Let's get on with the season

[Guest hindu times]

Right, so the transfer window is shut, and regardless of your opinion on our incoming or outgoing transfers, it's time to forget about it until January.

 

There is enough in our squad now to push for a top 10 / top 8 finish so let's just get on with it, and maybe make one or two more deals in January.

 

Regardless of what you think, Keegan and Ashley don't owe anyone an explanation regarding our transfers, so let's just forget it and get on with the important stuff.

 

We've had a pretty good start to the season, so let's not lose the early season optimism.

 

Our squad as it stands:

 

GK:

Given

Harper

Forster

Krul

 

RB:

Beye

Colo

Geremi

 

CB:

Colo

Taylor

Cacapa

Bassong

Edgar

 

LB:

Enrique

Bassong

N'Zogbia

 

RM:

Jonas

Duff

Geremi

 

CM:

Guthrie

Butt

Barton

Gonzalez

Geremi

 

LM:

Duff

N'Zogbia

Jonas

 

ST:

Owen

Martins

Xisco

Viduka

 

(Smith and Ameobi)

 

Let's get on with it.

 

[number09]

Good point - make the most out of it!

[Consortium of one]

Next couple of important dates:

 

Friday 9-5-08  Final FM weegie update 

 

Saturday 9-13-08 (h) Hull City 

[Guest]

If we go back to the 4-3-1-2 formation, then I don't think Milner will be a huge loss at all, given that he didn't play at all when we had that good run of form with that system, and also that he's not suited to it.

 

 

[johnnypd]

what do people think is our best side?

 

Xisco Martins

Owen

Jonas Barton Guthrie

Enrique Bassong Coloccini Beye

Given

 

don't get me wrong taylor hasn't done badly so far this season and Bassong is totally untested, but i just have a feeling he'll prove to be better as the season progresses. Xisco and Viduka can rotate as needed, based on comments from Depor fans i imagine Xisco isn't ready to carry a premiership forward line for a whole season.

 

Can't say if Gonzalez is good or not, nor how he'll fit in, so i've left him out for now.

[Incognito]

Im sure,if Kev stays that we will spend big in January.

[Baggio]

what do people think is our best side?

 

Xisco Martins

Owen

Jonas Barton Guthrie

Enrique Bassong Coloccini Beye

Given

 

don't get me wrong taylor hasn't done badly so far this season and Bassong is totally untested, but i just have a feeling he'll prove to be better as the season progresses. Xisco and Viduka can rotate as needed, based on comments from Depor fans i imagine Xisco isn't ready to carry a premiership forward line for a whole season.

 

Can't say if Gonzalez is good or not, nor how he'll fit in, so i've left him out for now.

 

Swap positions with Barton and Guthrie and that's close enough, a bit early to be pushing for Bassong ahead of Taylor.

[Guest elpapi]

Right, so the transfer window is shut, and regardless of your opinion on our incoming or outgoing transfers, it's time to forget about it until January.

 

There is enough in our squad now to push for a top 10 / top 8 finish so let's just get on with it, and maybe make one or two more deals in January.

 

Regardless of what you think, Keegan and Ashley don't owe anyone an explanation regarding our transfers, so let's just forget it and get on with the important stuff.

 

We've had a pretty good start to the season, so let's not lose the early season optimism.

 

Our squad as it stands:

 

GK:

Given

Harper

Forster

Krul

 

RB:

Beye

Colo

Geremi

 

CB:

Colo

Taylor

Cacapa

Bassong

Edgar

 

LB:

Enrique

Bassong

N'Zogbia

 

RM:

Jonas

Duff

Geremi

 

CM:

Guthrie

Butt

Barton

Gonzalez

Geremi

 

LM:

Duff

N'Zogbia

Jonas

 

ST:

Owen

Martins

Xisco

Viduka

 

(Smith and Ameobi)

 

Let's get on with it.

 

 

Amen

[robm]

Interesting to see if Xisco can do the Viduka roll in that lineup. Dont know if he can hold the ball up like the duke

[Wullie]

what do people think is our best side?

 

Xisco Martins

Owen

Jonas Barton Guthrie

Enrique Bassong Coloccini Beye

Given

 

don't get me wrong taylor hasn't done badly so far this season and Bassong is totally untested, but i just have a feeling he'll prove to be better as the season progresses. Xisco and Viduka can rotate as needed, based on comments from Depor fans i imagine Xisco isn't ready to carry a premiership forward line for a whole season.

 

I'd be picking Taylor for the time being, and as you know I'm not a huge fan but Bassong's still very unproven. Apart from that, it'd be the same XI other than I'm not sure about whether to choose Barton, Charlie or Gonzalez in that third midfield spot. Nice to have that many options which I think that system does give us, even with our small squad (Geremi can of course do a decent job in either of the wide positions and Butt is not quite finished yet).

