Newcastle United 1 - 1 Aston Villa - 02/09/12 - post-match reaction from page 39

[midds]

The amount of corners that get cleared by the first man is getting ridiculous. 80% don't even get past the near post.

 

Fucking infuriating to watch it happen time after time after time.

 

What bongles my head is that surely it makes sense - if you're constantly struggling to beat the first man - to put someone there in a NUFC shirt? To try and flick it on, have a shot directly on goal, even just to try and put the defender off. There must be some outstanding reason why we don't do this.

 

About 77 minutes in today we got a corner. One of them had to go off for an injury. They pulled every single player back into their box. When it came in we only had 4 bodies compared to their 10. We deliberately left 4 men out of the box despite having no-one to mark. 2 of them were on the halfway line.

 

Clueless.

[johnnypd]

I'm surprised that we haven't tried to play more short corners to Ben Arfa running into the box, we'd get more from them than hitting the first defender.

 

Agree. The only possible reason I can think of is that Pardew is worried about Ben Arfa losing the ball with our centre-halves marooned in the opposition box.

 

Which is a valid concern tbh. Plus if we keep doing it, he'd just get ganged up on and crowded out. Would rather simply try and get better deliveries into the box, also agree with what you say Dave, it's what Arsenal are doing at the moment and it looks like a pretty decent tactic imo

 

it is a valid concern as the defenders would be behind the play in that event. but as it's worked already it should be part of our locker rather than something we do every time. if defences get scared and put an extra man over than that's one less player they'll have in the box defending which can only be to our benefit.

[SiLvOR]

I'm surprised that we haven't tried to play more short corners to Ben Arfa running into the box, we'd get more from them than hitting the first defender.

 

Agree. The only possible reason I can think of is that Pardew is worried about Ben Arfa losing the ball with our centre-halves marooned in the opposition box.

 

Which is a valid concern tbh. Plus if we keep doing it, he'd just get ganged up on and crowded out. Would rather simply try and get better deliveries into the box, also agree with what you say Dave, it's what Arsenal are doing at the moment and it looks like a pretty decent tactic imo

 

it is a valid concern as the defenders would be behind the play in that event. but as it's worked already it should be part of our locker rather than something we do every time. if defences get scared and put an extra man over than that's one less player they'll have in the box defending which can only be to our benefit.

 

Yeah agree with you, I just worded it like a complete prat think bedtime is approaching! Good point about dragging another defender over aswell, that would help for sure

[Mick]

I'm surprised that we haven't tried to play more short corners to Ben Arfa running into the box, we'd get more from them than hitting the first defender.

 

Agree. The only possible reason I can think of is that Pardew is worried about Ben Arfa losing the ball with our centre-halves marooned in the opposition box.

 

Which is a valid concern tbh. Plus if we keep doing it, he'd just get ganged up on and crowded out. Would rather simply try and get better deliveries into the box, also agree with what you say Dave, it's what Arsenal are doing at the moment and it looks like a pretty decent tactic imo

 

I'm not sure it is a valid concern, when a team comes away from a corner on the attack it's usually with pace so you don't need centre-halves to defend, you need players with pace to combat what's coming at you.

[Mick]

I'm surprised that we haven't tried to play more short corners to Ben Arfa running into the box, we'd get more from them than hitting the first defender.

 

Was it when Barton left, he was allegedly unhappy that he wasn't going to be the one taking the set pieces any more? Perhaps we're now in the same situation with Cabaye, he wants to be doing it every time.

 

I find it astonishing that normally we don't mix it up at all. When Ben Arfa was on them against Spurs you at least thought something unusual might happen. As luck would have it, that won us the match.

 

Barton allegedly went ape shit during pre-season because he was no longer going to take set pieces.

[alexf]

I'm not too concerned after that. I know people expect us to beat villa at home but they were good today and caught us on an off day. Very soft defending for their goal and sloppy defending all round at times. Ba and Cisse really not at it yet and in many games last season they were difference between a win and a draw/loss.

 

Need to find a system to suit all parties. I genuinely believe that the 4-3-1-2 that we ended with was the plan had we have got in a attacking right-back in the summer (debuchy) and when Anita went there we immediately changed to that formation. Think pards may have accidentally discovered that having anita there when tiote is back could be a real bonus.

 

We have some top class individuals when they are on their game. Ben Arfa, Tiote, Cabaye, Ba, Cisse,Colo. and also some really decent younger players in Santon, Anita etc

I think once we have a few more of our big names back on form then we will be in for a good season.

 

Far more teams are going to be harder to beat this season and we are going to lose games we might have won last year but we need to stay positive. We have a great bunch of lads.

[Dan Gleebals]

I think we would have said 4 points from the first three games = Spurs 1, Chelsea 0 and Villa 3, should have been 6 mind.

 

Something is not quite right yet and needs to be worked out pretty quickly.  No excuse for the fitness of some of our players although I suspect Ba and Cisse will benefit from an extra two weeks.

