Sat January 20th 2006
NEWCASTLE UTD 0 BLACKBURN ROVERS 1
NEWCASTLE UTD: Given, Ramage, Bramble, Boumsong, Babayaro, Solano, Bowyer, Clark, Luque (O'Brien 62), Shearer, Chopra.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Elliott, N'Zogbia, Brittain.
BLACKBURN ROVERS: Friedel, Neill, Nelsen, Khizanishvili, Gray, Reid, Tugay (Emerton 85), Savage, Pedersen (Mokoena 90), Kuqi, Dickov (Peter 53).
Subs Not Used: Enckelman, Johnson.
Att: 51,323
If Newcastle boss Graeme Souness didn't realise he is not wanted at St James' Park by the Toon Army, he certainly does now! Another performance out of the wheelie-bin plunged the Jock and his team of underperformers further into crisis. It was a controversial Morten Gamst Pedersen goal that handed Blackburn all three points, but that does not take away from the fact Newcastle looked a team desperate for leadership.
The Norwegian appeared to punch the ball into the net with his left hand as he attempted to turn Shefki Kuqi's 74th-minute header home, but referee Howard Webb saw nothing wrong and awarded the goal. Yes ... it is tough luck for a team so low on confidence, but you have to look at the manager and ask if he is doing his job.