Surely this should be the template for every home match at St James’ Park. Yet for some reason it isn’t. I’m intrigued to know why.
Performances aren’t brilliant, but come on we’ve been served up some rubbish over the years. Spells of good times have been few and far between over the years. However it is a results based business and last season was disappointing. Finishing 16th is poor even by our standards. Note that an away win at Villa with a good performance has lifted the spirits with most fans, so hopefully we are in for a more positive season.
However, I’m not convinced that the discontent is generated by on-field factors. I think it is more off field. So I’ve decided that a survey of our bloggers might help to clarify the perspective of what is actually going on. I’ve come up with some headings, with a bit of a description of where I think we are in each of them. What I want from you is marks out of 10 of how important each category is, and marks out of 10 for how well we are doing in each category. I’ll use these to develop a feelgood factor that we can repeat and monitor. So first up…
League Results
Since the war we have been relegated four times spending a total of 17 seasons in the second tier of English football. We have also had four periods of “Glory Years”, top five finishes, 1948 to 1952 where with George Rutherford and Stan Seymour we finished 4th – 5th – 4th – 8th. These were also the cup years.
Next up we had three relegations and only seven top ten finishes from 26 top flight seasons until the Sir John Hall and Kevin Keegan years when in the four years (1993 to 1997) we finished 3rd – 6th – 2nd – 2nd and shortly thereafter we had the Freddie Shepherd and Sir Bobby Robson years where we finished 4th – 3rd – 5th. Other than that the only other high spots were the 5th places achieved by Gordon Lee in 1976/7 and Alan Pardew in 2011/2.
If we ignore the four seasons we were relegated (and the years in the second tier) and the 13 glory years above we have averaged 13th in the remaining 32 seasons. On that basis I think that the Alan Pardew years to date deserves probably a 7/10 and as league results are the key measure and worth 8/10
Europe and Cups
Even if things are not going well a good cup run and a trip to Europe can lift the spirits so with a run to the Quarter Final of the Europa League cup last season to remember again 7/10 but as a measure it’s less important so 7/10
Next we come to things that are less tangible such as style of play, PR and communications; as well as background matters such as Finances, Squad strength etc. Personally I don’t think these are as important but you may feel different. To me so long as we are not threatened with administration and can field 11 players on the pitch it will be reflected in the outcomes and so are marginal. Together I’ve given them half the overall value.
Finances
Turnover, Profit, Global Brand awareness, Deloitte rankings etc indicate that the clubs finances are in the best state they have been in a long time. Turnover of nearly £100m, Profit of a few million, ROI of 8%, 7th biggest in EPL, 20th in Europe everything good here so 9/10 in a measure worth 4/10
Squad including Manager and Coaches
The first team is as good as anybody outside the big six. The bench and squad is probably OK for a domestic season but still very susceptible to injuries etc, Management that can cope well in the good times but struggle when under the cosh. 6/10 from a measure worth 4/10
Style of play
Well I’ve seen some decent play and some hoofball and some horror shows so no, only 4/10 from a measure worth 3/10
PR & Communications
What PR? What communications? Decision making that baffles the imagination. Appointments that confuse. I don’t mind a reclusive owner, but that has to be compensated for. It isn’t, just 1/10 in a measure worth 3/10
Showbiz
I don’t know if you could rightly even call this a measure. Newcastle became my second team in The Joe Harvey years, Pop Robson, Supermac etc. Great entertainment on and off the field. Only four top ten finishes in ten seasons.
Since then nobody can claim to have been bored following Newcastle. Always in the news for right and wrong reasons. Once described as the best soap opera in English football and still living up to the billing. Other clubs may try to claim the headlines but only Newcastle know how to fill the column inches. I’m going to have to give it 9/10 even though currently it’s for all the wrong reasons, nothing new there. But as a measure I’m only awarding 1/10 and struggling to justify that.
So folks, over to you. What’s you’re verdict on the above categories. How are we doing in each. Have I got the importance right, and any other categories that I have missed out.
So on the basis of the above I award a Feelgood Factor of 63% or 6/10. Not bad, could do better. What’s all the fuss about?
