When it comes to keeping clean sheets, it is a team effort at Newcastle United. But when there is criticism to be dished out, it is Danny Simpson against the world. Stuart Rayner reports

AFTER helping Newcastle United to a famous victory over his hometown club, Danny Simpson’s phone was in danger of meltdown. Less than an hour after full-time he had 48 Blackberry messages and six texts waiting in his inbox.

“I hadn’t even looked at my Twitter yet,” he added. “After Liverpool not many of them were ‘well done’.”

Some footballers have found the social networking site liberating, others costly, making heat-of-the-moment comments without considering that the world – and authorities – might be watching. It works in reverse too, giving supporters the opportunity to say things they would not dare to face-to-face.

In recent days, Simpson has seen both sides of it.

While on Wednesday he was a Newcastle hero – his clearance denying Wayne Rooney a potentially match-turning goal – days earlier he had been cast, and castigated, as the villain.

At Anfield last Friday night, Simpson unwittingly contributed to the goal which – briefly – allowed Liverpool to put daylight between themselves and the Magpies in the table. As Craig Bellamy lined up a free-kick, he headed for the near-post, prompting the usual game of cat and mouse with the opposition forwards.

As Bellamy hit his shot, Simpson was again moving backwards. Rather than blocking the shot, all he managed to do was get in goalkeeper Tim Krul’s way. The ball ricocheted between them, and into the net for Liverpool’s second goal in a 3-1 win.

It was a costly error from a player some supporters remain suspicious of. Back in the day the answer would have been to give the local the swerve for the next few nights. A couple of years ago it would have meant just keeping the radio off so as not to have to listen to the post-match moan-in. Thanks to Twitter there is no escape. It has given supporters the opportunity to contact Simpson directly from anywhere in the world to tell him just what a pillock they think he is.

“It’s up and down, isn’t it? That’s Twitter,” reflected the Mancunian with a shrug of the shoulders. “People have their opinions and get upset. At Liverpool we thought we could at least draw and maybe we could have nicked it.