Newcastle 3 - 1 Blackburn Rovers - 24/09/11 - post-match reaction from page 27

[Ashley17]

There's truth in that. Whilst a relegation can never be a good thing, it certainly purged the club of a lot of the malingering shite that had began to engulf it. It signalled the end of the easy-money atmosphere in the dressing room. Since day one of the Championship we've seen some great graft by Newcastle sides that was all to absent in years gone by. We may not be world beaters but nobody could ever call us a soft touch.

 

Relegation wasn't a 'good thing' but 'good things' did come out of it, if that makes sense. It wiped the clock back to 0000 and allowed us to rebuild and move forward.

 

Yes, that's a very good way of putting it - much better than my incoherent ramble anyway

[Guest BooBoo]

Highly sensible post there.

[Sifu]

There's truth in that. Whilst a relegation can never be a good thing, it certainly purged the club of a lot of the malingering s**** that had began to engulf it. It signalled the end of the easy-money atmosphere in the dressing room. Since day one of the Championship we've seen some great graft by Newcastle sides that was all to absent in years gone by. We may not be world beaters but nobody could ever call us a soft touch.

 

Relegation wasn't a 'good thing' but 'good things' did come out of it, if that makes sense. It wiped the clock back to 0000 and allowed us to rebuild and move forward.

 

[robm]

Sorry if already posted but a decent match report from the Blackburn forum

 

http://www.brfcs.co.uk:81/2011/09/25/201112-match-report-newcastle-united-3-rovers-1/

[Dokko]

We made relegation a good thing, only time I've ever seen a team go down and come back stronger for it, unreal.

 

We are a different club now, and in every way better for it, I'd hate to have had 2 or 3 seasons like the relegation season but just surviving than what we've experienced since then.

 

Every victory is sweeter, every loss a learning experience and every feeling you should have supporting a club reignited and that for me is the most important part as apathy had set in to me, most of us and all the overpaid players leaching off us. Distant memory and I cannot see us going down that route for a long time coming. Whether it's good or bad emotion, it's emotion, and the club livesand breathes again instead of dying on it's arse and being the biggest joke in football.

 

[Guest BooBoo]

Other than the brief KK era, the period between 2004-2009 was bloody awful. Despite Ashley, I much prefer the current NUFC feel. There's more of a sense that the players actually give a shit rather than just being here for an easy pay day.

[eliassenfredrik]

Sorry if already posted but a decent match report from the Blackburn forum

 

http://www.brfcs.co.uk:81/2011/09/25/201112-match-report-newcastle-united-3-rovers-1/

 

[jdckelly]

relegation in of itself was gutting but it has led to improvements and it was nice to utterly dominate a division for once like we did in the end in the championship really enjoyed that season

[Raconteur]

Sorry if already posted but a decent match report from the Blackburn forum

 

http://www.brfcs.co.uk:81/2011/09/25/201112-match-report-newcastle-united-3-rovers-1/

 

That was a good read - but one wonders whether their overwhelming praise for us is more of a backhander to Kean than a thumbs up to Pardew. They appear to be in full self-flagellation mode over there...

 

Still, it's nice to read an "enemy" match report that praises us rather than blaming the ref, or individual mistakes, or luck etc...

[Lush Vlad]

Gary Birtles  what a fucking negative, boring wanker

[Guest schmuck]

Gary Birtles  what a fucking negative, boring wanker

 

I'm starting to love him. Can only admire his ability to become personally offended by every kick of a ball that doesn't end up in the net, and even sometimes when it does

[High Five o]

Just checked the stats from the match.

 

goal attempts                    21 - 3

Passes                      382/455 - 174/259

Completed%                      84 - 67

Possession%                63,4 - 36,6

Crosses                        10/29 - 3/11

 

Tiote had 74 passes, 68 was succesfull, 2nd best was Cabaye, 54/63.

Colo 41/43, sick.

 

Attacking third passes:

Ovbertan 25/35

Cabaye 13/18

Best 13/15

 

 

Our passing game is so much improved, very good to see!

