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THE NORTH-EAST SUMMIT - ALLARDYCE EARNS EXTRA TIME AT TOON 6-12-07
Stuart Young
Sam Allardyce's team earned a vital point last night against league leaders Arsenal but more importantly for Big Sam he gained more time as Newcastle manager.
Boro grabbed a late equaliser against Reading at the weekend but fell into the bottom three despite their efforts. Sunderland eased their worries with a late show and three points against fellow strugglers Derby.
Newcastle
The pressure was really on Allardyce this week as his team looked to tackle a fierce Arsenal side looking to extend their lead at the top of the league.
The Magpies came away from Ewood Park on Saturday on the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline and the pressure was really on Big Sam. Stories of him being sacked after the Arsenal game were circulating in the media and he knew he had to get his team to put in a performance against the high flyers.
It must be hard to be faced with the tough task of entertaining Arsenal in front of the enthusiastic Newcastle fans after defeat at Blackburn.
Allardyce must have said some harsh and aggressive words to the players because their reaction was impressive. They applied themselves well after going a goal down early in the game through Arsenal's Adebayor, the Togo international smashing a volley past the helpless Given in emphatic style.
I'll give the home supporters credit because they reacted very well to their team's early misfortune. The team responded to this by playing aggressive football and gave a good account of themselves.
Soon after the break Newcastle were back on level terms. It was local boy Taylor who scored with a tidy finish which went in off the post after some clever play from Martins.
The home fans were soon in fine tune and the players once again responded by creating half chances from some sustained possession. This was more like the team of the Keegan era as they were able to out-possess the opposition for long periods of the game. This showed in the second half with Milner being the main outlet for the Magpies on most occasions.
When the final whistle blew, the fans cheered as if they had won. It was a big relief for Allardyce as it bought him an extra few games in charge.
Allardyce's team now face Birmingham City who have brightened up since their new manager has taken over. This will be another tough test for Big Sam and his players but I expect them to get all three points in this fixture.
Off the pitch Joey Barton has said sorry for his outburst towards the fans and has explained his intentions. The Newcastle fans gave him support after the Blackburn game and once again we have seen this disgrace of a professional footballer get away with his outspoken manner.
Middlesbrough
I read a great joke earlier in the week. It went like this: "Ronaldinho linked with a move to Teesside".
I thought to myself "that's pretty funny". But then I read in a local Spanish paper (yes I can read Spanish) that Middlesbrough had put in a real offer to Barcelona of £10million for the Brazilian. That's just £2million more than the club paid for Massimo Maccarone! Is someone at the club having a laugh? Who's been mucking about with the club's fax machine again!
Back to reality and the Boro boys came back from Reading with a point disappointed not to have taken all three. Another individual error cost the boys as Turnbull in the Middlesbrough goal had a rush of blood to the head and came off his line only to be lobbed by the very ginger Reading striker Kitson.
I'm not going to moan too much about his error because I think it would be more beneficial to the team's progress and safety if we keep him in goal ahead of Schwarzer.
In recent seasons, the Australian has never really decided whether he wants to be at the club, so why not make that choice easier for him and get him to fight for his place once he's injury free? Then we'll see just how much he really wants it.
Boro bounced back from going a goal down and were rewarded late on with Tuncay scoring his first goal of the season. This was much to the relief of the players, the fans and of course himself. I do hope Southgate will now start Tuncay and ex-Arsenal player Aliadiere up front together on Sunday as the Boro boys look to topple Arsenal.
It is a tough task on Sunday but with a bit more bite and the skill and craft of Arca, it could be a happy afternoon for the Boro fans.
Let's hope that Ronaldinho is watching on Sunday and we can somehow tell him that we will be playing in yellow.
Sunderland
Sunderland left it very late to defeat struggling Derby at The Stadium of Light. The late goal by Anthony Stokes provided some restbite after their 7-1 humiliation at Everton the week before. This win took them out of the drop zone and gave them some breathing space from the rest of the league's strugglers.
Roy Keane surprisingly left out £9million goalkeeper Gordon on Saturday and opted for Darren Ward. He didn't fail in the task and kept a clean sheet.
Roy Keane this week stated he wants to rest Gordon as he feels the Scotland international has had a traumatic month with club and country and needs to rest mentally and physically. Keane is probably right but the board might question his actions, as so much money was paid for the keeper.
Attentions turn to the trip to London on Saturday as they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. This is a massive ask for Keane's men as Chelsea have not lost at home in the league since 2004. They will have to put in a gritty performance to get anything out of this game.
There was some bad news for Keane and the Sunderland fans after the game at the weekend. Carlos Edwards suffered a leg break in the game and will be out until the New Year. This blow means Keane will now have to switch his attentions to the transfer window and look for other options but he will be pleased with the backing from his chairman Quinn, as he has granted him a cash boost for the window.
Performance of the week must go to Newcastle for their draw against Arsenal and that added point still makes them front runners in the north-east race. Sunderland move out of the bottom three whilst Boro fall into the drop zone.
See You At The Top
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