No degree could prepare Roeder for Newcastle life

6:01am Monday 22nd January 2007

Newcastle United 2, West Ham United 2.

YESTERDAY, Glenn Roeder went back to school as he travelled to Warwick University to complete a three-day residential course as part of his studies for his Pro Licence.

The UEFA-endorsed study session is supposed to provide instruction in the art of football management but, for one of the pupils present, the theories found in textbooks are unlikely to bear much resemblance to reality.

On Saturday, Roeder completed a three-day crash course of his own, with his Newcastle side conceding a two-goal deficit for the second time in a week, only to mount a spirited fightback to earn a 2-2 draw with West Ham.

He watched two of his players limp from the field to join an injury list that already includes a staggering ten senior professionals, and was forced to field his 20th defensive combination of an increasingly unbelievable campaign.

So despite the misgivings of some of his Premiership peers, Roeder should forget all about a degree in football management. If you're going to be manager of Newcastle, it's crisis management you should be concentrating on.

"That makes it one defence a week now this season," said Roeder, after David Edgar partnered Paul Huntington from the 30th minute onwards following the departure of the injured Peter Ramage. "But you just have to cope with it.

"You have to look for positives in the situation we have just come through. The youngsters are getting valuable experience and it's making all of us tougher mentally.

"I'm always telling the players they need to be fighters, and the situation we've found ourselves in has proved that.

"We've had to fight hard over the last three or four months but, in the long run, I believe it will do us good. The players will benefit from what they've had to go through.

"It's not a problem for me - I've had to fight all my life and I enjoy it - but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to when the injured lads get fit again."

Similarly, Roeder is eagerly anticipating the arrival of at least two new faces before the transfer window swings shut on January 31.

The opening half-an-hour of Saturday's game exposed glaring deficiencies in Newcastle's patched-up defence, with a West Ham side who had gone more than 900 minutes without a Premiership away goal deservedly strolling into a two-goal lead.

The second-half revival that followed showed spirit, though, and Roeder insists he will not be panicking simply because his side have conceded seven goals in the space of back-to-back home games.

"You can be panicked and jump off the cliff, but I for one won't be doing that," said the former West Ham boss, who is increasingly resigned to the likelihood of any new signings being loan deals rather than permanent transfers.

"I could sign a bad player every day between now and the end of January because there are plenty out there.

"But the biggest thing is patience. I've seen other people be patient, and it pays off. Yes, it's a little bit brave, but the supporters understand what I'm trying to do. There's not a lot out there, but I'll certainly find a couple."

After the opening 22 minutes of Saturday's game, it looked like 11 new signings was a minimum requirement.

Lacking both confidence and cohesion, Newcastle's players were every bit as inept as they had been against Birmingham three days earlier.

The visitors had already squandered three presentable opportunities when they broke the deadlock, Carlton Cole volleying home from close range after Calum Davenport had headed Luis Boa Morte's header across the face of goal.

And, four minutes later, a second successive home humiliation looked to be on the cards when Marlon Harewood turned inside a clearly-uncomfortable Ramage before prodding George McCartney's through ball past an exposed Shay Given.

The goalkeeper's afternoon would get worse after the break, when a groin injury forced him from the field of play.

"It's tiresome of late to be conceding rotten goals," conceded Roeder. "And everything that happened on Wednesday meant it became an even bigger test of character against West Ham.

"Never for one minute, though, did I fear the worst. I knew the boys would fight back and that's exactly what they did.

"It was a hell of an effort to get back to 2-2 but, on the second-half performance, there was disappointment that we didn't go on to win the game."

Be that as it may, it is doubtful that Newcastle would even have claimed a point had it not been for a significant slice of luck on the stroke of half-time.

Scott Parker was clearly offside when he stepped over James Milner's goalbound effort but, after initially raising his flag, the assistant referee decided that the Newcastle skipper was not interfering with play.

In the words of an infuriated Alan Curbishley, and given that he was standing on the six-yard line, "If he wasn't interfering with play, then he damn well should have been".

Buoyed by their lifeline, the Magpies were given another helping hand eight minutes after the break when Boa Morte inexplicably blocked Milner's cross with his arm.

Nolberto Solano casually converted from the spot, before Kieron Dyer struck the woodwork and Obafemi Martins was thwarted by Roy Carroll as the hosts pushed for a winner that would have been harsh on their relegation-threatened opponents.

As it was, a draw was probably a fair result. And in terms of gaining more knowledge about the strengths and weaknesses at his disposal, for Roeder it was another lesson learned.

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