3. Rob Elliot Proved His Worth
Since coming into Newcastle from Charlton from a relative pittance, and the collected ambivalence of the Newcastle faithful, Rob Elliot hasn't had much chance to show exactly why he is rated by manager Alan Pardew, fluffing his debut against Nottingham Forest in the League Cup last year, and generally sitting quietly in the background since then. But after a pre-season that saw him pull off a couple of reasonable performances, and the injury that has kept Tim Krul out recently, Elliot now has a chance as the current number 2 'keeper, and on last night's showing, he probably isn't as uninspiring an option as some might have previously suggested. On four occasions last night, Elliot proved his worth with a host of stops, with his hands and feet to keep Newcastle in the game, most notably with his first stop for which he had precious little time to prepare himself. Unfortunately his final major act of the game was to fudge what should have been a reasonably simple take into his chest, which on another day might have sneaked under him and into the net, but for the majority of the game, the former Charlton 'keeper looked good for his place in the side. His kicking was strong and mostly accurate, even under pressure, and his decision-making excellent, particularly when diving out at an attacker's feet at exactly the right moment to halt a potentially dangerous one-on-one situation. And while he won't be pushing Tim Krul too hard for the number 1 shirt he has today professed intention to claim his own, Elliot's stock as a back-up 'keeper has suddenly risen overnight.