Newcastle United Fan View: FA Cup 4th round target reached

Ok, the title “Newcastle United in the FA Cup 4th Round Draw” kind of puts a positive spin on this weekend’s drab FA Cup 3rd encounter against Birmingham City but given our form over the last decade in this competition, the fact that we are still in the hat is a massive, massive, bonus.

In our home league game against Birmingham last month we dominated from start to finish and Rafa Benitez went on to label it the most impressive performance on the season but the FA Cup 3rd round tie was as far from an impressive performance as you can get. In truth it was an awful game, our goal via Murphy in the 5th minute was the only highlight and we could, and perhaps should, have gone on to lose the game.

Of course, when the team sheet was announced it was no surprise to see 8 changes from the last game, the 1-0 away defeat against Blackburn Rovers. Perhaps the most interesting of all though was a change in formation, to a 3-5-2, and later through the game a 4-4-2 system. Rafa often changes the team depending on the opposition but it is rare we see a change to the 4-2-3-1 formation. The fact that he started with Mitrovic and Murphy up front together was a read eye opener. Playing 2 up front is something that a lot of Newcastle United fans have clamored for this season, myself included, and whilst most fans would like to see a pairing of Gayle and Mitrovic, I can understand the reasons why Gayle was rested for this game.

Unfortunately the problem we seem to have at the moment is the lack of creativity in the side since Jonjo Shelvey’s suspension. It’s there for all to see, we are simply not creating enough chances for the striker or attacking players. Shelvey has been a real driving force in the side this season, not only with assists and goals but his ability to dictate the pace and tempo of a game. His replacement during his suspension, Jack Colback, has been dire. It is something that must be addressed during the January transfer window, regardless of Shelvey’s return from suspension, or this slump in form is going to continue.

As the match wasn’t televised, I did not get to see the game but given the highlights on the BBC MOTD programme lasted all of 23 seconds, I suspect I did not miss a thriller. What I have found surprising is the damning critique online – from local websites such as nufc.com and North East journalists on Twitter and Facebook. Normally, whether we win, lose or draw, the match reports are fairly upbeat; certainly this season anyway but the report on nufc.com was pretty damning and it is a long, long time since I have read such a negative report from them – I agree with them completely though and I think the criticism, certainly of certain individual players is both justified and needed. I think it is easy to have rose tinted spectacles right now given that we are sitting second in the league, we had a cup League Cup run and we are still in the FA Cup – what is there to moan about? Well, not much really if you look at it that way but if you forget this season as a whole and just look at our last 10 games then you start to worry a bit. Yes, we have won (4 out of the 10) but it is the way we are playing that concerns me most; we seem to have some kind of mid-season fatigue and never before has a January transfer window been so important.

Whilst Shelvey only has 1 more game of his 5 match ban to serve, we have lost Atsu, Diame and Mbemba for a few weeks and of course the awful injury (if you haven’t seen it already, just go on Twitter and search for “Mitrovic knee” – I’m warning you in advance, don’t be eating at the time) to Mitrovic on Saturday will rule him out for a couple of weeks and we now have an incredibly busy fixture list on the way – I would like to see some incoming transfers this week if possible.

Anyway, I wanted to leave you with something different. Last week I wrote about my love of the FA Cup and the ups and (many) downs of supporting Newcastle United in this competition. Something I read over the weekend has really stuck with me and I wanted to share it here.

John Bradshaw, one of the regular posters on the NotBBC UNUFC forum wrote this and I thought I would share it with you as it is a great read…

It’s around this time, the first week or so of the new year, that thoughts turn towards the 3rd round of the FA Cup, and we dream of a path to glory at Wembley – and are often rewarded with ignominy long before the main event. I remember that when I started watching and reading about the Toon, Newcastle were always referred to as “renowned Cup fighters”, the heroics of ’51,’52 and ’55 still fresh in the collective memory. It was therefore somewhat wounding to me that in my first TWELVE seasons of support, we never got past the second hurdle (round 4), often losing to opposition from lower divisions and TWICE losing to non league opposition! The sequence was finally broken in ’74 when we did get to Wembley, a venue where we had never lost in 6 attempts – and a venue where we have never won, in 5(?) attempts since! As Ricky Tomlinson might say “Renowned cup fighters my arse!”

But at this time I also think back to my very first game at St James’ Park, 55 years ago this week. That was a game in the 3rd round of the cup, vs Peterborough. That 12 season losing sequence was to commence with a one goal defeat to a club from the division below us. The Toon lined up as:-

Hollins
McKinney, Ferguson
Wright, Thompson, Dalton
White, Harrower, McGuigan, Allchurch, Tuohy.

Disappointing result, but oh the feeling – on climbing the hill at the Gallowgate End – and gazing down onto that lush green pitch for the very first time – I was hooked – Newcastle United was in my blood, and as Leonard Cohen sings “There ain’t no cure for love”.

Yes that very first game, 55 years ago – 3rd January 1962, nineteen hundred and sixty two – WAIT A MOMENT! Why did I never think of that before?!

So with apologies to Geordie Ridley…

Aa went to see the Toon play, twas on the third of Jan
Nineteen hundred and sixty two, aa was just a little man
We took the bus from Seghill, it wasn’t any hassle
Away we went through Annitsford, that’s on the road to Newcastle

Oh me lads, ye shoulda seen us gannin’
Passin’ the folks alang the road, just as they were stannin’
Aall the lads and lassies there, and aall with smilin’ faces
Gannin alang the Gallowgate road to see Toon play at St James’

Aa went thru the turnstile and paid me one and six
Aa gazed up at the Gallowgate hill, man aa stood transfixed
We climbed the steps up to the top, and looked at the hallowed ground
The pitch so green, the best aa’d seen, me heart began to pound

Oh me lads etc…

Forty Three Thousand fans there, packed into the ground
The Geordies roared, me spirit soared, it was a mighty sound
They sang The Blaydon Races, me Geordie Pride was up
Haway the Lads, we are the Mags, we’re gonna win the cup!

Oh me lads etc…

The ref blew his whistle, there was bonny game begun
But Peterbro hadn’t read the script, and ended all our fun
Oot the cup at the forst attempt, wor team was very lame
Aall aa could dee was catch the bus and gan back ower hyem

Oh me lads etc…

Fifty Five years have passed since then, it’s aall been much of the same
But every year aa’m daft enough to think it’s ganna change
A single piece of silverware would have us aall start clappin’
Aa’ve resigned meself me bonny lads, it’s nivvor ganna happen!

Oh me lads etc…

Well there you are, I think Geordie Ridley can rest easy that the original version will remain the standard! Fingers crossed that I live long enough to be proved wrong about that last line – after all this time, daft as a brush, I continue to live in hope.