Stoke City 1 - 1 Newcastle United - 11/04/09 - Post match reaction from page 28

[Kaizero]

What do you expect Owen to do when the ball is constantly launched up to him and constantly lumped high into the box whenever we get within 40 yards of their goal? I'm sorry but you're fucking off your head if you expect him to do anything against Shawcross and Faye. Wise the fuck up.

 

This is the way we've played the entire season. So, I ask you, what is the best thing for a team that has not one player that can pick out a past, not one winger that can deliver an awesome cross and a team that's sorely lacking the pace that's needed to rip teams apart and create easy chances? Do you still want Owen playing, jogging around the pitch trying to steal a goal which hasn't looked coming for what, 2 months? Or do you drop him because, however good his finishing is, he just doesn't fit in with the personnel available? We don't create the chances that Owen feeds off. We really don't create any chances, so what I'm saying is drop Owen, put someone in who will contribute to the 'team play', something that Owen apparently doesn't acknowledge this season, and make sure the team plays better because that's the only way the team will be able to get the points needed to survive.

 

Look, one of the truest cliches in football is that if you don't lose the ball, the opposition can't score. So, we need to keep the ball better. Owen doesn't help us do that. We are effectively a 10 man team every minute he's on the pitch. That's why we can't keep possession, that's why we don't stretch teams and because of the constant pressure that our defence is under because the whole team can't keep possession, we conceded more than our fair share of silly goals.

 

 

Owen is very very unselfish, and he keeps possession (or well, keeps up the ball and wins it back) better than almost any other on our team.

 

Its not that Owen's selfish, but when he isn't scoring he really doesn't contribute much to our attacking play.

 

I'm not saying he never will (he certainly did in the 4-3-3) but he isn't at the moment.

 

tbf, we don't really have any attacking play these days regardless

[Kaizero]

We had a lot of possession, that was clear. It gave the illusion that we were constantly under it because everytime they had the ball they got a set piece or throw in  & next thing you know we're all bricking it.

 

They didnt actually have the ball at their feet very much atall.

 

 

It's not surprising at all though. They're a bunch of two bit thugs that grind out results by knocking the shit out of their opponents, and that's how they'll survive.

 

I used to have a positive ish attitude towards Stoke, due to their history and whatnot, but after this game I really do wish they'd go down.

 

Their fans are cunts as well. Anyone see the situation where they threw something at Raylor? Action has to be taken by the FA imo.

 

Docked points, hopefully.

 

[Dinho lad]

We had a lot of possession, that was clear. It gave the illusion that we were constantly under it because everytime they had the ball they got a set piece or throw in  & next thing you know we're all bricking it.

 

They didnt actually have the ball at their feet very much atall.

 

 

It's not surprising at all though. They're a bunch of two bit thugs that grind out results by knocking the shit out of their opponents, and that's how they'll survive.

 

I used to have a positive ish attitude towards Stoke, due to their history and whatnot, but after this game I really do wish they'd go down.

 

Their fans are cunts as well. Anyone see the situation where they threw something at Raylor? Action has to be taken by the FA imo.

 

Docked points, hopefully.

 

 

[Guest SpinTheBlackCircle]

Nicky Butt  

 

http://www.setanta.com//uk/Articles/Football/2009/04/11/Prem-Butt-and-Carroll-on-SS/gnid-48251/

[Tachikoma]

What do you expect Owen to do when the ball is constantly launched up to him and constantly lumped high into the box whenever we get within 40 yards of their goal? I'm sorry but you're fucking off your head if you expect him to do anything against Shawcross and Faye. Wise the fuck up.

 

This is the way we've played the entire season. So, I ask you, what is the best thing for a team that has not one player that can pick out a past, not one winger that can deliver an awesome cross and a team that's sorely lacking the pace that's needed to rip teams apart and create easy chances? Do you still want Owen playing, jogging around the pitch trying to steal a goal which hasn't looked coming for what, 2 months? Or do you drop him because, however good his finishing is, he just doesn't fit in with the personnel available? We don't create the chances that Owen feeds off. We really don't create any chances, so what I'm saying is drop Owen, put someone in who will contribute to the 'team play', something that Owen apparently doesn't acknowledge this season, and make sure the team plays better because that's the only way the team will be able to get the points needed to survive.

