Goodbye Sol and Kuqi. Thanks for . . . nothing!

Today the club has announced that Sol Campbell and Shefki Kuqi have both left the club. Sol signed in pre-season on a year contract, which did not see him make many appearances for the club. The appearances he did make just helped to show that he is well and truly past his best. Kuqi was brought in as a massive shock after being out of contract and did not get many minutes on the pitch at all. So overall both more a waste of money than anything, so not surprised to see them leave. Let’s hope the club learn from this and don’t bring in older players as a panic signing in the future. Although in Kuqi’s defence, we have had nothing but good things about him.

 

2010/11 Season Review

First season back into Premier League (where we belong, I must add) and obviously at the start of the season we were very much tipped to go straight back down. We did not really make many signings or at least proven in the Premiership players. We brought in James Perch who became quite the scapegoat amongst the fans. Dan Gosling on a free transfer, but would be out until at least Christmas due to injury. Sol Campbell who was already clearly past his best, and would just cost us money. But then an exciting new player would be signed on loan (but then permanent in January) Hatem Ben Arfa who looked fantastic but suffered a horrible injury when he had his leg broken after a Nigel de Jong tackle. So those being the new players brought in not really much was placed on them. We had to rely on the team who done so well making the Championship look easy the year before. Not forgetting of course our signing and possibly player of the season Cheik Tiote.

 

Newcastle 3-3 West Brom

Last game of the season fell at St James Park, seeing West Brom being the visiting team. Already safe for the premier league next season. The game started as everyone would expect it, not really much happening and that last game of the season feel to it. Nothing to play for . . . well I think we should have played to get the highest league finish possible and bragging rights over our close rivals. At half time that looked very good, finishing in top half looked very much on being 2 up thanks to the third goal in three games from Steven Taylor and a Peter Lovenkrands goal from Scott Carson’s error.

So with the team comfortably 2-0 thanks to the first half goals, and Taylor stopping a couple of efforts from West Brom on the line. Everything got even better when West Brom decided to score a lovely own goal to make us 3 up!

Somen Tchoyi in the last half hour done something that not too many players can claim to do in their career and that’s to score a hat-trick at St James Park. The worst blow coming with the 90th minute equalizer. I am not going to deny how gutted I was when that goal went in. I have seemed to blame the substitutions which Alan Pardew made, they did not help us out at all. I just thought he could have either left everything as it was for a while longer or at least don’t take off the player who has been the most threatening going forward, that being Shane Ferguson.

But the three players who came on as subs have all had long spells out with injury recently, so surely that was bad judgment to bring them on last game of the season! Those three players being Kazenga LuaLua, Alan Smith and Leon Best. I just cannot understand why bringing them on the final game could ever be seen as a good idea and I do believe that it cost us the game, I’m not blaming the players though.

So in the end we could only manage a draw which made us finish in 12th position in the premier league. Still a fantastic achievement for a team which was favorites for relegation at the start of the season.

The usual end of season lap of honour took place after the game, but seemed to take a while to organise and when it was eventually done was not the best we have seen in recent years. Although it was much better than the farce that happened with Souness was in charge and we were applauded from the centre circle. Mind you I think if we managed to win today it would have been a different story!