Toon chief worries about a lack of clean sheets

[The Bonk]

Big Sam admits concern

Toon chief worries about a lack of clean sheets

 

 

Allardyce: Defensive concern

 

Sam Allardyce fears his first campaign at Newcastle could be deemed a failure unless he shores up his side's defence.

 

Newcastle have enjoyed a solid enough start to Allardyce's tenure at St James' Park but their away form, defensively, is a cause for concern.

 

Five away games have yielded just one win, and three defeats, with Newcastle's backline failing to keep a clean sheet in the process.

 

Allardyce has tinkered with his defensive line-up as he looks to find a winning formula, but as yet he has struggled to build a cohesive and misery unit.

 

And it is a situation that is clearly worrying the former Bolton chief.

 

 

"We are still conceding too many goals, especially away from home," he lamented in the Northern Echo.

 

"That's my main area of concern. We have not kept a single clean sheet away from home.

 

"It did not matter at Bolton on the opening day because we scored three goals and won the game but we can't afford to keep doing that.

 

"The Man City game was the perfect example. We could not hold on to draw, even though we went a goal up. We have to play a bit tighter when we are a goal up.

 

"It's been a problem for Newcastle teams in the past. It's something we have to get right if we are going to be successful."

 

 

Is Sam over-reacting, most on here think we've done well to shore up the back line.  At least he's not become complacent in thinking our

back line is fine and dandy.  Some more cover in January and we should get through to May quite fine. 

 

 

 

 

[Newcastle Fan]

We might get a clean sheet if he stops changing the defence every fucking game.

[Guest SmileyCulture]

room for improvement but hes heading in the right direction, we can't expect perfection first season hes here. We've been a mess far too long for that.

[jack j]

'''We could not hold on to draw,''

 

so we were playing for a draw  

[wor jackie]

'''We could not hold on to draw,''

 

so we were playing for a draw  

 

no. he's emphasisng the point that even when we don't play particularly well we have to scrape a point sometimes but the defending had cost even a point on some occasions.

[Rocker]

Why are people complaining he's saying this?

 

 

Beggers belief 

[Guest BooBoo]

Some people are yet to figure out that a draws better than a loss. A point would have been a good result at the COM Stadium.

[Dokko]

Jacks certainly got a new fishing rod over the weekend and is testing the waters with great effect today.

 

[Kev]

I dont care about keeping clean sheets as long as we win

watching loads of goals is more entertaining than a 1-0 win 

[Leazes1986]

I dont care about keeping clean sheets as long as we win

watching loads of goals is more entertaining than a 1-0 win 

 

And theres no way you are going to score every single week, but if you don't concede then you are gaurunteed at least a point.

[ohmelads]

Some people are yet to figure out that a draws better than a loss. A point would have been a good result at the COM Stadium.

 

I firmly believe we got nothing out of the game because we played in that spirit.

 

For too long we've played away from home with fear. Souness tried to combat it head on by playing the likes of Butt and Bowyer together but it didn't work, it's effectively waving a white flag, almost like damage limitation. We need to go to these places believing we can take all the points, a draw should be seen as acceptable. You could see at Man City, they wanted it much more than we did. Both teams got what they deserved.

 

Of course, a number of factors resulted in our defeat, but it gets up my nose the way we play with fear against average teams just because we're away from home. Man City look a decent outfit fair enough, but for every Man City there's a Derby or a Middlesbrough and we've been doing this for years.

[Guest BooBoo]

Some people are yet to figure out that a draws better than a loss. A point would have been a good result at the COM Stadium.

 

I firmly believe we got nothing out of the game because we played in that spirit.

 

For too long we've played away from home with fear. Souness tried to combat it head on by playing the likes of Butt and Bowyer together but it didn't work, it's effectively waving a white flag, almost like damage limitation. We need to go to these places believing we can take all the points, a draw should be seen as acceptable. You could see at Man City, they wanted it much more than we did. Both teams got what they deserved.

 

Of course, a number of factors resulted in our defeat, but it gets up my nose the way we play with fear against average teams just because we're away from home. Man City look a decent outfit fair enough, but for every Man City there's a Derby or a Middlesbrough and we've been doing this for years.

 

Yes i agree with that. Some people think that in games such as this, a draw would have been as unacceptable as a defeat. In the circumstances and considering how well City have started it would have been one point gained rather than 2 dropped. Allardyce is right in the sense we havent yet got that toughness to hang on away from home against sides who will be really going for it- ie the top 4, City, Spurs.

[Gallowgate End]

but it gets up my nose the way we play with fear against average teams just because we're away from home. Man City look a decent outfit fair enough, but for every Man City there's a Derby or a Middlesbrough and we've been doing this for years.

 

Agree ever since Robson.

 

With the likes of Owen, Martins, Viduka, Duff, Emre, Barton in our Squad I certainly think with a more positive approach/formation against the weaker sides/average sides away we will have the quality to win games.

 

Bolton had the joint highest win's away last season for me Big Sam will improve our away form of recent years.

[Kev]

but it gets up my nose the way we play with fear against average teams just because we're away from home. Man City look a decent outfit fair enough, but for every Man City there's a Derby or a Middlesbrough and we've been doing this for years.

 

Agree ever since Robson.

 

With the likes of Owen, Martins, Viduka, Duff, Emre, Barton in our Squad I certainly think with a more positive approach/formation against the weaker sides/average sides away we will have the quality to win games.

 

Bolton had the joint highest win's away last season for me Big Sam will improve our away form of recent years.

 

 

its not very hard to beat our away record  piss poor for how much of a highly rated club we are

[Guest Synthespian]

I reckon Big Sam should use New Daz Automatic! 

[Unlucky Luque]

I reckon Big Sam should use New Daz Automatic! 