[Lush Vlad]

Gary Birtles  what a f***ing negative, boring w*****

 

I'm starting to love him. Can only admire his ability to become personally offended by every kick of a ball that doesn't end up in the net, and even sometimes when it does

 

:lol: MOTD commentator was raving about Ba's first, Lawro and Hansen said it was class, not wor Birtles.  He was absolutely livid, spent about 5 minutes bleating on:

 

"Where's the defending"

"Why isn't Samba there marking him instead"

"You can't let him turn in the box like that"

"I'll say it again really poor marking there"

 

The whole game he went on like this, so depressing, I nearly muted the cunt.

[Lush Vlad]

Just checked the stats from the match.

 

goal attempts                    21 - 3

Passes                      382/455 - 174/259

Completed%                      84 - 67

Possession%                63,4 - 36,6

Crosses                        10/29 - 3/11

 

Tiote had 74 passes, 68 was succesfull, 2nd best was Cabaye, 54/63.

Colo 41/43, sick.

 

Attacking third passes:

Ovbertan 25/35

Cabaye 13/18

Best 13/15

 

 

Our passing game is so much improved, very good to see!

 

Where did you get those stats mate?  I use Guardian Chalboards usually, but swear half of it is made up!

[Ikon]

Birtles really is a cunt of the highest order! Negative bastard.

[High Five o]

Just checked the stats from the match.

 

goal attempts                    21 - 3

Passes                      382/455 - 174/259

Completed%                      84 - 67

Possession%                63,4 - 36,6

Crosses                        10/29 - 3/11

 

Tiote had 74 passes, 68 was succesfull, 2nd best was Cabaye, 54/63.

Colo 41/43, sick.

 

Attacking third passes:

Ovbertan 25/35

Cabaye 13/18

Best 13/15

 

 

Our passing game is so much improved, very good to see!

 

Where did you get those stats mate?  I use Guardian Chalboards usually, but swear half of it is made up!

 

I use Statzone on the Iphone. All info is from Optastats. Highly recommended!

[eliassenfredrik]

Newcastle deserve more credit

 

When Newcastle sacked Chris Hughton last December, everyone tipped them to go down. When they subsequently replaced him with Alan Pardew, everyone tipped them to go down. When January came and Andy Carroll went, everyone tipped them to go down, and the trend continued when Joey Barton, José Enrique and Kevin Nolan were sold in the summer. Newcastle are currently fourth in the Premier League, unbeaten and above Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham.

 

It does not quite herald the return of the days when they could challenge for the title under Kevin Keegan or Sir Bobby Robson and a small squad means Newcastle are unlikely to remain in the Champions League places for long and, despite their lofty position, the cynics still do not quite trust Mike Ashley not to screw it all up eventually. They could well be right but, if the transfer policy of shifting older, more expensive players and replacing them with younger, cheaper models means Hatem Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabaye instead of Barton and Nolan, Newcastle are surely on the right path.

 

Cabaye caught the eye in the draw at Villa last weekend and this week it was the turn of another new signing to win over his new fans. Demba Ba has, surprisingly, been fairly underwhelming since signing from West Ham in the summer but Pardew put that down to the striker observing Ramadan at the start of the season; against Blackburn on Saturday he scored a hat-trick, his first goal a shot that arced beautifully into the top corner. It turns out all he needed was a pre-match meal to find his form: not the first time Blackburn have been done over by food this season.

 

[Benwell Lad]

Saturday was the best football we've played for years. We've had some great results during the last couple of seasons but never displayed the pace and precision in our game like we did on Saturday.  When there is such a "team" ethic about the play it's difficult to praise individuals but some deserve a particular mention.

Krul had little to do really but looks so alert and competent when called on.

Steven Taylor now looks like a top centre half.

Coloccini is just becoming a legend.

Ryan Taylor though not a left back is a good squad player to have around.

Cabaye could become as important a player for us as Colo already is.

Demba Ba looked like the player he has been at previous clubs - not just a hat trick but excellent link up play throughout.