 

Look, one of the truest cliches in football is that if you don't lose the ball, the opposition can't score. So, we need to keep the ball better. Owen doesn't help us do that. We are effectively a 10 man team every minute he's on the pitch. That's why we can't keep possession, that's why we don't stretch teams and because of the constant pressure that our defence is under because the whole team can't keep possession, we conceded more than our fair share of silly goals.

 

 

Owen is very very unselfish, and he keeps possession (or well, keeps up the ball and wins it back) better than almost any other on our team.

 

Its not that Owen's selfish, but when he isn't scoring he really doesn't contribute much to our attacking play.

 

I'm not saying he never will (he certainly did in the 4-3-3) but he isn't at the moment.

 

tbf, we don't really have any attacking play these days regardless

 

Nile Ranger would have fixed that (), and I would have given him a go today, in all honesty.

[Ashley17]

Every game against Stoke should have about 10 minutes of stoppage time. If it's 3 or 4 minutes in a normal game, how about a game where they take 30 seconds over every throw in? Such a detestable team, gutted they'll be around next season.

[Guest Mani]

I was more unhappy with shearer's long ball plan (to shola and owen ffs!!) than his formation. Most of our performance today was sicking to watch. No urgency, no passion, no half footballing brain (at one point stoke had a thrown near their corner flag and all we could do was to drop back and allowed them to get out of it easily.). If we go down then i will never ever forgive shola ameobi. He was brought in the team to add a bit of height (probably), but his attemps to mark faye was s***!!!s***!!!SHIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!

Thank you so much andy caroll.....shola would never have scored that header that you put away expertly. Nice one, son!

 

spot on son.  all that long ball crap to a lanky muppet that actually shrinks when he jumps for the ball, and a midget who aint no target man.

 

Playing Shola upfront with a smaller striker, is just like playing with two small strikers.   The man can't head to save his life, ive notice throughout the years all his headers either go wide or his famous trademark looping header that goes nowhere, or getting completely beatened in the air.  Remembered in a cup game he got out jumped and beatened to the ball by a midget Claude Makelele, one of the smallest players ever to grace the prem.  Flippin hilarious. was like watching a giraffe getting out jumped by a jack russell.   

[Cronky]

Christ, I'm still shaking.

 

3-5-2 was a very bold decision, but in order to be effective the wing backs have to be prepared to get forward. That only happened in the last 20 minutes, when Stoke funnelled back.

 

We had the usual problems. We were hitting the ball long to Shola, who isn't that good in the air despite being 6 foot 3 or whatever. Carroll came on and gave us some threat in that area, and that's ultimately how we got the point. Up till then, we really didn't look like scoring.

 

Even by his own low standards, Butt's passing was appalling.

 

It looks like Shearer has faith in Owen. I wish I had.

[Taylor Swift]

What do you expect Owen to do when the ball is constantly launched up to him and constantly lumped high into the box whenever we get within 40 yards of their goal? I'm sorry but you're fucking off your head if you expect him to do anything against Shawcross and Faye. Wise the fuck up.

 

This is the way we've played the entire season. So, I ask you, what is the best thing for a team that has not one player that can pick out a past, not one winger that can deliver an awesome cross and a team that's sorely lacking the pace that's needed to rip teams apart and create easy chances? Do you still want Owen playing, jogging around the pitch trying to steal a goal which hasn't looked coming for what, 2 months? Or do you drop him because, however good his finishing is, he just doesn't fit in with the personnel available? We don't create the chances that Owen feeds off. We really don't create any chances, so what I'm saying is drop Owen, put someone in who will contribute to the 'team play', something that Owen apparently doesn't acknowledge this season, and make sure the team plays better because that's the only way the team will be able to get the points needed to survive.

 

Look, one of the truest cliches in football is that if you don't lose the ball, the opposition can't score. So, we need to keep the ball better. Owen doesn't help us do that. We are effectively a 10 man team every minute he's on the pitch. That's why we can't keep possession, that's why we don't stretch teams and because of the constant pressure that our defence is under because the whole team can't keep possession, we conceded more than our fair share of silly goals.

 

 

Owen is very very unselfish, and he keeps possession (or well, keeps up the ball and wins it back) better than almost any other on our team.

