Newcastle Utd 1 - 2 Huddersfield Town - 13/08/16 - Post-match reaction from p24

[Wullie]

We really need to give someone an absolute arse-kicking.

[Lush Vlad]

Not seen the game, just seen the goals and heard a brief clip of Rafa.  So it's a bit hard to have much of a view on the game.  Awful defending for the first.  Second looked like a foul on Mbemba, to me.  After that, we were just caught on the break and short on numbers, after pushing for the win. 

 

Bit worrying that it sounds like yet again, we struggled to create chances and looked a bit suspect at the back?  Concerning that Dummett is still playing and Anita is playing on the wing.  That experiment needs to be shitcanned.  Any reasons given for Ritchie not starting?  Glad to see Colback dropped, not that it made much of a difference. 

 

I thought we would start off a bit cagey and nervy this season.  Just due to Rafa's playing style and because of all the new players brought in, taking time to gel and buy into Benitez' methods.  But I didn't think it would be this bad. 

 

Still very early days and I am not getting too worried yet.  However, I'm not sure playing cautious, methodical football, is going to work in this league.  Teams are just going to hit us on the counter and sit deep, like Fulham and Huddersfield have done so far. 

[Jill]

Any reasons given for Ritchie not starting? 

 

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rafa-benitez-reveals-left-matt-11746376

 

Stiffness.

[Lush Vlad]

Any reasons given for Ritchie not starting? 

 

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rafa-benitez-reveals-left-matt-11746376

 

Stiffness.

 

 

Cheers

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Still very early days and I am not getting too worried yet.  However, I'm not sure playing cautious, methodical football, is going to work in this league.  Teams are just going to hit us on the counter and sit deep, like Fulham and Huddersfield have done so far. 

 

This is my worry, because we don't have enough magic to unlock stubborn defences and we'll constantly be vulnerable to the counterattack. Don't know what the answer is but have to trust Rafa to find it. 

[Beren]

Edifying from .com

 

United's demoralising start to life in the Championship has raised questions as to whether hopes of promotion and/or silverware are already fading this season.

 

We're glad to report that all is not lost and defeats in the opening two games reduce but don't extinguish prospects of an instant return to the top flight.

 

Since the Premier League was founded in 1992, no less than nine second tier clubs have endured similarly poor starts but recovered to gain promotion - four via the playoffs, three second places and two title winners.

 

Newcastle fans, players or officials in need of inspiration look no further than 12 miles down the road - with the mackems twice lifting the Championship trophy despite a shabby opening sequence of results:

 

Slow starters:

 

2012/13 Crystal Palace (playoffs) L L L W

2008/09 Burnley (playoffs) L L D D W

2006/07 mackems (champions) L L L L W

2004/05 mackems (champions) L W D L D L W

2001/02 West Brom (second) L L D W

1998/89 Bradford City (second) L L D L W

1995/96 Derby County (second) D L D L W

1994/95 Bolton (playoffs) D L L W

1991/92 Blackburn (playoffs) D D L L W

 

PS: It's also worth recalling that our 2009/10 season in the Championship ended in title success and an 11 point gap ahead of runners-up West Brom - and a massive 23 points in front of third placed Nottingham Forest.

 

United were promoted with 102 points, but Blackpool took the final playoff spot (and would gain promotion) with 70 points - 32 less than the black and whites. 

 

That campaign also started slowly, with an unconvincing 1-1 draw away at the Baggies.

 

The players can't believe that things are just going to click eventually though, with no intervention or change in attitude from them. The 80-90 points we need, need to be won and it's arduous. Not sure that's sunk in.

 

Hoping that if and when the goals start flowing, a bit of confidence will come back into the side, we'll start to defend from the front a bit better and the division will fear us a little - which would be helpful. Need a lot more attack-minded midfielders as we're not creating much from what I've seen so far.

[BlueStar]

Has the Rafa La Bamba song now just been changed from "Gini Wijnaldum" to "fuck off Wijnaldum"?  Seemed to be what some folk were singing near me, which is pretty lame.  Surely we've got players we can fit in five syllables. "Jam-al la-sell-is" for one, there we go.

[Darth Crooks]

I think there are too many syllables as it is.

[Guest]

Just scrap it it's crap anyway.

[WarrenBartonCentrePartin]

Has the Rafa La Bamba song now just been changed from "Gini Wijnaldum" to "f*** off Wijnaldum"?  Seemed to be what some folk were singing near me, which is pretty lame.  Surely we've got players we can fit in five syllables. "Jam-al la-sell-is" for one, there we go.

 

It was Vurnon Anita down at Fulham.

[NEEJ]

I thought it was Momo Diame?

