Shays Given Tim Flowers

Shola Ameobi - All 72 goals for newcastle on a popular video hosting website. Such a wonderful way to spend 11 minutes.

 

You're welcome.

top work 

Shola Ameobi - All 72 goals for newcastle on a popular video hosting website. Such a wonderful way to spend 11 minutes.

One of the funniest performances I have ever seen. You have to wonder what he's like a person. Still chuckling away about it now.

He was actually like the Hulk today with Rick James' penchant for flamboyance.

I don't think he is ever going to sort himself out enough to the point where he can take the team that finished 5th last season forward. On that basis he isn't really good enough IMO. I will stick with him whilst he is here and hope he can a) prove me wrong or b) become a more effective player for us. I think his best effect for the team lies in coming on from the bench around 70-80 minutes. Possibly better to bring him on in games we are chasing as I think Shola is a better out ball if we are winning.

I would say however that he has started to use his raw pace more recently. If he can keep that part of his game simple he will get around 5 chances per match to put a ball in to a decent area. Only need one to come off and that's a good contribution. 

Thought he didn't look particularly up for it today either not so much in his offensive play just a couple of times when he wasn't pressing anywhere near enough.

Simpson is better though.

It was like watching Taken.

Where was his head at today, mental.

When you actually get to see him play i.e. live at the ground close enough to see what he does up close, he is phenomenally talented. Has such good touch with both feet.  A seriously gifted footballer who does a lot of the simple things very well.

Tiote on PCP

Santon is so good at headers.

Birtles needs professional psychological help

Solid point away from home (could have won), with the stiffs playing. Good result. Extra-days rest for the first XI (except Santon and Saylor). Added bonus of not having any first team players injured. Far and away the most sensible approach Pards could have taken IMO. Imagine the misery on here if we'd have gone with a couple of first team player's and someone like Cabaye or Cisse got injured. If its a case of 1 point at Maritimo and 3 at home against Norwich then its a good job all round (something of a false dichotomy I know).

As fans its always frustrating to watch 0-0 draws, but at this stage of the competition its really not the end of the world. Also some young talented players got some match experience.

As an aside I would really like to see us target the domestic cups this year. We are good enough to beat any team out there. If we can put in good performances I think we have a decent chance. Certainly should be aiming for last 4-8 in both (I accept its draw dependant to a certain degree).

Are we doing binary perfect or poor ratings? Sammy has been fine. Bright in places, even.

Maybe Im just a bit tired. Also I have been cooking a cheese omlette so I might have missed the moments of brightness.

Sammy has been poor.

Shola and Campbell up top  :cheesy:

Sometimes its actually ok not to be cynical.

If ever there is a time to give someone the benefit of the doubt it's when they are talking about the suicide of a dear friend.

http://i3.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article1313746.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Craig+Bellamy+and+Gary+Speed

He can f*** off, then. Doesnt he know of the Amsterdam-Newcastle ferries?

Only as the mysterious 'boot naar nergens'.

His involvement on match days ought to do us a big favour should we decide to recruit younger players from lower domestic leagues too.

Stuart Pearce, that is all.

Completely. So glad he seems to have slipped out of the England Set-up.

Also on a slight Stuart Pearce Tangent (not football related) those fucking go compare adverts where they are now showing them as being the one's to stop the annoying go compare cunt. A) It's all your fault in the first place. B) You're still featuring him on your adverts. C) Stop showing any fucking adverts.

These highlights do show that villa had the majority of the better chances.

 

Absolutely, Pards summed it up very well in his post match on Sky. Said we had most of the play but probably Villa were the team most likely to feel they could've got all 3 points.

 

Cisse and Ba really need some coaching about how to play together. They both just mince around in front of the back four. Ba ought to drop deeper and cisse needs to run the channels more. I thought Ba was the better of the two today (not a compliment).

 

I really think its only the inability of the CF's to work together is the biggest hindrance of the 4-4-2. We are left with no purpose to our attacks.

 

Also the whole 4-4-2 4-3-3 debate thing is becoming a bit of a joke. Today it was the players who let us down they need to take some responsibility. Its interesting how critical a lot of posters are in the Player threads yet don't criticise them anywhere near as much as the system they are playing in.

 

1 or 2 poor performances you can often attribute to a specific system. 5 or 6 is inexcusable.

 

Feel Anita, Santon, Bigi, HBA (though often lacking purpose IMO) and Colo were the best of our lot today.

 

Ba and Cisse's inability to play together up front probably is the biggest problem with a 4-4-2, but it is by no means the only problem. Yorkie's summed up most of them in the relevant thread so no point relisting them.

 

Also, coaching can only go so far - you can't turn them into different players when they both line up through the middle. years of previous coaching, instinct, and to be frank - goal scoring greed - will usually trump that. If you force them to take up a different position, of course, they kind of have to live with it.

 

As for the bolded part - i'd say the opposite is true. the longer it goes on the clearer a sign that it is the system that is culpable. not saying it's the only issue at present - i also think fitness, the extra demands and decreased preparation time that comes with European qualification, and questionable attitude from one of two like Cabaye play a role, but the formation is compounding and amplifying these issues.

 

Case in point - is Cabaye isn't moving around the pitch freely than you should seek to remedy that by surrounding him with more mobile players. this happened to a degree 2nd half and we and him improved a tad. same rationale should be applied to other issues we have = ie Ba and Cisse not gelling, Ben Arfa stranded too deep etc.

If the biggest problem with the system can be rectified then I think that 1 point today becomes 3. Then the size of other perceived inefficiencies diminishes.

Sorry to pick on that point in your second paragraph but to attribute a degree of fault to their previous coaching (I know other factors are listed) whilst saying coaching can only go so far seems a little backward. Also its not rocket science. Ba was dropping deep when lining up with ameobi and best last season. Asking Cisse to run channels occasionally will also stretch defences and allow ben arfa some support in advanced wide areas whilst giving him space to run into. I would say the situation is not too dissimilar to when SBR came in and told Shearer that he had his back to goal too much ('im not seeing your number 9').  Im not trying to revolutionise either of their play but it would enable us to stretch teams more and arguably therefore create more chances for the two of them.

Agree with you on the movement off the ball though. Its worrying just how static we are.

Good post  always interesting to hear how other people see our problems, though its making me think way too much for this late on a sunday.

These highlights do show that villa had the majority of the better chances.

Absolutely, Pards summed it up very well in his post match on Sky. Said we had most of the play but probably Villa were the team most likely to feel they could've got all 3 points.

Cisse and Ba really need some coaching about how to play together. They both just mince around in front of the back four. Ba ought to drop deeper and cisse needs to run the channels more. I thought Ba was the better of the two today (not a compliment).

I really think its only the inability of the CF's to work together is the biggest hindrance of the 4-4-2. We are left with no purpose to our attacks.

Also the whole 4-4-2 4-3-3 debate thing is becoming a bit of a joke. Today it was the players who let us down they need to take some responsibility. Its interesting how critical a lot of posters are in the Player threads yet don't criticise them anywhere near as much as the system they are playing in.

1 or 2 poor performances you can often attribute to a specific system. 5 or 6 is inexcusable.

Feel Anita, Santon, Bigi, HBA (though often lacking purpose IMO) and Colo were the best of our lot today.

Lovely professional foul.

great block by bagheera.

Geremi back on corners?

Hatem is making me laugh so much today.