Injury crisis for Souness
Newcastle boss Graeme Souness is facing a major injury crisis after seeing his side end their seven-game winless run with a victory over Birmingham.
First-half goals from Shola Ameobi and Lee Bowyer were enough to see off Steve Bruce’s men, who pulled one back through Emile Heskey to spark a late but fruitless fightback, but striker Craig Bellamy limped off with a knee injury to join Alan Shearer and Patrick Kluivert in the treatment room.
With Ameobi having played through the pain barrier in the last two games with a shoulder problem, the loss of Bellamy, who has already undergone five knee operations during his career, for any significant period would come as a major blow, and his latest misfortune took the edge off a good afternoon for Souness.
“That’s a worry,” admitted Souness. “Craig has come off with a knee injury and we will have to see what that is tomorrow.
“He did not get a bang on it, it has just come on as the game has gone on. I do not think he got a bang on it anyway.”
With Shearer having damaged a calf muscle in training yesterday as he prepared to return to action after a thigh problem and Kluivert out for several weeks with a hamstring strain, the Magpies could head for West Brom on Monday with their options up front severely limited.
However, they will at least do so having ended their barren run with a performance which should have brought them the points even more comfortably.
“It is a good three points for us,” said Souness, whose side had not won at St James’ Park since November 4.
“The way we started, the game should really have been over at half-time.
“We could have gone in with more than just the two. At 2-0, they were still very much in the game, and I think the second half, although not enjoyable, was understandable.
“We have been playing in games recently where we think we should have had more from them, whether it was a win or a draw, and with one mistake, we have been punished.
“We became a wee bit nervy in the second half, but although we were nervy, they were not causing us too many problems. We lost our way a bit in the second half, but when they scored their goal, it was us that looked like getting the next goal.
“We must have had three excellent chances after they made it 2-1. It would have been cruel on us if we had not won today.”
Souness was particularly impressed with the energetic Kieron Dyer, who continued his rehabilitation with a tireless display of running from central midfield.
“He is a top player,” he said. “When he is at it, he is a top player.
“He knows that he burnt some bridges and that he has to build some bridges, and if he gives that kind of performance – and he was excellent against Arsenal on Wednesday – if he continues to show the crowd that he will give them 1005 every time he goes out and crosses that white line, they will soon love him again.”
City boss Steve Bruce was desperately disappointed with his side’s first-half showing, if happy with their response after the break.
“We were awful in the first half,” he said. “We have to admit that Newcastle ripped us to pieces, to be fair.
“The one thing you want then is what we are all about, really, to show a little bit of resilience and character because that is as big a doing we have had in the first 45 minutes as we have had for a long, long time.
“But all credit to them, in the second half, they came out and rolled their sleeves up and had a right good go. We might have even got back into it.
“We scored the goal and then obviously with the run of results that Newcastle have had, they became a little bit anxious, a little bit edgy and we possibly could have got something.”
