The French Connection - Allez the lads

[Deuce]

It's Villa Park on January 29 and, despite the urgent clarity of Newcastle United's situation, there is anything but clarity to the scene. In almost every corner of the dressing room, it seems, there is a necessary translation of the manager's instructions.

 

Newcastle have just signed five French-based players at once and, despite the success of such purchases in the past, the club have never brought in so many at once and in this predicament. Given that they badly need a few results, and quickly, Steven Taylor admits to a few doubts.

 

"Sometimes it can take a foreign player maybe a year to adjust," Taylor says. "No-one knew how it was going to be. Obviously they couldn't speak such English - they were translating what the manager's saying in the dressing room - and, as players, you're thinking: 'Is this going to work? We need to start kicking on in the season'."

 

They kicked on that very evening, however, as all doubt evaporated almost instantly.

 

"It was the first 20 minutes, a very fast start," Taylor explained. "The French lads got on the ball and you could see straight away they meant business. They were tracking back, putting the foot in."

 

And putting the ball in. Both Papiss Cisse and Yohan Cabaye scored in a 2-1 win over Aston Villa that translated into Newcastle's first away win of the season and a crucial three points.

 

That's not to say that the language issues have completely gone away. Taylor has been paired at the back with Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, and the partnership has brought an element of Only Fools and Horses to his vocabulary.

 

"To start with, I remember trying to get some French words but you don't want Derek Trotter saying some words on the pitch which ain't right. It could cost us a goal! So I thought: 'You just learn a bit of English, mate, because my French isn't the best'."

 

It isn't just the players' vocabulary that has been broadened by the French connection.

 

"It was a breath of fresh air for us," Taylor added. "It's that pace and power the French players have got. I think we're taking the game to teams now. I think beforehand we were letting teams come onto us; now we've got the pace to hurt teams. You can see that in the games now, teams are playing deeper against us because they're scared of the ball in behind.

 

"To see Moussa Sissoko running down that wing, the guys on the East Stand with their pies couldn't believe it. I think they just fell on the floor when they saw him running. I can't big the lads up any more. They've been outstanding."

 

Newcastle have certainly been lifted. Since stepping out at Villa Park that evening, the side have won five of nine, their best return of the season. Taylor, however, doesn't put the transformation down to transfers. In fact, manager Alan Pardew made a point of forcing them to watch another key moment at Villa Park - but from four years ago: the 1-0 defeat that relegated the club.

 

"When they've looked back at the clips that the manager put on, this is the feeling that the lads got when they got relegated, that drilled it into the lads' heads," Taylor said. "It was a horrible feeling and I never want that to happen again."

 

It would certainly feel worse than a defeat in Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby. In truth, it is Sunderland who have more to worry about at the moment, with the appointment of Paolo Di Canio only adding to the complications and tension.

 

"The main thing is not to focus on any side apart from ourselves. In the past, especially in the season we went down, we were too worried about what was going on around us," Taylor added.

 

"Everybody kept saying we can't go down, we're not going to go down, don't worry and there was no panic. I think things weren't registering in players' heads how critical it is to just get results. But you need to win as many games as you possibly can. You just can't afford to rest."

 

It's quite different to this time last season, when Newcastle were almost winning games effortlessly. Taylor, however, has a surprisingly simple explanation for the contrast.

 

"Things just went our way. Things were coming off people's shins, knees going in the back of the net. Like I said, results just went for us, kept going and going. We couldn't believe some games we should have been beaten and we weren't. That all benefited us. This season it hasn't. We were outstanding in some games this season and lost. The small squad we've had, with injuries and suspensions - it's been difficult. That many games as well: Thursday, Sunday, Thursday.

 

"That's how luck is. You can have your ups and downs and hopefully for Newcastle now we're on the up. You've just got to keep fighting. That's football for you and that's what it's all about."

 

Indeed, Taylor has noticed something similar with the notionally mid-table teams that have been sucked into the relegation battle such as Stoke City, Norwich and Sunderland.

 

"Teams like that, they're playing well. They're just not getting that edge, the luck's not going for them now. They're conceding goals like that own goal [stoke conceded against Villa] and couldn't do anything about it. That was us last year and we were getting away with it. It's not their fault but it's just not running their way.

 

"It's frustrating because I've been there with Newcastle. We played so well the season we went down but just couldn't get the stroke of luck so it's hard to get out of that."

 

They certainly got it last week against Fulham, with Cisse's stoppage-time winner.

 

"It was a massive release, a weight off the shoulders," Taylor said. "You could see how much it meant to us in the dressing room."

 

You could certainly see how much it meant to Pardew on TV.

 

"That's what it's all about," Taylor laughs, "the manager going to celebrate with the crowd. He laughed it off after, loved it. We had a good laugh about it. You want that. It's given us that massive kick for a massive game at Sunderland."

 

Bonnet de douche, Rodney.

 

http://espnfc.com/columns/story/_/id/1412301/delaney:-newcastle-defender-steven-taylor-on-the-french-influence?cc=5901

[Guest]

7 of the 11 in the second-half were French yesterday. Must be some sort of record?

