I think it might be too soon for this next match, but I’m concentrating on being fit and I’m nearly 100 per cent now. At the moment, England would just be a bonus really.”In Hoddle, you sense he has something of a soulmate, with a mutual admiration increased by the injury problems both have suffered and Anderton’s open-mindedness in agreeing to see the faith-healer Eileen Drewery when a troublesome hamstring strain was at its worst. “I would still go if I felt the need to, but I haven’t for a while,” he said.He is certainly playing with a confidence which is currently reflected by the whole team, benefiting as much as anyone from the introduction of Teddy Sheringham, Gus Poyet and Christian Ziege to his area of the field.”They’re all good footballers, that’s what I like. First and foremost they can pass the ball well and they play the game like I like to. I’ve always set targets but, with all that’s happened, I don’t take anything for granted now I’m happy playing and I’m at a great club I feel things are going to improve.”. Come the New Year we could well be asking whatever happened to the unlikely lads.

For the time being John Gregory’s boys continue to lead the Premiership pack, though probably not for very much longer following their second defeat of the season on Tyneside yesterday. The last time Aston Villa led the Premiership, three seasons ago, they held on to pole position until Christmas. This time round, the fall is likely to come sooner, with Leeds, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United all within range and all in action today. Come the New Year we could well be asking whatever happened to the unlikely lads. For the time being John Gregory’s boys continue to lead the Premiership pack, though probably not for very much longer following their second defeat of the season on Tyneside yesterday. The last time Aston Villa led the Premiership, three seasons ago, they held on to pole position until Christmas. This time round, the fall is likely to come sooner, with Leeds, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United all within range and all in action today.
Newcastle are up into third place now, just a point behind Villa, after a thoroughly impressive demolition job on the table-toppers.

They scored three cracking goals, one by Alan Shearer and two by Craig Bellamy, who was as sparkling as his silver boots. They would have won by more had Peter Schmeichel not been at the top of his goalkeeping game. Bobby Robson’s team were truly Bobby dazzlers at times, as their manager was not slow to acknowledge.”That ranks as just about the best performance since I came here,” Robson enthused. “It was better than the 8-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday in my first game here, the 6-1 win against Tottenham in the FA Cup and the 4-3 win against Manchester United here in September.”Gregory was equally impressed “Newcastle were very good today,” he said “Bellamy and Shearer were outstanding. I don’t want to take anything away from Newcastle’s victory, but we’ve got to come to places like this with something to show for our efforts.”Villa have now lost twice in succession on their travels Their next trip is to Leeds in a fortnight.

They were struggling from the start yesterday and might have been behind in the second minute, when Shearer and Bellamy worked the ball to the unmarked Laurent Robert on the left edge of the penalty area. It was a golden chance for the Frenchman with the gold boots, but Robert steered his left-foot shot directly at the grateful Schmeichel.It was not the only early scare for Villa. Shearer planted a header narrowly off target, and Alan Wright executed a superb covering tackle when a Nikos Dabizas lob put Nolberto Solano clear through the middle.Villa, by contrast, were unable to make an impression at the other end, until Shay Given scuffed an attempted clearance out to Juan Pablo Angel on the left in the 14th minute. The Colombian teed the ball up for Hassan Kachloul, whose rasping drive drew a fine redeeming one-handed save from Given.Not that it was the best stop of the game. That came in the 18th minute when Shearer cleverly released Bellamy from the halfway line. The Welsh striker tore into the right side of the Villa box completely unopposed but his rising right-foot drive was deflected wide by Schmeichel, who timed his blocking save to perfection.The Villa captain may be 38 in a fortnight but he remains the goalkeeping giant he was the night he turned the 1995-96 title race away from Newcastle with a masterclass performance here.