Robson praises 'outstanding' Woodgate

Newcastle defender Jonathan Woodgate turned in a superb display in Belgrade to remind Bobby Robson just why he paid so much for his services.

For years, the Magpies’ defence has been under the microscope after a series of high-profile failures, but in the white-hot atmosphere of the Partizan Stadium, 23-year-old Woodgate remained ice cool to help lay the foundation for victory.

A player who missed last week’s friendly clash with Bayern Munich with a stomach bug tired visibly as Lothar Matthaus’ side served up a frenetic conclusion to the game, but his character – and the brilliance of Shay Given behind him – saw the Magpies through.

“He was outstanding until the last 10 minutes, when he became physically tired,” said Robson. “I nearly took him off, actually.

“But in the first half, he made some outstanding clearances with his head. He dealt with a lot of terrific crosses and his command of the penalty area was outstanding for us. He was a lighthouse for us.

“He tired towards the end there, but we were 1-0 up and he wasn’t quite giving me the signal that he wanted to come off, but I could see him.”