Newcastle 1 - 1 Benfica - 11/04/13 (2 - 4 on agg) - post-match reaction from p60

[Flip]

 

Unbelievable agreed with most of it.

[Kaizero]

Was so high up thinking we'd nick it after we scored, then they equalize and I managed to break another remote. Fuck life.

[SteveMc]

Once I a lifetime qf? We've had 3 in the last 10 years

[GeordieT]

Gutted. Proud of the team, don't think any more could have been done tonight. Was always going to be an uphill effort after the first leg.

[midds]

FT: f*** off Pardew

 

I'd normally agree. But he had the tactics spot on. Would've got murdered pressing for the goals the whole 90

 

Bingo. I've slated Pardew for most of the season for the negative stuff but I can completely understand how we played tonight. Any Benfica goal killed the tie stone dead, going hell for leather from the off would have left too much space at the back. We clearly got the first and threw everything at them to get the second and had Benfica on the ropes. We just couldn't quite finish the job and get the second goal.

 

We were forced to show a bit of restraint due to being 2 goals down from the first leg, it wasn't like we started the tie at 0-0 tonight. No blame attached to Pardew tonight from me.

 

I have defended Pardew more than most, certainly you in recent weeks, but I just can't understand this way of thinking at all. This was a game in which we needed a convincing win, a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to the semis in a European competition against a very beatable opponent, as we saw last week. Since we were two goals down we essentially had nothing to lose at the start of the match, and all to gain. Just go at them from the off, put them under pressure and try to get an early goal. Yes, you may not get the early goal, tire badly and get picked off later in the match as you run out of steam, but I don't think anybody would have complained if at least we would have tried. As it is, we tried to calculate our way to the semis, sat back for far too long, looked nervous and unsure what to do for the entire first half and gave them the initiative, resulting in a good number of chances for them that could, and arguably should, have seen them through well before the "planned" point in the game when we finally spurred into action. It was all very reasoned, and counter intuitive to any football player, and that showed through in our performance. In the last half an hour we showed we were capable of hurting them, partly through bringing on our creative players. I would much rather have seen at least one of them (Marv) from the off to get Benfica on the back foot early on.

 

In short: the fact that the gameplan nearly worked should not be mistaken for it being a good gameplan.

 

That's fair enough, I just think his hands were tied a bit due to needing 2 goals without conceding. I think had we gone for it and opened up then we'd eventually have been picked off and the tie would have been dead. I can understand those who wanted us to go for it from the off and get at them early, there's logic to it - you need 2 goals, try and get them asap. That makes sense.

 

I just think tonight was the time to be cautious, try to keep it tight and shorten the game. I'm not begging people to agree with me but I can see logic in Pardew's approach tonight. It was frustrating to see it develop in the first half but a break here or there in the last 5 minutes could have got that second goal and sent us through. I can see both sides of it but I can understand Pardew's gameplan tonight as frustrating as it was.

 

I know you can't go gung ho for the full 90 minutes, so it would have made sense to start furiously and try to get the early goal (like we did last week coincidentally), then sit back for the rest of the first half after 15-20 minutes or so, give it another good go at the start of the second half after had a breather at half time, then sit back again between 60 and 80 for a final push in the last 10 or so minutes. Obviously events in the match would have influenced when to sit back or go at it, but as a general template I think that would have made much more sense than sit back for 70 minutes, as Dave points out not tiring them out at all as well which we possibly would have needed relying on our better physical attributes/fitness levels.

 

Another thing that mightily bugs me is Bigi on the right wing. Now, I like the look of Bigirimana, I really do, but there is no way he's ever an effective winger in the making. He lacks the pace and creativity needed to play that position. It would have made some sense if the plan was to sit back and keep it tight to play him next to Anita as a defensive shield (even if I wouldn't have agreed), but to have Cabaye deep and Bigi on the right, where is the sense in that? It doesn't provide an attacking threat, and nor does it help us being more defensively solid. It just doesn't make sense at any level. The other odd one out being Williamson ahead of Perch; I can only assume Perch was not fully fit, because why else would you play your least mobile, tall defender against fast, mobile forwards?

