themanupstairs

Sorry like, but Carroll has been woeful at doing the simple stuff. Lost the ball/crossed to no one several times. Clearly unfit.

What was Ferguson like defensively?

 

Looks more like a winger to me. His positioning and physique don't really resemble a full-back.

 

Think we've grown accustomed to having Jose "the bull" Enrique at LB for the past 3-4 seasons, he's won't have finished developing yet so if he's been playing on the wing as a youngster, he'll have not been encouraged to bulk up as they will have wanted him to stay whippet-like.

 

Wasn't too put out by his positioning, bear in mind that we'd almost gone to RWB - CB - CB - LWB by this point as Stoke sat back.

Very important now not to dick with Ferguson and play him all over the shop as we had done previously with Aaron Hughes, Peter Ramage, Dyer, Steven Taylor and Nile Ranger to an extent. If you play them out of position too often, it hinders their development imo. I feel there is more than just a decent player in Shane Ferguson, and we should be looking to bring it out rather than use him as a decent if unspectacular utility man.

Slow from Campbell, but that's a good goal IMO.

 

I'm not watching it but if you're talking about the first goal then that was a good goal and I said so at the time.

 

From their point of view anyway.  It comes to something when Stoke are playing perfect football around you.

It was all to do with the acres of space that Stoke were allowed on our left hand side just before Pennant got the ball and crossed it for the goal. I remember Ferguson finding himself marking 2 players, with the CB's (Coloccini in this case) nowhere to be seen covering that free space that Pennant ran into. IIRC.

Our goal difference will save us imo.

completely unacceptable performance, but predictable reaction from players since the club has seen fit to cancel all contract negotiations.  Despite what the club say its obvious a buyer has made intentions known and contracts halted until new buyer takes over/ completes due diligence!

 

That's currently the only light at the end of this tunnel...

I'd say it's more of a scent at the end of the tunnel. Scent is weaker than light. Not holding my breath on this kind of hope.

completely unacceptable performance, but predictable reaction from players since the club has seen fit to cancel all contract negotiations.  Despite what the club say its obvious a buyer has made intentions known and contracts halted until new buyer takes over/ completes due diligence!

and you know this because?

We went down with him in goal, so it must be playing on his mind. If the likes of him can't show all their experience at this time, then who the fuck will?

STOP f***ing ABOUT WITH THE BACK 4 MAN. Twice now.

 

Agreed. IMO that's where we have been going wrong. After a good solid start to the season defensively, you can't come in and shake that balance. When all 4 are fit, all 4 should play. That's the Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique lineup.

 

For me, the problem is the fear we seem to have when Enrique isn't fit. Just play f***ing Ferguson there. Its his position after all, and he's our only other left footer. Its obvious surely? Regardless of his inexperience, it has to be better than crowbaring Taylor in there, or moving Simpson left and putting Taylor in at right back, or moving Simpson there, Raylor RB and Saylor RM, or even playing 3CB ands 2 wing backs?

Mind boggling. I haven't spoken about this subject at all since he left, but I have a totally baseless feeling that we would have been alright by now (at least confidence and outlook wise) under CH.

Cacking it for this tbh 

STOP f***ing ABOUT WITH THE BACK 4 MAN. Twice now.

Agreed. IMO that's where we have been going wrong. After a good solid start to the season defensively, you can't come in and shake that balance. When all 4 are fit, all 4 should play. That's the Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Enrique lineup.

This being Newcastle we cant just go and lose a game.

 

Oh no, we have to lose our striker pre match to injury, lose our left back before half time to injury, lose our midfielder to yet another suspension and oh, get whipped 4-0 for good measure.

 

s****.

Spot on. I suppose this is the bed we made and are laying in for choosing to support this club 

Also, what a shame that on a Famous European Night, the Kop couldn't suck the ball into the net.

Such cringeworthy tripe. Makes me almost physically ill every time I hear that sickening shit. It was the round of 16, against unglamorous opposition. Anything BUT a famous european night.

