Leicester City Vs. Newcastle United Sat. Jan 30th 2010 17:20 KO Live on SKY

[Mick]

This is the sort of game where Nolan has, typically, been most effective in. We play with our backs to the wall mainly and he'll sneak in through a gap and put one a way - which is why i'd be pretty tempted to go 4-5-1 and reluctantly drop Lovelyhands - it's the sort of game where he won't get a sniff, i'd imagine. Routledge and Jonas providing the width (off Ranger, imo) - with a pretty steely midfield trio, and i think we'd be fairly comfortable. I've lambasted the ugly football as much as anyone away from home this season, but you can't deny that it's been an effective way of doing things. If it's not going right we can switch.

 

And tbh i think he will go 4-5-1.

 

 

We would have walked this league if we'd had somebody like Keegan and these players because he would have gone at the more often than not poor opposition.  Dropping Lovenkrands tomorrow would be just about as stupid as anything Hughton has done to date as he'll be the only player that we will field who will have the pace to worry the Leicester defence through the middle.  I really hope that Routledge starts and we have somebody who can keep ahead of him and make the most of the likely crosses into the box.  Nolan is a passenger far too often and we lose too much as a team for that.  We could get away with it if we had somebody other than Smith or Butt in the middle but we don't seem to have that option.  If we go 4-5-1 against Leicester than we'll invite them on to us and we'll probably struggle to get any possession and have to rely on sneaking something out of nothing.

 

Winning is important but so is the quality of football that we do or don’t play.

 

[Skeletor]

I'm only on about this game man. We've gone 4-5-1 away from home lots of times and secured several valuable wins.

 

The key to that was Nolan scoring vital goals. He hasn't been doing that lately. We're also without 3/4 of the defence that helped us keep the clean sheets in those matches too.

 

Nolan's only really scored in the 4-5-1. Stick him in a 4-4-2 and he hasn't had a sniff.

 

There's a case for both formations but i'm just keen on us going for the tried and tested version. Definitely think Ranger deserves a shout ahead of Carroll at the moment mind; the latter has been utter f***ing turd just recently (though i did miss the WBA Cup came).

 

I just think that now we have the personnel to attack teams away from home we shouldn't be set up so negatively any more. Having a combination of Guthrie, Smith and Nolan in the centre and Carroll up front means that we're once again far too slow to cause any real damage and any goals will come more by fluke than design (as they have in most away games this season).

[Yorkie]

Tbf, i'm advocating a 'front three' of Routledge/Ranger/Jonas - three of the four fastest people in the squad. All i'm saying is that we've gone away from home with similar strategies and come away with vital victories. We're playing pretty turd at the moment and the lads need a boost with an away victory. If it means grinding out another 1-0 then i'm really not bothered. Like it or not, we're probably gonna punt it long one way or another - and it's exactly the sort of game where Lovenkrands will get about three touches of the ball for the entire ninety minutes.

 

The thing about a 4-5-1 is that it accommodates several of our best players. Routledge, Nolan, Guthrie, Smith, Jonas all add something important to our game in one way or another and Ranger looks to be chomping at the bit.

 

Obviously this is entirely hypothetical cos Ranger won't get in ahead of The Big AC.

[midds]

Really tough game this. If we score first I think we'll go on and get a few.

 

I think we'll sneak it about 3-2. Last minute winner or a dodgy penalty or something stupid like that.

[Yorkie]

Really tough game this. If we score first I think we'll go on and get a few.

 

I think we'll sneak it about 3-2. Last minute winner or a dodgy penalty or something stupid like that.

 

Something like that, a last minute winner, would give the squad a huge boost. It'd be nice if it did pan out like that in many way - though obviously it's not great conceding, certainly more than once.

[Mick]

I'm only on about this game man. We've gone 4-5-1 away from home lots of times and secured several valuable wins.

 

The draws we've been getting have been less valuable than winning one of them and losing the next.  We've drawn 7 league games so far this season and would have been better of if we'd won 3 and lost 4 of those games.

[Yorkie]

I'm only on about this game man. We've gone 4-5-1 away from home lots of times and secured several valuable wins.

