Danny Guthrie attempts a tackle in his club’s Round Three match against Arsenal.
Reading the news that Hull City striker Craig Fagan’s leg is broken, the result of a disgusting tackle from Newcastle midfielder Danny Guthrie, I’m appalled. The tackle from Guthrie was so pointless and grotesque that when he was shown the straight red for it, I thought it was the right call. I’d like to see him sit out as many games as Fagan is now going to miss.
Hull clearly deserved to win on Saturday. Newcastle looked aimless and thin and their anemic performance was vastly overshadowed by the fan protests going on at Saint James’ Park. It’s unfortunate that Guthrie — a promising player who scuffed one fantastic chance and had an unlikely but tantalizing try tipped onto the woodwork by Hull keeper Myhill — in his obvious frustration at his and his club’s performance, felt the need to cut down Fagan when there was nothing left to gain. I’m a firm believer that the penalty for the offending player should be at least as long as the recovery time of the injured player. Guthrie should not be allowed to set foot on a pitch for the purpose of competition until Fagan is again match fit. Anything less would be criminal. I, too, think Joey Barton has no place in football. How many chances should he be given before it’s recognized that he’s incorrigible? These unconscionable behaviors need to be met with swift and harsh punishments.
Newcastle are a mess and Hull aptly took advantage, played well and took the contest. The win puts the Tigers in a nice spot near the top of the table and they look, at the moment, like a squad that won’t need to worry about relegation. Will they stay at 4th? Highly unlikely, but I think they could easily finish this season above the Magpies, who look like Championship football is what they deserve.
In the wake of Newcastle’s embarrassing defeat, there seems to be good news lurking on the Tyneside horizon. Mike Ashley appears to have capitulated to Geordie ire and is looking to unload the club. Sadly, the Indian investors who’d made their interest known earlier this month released a statement saying they’d withdrawn from the running to purchase NUFC due to Ashley’s clown-like business practices. I paraphrase, of course.
Newcastle has been a circus and Ashley has been the head clown. However, Ashley’s also been a bit of a savior. His gross incompetence has galvanized the Toon Army and spurred a revolution in the North East. Geordies have had their fill of garbage and will no longer stand for it.
What comes next for NUFC is anyone’s guess. Who will buy? How and when will it get better? Will it get better, even?
Those questions are going to take time to answer. In the short run, one can only hope Guthrie is appropriately dealt with for his horrific show of bad sportsmanship and that the club can manage to win or draw while it waits to be rescued from Ashley’s mess. The hole in which Newcastle already sits is a big one, but if it can be prevented from getting any deeper, the new owners will need much less time to pull it out of the ground.