By ScottR
September 1 2006

August has produced a mixed bag as far as Newcastle are concerned with on field activities more palatable than off field ones.

With only two premiership games under our belt (only the fourth time we’ve played so few games since our promotion into the premiership) it’s difficult to make definitive conclusions but the signs are encouraging with a deserved victory over Wigan and a spirited defeat against Villa. Doom and gloom merchants may tell you otherwise but if there’s anything wrong so far it is nothing but a kink or two that I’m confident Roeder can and will work out in training.

By Newcastle’s own standards we’ve made a bright start since we haven’t actually won an away tie in August since 1995/6 against a Bolton side that was later relegated and haven’t always won our home fixtures either. We’ve already accumulated more points in August than Gullit managed in 1999/0 and he had six games over the same period. More than Souness last year who had four. More than Robson the year before that who also had four. More than Robson in 2001/2 who eventually steered us to 4th spot in the same year and we have equalled his 2002/3 total, a season which saw us finish 3rd.

Only the most optimistic or drunk supporter could expect us to hit those heights this season. What may prove absolutely vital to this season is the form of Shola Ameobi who seems to have carried on the fine form he displayed at the end of last year. Form that has helped steer us to the UEFA cup proper and a first round tie that should see us run out comfortable victors.

Off the field it has been a different story. A squad that was stretched so thin last season (and now has a European campaign to contend with) is even thinner. Defensive cover if needed will have to come from the academy and it wouldn’t surprise me if Paul Huntingdon, winner of the 2005 ‘Wor Jackie Milburn’ trophy, featured in the senior squad at some point this year.

Up front we are short in quality and depth with the long term injury to Michael Owen leaving injury blighted Shola Ameobi and new signing Obafemi Martins to lead the line. A combination that should actually work and produce goals if both play to their potential. Another new arrival, Anton Sibierski, will no doubt deputise in Ameobi’s absence which means that we will have to hope that Ameobi can shake off the hip injury he is currently struggling with.

Loan signing Rossi will probably be used as Martins’ deputy and we will need him to quickly convert that potential into performance. We certainly can’t afford to nurture a player who will be with us for only 6 months as it is highly unlikely the transfer will become a permanent one. There is more chance of a team like West Ham signing a player like Tevez and there being no shady shenanigans behind it.

Our midfield, by contrast, is well covered in every position and is arguably the best outside of the top 4. Perhaps even better than Arsenal’s relatively inexperienced bunch. The addition of Duff brings another world class player to the squad which leaves us three, even if one will play little or no part this season. Not many teams can make that boast.

Overall it has been a very disappointing transfer window and there is only one person to blame for that; our chairman Freddy Shepherd. It is entirely possible (though we all pray not) that our squad will be decimated by injury again this season and the naked fact is that we don’t have the quality or numbers to make up for it.

Last season’s achievements by Roeder could well be over shadowed by the lack of incoming transfer activity and if that turns out to be the case then Shepherd and Shepherd alone should take the blame and resign instead of shifting it to the manager and fans as he’s done in the past. He has gambled with the club’s future again and the murmurs of dissent will become roars if we suffer consecutive defeats over any sustained period this year. He has always claimed to back his manager but this claim rings fairly hollow at this point.

I don’t want to slip down a spiral of negativity or indulge myself in “anti Shepherd” conspiracy theories but I worry about just how much influence the chairman exerts behind the scenes. I have the sneaking suspicion he thinks he knows more about on the field aspects of running a football club than he actually does. More about the merits of individual players too.

The sudden and as yet unexplained recall of Milner from transfer talks with Aston Villa has his greasy pie stained finger prints all over it. Perhaps if Freddy was capable of recognizing his own short comings he would consider the appointment of a director of football and more and more these days I’m wondering if that would be no bad thing. Of course that would mean finding the right man for the job; not something I’m at all convinced he could do.

So I look forward to the next few months with a small glimmer of optimism. If we can avoid injury and leave ourselves in the with a shout by January then we can make some additions then. Unfortunately lady luck doesn’t seem to like Newcastle but we’ll need her on our side. Good luck Glenn and the boys, you’re going to need some.

 I’d also like to add my best wishes to Sir Bobby Robson who has suffered a slight setback in his inevitable victory over cancer. You’ll be a hero on Tyneside long after both you and I have passed on. Get well soon.