I have always doubted Leon Best despite his excellent scoring ratio. He looked like a very good player on Saturday despite not scoring - his best ever performance for us imo.

Hatem Ben Arfa despite only playing for 15 minutes allayed some of my concerns regarding his mental and physical fitness. Alert and involved from the minute he came on he oozed quality and has a "Beardsley-esque" appearance of extra time on the ball which great players seem to have.

 

We also have a decent looking bench and some academy players coming through - could be a very enjoyable season.

[Yorkie]

We passed them off the park, absolutely no doubt about it.

 

I was thinking about two thirds through the game "i haven't really noticed Cabaye today". To be fair to him, that was following a blistering performance against Villa where he was never away from the action. He had a more reserved role and didn't 'disappear' as such, a la Nolan/Guthrie... instead he played with an assured simplicity, which aided the patient and progressive (attacking) football. I'm not surprised by those passing stats in the slightest.

 

Now the team is gelling and ticking, we keep possession extremely well. Cabaye is absolutely vital on that score. So is Tiote (who was my man of the match), now that he has regained a bit of form. It's a pity Barton isn't still here because the three of them together had the potential to be one of the best centre-mids in the league imo. That potential is still there in some respects.

[Guest icemanblue]

We passed them off the park, absolutely no doubt about it.

 

I was thinking about two thirds through the game "i haven't really noticed Cabaye today". To be fair to him, that was following a blistering performance against Villa where he was never away from the action. He had a more reserved role and didn't 'disappear' as such, a la Nolan/Guthrie, he simply played it simple and aided the patient and progressive (attacking) football. I'm not surprised by those passing stats in the slightest.

 

Now the team is gelling and ticking, we keep possession extremely well. Cabaye is absolutely vital on that score. So is Tiote (who was my man of the match), now that he has regained a bit of form. It's a pity Barton isn't still here because the three of them together had the potential to be one of the best centre-mids in the league imo. That potential is still there in some respects.

 

He was being man-marked throughout the first half, and in the second until the sending off. How have so few people noticed this? Fuck knows who the kid was marking him, but he did nowt else but shadow him.

[eliassenfredrik]

So good to see Tiote is picking it up. Absolutely ran the show. Our central midfield looks fucking class, and the team in general is looking like a unit. My only concern atm is the fullbacks, but I guess you can't complain. Can't wait for Santon though.

[ponsaelius]

Aye the young lad Lowe spent most of the game on his toes. Pardew mentioned it in his press conference and that it just gave more freedom to Tioté and the wide players.

[Yorkie]

We passed them off the park, absolutely no doubt about it.

 

I was thinking about two thirds through the game "i haven't really noticed Cabaye today". To be fair to him, that was following a blistering performance against Villa where he was never away from the action. He had a more reserved role and didn't 'disappear' as such, a la Nolan/Guthrie, he simply played it simple and aided the patient and progressive (attacking) football. I'm not surprised by those passing stats in the slightest.

 

Now the team is gelling and ticking, we keep possession extremely well. Cabaye is absolutely vital on that score. So is Tiote (who was my man of the match), now that he has regained a bit of form. It's a pity Barton isn't still here because the three of them together had the potential to be one of the best centre-mids in the league imo. That potential is still there in some respects.

 

He was being man-marked throughout the first half, and in the second until the sending off. How have so few people noticed this? Fuck knows who the kid was marking him, but he did nowt else but shadow him.

 

Fully aware that he was being man-marked, it was arguably the main reason why he had a 'quiet' game - particularly in the first. I should've mentioned it to bolster my argument tbh. He was quiet in comparison to Villa, where he didn't have a guy on his toes for the entirety of it. But on Saturday, in spite of being man-marked, he adapted his game and aided our play in a different way, as i said.

 

The guy's an absolute gem. 85% passing, all the while there's a defender ghosting about his slip-stream for the whole game. Superb statistics.

[Dave]

http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/2836/03ry3.png

[Cajun]

Peppered