Our current playing style!

[Yorkie]

In my opinion, it was players like him and players like Shola who - on the face of it - may have looked like they were performing alright (Shola definitely wasn't, but i'll just say so for arguments sake), but were actually being very detrimental to the team. I'll say the same for N'Zogbia aswell.

 

Individually they looked like they were putting up a decent battle, and i know it was difficult against the army of non-footballing Lancashire titarses, but they weren't up to it. Rozehnal's distribution wasn't good enough and N'Zogbia couldn't cope with the lack of space in the middle (he could only have the merest effect when he drifted out wide, no coincidence). And Shola was just shite, i don't know how anyone can defend him.

 

I wouldn't be keen to see either of those in centre-midfield again if we can help it.

[Yorkie]

I'm not writing him off btw, but i certainly don't reckon an awful lot to him so far. I can understand what you say about a mental thing Janitor, because that has arguably become my biggest qualm and possibly the root of his problems: he looks like a bag of wobbly nerves whenever the ball comes towards him. He looks often looks pretty clueless.

 

I'd be worried about the guy if that was him in full, 100% utter confidence.

[Adam]

Enrique's long range passing is really good imo. Still a lot of work to do, but I still feel we can beat arsenal. They are a very very good team, but I always feel you are more likely to get chances and be able to create something against them, than Man U for example. They are still a very good team and it may be a challenge to far.

 

So if you could win one of the games would you take the FA cup win or the 3 Prem league points ? I think I would prefer the FA cup as it gives us a chance to win something, where as most of the teams around us in the PL aren't going to get anything from Arsenal.

[Skirge]

Not writing Roze off, he played out of position for the cause, I just think he is  better at CB than he is at CM thats all.

[Baggio]

In my opinion, it was players like him and players like Shola who - on the face of it - may have looked like they were performing alright (Shola definitely wasn't, but i'll just say so for arguments sake), but were actually being very detrimental to the team. I'll say the same for N'Zogbia aswell.

 

Individually they looked like they were putting up a decent battle, and i know it was difficult against the army of non-footballing Lancashire titarses, but they weren't up to it. Rozehnal's distribution wasn't good enough and N'Zogbia couldn't cope with the lack of space in the middle (he could only have the merest effect when he drifted out wide, no coincidence). And Shola was just shite, i don't know how anyone can defend him.

 

I wouldn't be keen to see either of those in centre-midfield again if we can help it.

 

Rozehnal wasn't good enough for what? Playing as a DM it's his job to try and break up Bolton's attack not be expected to create everything for us, the job he done was done well and he showed more craft than any of Butt, Smith or Geremi playing in that position, he didn't jump in with sliding tackles or get stuck in because he didn't really need to under the circumstances, his passing was pretty good as his percentage of completed passes shows but if you've got no pace or movement in front of you then I'm not sure what you can do.

 

The way the team was set up there were 3 players expected to create things in Duff, N'Zogbia and Milner and all were below whats expected, it doesn't matter what N'Zogbia done against Stoke it's been obvious when he's played for us in the middle against better opposition he's not suited to CM, Duff and Milner offer little in the way of pace or goal threat so we were stumped, Ameobi was his usual self yet still contributed more than Owen, on the whole our team as a creative force wasn't good enough and Keegan will have to either kick their arses or get better in.

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

We haven't really got any flair players in the squad have we? We really need to find a creative midfielder in the transfer window.

[Dr. Nguyen Van Falk]

Far, far, far too early to write off Roz.

[steve_69]

Fat Sam's reign as manager has shattered the confidence of Roz and Martins, and probably a few others as well.

 

Rozenhal comes to a new league in a new country, into a team with a shite midfield who invite attack after attack after attack onto the defence. He made some mistakes but none of them were as bad as the clangers Cacapa dropped and he's managed to redeem himself in the last two games.

 

Things will be very different under Keegan for all the players and I fully expect Roz to bounce back.

 

 

[Rich]

I think Rozehnal can play a big part under Keegan, especially if he gets his belief back.

 

Of all our current centre-halves, he looks like the one with the most technical ability and he can use both feet as well. If this short-passing thing from the 'keeper is here to stay (which I hope it is) then having two centre-halves who can "play" a bit becomes as important as having two centre-halves who can dominate aerially, etc.

 

Fortunately, I think of the four seniour centre-halves we do have, all can play a bit and look fairly alright in posession. This will only improve given time, too.

[Skirge]

Zoggy and Emre have flair,I think both of them have more than they show, they will show with more confidence, Keegan will give them that..

[Guest Knightrider]

Kevin Keegan's brand of football may be easy on the eye and rather simplistic in it's design (pass + move) but beneath it lies quite a complex mix of ingredients that need to be just right in order for a style to develop and work on a consistent basis. Therefore I believe it will be some time before we see good attacking football of the KK type back at St. James' Park, especially week in week out.