 

The draws we've been getting have been less valuable than winning one of them and losing the next.  We've drawn 7 league games so far this season and would have been better of if we'd won 3 and lost 4 of those games.

 

The three games we've drawn away from home this season, we lined up with a 4-4-2. Obviously, that's not a water-tight argument cos there were some dodgy line-ups here and there... but when you compare it to the difficult games won with the 4-5-1; Sheff Utd, Cardiff, Preston (by the time we've scored). Games against tough, physical opposition like Leicester.

 

Like i say, all i'm saying is that it's worked and i wouldn't be unhappy to see it. And like i say - if it's clearly not working, we've got options on the bench - change it.

[Mick]

 

The three games we've drawn away from home this season, we lined up with a 4-4-2. Obviously, that's not a water-tight argument cos there were some dodgy line-ups here and there... but when you compare it to the difficult games won with the 4-5-1; Sheff Utd, Cardiff, Preston (by the time we've scored). Games against tough, physical opposition like Leicester.

 

Like i say, all i'm saying is that it's worked and i wouldn't be unhappy to see it. And like i say - if it's clearly not working, we've got options on the bench - change it.

 

I'll be gutted if we come out of this transfer window and play the same football as we did before and during the window.

[Yorkie]

We've improved the first team with a right-winger. I'm fucking chuffed about it, but i don't expect miracles.

[Mowen]

We'll cock all over these cunts.

[Mick]

We've improved the first team with a right-winger. I'm f***ing chuffed about it, but i don't expect miracles.

 

I agree that Routledge has improved the first team if we use him right, also, it shouldn't be seen as a miracle if we play good football.

[TRon]

I'm with Ronaldo on the Carroll front like.

 

So am I, you would think that Carroll had a 50p shaped head as the ball just bounces off his head in random directions.  You can't blame people for not getting the second ball as it's almost impossible to predict where it will go.  Carroll also seems to have problems staying on his feet and spends are too much time on his arse, he either has poor balance or he's looking for a cheap free-kick.

you'd be amazed at the ammount of people who sit round me who think he is doing so well cos he is winning "everything in the air" without realising it's pointless unless he has an idea where he's putting it.

 

however his control and retension with his feet is getting much better but he never gets into the box after laying it off (much like shola used to)

I don't rate the lad but it would help any of our front men if they had some semblance of support. Our game plan  tends to leave our central midfielders deep and whilst they perform their defensive and pressing duties well, they do little creatively.

Nolan can push on but his ability to link play hasn't been there. Is that a collective problem or do we have issues in both areas? Think its the game we play and a lack of intelligence up front and in the middle. Put a young Lee Clark and Gavin Peacock in our side and it would be very different. As it is we have 'good' players (in this league) but very similar in too many respects e.g. lack of pace, thought, invention but very powerful. Clearly they are good enough to damage sides and contribute to where we are. It's not pretty to watch though.

 

All of our central midfielders tend to sit deep, even Guthrie and Barton when he's available. Nolan does get forward occasionally but if he does it wipes him out for the rest of the game. The link up play which is missing in attack is due mostly through lack of movement in central midfield. True we lack intelligence as well, but if the players are moving into space constantly it makes passing a much simpler exercise.

[Guest Pie]

I'm with Ronaldo on the Carroll front like.

 

So am I, you would think that Carroll had a 50p shaped head as the ball just bounces off his head in random directions.  You can't blame people for not getting the second ball as it's almost impossible to predict where it will go.  Carroll also seems to have problems staying on his feet and spends are too much time on his arse, he either has poor balance or he's looking for a cheap free-kick.

you'd be amazed at the ammount of people who sit round me who think he is doing so well cos he is winning "everything in the air" without realising it's pointless unless he has an idea where he's putting it.

 

however his control and retension with his feet is getting much better but he never gets into the box after laying it off (much like shola used to)

I don't rate the lad but it would help any of our front men if they had some semblance of support. Our game plan  tends to leave our central midfielders deep and whilst they perform their defensive and pressing duties well, they do little creatively.