Seeeeeeeeeething 😈
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Aussie
There’s been so much fun and joviality lately it’s been fantastic. You are the only one in a mood and always bring the atmosphere down to ground zero. 🙄
I’m living the way Pards is proving you all wrong. You’s are all squirming.
Even the blobfish Stardy is too embarrassed to come on. 😆
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Sorry about the aussie.
I had to sort something out and the jokers must have come out whilst i’ve been gone.
I’m back now and we can get back to the serious stuff.
Where is the members of the Pardew fan club? You know, the fans that think we’re ok with Pardew at the club??
KK(Quote)
Troy, djebsy really has you rattled hasn’t he!
You are coming across as rather desperate mate. I’m not having a go, i am just looking out for you. You are trying too hard for laughs and i fear that some of the bullies on here may pick on you ❓
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
I don’t drink or smoke but my speech seems to have gone slurry.
WTF!
KK(Quote)
I’m with djebsy.
I think troy is a son of a monkey.
KK(Quote)
@newkie
It’s not a strange rationale. You have to watch the teams play instead of just checking the scores on teletext (is that still going btw?).
Liverpool as a team play much better than us. So do swansea. Everton. Southampton.
We rely on perhaps two, maybe three players. If those players don’t perform or are unavailable, we end up in a relegation battle.
It shouldn’t be like that but it is because we don’t play with a particular system.
KK(Quote)
Tiote is more similar to sissoko then he is to anita.
If pardew really wants to play tiote, he should do it at the expense of sissoko not anita.
Anita is closer to cabaye.
KK(Quote)
It never fails to amaze me how much utter ***** is typed on here…
Stuart79(Quote)
We looked less threatning when anita went off then when remy went off.
KK(Quote)
@Stuart79
Are you a member of the pardew is good enough fan club?
KK(Quote)
I pretty much agree with most of this
http://www.themag.co.uk/the-mag-articles/buy-mike-ashley-a-pint/
KK(Quote)
KK – To be honest, nobody knows whether he’s good enough. He’s had one good season (over achieved) and one bad season (under achieved). Although it could be argued that last season there were many things that were out of his control which contributed to a poor season. This season under normal circumstances would be the decider but I fear no manager would achieve much at NUFC under this regime. Managers need support from above and they just don’t seem to give it to managers here.
Stuart79(Quote)
@Stuart79
You’ve said it perfectly. First season he over achieved. Last season he under achieved.
Pardew could get us around 10th, 9th or 8th most seasons. The point is for me that isn’t good enough. For me that would be a waste of potential that the players have.
We know there are better managers out there. We know they would come to us.
If we sit quietly and do nothing then nothing will happen. We’ll have to look forward to pardew for the next 7 years!
We need to push for a new manager. Mike ashley will listen to us. He brought in keegan because it was what we wanted. He brought in shearerbecause it was what we wanted. He’ll bring in a better manager if we get off his back and start working with him, telling him who we want to see.
KK(Quote)
This article will have a few in spasms 😀
http://www.themag.co.uk/the-mag-articles/buy-mike-ashley-a-pint/
3hourswasted(Quote)
@3hourswasted
1hr too late my friend 😆
KK(Quote)
KK – I’d like to hear how you’re planning on talking to Mike. Emailing Sports Direct?
On your list of comparisons you chose Jenas instead of Speed. Anita or Speed? Jurie’s still out on Remy but more effective than Bellers? I’d also argue young Dyer was way more effective than Cabaye and that a fit Bernard was a much better fullback than Santon.
I do think we have a good first 11 but as soon as one or two drop out we’re fcked.
georgio(Quote)
KK – I fear you are either on serious drugs or have been previously and they have haggled your brain.
Stuart79(Quote)
georgio – I chose Jenas because he featured in more games and scored more goals that season.
Speed was also 33 and i would say past his peak at that point in his career. Anita has more ability than Speed.
Cabaye has more ability than Dyer.
Remy has more ability than Bellamy.
Santon vs Bernard is difficult. I would say they have the same ability.
Remember it’s not about form, it’s about ability and we have some very able players playing for a very incapable manager.
KK(Quote)
@KK
No-one is mentioning Pardew in the same breath of Sir Bobby, so why the hell are you comparing the two managers squads? Bobby is world class. Pardew isn’t, no-one is debating that.