 

All in all, a clusterfuck of a gameplan in a once in a lifetime European knockout quarter final tie starting 2 goals down at home in front of a sold out, enthused stadium.

 

I'd have preferred to have seen this too in all honesty. didn't enjoy a single second of that first half and would have loved to have seen us go at them from the first whistle.

 

I'm just saying there was a logic to Pardew's plan tonight. It was frustrating to watch, especially at home but I can understand why he decided to play the game like he did tonight. It nearly worked too.

[Flip]

Once I a lifetime qf? We've had 3 in the last 10 years

 

Unbelievable is six years old, yet he writes better than you in a second language. Genius.

[Guest GloriosoSLB]

congrats for the atmosphere and for pushing ur team until the end. but to be honest Artur didn't make any difficult save...

 

for the ones who claimed that on the 1st hand u've offered us 2goals, well, we actually offered 1 tonight beside some really good chances. i didn't like the way we answered to ur long balls from 70th to 85th minute though. we should keep the ball and make u run a little more, but at the end we finally scored!

 

well, i remain my opinion that Newcastle is a great team, with great fans, and i hope u do better next season at Premier League, so we'll meet again at Champions League!

 

good luck for the game against sunderland 

[Keefaz]

congrats for the atmosphere and for pushing ur team until the end. but to be honest Artur didn't make any difficult save...

 

Aye, but he made loads of kicks look difficult. Never seen a Brazilian worse at kicking a football.

[Big Geordie]

Fair play to the Benfica lads who have come on here to pass on their best wishes. Good luck for the rest of the season.

[Unbelievable]

FT: f*** off Pardew

 

I'd normally agree. But he had the tactics spot on. Would've got murdered pressing for the goals the whole 90

 

Bingo. I've slated Pardew for most of the season for the negative stuff but I can completely understand how we played tonight. Any Benfica goal killed the tie stone dead, going hell for leather from the off would have left too much space at the back. We clearly got the first and threw everything at them to get the second and had Benfica on the ropes. We just couldn't quite finish the job and get the second goal.

 

We were forced to show a bit of restraint due to being 2 goals down from the first leg, it wasn't like we started the tie at 0-0 tonight. No blame attached to Pardew tonight from me.

 

I have defended Pardew more than most, certainly you in recent weeks, but I just can't understand this way of thinking at all. This was a game in which we needed a convincing win, a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to the semis in a European competition against a very beatable opponent, as we saw last week. Since we were two goals down we essentially had nothing to lose at the start of the match, and all to gain. Just go at them from the off, put them under pressure and try to get an early goal. Yes, you may not get the early goal, tire badly and get picked off later in the match as you run out of steam, but I don't think anybody would have complained if at least we would have tried. As it is, we tried to calculate our way to the semis, sat back for far too long, looked nervous and unsure what to do for the entire first half and gave them the initiative, resulting in a good number of chances for them that could, and arguably should, have seen them through well before the "planned" point in the game when we finally spurred into action. It was all very reasoned, and counter intuitive to any football player, and that showed through in our performance. In the last half an hour we showed we were capable of hurting them, partly through bringing on our creative players. I would much rather have seen at least one of them (Marv) from the off to get Benfica on the back foot early on.

 

In short: the fact that the gameplan nearly worked should not be mistaken for it being a good gameplan.

 

That's fair enough, I just think his hands were tied a bit due to needing 2 goals without conceding. I think had we gone for it and opened up then we'd eventually have been picked off and the tie would have been dead. I can understand those who wanted us to go for it from the off and get at them early, there's logic to it - you need 2 goals, try and get them asap. That makes sense.

