded a bit more respect in his dealings with supporters, it is a different story with Derek. I would take what he says with a pinch of salt, but he’d probably charge me for it.
History warns us of a sting in the tail immediately after good news – expect to wake up and find we’re now playing home games in Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon if you want to attract sponsors).
The price paid for Cissé fluctuates between £7.5m and £10m. We can only wait until genial Harry Redknapp gives his next Press conference to get the full details.
I await with keen interest his view on newspaper reports of a Man Utd bid for Luka Modric this summer.
As he is a proud Englishman, I also wait with bated breath to his reaction to a potential Barcelona Bale-out in the summer window.