You mention Souness and Roeder as more successful as Pardew.
Well take the same squad as 02-03, add Milner, Boumsong, Kluivert, N’Zogbia, Faye, ****, Carr, Babayaro – and you have a much stronger squad for Souness agree?
Roeder – ah yes, the favourite comparison of many.
In his first season he steered us to 7th after taking over from Souness. He didn’t have Europe to contend with so it can be compared to Pardew’s 5th place finish.
Following year when he had Europe to juggle, he got 43 points to Pardew’s 41. Fair enough, 2 points better. Only last year we had by far the worst injury record. Microscopic comparison – Owen, Martins, Luque, young Carroll, Ameobi, Sibierski vs Cisse, Ameobi, Campbell.
Hmm. Seems fair.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
OK – one word answer please KK.
This is the team that Pardew took towards a whisker of the CL, based on highest number of PL starts in the year.
Look and say whether you can acknowledge it was an incredible achievement:
Krul
Simpson
Williamson
Coloccini
Raylor
Obertan
Cabaye
Tiote
Jonas
Best
Ba
Saylor/HBA/Santon/Cisse all started in much less than 50% of games.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
@solanostrumpet
Yes.
Yes i do think our fifth place finish was a good achievement.
Was that down to the players or the manager? You’ll probably say a bit of both. I’ll say the same.
The point is still the same. There are better managers that could do a better job than pardew. They would also be happy to come and work under the apparently horrendous conditions that pardew has to.
Is pardew the right manager for us in the short, medium or long term? I say no and i certainly don’t want him here for another 7 years.
The comparison earlier wasn’t about showing sbr to be better than pardew. It was about showing how strong the club is. The squad is as good as sbr had. The difference is that under sbr we were playing better, there was excitement and we could look forward to competing with the best.
Under pardew we don’t have a style, we’re too reliant on individual players and our target is to finish in the top 10!
Finishing top 10 should go without mention when it comes to the club. We all expect everton to finish top 10. I’s not even a target for them. Why is it for us.
Under pardew we can only expect mediocrity. Some fans are happy with that. I’m not and i do not want to see it for the next 7 years!
KK(Quote)
I can’t believe we have to mention souness & roeder to show that pardew is not much better than them.
All 3 are **** and i wouldn’t want any of them here.
KK(Quote)
Evening KK. still battling away I see. Hope you get your wish of NUFC as the number 1 club in the world. Doesn’t sound as if anything else will satisfy you. Assuming for the minute that Ashley doesn’t splash the cash and no knight in shining armour comes and pours the money in, this squad will gradually improve, and as we have said it’s probably as good as it’s been since SBR. What could it reasonably achieve. Given a great manager it would probably get close to the big 6 maybe getting past any that fail so lets say 5th to 6th on a good season. It’s unlikely to get past enough of them to become regular top 4 like Arsenal let alone the big spenders. What can Pardew achieve. Well he has already shown that given a decent run he can get 5th, and given a weakened squad he will struggle. So if the squad strengthens I would expect 5th to 10th. So what’s the difference. Damned if I know. If we are having a revolution then a top class manger maybe a great idea, but in the meantime he has achieved a 5th place, something only three other managers have achieved.
Premandup(Quote)
KK, YOU brought up Souness and Roeder in this thread ❗
Here’s a scenario – say a club had a detestable director of football, loathed throughout football, and with no football knowledge. Most fans would want a different one, yeah? That seems to have happened here, only, Ashley managed to find someone EVEN WORSE than Lambias – we all thought it could get no worse.
Pardew is an ok manager. Ashley is capable of getting much worse, and we have no reason to think otherwise.
Ashley has done a lot of good for the club, staying up aside, results are a by product though. He isn’t willing to splash and chase the CL, he’ll give or take Europa. He has bought some terrific players – but it is with a view to Newcastle as a sustainable model, not with us improving results imo.
It has benefited us though.
Compare our squads to the top 6. It is very unlikely that without sizable investment we could compete for CL. The sooner you accept that Ashley will not fund a CL manager, the sooner you will accept that Pardew is compromise for all parties. He gets on with the board, the players, and has managed one great season, I’m “content” not rocking the boat until Ashley ***** off.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
@Prem
I’m starting to think KK is trolling.
