unexpected start from Gooch TEAMS NUFC: Steve Harper, Nobby Solano, Stephen Carr, Titus Bramble, Oguchi Onyewu, James Milner, Nicky Butt, Scott Parker, Kieron Dyer, Michael Owen, Oba Martins Subs: Charles N'Zogbia, Shola Ameobi, Pavel Srnicek, Peter Ramage, Andy Carroll BRFC: Brad Friedel, Tugay, Ryan Nelsen, Brett Emerton, Benni McCarthy, David Bentley, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Aaron Mokoena, Christopher Samba, Stephen Warnock, Jason Roberts Subs: Shabani Nonda, Stephane Henchoz, Paul Gallagher, Jason Brown, Matt Derbyshire
Re: 5/5/07 Gooch: Newcastle vs Blackburn [R] 13min - The hosts have another corner as Stephen Warnock is forced to head behind after Milner swept over a deep cross from the left. The winger's resulting flag-kick has too much on it and drifts beyond the packed penalty area and away from danger. 8min - Ryan Nelsen tries to usher the ball out for a goal kick but the ball clips his heel and United have a corner. Milner's near post delivery is headed clear by Warnock and the visitors break through Bentley, they have men over and Bentley carries the ball right up to the edge of United's area before slipping it wide for McCarthy to run onto, Stephen Carr does well to recover and does enough to put off the South African as Harper races from his line to gather the loose ball 10 yards from goal.
Re: 5/5/07 Gooch: Newcastle vs Blackburn [R] Blackburn scores with protests that Benni McCarthy was offsides... seems to be bramble at fault as it was his man but he did look offsides to me it would've been Gooch keeping him onsides if he was actually onsides which he probably wasn't
Re: 5/5/07 Gooch: Newcastle vs Blackburn [R] 21min - Butt is penalised for a handball midway inside the United half, David Betley folats the dead ball towards the penalty spot, but Onyewu is there to head clear.
Re: 5/5/07 Gooch: Newcastle vs Blackburn [R] Thanks for the pbp. By the way, shouldn't we add Friedel to the title?
Re: 5/5/07 Gooch: Newcastle vs Blackburn [R] lol I can't edit the title or I would add him. I was just so surprised to see Gooch in the side I didn't think about Friedel.
25min - Jason Roberts springs clear on the visitors left, Onyewu is tracking his every move and recovers to knock behind for a corner, Bentley's flag kick is met by Bramble as he heads clear. The ball falls for Dyer on the right and United breakaway, the midfielder covers 50 yards before being felled by Warnock as he threatened to burst into Blackburn's penalty area. The full-back is shown a yellow card. Nothing comes of Milner's flighted free-kick and Rovers clear the danger.
Newcastle seem like they could get back into this... Owen puts one over the cross bar after Friedel tries to fist a cross clear
Gooch is really a little scary to watch (or maybe a lot scary). 43rd minute or so, he was trying to outrun Roberts and he obviously wasn't as fast. And there was the clearance that went awry....and the theory that maybe he kept whoever (McCarthy?) onside for the Blackburn goal. etc etc. Maybe when Newcastle is spending truckloads of money this summer for that new backline they could consider adding a little bit to the midfielders and forwards while they're at it. 'Cause there hasn't been a goal scored by Newcastle in this game either and the midfield seems to be having a little trouble.
If anybody kept Blackburn onside it was Bramble (and from the highlights it looked as though nobody kept them onside), and Gooch may be lacking in quickness but his speed in a footrace is at least as good as most centerbacks.
That's entirely possible -- the annoucers were talking about Gooch's foot keeping McCarthy onside, which isn't an idea I've ever heard about before. But the other things did happen....the backline is scary and Gooch is right in there. Of course, towards the end of the 1st half, Blackburn had about 20 attempts on goal in 5 minutes (seems like what with the Newcastle midfield kindly returning the ball directly to Blackburn as soon as the Newcastle defenders managed to clear it).
man newcastle could've had a penalty then a minute later Owen again beats friedel but defender clears it off the line
oh that's ugly not sure if that was Gooch's responsibility but he just went between Gooch and was it bramble?