Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 0 Newcastle - 19/04/08 - post match reaction from page 25

[Unbelievable]

We  were dreadful in the first half. Having to entirely change the way we want to play because one player is injured (our sole left-back) is an indictment of what's gone before (thanks Dennis).

 

What we showed in the second-half is that we have some intelligent footballers who can yet get us out of this.

 

Good point. We were/are being run by a bunch of fucking amateurs..

[Jayson]

It cannot be underestimated how much Butt negatively affects the whole team.

 

You just cannot have him in central midfield playing the way he does. He kills us defensively and going forward.

 

The likes of Nolan, Duff etc who are not that great in the first place are made to look a million times worse as he puts them all under pressure time and time again with his questionable play.

 

Taking Butt alone out of the team for Guthrie regardless of what formation we play will se us improve about 50% right off the bat.

 

Still he will remain even after today's performance.

 

You really have to wonder what it is all about when the guy continues to feature in the game every single week. It is criminal.

 

Butt wasn't the worst out there - by far it was Ryan Taylor and Nolan. By a country mile.

 

To be honest your getting 3 different piles of shit and trying to judge which smells worst. Its irrelevant, they're all shit.

[aussiemag]

Nicky Butt is just such an incompetent footballer. It was his fault for the Spurs goal today. We are caught on the counter-attack. Nicky Butt is retreating with play. The closest Spurs player to him was Darren Bent who then pulled out left. Butt is left ball watching as Bent pulls free out left, only to have two shots on goal as nobody was picking him up. He is just such a shit player who is way past it.

[samag]

It cannot be underestimated how much Butt negatively affects the whole team.

 

You just cannot have him in central midfield playing the way he does. He kills us defensively and going forward.

 

The likes of Nolan, Duff etc who are not that great in the first place are made to look a million times worse as he puts them all under pressure time and time again with his questionable play.

 

Taking Butt alone out of the team for Guthrie regardless of what formation we play will se us improve about 50% right off the bat.

 

Still he will remain even after today's performance.

 

You really have to wonder what it is all about when the guy continues to feature in the game every single week. It is criminal.

 

Butt wasn't the worst out there - by far it was Ryan Taylor and Nolan. By a country mile.

 

that what is so sad Butt is way past his sell by date, and he is still not the worst player we have got.

[QBG]

Harper 5 - Daft mistake for their goal, other than that ok.

Beye 6 - Solid. Why he is not our captain is anyone's guess.

Bassong 6 - A few mistakes but other than that ok.

S. Taylor 6 - Good block to save a goal and tried to make runs and get forward.

Gutierrez 6 - Only midfielder in the first half making any attempt at passing and moving

Butt 2 - Woeful absolutely fucking woeful. Range of passing is shit. Too slow at covering ground, loses possesion too easily. What does he offer Newcastle United?

Nolan 4 - Nolan did try, but he's just not good enough at all. He's tough in the tackle but thats about it.

R. Taylor 2 - Why oh why did we trade N'Zogbia for this shower of shite. His delivery is abysmal his passing shocking. The only thing he brings to the table is the long throw.

Duff 2 - No pace, no delivery, no enterprise. A terrible waste of money.

Carroll 5 - Won a few flick ons, did his best. Marks his man from corners better than Shola. Does whats asked of him, but doesn't offer much quality on the ground.

Owen 5 - A low 5, way past his best, tried to make things happen in the first half but was no real threat to Spurs' defence. May trouble teams like Boro and Pompey.

 

Subs

 

Smith 6 - Has a better range of passing than Nolan, Butt and R.Taylor put together. Which is shocking to say he was a makeshift midfielder today. Shot was abysmal like but he could be useful in our remaining games.

 

Viduka 5 - Held the ball up and combined well with Martins. Keeping him fit will be a struggle.

 

Martins 6 - More of a threat than any other of our players troubled there defence and got in behind the centre backs. Clearly ball to hand for the disallowed goal. Terrible decision.

[dcmk]

It does not matter who we play in the centre of midfield, no one can pass the ball, no can open up defences, create chances or score goals. The forwards have to make the own chances. No good blaming Owen even at his best he would struggle to score with the crap service he is getting. We lost today against an ordinary. That is what should really worry everyone because any half decent team would have taken something from that game today.