If he isn’t then:
(@389)
“Mike Ashley will listen to us”
&
“He brought in Shearer because it was what we wanted”
seriously need some explanation 😯
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Evening premandup.
I do hope we become the number 1 club in the world. Doesn’t every fan have that wish?
It might happen in the long term. For it to happen in the short term would require some huge changes. At the moment the only thing that will satisfy me is a progressive competent manager. Pardew isn’t one of those.
What changes can we make in the short term to get the club progressing?
Sure we could sign a right back, maybe a winger & another striker. Then what? Are we just supposed to watch players come & go all the while we battle it out for 10th place?
The change that would make the biggest difference is a change in manager.
I would expect us to be in the fight for a champions league place under the right manager. You’re happy for us to compete with swansea. Thats the difference premandup.
You like figures premandup. We’re the 20th richest club in the world. Do we have the 20th best manager in the world?
KK(Quote)
Solano, I don’t really have a problem with KK. He want’s the best for us and gives some sort of credit. He’s not just slagging off like some.
Mike Ashley will not listen to us
Ashley tried appeasing the fans he sacked Allerdyce and replaced him with KK. That was probably his worst mistake. He sure has hell ain’t going to listen to us again.
Premandup(Quote)
@KK
Do we have the 20th best squad in the world ❓
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
@Solanostrumpet
I thought it was common knowledge. Sam Allardyce was sacked because the fans didn’t want him to be manager.
Keegan was brought in because it was what the fans wanted. SBR recommended fatih terim but keegan (who is not a great manager) was chosen instead. There weren’t many fans that didn’t want keegan as a manager.
The fans wanted shearer as manager too. How else do you think shearer would have got a job as manager. I’ve seen how tactically astute he is on motd and believe me, he is no where near good enough to manage us.
KK(Quote)
@KK
Allardyce fine – you can have that one.
I thought the Keegan appointment was a complete shock. Fans hadn’t clamoured for him for years, I’d just given up thinking it may happen.
I bet you can’t find ONE fan that wanted Shearer.
Ashley hired Shearer as he thought it would shut us up.
I can’t understand how you think that Ashley would listen to us.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
By the way KK would you take Allerdyce back as better than Pardew?
Premandup(Quote)
@solanostrumpet
We don’t have the 20th best squad in the world. It’s a good point but it’s like wondering which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Do you need a top manager to get a top squad or
Do you need a top squad to get a top manager.
I would say it’s easier to get a top manager than assembling a top sqaud unlesz you throw £££££s at it.
I would have no problem with pardew at the club if the players were **** and he was getting the best out of them.
I have a problem with pardew because the players are (as a group) the best outside of the top 6 but pardew isn’t getting them to play to their best.
At this moment in time i think the quality of the squad is better than the quality of the manager/coaches. Thats why we need a change.
If it was the other way round, i’d be complaining about the players & transfers.
Until we are able to compete with everybody, i don’t see a scenario where i don’t complain!
KK(Quote)
I wanted shearer to be manager at the time. We were desperate and i thought he could have brought a never say die attitude to the players. I was hoping for a similar effect to what happened at sunderland with di canio.
It didn’t happen….
KK(Quote)
@premandup
I’m not sure. I don’t think there is a lot between allardyce & pardew. Allardyce certainly had something work for him at bolton (perhaps it was little sam).
Pardew might be able to do the same if he had better coaches.
On the whole i think they are both just average so if we had big sam i would probably be saying the same thing.
Why is it so difficult to manage a football team. There must be academics who have a far superior grasp on tactics than most managers. There are motivators who can really motivate and help players become driven & focused. There are fitness experts & medics, pr guys & scouts.
Football is just a game after all and i would guess that there are a lot of people employed because of connections rather than their attributes.
KK(Quote)
A lot of other clubs fans would disagree that we have the best squad outside the top 6.
I don’t see any reason why a top player wouldn’t come here just because Pardew is manager.
KK the point is Pardew has got the best out of the players in the past. To an unbelievable extent. The team I posted that played in 11/12 is midtable at absolute best.
We all know last year was atrocious.
It’s time to accept that Pardew is deservedly here for now. Even though given the option I would want someone more talented, you can’t dispute he’s earned this chance.
