Newcastle United vs Blackburn Rovers 19:45 10/11/10 Pre-Match thread

[Guest Tall Striker]

Same team, really want to win this one.

 

Looking at the seating plan, this might be a sub 40k attendance.

 

There'll be plenty of people decide last minute that they'll come to this I reckon. We got more than 40k for most midweek games in the Championship. I'd say 44k.

[Andy]

Jonny you're talking rubbish mate Another little subtle swipe at Barton too, I see - still prefer Guthrie?

 

It's not rubbish - I'm just trying to keep my feet on the ground. Just because we've won three on the bounce doesn't mean we're now the best team in the world - the way people on this forum instantly swipe at you the second you dare even think about a bit of criticism would suggest some think we are.

 

Poor players don't become good players in the space of 2 weeks - I can't help but be hesitant.

 

I don't think people disagreeing with your proposed changes means they think we're the best team in the world - that's a pretty big leap, like! Don't know where you got that from.

 

Has it crossed your mind that your assumption about poor players becoming good players might be based on faulty initial assumptions? Even as a possibility, I mean?

 

Personally I've never believed in the concept of over-achieving - you're either able of performing to a certain level, or you're not. These players are clearly capable of playing very well in the system we're employing over a sustained period of time (270 minutes and counting) - there's nothing deceptive or misleading about it.

 

They may mistakes in the future, I'm sure they will in fact, but to then say they were playing above themselves seems irrational IMO.

 

Not really. It happens all the time. Do you think we're better than Arsenal? Because I don't, yet the result shows otherwise - if they weren't playing above themselves then we're a better side than Arsenal.

 

The FA Cup is a perfect example of it. Smaller teams beating bigger teams. They play out of their skin, fight for everything and get the upset. They're not good enough to play in teh higher leagues and if they did, they'd probably get beat every week. But for those games they play above themselves as footballers and get the result. I don't think it's irrational at all.

 

You're missing steps in your logic again - I didn't say that was the best Arsenal could play.

 

Are you tired? Step away from the forum and get a coffee man!

 

I guess we'll find out on Wednesday and Saturday then. See if we get a Sunderland performance, or a Stoke/Wigan one.

 

I'll be delighted if we win, but I'm not hopeful that this team can perform again so soon.

 

You're a right negative fucker these days like.

 

From what I've seen, it's less to do with the players playing above themselves and more to do with the players playing in an improved, considerably more balanced formation, with better organisation and preparation, as well as with more confidence - and, of course, with better footballers around them with the likes of Tiote in the team.

[Geordie Ahmed]

Would not make any changes

[Keefaz]

Anyone suggesting that we change the starting XI is a cunt, quite frankly.

 

In a nutshell.

 

So when should we change the team?

[Wullie]

Anyone suggesting that we change the starting XI is a cunt, quite frankly.

 

In a nutshell.

 

So when should we change the team?

 

When we have to?

 

I think Tiote should get himself booked on Wednesday night for a start.

[Dan Gleebals]

Absolutely has to be the same team.  We should keep this team in tact and make to odd tactical or fitness related change duting the match if need, or if the result is looking comfortable.

 

These lads seems to be on a roll with something to prove which is fantastic.  We need to get at Blackburn from the off and get a couple of goals quickly, they will offer nothing then and the score could open up.

 

We need to get to 40 points as soon as possible, then we can think about resting people if needs be.  IMO, the next 3 games are winnable ones which would put us in a very good position for the rest of the season.

[Benwell Lad]

Would be great if we hit the 40 point target early.

If we did I'd go full pelt at the FA cup and hopefully come up against teams who still have bigger fish to fry.

[Stifler]

This will be a tough game but I can't see why it wouldn't be winnable. Blackburn are a team that only counter attack both home and away and the way we play means we shouldn't be giving them too many opportunities to do that. A big plus in our favour is the fact that our crosses, especially from Barton are so accurate, and they drop at the last minute meaning that in most cases the Blackburn players shouldn't even be able to get to the ball, nevermind having the power to out power us.

 

Another plus is the fact that we can keep the ball on the ground, I've yet to see Blackburn do that or even have posession in midfield in any game they have played this season for any real length of time.

 

There isn't any reason why we shouldn't win this game or the Fulham game if we arn't at our best.

 

 

Now that I have said that, I'm off to the bookies to get the best odds I can get for a Blackburn win.

[Taylor Swift]

Shak can piss off

 

We've gotta rotate the team eventually. True, we played 46 league games last year but a majority of them was done by 60 minutes. We won't be afforded that luxury this season. And of course, the players aren't tired now, but the point is that you don't wear them out now because they'll tire later on in the season. No one is saying that it's the end of a hard season and the players are tired, but the way you protect and keep your players fresh throughout the season is by resting them throughout the season, not just when they are tired at the end. Players get worn out gradually throughout a season. A rest every now and then keeps them fresh, and a rest doesn't need to happen just because they are extremely tired.

 

I'm also sure our players can play 45-50 games a season and we won't be playing that many matches unless we have a cup run, but our fitness levels will be different than the top sides because of the style of football that we play (we don't dominate possession). Anyone who's played football will tell you it's more tiring when you don't have the ball, hence our players are likely to get tired and need a rest faster than the top teams' players.

 

I'm also not saying 'let's change half the team', but merely saying that switching one or two players will help keep the whole squad fresh, and it'll give the subs a game, which will be helpful if there's an injury; you don't want to stick a player on in a big match when he hasn't had a game in 3 months.

 

The last factor is the fact that we've just had two very tiring games. The players were up for it against Sunderland and adrenaline must have played a big part, then on Sunday we played against an Arsenal team who keep possession very well (I'm sure they had more possession than us). Blackburn aren't the toughest opposition and we're expected to win. If we're planning to use the squad then there aren't many better games (on paper) that we should be doing it in.