 

I just think tonight was the time to be cautious, try to keep it tight and shorten the game. I'm not begging people to agree with me but I can see logic in Pardew's approach tonight. It was frustrating to see it develop in the first half but a break here or there in the last 5 minutes could have got that second goal and sent us through. I can see both sides of it but I can understand Pardew's gameplan tonight as frustrating as it was.

 

I know you can't go gung ho for the full 90 minutes, so it would have made sense to start furiously and try to get the early goal (like we did last week coincidentally), then sit back for the rest of the first half after 15-20 minutes or so, give it another good go at the start of the second half after had a breather at half time, then sit back again between 60 and 80 for a final push in the last 10 or so minutes. Obviously events in the match would have influenced when to sit back or go at it, but as a general template I think that would have made much more sense than sit back for 70 minutes, as Dave points out not tiring them out at all as well which we possibly would have needed relying on our better physical attributes/fitness levels.

 

Another thing that mightily bugs me is Bigi on the right wing. Now, I like the look of Bigirimana, I really do, but there is no way he's ever an effective winger in the making. He lacks the pace and creativity needed to play that position. It would have made some sense if the plan was to sit back and keep it tight to play him next to Anita as a defensive shield (even if I wouldn't have agreed), but to have Cabaye deep and Bigi on the right, where is the sense in that? It doesn't provide an attacking threat, and nor does it help us being more defensively solid. It just doesn't make sense at any level. The other odd one out being Williamson ahead of Perch; I can only assume Perch was not fully fit, because why else would you play your least mobile, tall defender against fast, mobile forwards?

 

All in all, a clusterfuck of a gameplan in a once in a lifetime European knockout quarter final tie starting 2 goals down at home in front of a sold out, enthused stadium.

 

I'd have preferred to have seen this too in all honesty. didn't enjoy a single second of that first half and would have loved to have seen us go at them from the first whistle.

 

I'm just saying there was a logic to Pardew's plan tonight. It was frustrating to watch, especially at home but I can understand why he decided to play the game like he did tonight. It nearly worked too.

 

I appreciate there was a "logic" to it, but on a night like tonight that is exactly my criticism. What is logic may not be what is right, and I think that was the case, especially in the first half when the players really didn't look confident of what they were supposed to be doing. There is a lot to be said for intuition in a situation like the one we faced tonight; I feel Pardew overthought the whole thing and came up with some sort of brilliant gameplan that ultimately depended on us scoring twice in the space of 20 minutes against very strong opposition that we hadn't really tired beforehand. I guess I wouldn't have been so disappointed with our approach if he wouldn't have explained it beforehand, but to consciously throw 70 valuable minutes of pitch time in an effort to score 2 past them in 20 just seems unbelievably stupid to me.

[Flip]

congrats for the atmosphere and for pushing ur team until the end. but to be honest Artur didn't make any difficult save...

 

Aye, but he made loads of kicks look difficult. Never seen a Brazilian worse at kicking a football.

 

 

Aye was fucking horrible

[SteveMc]

Once I a lifetime qf? We've had 3 in the last 10 years

 

Unbelievable is six years old, yet he writes better than you in a second language. Genius.

 

Aye up it's brazilian Mensa. Get back to the Favela

[Guest Red Eyes]

Too much damage in the first leg to repair. We gifted them two goals in Lisbon and then wanting to come back into the tie. Too much of an ask even if we were Man City or Man U.

We gifted you with one goal also at St James' Park. Overall, the bet team won. But you made us suffer…

Hope the best for you lads in PL. I think you really deserve it. There are no fans like NUFC fans!

[LFEE]

To Benfica fans:

 

http://i48.tinypic.com/513hqf.gif

 

perfect

 

Agree... Spot on...

