Newcastle United 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday - 26/12/16 - Match Thread

[Stifler]

Some woman has just drove through a load of people outside of Eldon Gardens. People jumping out of the way, others banging on her car to tell her to stop and she tells them all to fuck off then flies off up the road beeping her horn to get fans out of her way. Luckily no one has been hurt.

I've reported it to the police. Rumours our she has hit someone further up the road near the RVI and drove away.

[Yorkie]

Done like a kipper. Was like watching a non-entity English team get outfoxed by a streetwise European team. Ref didn't help but it's no excuse. Should've been more than 1 if not for Darlow. All 5 of the midfield were absolutely horrific.

 

Totally. The way the commentators were harping on and on, you'd think Sheff Wed blew us away with swashbucking football.

 

The comparison I made was that of an 'organised' international outfit. We obviously weren't good but Sheff Wed were plucky, cynical, smart on the counter and bundled in a shite goal.

 

Poor-team-at-Euro16-ariffic.

[matta]

Fucking  hell that was bad. Nothing at all.

[Figures 1-0 Football]

Terrible performance, thought Rafa got it terribly wrong to bring Perez into a physical game too.

 

Another team who have actually looked at our defects this season and set up very well. Very similar to the Blackburn match that was.

 

Dummett reverted back to the positionally-inept idiot running through glue again. Nobody other than Darlow can come out of that game with any credit like.

 

Hats off to the Sheff Wed fans, they were excellent throughout.

 

If Mitro put in a performance like Gayle did today, he'd have got absolutely pelted for it fwiw.

[Dave]

Not sure if we're overreacting a tad as well, we beat Birmingham 4-0 in our last home game with just one player different.

 

The difference between Shelvey and Colback is immense but not to extent the whole teams play as bad as it did today. Bit of missing Shelvey, a poor performance, Sheff Weds being better than us on the day, poor subs timing all played their part.

 

We need a plan B though when things aren't working for any reason, seems like Rafa thinks not mind.

 

This is probably a fair assessment. Easy to forget that Rafa is also planning for the long-term with this side and that'll be starting with shape and defensive work, first and foremost.

 

And he's trying to turn around an entire decade of the club actively trying not to compete. A winning mentality doesn't return overnight.

 

He shouldn't be beyond criticism but there are only two objectives for the next couple of seasons. Get back up and stay there. Football that's more pleasing on the eye can take its fucking time if needs be.

[Disco]

Done like a kipper. Was like watching a non-entity English team get outfoxed by a streetwise European team. Ref didn't help but it's no excuse. Should've been more than 1 if not for Darlow. All 5 of the midfield were absolutely horrific.

 

Totally. The way the commentators were harping on and on, you'd think Sheff Wed blew us away with swashbucking football.

 

The comparison I made was that of an 'organised' international outfit. We obviously weren't good but Sheff Wed were plucky, cynical, smart on the counter and bundled in a shite goal.

 

Poor-team-at-Euro16-ariffic.

 

Yup, tactical fouling and staying down aplenty. Very professionally adept.

[Mistle17]

Perez is fucking shite btw. Absolutely shite. He literally offers us nothing. He couldn't even receive the poor properly tonight. Can't believe he gets ahead of Mitro.

[Tooj]

Done like a kipper. Was like watching a non-entity English team get outfoxed by a streetwise European team. Ref didn't help but it's no excuse. Should've been more than 1 if not for Darlow. All 5 of the midfield were absolutely horrific.

 

Totally. The way the commentators were harping on and on, you'd think Sheff Wed blew us away with swashbucking football.

 

The comparison I made was that of an 'organised' international outfit. We obviously weren't good but Sheff Wed were plucky, cynical, smart on the counter and bundled in a shite goal.

 

Poor-team-at-Euro16-ariffic.

 

Yup, tactical fouling and staying down aplenty. Very professionally adept.

Portugese innit.

[Stifler]

Full backs are useless. Colback is not good enough, Hayden isn't showing anything to suggest he is capable of playing in that role full time. Diame is only good at powering his way through defences. No creativity, not even anything from Ritchie. We really need to invest in midfield players because apart from Shelvey's cross the field balls we offer nothing.

[mighty__mag]

                      Darlow

          Lascelles        Clark

Yedlin                                  Dummett

              Hayden      Diame

Ritchie                                    Atsu

            Mitrovic        Gayle

 

 

Its just so obvious.  We would probably not lose another game set up like that. And just change one of the other midfielders over when Shelvey is back probably Diame.

 

The whole Rafa stubborn tactics is the only thing that bothers me with him. Other than that id bum him senseless.

[Tiresias]

I don't trust Diame at central midfield yet, especially in a two man mid he needs better work rate atm. Anyway he's prolly off to ACON shortly whatever

[Dave]

 

 

                      Darlow

          Lascelles        Clark

Yedlin                                  Dummett

              Hayden      Diame

Ritchie                                    Atsu

            Mitrovic        Gayle

 

 

Its just so obvious.  We would probably not lose another game set up like that. And just change one of the other midfielders over when Shelvey is back probably Diame.

 

The whole Rafa stubborn tactics is the only thing that bothers me with him. Other than that id bum him senseless.

 

 

Howay man .

[Figures 1-0 Football]

We're just so slow at attacking, it's fine when we're winning but when we are chasing a game we offer next to nothing. You can see it clearly too, the opposition are given far too much time to get into positions and just shadow us across the pitch.

