Can we actually...er...defend then?

[captainhaircut]

I can see Bassong playing left back next week. JFK will want to combat them in the air and will bring in Taylor. Big shame really.

[Thespence]

2 clean sheets & no goals scored in the last 2 games, yet I still worry more about our defence than our attackers.

[colinmk]

If we keep that backline, develop them, have Taylor for back-up, they'll go far.  We need two new back-up players for Beye and Enrique (specifically, a long-term replacement for Beye to nurture - not sure Edgar's good enough). 

 

Our front line is fine.  Owen, Martins, Viduka, Ameobi, Carroll, Smith, Xisco (don't write him off under Kinnear, look at Ameobi).

 

Our problem is simple.  Midfield. 

 

On the wings, we have Duff, N'Zogbia and Guttierrez.  That's good enough for me.  Butt and Guthrie, however, aren't.  Butt is barely back-up, and Guthrie definitely is back-up with a view to first team play in the future.  We need Barton to STAY FIT, if he can't, ship him off, and someone else to partner him; say, Denilson - a young, promising player.  We lack creativity to score goals - it's not that our strikers can't score them.  Give us Fabregas and Deco for a week, and watch the goals flow in.

 

We need a first team, and a backup team, and I suggest the following:

 

First Team:

 

Given

Beye, Bassong, Colocinni, Enrique

Gutierrez, NEW, Barton

            Owen

      Martins, Viduka

 

Second Team:

 

Krul

NEW, Taylor, NEW, NEW

NEW, Guthrie, Butt, N'Zogbia

      Ameobi, Smith

 

Subs:  Xisco, Carroll, Edgar, Cacapa (for emergencies when everyone else dies of H5N1)

 

Notice from this that our backline is strong, but we have NO REAL BACKUP.  Our mid-field needs that spark of quality to set off the attack.

 

Sort it out in January, Joe, prove your mettle.

 

That's pretty much spot on and what I would like to see. A settled defence with a proper holding midfielder and then the extremely industrious Jonas and Barton alongside him bombing up and down. Then Owen behind the strikers like Keegan had and we have a good starting team that will score goals. We are desperately short of back up though like you have pointed out.

[Guest BooBoo]

Jose's poor. End of.

 

I always want Newcastle players to do well but with this kid I just dont see anything that suggests he's even a medium term answer.

[Wullie]

Played well today, the back four. Bassong was outstanding again, Coloccini also impressive, Beye was his usual self at the back but fucked up a couple of crossing opportunities and Enrique was the frustrating one that we've seen all this season - lets very little past him defensively but his passing was shocking and in the second half he looked terrified in possession. I maintain he's a good player because he wasn't as nervous in possession last year and I think he's a very good defender but he needs to sort it out sooner rather than later.

[Rich]

That's some criticism when you consider some of the cretins we've fielded in those positions over the past few seasons:

 

Ramage, Huntington, Carr, Hughes, Griffin, Elliott, Edgar...

 

Solano I'd grant you without hesitation, N'Zogbia too, Bernard was fairly exciting, Babayaro was easily capable but never bothered to cross the halfway line either.

 

I genuinely think it's more a case of him being made to focus so much on the other aspect than it is him being a poor footballer/incapable of doing any attacking. Even just today he showed glimpses of his ability as far as pushing on goes. He just doesn't do it at all - let alone enough.

 

In terms of specialist fullbacks I'd say in terms of getting forward he's not as good as Carr, Hughes & probably on a par with Griffin.

 

Perhaps it is just the way he's being told to play, but if he reaches the half way line he just seems to get rid of it as soon as possible.

 

Disagree with this even more after watching the NUFC TV highlights of last season from Birmingham (a) to Chelsea (h).

 

Enrique is involved plenty up the park and looks absolutely fine, as does Beye. Completely opposite to this season like.

 

My shite memory forgot all of that, to be honest.

[madras]

That's some criticism when you consider some of the cretins we've fielded in those positions over the past few seasons:

 

Ramage, Huntington, Carr, Hughes, Griffin, Elliott, Edgar...

 

Solano I'd grant you without hesitation, N'Zogbia too, Bernard was fairly exciting, Babayaro was easily capable but never bothered to cross the halfway line either.

 

I genuinely think it's more a case of him being made to focus so much on the other aspect than it is him being a poor footballer/incapable of doing any attacking. Even just today he showed glimpses of his ability as far as pushing on goes. He just doesn't do it at all - let alone enough.

 

In terms of specialist fullbacks I'd say in terms of getting forward he's not as good as Carr, Hughes & probably on a par with Griffin.

 

Perhaps it is just the way he's being told to play, but if he reaches the half way line he just seems to get rid of it as soon as possible.

 

Disagree with this even more after watching the NUFC TV highlights of last season from Birmingham (a) to Chelsea (h).

 

Enrique is involved plenty up the park and looks absolutely fine, as does Beye. Completely opposite to this season like.

 

My s**** memory forgot all of that, to be honest.

fwiw beye hasn't looked as good as he was last season.

