Roeder calls for unity in adversity

BELEAGUERED Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder has admitted he is now trying to find out which players in his squad are ready to knuckle down for the inevitable scrap ahead.

The Magpies turned in an insipid, lifeless display against an ordinary but hard-working Sheffield United two days after excelling in Palermo to slump to second bottom in the table after their worst start to a Premiership campaign.

A sizeable proportion of the 50,188 crowd as St James’ Park vented their anger at chairman Freddy Shepherd and his board both during and, in a prolonged demonstration, after the match.

Shepherd was not there to hear the protest but there is little doubt the message will have got through.

Roeder, who has not yet suffered similar treatment at the hands of the club’s supporters, has spoken about the “nonsense” of Newcastle’s league position.

Whether he likes it or not they are now in a relegation fight, having taken just five points from home matches against Wigan, Fulham, Everton, Bolton, Charlton and the Blades.

Roeder said: “I have to find players in that squad – and it is not the biggest squad – who are prepared to get into the trenches.

“I have been here as a player, I know what it is like.

“The fans need to know – although they would not have believed it on Saturday night, I accept that – that the players I have worked with when they have played well this year and have not got results have been hurting as much as the supporters.”

Whether the fury directed towards Shepherd serves to make up his mind over the Belgravia Group’s interest in buying him out remains to be seen.

Writing in his programme notes before the game, Shepherd made no bones about the club’s league standing.

“It is in such difficult times that we must all pull together and I know we can rely upon the loyal Newcastle United fans to give their full backing to the team,” he said.

“The pendulum must swing our way sooner rather than later and Thursday’s result against a team at the top if Serie A is evidence of our ability even without so many players.”

Opta Fact: Sheffield United became the last team in all the four English divisions to score an away goal when Danny Webber netted.

Opta Fact: This was the Blades first ever away win against another team called United in Premiership history.