Steve McClaren

[AY]

This 4-2-2-2 will be a big problem against Spurs, they have really attacking full backs so it asks a lot from Sissoko and Wijnaldum.

[lovejoy]

Steve's had a lot of stick and rightly so. When the line-ups were revealed today he was being laughed at by us all. He got it right today, everyone seemed to be working for each other and we defended and attacked much better. I hope this gives the players some confidence and belief to move forward.

 

May as well keep it the same for Spurs, but would like to see Mitro and Perez always getting game time though.

 

Wish the Villa game was next, as it would be good to get on a bit of a roll.

 

This.

[Dave]

McClaren said after the 2-0 win against Liverpool : “We’ve had a tough week in terms of that, in terms of looking at various things and changing the team and changing personnel, not accepting the last two performances.

 

“But on Thursday evening as normal – you always sleep on it – and there was kind of a lightbulb moment on Thursday evening and we just said, look more or less that team that started the last six or seven games before the last two was collecting points and playing well and it was just a case of people working hard, out-running opponents, winning your duels, being competitive.”

 

McClaren went through the horror show at Palace with each player during a video session at the club’s Benton base.

 

He said: “We have pointed out why we have lost the last two games and we gave everybody an opportunity to put that right, and they have done that.”

 

And when asked if Wijnaldum had come close to the axe, the smiling head coach said: “I considered leaving out every one of them.

 

“That’s why it’s a good job you have got a week in between.

 

“We reviewed the last two weeks and we weren’t happy and that was stated, why we weren’t happy and the response from everybody has been great today.”

[NG32]

Absolute mystery how working hard n doing the basics helps you win games.

[lovejoy]

There's a stat knocking about on twitter that we out ran them and put sprinted them etc, hard work eh? Who'd ever thought it'd pay off!

[Dave]

It sounds wrong. The official PL stream showed a [meaningless] stat towards the end and their three top runners all ran further than ours.

[Guest neesy111]

It sounds wrong. The official PL stream showed a [meaningless] stat towards the end and their three top runners all ran further than ours.

 

Yeah I saw that.  I saw one earlier in game which showed 3 of our players were the top runners, guessing our fitness etc tailed off.

[TRon]

There's a stat knocking about on twitter that we out ran them and put sprinted them etc, hard work eh? Who'd ever thought it'd pay off!

 

Pleased as I am about today's result, it was a Liverpool team missing basically their best players.

[Yorkie]

McClaren said after the 2-0 win against Liverpool

“But on Thursday evening as normal – you always sleep on it – and there was kind of a lightbulb moment on Thursday evening and we just said, look more or less that team that started the last six or seven games before the last two was collecting points and playing well and it was just a case of people working hard, out-running opponents, winning your duels, being competitive.”

 

I've got it, lads! We need to TRY!

[Guest neesy111]

McClaren said after the 2-0 win against Liverpool

“But on Thursday evening as normal – you always sleep on it – and there was kind of a lightbulb moment on Thursday evening and we just said, look more or less that team that started the last six or seven games before the last two was collecting points and playing well and it was just a case of people working hard, out-running opponents, winning your duels, being competitive.”

 

I've got it, lads! We need to TRY!

 

Eureka!!!

[cp40]

McClaren said after the 2-0 win against Liverpool

“But on Thursday evening as normal – you always sleep on it – and there was kind of a lightbulb moment on Thursday evening and we just said, look more or less that team that started the last six or seven games before the last two was collecting points and playing well and it was just a case of people working hard, out-running opponents, winning your duels, being competitive.”

 

I've got it, lads! We need to TRY!

 

 

[mouldy_uk]

This guy really is a walking face palm, where does he come up with shit like that

[Lenny]

There's a stat knocking about on twitter that we out ran them and put sprinted them etc, hard work eh? Who'd ever thought it'd pay off!

 

Pleased as I am about today's result, it was a Liverpool team missing basically their best players.

 

You could say we were too with Perez and Mitrovic on the bench

[Guest axel]

All this victory is doing is prolonging the inevitable. This man and this hierarchy will get us nowhere.

[Lenny]

All this victory is doing is prolonging the inevitable. This man and this hierarchy will get us nowhere.