 

Saying all that, I still expect Hughton to keep the same team until the Chelsea match because we have a really good chance to extend our winning run to at least 5 matches, which would be the first for god knows how many years.

[Shak]

You'd really rest the CB's though?

 

Possibly one of the best runs of form we've seen from a NUFC CB tandem in years and you want to go and split them up for the next couple of games?

 

The midfielders and strikers I can see some argument for (only if they're absolutely knackered though, which I still doubt) because there's a lot more running involved, but how often do teams rest CB's due to fatigue?

 

We also don't have any more midweek matches after this one until the Christmas break, no way we should be getting horribly fatigued unless there's something drastically wrong with our fitness regime. If there were games in midweek all the time then of course you'd have a point. But there aren't, so you don't.

[Wallsendmag]

Cant see the attendance being very high for this one, early 40's at best IMO

 

Went up to get a couple of extra tickets after i'd finished work yesterday and was having a chat with the lass behind the counter and she was saying they were suprised at the lack of interest in this match after the recent performances and that only "around 37,000" tickets had been sold (as of 4.30pm yesterday).

 

The problem that we have now is that there's 20,000 tickets for each match on sale to members/general sale so when we have 2 home games in a week a lot of people will only be able to afford to go to one of them and a Saturday game is going to be more popular than the midweek one.

 

If we can get a good result tomorrow there'll be 47,000+ there against Fulham.

[Guest neesy111]

A winning team never gets tired.

 

 

I suppose next we'll win the league because of a child's wish?

 

Most managers say that.

[Guest neesy111]

This talk of resting players in November is laughable.  If our footballers can't play 38 games a season then they shouldn't be playing in this division.  It's not like our starting 11 played in all of our carling cup matches as well.

[Guest gggg]

This talk of resting players in November is laughable.  If our footballers can't play 38 games a season then they shouldn't be playing in this division.  It's not like our starting 11 played in all of our carling cup matches as well.

 

Hello Martin O'Neill. It's not the 70's anymore.

[clintdempsey]

 

I'm also sure our players can play 45-50 games a season and we won't be playing that many matches unless we have a cup run, but our fitness levels will be different than the top sides because of the style of football that we play (we don't dominate possession). Anyone who's played football will tell you it's more tiring when you don't have the ball, hence our players are likely to get tired and need a rest faster than the top teams' players.

 

 

That's crap right there. According to the BBC stats from each of our league games the average possession stats is 53-47. In our favour. We do play possession football quite good these days.

[Wallsendmag]

This talk of resting players in November is laughable.  If our footballers can't play 38 games a season then they shouldn't be playing in this division.  It's not like our starting 11 played in all of our carling cup matches as well.

 

Exactly! we're not in Europe and have fielded a reserve team for the 3 Carling Cup games we've played so the majority of our first team have played 11 matches since mid August (some of them even less). I really can't see how a fit sportsman who trains most days should be needing a rest yet.

[Guest neesy111]

This talk of resting players in November is laughable.  If our footballers can't play 38 games a season then they shouldn't be playing in this division.  It's not like our starting 11 played in all of our carling cup matches as well.

 

Hello Martin O'Neill. It's not the 70's anymore.

 

Tell me how many games does Messi, Ronaldo etc play a season. 60+

 

I remember shearer playing 58 games for us one season, and this was at the latter of his career.

[Guest gggg]

Ronaldo and Messi are two of the fittest players on the planet and Barca and Real don't play the same team every week and rarely even two a row. Man Utd haven't kept the same team for 100+ games. You only have to look at Villa's tail off at the end of each season to see what happens if you do that, even when they rested the whole team in Europe. Teams don't do it for a laugh.

 

They don't need a rest now but they will do at the end of the season when we could be slipping down the table, better to have the odd one out than the whole team. It's exactly what happened to Hull and Burnley.

[Guest neesy111]

Ronaldo and Messi are two of the fittest players on the planet and Barca and Real don't play the same team every week and rarely even two a row. Man Utd haven't kept the same team for 100+ games. You only have to look at Villa's tail off at the end of each season to see what happens if you do that, even when they rested the whole team in Europe. Teams don't do it for a laugh.

 

They don't need a rest now but they will do at the end of the season when we could be slipping down the table, better to have the odd one out than the whole team. It's exactly what happened to Hull and Burnley.

 

You can't blame what happened to Villa, Hull and Burnley on just players getting tired.

[Guest neesy111]

Also shall I say a better idea than resting players, why do we just get to 40 points ASAP by playing our best team.

[Neil]

If you're not prepared to rotate when you have 3 games in 6 days then I don't know when.

 

If the players are seriously fit enough to perform at a high level against Blackburn and then against Fulham, fair enough. However I think the chances of this are near to zero.

[Stu]

A winning team never gets tired.

 

 

I suppose next we'll win the league because of a child's wish?

 

[Guest neesy111]

If you're not prepared to rotate when you have 3 games in 6 days then I don't know when.

 

Let's see how many teams in the division will do this, I suspect not very many.  It's the same over xmas and you don't see many teams rotating then as well.

[Neil]

If you're not prepared to rotate when you have 3 games in 6 days then I don't know when.

 

Let's see how many teams in the division will do this, I suspect not very many.  It's the same over xmas and you don't see many teams rotating then as well.

 

Apart from the vast majority if not all, no, not many.

[broonalegeordie]

2-1 vs blackburn

play strongest 11 and then if we are winning by a couple with half hour to go bring on Ranger (hopefully someones gave him some new boots), Routledge, and S Taylor.