shannon2007

Yeah this is the local hang out.

Memory lane eh, its just not what it used to be. Or is it, I can never remember.

BarryLFC

It's not like the old days.

BarryLFC

September 2007

A fairly sedate month of fixtures saw games against Charlton, West Ham and Bolton domestically, as well as a vital 2-legged UEFA Cup 1st Round tie with Loko of Sofia. If these five games could be negotiated unscathed it would be a vital boost ahead of a tough October schedule.

The Bulgarians visited for the first leg, and put in one helluva shift, battling all the way for their 0-0 draw, and giving Baggins and his side three long weeks to ponder a treacherous away trip. With the visit of Charlton also ending 0-0 it was far from a great time to be a season ticket holder.

West Ham away at last produced goals, both sides scoring a goal in each half to draw 2-2, Michael Owen netting the second Newcastle goal before a second West Ham equaliser rounded off the scoring, opened in the eleventh minute by the dynamic Scott Parker.

Owen kept at it with two in Bulgaria, either side of Robert Koren's first for the club, to end the tie by half time at Sofia's Bulgarska Armia. Sofia failed to score past Shay Given for the second time and it was, once more, time to square up to Espanyol in the group stage. This time, however, the remaining sides were likely to be more forgiving than those who bullied Newcastle out of the competition last time around.

The final game of the month brought a fourth clean sheet in five, and Michael Owen's solitary goal was sufficient to see off Bolton's challenge and complete an unbeaten month in style. All eyes now turned to an October featuring trips to Manchester United, Chelsea and Espanyol. That would be a big one.

BarryLFC

September Stats

Newcastle 0-0 Loko (Sofia) (UEFA Cup R1 Leg 1)
Newcastle 0-0 Charlton
West Ham 2-2 Newcastle Parker, Owen
Loko (Sofia) 0-3 Newcastle (UEFA Cup R1 Leg 2) Owen (2), Koren
Newcastle 1-0 Bolton Owen

No transfer activity.

UEFA Cup Group C

Espanyol (Spain)
Levski Sofia (Bulgaria)
Legia Warsaw (Poland)
Newcastle (England)
Iraklis (Greece)

BarryLFC

October 2007

There was no mercy on display at Old Trafford as United came out and scored early and often, running out comfortable 3-0 winners. It was a far cry from last year's battling show from a confident Newcastle side - this year's group are less sure of themselves, and it's showing on the field.

Everton's 0-0 draw at St James' Park was the third in four games, with only one goal coming in the other game, against Bolton. The fans were bound to be restless, though a 5-0 win over Bristol City in the League Cup may have appeased a few.

Chelsea were not a class apart. In fact, the 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge was the closest this year's Newcastle had come to looking like last year's Newcastle, only a dodgy Michael Ballack penalty separating the sides. If only they hadn't gone to Spain and capitulated 2-0 to two early goals, including yet another penalty. If only.

Still, with November featuring the likes of Leeds, Stoke, Levski Sofia and Legia Warsaw, surely better times were just around the corner? Baggins truly hoped so.

BarryLFC

October Stats

Manchester United 3-0 Newcastle
Newcastle 0-0 Everton
Newcastle 5-0 Bristol City (League Cup R3) Duff (2), Owen (2), Parker
Chelsea 1-0 Newcastle
Espanyol 2-0 Newcastle

No transfer activity.

BarryLFC

November/December 2007

Winter 2007 was set to be a tough period. With the team struggling for form, Baggins was forced to shuffle his deck, and after a 2-0 loss at home to Tottenham, a six-game unbeaten run ensued, draws with Villa and Boro, and at Legia Warsaw, backed up by a Carling Cup and Premiership double over Leeds and a 3-0 home crushing of Levski Sofia.

Defeat at Wigan came in the second of NINE December fixtures, each Wednesday filled with football. Iraklis were dumped 4-0 as progress in Europe was achieved, but defeats at home to Man City and at Blackburn hurt both the Premiership hopes and Carling Cup aspirations respectively, before the switch to two strikers saw Martins and Owen combine in 2-2 draws at Liverpool and at Arsenal, and a 4-0 home win over Fulham.

Only now Obafemi was off to the African Cup of Nations. Thank heaven for the transfer window, creaking open...

