Newcastle United 2, Wigan Athletic 2

Nov 17 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

IT was a blast from the past which ultimately deprived Newcastle United of the win they so desperately needed, but it is the continued fear of an unknown future which plagues Joe Kinnear.

He was in a strangely subdued mood at St James’s Park on Saturday night. That might have been explained by his irritation at the poor defending which allowed former United defender Titus Bramble to cap an assured performance in the Wigan defence with a late headed equaliser.

But there are other, perhaps more important, things on the mind of Newcastle’s interim manager as the temporary nature of his position at St James’s Park starts to annoy and frustrate.

Kinnear was brought in as an emergency measure to put out some fires at Newcastle United following the dramatic departure of Kevin Keegan and the anger it sparked towards owner Mike Ashley and his London-based regime. To a large extent Kinnear has succeeded in dousing those flames, organising the dressing room into a cohesive team and drilling some measure of collective responsibility into the players. Results, while unspectacular, have been solid and a massive improvement on what they would have been had the team been allowed to meander its way along without him.

The Magpies have lost just twice since he took the helm, winning two and drawing three – nine points from a possible 21 but enough to lift the Magpies out of the bottom three. In the circumstances, with a small squad and with no long-term power or authority, it is a decent return. But it is that lack of long-term planning and the absence of any real authority to shape the direction and style of the team which is starting to grate with Kinnear. Even if he knew the conditions he would have to operate under when he took the job at the end of September, we must have some sympathy for him. Although Kinnear likes to give the impression he has a clear idea of what Ashley is up to he is, in many respects, as much in the dark as anyone.

He believes the club is on the verge of being sold to a mystery American billionaire, but he is not certain. He understands that deal will happen in the next few weeks, but he is not really sure. He thinks he will be looking for another job before the end of the year, but he really can’t say one way or the other and it is starting to get difficult.

Kinnear will meet Ashley in London after the Chelsea game next weekend. He expects to be given a firm update on the takeover situation then. But if no buyer is poised to take possession of the club at that meeting, Kinnear will ask for more power, more long-term security and a green light to move into the transfer market ahead of the January window.

He is well within his right to make such a demand because, for the first time since he succeeded Keegan, Newcastle began to resemble a team without firm direction against Wigan.

Certainly, the team’s performance in the first half was as bad as anything they have produced in this depressing campaign. United were devoid of flair, lacking determination and without any sort of zest to their play, as Wigan went in at half-time with a deserved lead thanks to Ryan Taylor’s third goal in as many years against them. The full-back will probably not score a better one either, hitting a dipping, curling shot which flew over the head of the surprised Shay Given.

That goal came after only three minutes and Newcastle barely mustered anything in reply.

None of the United side came out of that 45 minutes with any credit. Shola Ameobi and Obafemi Martins – who missed one great chance when he shot straight at Chris Kirkland – were static in attack, Damien Duff and Jonas Gutierrez were anonymous, Nicky Butt and Danny Guthrie – on for the injured Joey Barton – were constantly wasteful in possession and Jose Enrique was dreadful at left-back.

Things did improve after the break after some choice words from Kinnear, but whether the Magpies would have found a way past Kirkland if Wigan had not been harshly reduced to 10 men following the sending off of Emmerson Boyce for a second bookable offence is open to question.

The game changed with the introduction of Michael Owen and Charles N’Zogbia from the bench – although they probably should have started the second-half. Owen missed one great chance, side footing Martins’ cross wide from six yards, but he remains a masterful goal-poacher, sliding in to equalise after Kirkland failed to hold Ameobi’s shot.

And when Martins – who had been as poor as anyone in the first half – picked up N’Zogbia’s pass and smashed an unstoppable shot into the far corner Newcastle looked as though they had completed a remarkable and valuable fightback.

Bramble, though, had other ideas, his header flying straight at Duff on the line, but the Republic of Ireland international could not react quickly enough to keep it out.