[Rich]

I think that's openly admitted by even the biggest Beye fans.

 

Who has, though?

[Dave]

Shay's looked better.

[madras]

I think that's openly admitted by even the biggest Beye fans.

 

Who has, though?

smith has looked a whole lot better thsn last season

[Guest firetotheworks]

I like every player in the current back four. Enrique has his moments, but I trust still trust him whenever he has the ball, his passing can be woeful at times but defensively he knows the score and the mistakes he does make arent suicidal by any means. I trust them all as a unit and individually, and I dont think Ive ever felt that way about any back four we've ever had. The way I see it is that Taylor is now a half decent backup defender to Bassong.

[Guest Heneage]

Beye defending has been fine, its attacking he's not been the same.

[madras]

Beye defending has been fine, its attacking he's not been the same.

no it hasn't. admittedly he set a very high standard last season

[Guest Heneage]

Sorry but imo, he's made no major mistakes, he's been ok, but like you say he set such a high standard.

[madras]

Sorry but imo, he's made no major mistakes, he's been ok, but like you say he set such a high standard.

no major mistakes. quite a few little ones that he didn't do last season.

[Baggio]

Beye and Enrique are both average, decent defensively but offer nothing going forward which is causing us problems when our wingers get tightly marked.

 

Shame we can't do a swap for Portsmouth's fullbacks and get Glen Johnson and Armand Traore. (I know Traore is on loan from Arsenal btw)

[Umer]

I've supported JFK quite a lot lately, even with taking off Martins yesterday. But if he changes this back 4 next week it would be criminal.

[Guest Phil K]

To answer the question directly ...

 

Bassong can and Taylor can't.

 

Simple as that really.

 

Taylor is a decent squad player IMO, but Bassong has the shirt for now, surely?

 

I agree.

 

I think that's openly admitted by even the biggest Beye fans.

 

Who has, though?

smith has looked a whole lot better thsn last season

 

LOL - Because he's been as far away from the first team as KK is now.

Agreed.

[Guest The Wise Guy]

The defense has been very great lately especially in the last 2 matches but Im also worried that we are not creating as much chances upfront as we did in the past. Its good to try and defend and getting a clean sheet as well but we should bold enough to try and attack when we are playing away from home especially against a team like Boro. I cant really remember the Boro keeper making any crucial saves during the match yesterday but I guess we should take things one step at a time. Anyway, I think apart from the improvement in the defense, it would also be fair for me to say that in the last 2 matches, our opposition has missed some good chances themselves and that just show that we need to do more in terms of not letting the ball getting into our penalty box. I thought the two wingers yesterday both Jonas and N'Zogbia didnt do very well on this part to help our defenders out.

[mouldy_uk]

I've supported JFK quite a lot lately, even with taking off Martins yesterday. But if he changes this back 4 next week it would be criminal.

 

Agreed, it's all about continuity for me.

[Guest Phil K]

The defense has been very great lately especially in the last 2 matches but Im also worried that we are not creating as much chances upfront as we did in the past.

That will come as the midfield realize the defence isn't leaking.

Its how Don Revie made Leeds into the force they became.

[Guest Stephen927]

It's essentially a backline consisting of 6 players as Butt and Guthrie never look to get forward and support the attack.

[Mowen]

Beye and Enrique are both average, decent defensively but offer nothing going forward which is causing us problems when our wingers get tightly marked.

 

Shame we can't do a swap for Portsmouth's fullbacks and get Glen Johnson and Armand Traore. (I know Traore is on loan from Arsenal btw)

 

Traore's been playing on the wing for them this season usually. Belhadj and occasionally Pamarot have been the leftbacks.

[Rich]

Beye and Enrique are both average, decent defensively but offer nothing going forward which is causing us problems when our wingers get tightly marked.

 

Shame we can't do a swap for Portsmouth's fullbacks and get Glen Johnson and Armand Traore. (I know Traore is on loan from Arsenal btw)

 

Traore's been playing on the wing for them this season usually. Belhadj and occasionally Pamarot have been the leftbacks.

 

True. Belhadj has looked a very decent player as well. Johnson has been fantastic pretty much every time I've seen them though. He was worse than shite when we were linked with him a few years back if you believed people on here, though!

[Tooj]

Beye and Enrique are both average, decent defensively but offer nothing going forward which is causing us problems when our wingers get tightly marked.

 

Shame we can't do a swap for Portsmouth's fullbacks and get Glen Johnson and Armand Traore. (I know Traore is on loan from Arsenal btw)

 

Traore's been playing on the wing for them this season usually. Belhadj and occasionally Pamarot have been the leftbacks.

 

True. Belhadj has looked a very decent player as well. Johnson has been fantastic pretty much every time I've seen them though. He was worse than shite when we were linked with him a few years back if you believed people on here, though!

 

He looked very good when he first broke through at West Ham, we nearly had him as well iirc but then the newly bankrolled Chelsea offered far more than we did.