 

Guthrie and Geremi can both pick a pass and keep possession to a half decent standard. but they're not big, hard lads or loud voices in the dressing room and dont crack enough jokes on the training ground to get into the team.

 

There is bullshit Geremi shouldnt be near our team, will offer us the equivalent as R Taylor contribution but only in midfield.  Where we are already slow and weak.

 

Guthrie is returning from injury he should of played at least 2nd half, but Shearer gambled with Strikers.

[AlanSkÃrare]

I thought we saw something very different in the last half-hour or so. As soon as Viduka and Martins came on, we offered something in the last third and with Gutierrez and possibly Barton playing behind those three in the forthcoming games, we'll get goals.

 

First half was poor, but mainly due to the fact that Shearer got his selection wrong again. We have to play with a flat back-four, it's way too confusing for our defenders to shift that formation in this critical time.

 

I'd like to see this formation for the Pompey game, if Barton is fit:

 

----------------Harper----------

Beye--Bassong-Taylor--Duff

--------------Smith--------------

--------Gutierrez-Barton------

-------------Owen--------------

--------Viduka-Martins--------

 

Smith can't pass the ball, can't shoot or anything, but he has a bit of spirit in him, and his legs aren't as tierd as Butts. I'd give him a go.

 

Btw. I think Duff performed OK at LB today and should be played there until Enrique is back.

 

Keep the faith!

[morgs]

Owen needs to drop into the midfield like under Keegan and make those late runs into the box, where if Guttierez starts taking it to the byline he can cut it back for a late Owen run. This is the only position he will be effective in. I think we should also go to the back four of Beye, Collocini, Bassong, Enrique that was such a solid unit during our best spell this season under Kinnear. Kevin Nolan and Nicky Butt have proven how inept they are at this level. Far too slow, don't break down the play and cant even pass the ball 5 yards. How Danny Guthrie is not getting a game is beyond me.

 

 

 

                                                      Harper

                  Beye         Taylor                          Bassong    Enrique

                                                     Smith

                                Guthrie                        Jonas

                                                     Owen

                                    Viduka                     Martins

 

 

 

 

[Guest neesy111]

It does not matter who we play in the centre of midfield, no one can pass the ball, no can open up defences, create chances or score goals. The forwards have to make the own chances. No good blaming Owen even at his best he would struggle to score with the crap service he is getting. We lost today against an ordinary. That is what should really worry everyone because any half decent team would have taken something from that game today.

 

Guthrie and Geremi can both pick a pass and keep possession to a half decent standard. but they're not big, hard lads or loud voices in the dressing room and dont crack enough jokes on the training ground to get into the team.

 

There is bullshit Geremi shouldnt be near our team, will offer us the equivalent as R Taylor contribution but only in midfield.  Where we are already slow and weak.

 

Guthrie is returning from injury he should of played at least 2nd half, but Shearer gambled with Strikers.

 

geremi provided many of the goals in that 4-3-3 formation

 

he can put a good ball in, remember owen's v the mackems

[black_n_white]

Harper 5

Beye 7

S. Taylor 5 (Smith 6)

Bassong 7

R. Taylor 2

Nolan 2 (Viduka 6)

Butt 2

Jonas 5

Duff 5

Owen 3

Carroll 5 (Martins 7)

 

As good as down, no chance we will win all 3 home games, i think we'll win one (boro), lose one (fulham) and draw the other (pompy). We will get hammered at anfield and might even grab a draw at villa but it will be all over by that game anyway.

[tmonkey]

It does not matter who we play in the centre of midfield, no one can pass the ball, no can open up defences, create chances or score goals. The forwards have to make the own chances. No good blaming Owen even at his best he would struggle to score with the crap service he is getting. We lost today against an ordinary. That is what should really worry everyone because any half decent team would have taken something from that game today.

 

Guthrie and Geremi can both pick a pass and keep possession to a half decent standard. but they're not big, hard lads or loud voices in the dressing room and dont crack enough jokes on the training ground to get into the team.