Nolan can push on but his ability to link play hasn't been there. Is that a collective problem or do we have issues in both areas? Think its the game we play and a lack of intelligence up front and in the middle. Put a young Lee Clark and Gavin Peacock in our side and it would be very different. As it is we have 'good' players (in this league) but very similar in too many respects e.g. lack of pace, thought, invention but very powerful. Clearly they are good enough to damage sides and contribute to where we are. It's not pretty to watch though.

 

All of our central midfielders tend to sit deep, even Guthrie and Barton when he's available. Nolan does get forward occasionally but if he does it wipes him out for the rest of the game. The link up play which is missing in attack is due mostly through lack of movement in central midfield. True we lack intelligence as well, but if the players are moving into space constantly it makes passing a much simpler exercise.

I agree but it's not a game we have played this season really. We tend to play it wide and let them run down blind alleys. The movement from the centre and the less cautious pass aren't in our reportoire, equally we tend to be very static up top. It can be effective but it's like watching Cambridge in 1992 (mind you their front men were better than ours)

[TRon]

I'm with Ronaldo on the Carroll front like.

 

So am I, you would think that Carroll had a 50p shaped head as the ball just bounces off his head in random directions.  You can't blame people for not getting the second ball as it's almost impossible to predict where it will go.  Carroll also seems to have problems staying on his feet and spends are too much time on his arse, he either has poor balance or he's looking for a cheap free-kick.

you'd be amazed at the ammount of people who sit round me who think he is doing so well cos he is winning "everything in the air" without realising it's pointless unless he has an idea where he's putting it.

 

however his control and retension with his feet is getting much better but he never gets into the box after laying it off (much like shola used to)

I don't rate the lad but it would help any of our front men if they had some semblance of support. Our game plan  tends to leave our central midfielders deep and whilst they perform their defensive and pressing duties well, they do little creatively.

Nolan can push on but his ability to link play hasn't been there. Is that a collective problem or do we have issues in both areas? Think its the game we play and a lack of intelligence up front and in the middle. Put a young Lee Clark and Gavin Peacock in our side and it would be very different. As it is we have 'good' players (in this league) but very similar in too many respects e.g. lack of pace, thought, invention but very powerful. Clearly they are good enough to damage sides and contribute to where we are. It's not pretty to watch though.

 

All of our central midfielders tend to sit deep, even Guthrie and Barton when he's available. Nolan does get forward occasionally but if he does it wipes him out for the rest of the game. The link up play which is missing in attack is due mostly through lack of movement in central midfield. True we lack intelligence as well, but if the players are moving into space constantly it makes passing a much simpler exercise.

I agree but it's not a game we have played this season really. We tend to play it wide and let them run down blind alleys. The movement from the centre and the less cautious pass aren't in our reportoire, equally we tend to be very static up top. It can be effective but it's like watching Cambridge in 1992 (mind you their front men were better than ours)

 

The best movement up front I've seen from any of our forwards has been Ranger by a mile, followed by Lovenkrands and then probably Shola. Carroll and Nolan are usually barging around in the general vicinity of the ball without any real idea or control of where it ends up.

[Guest Pie]

I'm with Ronaldo on the Carroll front like.

 

So am I, you would think that Carroll had a 50p shaped head as the ball just bounces off his head in random directions.  You can't blame people for not getting the second ball as it's almost impossible to predict where it will go.  Carroll also seems to have problems staying on his feet and spends are too much time on his arse, he either has poor balance or he's looking for a cheap free-kick.

you'd be amazed at the ammount of people who sit round me who think he is doing so well cos he is winning "everything in the air" without realising it's pointless unless he has an idea where he's putting it.

 

however his control and retension with his feet is getting much better but he never gets into the box after laying it off (much like shola used to)

I don't rate the lad but it would help any of our front men if they had some semblance of support. Our game plan  tends to leave our central midfielders deep and whilst they perform their defensive and pressing duties well, they do little creatively.

Nolan can push on but his ability to link play hasn't been there. Is that a collective problem or do we have issues in both areas? Think its the game we play and a lack of intelligence up front and in the middle. Put a young Lee Clark and Gavin Peacock in our side and it would be very different. As it is we have 'good' players (in this league) but very similar in too many respects e.g. lack of pace, thought, invention but very powerful. Clearly they are good enough to damage sides and contribute to where we are. It's not pretty to watch though.