[ChrisJbarnes]

When your playing against a side like Benfica with the attacking talent they have with Simpson and Williamson in your back 4, going gung-ho from the start would more or less certainly have resulting in conceding one goal in the 90. Especially considering the number of goals they've scored, home and away. Conceding that one goal would've meant we needed 3 just to get to ET, and 4 to go through in normal time- highly unlikely against a side of their quality. With that in mind, I think what we saw today wasn't a million miles off. Ben Arfa and Shola, the subs, set up to create Cisses goal, and going at them from then could well have yielded a second. We were one on target Ben Arfa shot from beating the Portugeuse champions 2-0, going into the semis and completing a feat that only Barcelona have managed this season. Their technical quality and danger on the break meant it was highly unlikely to keep a clean sheet, and what with injuries, fatigue and ineligibilities all I can say is great effort Pardew and the players for nearly pulling it off.

 

The wally with the brolly reckoned Pardew had the game plan spot on. Not that thats a massive glowing endorsement though! 

[Unbelievable]

Once I a lifetime qf? We've had 3 in the last 10 years

 

Unbelievable is six years old, yet he writes better than you in a second language. Genius.

 

[Flip]

congrats for the atmosphere and for pushing ur team until the end. but to be honest Artur didn't make any difficult save...

 

for the ones who claimed that on the 1st hand u've offered us 2goals, well, we actually offered 1 tonight beside some really good chances. i didn't like the way we answered to ur long balls from 70th to 85th minute though. we should keep the ball and make u run a little more, but at the end we finally scored!

 

well, i remain my opinion that Newcastle is a great team, with great fans, and i hope u do better next season at Premier League, so we'll meet again at Champions League!

 

good luck for the game against sunderland 

 

 

Good luck to you guys.

[midds]

FT: f*** off Pardew

 

I'd normally agree. But he had the tactics spot on. Would've got murdered pressing for the goals the whole 90

 

Bingo. I've slated Pardew for most of the season for the negative stuff but I can completely understand how we played tonight. Any Benfica goal killed the tie stone dead, going hell for leather from the off would have left too much space at the back. We clearly got the first and threw everything at them to get the second and had Benfica on the ropes. We just couldn't quite finish the job and get the second goal.

 

We were forced to show a bit of restraint due to being 2 goals down from the first leg, it wasn't like we started the tie at 0-0 tonight. No blame attached to Pardew tonight from me.

 

I have defended Pardew more than most, certainly you in recent weeks, but I just can't understand this way of thinking at all. This was a game in which we needed a convincing win, a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to the semis in a European competition against a very beatable opponent, as we saw last week. Since we were two goals down we essentially had nothing to lose at the start of the match, and all to gain. Just go at them from the off, put them under pressure and try to get an early goal. Yes, you may not get the early goal, tire badly and get picked off later in the match as you run out of steam, but I don't think anybody would have complained if at least we would have tried. As it is, we tried to calculate our way to the semis, sat back for far too long, looked nervous and unsure what to do for the entire first half and gave them the initiative, resulting in a good number of chances for them that could, and arguably should, have seen them through well before the "planned" point in the game when we finally spurred into action. It was all very reasoned, and counter intuitive to any football player, and that showed through in our performance. In the last half an hour we showed we were capable of hurting them, partly through bringing on our creative players. I would much rather have seen at least one of them (Marv) from the off to get Benfica on the back foot early on.

 

In short: the fact that the gameplan nearly worked should not be mistaken for it being a good gameplan.

 

That's fair enough, I just think his hands were tied a bit due to needing 2 goals without conceding. I think had we gone for it and opened up then we'd eventually have been picked off and the tie would have been dead. I can understand those who wanted us to go for it from the off and get at them early, there's logic to it - you need 2 goals, try and get them asap. That makes sense.

 

I just think tonight was the time to be cautious, try to keep it tight and shorten the game. I'm not begging people to agree with me but I can see logic in Pardew's approach tonight. It was frustrating to see it develop in the first half but a break here or there in the last 5 minutes could have got that second goal and sent us through. I can see both sides of it but I can understand Pardew's gameplan tonight as frustrating as it was.