 

There is bullshit Geremi shouldnt be near our team, will offer us the equivalent as R Taylor contribution but only in midfield.  Where we are already slow and weak.

 

Guthrie is returning from injury he should of played at least 2nd half, but Shearer gambled with Strikers.

 

Geremi has a good first touch and the ability to put a good pass or cross in. Yeah, he's slow and he's a bit like Butt at times with his sloppy passing, but he's a better player than he's being given credit for imo.

[Jayson]

I thought we saw something very different in the last half-hour or so. As soon as Viduka and Martins came on, we offered something in the last third and with Gutierrez and possibly Barton playing behind those three in the forthcoming games, we'll get goals.

 

First half was poor, but mainly due to the fact that Shearer got his selection wrong again. We have to play with a flat back-four, it's way too confusing for our defenders to shift that formation in this critical time.

 

I'd like to see this formation for the Pompey game, if Barton is fit:

 

----------------Harper----------

Beye--Bassong-Taylor--Duff

--------------Smith--------------

--------Gutierrez-Barton------

-------------Owen--------------

--------Viduka-Martins--------

 

Smith can't pass the ball, can't shoot or anything, but he has a bit of spirit in him, and his legs aren't as tierd as Butts. I'd give him a go.

 

Btw. I think Duff performed OK at LB today and should be played there until Enrique is back.

 

Keep the faith!

 

It was the same against stoke man, they go a goal behind....start actually pulling it together towards the end of the 2nd half when they realise they have to get urgent about it. The workrate changes and they keep the ball more. Thats all it is. It wasnt just viduka and martins coming on, it was the fact that we actually had the ball to give to them. Do that from the start and theyll prob turn to shit again and start jogging around

[Gallowgate Toon]

Shearer is turning into the new tinkerman, sort this hit out in training man Al FFS..

 

To be fair, the system today might have worked in training. Training isn't really a good indicator of what formations and tactics work best, you have to try them out in a competitive match, unfortunately we don't have too many of them left.

To be fair it didn't work against Stoke, so why would it work with a team that likes to play it out wide to very fast wingers. It makes that formation extremely ineffective.

[dinotheprehistoricgeordie]

My head feels as if its going to explode, I've got the mother of all head aches after watching that shit. The first half performance was so poor I couldn't belive they only put 1 past us, we cant pass, we cant defend, and apparently we've got a great strike in the form of Mr Owen who would score if only he got some better service. Well he isn't so he's not doing a fucking thing on the pitch. Drop the bastard and maybe just maybe we might crawl out of the relegation zone. Doubt it though.

 

Also whats with the constant shitty back passing? I can understand if you're under pressure but for fucks sake with 5 mins to go standing by yourself why are you passing it to your keeper  

[chicago_shearer]

It cannot be underestimated how much Butt negatively affects the whole team.

 

You just cannot have him in central midfield playing the way he does. He kills us defensively and going forward.

 

The likes of Nolan, Duff etc who are not that great in the first place are made to look a million times worse as he puts them all under pressure time and time again with his questionable play.

 

Taking Butt alone out of the team for Guthrie regardless of what formation we play will se us improve about 50% right off the bat.

 

Still he will remain even after today's performance.

 

You really have to wonder what it is all about when the guy continues to feature in the game every single week. It is criminal.

 

Butt wasn't the worst out there - by far it was Ryan Taylor and Nolan. By a country mile.

 

God damn I am so sick of people with their "he wasn't thaaaat bad".  Nicky Butt is fucking useless, put him down like a dog.  I hate him, I really do.

[Guest Mcdonald36]

Dowie hasn't got a clue and is the luckiest man in football. How he keeps getting hired for big jobs is beyond me. He annoys me something ruthless.

[Guest zogonthetyne]

oh why did we trade N'Zogbia for this shower of s****. His delivery is abysmal his passing shocking. The only thing he brings to the table is the long throw.

Duff 2 - No pace, no delivery, no enterprise. A terrible waste of money.

A bit unfair IMO, Duff suffers from a lack of support on the left wing, especially the lack of any other left-footed player to cross the ball in. He does occasionally spend too long on the ball but there's rarely a clear option available to him.