 

Nah, we'll go on to achieve a champions league finish now. Which counts as a trophy by the way.

[mozy]

It was a performance today straight out of the Pardew handbook in terms of style being defend, defend, defend, sucker punch. That style also suits the majority of our squad pretty handily, which of course is down to Mr Carr.

 

With that said, i'm not knocking McClaren one bit for it, as long as it doesn't become the epitome of his reign here. Very happy with that tonight, beating Liverpool just never gets old.

[mrmojorisin75]

It was a performance today straight out of the Pardew handbook in terms of style being defend, defend, defend, sucker punch. That style also suits the majority of our squad pretty handily, which of course is down to Mr Carr.

 

With that said, i'm not knocking McClaren one bit for it, as long as it doesn't become the epitome of his reign here. Very happy with that tonight, beating Liverpool just never gets old.

Didn't see the game but was just coming in to mention this, stinks of one of those Pardew games where he picks a team everyone thinks is an absolute joke and borderline offensive then they somehow fluke a result.

 

Still, that should resolve us having to strengthen the squad in January, we're basically safe now aye.

[joeyt]

Interesting that he mentioned that we 'rarely start well after half time'. Felt like it was just the fans that have noticed that over the last few years

[TRon]

It was a performance today straight out of the Pardew handbook in terms of style being defend, defend, defend, sucker punch. That style also suits the majority of our squad pretty handily, which of course is down to Mr Carr.

 

With that said, i'm not knocking McClaren one bit for it, as long as it doesn't become the epitome of his reign here. Very happy with that tonight, beating Liverpool just never gets old.

 

I don't think that's fair. We attacked far more in the second half IMO.

[Gallowgate Toon]

Pardew's gameplan was to sit deep, we didn't do that for long stretches of the game. Our pressing game stopped after de Jong went off, I don't think that's a coincidence, mind. We tried to play but we don't have a really balanced set of players so it can be very patchy in how it comes off.

 

I thought Thauvin looked alright for the moments he was on, really would like to see him come in against Villa and start on the left with Mitro ahead of SDJ. Would prefer to see Perez come back in next weekend as our best chances will be counters and he's a better option away from home as a 10, IMO.

[Tsunami]

Happened again today, up against a top side on the TV and we put 100% effort (I don't credit McClaren for this), play against the bread and butter teams and we play at 80% to 90% and struggle.

 

We've won 3 and 2 of them have been relegation rivals. We have no bias about who we are s*** against.

 

We've also lost on t.v against a few teams too. Arsenal and West Ham come to mind.

 

Just a myth on both counts. We are just s****.

 

It's no myth, we are s**** because for a large part we don't put the necessary effort in. Forget results, look at the level of performance against "top" teams compared to run of the mill teams. The players get themselves up for the big teams and have been at around 80% for others - that gets you beat on most occasions. McClaren has no influence over the level of performance.

[TRon]

All yesterday did for me was to confirm that McClaren's not the right man to lead Newcastle. The way we are set up means we are relying on a tremendous amount of running from Gini and Sissoko both defensively and driving forward. Can anybody see them doing that week in week out because they respect McClaren so much?

 

If Ashley had any sense of ownership he would move McClaren upstairs and bring in a Vieira type appointment. This squad desperately needs a real figurehead leader.

[The College Dropout]

WAs a definite moved into what has worked for this 'team' on occasion in the past. Counter attack, more direct build up, Cisse sniffing for a goal, big name scalp, on Sky. 

[The College Dropout]

I wouldn't have done it but Cisse and De Jong for Mitro and Perez worked well. He put out the most experienced side that he could and it worked. Also went a bit more direct and it worked. Big question is can we get that level of effort from the whole team week in week out ? Not only was that second goal class it took tremendous desire and effort from Sissoko and Gini which we rarely see.

[cubaricho]

Not only was that second goal class it took tremendous desire and effort from Sissoko and Gini which we rarely see.

 

It also came at a time in the match when we normally are trying to shut up shop and then let in an equalizer. It made me happy to see them pushing for a goal at the end of the game rather than just trying to defend for the last ten minutes.