There have been many things said and written about Jon Dahl Tomasson since his £2.2 million arrival in the summer from Holland, but the one that raised eyebrows most was Kenny Dalglish's affirmation that the 21-year-old Thomasson was the best finisher at the club. Dalglish has shown the faith of a true believer in the young Dane's ability - despite a run of 14 games without a goal, a run that led others to question Dalgish's wisdom on the subject - and so the manager must have shared the emotions of his player when, on Saturday, Tomasson managed to get a bit of backside to a Des Hamilton header to divert the ball across the Leicester line.
"It doesn't matter how they go in," said Tomasson, already sounding like an old English pro, and Newcastle will hope he receives a major lift from the goal. Since a conspicuous miss in the first minute of the first game of the season against Sheffield Wednesday, Tomasson had appeared to lose confidence with each wasted opportunity, but perhaps now things will change.
That would be most welcome as Newcastle have never needed a striker in form, indeed a striker in full fitness, more. Ian Rush is the latest casualty at St James' Park, entering hospital yesterday for exploratory surgery on a damaged knee, with the results not known for at least 48 hours.
Thus Tomasson becomes ever more important, although he is keen to emphasise the novelty of himself in a forward role. "In the last couple of weeks the pressure of scoring hasn't been my only problem, I've had to get used to a new position, playing with my back to goal.
"I've never played as an outand-out striker before, I've played in midfield all my career. But I still believe in myself in front of goal and I will always give my all."
Such a frame of mind will please Dalglish who has been striking something of a stance himself of late. Victory against PSV Eindhoven tonight, he said, was not a necessity, before aggressively adding: "That is not to say we will be going into the game with the defeatest attitude which is hanging around the place like a bad smell. We are positive, the lads have done this club proud with their efforts in adversity."
Dalglish believes that Newcastle's achievement of even reaching the Champions' League, never mind holding their own, without Alan Shearer and Faustino Asprilla, has not been properly acknowledged.
He has a point and tonight the scale of the injury situation could mean Newcastle being unable to fill all seven substitute places. With Robert Lee and David Batty suspended, Stuart Pearce and Steve Howey injured, and doubts surrounding Warren Barton, Keith Gillespie and Alessandro Pistone, the bench is already sure to feature such names as Aaron Hughes, Brian Pinas and Stuart Elliott, none of whom have made their debuts.
PSV, on the other hand, despite having their plane struck by a truck on the runway at Eindhoven, are in good shape. Arnold Bruggink, scorer in the 1-1 draw with Heerenveen last Friday, is likely to start if Gilles de Bilde is unfit.
Guardian Service.