 

Viduka's a wonderful player to have against the dross in the league because they can't handle his class, but despite the fact he's scored some huge goals against the best in his time, he can't really do it anymore against those clubs for 90 minutes. He's a great asset to have on the bench too, he can change a game in a second. I'm looking forward to seeing Xisco coming into things without all the pressure on his shoulders like for example Oba did. If Vids (and Owen) can stay fit, we've now got a whole range of different options up top, both in a 4-4-2 and in the 4-3-3.

[Baggio]

I wonder if Keegan see's Smith as an important player this season since he was so desperate to keep him.

[johnnypd]

what do people think is our best side?

 

Xisco Martins

Owen

Jonas Barton Guthrie

Enrique Bassong Coloccini Beye

Given

 

don't get me wrong taylor hasn't done badly so far this season and Bassong is totally untested, but i just have a feeling he'll prove to be better as the season progresses. Xisco and Viduka can rotate as needed, based on comments from Depor fans i imagine Xisco isn't ready to carry a premiership forward line for a whole season.

 

I'd be picking Taylor for the time being, and as you know I'm not a huge fan but Bassong's still very unproven. Apart from that, it'd be the same XI other than I'm not sure about whether to choose Barton, Charlie or Gonzalez in that third midfield spot. Nice to have that many options which I think that system does give us, even with our small squad (Geremi can of course do a decent job in either of the wide positions and Butt is not quite finished yet).

 

Viduka's a wonderful player to have against the dross in the league because they can't handle his class, but despite the fact he's scored some huge goals against the best in his time, he can't really do it anymore against those clubs for 90 minutes. He's a great asset to have on the bench too, he can change a game in a second. I'm looking forward to seeing Xisco coming into things without all the pressure on his shoulders like for example Oba did. If Vids (and Owen) can stay fit, we've now got a whole range of different options up top, both in a 4-4-2 and in the 4-3-3.

 

i'd stick with Taylor too, for the time being, but i think in time he'll drop down to the bench.

[madras]

I wonder if Keegan see's Smith as an important player this season since he was so desperate to keep him.

is that a roundabout way of suggesting that he was just spoiling for a fight ?

[Guest Heneage]

I want to see Gonzalez.

[thewellander]

Hindu, I love how you put N'Zogbia and Geremi on there twice each and yet still only put Smith and Ameobi in parenthesis.  Classic.

[Neil]

As an Everton fan I'm obviously not as knowledgeable as you lot, but to give a few thoughts....

 

I've always seen Newcastle as a 4-4-2 team, personally. It depends on how KK (for the moment!) sees how he can get the best out of the current players, but Gutierrez is a right winger isn't he? His pace and ability to run at people should surely be utilised on the wing. Another problem I'd have with the aforementioned lineup is what is, from an outsider's perspective, the bamboozling deployment of Owen in what is essentially an attacking midfielder's role. Whilst he won't suddenly become a crap player, I'm confused as to why he would play anywhere other than up top?

 

There seems to be divisions with regards to whether to keep N'Zogbia in the team. Again, I don't know the details of his form, but IF he finds some consistency, wouldn't it be a good idea to stick him on the left and Jonas on the right?

 

However, all this does lead to the main problem with Newcastle at the moment (and ironically, the same problem with the team I support) - the lack of a quality creative midfielder, a la Moutinho, or indeed Matias Fernandez for you FM lovers. Which is where, if Owen can somehow perform successfully in this previously mentioned 4-3-1-2 setup, the problem can be somewhat nullified.

 

At the back, again there seems to be arguments over whether Taylor is good enough to take his place alongside Coloccini. From what I've seen of him (I watch a fair few Newcastle games, family connections etc), he doesn't seem to be eliminating the mistakes he had at a younger age. His positioning doesn't seem to have improved and is still prone to mistakes, if not as obvious as the legends of Bramble and Boumsong. Thus, there's a bit of unwanted pressure on Bassong to prove a solid base alongside Curlylocks.

 

Overall, your squad does seem quite canny, and if you get some luck with injuries as well as getting some much-needed consistency (which breeds confidence and a general team spirit), a Uefa push is certainly not out of the question.

 

That's my 2 pennies worth, anyway.

[Alberto2005]

As an Everton fan I'm obviously not as knowledgeable as you lot, but to give a few thoughts....

 

I've always seen Newcastle as a 4-4-2 team, personally. It depends on how KK (for the moment!) sees how he can get the best out of the current players, but Gutierrez is a right winger isn't he? His pace and ability to run at people should surely be utilised on the wing. Another problem I'd have with the aforementioned lineup is what is, from an outsider's perspective, the bamboozling deployment of Owen in what is essentially an attacking midfielder's role. Whilst he won't suddenly become a crap player, I'm confused as to why he would play anywhere other than up top?

