LAST SEASON'S FIXTURE - Saturday August 20th 2005
NEWCASTLE UNITED 0 WEST HAM UNITED 0
NEWCASTLE UTD: Given, Carr, Taylor, Boumsong, Babayaro, Jenas, Parker, Bowyer, N'Zogbia (Clark 63), Milner, Shearer.
Subs Not Used: Elliott, Harper, Faye, Brittain.
WEST HAM UTD: Carroll, Repka, Ferdinand, Gabbidon, Konchesky, Benayoun (Dailly 78), Mullins, Reo-Coker, Etherington, Harewood (Zamora 90), Sheringham (Newton 48).
Subs Not Used: Noble, Hislop.
I, like many Toon fans, was shocked when last year Freddy Shepherd appointed Graeme Souness as manager. And since that very day I still feel the Jock is not the man to take us to glory. But having sat through 90 minutes of nothingness at St James' Park watching his toothless one-striker wonders let 10-man West Ham off the hook after defender Paul Konchesky was controversially sent off ... I genuinely feel sorry for the man. Along with 50,000 Toon fans, Souness knows this side is crying out for a striker to ease the burden on Alan Shearer, but he is banging his head against a brick wall trying to bring one (or two) to this club.
He made his shopping list, and has seen Shepherd rip it up chunting to himself "too much money", "too much money", etc.
Packing your midfield with five players ... at home ... and hoping your veteran attacker (who admits himself lost his famous burst of speed six years ago through injury) will win the day ... is banking on HOPE not good management.
PREMIERSHIP YEARS: MAGS v HAMMERS
2006/2007 Sun 17 Sep West Ham Utd. 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
2005/2006 Sat 17 Dec West Ham Utd. 2 - 4 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 20 Aug Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 West Ham Utd. Premiership
2002/2003 Sat 11 Jan West Ham Utd. 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Mon 19 Aug Newcastle Utd. 4 - 0 West Ham Utd. Premiership
2001/2002 Sat 27 Apr Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Sun 23 Sep West Ham Utd. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
2000/2001 Mon 16 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Sat 28 Oct West Ham Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1999/2000 Wed 12 Apr West Ham Utd. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Mon 03 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 West Ham Utd. Premiership
1998/1999 Sat 20 Mar West Ham Utd. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 31 Oct Newcastle Utd. 0 - 3 West Ham Utd. Premiership
1997/1998 Sat 07 Feb Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Sat 20 Sep West Ham Utd. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1996/1997 Tue 06 May West Ham Utd. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 16 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 West Ham Utd. Premiership
1995/1996 Mon 18 Mar Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Wed 21 Feb West Ham Utd. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1994/1995 Wed 08 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 West Ham Utd. Premiership
Wed 31 Aug West Ham Utd. 1 - 3 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1993/1994 Sat 19 Mar West Ham Utd. 2 - 4 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 25 Sep Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 West Ham Utd. Premiership