... when prized asset Jermain Defoe was sold to Tottenham in 2004.
Peter Grant: "People ask how Alan will galvanise the squad after losing Andy Carroll but I think he will do fantastically well because he is a great man-manager.
"He will be disappointed (at losing Carroll) but people will say £35million for Andy is a lot of money.
"Probably some people forget they were in the Championship not long ago, and £35million is a lot of money, and sometimes you've got to say we need cash and move on.
"But I am sure Alan will have ideas in his mind of who he would like to replace Andy.
"Carroll is a difficult act to follow, Alan knows that, but he had to do the exact same when he lost Defoe at West Ham.
"The team had been relegated, probably the best team ever to get relegated when Alan took over.
"All his top stars were to be sold. But he turned it around.
"No-one would have thought he would bring Tevez in, Benayoun in. People tend to forget Benayoun was a fantastic player for about £2million.
"Alan knows the league, he knows the players, and I am sure he is desperate to do well for a massive club like Newcastle.
"He will know what the club means to the supporters and he will work his socks off to put that right."
NU-MAD will be releasing a new book next month covering Newcastle Utd's European history.
If anyone wants their name (or a family member) adding to the "Subscribers" page at the back - please e-mail us at:
Kevnumad@fsmail.net
There is no charge for this, and no obligation at all to buy the book.
Saturday 05th February 2011
Newcastle v Arsenal 15.00
Saturday 12th February 2011
Blackburn v Newcastle 15.00
Tuesday 15th February 2011
Birmingham v Newcastle 19.45
Saturday 26th February 2011
Newcastle v Bolton 15.00
Saturday 05th March 2011
Newcastle v Everton 15.00
Saturday 19th March 2011
Stoke City v Newcastle 15.00
FULHAM 1 NEWCASTLE UTD 0
FULHAM: Schwarzer, Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Baird, Dempsey, Sidwell, Murphy (Gera 87), Duff (Davies 87), Andrew Johnson (Kakuta 71), Dembele.
Subs Not Used: Stockdale, Salcido, Kamara, Greening.
NEWCASTLE: Harper, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Guthrie, Gutierrez, Best (Lovenkrands 72), Ameobi (Ranger 13).
Subs Not Used: Krul, Campbell, Perch, Ferguson, Richardson.
Att: 25,620
It wasn't so much 'life without Carroll' at Craven Cottage, because Judas hasn't been part of the first team squad for weeks, after falling off a bar stool pissed in a casino.
But the fact is ... we had better brace ourselves for a tough second-half to the season if THIS match is anything to go by ... because this was THE PITS!
Damien Duff twisted the knife into his former club but that was just part of the story.
Steve Harper was magnificent, but there so many dead bodies out there wearing the Newcastle badge, it was frightening.
Williamson could have given away two penalties (if the referee had the balls to give them), and although Enrique will take the stick for bad marking for Duff''s goal, it was Williamson who played the former Chelsea winger onside as he was caught ball watching.
Barton put in crosses, but he hasn't got a target to hit anymore, now that the 9ft 13" lighthouse has buggered off to Scouseland.
Best gets lost in the opponent's backline and needs to be hunted out rather than spotted from distance, and Ranger is schoolkid looking for a ball to play with.
Mark Hughes said this game was "hard work", it was hard work WATCHING it!
Match report:-
It was another night to forget for Newcastle, who lost Shola Ameobi to a suspected fractured cheekbone just 13 minutes in, less than 48 hours after selling star striker Andy Carroll to Liverpool.
Newcastle could ill afford to lose another forward but that was exactly what happened when Ameobi took an elbow to the head in a challenge with Steve Sidwell after just 10 minutes.
Three minutes of futile treatment followed before Ameobi was led down the tunnel and replaced by Nile Ranger.
The visitors had shown total commitment to that point, with Mike Williamson closely shadowing the in-form Moussa Dembele.
Duff's deflected shot and a weak Danny Simpson strike at the other end were the only efforts of note in the opening quarter, although Sidwell arguably saved a goal by flicking Joey Barton's free-kick behind.
