Martin's Blog
The City Ground Was Their Wembley
I'm at Wembley for the Division One Play Off Final - Blackpool v. Yeovil. A close game is expected. Yeovil should be surging with belief after their shock win over Nottingham Forest in the semi-final. Yet they are feeble. In footballing parlance they don't turn up. So where did all they exuberance, energy and belief go?
We only have to look at their celebrations after beating Forest to find the answer. Marcus Stewart has his shirt off and is screaming at the Yeovil fans. The players seem intoxicated on euphoria. They have peaked. This is it. A once in a lifetime comeback. They have won a game they had no right to win.
Beat Forest, applaud the fans and walk off, knowing this is not it. This is just the semis. But no. The intoxication is too much. They cannot help themselves. This is their Wembley.
Come finals day they have nothing left in the tank. It is more than their collective belief system can handle.
You can read the full article here
The Purpose Of Newcastle United
I am walking through the streets of Newcastle, when I am stopped by a journalist. He wants to know my reaction to the news that a buyer, Mike Ashley, has come in for Newcastle United. He asks me if I think this will be the catalyst Newcastle United need to become a force again. I tell him that throwing money at Newcastle United will not make them a force. Throwing money has not made them a force for the last ten years. Why should it change now? Too many players have taken the Newcastle money and given little back in return.
The journalist says that Newcastle people want United to compete with the top four. But is the purpose of Newcastle United football club. Simply to be a top four Premiership club. Is that it? Does it begin and end there?
Frankly I think that's a dull goal. For me Newcastle United have always been synonymous with attractive football. What about if the goal was to play a brand of football that would have people on the edge of their seats. To play football that reminded people why they loved football in the first place. To play attacking football that was build on pace, precision, fluency and the sheer love of scoring goals. To play a brand of football that the game had never seen before. This would be a good use of Mike Ashley's millions.
