TIME TO STOP PADDLING THE NILE

It took about 30 seconds into Nile Ranger's late appearance against Blackburn for him to make an "oh my" run past everyone.

That's when I snapped.

Earth to Newcastle: You need a talented striker. You have one. Maybe it's time to play him.

Look, everyone knows about youth and character and fitness and readiness. But that's in the normal world. This is the holy-shit-we-just-lost-Andy-Carroll world. And Saturday looked too much like that world for Newcastle United. Served to a striker a quarter-step faster than Leon Best or a decade younger than Peter Lovenkrands, at least two beautifully played balls would've been in the net. Instead the waters of relegation rose another point. Flood horns sounding. Aaa-OOO-ga! Aaa-OOO-ga!

Whatever the reason for not starting Ranger, I hope it's about football and not about punishing him for his well chronicled immaturity off the field. It's no use sending a message to one player if the whole team ends up with a one-year minimum sentence in the Championship. Not that I don't respect Newcastle United's long tradition of impeccable behavior from strikers. But now is not the time for a character lesson. And what message is the team sending Ranger as it is? That his character suddenly improves at the 77th minute?

It's not certain Ranger is the answer. But he's got to be closer to the answer than a 34-year-old from the Arctic whose U comes before his Q. After Shola Ameobi went off with his shattered cheekbone, Ranger had 30-plus mostly quiet minutes in Newcastle's dreadful showing against Fulham two weeks ago. But the midfield was a no-show that day, and it still took a breathtaking save to keep Ranger off the sheet. He's a striker, OK? The worst that can happen is he doesn't score the goals his team already isn't scoring. Playing him now will help him develop that much faster into the player he's destined to become. Whatever that is, it's time to find out.