Danny Murphy went close to sending Clint Dempsey clean through but Steve Harper was too quick off his line, while the goalkeeper also snaffled Sidwell's harmless long-ranger.
Newcastle's discipline began to waver and Simpson was booked just past the half-hour mark for hauling back the increasingly influential Dempsey, who also drilled narrowly wide from close range as Newcastle failed to deal with a Murphy free-kick.
Newcastle were briefly down to 10 men again before half-time thanks to another head injury, this time to Simpson.
Williamson produced a great block to deny Duff an early second-half opener but the winger should then have put Fulham ahead in the 50th minute when he prodded wide from barely three yards after Dempsey's shot was saved by Harper and deflected straight to the winger.
Captain Kevin Nolan was booked for a rash tackle on Dembele but the visitors were starting to get a foothold in the game.
Leon Best nodded Danny Guthrie's cross off target and the recalled Chris Baird sent Jonas Gutierrez's wicked cross just the right side of his own post.
Williamson made a near-fatal error just past the hour when he gifted the ball to Duff and Dempsey unleashed a rising near-post drive which was tipped over by Harper.
More suicidal defending ultimately cost them in the 67th minute when Jose Enrique was too easily beaten by Duff to Murphy's 60-yard ball and the Irishman kept his cool to strike right-footed past Harper.
Fulham boss Mark Hughes handed on-loan Chelsea winger Gael Kakuta his debut with 19 minutes remaining as Andy Johnson was withdrawn, while Newcastle threw on Peter Lovenkrands for Best.
Baird's free-kick grasscutter was too close to Harper before the Fulham fans began to chant: "There's only one Andy Carroll."
Kakuta should have killed the game 10 minutes from time when he sidefooted Dembele's cross straight at Harper.
And he was almost made to pay seconds later when Ranger forced Mark Schwarzer - a surprise starter four days after the end of Australia's Asian Cup campaign - into a brilliant point-blank smother from Nolan's cutback.
The chances kept coming and Dempsey shot too close to Harper and Kakuta saw his finish blocked after a brilliant, sweeping move.
Fulham ran down time by removing Murphy and Duff for Zoltan Gera and Simon Davies but they also went closest to another goal, with Dembele prodding too close to Harper.
NEWCASTLE UNITED 2010/11
PREMIERSHIP
FULHAM 1 NEWCASTLE UTD 0
Harper, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Guthrie, Gutierrez, Best (Lovenkrands 72), Ameobi (Ranger 13).
Subs Not Used: Krul, Campbell, Perch, Ferguson, Richardson.
NEWCASTLE 1 SPURS 1 (Coloccini)
Harper, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Barton, Guthrie (Perch 74), Nolan, Gutierrez, Best (Lovenkrands 65), Ameobi (Ranger 88).
Subs Not Used: Krul, Campbell, Xisco, Ferguson.
SUNDERLAND 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (Nolan)
Harper, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Smith (Guthrie 37),Gutierrez (Gosling 90), Best (Lovenkrands 88), Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Routledge, Perch, Ranger.
NEWCASTLE 5 WEST HAM 0 (Best 3, Nolan, Lovenkrands)
Harper, Simpson, Steven Taylor (Williamson 46), Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Tiote, Gutierrez (Ferguson 66), Lovenkrands, Best (Ranger 64).
Subs Not Used: Krul, Guthrie, Routledge, Perch.
WIGAN 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Ameobi)
Harper, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan (Smith 86), Tiote, Gutierrez, Ameobi (Best 77), Lovenkrands (Routledge 70).
Subs Not Used: Krul, Williamson, Perch, Ranger.
TOTTENHAM 2 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Coloccini, Steven Taylor, Perch, Tiote (Lovenkrands 79), Barton, Routledge, Simpson, Smith, Gutierrez (Ranger 67), Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Williamson, Xisco, Best, Kadar.
