Could Newcastle End 36 Long Year's Pain?

Darren Ambrose is an English professional footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Charlton Athletic. He is 24 and was born on February 29th other wise known as the leap year. But to Newcastle fan's he was the last Toon player to score against Manchester United in Old Trafford.

That was in 2005, the same year England won the Ashes and the Lions lost the tour to New Zealand 3-0. That was a long time ago, I actually don't recall much from that year apart from the Tonn self destructing against Lisbon...

1972...The entire current Newcastle team wasn't even born when Tudor and Barrowclough scored in a 2-1 victory in front of 44,000. Other notable events in that year included Bloody Sunday, the Godfather was released in cinema's, the first women FBI agents were hired and Appolo 17 landed on the moon.

2008...It has been 36 years and Newcastle haven't won at Old Trafford again. Fidel Castro has resigned as leader of Cuba, Ireland rejects the Lisbon Treaty, Bill Gates steps down from chairman of Microsoft and Beijing hosts the Olympics.

Enough of the history lesson, you get the picture. It's been 36 long years, I hope you have gotten the idea of how long that is. But can Newcastle end the pain today and stun Manchester United. Probably not.

Paddy Power are offering odds of 9/1 to claim victory and those odds reflect the magnitude of beating the domestic and European champions in their own back yard. Yet there is no better time then the present!

No Ronaldo, Anderson, Hargreaves, Nani and possibly Rooney. That's a major part of Man Utd's artilary but they have plenty others, in particular Tevez. The man in my opinion is Utd's best player and was key in their dominance last year. Yet Newcastle have a starting XI that should be able to compete.

Given, Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, Enrique, Milner, Butt, Guthrie, Gutuirez, Duff and Martins. Not a bad team at all and surely capable of competing unlike last year's debacle.

Given could have a busy day, as could Coloccini who must have an awesome debut if we're to get something. Gutuirez looks promising and could provide decent ammunition. Martins and Duff will look to use their pace to beat Ferdinand and Vidic

Maybe it's my deluded Geordie biased opinion but Newcastle are in with a shout today, we are a good team who deserve some credit, forget who we're supposed to sign. Look at those players and there's proven quality there, it's possible but highly improbable.

Well it could be worse...Ronaldo could be playing and the fact he's not gives me even more hope, mixed into my faith and dreams.