The League Cup Final

So, welcome again folks and this is the post about my league cup final against Tottenham. We have beaten some great teams like Man Utd and Bolton to get to Wembley, and I hoped that our League Cup story wouldn’t end at the hand of Spurs.

I decided to play quite an attacking line-up, as always sticking with my 4-2-4 formation.

I played Javier Acuna as an inside forward on the left hand side hopefully to exploit Younes Kaboul, as he is usually a centre half. The main threats from Tottenham would be Defoe,  Crouch and Lennon.

KICK-OFF

Five minutes in we got the first chance of the match, and it was a huge one. Shola Ameobi picked the ball up about 30 yards out and Tottenham’s right back got drawn to him. Ameobi slipped Acuna in on the left hand side and he was one on one with the keeper. He fired it straight at Cudicini, and I leapt out up from my chair in disbelief, he should of scored. The next chance came for Spurs this time, when Crouch got past two of my defenders on the left hand side. He played a superb ball in and Defoe was left with an absolute sitter but he somehow managed to hit the post :D ! I was very relieved! About five minutes after that, Tottenham midfielder Inler played Defoe in. Defoe was charged down quickly though by our keeper so the ball was parried away, only to the feet of the Tottenham left winger and he placed it in from 10 yards out.

34 MINUTES: NEWCASTLE 0-1 TOTTENHAM

This was a big blow for us as I always felt we needed the first goal. Our aim now was just to get into half time at 0-0 and we could regroup then. Thankfully for us nothing really happened until half-time, apart from a long range effort by Inler for Tottenham, which was saved well by Steve Harper.

Half-time: 0-1

I told my players ‘We can win this!’ and brought Leon Best on for Andy Carroll, who had done nothing.

The first half-chance in the second half came to the Tottenham left-back, who’s shot was comfortably saved by our keeper. I was pleased that we were managing to keep in the game, even though just by the skin of our teeth. In the 54th minute, we won a corner and Ryan Taylor stood up to to take it. He passed it out to Aaron Ramsey, who from 25 yards out smashed it into the top corner! :D My favourite corner move had proved too clever for Tottenham and we were level!

54 MINUTES: NEWCASTLE 1-1 TOTTENHAM

The next chance came in the 61st minute when Crouch played a superb pass to give Defoe another sitter from 10 yards. He had a very heavy touch though and Harper dived onto the ball and scrambled it away with the help of a few of our defenders! Phew! :D In the 68th minute, from our corner again Ryan Taylor passed to Aaron Ramsey, who’s shot this time was deflected. It came towards our centre half Coloccini, who couldn’t capitalise on the half-chance. I suppose it just fell to the wrong man :) In the 74th minute, Jermaine Defoe received the ball from a throw in and from absolutely nowhere he pounded in a 25 yard screamer.

74 MINUTES: NEWCASTLE 1-2 TOTTENHAM

In a last gasp effort to equalise in the last fifteen minutes or so I put Peter Lovenkrands on for Wayne Routledge, and pushed my two wingers up to striker positions. I was now up from my seat, urging my team on as they searched for a gap in the Tottenham defence! In the 85th minute Ramsey picked up the ball and slotted Ameobi in…… he powered it into the bottom corner of the goal! 2-2! :D

85 MINUTES: NEWCASTLE 2-2 TOTTENHAM

I found myself jumping up and down and shouting in celebration! The 90 minutes finished 2-2.

90mins: NEWCASTLE 2-2 TOTTENHAM

It was now time for extra-time, and I would have taken penalties! The stress of the match was becoming unbearable.In the second minute of extra time, we cleared from a corner. Jermaine Defoe picked the ball up about 35 yards out and smashed a screamer past all the players into the bottom corner of our goal! :( He had missed two sitters in the game and scored two screamers!

92 MINUTES: NEWCASTLE 2-3 TOTTENHAM

It was now time for us to go for it, so I stuck Steven Taylor, our centre half, up to striker as a target man. We were now playing a 3-2-5! In the 97th minute Ryan Taylor once again tricked Tottenham and passed it to Aaron Ramsey from a corner, and his powerful shot was denied by a great saved from the Tottenham keeper. Just after the 2nd half of extra-time started Defoe was played in but once again missed a chance ten times easier than his two goals! In the 106th minute, Lovenkrands passed to Ameobi, who was just outside the box, but he scuffed his shot and it went wide! It was a good chance. It was now 20 seconds before the end of the match, and we had a corner. Ryan Taylor passed it out to Shola Ameobi who’s shot turned out to be a great pass to Coloccini, he turned and was only about 6 yards out. I was shouting at him to put it in the net! He took what seemed forever and a great tackle by Kranjcar hid away any of our chances to win the match. We had lost.

FT: NEWCASTLE 2:3 TOTTENHAM

Well what can I say, it was a day of mixed emotions: relief, despair, joy, but most of all, pride. I was delighted with how my team had played, and although we have lost, the players should be delighted with how they have done. It was a frantic day and I am surprised myself that I have not got any complaints from neighbours because I was shouting at my computer so much! :D

After the match, I was very surprised to see that the fans were ‘devastated’ with the result.

The most annoying part to this is that they criticised my team selection. Typical supporters…. thinking they know more than the manager! Anyway, I am glad that they are proud of reaching the final, as I certainly am.

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading about this roller-coaster of a match and I will be whizzing through the remainder of the season as they are just league games. Oh, and by the way if you didn’t know I managed to get the work permit for Bernardo, so he will be joining us in the summer.

Thanks,

Calum.