Newcastle move into Inter-Toto

By Dejan
May 7 2006

It has been a long and hard season for Newcastle fans, but they finally had something to cheer about on the last day of the season as a volley from unlikely goal scorer Titus Bramble, saw them secure an inter-toto place.

This might be the very smallest of crumbs from the banquet that is European football, but it is a crumb that looked very far away indeed, under the previous manager Souness.

Newcastle did not have it their own way though with William Gallas and substitute Shaun Wright-Phillips both seeing goals disallowed for offside before Bramble volleyed a great goal from Faye's knock-down to clinch seventh place.

Glenn Roeder's men had to hang on for the final 15 minutes after full-back Stephen Carr was sent off for stamping on midfielder Lassana Diarra, but they did just that to keep their European dreams alive.

The difficult decisions have to be made now, the right manager has to be brought in and funds made available to attempt to replace the irreplaceable Shearer.

While Southern media will no doubt, bleat on and on about Owen’s England chances, it’s his recovery in a black and white top that should matter the most.

A defence that has looked frankly bewildered at times this season, will of course be strengthened by the return of Taylor, but this still leaves the problem of the ineffectual Boumsong, who either needs sold or shot, whichever is alright by me.