Martins Can't Wait

Glenn Roeder’s Newcastle United did everything but score in the second leg of their UEFA Cup 2nd round qualifying tie against a modest but industrious Ventspils side that was stubborn defensively but posed little threat in attack.

Fortunately for the visitors, injuries have left the Magpies boss so short of specialist strikers that he was obliged to improvise by selecting what was probably a world record for the number of wingers in a team at the same time – in this case, Duff, Milner, Luque and N’Zogbia.

Ably supported by Parker and Emre, they created a host of chances, but in the end had to be content with the 0-0 draw that was enough to put them through to the next stage of the competition.

How Roeder must have wished that new signing Obafemi Martins, the 21 year old Nigerian front man signed from Inter Milan on a 5 year deal for a reported £10 million, could have been on the pitch rather than in the stand. With his pace and power he would have had the time of his life.