 

I know you can't go gung ho for the full 90 minutes, so it would have made sense to start furiously and try to get the early goal (like we did last week coincidentally), then sit back for the rest of the first half after 15-20 minutes or so, give it another good go at the start of the second half after had a breather at half time, then sit back again between 60 and 80 for a final push in the last 10 or so minutes. Obviously events in the match would have influenced when to sit back or go at it, but as a general template I think that would have made much more sense than sit back for 70 minutes, as Dave points out not tiring them out at all as well which we possibly would have needed relying on our better physical attributes/fitness levels.

 

Another thing that mightily bugs me is Bigi on the right wing. Now, I like the look of Bigirimana, I really do, but there is no way he's ever an effective winger in the making. He lacks the pace and creativity needed to play that position. It would have made some sense if the plan was to sit back and keep it tight to play him next to Anita as a defensive shield (even if I wouldn't have agreed), but to have Cabaye deep and Bigi on the right, where is the sense in that? It doesn't provide an attacking threat, and nor does it help us being more defensively solid. It just doesn't make sense at any level. The other odd one out being Williamson ahead of Perch; I can only assume Perch was not fully fit, because why else would you play your least mobile, tall defender against fast, mobile forwards?

 

All in all, a clusterfuck of a gameplan in a once in a lifetime European knockout quarter final tie starting 2 goals down at home in front of a sold out, enthused stadium.

 

I'd have preferred to have seen this too in all honesty. didn't enjoy a single second of that first half and would have loved to have seen us go at them from the first whistle.

 

I'm just saying there was a logic to Pardew's plan tonight. It was frustrating to watch, especially at home but I can understand why he decided to play the game like he did tonight. It nearly worked too.

 

I appreciate there was a "logic" to it, but on a night like tonight that is exactly my criticism. What is logic may not be what is right, and I think that was the case, especially in the first half when the players really didn't look confident of what they were supposed to be doing. There is a lot to be said for intuition in a situation like the one we faced tonight; I feel Pardew overthought the whole thing and came up with some sort of brilliant gameplan that ultimately depended on us scoring twice in the space of 20 minutes against very strong opposition that we hadn't really tired beforehand. I guess I wouldn't have been so disappointed with our approach if he wouldn't have explained it beforehand, but to consciously throw 70 valuable minutes of pitch time in an effort to score 2 past them in 20 just seems unbelievably stupid to me.

 

I understand your frustration and annoyance and you make valid points.

 

I also understand why Pardew chose to go with his gameplan tonight.

[RodneyCisse]

Great atmosphere, chuffed I went, we deserved to win... Bring on the mackems.

 

Their players are among the most horrible cheating, diving, time wasting set of cunts I've ever watched.

[Keefaz]

Are people really saying if we'd adopted more attacking strategy we'd have gone through tonight? Don't see it.

[Dave]

Are people really saying if we'd adopted more attacking strategy we'd have gone through tonight? Don't see it.

 

Maybe not, because they look to be a better team than us. I would have been much happier that we'd given it more of a go though.

[Corrigan]

Well that was fantastic . So proud of how we played over the two legs . When we were drawn Benfica i never thought that we would get so close to the Semi's. No disappointment at all , Benfica are such an attacking and dangerous side and we did well to get so far and take it down to the wire. We could have just rolled over, but we did out best WELL DONE LADS and GOOD LUCK BENFICA

[Si]

To Benfica fans:

 

http://i48.tinypic.com/513hqf.gif

 

perfect

 

Agree... Spot on...

 

 

:'( 

 

[Cronky]

Basically, we were up against a better side, so slugging it out toe to toe from the off wasn't likely to succeed. We tried the football equivelent of rope-a-dope and it nearly worked.

 

Anita is a disappointment. He hasn't convinced in any midfield role, and looks best to me at right back.

[Dave]

I thought Simpson was remarkably assured by his standards btw.