Ross Wilson (Sporting Director)

[Shearergol]

Our defence has been shit because of the gaping holes in midfield and the useless goalkeepers (whichever is picked on the day) behind them. 

 

Get a competent keeper and a proper number 6 and all of our defenders will immediately improve.

[TRon]

38 minutes ago, La Parka said:

He's got great physical attributes , decent technical, but prone to a clanger. 

 

 

Most defenders are tbh, I think it only becomes a problem when it happens on a regular basis. I have sometimes felt that Thiaw loses his man every once in a while but honestly the whole team doesn't seem that well organised defensively so hard to judge anyone at the moment. 

[The College Dropout]

2 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

The structure of the defence is a concern going forward, particularly given how proactive Howe likes his CBs to be.

 

Individually Thiaw has been good though. I actually think he's outperformed expectations given this is his first season in the league, he's played too many games and the amount of covering he's had to do for Trippier.

Even with a GK and keeping our best players: Tino - Thiaw - Botman - Hall... I don't have faith in it. Lacks leadership, composure and nous.

 

 

Edited May 14 by The College Dropout

[HawK]

3 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Even with a GK and keeping our best players: Tino - Thiaw - Botman - Hall... I don't have faith in it. Lacks leadership, composure and nous.

 

 

 

 

It's pretty much just a lack of experience. It may be another reason Howe shoehorns Burn into every lineup possible.

 

 

Edited May 14 by HawK

[The Prophet]

2 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Even with a GK and keeping our best players: Tino - Thiaw - Botman - Hall... I don't have faith in it. Lacks leadership, composure and nous.

 

 

 

 

Agreed, a lack of leadership and nous have been evident throughout the season.

[The College Dropout]

1 minute ago, HawK said:

 

It's pretty much just a lack of experience. It may be another reason Howe shoehorns Burn into every lineup possible.

 

 

 

Yeh so i agree with the prophet that the structure needs to change.

[The College Dropout]

It's no coincidence that the team that broke the Cup curse had 4 players in the back 5 over 30. Ok that's not sustainable but unless we have a proper leader type - the senior man at the back can't be 26/27.

[LFEE]

38 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

I like Thiaw, he's been good value for money and I think he has a bright future at the club.

 

But you can't sign a CB, have him play 50 games - become much worse defensively and claim that CB has been a success. I don't blame Thiaw for it. But you just can't. VVD was a success because he came in and turned a leaky defence into a strong one immediately. To a lesser extent Dias of yesteryear and Guehi have done that at City. You judge a CB on their overall impact to the defence.

 

I think a GK will go a long way. But I have my doubts about a Thiaw-Botman partnership long-term. 

We’ve become much worse defensively because our forward line is not functioning and to a lesser extent midfield therefore find ourselves under pressure more.

 

Also Burn who’s been a success is a few years older which plays a part along with Botman not looking the same since injury.

 

Then we come to the FB’s. On the left we’ve had to play Burn and Hall due to injuries and inconsistent form possibly even Trippier one game (?) with Tino. On the right we’ve had Trippier, Tino, Miley and Hall filling in either ageing, injured or out of position.

 

Then we come to the GK position. Where for the first time under EH we’ve moved from having a clear No.1 with both playing 50/50 spells in/out/in/out.

 

So with all the above considered I think you and others are being extremely harsh on Thiaw especially it being his first season in the league and was clearly overplayed physically by not being able to rotate him for nearly 40 games in a row!

 

Thiaw has clearly been a success in the defence. Even offensively he’s looked the most dangerous of our defenders.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 14 by LFEE

[Geordie_once_removed]

I did look back and I couldn't see an obvious reason why, but why has this turned into the Malik Thiaw thread? Was Wilson even that involved in identifying him, I'm almost certain we were strongly linked the summer before so him being a target pre-dates Wilson.

 

P.s. I do firmly agree Wilson has a highly punchable face.

[Monters]

4 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

It's no coincidence that the team that broke the Cup curse had 4 players in the back 5 over 30. Ok that's not sustainable but unless we have a proper leader type - the senior man at the back can't be 26/27.

