Newcastle United 0 - 2 Chelsea - 05/05/08 - post match reaction from page 13

[Taylor Swift]

We deserved a draw like

 

Chelsea cheating cunts, die

 

I don't really recall any cheating. Just thought they were better than us in the second half.

[Guest elpapi]

I loved how grant put anelka up front after the break, while fat sam said during the break: "yeah obviously he's going to change personnel first and keep the formation, maybe changing to 4-2-4 later on if things aren't going according to plan"

 

mackems.gif mackems.gif mackems.gif eat that big guy!

[Big Geordie]

Not too disappointed today - we gave it a good go first half, but let down by poor finishing. 2nd half, they shifted up a few gears and that was it. Smith and Duff were beyond poor, though I had to look twice when Duff actually tried to go outside the fullback.  Thought Taylor did well, as did Butt. We are desperate for a quality playmaker in the summer and we also need a good replacement for Viduka or someone to take on his mantle. Alan Smith is not the answer at all.

[Cronky]

I was surprised that Chelsea didn't play their strongest side from the off. It came off in the end, but they could easily have gone behind in the first half.

 

I thought Keegan blundered by not making a change before the first goal went in. We couldn't retain the ball at all, the attacks were pouring in, and if ever a goal was inevitable, it was then.

 

 

[Taylor Swift]

I was surprised that Chelsea didn't play their strongest side from the off. It came off in the end, but they could easily have gone behind in the first half.

 

I thought Keegan blundered by not making a change before the first goal went in. We couldn't retain the ball at all, the attacks were pouring in, and if ever a goal was inevitable, it was then.

 

 

 

What could he have done, though?

[Mick]

anyone fancy lighting some torches, going on a mass march through the city and capturing Smith?  Then burning him at the stake on the town moor?

 

I'll chip in for the torches.

[Dave]

You's are all mental. I don't care what anyone says, Smith was rubbish today.

[Beezeri]

Did Keegan change to 4-4-2 with Barton and Geremi on the wings and Owen & Martins up front? It kinda looked like it...Maybe replacing Viduka with Smith was a good idea in the first place but going to 4-4-2 and playing Smith in the central midfield was a huuuge mistake after such an encouraging first half! So maybe KK need to take some of the blame I guess

 

Taylor was great but our midfield kept giving the ball away constantly(especially after the break) which sort of reminded the Fat Sam's/early Keegan days. Deserved win for Chelski though and I guess we should start with some of the younger players(Lua-Lua, Edgar, Carroll etc.) against Everton

[Cronky]

I was surprised that Chelsea didn't play their strongest side from the off. It came off in the end, but they could easily have gone behind in the first half.

 

I thought Keegan blundered by not making a change before the first goal went in. We couldn't retain the ball at all, the attacks were pouring in, and if ever a goal was inevitable, it was then.

 

 

 

What could he have done, though?

 

Personally, I'd have put Duff on for Owen and gone 4-4-2. Either that or added fresh legs by putting Duff on for Geremi - which of course he did later.

 

The Owen move would not have been popular, but his main contribution is getting on the end of chances from deep, and when you're struggling to get out of your own half, that's not much use. If you're struggling to keep possession, you really need an extra body in there and Owen wasn't getting involved.

 

It might not have worked, of course, but the game was going right away from us and you have to try something different.

[David28]

Did Keegan change to 4-4-2 with Barton and Geremi on the wings and Owen & Martins up front? It kinda looked like it...Maybe replacing Viduka with Smith was a good idea in the first place but going to 4-4-2 and playing Smith in the central midfield was a huuuge mistake after such an encouraging first half! So maybe KK need to take some of the blame I guess

 

Taylor was great but our midfield kept giving the ball away constantly(especially after the break) which sort of reminded the Fat Sam's/early Keegan days. Deserved win for Chelski though and I guess we should start with some of the younger players(Lua-Lua, Edgar, Carroll etc.) against Everton

 

I think to bring on Smith was a mistake at all!

[Mick]

You's are all mental. I don't care what anyone says, Smith was rubbish today.

 

Fuck off you mong, he was shite.

[Guest BooBoo]

I thought we gave it our all but when Chelsea stepped it up, we simply had no answer and our lack of creative nous was woefully exposed. The only really shame was that we conceded two very soft goals. Whilst i thought Chelse desreved their win, 2-0 flattered them.

 

Harper- 6- Couldnt do a great deal with either goal

 

Beye- 6- Decent, if not at his best

Enrique- 5- Okay but offers absolutely nothing as an attacking full back

Taylor- 7- Some decent interceptions/ tackles

Faye- 6- Not bad

 

Butt- 7- Looked well up for it

Barton- 7- Full of work but zero pace

Geremi- 6- Usual wastefulness from dead balls.

 

Viduka- 7- Good first half

Owen- 5- Generally anonymous

Martins- 8- Full of energy and deserved a goal

 

Smith-3- Terrible

Duff- 4- Stand up man!

N'Zogbia- No real time

 

Out of that lot, i only REALLY want to see Harper, Beye, Faye, Barton, Oba and Owen in the starting XI come next August.

