TRon Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 What makes a side tick in the successful teams - or cough and splutter in clapped out vehicles like ours at present? Watching us fail to move the ball beyond the halfway line all season without resorting to the long ball, the problems aren't the defenders as all the pundits seem to think, but the central midfielders in my view. Barton and Butt were given the honours yesterday, and between them they took it in turns to pass to the opposition, lose the ball under the slightest pressure and fail to move off the ball to create some space for others. Watching their counterparts in proper football teams like Man U, Liverpool or Chelsea it's like watching a different game. This is the area that has to be addressed if we are going to start looking like a football team again. In the short term the answer might be to lose a forward like Smith who has little impact anyway, and play an extra midfielder like Emre. In the long term none of the current central midfielders are good enough and we need heavy investment next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MagicNumber9 Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Changing our manager every season... thats never going to help you build a succesfull side, find the "one" and stick by your guns and supply him with the £ to build his team. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.S.R. Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Bought a couple of old classics that have had their day. One has too many miles on the clock but we're probably stuck with it for at least a year before we scrap it. Another is a bit younger but it only scraped past it's MOT. One more breakdown and it's knackered. Got a fairly new model, not many miles on the clock, one O'Leary owner. Reliable but limited. Not really got the oomph to pull away, unfortunately. Went to a few auctions in Manchester and got ourselves a few pricey ones which at the time we thought were bargains. Turns out we'd been had, as their performance is awful. One makes an awful racket and we can't seem to keep it from crashing into things. The other one has had a dubious past and was recently impounded. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedudeabides Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I've been saying this for weeks, our central midfielders are complete liabilities, as neither can pass a ball, tackle and they don't track their runners from central midfield. We should go with Faye and Emre until the end of the season, but almost certainly won't. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thespence Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Changing our manager every season... thats never going to help you build a succesfull side, find the "one" and stick by your guns and supply him with the £ to build his team. People say this but to get a good manager you have to sack someone. Should Man Utd of kept Big Ron? Or should Arsenal have give Bruce Rioch a bit longer? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I've been saying this for weeks, our central midfielders are complete liabilities, as neither can pass a ball, tackle and they don't track their runners from central midfield. We should go with Faye and Emre until the end of the season, but almost certainly won't. When Faye played centre mid. in a couple of matches what stood out wasn't his passing although it was Beckham-esque compared to most others who have played this season, it was his ability to actually move without blowing a gasket. Butt and Barton were out-muscled, and rendered bystanders by the end yesterday. The same happened against Middlesborough, and I'm starting to feel sorry for the wide players as they get the ball and are expected to beat two players then cross well, while the central midfielders stand like statues, all responsibility relinquished once they've got rid of the ball. Butt is a clapped out shadow of a player, and Barton needs to see a shrink, not play football. He doesn't look like he's enjoying it, looks slow and has more chance of hitting a right hook than a decent pass. Both players are ordinairy at best in any case, when they're confidence is shot there isn't a chance in hell we can string passes together. If they start against Man U we will be destroyed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wor jackie Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Bring Dyer, Jenas, Parker and Bowyer back! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wor jackie Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I'm kidding btw, kind of...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlin Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Bought a couple of old classics that have had their day. One has too many miles on the clock but we're probably stuck with it for at least a year before we scrap it. Another is a bit younger but it only scraped past it's MOT. One more breakdown and it's knackered. Got a fairly new model, not many miles on the clock, one O'Leary owner. Reliable but limited. Not really got the oomph to pull away, unfortunately. Went to a few auctions in Manchester and got ourselves a few pricey ones which at the time we thought were bargains. Turns out we'd been had, as their performance is awful. One makes an awful racket and we can't seem to keep it from crashing into things. The other one has had a dubious past and was recently impounded. Excellent ! Loved this..very funny but sadly accurate in summing up the situation - the question is 'Would you buy a used car from these men !'... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slugsy Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Butts legs have gone, you only have to look at the number of bookings he is picking up to see that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_69 Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 The problem is that Keegan doesn't seem prepared to drop them. 52,000+ people can see that Smith, Butt and Barton are creating problems for us. They offer nothing in attack and their inability to keep or pass the ball is putting constant pressure on our defenders. I fucking hop to God Keegan sees what we're seeing and drops all three of them before it's too late. We now have Faye, Emre and Geremi to bolster the midfield, and Martins and Viduka fit to replace Smith. Drop the cloggers and lets start playing some proper football. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob W Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 On saturday we lacked any cohesive ideas in mid field until Emre came on - Barton is just a thug, Butt is short of pace Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optimistic Nut Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I'm kidding btw, kind of...... He was never the answer, but we do miss Dyer. Someone who could at least carry the ball half the length of the pitch, draw fouls around the box and stretch the defence. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_69 Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Keegan, if you're reading this drop Butt, Smith and Barton or we're going to get relegated. We have much better options on the bench. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToonTastic Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Faye and Emre would do a decent job in the middle of the park. And if we have to play Duff or N'zogbia at left back why not Duff he is the weaker of the two going forward. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Lazaru on TT suggested starting Zog and Faye in midfield and I would like to have a look at that. Both players are athletes so at least we wouldn't get over-run, and they couldn't possibly fail to improve the passing. You know for a fact that Zog would support the forwards which should in theory make life much easier for Duff and Milner as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggio Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 N'Zogbia's passing is awful, his game is mainly about running with the ball and he doesn't have the strength or the space to play well there against any half decent team in the Premiership. I agree with a lot of the opening post, out of our CB's and CM's against Villa only Cacapa looked comfortable on the ball, having so many technically retarded players in the squad means we've got little option but to hoof it. If Carrick is an unrealistic target in the Summer then we should try and get Huddlestone from Spurs IMO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I can remember one match against Man U in recent seasons where due to injuries Darren Ambrose and Zog played as central midfielders and they more that held their own against the Mancs. It's not like any of the alternatives are exactly picking themselves. The best one would probably be Emre, but I don't think he has the mobility to get up and down the pitch, and in matches I've watched, he doesn't get into the final third enough. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkhead Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Ambrose and N'Zogbia? can't remember this one Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Ambrose and N'Zogbia? can't remember this one Was it Man Utd away when Milner scored and Rooney scored that volley? Under Roeder? Not sure tbh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Found it. http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/articles/2005/04/24/sport_manu_newcastle_240405_result.shtml Newcastle youngsters bring passion back to Toon A makeshift Magpie side, depleted by injuries and suspensions, put on a defiant show against Manchester United, before falling to a 2-1 defeat. It was Ambrose who scored. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 That's the game I meant, thought it was Milner who scored though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 A couple of interesting things from that game: firstly injuries meant that experienced pros who had been performing like leadweights (does this strike a chord?) were replaced by youthful, energetic midielders who were prepared to have a go. secondly, we went with a 5 man midfield according to that report, which is something suggested earlier. Might be worth considering. although Ameobi was one of the 'midfielders'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaehyun Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Just give Keegan time, we just need a couple of good signings to lift the team like Bellamy and Robert did for Bobby Robson. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Monkey Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 What you notice if you watch the town and then watch another team (not AGAINST us, as it seems a gioven that we make other teams look good), is that other teams - not just the big clubs, even average clubs like us - pass the ball far, far better than us. PAssing and movement is awful in our side, and has been for ages. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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