11th with 11 to go
Posted by JamesB in Newcastle | 26 February 2006
The fairly optimistic United fans have once again found their voices and talk of Europe is now back on. The odds are still against us, but with 4 wins out of 5 games (all be it fairly winnable games) Glenn Roeder looks to have got the feel good factor back in to Newcastle.
With Man Utd winning the Carling Cup today, that will open another UEFA cup spot, seeing as they are most likely to get a place in the Champions League. As it stands we are 6 points off 6th place. The 6th place team however is Bolton, who we face at St James next Saturday at 3 o'clock. That game could be crucial.
Of the 11 league games remaining, 6 are against opposition above us in the league. Throw that in with a couple of derbies and some games against teams who will be fighting for their lives (mackems not included), and a final league date against the probable champions, and one realises that anything is possible.
Games that I see as crucial are against Bolton next week, Spurs at home on April 1, and of course the two derbies where form goes out the window. Yesterday we showed the kind of spirit we need to see the season out, playing against the form team of the league and being 0-0 at half time in a game with few chances, there were murmerings of our good run ending. It took resiliance and of course a bit of quality in Nolberto Solano, who ironically I thought had a fairly bog standard game other than his wonderfully taken goal. Heres to the rest of the season, and a late European surge!