 

Get the ball down and run at people, when we do that they look terrified and we get chances. We just do not do it frequently enough (sometimes we don't do it at all).

[TRon]

The ref was awful yet again, but that doesn't excuse the piss poor football. Too many non-footballers in the team and we struggled to move the ball out of our own half with too many cloggers in defence and midfield.

[Parsley]

The idea that all of our prayers will be answered simply by going 4-4-2 is extremely naive IMO. Especially when the midfield 2 is guaranteed to be Colback and Hayden for the next 4 games.

[Gottlob]

We don't have a style of play. We've been heavily reliant this season on Shelvey putting the ball into dangerous areas, and Gayle making the most of the chances while conjuring some of his own through good movement and hard work. Otherwise what are we good at? Our pressing is okay, but we lack the sort of pace and athleticism which would allow us to press with intensity and capitalise consistently on defensive mistakes. We don't have anybody particularly adept at crossing the ball. Counter-attacking in this league isn't really an option. Our movement off the ball is poor. There's nobody in the squad capable of changing games via stunning strikes or mazy dribbles. And through the midfield we often struggle to retain possession, never mind building pressure through a sharp and and proactive short passing game.

 

Mitrovic adds presence up top, but again we don't have the players to provide him consistent service, and it seems to me that especially after the Blackburn game, he lacks Rafa's trust. Otherwise I think the best short-term solution - in Shelvey's absence and without a big signing at the start of January - is Anita alongside Hayden in the middle, and Yedlin at right back. It gives us more pace out wide, and while Anita isn't creative, his short passing is sharp and accurate and can encourage us to build moves rather than lofting it forward and hoping for the best. I wonder though whether - despite valuing his diligence - Rafa insists on someone with more physical presence in the midfield. It's surely also worth trying Lazaar or Haidara instead of Dummett.

[Disco]

We'd have got battered tonight if we'd played 4-4-2 given how slow we played. Only thing it would've served would have been given Bannan more time on the ball in the middle of field.

[Guest palnese]

The idea that all of our prayers will be answered simply by going 4-4-2 is extremely naive IMO. Especially when the midfield 2 is guaranteed to be Colback and Hayden for the next 4 games.

 

4-4-2 with wingers, two strikers, overlapping fullbacks in Yedlin/Lazaar sounds miles better than the shite they're serving up at the moment.

[Gallowgate Toon]

Think we have a clear style of play personally, both home and away. Away, we're very good at it. At home, we've been patchy. The possession work has sometimes been really quick and swift. At other times, it's been so slow and ponderous. For me, things are a little too geared toward one style, if anything. Need to add some variety, especially out wide.

[PartizanFC]

I try to imagine how will work this tactic in premiere ligue....when this not working on half of games in this season.

 

With this budget and squad we should drive like a ferari through this ligue.I expected more 4:0,5:0...games

 

Even if we scored first we dont  keep pushing for second,third..to broke morale of oponent and put some fear in their bones...We let them to come back to game.How many times we desperatly defend 1:0 without reason and wait for counter....

Maybe it is Rafa tactic..to prepare players for hard games in next season.But..maybe is better to change all,to buy 9 new players and start from the beggining becouse this squad dont react well to this tactic...Imagine this players against Chelsea....with or without Shelvey...I am not convicted that we should be better then under McLaren

 

I cant forget 0:6 against QPR.That was joy for watching.Not just becouse big result...do you remember how we played?

[TRon]

The idea that all of our prayers will be answered simply by going 4-4-2 is extremely naive IMO. Especially when the midfield 2 is guaranteed to be Colback and Hayden for the next 4 games.

 

It's not the formation, it's the team being overloaded with defensive players. 4-5-1 can be very attack minded if the full backs are better footballers.

[Incognito]

Done like a kipper. Was like watching a non-entity English team get outfoxed by a streetwise European team. Ref didn't help but it's no excuse. Should've been more than 1 if not for Darlow. All 5 of the midfield were absolutely horrific.

 

Totally. The way the commentators were harping on and on, you'd think Sheff Wed blew us away with swashbucking football.

 

The comparison I made was that of an 'organised' international outfit. We obviously weren't good but Sheff Wed were plucky, cynical, smart on the counter and bundled in a shite goal.

 

Poor-team-at-Euro16-ariffic.

We had nobody with the energy and endeavour of Reach and no one either with the nous of Hutchinson.  I thought they were the best 2 outfield players on the pitch.

[Bimpy474]

The idea that all of our prayers will be answered simply by going 4-4-2 is extremely naive IMO. Especially when the midfield 2 is guaranteed to be Colback and Hayden for the next 4 games.

 

It's not the formation, it's the team being overloaded with defensive players. 4-5-1 can be very attack minded if the full backs are better footballers.

 

Aye, i said it during the game. Our width and crosses were provided by Dummett and Anita who were both awful crossing it.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Embarrassed tbh. Shelvey or no Shelvey, a team looking to win the league shouldn't be losing to a team with such basic tactics and basic players, they're a nothing team. We can't afford to get ahead of ourselves, that was a very poor performance and like I say, I was canny embarrassed. I'm confident that Rafa won't let it stand, and should we get promoted, I can't see many of that team surviving.

[Tsunami]

We had a basic lack of speed and creativity from midfield. It's been a problem at home all season. If we don't score early on and the oppo sits deep we struggle.