Crisis over as Reds enjoy home comfort in The Twilight Zone

TIME to delete those panic (sorry, PANIC!) headlines. For a week or so at least.

It certainly helps when you need a win and the Black & White Santas are coming to town.

Its 10 years since the remarkable 4-3 games gripped an entire nation, but for Newcastle it must seem like an eternity.

We created enough to win by a basketball score, which is apt given the numerous handballs in the second half. It looked like Babayaro had taken up juggling at one point. Agger also fouled an offside player in the box and that wasn’t given either, so as one Red quipped “two wrongs do make a right after all”. Our officials must be the worst in Europe but justice is served eventually.

Spurs also missed a complete sitter before our left-winger scored last season. Who needs a new stadium when we can play all our matches in The Twilight Zone?

Six points were accompanied by significant sighs of relief, given the knee-jerking wails of doom that followed the two defeats — one a fluke and one against a team packed with class. Chelsea are top and Shevchenko isn’t even out of neutral yet.

Liverpool weren’t out of it last week so they can’t really be back in it now. Besides, Rafa’s never had a problem at Anfield. Even in that first troubled season we won 40 home points. It’s on our travels that we encounter one inconvenience after another. Garcia sums us up perfectly: full of confidence on home soil, frightened rabbit on the road.

I guess it helps to suffer the humiliation of title hopes supposedly extinguished in mid-September when you weren’t convinced we’d win it in the first place or that we can count. 38 minus 6 equals a hell of a lot of the season still to go.

Not that I should be snooty about jumping to conclusions; there are more than enough jerks to go round. Kuyt’s head-down-and-hit-it at Stamford Bridge turned out to be merely the nervous reaction of a man keen to impress in a vital moment.

After two good goals, each a fine example of the striker’s art, my face is red enough to toast muffins on.

Bellamy, on the other hand, is this year’s Crouch, slated by the “told you so” w*****s while fans and manager remain steadfastly loyal.

I hope those two recent sitters aren’t playing on his mind. Even after Gonzalez spared his blushes on Saturday he looked utterly crestfallen. Kuyt, in contrast, looks like someone who will keep plugging away no matter how bad things get. That’s an essential quality in the top flight so let’s hope Alonso can be similarly diligent. It’s no coincidence Liverpool play better when he’s on his game. The Gerrard circus can be a distraction but it also plays right into Rafa’s hands, as he knows Alonso is the key. Momo can wander off where he likes, and Gerrard can stroll or explode according to his weary-looking whim — but everything is channelled through the Spaniard.

When he is full of confidence there’s no-one better. One slimy hack wondered if the Real summer bid (if it actually took place) was playing on his mind, but Xabi ought to use it as a stimulant. He’s essential to a brilliant coach’s game plan, and clubs nowadays (except Chelsea) won’t spend £20 million on just anybody.

A friend from Paris asked me to get him a ticket for Newcastle. He eventually got one for himself but I could have sorted him out with another five! The fans clamouring for regular tickets do this all the time.

The huge demand the club believes is there might actually be smoke and mirrors. If we continue to kick off at such unreasonable times, and don’t haggle to buy our soul back from television, the future isn’t as rosy or as crowded as they’d like you to think.