Manchester City 2, Newcastle United 1

Jan 29 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

THERE is no need for inflammatory words, scathing criticism or a big stick to beat them with – Newcastle’s failings in front of the watching Mike Ashley were surely far too obvious for that.

Without a win since December 21, without their best player, Shay Given, without their top goalscorer, Michael Owen, without a single player bought during the January transfer window and without enough fit players to play specialist midfielders, Newcastle approach this weekend’s Tyne-Wear derby with trepidation.

If things were not already bad enough, as a small squad struggled to cope with a wave of costly injuries, Newcastle also appear to have lost Owen and Joey Barton – who both limped off with a foot injury – and Charles N’Zogbia, who did not travel because of an ankle problem, ahead of Sunderland’s arrival at St James’s Park.

There are five days left in the January transfer window, but still Newcastle’s specialist recruitment team appears to be failing in its primary purpose.

The free transfer signing of Peter Lovenkrands on a short-term contract is not enough.

The ramifications of that situation not changing between now and Monday are disastrous – the message does not need to be any clearer than that.

If there was a saving grace from last night’s fruitless trip to Manchester, it was that Newcastle did not disgrace themselves in defeat.

They lacked a cutting edge, but they at least fought and scrapped for everything and, at times, even managed to push Manchester City on to the back foot. These are useful qualities in a relegation battle and they will be vital between now and the end of the season.

However, it is up to club owner Ashley and the rest of the United hierarchy to give them more than just a fighting chance by making the breakthroughs in the transfer market Magpies manager Joe Kinnear so desperately needs.

Whether the sale of Given will help that happen remains to be seen. The Irishman did not even make the trip to Manchester, his absence, according to the official party line, due to a bad knee. A bad state of mind would perhaps have been a more accurate reason.

His presence, though, still loomed large over the evening. The next time these two great under-achievers of English football meet, United fans will almost certainly be greeted by the painful sight of Given in a City shirt and there was no getting away from the fact his defection is one of the most painful episodes in the club’s troubled recent history.

Throughout all of the managerial changes, the boardroom turmoil, the heady European adventures and the many depressing anti-climaxes, Given has been the one consistently class act.

He has been a small, reassuring constant in an ocean of change and his departure will sting as only the bitter break-up with a loved one can.

In truth, Given would not have been able to stem the City tide in the first half, the home side scoring with their only clear-cut chance before the break when Shaun Wright-Phillips scampered on to Robinho’s through-ball and poked the ball through the legs of Steve Harper.

The goal came in the 17th minute, 17 minutes in which Newcastle had barely managed to get out of their own half.

The game plan was clear – defend deep and in numbers, deprive Robinho and Craig Bellamy of any room to work with behind the defence and hope something fell kindly for them at the other end on the break.

A reasonable plan in the circumstances – the lack of fit central midfielders meant Fabricio Coloccini had to play in that position with David Edgar drafted in at right-back – but one which was ruined as soon as City took the lead. However, having enjoyed almost total control before the opening goal, City took their foot off the gas and Newcastle gradually came back into the game, much to the surprise and growing irritation of the home crowd.

The loss of Owen shortly after Wright-Phillips’ goal deprived the Magpies of their only potent goalscorer, though, and while their share of possession increased, they rarely did anything with it.

A Damien Duff cross which just evaded the head of Jonas Gutierrez, and a Barton shot from 30 yards, which did not even start on target, let alone worry Joe Hart, were the closest the visitors came to mustering an equaliser.

As a damage limitation exercise, Newcastle had been successful, but more was needed if a third successive defeat was not all they took home with them. They, at least, gave it a go and had Duff elected to shoot, rather than try to cross to Andy Carroll just before the hour mark, the Magpies may well have had their equaliser. Other than that, however, there was only a half-hearted penalty appeal when Steven Taylor tangled with Micah Richards for the travelling fans to get excited about.

Instead, just as it seemed as though City would have to survive an uncomfortable final 10 minutes, Craig Bellamy struck, turning away from Steven Taylor to make room for a shot on the edge of the area which wrong-footed Harper.

If Taylor had not been tight enough on that occasion, he made amends moments later as his last-ditch tackle deprived Stephen Ireland of another goalscoring opportunity. That kept United in it and when David Edgar stole possession from Wayne Bridge and crossed for Carroll to tap in, City’s nerves were evident again. It was too little too late.