 

There seems to be divisions with regards to whether to keep N'Zogbia in the team. Again, I don't know the details of his form, but IF he finds some consistency, wouldn't it be a good idea to stick him on the left and Jonas on the right?

 

However, all this does lead to the main problem with Newcastle at the moment (and ironically, the same problem with the team I support) - the lack of a quality creative midfielder, a la Moutinho, or indeed Matias Fernandez for you FM lovers. Which is where, if Owen can somehow perform successfully in this previously mentioned 4-3-1-2 setup, the problem can be somewhat nullified.

 

At the back, again there seems to be arguments over whether Taylor is good enough to take his place alongside Coloccini. From what I've seen of him (I watch a fair few Newcastle games, family connections etc), he doesn't seem to be eliminating the mistakes he had at a younger age. His positioning doesn't seem to have improved and is still prone to mistakes, if not as obvious as the legends of Bramble and Boumsong. Thus, there's a bit of unwanted pressure on Bassong to prove a solid base alongside Curlylocks.

 

Overall, your squad does seem quite canny, and if you get some luck with injuries as well as getting some much-needed consistency (which breeds confidence and a general team spirit), a Uefa push is certainly not out of the question.

 

That's my 2 pennies worth, anyway.

Pretty much spot on, though Jonas does already play on the wings and Owen is best deployed in the role he was playing towards the end of last season.

[CaliMag]

Another problem I'd have with the aforementioned lineup is what is, from an outsider's perspective, the bamboozling deployment of Owen in what is essentially an attacking midfielder's role. Whilst he won't suddenly become a crap player, I'm confused as to why he would play anywhere other than up top?

 

KK saw the need for a creative midfielder and decided to place Owen in that role similar to Beardsley (though not quite as good obviously). Owen did pretty well for us in that position and until we get a Moutinho-type player he should probably stay there. Most of us are just accepting that as one o fthe things KK has publically said he would do with his starting XI.

 

A straight 4-4-2 would probably keep Owen in the Middle partnered with a holding player (Butt/Guthrie)

[madras]

Another problem I'd have with the aforementioned lineup is what is, from an outsider's perspective, the bamboozling deployment of Owen in what is essentially an attacking midfielder's role. Whilst he won't suddenly become a crap player, I'm confused as to why he would play anywhere other than up top?

 

KK saw the need for a creative midfielder and decided to place Owen in that role similar to Beardsley (though not quite as good obviously). Owen did pretty well for us in that position and until we get a Moutinho-type player he should probably stay there. Most of us are just accepting that as one o fthe things KK has publically said he would do with his starting XI.

 

A straight 4-4-2 would probably keep Owen in the Middle partnered with a holding player (Butt/Guthrie)

 

Not a chance.

 

442 - Owen plays up front

433 - Owen plays withdrawn role

i don't even think owen played in a withdrawn role that much. when the 3 played owen and viduka would rotate dropping deep. each taking turns and being the spearhead and martins would pull wide (particularly left)

[Benwell Lad]

What a good post 

I'd almost forgotten about the football.

[madras]

What a good post 

I'd almost forgotten about the football.

 

Thanks very much. Sometimes I feel unappreciated around here! 

was meant for me

[Neil]

What a good post 

I'd almost forgotten about the football.

 

Thanks very much. Sometimes I feel unappreciated around here! 

was meant for me

Nope, was meant for me.

 

Erm... coz I say so? 

[madras]

What a good post 

I'd almost forgotten about the football.

 

Thanks very much. Sometimes I feel unappreciated around here! 

was meant for me

Nope, was meant for me.

 

Erm... coz I say so? 

look ,he's from benwell,if you want to wake him and ask him you can but he'll send his charva knife wielding clan after ya. tell you what ? i'll concede.

[ChezGiven]

Guthrie in the middle with Jonas and Barton interchangeable. The rest picks itself really, Xisco, Owen, Martins is clear and the only other question is Taylor. He'll start for now as Bassong will be used as cover for other defensive positions. In fact on current form, i'd probably rather see him at RB than Beye.

[Benwell Lad]

What a good post 

I'd almost forgotten about the football.

 

Thanks very much. Sometimes I feel unappreciated around here! 

was meant for me

Nope, was meant for me.

 

Erm... coz I say so? 

look ,he's from benwell,if you want to wake him and ask him you can but he'll send his charva knife wielding clan after ya. tell you what ? i'll concede.

 

Nice post too Madras but applause was intended for Hindu Times starting a thread about FOOTBALL of all strange things.

I originate from Benwell and still go back occasionally. Back then it wasn't a charva infested knife wielding place, well maybe an occasional knife but not too many.