BarryLFC

November/December Stats

Newcastle 0-2 Tottenham
Newcastle 3-1 Leeds (Carling Cup R4) Owen, Aldonin, Berger
Newcastle 3-0 Levski Sofia [i]Owen, Gray, Aldonin[/b]
Newcastle 1-1 Aston Villa Owen
Legia Warsaw 2-2 Newcastle Owen, Parker

Newcastle 0-0 Middlesbrough
Leeds 0-1 Newcastle Owen
Wigan 1-0 Newcastle
Newcastle 4-0 Iraklis Owen, Parker, Martins, Gray
Newcastle 0-1 Manchester City
Blackburn 2-1 Newcastle (Carling Cup QF) Martins
Liverpool 2-2 Newcastle Owen, Milner
Newcastle 4-0 Fulham Owen (2), Martins, Parker
Arsenal 2-2 Newcastle Parker, Martins


Transfers In

Martin Jiranek, Spartak Moscow, £850K
Daniel Braaten, Rosenborg, Free Transfer

UEFA Cup Group C

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> P W D L F A PtsEspanyol 4 4 0 0 9 3 12Newcastle 4 2 1 1 9 4 7Levski 4 1 1 2 3 6 4Legia 4 0 3 1 5 6 3Iraklis 4 0 1 3 1 8 1</pre>

BarryLFC

January 2008

Nine December games were followed by eight in January as fatigue began to set in. The new formation, however, was paying dividends, taking defensive responsibilities away from the wingers, putting Parker in a position to dictate play, and offering support up front.

The rental of Hernan Crespo was a coup. £90,000 was enough to persuade Chelsea to hand over the striker, who was happy to sign up to the end of the season on a cut-price deal. Wayne Bridge also joined from Chelsea, for £2m, as Leighton Baines made a £7m move to Aston Villa. Depth was also sought, Danny Murphy, Jason Koumas and Alexander Odegaard added, with the sale of Shay Given to Manchester City offset by the addition of Carlo Cudicini from Chelsea.

A late, but deserved, winner at Preston got New Year's Day off to a fine start, before Bristol City were handed another cup exit, 3-1 on their patch in the FA Cup's Third Round. The match of the season followed as Portsmouth were defeated 4-3 with a dramatic last gasp Hernan Crespo double, before a solid run to the end of the month, drawing 0-0 at Charlton and 1-1 at Stoke, sandwiching a 2-0 home win over West Ham.

After Barnsley's FA Cup run was halted in the Fourth round the month ended with a tough game at ninth placed Bolton. With the African stars still absent, Baggins sent out Cudicini in goal, Jiranek, Davies, Taylor and Bridge across the back, Parker and Aldonin in midfield, Gray and Braaten on the wings, with Crespo partnering Michael Owen up front.

Henrik Pedersen put the home side ahead midway through the first half, but the days of 1-0, 1-1 results seem to be over for Newcastle. Along with increased goalscoring potency is shakier defence, and Nicolas Anelka made it 2-0, before Crespo pulled one back moments later. Julian Gray missed a great opportunity to level, but Cudicini had to be on form to maintain the defecit before Owen netted with five minutes of the half remaining, tying it up.

It was Baggins' side who came out lively in the second period, but no early goal came, and going into the final twenty minutes the game was delicately poised. Odegaard and Koumas relieved Gray and Braaten for the finale, but it was Bolton who scored, and sealed up the points, Ricardo Vaz Te netting from a right wing cross. As Newcastle pressed late on, Anelka added a 90th minute settler, leaving Carlo Cudicini stunned. Not that it could ruin what had doubtless been a good month.

BarryLFC

January Stats

Preston 1-2 Newcastle Martins, Koren pen
Bristol City 1-3 Newcastle (FA Cup R3) Martins, Owen (2)
Newcastle 4-3 Portsmouth Owen, Martins, Crespo (2)
Charlton 0-0 Newcastle
Newcastle 2-0 West Ham Owen, Parker
Stoke 1-1 Newcastle own goal
Barnsley 1-3 Newcastle (FA Cup R4) Crespo, Gomez, Braaten
Bolton 4-2 Newcastle Crespo, Owen

Transfers In

Hernan Crespo, Chelsea, £90K
Carlo Cudicini, Chelsea, £2.5m
Wayne Bridge, Chelsea, £2m
Danny Murphy, Tottenham, £775K
Jason Koumas, West Brom, £5.5m
Alexander Odegaard, Viking, £1.1m

Transfers Out

Tim Krul, Birmingham, £375K
Shay Given, Man City, £3.8m
Leighton Baines, Aston Villa, £7m
Andy Clancy, St. Johnstone, Loan