Newcastle United 6, Aston Villa 0: Mat Kendrick's big match verdict
Aug 23 2010 By Mat Kendrick
FROM ‘Sob on the Tyne’, to job on the line?
Aston Villa were yesterday made to pay the penalty for that teasing banner which hung from the Holte End on the day Newcastle were relegated the season before last.
It was an afternoon for Malcolm MacDonald rather than Kevin MacDonald as the Toon’s new No.9, Andy Carroll, stole the show from Villa’s new No.9, Stephen Ireland.
But before anyone starts to write off Kev just yet, look at Newcastle’s Chris Hughton to see what caretakers can achieve with a little time and patience.
MacDonald was prepared to take responsibility for yesterday’s embarrassment, citing his ‘‘naive’’ team selection, but the players must also take the blame for a gutless performance.
As captain Stiliyan Petrov candidly conceded, after doing their utmost to get the temporary team-picker the permanent job during feelgood fortnight, 90 minutes of misery against the Magpies shouldn’t cost him the chance to succeed Martin O’Neill on a longer-term basis.
With St James’ Park playing home to its first Premier occasion since Newcastle’s promotion, Villa’s game-plan was clearly to silence the expectant Toon Army.
But John Carew clearly misinterpreted the message and thought it meant booting the ball straight into the faces of the Magpies’ hardcore fans in the Gallowgate end.
Because had Carew characteristically converted his tenth-minute penalty rather than blazed it high into the stand, this match surely would have turned out differently.