 

All of our central midfielders tend to sit deep, even Guthrie and Barton when he's available. Nolan does get forward occasionally but if he does it wipes him out for the rest of the game. The link up play which is missing in attack is due mostly through lack of movement in central midfield. True we lack intelligence as well, but if the players are moving into space constantly it makes passing a much simpler exercise.

I agree but it's not a game we have played this season really. We tend to play it wide and let them run down blind alleys. The movement from the centre and the less cautious pass aren't in our reportoire, equally we tend to be very static up top. It can be effective but it's like watching Cambridge in 1992 (mind you their front men were better than ours)

 

The best movement up front I've seen from any of our forwards has been Ranger by a mile, followed by Lovenkrands and then probably Shola. Carroll and Nolan are usually barging around in the general vicinity of the ball without any real idea or control of where it ends up.

The players themselves aren't bad. They are just too similar with the exception of Lovenkrands who has lost a yard or two of pace and isn't running the channels or off the shoulder of the last man enough. 

As mentioned though, the lack of support from midfield and our game plan is making them less effective than they could be in other systems/situations.

Andy Carroll's performance at Barnsley summed it up for me. He was up against two big lads, ran the channels, worked well, won his fair share and there was nobody with the wit or desire to support him from midfield. It was the stand out performance in that sense because Shola did exactly the same against Boro and Sheffield a week later. That they created chances was in spite of what we did not because it. Statistics will never tell you that though.

[Incognito]

Go 5 in midfield and we'll win comfortably.

                           

                                      Harper

 

Taylor                  Colocini      Williamson                  Kadrar

 

 

Rouledge  Guthrie          Smith              Nolan            Gutierrez

 

 

                                          Carroll         

[Newcastle Fan]

                       

                          Harper

 

        Taylor  Colo Williamson Kadar

 

          Routledge Smith Guthrie Jonas

 

                  Lovenkrands

                                        Carroll

[wyn davies]

I agree Keegan would of danced this league with the players we have, Hughton is just to negative, why do we have to grind out results, if the other teams in this league were any good they would of been out ages ago and that includes Forest,under Keegan today,  we would of been done and dusted by christma played the reserves for the rest of the season and ll gone on holiday.Infact we wouldn't of even been in this league.

[Amir_9]

I think Hughton will go with a back four of:

 

Kadar Collo Williamson Van Aanholt

[Guest]

This is the sort of game where Nolan has, typically, been most effective in. We play with our backs to the wall mainly and he'll sneak in through a gap and put one a way - which is why i'd be pretty tempted to go 4-5-1 and reluctantly drop Lovelyhands - it's the sort of game where he won't get a sniff, i'd imagine. Routledge and Jonas providing the width (off Ranger, imo) - with a pretty steely midfield trio, and i think we'd be fairly comfortable. I've lambasted the ugly football as much as anyone away from home this season, but you can't deny that it's been an effective way of doing things. If it's not going right we can switch.

 

And tbh i think he will go 4-5-1.

 

 

We would have walked this league if we'd had somebody like Keegan and these players because he would have gone at the more often than not poor opposition. 

 

Unless you would have expected us to get 120 points or whatever this season, I'm not sure. I think the results and football would have been more emphatic, but points tally pretty similar.

[TRon]

What's the weather like down there, there's been quite a lot of snow in Newcastle overnight?

[Guest fraser]

Bright and sunny if somewhat cold. No snow.

[TRon]

Cheers.

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

I think Hughton will go with a back four of:

 

Kadar Collo Williamson Van Aanholt

I'd be surprised considering Hughton mentioned after the Crystal Palace game that Kadar was more comfortable after he had been moved from right back to left back.

[TRon]

I think Hughton will go with a back four of:

 

Kadar Collo Williamson Van Aanholt

I'd be surprised considering Hughton mentioned after the Crystal Palace game that Kadar was more comfortable after he had been moved from right back to left back.

 

Agreed. Why would he go for Kadar when he's got a genuine right back available anyway in Ryan Taylor?