NEWCASTLE 1 MAN CITY 3 (Carroll)
Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Routledge (Ranger 60), Barton, Tiote, Gutierrez, Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Williamson, Guthrie, Perch, Smith, Best.
NEWCASTLE 3 LIVERPOOL 1 (Nolan, Barton, Carroll)
Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Campbell, Jose Enrique, Barton (Routledge 90), Nolan (Smith 87), Tiote, Gutierrez, Carroll, Ameobi (Ranger 63).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Guthrie, Lovenkrands, Perch.
WEST BROM 3 NEWCASTLE 1 (Lovenkrands)
Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Campbell, Jose Enrique, Routledge (Ranger 74), Guthrie (Smith 73), Tiote, Gutierrez, Carroll, Ameobi (Lovenkrands 46).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Perch, Best, Kadar.
NEWCASTLE 1 CHELSEA 1 (Carroll)
Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Campbell, Jose Enrique, Routledge, Guthrie, Tiote, Gutierrez, Carroll, Ameobi (Ranger 77).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Lovenkrands, Perch, Smith, Best, Kadar.
BOLTON 5 NEWCASTLE 1 (Carroll)
Krul, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Guthrie (Routledge 71), Nolan, Smith, Gutierrez (Campbell 77), Carroll, Ameobi (Lovenkrands 72).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Perch, Steven Taylor, Ranger.
NEWCASTLE 0 FULHAM 0
Krul, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Guthrie (Routledge 76), Tiote, Nolan, Gutierrez, Carroll, Lovenkrands (Ranger 76).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Campbell, Smith, Xisco, Steven Taylor.
NEWCASTLE 1 BLACKBURN 2 (Carroll)
Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Tiote (Routledge 88), Gutierrez, Carroll,Ameobi (Ranger 46).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Campbell, Lovenkrands, Smith, Steven Taylor.
ARSENAL 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Carroll)
Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Barton, Tiote, Nolan, Gutierrez, Carroll, Ameobi (Ranger 82).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Campbell, Routledge, Lovenkrands, Smith, Steven Taylor.
NEWCASTLE 5 SUNDERLAND 1 (Nolan 3, Ameobi 2 - 1 pen)
Krul, Jose Enrique, Coloccini, Williamson, Simpson,Tiote, Barton, Nolan, Gutierrez, Ameobi (Ranger 86), Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Routledge, Lovenkrands, Perch, Ryan Taylor, Smith.
WEST HAM 1 NEWCASTLE 2 (Nolan, Carroll)
Krul, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Tiote, Gutierrez, Carroll, Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Guthrie, Routledge, Lovenkrands, Perch, Ryan Taylor, Smith.
NEWCASTLE 2 WIGAN ATH 2 (Ameobi, Coloccini)
Krul, Perch (Ranger 89), Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Guthrie (Routledge 66), Tiote, Barton, Gutierrez, Lovenkrands (Ameobi 60), Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Ryan Taylor, Smith, Kadar.
MAN CITY 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Gutierrez)
Krul, Perch, Williamson, Coloccini (Campbell 36), Jose Enrique, Ben Arfa (Routledge 7), Nolan (Carroll 76), Tiote, Barton, Gutierrez, Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Lovenkrands, Ryan Taylor, Smith.
NEWCASTLE 1 STOKE CITY 2 (Nolan pen)
Krul, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Ben Arfa (Gutierrez 62), Barton, Tiote (Ameobi 74), Routledge, Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Lovenkrands, Ryan Taylor, Smith, Ranger.
EVERTON 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Ben Arfa)
Harper (Krul 35), Perch, Coloccini, Williamson,Jose Enrique, Routledge, Tiote, Barton,Ben Arfa (Gutierrez 84), Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Campbell, Lovenkrands, Ryan Taylor, Smith.
NEWCASTLE 0 BLACKPOOL 2
Harper, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Routledge (Ameobi 81), Smith (Lovenkrands 62), Barton, Gutierrez (Ben Arfa 73), Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Campbell, Ryan Taylor, Tiote.
WOLVES 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (Carroll)
Harper, Perch, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Routledge, Smith, Barton, Gutierrez, Nolan, Carroll (Ameobi 81).