Agree with you! Difficult to solve though unless you are spending top dollar or do we alter formation to keep a Burn \ Schar in the back line presuming they deemed as unable to play as a partner to either of the others across the whole season

[bobbydazzla]

1 hour ago, Shearergol said:

Our defence has been shit because of the gaping holes in midfield and the useless goalkeepers (whichever is picked on the day) behind them. 

 

Get a competent keeper and a proper number 6 and all of our defenders will immediately improve.

 

Our defence has been shit because they've been shit. 

 

The gaping holes in midfield and the useless goalkeepers have also meant our defensive capabilities overall have been shit.

 

The two combined are why we're unable to keep a clean sheet and drop so many points from winning positions.

 

Let's not kid ourselves we've got the equivalent of George Graham's Arsenal back 4 but they're being left exposed by shit keepers and gaps in midfield.

 

Because we haven't. Some great individuals in there but as a unit this season, utter shit.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 14 by bobbydazzla

[Shearergol]

42 minutes ago, bobbydazzla said:

 

Our defence has been shit because they've been shit. 

 

The gaping holes in midfield and the useless goalkeepers have also meant our defensive capabilities overall have been shit.

 

The two combined are why we're unable to keep a clean sheet and drop so many points from winning positions.

 

Let's not kid ourselves we've got the equivalent of George Graham's Arsenal back 4 but they're being left exposed by shit keepers and gaps in midfield.

 

Because we haven't. Some great individuals in there but as a unit this season, utter shit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Respectfully, I disagree. Not many teams in this league leave their defenders as vulnerable as we do. 

[bobbydazzla]

21 minutes ago, Shearergol said:

 

Respectfully, I disagree. Not many teams in this league leave their defenders as vulnerable as we do. 

 

I was agreeing with that point.

 

But I was also saying even when they haven't been exposed the back 4 have still defended like slapstick clowns in a big top.

 

[Shearergol]

3 minutes ago, bobbydazzla said:

 

I was agreeing with that point.

 

But I was also saying even when they haven't been exposed the back 4 have still defended like slapstick clowns in a big top.

 

 

It's all opinions isn't it. I think Thiaw has been really good. I think Botman has been looking much better recently. As a team our defending is shit, but I don't particularly blame our defenders. 

 

Anyway, Ross Wilson eh.

[La Parka]

1 hour ago, bobbydazzla said:

 

Our defence has been shit because they've been shit. 

 

The gaping holes in midfield and the useless goalkeepers have also meant our defensive capabilities overall have been shit.

 

The two combined are why we're unable to keep a clean sheet and drop so many points from winning positions.

 

Let's not kid ourselves we've got the equivalent of George Graham's Arsenal back 4 but they're being left exposed by shit keepers and gaps in midfield.

 

Because we haven't. Some great individuals in there but as a unit this season, utter shit.

 

 

 

 

 

I think it's not helped by the man to man fullbacks being so high up. The gap between Thiaw and Trips is astronomical and invites attacks that makes Thiaw look worse than he is. 

[Abacus]

The defence, including the keeper function as a unit. One weak link and it falls apart making everyone look bad. 

 

You could extend that to the whole team, from midfield protection, to a forward line capable of retaining the ball and as an outlet.

 

In that context, Thiaw has stood out as being pretty undroppable. He's not perfect, no-one is, but he's also done really well in a new and unforgiving league.

 

I'd say he's a hit, with the potential to get better. Botman, unfortunately, was also a hit until his injury. I still think he'll get back, just takes a while with that sort of injury. 

 

Defensively Tino was a better left back than Hall is, however much I rate Hall. But unfortunately he's only been fitfully available, which doesn't lead to a good understanding across the back four, which a lot of managers usually don't rotate too much but Howe has been forced to. And Trippier's age has caught up with him.

 

Reliable full back cover and a keeper goes a long way to fixing this imo. Thiaw being the least of our problems and the best of our solutions.

[bobbydazzla]

5 minutes ago, La Parka said:

I think it's not helped by the man to man fullbacks being so high up. The gap between Thiaw and Trips is astronomical and invites attacks that makes Thiaw look worse than he is. 

 

The defensive unit is shit. The faces in the unit change but the ease with which we concede goals doesn't.

 

Either they're not being coached well and the tactics are flawed, or the tactics are fine but they're incapable of executing them.

