Newcastle 4 - 2 AZ Alkmaar - Post Match Thoughts

[Dinho lad]

can't remember to be honest. Wasn't listening that much. But I think he said something about their 2nd goal not being that important. 

[Syrette]

Duff was decent, more so in the first half than the 2nd.

[Guest optimistic nit]

i reckon that dyer is now a better player than bellamy, and i'm a strong bellers fan. he seems to do everything bellers used to do for us (well nearly everything) and everything KD used to do for us as well. in addition it seems his mental game improved so much while he was out, even though he was not playing games.

[Optimistic Nut]

Shades of Athletic Bilbao 1994.

[Superior Acuña]

I'm a bit dissipointed actually.  I'd have been pleased before, but the pen was harsh, and then to save it twice

 

I reckon we should get a goal there though, theyre not up to much defensively.

[Keefaz]

I loved the first half: a great game to watch. Second half, imo, we were really poor.

 

Martins pisses me off sometimes. Second half he was infuriating: what's the point of laying a ball off to a winger if you can't then be arsed to get into the box? He comes too deep, his first touch is AWFUL 50% of the time, his awareness is shocking at times, he's goes down like a fairy. If he wasn't such an exciting player with a great shot I'd really have a go at him.

 

I was really disappointed with Almaar after all I'd heard about them. They barely turned up in the first half and we had to really play poorly in the second to give them another goal. They looked intimidated quite honestly. Maybe it'll be different at their ground. Having said that once they got the ball down, you can see they can pass it around, good movement from their forwards and a number of good through-balls that could've paid off. We've got to defend better over there.

 

Parker & Butt were a mixed bag for me. For every tackle they won, they gave ball back just as much. I think Parker's problem is this: he works very hard, he's got an excellent football brain but he lacks the ability to pull off more than half of what he wants to do.

 

Lastly, Carr was shit and why did no one give the ball to Duff?

[The Bonk]

Is it true that there was under 30,000 there?  Soccernet say's 28,500?  I suppose I shouldn't be shocked by this, but it was potentially our last game in Europe at St. James for some time? 

 

 

Yeah i was surprised aswell.

 

Really? I wasn't.

 

Idiotic prices on a cold, rainy night when it's on tele anyway.

 

Lower the prices and the crowds will come.

 

But 28,500, mate?  I figured we'd get over 30 at least.  That's almost half the park empty. 

[madras]

AZ were the worst team defensivly I've seen in the past 10yrs at SJP.

 

would have prefered 2-0 to 4-2,but we can score over there.

 

they reminded me of liverpool with macmaneman....."we can keep the ball for hours without creating much and when you have it you can create a chance a minute"

 

 

[Guest newcastle4life]

First-half diagnosis?

 

Great display

 

Second-half diagnosis?

 

okay shame we let in the second goal

 

Full-time diagnosis?

 

good result 4-1 would have made things easier over their

 

Star man for United?

 

Martins

 

 

Worst United player?

 

Carr

 

Opposition comment?

 

Good going forward dont know what a defense is its worse than ours

 

Toon-pros?

 

Four goals

First half attacking

 

Toon-cons?

 

conceded two goals

 

Post-match feelings?

 

happy with win their secong goal gives them a chance cant see us not scoring against AZ though hopefully will be okay.

[chicago_shearer]

Like others have said - go out, score the early goal and the tie is over.  So long as we play as positively in Holland as we did in the first half today then we should go through easily.  Just trying not to think about Sporting Lisbon...

[The Bonk]

Like others have said - go out, score the early goal and the tie is over.  So long as we play as positively in Holland as we did in the first half today then we should go through easily.  Just trying not to think about Sporting Lisbon...

 

 

As long as Dyer doesn't go off knacked, we'll be alright!

[Wullie]

Absolutely gutted to have conceded that second away goal in the manner we did, everything about it was so unlucky - the ball hitting Taylor when he could do nothing, the rare Shay save from the spot, the fantastic Parker tackle and the shot just evading Bramble, but it's a good result all the same, I'd expect us to score over there, cos their defence was atrocious.