 

The break has come at a good time IMO, as long as we use it to get fit and sort our formation out.  Move on and forget this, overall not a bad start to the season.  Time to kick on now.

[Flip]

We really need 7 points from our next 4 matches in the league if we are going to prove we can be as strong as last season.

 

I think Tiote will mean a lot to this team when we play teams. We have lacked steel in the middle of the park and been outplayed there in two games. He is that important to us, especially when we go to Everton and Man Utd away.

[Guest neesy111]

We really need 7 points from our next 4 matches in the league if we are going to prove we can be as strong as last season.

 

I think Tiote will mean a lot to this team when we play teams. We have lacked steel in the middle of the park and been outplayed there in two games. He is that important to us, especially when we go to Everton and Man Utd away.

 

Agreed, away from home he is totally vital.

[MW]

Man utd is home

[Guest neesy111]

Man utd is home

 

Good spot MW.

[Guest Tyson]

Re- our first half in particular.

 

1-Point donation to Villa's survival cause.

 

 

[Guest neesy111]

I thought Villa did OK, but they weren't anything special mind.  Still putting most of this result on our shoulders, we really need to get out of the traps better.  Each of the 1st half's in the league this season have been crap.

[themanupstairs]

I thought Villa did OK, but they weren't anything special mind.  Still putting most of this result on our shoulders, we really need to get out of the traps better.  Each of the 1st half's in the league this season have been crap.

 

I agree about the 2nd point, but don't agree about Villa. They were in our faces for the entire 97 minutes, and we had no idea how to combat them. Last season we got in teams' faces, and pressed the ball a lot better, something which we haven't done so far in the 3 games gone.

[Wallace]

I don't understand how players having their heads turned by agents causes them to underperform.  Surely they would want to continue to impress to secure a move - not doing so, shows a poor mentality to me.  And surely personal pride would ensure a player would always want to perform the best they can.  But maybe I am being naive here.

 

If match fitness is an issue, then hopefully Cabaye will improve with the internationals and find some form.  Likewise with Ba and Cisse.

 

[Beren]

Re- our first half in particular.

 

1-Point donation to Villa's survival cause.

 

 

Mm. Very much so. We have a bad habit of being charitable to relegation fodder. Still remember the season Derby got 30% of their total points for the season off us ...

[Guest neesy111]

My ratings:

 

Krul 6 - Some good stops, couldn't do anything about the goal, kicking still needs starting out.

Simpson 6 - Was doing fine until he went off injured.

Coloccini 7 - Typical colo performance.

Saylor 6 - Not in the form he started last season but did OK.

Santon 6.5 - Best player in the 1st half, faded badly with change of formation 2nd half.

HBA 7 - Wasn't have a great game until his goal and what a goal.  Still the only player that looks like scoring for us most of the time.

Anita 6 - Did well adapting to playing RB.

Cabaye 5 - I've hardly noticed him on the pitch this season, looks about 75% fit.

Jonas 5 - Lots of effort but nothing in terms of attacking force and give the ball away cheaply at times.

Cisse 5.5 - Poor 1st half, looked like he was trying 2nd but something isn't right about him.

Ba 5 - Him and Cisse just can't play together it seems, fades away badly in almost every game.

Bigi 6.5 - Did well the longer the game went on, crucial block at the end.

[Dave]

I think we would have said 4 points from the first three games = Spurs 1, Chelsea 0 and Villa 3, should have been 6 mind.

 

Something is not quite right yet and needs to be worked out pretty quickly.  No excuse for the fitness of some of our players although I suspect Ba and Cisse will benefit from an extra two weeks.

 

The break has come at a good time IMO, as long as we use it to get fit and sort our formation out.  Move on and forget this, overall not a bad start to the season.  Time to kick on now.

 

[JH]

Not sure if many saw it but during the warmup yesterday, Woodman smacked a ball at goal, Krul tipped it over the bar and it seemingly smacked a woman head on in the crowd.

 

Krul gave the lady his training jacket and Woodman handed over his gloves. Nice gesture

[Oakie Doke]

well that's Woodham for you isn't it.

[JH]

Woodman even

[Jordan]

Don't think Cisse plays as well when he has to think about what he's doing, seems a total instinct player. Horrible to see him shafted out wide because Ba's too stroppy to play out himself. Really wouldn't mind signing a winger and having Ba and Cisse fight for one position up top. Don't work as a partnership at all and don't think they ever will.

[Guest firetotheworks]

The Ba and Cisse competing thing on paper is a good idea actually. Even just to give them both a kick up the backside.

[TRC]

I thought Villa played some nice stuff, the passing play before Ireland missed, or Bigi blocked it was some really nice football.

[Guest firetotheworks]

I honestly thought they were rubbish and should have been beaten easily. We were our own worst enemies. They had some nice little passes in tight situations, but I still think that the way we played allowed them to get away with that and playing it long just played right into their hands.