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Noarlunga United
Match Report
Welcome to the
Premiership Bobby
Chelsea
1..... 
Lebouf (pen) '37
Newcastle United 0..........
There
is one good thing to take out of this game. We did better than the Mackems.
On a
serious note though, it wasn't that bad. The lads put up a hard fight.
1-0 is a fairly
respectable
result at Stamford Bridge. And at least we're not bottom, with Sheffield
Wednesday
losing 2-0
at home to Everton.
At last
in this traumatic and turbulent season there was a sense of organisation
and
commitment
about Newcastle which was never evident in the dying embers of the Gullit
regime.
True, there
has always been a touch of absent-minded eccentricity about Robson. When
asked
once what he
would have done if he hadn't been a football manager he replied: ''I'd
have
given my right
arm to be a pianist.''
This
past week he has mistaken Warren Barton for 'Warren Bradley' - a member
of Newcastle's
1952 amateur
cup final side. At 66, like any pensioner, he has also struggled with the
pronunciation
of Temuri Ketsbaia - but there is no doubting his commitment to
his beloved
Newcastle.
Robson
fairly jogged down the tunnel on to Stamford Bridge an hour and a half
before
kick-off to
supervise his players in the pre-match warm-up. He signed autographs alongside
England captain
Alan Shearer and imparted his cosy brand of football knowledge to a band
of Newcastle
fans eager to know his thoughts on survival. And there can have been no
bigger
cheer in London
today than when the Chelsea tannoy announced: ''Please welcome
Bobby Robson
back to English football.'' For the next 90 minutes he alternated from
his
dug-out seat
to his place on the touchline in an impression of the most energetic pensioner
in Britain.
It was
a controversial penalty that won it for them. Zola, who before the game
collected last season's
player of the
year award, swung in a dangerous free kick. Marcel Desailly flung himself
at it while
his shirt was
slightly tugged by Gary Speed, but nothing anywhere near to warranting
a penalty.
But, similar
to our luck with referee's all season, Graham Poll pointed to the spot.
Up stepped
Frank Lebouf
and finished comfortably.
Probably
the biggest worry for Robson though would be the form of Shearer. He may
be able
to put three
past a bunch of teachers and carpenters from Luxembourg but when it comes
to
playing against
world cup winning defenders like Desailly and Lebouf he looked alarmingly
outclassed.
Another
good point was the form of Tommy Wright in goals. His saves in the dying
seconds kept it
to 1-0, first
from Zola and then a brilliant stop from Tore Andre Flo when he looked
sure to score.
Oh well,
we shouldn't be winless for much longer, next up it's Sheffield Wednesday
at St. James's park.
If we lose
that, well, let's not think about that shall we....
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