Fog on the Tyne

Barely a few days into the new season and there's plenty to worry about for the Newcastle fan.

Following all the rumours of Dyer's dressing-room dissent on Saturday, the Suffolk Boy Wonder received a predictably hostile response from the home fans after coming on as a half-time substitute in England's friendly match against Ukraine at St James's Park. And on the left wing too, not his favoured central midfield position - I wonder if he got stroppy with Sven too?

At least today, having been made acutely aware that the majority of the paying public have lost patience with him and knowing that he's being touted around rival clubs for £8m and potentially soon to be without his £65,000 a week salary, he's donned his hair shirt and come over all penitent: "My refusal to play in the position the manager asked me was wrong. I sincerely regret the whole incident - ultimately, Sir Bobby picks the team and I apologise to him and to our supporters wholeheartedly.". I could have sworn I've heard him say something like that before... For what it's worth, had I been there I wouldn't have joined in with the booing, but then at the same time I can understand it.

But just as one crack is papered over, another opens up - the news that Real Madrid are hoping to sign Woodgate for £15m. The worrying thing is that, Vieira aside, Real usually get their man, and even if they don't there's every chance that he'll get his head turned by the possibility that a club of that stature could be after him. To me, though, it's not surprising that he should be attracting the interest of the world's biggest and best. He may only have appeared 37 times for us since signing in January 2003, but there's no doubt in my mind that he has become as important - if not even more so - than Shearer to the fortunes of the side. It's no coincidence that the best performances of last season came in March and April when Woodgate was in the side and playing superbly. The promise of his return is something to cling to, perhaps the only thing that allows me to feel not quite so stupidly and blindly loyal in harbouring hopes of nicking the title. Make no mistake, his departure, which is looking increasingly likely, could well be disastrous.

But, hey, let's peer through the fog and end on a brighter note. At least Butt and Jenas put in decent shifts on their home turf, and that very home turf, relaid this summer at a cost of £500,000, looks good. Still, we'll see how it looks next Wednesday after three games in a week...