Southampton 0 Newcastle United 3There are two ways of looking at Bobby Robson's successful decision to use Kieron Dyer in attack. One is the Newcastle manager pulled off a masterstroke after seeing his work publicly questioned by his chairman, Freddy Shepherd.
The less charitable version is it showed he ought to have been playing the 25-year-old there for months.
In the absence of Craig Bellamy, Newcastle have lacked a forward to replicate the Welshman's trickery or remove the scoring burden from Alan Shearer. On Saturday, Dyer did all that after getting his first chance of the season in what he and England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson regard as his best position.
His opener was taken unerringly and his second brilliantly after accelerating on to Shearer's pass from just inside Southampton's half. In the first half Dyer linked play excellently, dropping deep for possession, scuttling into areas where Southampton did not pick him up. He set up a chance for Laurent Robert and showed remarkable energy in his harrying, bearing in mind he had a minor operation on Monday to cure severe constipation, and had barely trained for about a fortnight. But then he was not going to take it easy, having nagged Robson for a couple of months to use him up front.
"I love playing there," he said, and he must hope this proved a point. Robson said Dyer will remain in attack against Leeds on Wednesday. There must, though, be a strong case for him staying there even when Shola Ameobi returns from injury and while Bellamy feels his way back after an extended absence. Robson reckons Bellamy is "five weeks away".
Dyer would be delighted by an extended run as a striker with Euro 2004 on the horizon, having spent much of the season at wide right. "My last three appearances for England have all been up front," he said.
His 10-month goal drought over, he knows Robson is expecting more. "It's been an irritant to him and me and everybody because he gets into those positions," Robson said. "I never leave him alone: 'When are you going to score?', and, 'You can't finish'."
Aware of the need to bring in a top-class goalscorer, Robson is interested in Henrik Larsson, whom Celtic have accepted will move at the end of the season. "We can forget Larsson until the summer but he is a player we will consider setting our sights on," Robson said.
Newcastle were sharper and more creative. They restricted Southampton to two chances, with Aaron Hughes solid and Jonathan Woodgate outstanding alongside the more vulnerable Titus Bramble.
Dyer got his first after Nol Solano flicked on Hughes's cross and sealed the match with a fine finish after surging past a back-pedalling Michael Svensson. Between times Robert scored with a low shot from a badly cleared corner.
Dyer said Shepherd's recent criticisms had "hurt" and been a "surprise", but maybe "gave us extra life and extra edge".
SOUTHAMPTON: Niemi; Dodd, Lundekvam, Michael Svensson, Higginbotham, Telfer, Anders Svensson, Prutton, Pahars (Ormerod 66), Beattie, Phillips. Subs Not Used: Jones, Kenton, Marsden, Fernandes. Booked: Prutton.
NEWCASTLE UTD: Given; Hughes, Woodgate, Bramble, Bernard, Solano (Ambrose 82), Jenas, Speed, Robert (Viana 87), Shearer, Dyer (LuaLua 82). Subs Not Used: Harper, O'Brien. Goals: Dyer 24, Robert 39, Dyer 67.
Referee: M Dean (Wirral).
