Newcastle: Speed.Man of the match: Sherwood.Attendance: 27,569.. THESE ARE not exactly exciting times at Everton, but just possibly they are times for a certain grim satisfaction. Further forward Duncan Ferguson was unconvincing but it would be hard for anyone to impress with Andreas Andersson as a partner. Whether the combination of Ferguson and Shearer will work remains to be seen but it will at least give defences two players to worry about.When Shearer will return is anybody’s guess, his hamstring injury is taking longer to heal than expected and Gullit was predictably evasive How long he will then stay is another unanswered question.

The Newcastle manager was overseeing his 18th match and, while constrained in the transfer market, it is long enough to have imposed his philosophy on the team and he was unhappy that it had not been followed. “Certain players disappeared from the game and that cannot happen at this level,” he said, ominously.In a midfield lacking Rob Lee’s drive Dieter Hamann did enough to confirm the early-season impression that he would be a useful player when fully fit but Gary Speed, as ever, flattered to deceive while Norbert Solano and Stephen Glass were largely anonymous. The clean sheet meant Kidd was satisfied with a point when he should have had three while Ruud Gullit, though fortunate to even get one, and away from home, was angry. A minute earlier the improving Kevin Davies had hit the bar but it was clear that, until Sutton, Gallacher, or both, were fit the attack would continue to be weak.Newcastle were even less potent and the post-match reaction reflected aspirations rather than performance. Kenna, who missed from the spot against Newcastle in the Worthington Cup last month, hit a post “I won’t be taking any more against them,” he said. This is partly due to poor decision-making but also down to Blackburn’s geographical isolation, and, in the modern megabucks Premiership, the diminishing clout of Jack Walker’s wallet.There is still the nucleus of a decent side and some good youngsters but it was no surprise to hear that Kidd had spent most of the week on defending – though a neat free-kick, which nearly brought a goal for Sherwood, showed his imagination.Sherwood later “scored” after 72 minutes but the referee had already given a penalty for a perceived foul on Nathan Blake.

Jack Walker, the club’s benefactor, said he expects Kidd to make the club “better than top six” material and the supporters showed similar belief with 5,000 more rolling up than last week to produce the biggest gate of the season.This was still only half the average gate at Old Trafford but the job, in its own way, is as big. That Tim Sherwood, one of the most disaffected players under Hodgson, was their best performer, was particularly promising. “Tim is a lot happier and there’s more camaraderie in the squad,” said Rovers’ full-back Jeff Kenna. “The new manager really knows his stuff and everyone is keen to impress.”There is certainly no shortage of expectation. Which is why he is in no rush to replace Derek Fazackerly, sacked as coach last week, with Brian McClair or anyone else. At times he was almost on the pitch and had Rovers managed a goal we may even have seen a Fry-style jig of delight. For a man previously thought to be happy in Ferguson’s shadow he gave every impression of relishing centre stage.
He appeared equally at home in the press conference afterwards as he joked, of his still-youthful looks, “as soon as the hair goes I’ll chuck it in”.

But it did not take long before he confessed “the one place I enjoy is on the training pitch, the rest, talking to you lot and everything else, is an occupational hazard”. Far below us a man with more reason to be in the capital with Manchester United than any had no doubts. Substitutes not used: Brown, Royce.Referee: D Gallagher (Banbury).Bookings: Carbone, Sonner, Stefanovic.Man of the match: Carbone.Attendance: 26,010.. “His class was the difference,” the manager, Danny Wilson, said.Cynics may note that Wednesday’s improvement has coincided with the absence of Paolo Di Canio, still serving his punishment for causing Paul Alcock to feel the Hillsborough turf on his backside, allowing Wilson to avoid the thorny question of whether his team is big enough for two Italian tricksters.For all their individual brilliance, Carbone and Di Canio together often appear to be conducting their own private contest, to see who can pull off the cleverer stunt, while the rest of the team can go whistle.Wilson does not need to address that yet: when Di Canio is free to return, against Leicester City on Boxing Day, Carbone will be suspended, having picked up his fifth yellow card.Goals: Booth (13) 1-0; Carbone (64) 2-0; Rudi (77) 3-0Sheffield Wednesday (4-4-2): Srnicek; Atherton, Thome, Walker, Hinchcliffe; Alexandersson (Briscoe, 59), Jonk, Sonner, Rudi (Stefanovic, 79); Carbone, Booth. For the second time in a week, following Monday’s defeat of Nottingham Forest, the former Internazionale man had given a virtuoso performance. Andy Booth’s first-half goal, which Charlton’s failure to prevent upset Curbishley most, was his first at Hillsborough for 13 months.Thereafter, some brilliant play by Benito Carbone ultimately secured Wednesday the points after a run which has seen them lose only once in eight Premiership matches, lifting them clear of danger for the moment.Carbone scored a sublime goal from 25 yards to create the cushion of a two-goal lead, then supplied the cross from which Petter Rudi volleyed Wednesday’s third. We are giving away very poor goals and are finding it hard to score ourselves.”The second problem is easily explained by the lack of a genuine Premiership striker, a description which fits neither Clive Mendonca, relegated to the bench on this occasion, nor Andy Hunt.