 

Some of the other have done okay but need replacing if we are to push on.

[Yorkie]

To say that Enrique offers 'absolutely nothing' going forward is an exaggeration. He's not brilliant from an attacking point of view but that's well over the top imo. He's got good accelleration and his ball retention has improved whilst he's consistently been on the field. One or two really nice lofted passes in the first half aswell; the one for Martins/Owen follow up springing to mind.

[afar]

How did Smith play today ? Any views

[Guest BooBoo]

To say that Enrique offers 'absolutely nothing' going forward is an exaggeration. He's not brilliant from an attacking point of view but that's well over the top imo. He's got good accelleration and his ball retention has improved whilst he's consistently been on the field. One or two really nice lofted passes in the first half aswell; the one for Martins/Owen follow up springing to mind.

 

Sorry YG, from what i've seen he's the polar opposite of what KK would expect from a full back and I fully expect us to make a move for someone much more mobile this summer.

[Yorkie]

Probably... i'd probably agree there. I just think you were exaggerating a bit.

[Mick]

Chelsea, good team without fans to match, loads of empty seats when they are in with a chance of winning the league.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

Chelsea, good team without fans to match, loads of empty seats when they are in with a chance of winning the league.

 

Our "support is fucking shit" though apparently  mackems.gif

[Guest BooBoo]

Probably... i'd probably agree there. I just think you were exaggerating a bit.

 

I'd never exaggerate if i lived to be 1001.

[Mick]

 

Our "support is f****** s***" though apparently  mackems.gif

 

That smiley.

 

Seriously though, we'd never have empty seats in that position and will fill every seat we've got at Everton.

[Dave]

We were poor second half, both individually and as a team. Our shape was cack and we dropped far too deep, giving them the ball back at every opportunity.

 

2-0 makes it look comfortable for them though, which I don't agree with. We were the better team in the first half, and they had to work hard to get the breakthrough.

 

They deserved to win overall - don't get me wrong - but I think 1-0 would have been a fairer reflection of the way the match went.

 

PS - the referee and linesmen were a disgrace. Absolutely pathetic at times.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

We were poor second half, both individually and as a team. Our shape was cack and we dropped far too deep, giving them the ball back at every opportunity.

 

2-0 makes it look comfortable for them though, which I don't agree with. We were the better team in the first half, and they had to work hard to get the breakthrough.

 

They deserved to win overall - don't get me wrong - but I think 1-0 would have been a fairer reflection of the way the match went.

 

PS - the referee and linesmen were a disgrace. Absolutely pathetic at times.

 

The 4-3-3 system we play needs everyone to stick to their roles for it to work, as it did in the first half and as it has for the last 6 weeks.  Even Viduka (who doesn't move much) plays his own role well in the system.

 

Once all-action, play-anywhere Smith came on it fell to pieces because he just isn't disciplined enough.

[Mick]

We were poor second half, both individually and as a team. Our shape was cack and we dropped far too deep, giving them the ball back at every opportunity.

 

2-0 makes it look comfortable for them though, which I don't agree with. We were the better team in the first half, and they had to work hard to get the breakthrough.

 

They deserved to win overall - don't get me wrong - but I think 1-0 would have been a fairer reflection of the way the match went.

 

PS - the referee and linesmen were a disgrace. Absolutely pathetic at times.

 

Our shape was OK until Smith came on but most of our players were guilty of giving the ball away far too easily and it's something we've done all season.  Geremi, Butt and Barton are probably the main ones for that but most were guilty today, even Baye who is normally OK.

 

I think Chelsea bullied us today and we couldn't cope.

[Mick]

 

The 4-3-3 system we play needs everyone to stick to their roles for it to work, as it did in the first half and as it has for the last 6 weeks.  Even Viduka (who doesn't move much) plays his own role well in the system.

 

Once all-action, play-anywhere Smith came on it fell to pieces because he just isn't disciplined enough.

 

I wonder who made the decision to play him in midfield?  He wants shot if Keegan wanted a direct replacement for Viduka and he took it upon himself to drop deep.

 

When he came on I felt exactly the same as when I heard the team to play Derby away, I knew we'd lost the game.

[Guest Knightrider]

Fuck the negatives...

 

Positives:

 

Owen had about 4-5 chances that on another day could have seen him grab a brace. The fact he keeps getting into such positions and the fact we keep creating these good chances even against such a class side as Chelsea, is very positive indeed.

 

Defensively at times we remained very strong against waves of their attacks, Taylor the pick of the bunch. We closed them down well and kept out a lot of crosses, forcing them to go down the middle which although the right way to defend, sadly highlighted for me our key weakness - our own midfield which is immobile, lacks ingenuity and any real outlets. Change that and we're in business I feel because the defence is looking extremely settled, understanding of one another and tough to break down.

 

Outside of that we worked very very hard, kept going, played some good football at times and pushed them hard too. We were simply outclassed in a footballing sense at the end, which I can accept and have no complaints with.