 

Though if another front two could do better, I'd not be against dropping Owen. It's just, as ElDiablo said, who's to step up?

 

By the phrase 'team play', I mean that the team is better when the player is on the pitch. I think we're worse when Owen's on, even if you include his alleged finishing ability - something we haven't actually seen for half the season. I think Owen lacks dynamism - a poncy way of saying he's very one-dimensional. I think he's slow. Well, maybe he's not slow, but he doesn't possess any other attributes that can mask this weakness of pace. He's not strong, so if he's in a race with a similarly-paced defender, he's going to lose out every single time. He's short, so launching long balls up at him won't work. And if you launch balls into space for him to chase, well, he's average-paced so he's going to get muscled off the ball more times than not by the average Premiership defender. Just look at the defenders he's been totally shut down by this season; the list certainly isn't the who's-who's of the best defenders, is it? So the only way that you can include him in the attack is either by making him the end point ('the finisher') but that implies that you actually have to be able to create chances with all the other players on the pitch - something that we've blatantly shown that we're incapable of. Or, we fire the ball into his feet, which means that his back is constantly to goal - not the way he's been playing for his whole career - and that he's only ever useful if we play this way. So again, he's one-dimensional. If we can play a striker with pace and the ability to receive the ball, this striker, whoever it is, is already more useful than Owen is for our team. I think Owen is a severely limited striker and we can't afford to accommodate him in the team anymore. We need 11 players whose strengths limit each other's weaknesses and make us a better team. Owen's finishing may (and I contest this anyway) be world-class and his movement may be fucking awesome (something I agree with) but the rest of the team just don't play to these strengths and therefore we suffer whenever he's on the pitch.

[Thespence]

Someone should put pressure on the ref for how long they take for a throw in, I have seen NFL quaterbacks set up quicker than Delap does.

 

 

[Gash]

Stoke fans were fucking shit, on the coach home all talking like they were Barca, losers.

I thought the last 35 minutes Newcastle showed the worth for 3 point tbh.

Shearer needs to realise he isnt playing though, he spent more time on the pitch than some players!

[Guest Mani]

Christ, I'm still shaking.

 

3-5-2 was a very bold decision, but in order to be effective the wing backs have to be prepared to get forward. That only happened in the last 20 minutes, when Stoke funnelled back.

 

We had the usual problems. We were hitting the ball long to Shola, who isn't that good in the air despite being 6 foot 3 or whatever. Carroll came on and gave us some threat in that area, and that's ultimately how we got the point. Up till then, we really didn't look like scoring.

 

Even by his own low standards, Butt's passing was appalling.

 

It looks like Shearer has faith in Owen. I wish I had.

 

I think Owen has played well in the last two games, as in he is playing a different role, almost behind the striker at times, he's been chasing down the balls and such which is encouraging.  Don't flame me but i think someone like alan smith would be better playing under that role though  

[Guest toonlass]

Stoke fans were fucking shit, on the coach home all talking like they were Barca, losers.

I thought the last 35 minutes Newcastle showed the worth for 3 point tbh.

Shearer needs to realise he isnt playing though, he spent more time on the pitch than some players!

 

We had them on the ropes for a while at the end. They had more of the game but to be honest they were not the most impressive team I have seen this season.

[Mistle17]

2 points dropped. Simple as that.

[jep]

Did I totally imagine one of their players taking at least three corners with the ball placed well outside the corner area? (including the corner for their goal).

 

I agree by the way that in general they're fans are a right bunch of cretins.  Probably the worst I've ever come across.

 

 

No, you're right. Annoying as hell. First time I'll ever think this out of a forum context, but they really are a bunch of WUM's the lot of them, fans and players alike

 

Got some newfound disrespect for some of their players today as well! Always figured Etherington had to be a bit of a thick prick, but he by far convinced me today.

[Guest firetotheworks]

2 points dropped. Simple as that.

 

1 point gained. Simple as that. 

[Mistle17]

2 points dropped. Simple as that.

 

1 point gained. Simple as that. 

 

[Guest wembley09]

We don't like links to goals, or other forums. Thank You.

[Cheshire Mag]

Did I totally imagine one of their players taking at least three corners with the ball placed well outside the corner area? (including the corner for their goal).

 

I agree by the way that in general they're fans are a right bunch of cretins.  Probably the worst I've ever come across.

