NUFC August Man of the Month

Yes, that's right, August. We didn't start doing this feature until September was over, so for the sake of completion, we're going to go back and vote on what we missed. The international break seems as good a time as any. You'll have to rely on your memory, so I'll provide a short summary of each match to try and jog it. Look below to see who was nominated for Man of the Match for each fixture.

Newcastle United 0, Arsenal 0

Remember this one? Joey Barton was at the center of things, as always. He spent the majority of the game getting under Arsenal's skin, then Alex Song stomped on him while the fourth official turned a blind eye. Later, Gervinho flopped in the box and Barton pulled him up by the jersey, sparking an incredibly lame scuffle.

Fabricio Coloccini was CHN's pick for Man of the Match. In his first game as captain, Colo seemed determined to justify Pardew's choice, as he nipped several Gunner attacks in the bud. Gabriel Obertan, who replaced Demba Ba at the half, made an immediate impact as his pace stretched the Arsenal defense. Tim Krul, Steven Taylor, "Other" (nobody specified who), and Shola Ameobi also received votes.

Sunderland 0, Newcastle United 1

This one probably doesn't need a recap. The derby's most memorable moment was without a doubt Ryan Taylor's free kick over the wall, but Tim Krul was so spectacular in net that the two shared MotM honors. "Other" received 8 votes, which means that 8 mackems visited our blog that week. The other vote-getter was Jonas Gutierrez, whose nifty footwork drew the foul that led to Raylor's free kick. This was also the first game that I remember Jonas playing in the withdrawn role that we've become so familiar with.

Scunthorpe United 1, Newcastle United 2 (aet)

Newcastle advanced to the third round of the Carling Cup on a late goal by Sammy Ameobi to avoid going to penalties. That they made it to extra time at all was a minor miracle, as the Irons had the run of play for the majority of the game. Tim Krul kept them in it with some amazing keeping, and when the younger Ameobi and Haris Vuckic were subbed in, the tide turned.

Once again a fantastic performance by Krul was almost overshadowed as he shared the honors with the man who scored the late winner for the second game in a row. Also enjoying a repeat performance was Ryan Taylor, whose free kick over the wall was almost enough to force a three-way tie.

Newcastle United 2, Fulham 1

Newcastle ended their amazing opening month by defeating Fulham 2-1 in a game that was not nearly as close as the scoreline. This may end up being the most forgotten match of the season, as the transfer deadline was just three days later, bringing with it broken promises and spitting mad Geordies.

We didn't vote on a Man of the Match for some reason, but what stands out as I look back are a couple of wonder stops from Krul (who lost the clean sheet on a Clint Dempsey header with just minutes to go) and a brace from Leon Best (sorry again, Tim). Gabriel Obertan and Yohan Cabaye were mentioned as standouts as well.

So who will it be for you? Tim Krul, whose tight keeping in three consecutive one goal games had everybody saying, "Steve who?" Ryan Taylor, with his two free kick goals? Or perhaps one of the others mentioned here?