 

1 clean sheet in 22 games tells you all you need to know. 

 

And I said in an earlier post, I don't really have much of an opinion on Thiaw, some games he looks class and others he looks vulnerable.

 

But I have an opinion on our defensive unit and my opinion is that it's fucking shit.

 

 

 

Edited May 14 by bobbydazzla

[bobbydazzla]

12 minutes ago, Shearergol said:

 

It's all opinions isn't it. I think Thiaw has been really good. I think Botman has been looking much better recently. As a team our defending is shit, but I don't particularly blame our defenders. 

 

Anyway, Ross Wilson eh.

 

I think I've been drawn into the debate about Thiaw when I wasn't commenting specifically on him. I was simply questioning what some defensive stats meant that were quoted about him and then I was saying our defenders are shit, as a unit.

 

@TBG hates Ross Wilson. And @Loki679 says Ross Wilson has a stupid smug face like a cartoon dog. That's about all I know about Ross Wilson.

 

 

Edited May 14 by bobbydazzla

[Magpie Mover]

2 hours ago, Shearergol said:

Our defence has been shit because of the gaping holes in midfield and the useless goalkeepers (whichever is picked on the day) behind them. 

 

Get a competent keeper and a proper number 6 and all of our defenders will immediately improve.

Howe has never shown any interest in buying a number 6 or playing anyone as a designated defensive midfielder, what makes you think he will change his mind now? No number 10 either, and virtually no deviation from a rigid 433 with any two of our fairly useless wingers. I think we are going to be signing up for more of the same and ultimately we won't make the progress we need to.

[Shearergol]

3 minutes ago, Magpie Mover said:

Howe has never shown any interest in buying a number 6 or playing anyone as a designated defensive midfielder, what makes you think he will change his mind now? No number 10 either, and virtually no deviation from a rigid 433 with any two of our fairly useless wingers. I think we are going to be signing up for more of the same and ultimately we won't make the progress we need to.

 

Nothing at all. It's my biggest issue with Howe tbh. We've needed a "6" for years.

[Magpie Mover]

I agree. hopefully we will see a system that suits the players we have as what we have seen this season definitely doesn't. 

[STM]

Thiaw and Botman should both be better than Burn but arent because personality counts for something in football.

 

Ive said this before but if you have defenders that are easy on the eye, great but can they actually defend?

 

A back 4 of Trippier, Thiaw, Botman and Hall is likely the best quality 4 footballers I've ever seen at Newcastle but it also doesn't make them a good defence?

 

No, because the reality is that somebody is going to have to put their body on the line or show character and leadership, its almost intangible.

 

The good news is two fold:

 

One, any defensive problems are also exasperated by the balance of the team crumbling in front of them, therefore if we become a better attacking force, the defenders will likely reap the rewards.

 

Secondly, both Botman and Thiaw are infinitely better than what Burn was at their age and probably Schar too. Sometime, leadership and nouce and experiance comes over time and we have to help them grown into it.

 

Also, a signing can be judged on one season if you like but it doesnt take a genius to see how flawed that can be. Hall, Tonali, Joelinton... and on and on.

[STM]

3 hours ago, Shearergol said:

Our defence has been shit because of the gaping holes in midfield and the useless goalkeepers (whichever is picked on the day) behind them. 

 

Get a competent keeper and a proper number 6 and all of our defenders will immediately improve.

 

Its a tale as old as time in football. Weve seen some great defenders like Terry and VVD look terrible for spells when whats happening around them has collapsed.

 

Likewise, you can make Tarkowski and Keane look like granite if you structure the side around protecting them.

 

As you say, its always more complicated.

 

 

[The College Dropout]

I do now question how Howe views the game and squad management mind.  
 

Like no plan to make 2 forwards in the same team work the way Pep would play Alvarez with Haaland. He just wants one to sit on the bench.  
 

Wants a football team with barely any playmakers. Just direct pace on the wing no guile. 
 

How is this meant to scale?

[Dr Venkman]

3 hours ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Potentially - I think he is a player who has talent and potential and can improve.  He might end up being worth a lot more than we’ve paid.  He needs at least another full season for me.

He’s potentially been worth £35m?