Subs Not Used: Krul, Lovenkrands, Ryan Taylor, Kadar, Vuckic, Ranger.
NEWCASTLE 6 ASTON VILLA 0 (Barton, Nolan 2, Carroll 3)
Harper, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Routledge (Ameobi 76), Smith (Ryan Taylor 76), Barton, Gutierrez (Xisco 80), Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Lovenkrands, Vuckic, Tavernier.
MAN UTD 3 NEWCASTLE 0
Harper, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Routledge, Smith, Nolan (Ameobi 71), Barton,Gutierrez (Xisco 80), Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Ryan Taylor, Vuckic, Ranger, Tavernier.
FA CUP
STEVENAGE 3 NEWCASTLE 1
Krul, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Simpson, Barton, Smith (Tiote 58), Nolan, Routledge, Lovenkrands (Airey 78), Best (Ranger 46).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Guthrie, Kadar, Ferguson.
CARLING CUP
NEWCASTLE 0 ARSENAL 4
Krul, Perch, Williamson, Kadar, Ryan Taylor, Routledge (Gutierrez 56), Guthrie, Smith (Barton 71), Vuckic, Lovenkrands (Carroll 57), Ranger.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Tiote.
CHELSEA 3 NEWCASTLE 4 (Ranger, R Taylor, Ameobi 2)
Krul, Ryan Taylor (Tiote 63), Campbell, Coloccini (Williamson 63), Ferguson (Barton 90), Ranger, Gutierrez, Vuckic, Smith, Ameobi, Lovenkrands.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Nolan, Carroll, Ben Arfa.
ACCRINGTON STANLEY 2 NEWCASTLE 3 (Ryan Taylor, Ameobi, Lovenkrands)
Krul, Ryan Taylor, Kadar, Tavernier, Ferguson, Ranger, Donaldson, Vuckic (Nolan 90), LuaLua, Ameobi,Lovenkrands.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Williamson, Barton, Routledge, Perch, Smith.
PRE-SEASON
CARLISLE 0 NEWCASTLE 3 (Best, Ranger, Vuckic)
Harper (Krul 46), Tavernier (R Taylor 46), Coloccini (S Taylor 46) (Henderson 81), Williamson (Perch 46), Enrique (Ferguson 46), Inman (Routledge 46), Smith (Barton 46), Nolan (Guthrie 46), LuaLua (Vuckic 46) , Carroll (Best 46), Lovenkrands (Ranger 46).
NORWICH CITY 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Ameobi)
Krul, Taylor (Routledge 45), Tavernier, Coloccini (Williamson 45), Diaz (Ferguson 57); Ranger (Xisco 45), Barton (Smith 45), Nolan (Guthrie 45), Vuckic (Edmundsson 72); Best (Lovenkrands 45), Carroll (Ameobi 45).
NEWCASTLE 2 PSV EINDHOVEN 2 (R.Taylor, Best)
Harper, Perch, Enrique, Coloccini, Williamson, Guthrie, Nolan, Smith, Ryan Taylor, Lovenkrands, Ameobi. Subs: Carroll, Xisco, Best, LuaLua, Krul, Vuckic, Ranger, Donaldson, Tavernier.
DEPORTIVO 0 NEWCASTLE 0 (NUFC win 5-4 on penalties - Lovenkrands, Nolan, Carroll, R Taylor, Barton)
Harper (Krul 46); R Taylor, Perch (Tavernier 52), Coloccini, Enrique; Routledge, Barton, Guthrie (Nolan 46), Xisco (Gutierrez 46); Carroll, Best (Lovenkrands 73). Subs (not used): Smith, Ferguson
RANGERS 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Lovenkrands)
Harper; Perch (Tavernier 81), Coloccini (Ferguson 81), Williamson, Enrique (R Taylor 56); Routledge (Xisco 83), Barton, Nolan, Guthrie, Gutierrez (Lovenkrands 69); Carroll (Ameobi 46).
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