 

 

No, you're right. Annoying as hell. First time I'll ever think this out of a forum context, but they really are a bunch of WUM's the lot of them, fans and players alike

 

Got some newfound disrespect for some of their players today as well! Always figured Etherington had to be a bit of a thick prick, but he by far convinced me today.

 

Was sat in a pub full of them today, watching the game & totally agree.

 

They were all singing the "cheer up Alan Shearer" song, trying to wind me up all throughout the game, needless to say they all soon shut the ferk up when Carroll nodded the equaliser in and they were shitting themselfs for the last 10 minutes of the game.

 

Their fans come only 2nd to the m*ckems in terms of being bitter.

[Guest Alan Shearer 9]

every touch we had they were screaming "handball"

[Cheshire Mag]

every touch we had they were screaming "handball"

 

Aye, every blocked shot they were screaming for a penno.

[Teasy]

Having a look at a couple of forums some of them reckon the ref was biased towards us.  Apparently he looked to give us a many free kicks as possible and booked their players because our players play acted constantly   They scored from a corner that should never have been given yet complain the ref was against them.  Fucking lunatics I tell ya

 

Its a pity, because they must actually have some good fans somewhere.

[Guest JamesyJazz]

Ok,I haven't read thro the thread but the general theme will be 'Shola shite'blah blah blah.

 

Shola is poor,no point in disagreeing that point,but he has played through injury for us when other players would have sat back and taken their filthy lucre.The guy tries for the shirt but is clearly lacking in class.Still no defense of the lad being piss poor on the park eh!

We played dire football for 60 odd mins in mho until Spider n Carroll came ,then we actualy looked like a side who wanted to avoid relegation.

Lack of pace and a ball player in midfield is killing us.

 

 

Still a possible 18 points available from our remaining games for the eternal  optimist within me but reality sitting on my left hand shoulder tells me we could be well and truely humped!

[Parsley]

Happy with a point tbh. Stoke are a horrible, horrible team to play against, especially on their home turf. I thought on the whole we defended alright when you consider how many of those long-throws and corners we had to deal with but going forward we were toothless and offered little. Carroll and Jonas were two inspired if somewhat obvious subs by Shearer and turned the game in our favour, both had a massive impact.

 

Harper - 6 : Seemed shaky when dealing with set-pieces but was otherwise solid. Made a crucial save from Fuller in the first half.

 

R. Taylor - 7: Covered a massive amount of ground. Delivery still needs work but is getting better - great crosses for Carroll, Shola and Owen stand out. Decent.

Bassong - 7: A rock. Made Lawrence his absolute bitch.

Edgar - 7: Was very worried about him starting in the centre but proved to be solid. Played it safe but to some success I thought.

Beye - 7: So good in the tackle its just unbelievable. Can't wait to see him surging down the right for us again.

Duff - 6: Gave it simple and didn't really trouble Wilkinson majorly on the left but got an assist and for that he deserves some credit.

 

Nolan - 5: Poor really. Distribution was really bad today but he at least looked to break forward and make tackles.

Guthrie - 5: Disappointing and largely anonymous. Didn't do anything wrong as such but was rightly substituted for Jonas.

Butt - 6: Thought he was alright today actually. Passing still a mixed bag but looked to play it forward and did so to moderate success.

 

Ameobi - 5: Fair play to Shola; he tracked back a fair bit and didn't look nearly as lax as we're used to but nonetheless failed to impose himself upon the Stoke back-line. The fact that Carroll scored and put one wide just 10 minutes after coming on speaks volumes.

Owen - 6: Ran his socks off and looked interested. Retained possession well.

 

Subs:

Jonas - 7: Made a difference. Took men on and moved the ball well. Won several free-kicks central to both halting the Stoke vanguard and setting up attacks of our own. God knows why he didn't start.

Carroll - 8: Legend. Magnificent header and a real hearty showing from the lad. MUST start ahead of Shola.

 

So, we have a point. It's far from ideal and we're still in the shit but we didn't lose and are still ahead of Boro. The team showed character if not quality today and its something that can be built on. Shades of Birmingham last season about the match today.

[Optimistic Nut]

Yeah, definitely reminded me of the Birmingham game. Unfortunately for us though, we don't have a nice easy home game to be able to follow it up with!