Alan Pardew

[Interpolic]

After being absolutely aghast at the line up prematch I have to say I think he played this relatively well. It could've been so much different if they'd scored early on but they didn't.

 

Cool, when are the semi's?

 

Sorry, you said you weren't happy about it before the game so presumably you think we'd have done worse than that if we had some semblance of an attacking plan for the first 70 minutes?  It seemingly nearly worked but it didn't, we gave ourselves 20 minutes to win it when we could have played it over 90.  Shit scared of the opposition.

[cp40]

Another thing that annoys me is that he basically told every one how we were going to play. If you're the Benfica coach and you hear he's not going to attack for 3/4 of the game you'd be rubbing your hands with glee.

 

 

looked more like he was rubbing his arse with his hands to me the last 20 mins tbh.

[Dr Venkman]

Big picture. Always about the big picture. He's not good enough.

 

Big picture is he's not good enough agreed, but is there a replacement out there who would want to come to us and could make us play better football? Especially considering the financial restrictions we're under compared to sides people expect us to be competing against? We don't have London as bait, we can't pay players £80k a week because we're highly unlikely to break into the top four and get all the money that comes with it and Ashley clearly has faith in the man who got us to 5th last season.

 

I just think constantly griping about every single thing he does just isn't worth it. I think when he gets things right he should get the credit for it and when he gets things wrong he should get blamed for it. It's just being a football manager isn't that clear cut, a player won't always do what you tell them. And do you really think he wants Shola as his 2nd choice striker? He's not that deranged.

 

Yes. For all the 'we're only little old Newcastle' tub thumping Ashley/Llambias have done (and seemingly asked Pardew to do on their behalf) they've assembled a good squad that only needs a few additions now to make it very, very good. Whether they have the drive to bring a better manager in is debatable but I'm positive we could attract someone considerably better.

 

I don't feel like I'm constantly griping about every little thing that he does, I'm constantly griping about NUFC under his management, because his priorities are wrong, and he's in charge of good players who collectively make a bad team.

[Wullie]

At home in front of 52000 passionate supporters, let f***ing Benfica worry about us. Never mind lay off them for an hour. It is his cowardly and negative style that makes me want him to get the bullet.

 

 

would you have celebrated if it worked ?  did it come close to working?

 

Of course I would, but to restrict yourself to a third of the game to get in front doesn't make sense. It would if we were away but we were at home. The law of averages say we would have had more chance had we have been positive for 90 rather than 30.

 

We needed Benfica to be winning the tie for as long as possible because if they'd gone through the gears and got a goal at any point, we're either dead in the water or into a very unwanted period of extra time - at best.

 

1-0 up after 80 minutes was a miles better scoreline than 2-0 up after 30 minutes imo.

 

I don't agree. I'd rather them piled pressure and we countered then we try to find that winning goal. How anyone can prefer your situation is beyond me...

 

Because that's how we've been winning games of late. We're utterly f***ing dire at trying to hold onto a lead.

 

Much better to have to contain a Benfica side who actually couldn't give much of a toss about scoring (like the first half) than contain one who are desperate for a goal.

Must have been only working at home because this never works when we are away

 

I agree. But we were at home.

[Skirge]

We gifted them the first half they came here under no pressure to come and score, that first half they must have loved.

[Ashley17]

When you've got Williamson and Simpson in your back 4, you don't really want to be giving them a long time to attack you.

[Flip]

When you've got Williamson and Simpson in your back 4, you don't really want to be giving them a long time to attack you.

 

this is the point I've been trying to make. We played them to their strengths and us to our weaknesses. If anything they didn't score because they were shocked at our tactics. Maybe that was Pardews plan?

[colinmk]

Let's think about the alternative that we go more attacking the first half, score and concede on the break, we'd be fucking raging. After he first leg it wasn't the right approach and I honestly think Pardew had the right idea.

[Guest bimpy474]

So we go out of both domestic cups early, out of the Europa at a respectable QF stage, not exactly a tough group but two decent knockout wins.

 

Battling to stay up......, the style of play, the set penises, good enough ?

[lovejoy]

Going against the grain here it would seem, but I thought he got it pretty much spot on tonight.

 

The plan was for them not to score first half, it had to be that way otherwise its game over early doors.

 

Around the hour mark he changes it and we go for the game, and we nearly got it to be fair to him.

 

No complaints from me tonight.

 

Precisely. Canny obvious really.

 

Being 3-1 down is misleading because it suggests we have to go for it but the away goals rule turns that completely on its head. It was absolutely imperative we got to half time with them at nil - that was the only priority in the first half and rightly so. If that means killing the game, and it did, so be it.

 

Agreed.

 

People mentioning how suspect they were in defence, forget how strong they looked on counter.

 

We go for it first half, they can counter, game over early on.

 

Like I say, no complaints from me tonight.

[Cajun]

Some seem to be forgetting that we attacked them in the first leg and could have quite easily brought a lead back to SJP if it wasn't for two massive ricks the likes of which were nowhere to be seen tonight. They simply aren't that good at the back and didn't like pressure. So let's not put them under any pressure until our own time is limited. Against a team that are evidently adept at time-wasting. Nice one.

 

I'm no statto but for a team not that good at the back they don't seem to concede many. They panicked when we piled on the pressure but that isn't going to happen for 90 minutes.

 

 

[powellnufc]

I think the problem in the first half was more the final ball rather than not attacking them. We often got the ball into wide positions well but the final cross was terrible, even cabaye was un-characteristicly smashing the ball out of play.

[cp40]

Let's think about the alternative that we go more attacking the first half, score and concede on the break, we'd be fucking raging. After he first leg it wasn't the right approach and I honestly think Pardew had the right idea.