Balotelli is ridiculously talented. He has everything in his locker...apart from a a brain.

 

You might be right, I just haven't got that from what I've seen of him in England so far.

 

He's ex-Inter. Sewelly is incapable of giving a balanced opinion.

 

FFS.

 

He's got the physique and the technique to be world class. There are very few players with his natural ability level at 20.

 

He's finding scoring in the Premier League pretty easy so far, and this is with his dogshit attitude. He'd be taking the p*ss if he actually tried and applied himself to a team.

 

There lies the problem, for me he will always be a talented but underachieving enigma because I just don't see him sorting his attitude out.

Possibly in the same way Adriano was heralded and flattered to deceive?

http://www.safc.com/ptvFlash/sunderland/safc_com_fabric/index.html

 

 

Not great.

 

The back looks like s****.

Does anyone think the most revolutionary football outfit in world football deserves its own thread round these parts?

Complete 100% dominance over a more than half decent side. Didn't even get out of third gear tonight.

Szczesny

 

Sagna - Djourou - Kos - Clichy

 

Wilshere-Nasri

 

Bendtner- Cesc- Arshavin

 

Chamakh

 

For me, I expect as above but Denilson for Chamakh though...

Would you say tomorrow's match is the biggest for Arsenal since the last trophy win? Do you think if you progress it will add more pressure on Arsenal (having knocked out the favorites), or will it be an advantage for you?

20 minutes is not enough to judge any player but based on that 20 minutes, he was distinctly average. Carroll is a good target man with a superb header, nothing more

Bollocks. He will be a big success for the scouse cunts. Unfuckingfortunately.

I fail to understand how 1 win in 9 is an improvement in form without Carroll, that is absolutely bizarre logic.

 

It's also 2 defeats in 10 in the league. Stats mean nowt man, they can be shaped in whatever way anyone wants.

 

Yes but he's a centre forward, he's there to win us games. Could understand using that side of the statistic if he was a centre half. Drawing every game over the course of a season will take you down, we need to win games man and we totally unable to do it at the moment.

 

We've also scored 15 goals in those 10 games, 10 games that Carroll wouldn't even have played in if he's only just making the bench for Liverpool today.

 

We didn't fail to win most of those games because of failure to score. We didn't win because of poor defensive mistakes (Sunderland, Spurs, Everton, Fulham at least).

 

Are you only allowed to score one goal a game?

 

No, but we threw away leads in three of those games.

 

Er... yeah, we also missed a load of chances to kill the game off.

 

Who else was going to put them away like? A one legged Andy Carroll?

 

Eh?

 

Forget it, we're not going to agree. You think we're as good without Carroll, I don't. Fair enough.

 

Where did I say that?

 

What point are you making then?

 

I'm saying we're not as good without him and you're arguing with me!

 

The point I'm making is that having him at the club would have made no difference as we're now into the second week in March and he's still not fit to start

 

I know that. Other people are interpreting this as "we're alright without him after all!"

 

We're not.

 

The fact that we're not doing as well as we could (not too bad though) has nothing to do with selling Carroll. Sure we would be stronger with him than without but even but we would be without him even if we didnt sell him, so no difference really.

I reckon selling him sent out the wrong signal to the players, and they've become deflated. I strongly believe the Enrique spiel is directly related to the sale of our biggest hope for the next decade.

The rolling around looks absolutely ridiculous in slow motion.

 

LOVE that avatar lil mikey 

 

Still despise yours, but thanks.

I'm NYK man. Just loved The Worm, and love the photo, so fuck off 

The rolling around looks absolutely ridiculous in slow motion.

LOVE that avatar lil mikey 

How close was that from Gerrard?

not close enough 

Looks like we'll have to get used to the media  fest over Carroll. Still pretty sickening to see him in that horrible jersey of theirs. I hate him and that club.

Agreed word for word. Hate to see him enjoying himself.

 

Sorry haven't read the other threads.....where's Ranger?

 

Injured.

How bad is it?