[JH]

We simply must find a system and stick to it.

 

Today, it was like everyone was trying out everyone else's positions.

 

Beye, Taylor and Taylor switched a few times - It was like 'who wants to be RB' interview day. Duff was picking and choosing whether he was LB or LW. Jonas played behind the front two, in CM, on the RW, LW, Left of a forward three...Nolan and Butt were running round in circles, Bassong was playing at the back by himself, Ryan Taylor was running nowhere, Viduka and Owen were so deep they might as well have been centre midfielders.

 

It was pathetic at times. Make sure everyone knows their positions and sticks to them.

[KaKa]

I thought we saw something very different in the last half-hour or so. As soon as Viduka and Martins came on, we offered something in the last third and with Gutierrez and possibly Barton playing behind those three in the forthcoming games, we'll get goals.

 

First half was poor, but mainly due to the fact that Shearer got his selection wrong again. We have to play with a flat back-four, it's way too confusing for our defenders to shift that formation in this critical time.

 

I'd like to see this formation for the Pompey game, if Barton is fit:

 

----------------Harper----------

Beye--Bassong-Taylor--Duff

--------------Smith--------------

--------Gutierrez-Barton------

-------------Owen--------------

--------Viduka-Martins--------

 

Smith can't pass the ball, can't shoot or anything, but he has a bit of spirit in him, and his legs aren't as tierd as Butts. I'd give him a go.

 

Btw. I think Duff performed OK at LB today and should be played there until Enrique is back.

 

Keep the faith!

 

Smith's passing was really good today actually.

 

His passing is a lot beter than people give him credit for you. He doesn't try to do anything too ambitious, but he look sof rthe forward pass to the player closest to him and therefore he is practically Riquelme in comparison to Nicky Butt.

 

 

[Guest fraser]

Dowie hasn't got a clue and is the luckiest man in football. How he keeps getting hired for big jobs is beyond me. He annoys me something ruthless.

 

How anybody can associate Dowie with the performances that preceded him (and which are responsible for our current plight) is beyond me.

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

Dowie hasn't got a clue and is the luckiest man in football. How he keeps getting hired for big jobs is beyond me. He annoys me something ruthless.

What big jobs has he had? Because being a number two at a midlevel Premiership team is not a big job to me.

 

I thought we saw something very different in the last half-hour or so. As soon as Viduka and Martins came on, we offered something in the last third and with Gutierrez and possibly Barton playing behind those three in the forthcoming games, we'll get goals.

 

First half was poor, but mainly due to the fact that Shearer got his selection wrong again. We have to play with a flat back-four, it's way too confusing for our defenders to shift that formation in this critical time.

 

I'd like to see this formation for the Pompey game, if Barton is fit:

 

----------------Harper----------

Beye--Bassong-Taylor--Duff

--------------Smith--------------

--------Gutierrez-Barton------

-------------Owen--------------

--------Viduka-Martins--------

 

Smith can't pass the ball, can't shoot or anything, but he has a bit of spirit in him, and his legs aren't as tierd as Butts. I'd give him a go.

 

Btw. I think Duff performed OK at LB today and should be played there until Enrique is back.

 

Keep the faith!

 

It was the same against stoke man, they go a goal behind....start actually pulling it together towards the end of the 2nd half when they realise they have to get urgent about it. The workrate changes and they keep the ball more. Thats all it is. It wasnt just viduka and martins coming on, it was the fact that we actually had the ball to give to them. Do that from the start and theyll prob turn to s*** again and start jogging around

Viduka and Martins coming on had everything to do with our improvement. Infact, it was our improvement.

[Taylor Swift]

Why didn't Guthrie come on? Why did it take so long for Shearer to change to a 4-4-2? Why the fuck did he start the match with a 3-5-2? Why is Nolan even on the pitch? Why did Smith come on? Why is Owen on the pitch? Shite, shite, shite.

 

3 matches. 9 points. Anything less and we're done. This is it, boys.

