The College Dropout

Tiote-Perch-Anita-Jonas. 4 players who are known for defensive strengths.

I was quoting someone else.

Why? When the initial ball played through to Nasri (of which he played Nasri onside for) went, he should've made a dart towards goal to prevent the cutback or get a block on the line.

Colo should've been hurtling towards the line man ffs.

Offside. Sigh.

Good shot there.

3 DM's. A defensive wideman. 2 strikers. We are BANKING on a clean-sheet here.

In the midfield we have today, he's most likely going to have to try and create stuff. He'll fail at that side.

Took Ba out, didn't know Kompany wasn't playing. Vurnon-Tiote-Perch in midfield with Guti wide. THAT CREATIVITY.

Last chance saloon? No he's key. But he needs to play well if we are to do well. If he plays like he did against Fulham/Stoke in those crucial moments, we'll struggle.

being offside 90% is the attackers fault. A fair few times all he had to do was stay in-line and look. Like someone else said, it's to the point other players know he's offside and have to pass elsewhere.

Age? Fatigue? Looks to have put on some muscle? Guess is as good as mine. Just clearly looks like every single year we've had him, he's looked less and less the player we signed. And seriously, just re-watch his Man Utd match the season we signed him. His pace and dribbling looks a shadow of what it used to be. Agree completely and it's very annoying. Even in the pre-season games that year, especially against Valencia, his level of performance was very high - he actually looked like a winger with a bit of flair about him. Nowadays you would think he had been converted from a full-back position. He plays like a DM now. Passes the buck on the ball. When your RB or RB is delivering a ball you want your LM in the box. Instead he's behind where the ball was originally played.

No creativity from wide is a problem. Santon, Simpson & Jonas don't create opportunities out wide and neither striker looks to do it either. Yesterday, our general approach play was decent and it wasn't hoofball by any means. At this level you need atleast 1 marauding fullback with good delivery and a dangerous wideman.

I've said this before but Stoke make you change your game plan. Their style is imposed and you will have to deal with it. For us. If Ba has a bad day & HBA is quiet. That's it.

He's also managed to be offside far more aswell IIRC

this si what i'm talking about. The Fulham winner was largely his fault. His man looked unmarked and he didn't even move! He was nowhere near the second ball for Stoke's winner. Nobody elses fault but his own. Against Kenwyne Jones most defenders will be in for a tough time in the air, the key is the second ball.

I made this point in another thread. people make excuses for some players. Colo has made 3 mistakes that have led to goals in the last 3 games that have been all his own fault and people are blaming Williamson. Colo let the team down dramatically for the Stoke & Fulham winners. Both primarily his fault through some of the worst marking/tracking i've seen. If Colo plays to his abilities, we win/draw matches. It's that simple. He's not doing that and we're losing.

Yes he has, as part of a 4-4-2, with a right footer on the left wing and a left footer on the right wing so they can't cross properly to him and the rest of the team just hoofing the ball up front. Baffled as to what you think that proves. He needs to play in the middle of a 4-3-3, or in a 4-4-2 with the wingers on the correct wings. Sadly we lack the personnel to do the latter, and the manager lacks the balls to do the former. Honestly, have you ever heard of a striker that can't play in a 4-4-2? Seriously? It's the same formation Ba has scored 10 goals in. Ba could do with some crosses too. Yes the service has been poor for Cisse (and Ba) but he HAS had chances. I just want people to admit Cisse has legitimately been poor and some of the blame lays with the player himself. He has the same amount of goals as Hatem & Cabaye. It's not good enough. Being offside all the time is nobody's fault but his own. The fact he's probably been offside more than any other player shows he's been in goal scoring positions and messed it up. Not always his fault for being off side. It can also be caused by not anticipating the striker's run quickly and releasing the ball too late where the strike is now in an offside position. This is exactly what happened to Cisse at Stoke when he made a great run but Tiote or whoever he was took seconds longer than they should have before they released the ball which was too late and obviously very frustrating for Cisse. being offside is largely the strikers fault. He has a history of consistently being offside as have the likes of Pippo Inzaghi, it's not the other players fault. As a striker you are taught to keep yourself onside and wait for the pass. You can't control when the other player releases the ball but you can control your position. This is football fundamentals. Yes, sometimes the players should look for him earlier I agree but moreso he often kills the momentum of moves by clearly being a yard or This is my problem with this board. Some players constantly have excuses made for them. Especially Colo & Cisse who, had they done their jobs properly would've got us some points yesterday.

I agree it looks like Fulham ignored him and had a very narrow midfield. Highlighting our relative strength in the middle and our weaknesses out wide. None of our attackers naturally go wide except for Simmo, who can't cross anyway. Still that's not Simmo's fault and he played to the best of his ability.

Yes he has, as part of a 4-4-2, with a right footer on the left wing and a left footer on the right wing so they can't cross properly to him and the rest of the team just hoofing the ball up front. Baffled as to what you think that proves. He needs to play in the middle of a 4-3-3, or in a 4-4-2 with the wingers on the correct wings. Sadly we lack the personnel to do the latter, and the manager lacks the balls to do the former. Honestly, have you ever heard of a striker that can't play in a 4-4-2? Seriously? It's the same formation Ba has scored 10 goals in. Ba could do with some crosses too. Yes the service has been poor for Cisse (and Ba) but he HAS had chances. I just want people to admit Cisse has legitimately been poor and some of the blame lays with the player himself. He has the same amount of goals as Hatem & Cabaye. It's not good enough. Being offside all the time is nobody's fault but his own. The fact he's probably been offside more than any other player shows he's been in goal scoring positions and messed it up.

Under the circumstances I thought he was alright for us personally. Probably more of a #10 but played the majority of his career as a creative #9. Not amongst the very best of his generation but a fine player nonetheless.

Cisse's also had plenty of chances this season. He's missed them or been offside.

Cisse has played a fair bit in the middle this year. Shit.

Key for me is form and form suggests Cisse should be dropped.

Why is the onus on Ba to play in Cisse? Why doesn't Cisse play in Ba? They're both #9's. Ba's not a link up striker. Ba played Cisse in twice against Wigan, again Cisse was offside and the other led to a penalty. This was when Ba largely played up top and Cisse wide. There's nothing to suggest Cisse is a far better striker than Ba. They're both goalscorers and only one is scoring. Cisses' had chances this season, he's missed them and been offside. That's nobody's fault but his own. They're both 1 in 2 for Newcastle. Drop Cisse and bring him on when Ba's legs go. When Ba's had his chances up top this season he's scored.