Varadi Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 We really missed his creativity in the first half against Spurs, too. Different scenario really - it's the games you hope to win he might make the difference - one good through ball to Gayle today was all we needed to get something. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest neesy111 Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 I really don't think Gayle was capable of anything today no matter what the service was. Didn't look right at all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikon Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 Looked like he wasn't even there, mentally. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemtizz Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 Anyway, poor performance today. It's like he was invisible at times. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Varadi Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 I really don't think Gayle was capable of anything today no matter what the service was. Didn't look right at all. Aye, probably one for the Gayle thread but he was way off today. Hoping it's just that he missed most of preseason and isn't up to speed yet.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bordertoon Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 We really missed his creativity in the first half against Spurs, too. Take your point, but surely that match (especially in the first half) was a very different test of Shelvey's creative powers? Also, with all but the very best of players, I think that creative powers are something of a hit-and-miss affair. The problem with our squad is that apart from Shelvey, creativity from our centre mid options seems to be a miss-and-miss affair. Perhaps with time Merino can change this for us, which imo could prove very important for our propspects this season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
xLiaaamx Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 It won't matter if we don't try to take more control of matches. Need to start controlling the posession more. Not talking about dominating, just pushing it closer to 50-50. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Crooks Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 Terrible own goal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newcastle Fan Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 The minute that ball hit the back of our net first thing i thought was that our bald cunt should've been doing that for us rather than being in the stand. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
xLiaaamx Posted August 23, 2017 Share Posted August 23, 2017 Think I can forgive you Jonjo. Can't stand watching some of the alternatives. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveItIfWeBeatU Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 Playing for the reserves tonight, free to watch via Nufc.co.uk. See Reserves thread for details. http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,60541.8375.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
afar Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 Liked his attitude tonight, unlike Aarons, he didn't just turn up because he was told to, he put in a shift and was driving the team forward, in the last minute of injury time he really should have been played in be a ball squared to him after making a good run. He was playing at 75% speed for sure, which is sensible at that level but he was still focused and was pinging the ball around especially in that first half. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Parka Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/67/590x/Mikel-Merino-834157.jpg Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minhosa Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 I love that this guy hasn't just waltzed straight back into the team. One of the biggest things Rafa has done is create a competitive environment where nobody is guaranteed a spot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteV Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 I love that this guy hasn't just waltzed straight back into the team. One of the biggest things Rafa has done is create a competitive environment where nobody is guaranteed a spot. Yep, we've just won 3 PL games in a row without (more or less) Shelvey and Gayle. Seemed unthinkable last season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCONA Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 I love that this guy hasn't just waltzed straight back into the team. One of the biggest things Rafa has done is create a competitive environment where nobody is guaranteed a spot. Yep, we've just won 3 PL games in a row without (more or less) Shelvey and Gayle. Seemed unthinkable last season. We proved on many occasions it wasn't possible! We've played very well last few games but I wouldn't get too excited yet. The liverpool game will be very interesting Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Away Day Gadgie Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 I love that this guy hasn't just waltzed straight back into the team. One of the biggest things Rafa has done is create a competitive environment where nobody is guaranteed a spot. Yep, we've just won 3 PL games in a row without (more or less) Shelvey and Gayle. Seemed unthinkable last season. We proved on many occasions it wasn't possible! We've played very well last few games but I wouldn't get too excited yet. The liverpool game will be very interesting Are you saying we should be judged on how we do against Liverpool rather than the type of teams we've played recently? If so i'd disagree. We need to beat the teams at the bottom and the middle of the league to achieve our goal so i'd rather we did that. There's nothing more frustrating than having a team that loses to s*** sides but then decides to turn it on against the so-called big clubs. And we've had a fair few teams like that to be fair. