November 1989. A pivotal month in global history. And pretty important in the North East too. Newcastle and their moronic, meddling manager didn’t have the greatest of starts to their season, but October saw an upturn, with just the one defeat and some comfortable fixtures. The fans are slowly coming around, there is near-constant talk of the Leazes End being rebuilt, and the squad despite that defeat to Leeds, is feeling confident. But, like the poverty-stricken Soviet Union, there are rumblings of discontent. It’s another 5-game month, and it starts with the visit of Bournemouth
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Harry Redknapp’s side sits in mid-table as the days close in, and the only really notable name in their squad is a teenage Jamie, who isn’t getting much game time. Luther Blissett is still dangerous despite his age, but we should have the beating of them here. Redknapp has them playing a strange 352 that opens space in the middle of the defence, but the 4141 should provide cover. I’m not about to start meddling again after one bad game.
Barton’s suspension and a minor injury crisis means our own teenage prodigy comes into the midfield. But then Roy Keane is not your average teenager.
Jamie Redknapp does make his first appearance in a Bournemouth shirt, and Roy Keane terrifies the life out of him. We start brightly, as is becoming customary for our side, with the ever-reliable Gary Brazil beating a player and drilling home in the third minute. We control the rest of the first half without creating much, and I ring some changes at half time. The second half sees a bit more progression from us and first O’Brien scores from a rebound, before Quinn nods in an excellent Kevin Brock cross. A win and a clean sheet, can’t say fairer than that.
Micky Quinn has used this new-found form as leverage in wanting a pay rise, and loathe as I am to give in, the lad is earning it. Some hard fought negotiations manage to put his wages at much closer to my offer than his, but it still hurts a little since he had 4 years left on his contract.
We watch in disbelief as the Berlin Wall is torn down. It’s not the best preparation for a game, I’ll grant you, but this is history. And just think of all those Eastern European players desperate to come to the West. Dynamo Dresden’s Matthias Sammer catches the eye.
It’s a trip to Hull up next, and they are not having a great time. They sit a point and a place outside the relegation zone, and concede freely. Ian McParland is their goalscoring threat, but he’s only managed three so far this season. I don’t want to get arrogant and complacent, but I feel like we could take on Liverpool right now, so Hull should be dispatched with ease. We stay the same.
What’s that saying about pride and falls? Well, not quite a fall, a stumble really. We are woeful, and Hull play out of their skins. Tommy Wright gets Man of the Match, that’s how bad we are. Nobody turns up. But, sometimes, you get the rub of the green and sometimes the ball is rolling your way and sometimes Paul Holland will decide to scythe down Micky Quinn in the box to get himself a red card and give you a penalty which is duly scored, and sometimes you can creep away from Hull somehow still top of the league.
Next up is Oldham, who sit comfortably mid-table, and also play a strange 352 like Bournemouth, with Dennis Irwin tearing up the left. 6 wins, 6 draws, 6 defeats, and almost identical goals scored and conceded, Joe Royle’s men are perhaps the most balanced side in the league. It’s our job to put them out of kilter. We’re given a boost when Kevin Scott returns from injury. It’s harsh on Sweeney who has been brilliant, but we switch to our stronger defensive line.
It turns out Dennis Irwin is unstoppable. He goes past Gallacher and Ranson like Maradona is playing left wingback, and causes us problems all afternoon. We are lucky to take the lead when Kevin Brock hits a speculative first half effort, but after that it’s all Oldham, all day. We hold them off well, and Kevin Scott has a great return, but in the 87th minute another Irwin gets down the left again, and this time the cross evades Scott and Thorn to find the head of substitute Rick Holden, and it finishes all square.
I’m unsettled. Not by the revolution that’s started in Czechoslovakia, although that is happening. By our form. On paper, two wins and a draw looks great, but anything looks good on paper. We were incredibly lucky to beat Hull and couldn’t really cope with Oldham. My itchy tactics finger wants to meddle again, but I know I shouldn’t. Or should I?
Ipswich sit 12th, and while they score for fun they concede a lot too. John Wark plays as a deep-lying forward, something we will have to contend with, and all their star players are in attack. Barton comes back in for Keane, but other than that I don’t meddle.
The result looks more comfortable than it feels. Quinn gets on the end of a lovely Gary Brazil through-ball to open the scoring early on, and then we sit back, and Ipswich start to dominate. Wark drops between the lines and Barton doesn’t seem to be able to cope with him, and we are indebted to Tommy Wright once again. The second half is much the same, and although Quinn doubles his tally as Ipswich tire, it’s not the best performance.
I risk sounding like Alex Ferguson after Aberdeen’s cup final win, complaining after every victory, but scraping wins against mid-table opposition is not exactly laying down our title-winning credentials. Still, I guess you need to win when you’re bad to lift trophies. I’m trying not to worry.
We finish October with a midweek visit from Watford. They are another of those concerning mid-table teams, with a very balanced record and weaknesses we can look to exploit, but in Neil Redfearn and Garry Thompson they do have firepower. But they play a flat 442, and we tend to do well against that. Barton gets another chance to prove he deserves his place ahead of Keane.
It’s another uncomfortable afternoon, as Watford have more of the ball than us and create more chances, hitting the woodwork twice. But in Micky Quinn we have one of the best forwards in the division, and he is more than earning his new contract. Goals either side of Glyn Hodges’ leveller ensure we go in ahead at the break. At half time I bring on McGhee to give us more attacking impetus, and although it doesn’t really change the balance of the game, he does seal the result in the dying moments.
That draw against Oldham has cost us top spot, but we are opening up a bit of a gap to third placed Leeds, which can only be a good thing. The Christmas season sees us take on local rivals and promotion challengers among our six games, so rest up folks.
New Kids on the Block sit top of the charts, with You Got It (The Right Stuff).
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