 

 

this is true, somebody mentioned the law of averages- well when we did attack for 20mins - they did score , so on that average if we had attacked all night they would have got 4 and we would have needed , erm....loads to go through.

[Ashley17]

When you've got Williamson and Simpson in your back 4, you don't really want to be giving them a long time to attack you.

 

this is the point I've been trying to make. We played them to their strengths and us to our weaknesses. If anything they didn't score because they were shocked at our tactics. Maybe that was Pardews plan?

 

...by keeping it tight, it meant they weren't so exposed as our weaknesses. If you play to attack them early on you end up conceding. See the last 10 minutes when they got in behind about 5 times down the right, and eventually scored. Pardew isn't the best manager nor will he ever be but I think he got it right tonight, except maybe somebody more experienced for Bigirimana. Our best chance of going through was to win 2-0, whilst we'd all love to have scored two in the opening 10 minutes it wasn't likely to happen.

[Flip]

Who do people think Benfica are anyway, that they are simply too great to be beaten 2-0 away from home in Europe? They are a very good team, but it's not like they're world class. They are not incapable of being beaten. They looked shaky defensively every time we attacked them, but unfortunately that's not saying much given we barely even f***ing tried to attack them.

 

This. We beat Man U 3-0 at home why wouldn't we be able to beat them 2-0?

 

 

You laughing? Read the last pages, people make it out like it was impossible to beat Benfica 2-0 ffs.

[Dave]

Let's think about the alternative that we go more attacking the first half, score and concede on the break, we'd be fucking raging. After he first leg it wasn't the right approach and I honestly think Pardew had the right idea.

 

 

this is true, somebody mentioned the law of averages- well when we did atatck for 20mins - they did score , so on that average if we had attacked all night they would have got 4 and we would have needed , erm....loads to go through.

 

 

Now I know you're messing.

[colinmk]

Let's think about the alternative that we go more attacking the first half, score and concede on the break, we'd be fucking raging. After he first leg it wasn't the right approach and I honestly think Pardew had the right idea.

 

 

this is true, somebody mentioned the law of averages- well when we did atatck for 20mins - they did score , so on that average if we had attacked all night they would have got 4 and we would have needed , erm....loads to go through.

 

They were set up with pace to hit us if we stretched too much, it was a fine line and I can see why people are saying what they are saying but yeah I think he made the right choice.

[David Icke - Son of God]

After being absolutely aghast at the line up prematch I have to say I think he played this relatively well. It could've been so much different if they'd scored early on but they didn't.

 

Cool, when are the semi's?

 

Sorry, you said you weren't happy about it before the game so presumably you think we'd have done worse than that if we had some semblance of an attacking plan for the first 70 minutes?  It seemingly nearly worked but it didn't, we gave ourselves 20 minutes to win it when we could have played it over 90.  Shit scared of the opposition.

 

I was more annoyed at the inclusion of Mike Williamson to be honest. I didn't think we could contain them for as long as required with him on the pitch.

 

It is obvious that we are not a good enough side to do what half the posters on here wanted us to do, which was go out and attack them like we did from the 70th minute onwards from the first. We would've been out of the tie long before Savio tapped in their equaliser in stoppage time. You saw how easy they scored when we were pushing up.

 

To go through tonight would've required us to do something only Barca have done to them this season and Pardew's tactic of containing them, frustrating them and tiring them out before throwing HBA and Marv on almost paid off. I honestly cannot fathom how anyone can have any genuine complaints about the performance or tactics after seeing the way we played it tonight.

[TJM]

How man, there is a huge difference between playing a tactically intelligent game, with controlled possession, not getting caught on the counter attack and that complete dross that was served up in the first half.

[Flip]

How man, there is a huge difference between playing a tactically intelligent game, with controlled possession, not getting caught on the counter attack and that complete dross that was served up in the first half.

 

[Guest bimpy474]

How man, there is a huge difference between playing a tactically intelligent game, with controlled possession, not getting caught on the counter attack and that complete dross that was served up in the first half.

 

[TRon]

Let's think about the alternative that we go more attacking the first half, score and concede on the break, we'd be fucking raging. After he first leg it wasn't the right approach and I honestly think Pardew had the right idea.

 

No one is saying we should have gone all guns blazing though. But we should at least have put out a side that could cause them some problems in the first half. He could have put Sissoko on the right and had Shola up front with Cisse instead of Bigi for example. His over-cautious line ups kill our self belief IMO. You could see the team and crowd came alive once we brought on our quality attackers.

[Guest]

Don't think he did a lot wrong other than starting Bigi today. We were only really out of this tie in the 180th minute.

[Skirge]

I don't think anyone wanted 90 mins like the last 20 mins but had we been a bit more attacking in the first 45 then we may not have needed to be so gung-ho in the final 20.

 

Yes if you fly at them all guns blazing then you leave yourself pen as we did, so had we been more measured in our attack in the first half we had more of a chance of scoring twice in the 90 mins instead of trying to do it all in 20 mins.

[David Icke - Son of God]

Who do people think Benfica are anyway, that they are simply too great to be beaten 2-0 away from home in Europe? They are a very good team, but it's not like they're world class. They are not incapable of being beaten. They looked shaky defensively every time we attacked them, but unfortunately that's not saying much given we barely even f***ing tried to attack them.

 

This. We beat Man U 3-0 at home why wouldn't we be able to beat them 2-0?

 

 

You laughing? Read the last pages, people make it out like it was impossible to beat Benfica 2-0 ffs.

 

Only Barcelona have done that this season. Barcelona for fucks sake. One of the best club teams to grace the game.

 

You're fucking mental