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCONA Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 I love that this guy hasn't just waltzed straight back into the team. One of the biggest things Rafa has done is create a competitive environment where nobody is guaranteed a spot. Yep, we've just won 3 PL games in a row without (more or less) Shelvey and Gayle. Seemed unthinkable last season. We proved on many occasions it wasn't possible! We've played very well last few games but I wouldn't get too excited yet. The liverpool game will be very interesting Are you saying we should be judged on how we do against Liverpool rather than the type of teams we've played recently? If so i'd disagree. We need to beat the teams at the bottom and the middle of the league to achieve our goal so i'd rather we did that. There's nothing more frustrating than having a team that loses to s*** sides but then decides to turn it on against the so-called big clubs. And we've had a fair few teams like that to be fair. No not exactly. I agree with you though and don't get me wrong, so far, so good. I just think the last 3 teams were really poor on the day, coupled with us playing well on the day. I don't expect us to beat liverpool, but if we compete and don't get embarrassed then really bodes well for rest of season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 I love that this guy hasn't just waltzed straight back into the team. One of the biggest things Rafa has done is create a competitive environment where nobody is guaranteed a spot. Part of that is down to the players not being that great to start with. Shelvey has a great eye for a pass, but he's not great when we don't have the ball. If he was I think he'd be in for Hayden. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minhosa Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 I love that this guy hasn't just waltzed straight back into the team. One of the biggest things Rafa has done is create a competitive environment where nobody is guaranteed a spot. Part of that is down to the players not being that great to start with. Shelvey has a great eye for a pass, but he's not great when we don't have the ball. If he was I think he'd be in for Hayden. Yeah but they weren't that great under Pardew, McClaren or Charver either but they rarely dropped the 'purples'. It's the sense of entitlement he seems to have knocked out of them, which is admirable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 I love that this guy hasn't just waltzed straight back into the team. One of the biggest things Rafa has done is create a competitive environment where nobody is guaranteed a spot. Part of that is down to the players not being that great to start with. Shelvey has a great eye for a pass, but he's not great when we don't have the ball. If he was I think he'd be in for Hayden. Yeah but they weren't that great under Pardew, McClaren or Charver either but they rarely dropped the 'purples'. It's the sense of entitlement he seems to have knocked out of them, which is admirable. Oh definitely, I think Rafa is probably one of the most ruthless managers in English football when it comes to performance related appearances. He's made a big thing about wanting depth in his squad for precisely that reason. I don't think he gives a toss about dropping his own signings never mind fan favourites or local heroes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Away Day Gadgie Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 I love that this guy hasn't just waltzed straight back into the team. One of the biggest things Rafa has done is create a competitive environment where nobody is guaranteed a spot. Yep, we've just won 3 PL games in a row without (more or less) Shelvey and Gayle. Seemed unthinkable last season. We proved on many occasions it wasn't possible! We've played very well last few games but I wouldn't get too excited yet. The liverpool game will be very interesting Are you saying we should be judged on how we do against Liverpool rather than the type of teams we've played recently? If so i'd disagree. We need to beat the teams at the bottom and the middle of the league to achieve our goal so i'd rather we did that. There's nothing more frustrating than having a team that loses to s*** sides but then decides to turn it on against the so-called big clubs. And we've had a fair few teams like that to be fair. No not exactly. I agree with you though and don't get me wrong, so far, so good. I just think the last 3 teams were really poor on the day, coupled with us playing well on the day. I don't expect us to beat liverpool, but if we compete and don't get embarrassed then really bodes well for rest of season Ok fair points mate, i can't argue our opponents haven't looked poor, but maybe we made them look poor just as much as they did themselves? I won't be that concerned about the Liverpool result, they can be devastating when they click. I'm sure they scored 6 at Citeh a couple of years ago and 5 against another top team not long after. Having said that it would be nice to give them a good game and prove we can live with the best sides. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 Turns out he asked Rafa to play in that U23s match, had to plead with him in fact as Rafa wasn't keen. Good attitude. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 His attitude seems to have improved by an amazing amount, it's just his flashes of anger to deal with now. He doesn't do any of the pointing and moaning that he used to do all the time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 Just openly blames himself for us losing the Spurs game. Says we probably would have got something from it. Makes an important point about the competition in the squad being much higher this season than last, obviously because of the signings but also because there's more training and fewer matches. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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