Howay the Toon

Understatement of the week award goes to Michael Owen for his revelation that "confidence isn't at its best" in the Newcastle camp at the moment, and that they "need a win and the sooner the better."

Well after a home defeat of the magnitude Manchester United inflicted on the Toon Army at the weekend you wouldn't really expect confidence to be at an all time high, if you take into account they haven't won a league game since December you would expect the squad to be feeling pretty sorry for themselves indeed.

Back in December the only difference between them and relegation candidates Fulham was a last minute Joey Barton penalty, so it is safe to say that Newcastle are neither to big nor to good to go down this season.  

Owen seems to have looked down the fixture list and seen a few games that could be winnable, but the next five games include trips to Anfield and White Hart Lane. They say that winning is a habit, but so to is losing and Newcastle are going to need more than willpower to kick this one. Games against the likes of Liverpool and Spurs are not the type of games they can expect to take points from, and well the pressure that puts on fixtures with the Reading's and Sunderland's of this world could be to much for the Magpies.

Owen is due and injury as well, luckily its seems that top scorer Obefami Martins could return this weekend. He has done well to maintain his top scorer status despite two months out through international duty and injury. Says a lot for the return of "King Kev" the attacking messiah........

Apparently Martins has revealed he didn't even know who Keegan was before his re-appointment, and if you have watched his side play since his return it appears that "King Kev"  needs to remind himself exactly who he is and how he likes the game to be played. More attack please Kev, especially when your defence is as bad as it is.   

Is Our League Really That Good?

The Premier League is widely acclaimed as the best and most exciting league in the world. However, as the season unfolds this seems a very dubious label to hand to England’s top flight.

There seems to have been a huge shift to the Sam Allardyce School of pro-zone statistic fuelled football being played outside of the Premiership's top four teams. The need to put the ball in the ‘right areas’ has become far more important than patiently passing the ball and creating chances.

By the law of averages, the more times you put the ball in the penalty area the more likely it is you will force a costly mistake from your opponents. If your playing against Wigan then this is probably the way forward should Titus Bramble be playing!

With every inch of my self I hope this is not a trend that will continue though. A Premier League full of athletes who can break play up but are only capable of hopeful punts ‘into the channels’ is not one that I will keep paying Sky Sports to bring into my front room.

The prototype English player, a 6 foot tall wiry runner who is strong in the tackle and quick to shift the ball up field, is far removed from his European counterparts.

In Spain for example they do have the necessary midfield destroyers available but so to do they have an abundance of wonderfully creative talents coming through the ranks. For every Puyol or Ramos that emerges there is a Torres or a Joaquin. At Barcelona the talent that has been nurtured through the ranks includes names like Xavi, Iniesta, and most recently Bojan, Dos Santos and Lionel Messi.

All massively skilled individuals but, of the outfield players, how many would really have emerged at the highest level in England?

Iniesta and Xavi would struggle to have emerged in the Premier League. Their intricate passing and incisive through balls would be a nightmare for the manager who demands only the highest percentage ball to be played. Who needs ball retention when you can just keep chasing to win it back??

The outlook for the young Messi would be even bleaker. A young dribbling winger who can commit a player and change a game with a moment’s brilliance would be nothing more than a ‘luxury’ (just ask Mr Ginola).

Big on heart and quality but diminutive in stature, 10 minute cameos would be the most you could hope for from a player so supremely gifted.

He can keep Ronaldinho amongst the substitutes at Barca. In England though he would be not nearly as useful in the air as a Kevin Davies or Emile Heskey!