[huss9]

Has the Rafa La Bamba song now just been changed from "Gini Wijnaldum" to "f*** off Wijnaldum"?  Seemed to be what some folk were singing near me, which is pretty lame.  Surely we've got players we can fit in five syllables. "Jam-al la-sell-is" for one, there we go.

 

ha ha, yes. my kids were asking me what we were singing instead of "gini wijnaldum" so had to tell them it was "bog off wijnaldum".

[nemtizz]

 

Enjoy.

[Kanj]

3 mistakes, 3 goals. Been punished.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

In a better league we would've conceded another 5 or 6 goals, we give the ball away like a boss.

[54]

What the fuck is that editing

[Ronaldo]

In a better league we would've conceded another 5 or 6 goals, we give the ball away like a boss.

 

Losing possession frequently and doing nothing with it is the hallmark of a team with too many defensive players in it. We had this fact rammed down our throats every week when Pardew was here.

[Dr Venkman]

Booing is never not cringeworthy as fuck. Even more so two games into a season.

 

Yes! I agree with this post!!

[Dr Venkman]

I can understand things take a while to gel etc... and I think we'll come good starting wednesday, but what was massively strange to me was how none of our players seemed to be able to control simple passes, the amount of poor first touches was a joke.

 

We also had an annoying habit of over hitting short passes and under hitting the long ones which didn't help.

 

Only seen the lowlights but that absolutely reeks of a mass crisis of confidence.

 

Yep; I noticed how bad our first touch seemed across the team as well. Gayle was the worst offender.

[samptime29]

Had been in London for a few days at cricket, and then travelled to the Toon for match, so had been drinking 3 days solid. Felt terrible Sunday. Bad loss and an awful hangover 

 

Thought we were poor first half, better second but lacked a cutting edge and we got counter attacked far too easy. Impressive crowd, we could really do with a good performance and win vs Reading like.

 

 

[NEEJ]

Booing is never not cringeworthy as f***. Even more so two games into a season.

 

Yes! I agree with this post!!

Unless it's aimed towards Alan Pardew.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I can understand things take a while to gel etc... and I think we'll come good starting wednesday, but what was massively strange to me was how none of our players seemed to be able to control simple passes, the amount of poor first touches was a joke.

 

We also had an annoying habit of over hitting short passes and under hitting the long ones which didn't help.

 

Only seen the lowlights but that absolutely reeks of a mass crisis of confidence.

 

Yep; I noticed how bad our first touch seemed across the team as well. Gayle was the worst offender.

 

Hayden looked incredibly nervous after being very tidy at Southend and Fulham, I don't think I saw him give the ball away in either of those games. Bit of a strange one.

[TRon]

In a better league we would've conceded another 5 or 6 goals, we give the ball away like a boss.

 

Losing possession frequently and doing nothing with it is the hallmark of a team with too many defensive players in it. We had this fact rammed down our throats every week when Pardew was here.

 

I'd normally agree, but some of the worst culprits have been Perez and Aarons, and last season Thauvin was horrendous in that regard. These guys don't seem to have the strength or nous to ride tackles like someone like Ben Arfa. How hard can it be to either beat a clumsy defender or win a free kick?

 

 

[SiLvOR]

I can understand things take a while to gel etc... and I think we'll come good starting wednesday, but what was massively strange to me was how none of our players seemed to be able to control simple passes, the amount of poor first touches was a joke.

 

We also had an annoying habit of over hitting short passes and under hitting the long ones which didn't help.

 

Only seen the lowlights but that absolutely reeks of a mass crisis of confidence.

 

Yep; I noticed how bad our first touch seemed across the team as well. Gayle was the worst offender.

 

Hayden looked incredibly nervous after being very tidy at Southend and Fulham, I don't think I saw him give the ball away in either of those games. Bit of a strange one.

 

Fans fault.

[TRon]

I can understand things take a while to gel etc... and I think we'll come good starting wednesday, but what was massively strange to me was how none of our players seemed to be able to control simple passes, the amount of poor first touches was a joke.

 

We also had an annoying habit of over hitting short passes and under hitting the long ones which didn't help.

 

Only seen the lowlights but that absolutely reeks of a mass crisis of confidence.

 

Yep; I noticed how bad our first touch seemed across the team as well. Gayle was the worst offender.

 

Hayden looked incredibly nervous after being very tidy at Southend and Fulham, I don't think I saw him give the ball away in either of those games. Bit of a strange one.

 

It's quite a big jump from being an Arsenal reserve to being the first choice defensive midfielder in front of 52,000 fans at the other end of the country. He's got potential, but I think he would be helped by better footballers around him. Also, Rafa's methods are pretty much diametrically opposed to those of Wenger so it might just be a case of learning as he goes along. He's technically a lot better than I thought he would be. Other than Tiote I don't see who else could play that role.