 

First half, we were as good as we've been all season, the front six were outstanding, especially Dyer, Martins and the Sib.

[Nobody]

Feels strange not being happy about scoring four goals and winning.

[Optimistic Nut]

Thought Carr looked decent at left-back too for a change. Considering how much football he's missed the last 5 months and that he was out of position, he slotted in well.

[Ashley17]

I've never heard so many people moan at the same time as when Carr was put in by Duff and he forgot the ball. And then stood about looking depressed about it

[Yorkie]

I've never heard so many people moan at the same time as when Carr was put in by Duff and he forgot the ball. And then stood about looking depressed about it

 

Every watcher moaned tbh. In the stadium and those watching the TV.

[Guest Morph]

I've never heard so many people moan at the same time as when Carr was put in by Duff and he forgot the ball. And then stood about looking depressed about it

 

Every watcher moaned tbh. In the stadium and those watching the TV.

 

Fat beer bellied faggot can't play football to save his life.  One time in the first half it looked as though Damien Duff was giving him a tutorial on how to fucking play.  Useless.

[Ronaldo]

Given 7

Solano 7

Taylor 5

Bramble 9

Carr 5

Dyer 7.5

Parker 6.5

Butt 7

Duff 7

Sibierski 7

Martins 8.5

 

Alkmaar are a decent team, and we could have absolutely destroyed them tonight, should be good for morale if nowt else.

[Yorkie]

Given 7

Solano 7

Taylor 5

Bramble 9

Carr 5

Dyer 7.5

Parker 6.5

Butt 7

Duff 7

Sibierski 7

Martins 8.5

 

Harsh.

[Wullie]

I'm going to be Ronaldo-tastic and say Bramble's tackle was one of the finest I've seen in years.

 

I thought his and Taylor's were perfectly timed against Zulte, but tonight's was something else. He had no right to get that ball.

[Ronaldo]

I'm going to be Ronaldo-tastic and say Bramble's tackle was one of the finest I've seen in years.

 

I thought his and Taylor's were perfectly timed against Zulte, but tonight's was something else. He had no right to get that ball.

 

it's a shame he has to make a tackle like that to illicit some praise. The fact is, the amount of winning tackles Bramble makes every game puts our other defenders to shame.

 

4 excellent games in a row now for Titus. In terms of aerial and tackling ability, none of our other defenders can touch him. And when was the last time he made a notable error that cost us?

[Optimistic Nut]

I'm going to be Ronaldo-tastic and say Bramble's tackle was one of the finest I've seen in years.

 

I thought his and Taylor's were perfectly timed against Zulte, but tonight's was something else. He had no right to get that ball.

 

it's a shame he has to make a tackle like that to illicit some praise. The fact is, the amount of winning tackles Bramble makes every game puts our other defenders to shame.

 

4 excellent games in a row now for Titus. In terms of aerial and tackling ability, none of our other defenders can touch him. And when was the last time he made a notable error that cost us?

 

Said it earlier in the season. It's the first round, and he's managed to pick out the £5, £10, £250, & £500 boxes...but you're always on edge because the 5th could easily be a £250,000.

[80]

Their first goal was undefendable

 

I don't place too much blame upon him, but Butt should really have been covering the guy who scored. He made the wrong decision in following the ball wide and lost him. It wasn't an easy situation to cope with, though.

[Howaythelads]

Haven't read the thread, don't have time.

 

Two stupid goals conceded by mistakes by Taylor I predict will cost us the tie because they can beat us 2-0 over there.

 

Well done Bramble. Had a really good game. Good job he didn't do what Taylor managed, otherwise we'd be on page 100 by now.

[Howaythelads]

Like others have said - go out, score the early goal and the tie is over.  So long as we play as positively in Holland as we did in the first half today then we should go through easily.  Just trying not to think about Sporting Lisbon...

 

I think they showed at 3-0 down that us scoring the first goal over there won't kill the tie. They can beat us 3-1, they can beat us 2-0. Those 2 daft goals we conceded are killers.