Newcastle United 0, Aston Villa 0

Aug 20 2007 by Paul Gilder, The Journal

INCLUDED in Saturday’s match programme was an enlightening article in which Geremi revealed it is his long-held dream to become a detective when he retires from football.

“I mean it,” insisted the Newcastle captain having been asked about the career paths he might pursue in future. “I like making investigations and getting to the bottom of mysteries. If something was stolen at the training ground, I would like to be the one who solved the case by questioning people and working out how it could have been taken.”

It might not make a classic Columbo or a plot for Poirot, but there is a case crying out to be cracked at St James’s Park.

With such attacking resources at their disposal, that the Magpies have gone more than six months without a Premier League goal on home soil is a puzzle that would baffle the most thorough of investigators.

Michael Owen, Mark Viduka, Obafemi Martins and Shola Ameobi were all involved at various points at the weekend, yet David Rozehnal was alone in testing Scott Carson. That a defender who has scored just four times in his eight-season career posed the greatest threat encapsulates the tale.

The Magpies had been a side that oozed menace on the Premier League’s opening afternoon, yet those who had been at Bolton seven days earlier could have been forgiven for questioning their memories as the tedium mounted.

Not since Nolberto Solano scored in February’s 2-1 win against Liverpool have Newcastle netted in a top-flight fixture at St James’s Park. That was 27 weeks ago.

In the subsequent period, the Gallowgate’s frustrated fans have endured more than nine hours without reward. More than 50 years have passed since such a drought has been experienced.

Sam Allardyce departed disappointed but not disheartened, a manager who is a self-proclaimed pessimist insisting there was cause for optimism following an evening on which the football had dampened enthusiasm as much as the weather.

When the 52-year-old suggested this was a match Newcastle would have lost last season, he was right. For all their offensive failings the resilience with which his side repelled spirited opponents showed progress is being made. As Allardyce has always insisted, success won’t come overnight.

That he has eradicated the soft centre that undermined Glenn Roeder’s ill-fated tenure has ensured there are strong foundations upon which to build.

With Owen, Viduka, Martins and Ameobi (not to mention James Milner and Charles N’Zogbia) Allardyce knows the goals will come. A more important task to tackle on his appointment was a deficient defence. The improvements are obvious.

Rozehnal has made an assured start to his Premier League career and the partnership he has formed with Steven Taylor has great promise. Taylor was less commanding than normal against Villa and appeared to lose concentration at times, his mind perhaps on his promotion to the England squad.

Yet Newcastle held firm against an imposing attack that combined pace and power to set serious tests. On the occasions the back line was breached, Steve Harper was in fabulous form. Three superb saves ensured a precious clean sheet was preserved and highlighted the 32-year-old’s unquestionable qualities.

Under Allardyce, Newcastle are a more cohesive unit. Defending has become a team-wide task and the benefits are obvious. With Nicky Butt protecting his back-four in a deep position that he appears to relish, there is a renewed stubbornness about Newcastle’s football. There is no-one who characterises it more than the irascible Alan Smith, who produced another dogged never-say-die performance that exuded aggression and bred belligerence. The 26-year-old last week insisted that his side can no longer be considered pushovers. He proved as much again at the weekend with his tigerish tackling and his tireless tracking back. It was not enough to inspire a win, although Allardyce believes becoming hard to beat is a significant step along the road to success. Two games in and the former Bolton boss remains unbeaten It must be noted that Villa were obstinate opponents who packed their defence and attacked on the break. Newcastle lacked the guile and penetrative edge to break down Martin O’Neill’s team and it must be asked whether the formation that destroyed Bolton at the Reebok Stadium is the best-suited for home fixtures when United are expected to dictate. It is something Allardyce will analyse.

The positives were not as great as the home supporters would have liked, but this was not as negative as it first appeared. The Premier League season’s first clean sheet, Michael Owen’s 27-minute appearance and a much-improved atmosphere at a stadium that has lost the fear factor for opponents in recent times, all are to be welcomed. But there is still much to do.

Mark Allison, the Newcastle supporter who ran from John O’Groats to Lands End to raise funds for a local hospice, was applauded for his efforts during the interval. Unlike the 37-year-old, United still have a long way to go.