"Joooohhhhhhhnnnnnnnnnnnnn, Arne Riise! Oohhhh Ahhhh! I wanna Knoooowwwwwwwww, how ya scored that goal!" There are certain moments during an experience that for the rest of your organic existence will remind you of that day and bring a smile to your face. For me, the new song dedicated to our own ginger magician will always remind me of St James' Park, Newcastle, September 30th 2001.
Ifó "Who led the Reds out" and "Tell me ma'", defined our recollections of last season then Joohhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnn Ar........ may end up being the soundtrack to another successful season.
This was a tremendous win, in which every player, including and especially Danny Murphy turned in a quality display to bring us right back into contention with the early frontrunners.
The day started at 6:40am, Dave Usher's sofa, Maghull. After gaining about two hours sleep, somewhat due to my fucked up student body clock but mostly due to the thunderous snoring of fellow TLW columnist Graham Suppiah, we met up with the photographer and headed for the bus station. Gavin accompanied us to the game, to take pictures of all the lovely 'Barnes Travel' passengers to compliment a report by Dave on the trip (watch out for it in the Leeds issue of the matchday mag) and was a really nice bloke, whom everybody on the coach seemed to get on really
well with.
The Barnes Tavel rep, had a load of great stories for Dave's article but many of them were hardly suitable for our club programme. Still they were dead funny though and provided some light entertainment for the long trip to Tyneside. Arriving about 1:15 we spent some time selling the fanzine, before burning about 4 million calories in scaling the never ending stairway to
heaven. (Jesus have I really become cheesy enough to use that line?)
The view from our spec was tremendous but it was the ground level action that we had traveled 4 hours to see. And we didn't have to wait to long with Jooohhhhhhhhhhnnnnn Arne Riise (oooohhhh ahhhhh) opening the scoring with a rocket strike into the top corner on just 3 minutes. Now the song was flavour of the week before the goalóbut the fact that our very own Steve Davies got on the scoresheet sent the traveling Kopites into overdrive on 'operation hey baby improvement'
It wasn't just the goal, Riise's overall performance was just superb. Combining well with Gregory Vignal down the left, he seemed to be a constant outlet who always seemed to find space. Riise also has a great engine and is basically a bigger, stronger, better, left sided, less pretty, more ginger version of Øyvind Leonhardsen. One more time, Joohhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnnn Arne Riise! ooohhh Ahhh! I wanna knoooowwwwwww! How ya scored that goal!
Vignal himself was also magnificent and seems to gain confidence by the minute as he continues to stake a massive claim for the regular left back spot. There was one moment during the second half when the twice as old, dirty, crafty and cagy Alan Shearer attempted to get the better of our Greg in the corner, failing miserably. Let me ask you this Alan Does Gregory Vignal, look like a bitch?
So why did you try and fuck him like a bitch? (shameless Pulp Fiction quote)
Does anybody out there have a song for our genial LB, what about "Greeeeeeeggory Vignal! oohhhh a.......... nah! Our main concern coming into this game was the form of the 895th Geordie
messiah, Lauren Robert. Making a mockery of premiership defences in the opening foray's of his Newcastle career, he was now up against Jamie Charagher, who had been a little out of sorts sine moving to right back. We had a right to be fearful, however Carra, was - like the rest of the defense, making it four clean sheets in a row - far superior to anything Newcastle had to offer and with the equally impressive Danny Murphy helping him out, Robert hardly had a sniff.
I have been a little scathing in my verdicts on Murphy's performances as of late, but on this occasion he was arguably our best player, other that Joohhhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnn Arne Riise! that is.
For taking all of that criticism on the chin, the praise for Danny's performance should be as high as the level of shit he has taken this season. Perhaps I could reassess my verdict on Danny, I recently
suggested that if the squad were to be trimmed then Murphy should be a victim. In our last two away games (Everton and Newcastle) he has played an extremely important role in helping us pick up the three points. Away from home he offers us so much more and in future I won't be whingeing when I see his name on the visitors teamsheet. At home he should be used much more sparingly, as in not much at all. Then we could see harmony between, dictator...sorry manager, players and fans.
The strikers did alright, Fowler is starting to regain some sharpness and Heskey worked hard for the team without doing too much going forward. Hopefully Robbie will get his run in the side - not at the expense of the mullet I hope - and score some goals. I remarked to Dave today, that Fowler is possibly the unluckiest striker I have ever come across and I will leave it to you to contest that one. The amount of little flicks that don't come off anymore, combined with injuries, negative press,
poor officiating and good saves, it's left me begging for lady luck to smile on Robbie just once to get the ball rolling again.
The win was sealed in the end, by a superb move finished by Super Dan, who is actually starting to look super again, following a nice lay off from Fowler. However there was only one song on the tongues of the Liverpool fans as they streamed out of St James' Park, somehow I think you know it by now. This really was one of the best away days in the history of me, here's to many more.
TEAM: Jerzy Dudek; Jamie Carragher, Sami Hyypia, Stephane Henchoz, Gregory Vignal; Danny Murphy, Igor Biscan, Gary McAllister, John Arne Riise; Robbie Fowler, Emile Heskey:
