The New Newcastle United!
'I don't do friendlies'
By Dave Eadevic
August 18 2012
Well it’s here again; the beginning of what will be, annoying, infuriating, wonderful, and dreadful nine months. I know it will be all those things because every season always is.
I must admit I am approaching this season, with a lot more optimism, than last year.
We had for me just lost our best player for free, brought in some French bloke who I had never heard of to replace him.
Ba did not convince me at all, and frankly I was still asking about where the Andy Carroll money went to everyone who would listen, including on one occasion in ASDA to a rather surprised looking nun with a collection tray.
It looked bad, it looked very bad.
Then something wonderful happened I was completely and totally wrong. The French bloke turned out to be a world class midfielder, Ba one of the best I have had the pleasure of watching.
Then January came and it got even better, welcome to Newcastle Mr. Cisse.
No player since Andy Cole has had a more immediate effect on the number nine shirt, and frankly Cisse does things with a ball that Cole could only dream of.
The season just kept getting better, it was testament to that bunch of players that I actually felt a little disappointed about not finishing 4th. I would have given someone’s left arm for 5th at the beginning.
Another thing that I simply loved about it all was the newspaper headlines. We at last stopped being tabloid fodder, gone were the whispered stories, the night club brawls and general drunkenness, replaced by family men, who seemed to care passionately about how they played, cared if they lost but mostly acted like professional athletes, instead of spoiled brats.
Which brings me rather neatly to possibly my favourite current player, and my quote of the pre season Tiote, and the line ‘I don’t do friendlies’ Now I don’t have a clue whether he actually said this or it’s apocryphal but I want it printed on a t-shirt.
It’s not complete optimism of course, there is always the nagging worry of what Ashley’s next big idea will be, change the home strip to red and white and play home games on the moon some such thing I would imagine.
But that aside I am now looking forward more to this season, than any since Bobby Robson’s days.
Pardew has done a great job, and credit where it’s due, despite some batty decisions a lot of what Mike Ashley has done is actually working, so haway the lads.
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