 

[Tooj]

but it gets up my nose the way we play with fear against average teams just because we're away from home. Man City look a decent outfit fair enough, but for every Man City there's a Derby or a Middlesbrough and we've been doing this for years.

 

Agree ever since Robson.

 

With the likes of Owen, Martins, Viduka, Duff, Emre, Barton in our Squad I certainly think with a more positive approach/formation against the weaker sides/average sides away we will have the quality to win games.

 

Bolton had the joint highest win's away last season for me Big Sam will improve our away form of recent years.

 

 

its not very hard to beat our away record  piss poor for how much of a highly rated club we are

 

We're highly rated. 

[Guest Synthespian]

I reckon Big Sam should use New Daz Automatic! 

 

I thank you! 

Seriously tho ... the class that Cacapa has and the fact that Taylor is being shown how not to get ahead of himself will sort things out eventually.

 

In all fairness, it's just a bit of clear "office politics" that Big Sam has done to get the best out of them.  That's him going to the press saying they could do better, before the press jump on the negative "Toon can't defend" bandwagon again.

To that after a win just shows he's willing to push them.

To do it after a heavy loss (like Man City - where he didn't say this) would just hurt them psychologically.

[STM]

Its good to see Big Sam still wanting to see more from his defence despite making an improvement this season.

 

I think when Barton gets back he will take the weight off the strikers slightly and boss the midfield more which will take the weight off our defence. Id also like to see more consistancy in the defence, unchanged from Everton please.

[NE5]

problem is the same as last season.

 

Our ball retention is below par, our attacking options are not varied enough, and consequently we are conceding the initiative to our opponents. Buying better defenders was never going to cure these faults, never in a million years. Defending begins from the front, and in these areas we are poor. He has bought some good defenders but if the players in front of them cannot shield them, even the best defenders find it difficult.

 

I started a whole thread on this, and said it all last season.

 

There was quite a lot of people who disagreed with me, one of them was that bulgarian bloke, wherever he is now. Another was geejon, gayjon etc

 

I wanted Allardyce for the job, but if he can't see this, I find it worrying.

 

 

[johnnypd]

problem is the same as last season.

 

Our ball retention is below par, our attacking options are not varied enough, and consequently we are conceding the initiative to our opponents. Buying better defenders was never going to cure these faults, never in a million years. Defending begins from the front, and in these areas we are poor. He has bought some good defenders but if the players in front of them cannot shield them, even the best defenders find it difficult.

 

I started a whole thread on this, and said it all last season.

 

There was quite a lot of people who disagreed with me, one of them was that bulgarian bloke, wherever he is now. Another was geejon, gayjon etc

 

I wanted Allardyce for the job, but if he can't see this, I find it worrying.

 

 

 

spot on

[The Bonk]

problem is the same as last season.

 

Our ball retention is below par, our attacking options are not varied enough, and consequently we are conceding the initiative to our opponents. Buying better defenders was never going to cure these faults, never in a million years. Defending begins from the front, and in these areas we are poor. He has bought some good defenders but if the players in front of them cannot shield them, even the best defenders find it difficult.

 

I started a whole thread on this, and said it all last season.

 

There was quite a lot of people who disagreed with me, one of them was that bulgarian bloke, wherever he is now. Another was geejon, gayjon etc

 

I wanted Allardyce for the job, but if he can't see this, I find it worrying.

 

 

 

Wouldn't his comments in the first post state that he does see this?  I'd be more worried if he can't rectify it. 

 

 

[EthiGeordie]

  If we need improvment on our away performance it is just we need to change the personel and the sysytem we have to able to play different players and different systems on away grounds.

[Lotus]

problem is the same as last season.

 

Our ball retention is below par, our attacking options are not varied enough, and consequently we are conceding the initiative to our opponents. Buying better defenders was never going to cure these faults, never in a million years. Defending begins from the front, and in these areas we are poor. He has bought some good defenders but if the players in front of them cannot shield them, even the best defenders find it difficult.

 

I started a whole thread on this, and said it all last season.

 

There was quite a lot of people who disagreed with me, one of them was that bulgarian bloke, wherever he is now. Another was geejon, gayjon etc

 

I wanted Allardyce for the job, but if he can't see this, I find it worrying.

 

 

Unbalanced view imo. If by saying better defenders won't help you defend then one could say better strikers won't help you score.

Defending is a team strategy but if a team gets in and around your box the better the quality of defenders you have the better chance you have of limiting your opponents options.

This is so obvious i don't actually think it was the point you wanted to make.

I agree about ball retention and i would guess that's why he bought Viduka.

I would also agree that defending from the front is very important and i suppose that was in his thinking when he bought Smith.

Incidentally, Italian strikers aren't renown for their defending from the front or being strong enough to hold the ball up, their defensive units however are often very effective.

[Guest SLK]

problem is the same as last season.

 

Our ball retention is below par, our attacking options are not varied enough, and consequently we are conceding the initiative to our opponents. Buying better defenders was never going to cure these faults, never in a million years. Defending begins from the front, and in these areas we are poor. He has bought some good defenders but if the players in front of them cannot shield them, even the best defenders find it difficult.

 

I started a whole thread on this, and said it all last season.

 

There was quite a lot of people who disagreed with me, one of them was that bulgarian bloke, wherever he is now. Another was geejon, gayjon etc

 

I wanted Allardyce for the job, but if he can't see this, I find it worrying.

 

 

Surely you must agree that BETTER DEFENDERS improves the defense...I agree that defending (and attacking is a team effort) but as Lotus said above, the same think can be said about attacking efforts, if you don't have good personnel behind the attackers, you will not score that many either...

 

You need good quality players at every position...Simple as that...