 

Also, while Pardew is rightly getting slated, it doesn't bode well does it that they can put in a non-performance like that?

[biggs]

7 of the 11 in the second-half were French yesterday. Must be some sort of record?

 

Also, while Pardew is rightly getting slated, it doesn't bode well does it that they can put in a non-performance like that?

Agree with that and putting all your eggs in one basket springs to mind ,Wenger can do it but Pardew will never will be able to do anything remotely comparably achievement wise,tactically and line up wise gives us no chance.

[merlin]

Whilst most of the players we have signed are decent, the club have only signed them because they were, relatively speaking, cheap to buy.

 

We are NOT Arsenal, who work in a different environment and have a French manager - it is probably inevitable that there will be cliques among the various nationalities, esp if one group is in the majority as is the case with us. I don't doubt for a minute that people like Cabaye are determined to try to stay up, but he has been at the club for almost 2 years ; the new arrivals will be still finding their feet and if they are being played in a system they find difficulty in adapting to, will struggle to give of their best.

 

We may have made good value signings but they have to be able to do the business in the situation we find ourselves. This is why signing mainly French players is not a good long-term policy - we need a good blend and for whatever reason, we do not get the best young NE talent.

 

Liverpool paid top money for Sturridge and he has paid them back with goals whenever he is in their side...

How we could have done with him over the past few weeks......

[wyn davies]

just like WW2 the frogs bottle it!

[Guest]

7 of the 11 in the second-half were French yesterday. Must be some sort of record?

 

Also, while Pardew is rightly getting slated, it doesn't bode well does it that they can put in a non-performance like that?

Agree with that and putting all your eggs in one basket springs to mind ,Wenger can do it but Pardew will never will be able to do anything remotely comparably achievement wise,tactically and line up wise gives us no chance.

 

Possibly a reason why a French coach might be better. I wasn't particularly keen on the idea because I think it could cause divisions in the squad but if the bulk of the first team squad is French, then why not? Laurent Blanc doesn't have a reputation for attractive football but I would bet he'd get us playing a system that gets the best out of those players.

[Tooj]

What's to say Blanc could do that? The French national team looked awful under him.

[GM]

Don't we have David Ginola working with us in a coaching capacity? Or have I just made that up?

[Guest bimpy474]

Don't we have David Ginola working with us in a coaching capacity? Or have I just made that up?

 

You gone mental sir

[GM]

Don't we have David Ginola working with us in a coaching capacity? Or have I just made that up?

 

You gone mental sir

 

It's the stress. :lol:

[Guest]

What's to say Blanc could do that? The French national team looked awful under him.

 

He took Bordeaux to 2nd & 1st in his first seasons as manager. They scored 65 in his first season (second behind only Lyon in terms of points & goals), and in his title winning season they scored 64 (second to only Marseille). His last season was a bit of a let down but they still came 6th.

 

International football is a completely different kettle of fish to club football as well, and he can speak English.

[Guest chicken little]

just like WW2 the frogs bottle it!

 

lolololololololololololol etc.

[Guest]

Fergie also loves Blanc too. Can't be a bad thing when it comes to refereeing decisions.

[LooneyToonArmy]

Ginola Claims French Players Don’t Care If Newcastle Are Relegated

 

Speaking on Talksport this is what Daveed had to say;

 

“Playing in Europe and then in a Premier League relegation fight are completely different things. You have to have the right sort of players for that task and I’m not sure that the (French) players are concerned about it. The players are thinking, ‘well if the club is relegated then we will leave in the summer’.”

 

“Hopefully they are going to find something to help save the club because Newcastle United and the fans need to stay in the Premier League. I hope they are impressing that importance onto them.”

 

http://www.themag.co.uk/the-mag-articles/ginola-claims-french-players-dont-care-if-newcastle-are-relegated/

 

----

 

[Darth Crooks]

Hate this straw man argument they keep perpetuating as a reason for our shitness. Pardew has had minimal blame and I'm not absolving the players. Even supermacs mostly correct assessment featured a francophobic slur. Garbage.

[Mole_Toonfan]

Hate this straw man argument they keep perpetuating as a reason for our shitness. Pardew has had minimal blame and I'm not absolving the players. Even supermacs mostly correct assessment featured a francophobic slur. Garbage.

 

[Kimbo]

Ginola is such a rent-a-quote. He was here for 2 years in the mid 90s, and he spent most of it wanting to leave, i'm sick of hearing his opinion on things.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Hate this straw man argument they keep perpetuating as a reason for our shitness. Pardew has had minimal blame and I'm not absolving the players. Even supermacs mostly correct assessment featured a francophobic slur. Garbage.

 

 

It's not a straw man, but I agree.

 

[/pedant]

[Disco]

Pardew has had way more flak than the players of recent. Aside from the Mirror/Telegraph no 'serious' news outlets have ran against the players really. The level has been about right it's the correct content criticising the players that has been lacking.