[QBG]

I thought we saw something very different in the last half-hour or so. As soon as Viduka and Martins came on, we offered something in the last third and with Gutierrez and possibly Barton playing behind those three in the forthcoming games, we'll get goals.

 

First half was poor, but mainly due to the fact that Shearer got his selection wrong again. We have to play with a flat back-four, it's way too confusing for our defenders to shift that formation in this critical time.

 

I'd like to see this formation for the Pompey game, if Barton is fit:

 

----------------Harper----------

Beye--Bassong-Taylor--Duff

--------------Smith--------------

--------Gutierrez-Barton------

-------------Owen--------------

--------Viduka-Martins--------

 

Smith can't pass the ball, can't shoot or anything, but he has a bit of spirit in him, and his legs aren't as tierd as Butts. I'd give him a go.

Btw. I think Duff performed OK at LB today and should be played there until Enrique is back.

 

Keep the faith!

 

Smith's passing was miles ahead of anyone else that played in the centre of midfield today, I'd hate to see Butt attempting some of the cross field balls that Smith did with ease.

[Jayson]

Dowie hasn't got a clue and is the luckiest man in football. How he keeps getting hired for big jobs is beyond me. He annoys me something ruthless.

What big jobs has he had? Because being a number two at a midlevel Premiership team is not a big job to me.

 

I thought we saw something very different in the last half-hour or so. As soon as Viduka and Martins came on, we offered something in the last third and with Gutierrez and possibly Barton playing behind those three in the forthcoming games, we'll get goals.

 

First half was poor, but mainly due to the fact that Shearer got his selection wrong again. We have to play with a flat back-four, it's way too confusing for our defenders to shift that formation in this critical time.

 

I'd like to see this formation for the Pompey game, if Barton is fit:

 

----------------Harper----------

Beye--Bassong-Taylor--Duff

--------------Smith--------------

--------Gutierrez-Barton------

-------------Owen--------------

--------Viduka-Martins--------

 

Smith can't pass the ball, can't shoot or anything, but he has a bit of spirit in him, and his legs aren't as tierd as Butts. I'd give him a go.

 

Btw. I think Duff performed OK at LB today and should be played there until Enrique is back.

 

Keep the faith!

 

It was the same against stoke man, they go a goal behind....start actually pulling it together towards the end of the 2nd half when they realise they have to get urgent about it. The workrate changes and they keep the ball more. Thats all it is. It wasnt just viduka and martins coming on, it was the fact that we actually had the ball to give to them. Do that from the start and theyll prob turn to s*** again and start jogging around

Viduka and Martins coming on had everything to do with our improvement. Infact, it was our improvement.

 

Viduka holding up the ball more helped maybe. But we just kept it more in general, our defensive line pushed higher up......our fullbacks started offering themselves. If the ball bounced in the middle they RAN towards it flying, not jogging and waiting for the opposition to hopefully miscontrol it first. If they didnt get it, they ran back. They just got more desperate & it paid off. That extra kick of addrenalin. They dont have it at the start of matches.

[TRon]

I thought we saw something very different in the last half-hour or so. As soon as Viduka and Martins came on, we offered something in the last third and with Gutierrez and possibly Barton playing behind those three in the forthcoming games, we'll get goals.

 

First half was poor, but mainly due to the fact that Shearer got his selection wrong again. We have to play with a flat back-four, it's way too confusing for our defenders to shift that formation in this critical time.

 

I'd like to see this formation for the Pompey game, if Barton is fit:

 

----------------Harper----------

Beye--Bassong-Taylor--Duff

--------------Smith--------------

--------Gutierrez-Barton------

-------------Owen--------------

--------Viduka-Martins--------

 

Smith can't pass the ball, can't shoot or anything, but he has a bit of spirit in him, and his legs aren't as tierd as Butts. I'd give him a go.

Btw. I think Duff performed OK at LB today and should be played there until Enrique is back.

 

Keep the faith!

 

Smith's passing was miles ahead of anyone else that played in the centre of midfield today, I'd hate to see Butt attempting some of the cross field balls that Smith did with ease.

 

Been saying for ages that Smith should start ahead of Butt. Not that Smith's great but at least he's not half dead.