United in Grief

According to reports, Glenn Roeder “has challenged his players to show mental toughness” in the wake of Newcastle United’s home defeat to Sam Allardyce’s Bolton Wanderers.

But in the light of the home side’s performances it’s the loyal Geordie fans who need mental toughness. What Glenn needs is better players. Newcastle’s defending is embarrassing and, though they manage to create chances, they rarely look like converting them and everyone knows that it is impossible to win football matches in those circumstances.

The truth is that Newcastle United have a terrific stadium, a huge dedicated fan base and ambition which has been worn threadbare by years of under-achievement, and despite a degree of investment that is the envy of most Premiership clubs it is almost impossible to find a player on their staff who is likely to be coveted by Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho or Raffa Benitez.

And in the meantime, Chairman Freddy Shepherd sits grim faced in the directors’ box at St James Park, as he seems to have done for years and will continue to do until Newcastle sign two outstanding centre backs and a striker who can get them more than 20 goals a season, while the footballing public at large continue to speculate as to how much longer Glenn Roeder will be occupying the manager’s office.