 

Good football comes from understanding, confidence and ideals more so than ability although the latter obviously helps and will deliver a higher grade of football.

 

This understanding can only come from the training ground. While the confidence and ideals or principles will come from the manager. However the melting pot needs more, the environment needs to be spot on too and I'm talking about on the stands. If KK's team is the band, then we as fans are the orchestrators. Behind the scenes the right team spirit is also a factor.

 

You can't just line a team up and instruct it to play good football. You can't really coach it either. No, you have to set the tone (principles and ideals), let it develop (understanding) via lots of small side games in training and mentally work on the confidence so that players can go out there to perform and express themselves, backed up of course by an atmosphere that helps dictate things.

 

Keegan's brand of football at it's best is at times unplayable and relies on all of the above things to be spot on. We'll gradually see an improvement, starting with intent which is where the ideals and principles kick in. The more time on the training ground the better the understanding becomes while the more KK himself gets to know the players the better he will understand them too, in order to work on confidence and psychology.

 

It will come in stages, with quality of player determining just what level we can play at. I.e. whether we can go to Old Trafford and win or compete playing football. Or not.

[greydos]

In my opinion, it was players like him and players like Shola who - on the face of it - may have looked like they were performing alright (Shola definitely wasn't, but i'll just say so for arguments sake), but were actually being very detrimental to the team. I'll say the same for N'Zogbia aswell.

 

Individually they looked like they were putting up a decent battle, and i know it was difficult against the army of non-footballing Lancashire titarses, but they weren't up to it. Rozehnal's distribution wasn't good enough and N'Zogbia couldn't cope with the lack of space in the middle (he could only have the merest effect when he drifted out wide, no coincidence). And Shola was just s****, i don't know how anyone can defend him.

 

I wouldn't be keen to see either of those in centre-midfield again if we can help it.

 

Rozehnal wasn't good enough for what? Playing as a DM it's his job to try and break up Bolton's attack not be expected to create everything for us, the job he done was done well and he showed more craft than any of Butt, Smith or Geremi playing in that position, he didn't jump in with sliding tackles or get stuck in because he didn't really need to under the circumstances, his passing was pretty good as his percentage of completed passes shows but if you've got no pace or movement in front of you then I'm not sure what you can do.

 

The way the team was set up there were 3 players expected to create things in Duff, N'Zogbia and Milner and all were below whats expected, it doesn't matter what N'Zogbia done against Stoke it's been obvious when he's played for us in the middle against better opposition he's not suited to CM, Duff and Milner offer little in the way of pace or goal threat so we were stumped, Ameobi was his usual self yet still contributed more than Owen, on the whole our team as a creative force wasn't good enough and Keegan will have to either kick their arses or get better in.

 

Baggio's called it right for me. Sometimes it's a case of players make a pass/cross. Roz's pass was the same as geremi's v man city away, and because martins was quicker than owen, he got onto the end of it and finished it, turning the pass into an assist. Here, owen was too slow to bring the ball down (not to mention he can't use his left foot for first touch of difficult balls like martins can) and therefore it just looked like roz was over-ambitious etc.

 

First and foremost his job was to protect the defence, and protect the defence he did.

[Dogmatix]

The style of football on Saturday was 100% better than what we've seen all season, and he's only had the players for two days. We won't see full-on Keeganesque football until well into next season (most probably), however Saturday was quite encouraging.

 

I agree, the difference in the passing range was incredible.

 

We got the ball on the floor and made an attempt to play football, it was like a Keegan era in its infancy. We got all the basics right, we just severely lack any cutting edge.

 

Totally agree.It was a breath of fresh air to see them trying to play the ball around and Given not punting the ball every time.

4 players in Africa

4 players injured

1 player (?)on bail

Keegan 2 days into the job

I don't think we did badly, kept a clean sheet .

Things,as they say,can only get better.

[Guest Dr. Richard Kimble]

Roz sounded really happy in the interview after the game and probably feels he can contribute more in the new regime which I agree.

[James]

I dont think Keegan made any real changes so far, I think he just removed some of the orders players had been given. For example, our centre backs were allowed to run with the ball, and our full backs were allowed to come forwards with the attack rather than waiting for the attack to move forwards and then joining it late on.

[maze]

Problem is though, during the Bolton game, I saw the "Allardyce ghost" hanging over the team, so I would have to agree that it would take us some time to adapt a more attacking style. Also, we need different players than what we have. One could clearly see that. So, I guess a lot of the players we have (brought in) will be shown the door during the summer.

[Yorkie]

Problem is though, during the Bolton game, I saw the "Allardyce ghost" hanging over the team, so I would have to agree that it would take us some time to adapt a more attacking style. Also, we need different players than what we have. One could clearly see that. So, I guess a lot of the players we have (brought in) will be shown the door during the summer.

 

Aye, we might have needed more than two days like.