And I can’t believe you wanted Shearer, outrageous 😉
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Where is everybody?
I’ve killed the thread. 😈
KK(Quote)
I think Pardew’s ability to not fall out with HBA is reason enough for him to be manager ❗
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Either that or their too busy watching swansea & spurs.
Ok solanostrumpet, i’ll leave pardew alone until after hull.
As the boss, how low would we have to finish (how many points) before you would replace pardew?
How many points would he need for it to be an over achievement this season?
KK(Quote)
That’s a fair point although I’m not sure how much of that is down to Pardew and how much of that is down to HBA growing up!
Any falling about between the two and i expect the fans will side with HBA.
KK(Quote)
I’ve taken the feelgood factor, chewed it, pooped it back out.
Sorry for doing this to your article Prem 🙁
KK(Quote)
I think due to his previous seasons he deserves another year.
Under a different chairman we could do a lot better.
BUT I would probably only sack him if we got relegated.
He got 41 points last year – pretty much standard for us. I don’t think he’ll ever do worse than that.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Nooooo!
I was expecting you to say something along the lines of bottom half, not keep him unless he gets us relegated!
KK(Quote)
I agree with WUM @ 412.
brisvegas(Quote)
🙄 Wow, dead horse getting flogged comes to mind..
I hope Troy is alright? He seems to be coming apart at the seams.. I’m here for you mate! 😛
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Change of topic:
Have people seen the mackems fixture list, fucking hell 😯
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/sunderland/fixtures
Next home games:
Liverpool
Man Utd
Newcastle
Man City
Chelsea
Tottenham
If we do our bit, they could go all the way until December without registering a win 😆
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Nice one Solano, that is a tough run for sure.
It makes me wonder how Pardew would cope with a run of games like that! 😆 😆 😆
Dicanio has his work cut out for him, I reckon he could be sacked before xmas..
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/sep/19/yohan-cabaye-newcastle-united
So Cabaye was punished for his antics… I wonder what the punishment was…. maybe not being allowed to go to Arsenal 😆 😆 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Just tuned in after a reet **** up and haven’t surveyed previous posts.
I don’t need to. I’ve witnessed the last few days posts from the anti Pardew brigade. 🙄
They are looking so FOOLish now. 😆
What more does Pards need to do make his critics realise they were wrong. ? 🙄
FTSOTB 🙄
I am dying for the Pardew knockers who wanted him sacked.
Manager of the year and now we are playing the best football I’ve seen since SBR team. 😯
“Facts can’t be argued with cos facts are the truth. ”
Les Kellet 1977
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Troy, I have to admit, I love it when you suddenly latch onto a point of difference from the majority of the crew on this here blog and run with it! Like your Pardew stance, you stand alone and fight the good fight 😉
The fact that it flies in the face of everything else you have said in the past about Pardew, doesn’t even come into as far as I’m concerned. If you want to turn your back on everything you said in the past and change tact, that’s your call. Good on you, keep up the good wok!! 😛 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Wow! 🙄
Aussie is really upset cos I’ve proved him wrong once again. 😆 😆
Wotz up witchoo man! ?! 🙄 gets some nutz! 🙄
Aussie, we need to stand shoulder to shoulder
on this one fella. You know I’ve been right all along. Pards just needed loyalty and faith and now we are seeing the dividends. 😉
Life is good, life is Parcew. 😎
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Troy 😯 I’m on your side fella! And if in a weeks time you change your mind and think that Pardew was hopeless all along and told as as much., I will back you up 😛
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
Premandup
September 19, 2013 at 19:3
Ashley tried appeasing the fans he sacked Allerdyce and replaced him with KK. That was probably his worst mistake. He sure has hell ain’t going to listen to us again…
i thought appointing kk as manager was a good move by ashley – not backing him was his worst mistake!
also – i live in newcastle & dont recall many fans calling for kk’s appointment at the time – don’t kid yourself that ashley has ever listened to the fans – that’s one thing he has never done.
roy cropper(Quote)
Jez I think im getting on I tried a few times lastnight but nowt.
Roy C your spot on I cant remember fans calling for KK and I have read that KK was Jabbas choice as he thought it would help him sell the club for a quick profit.
As for the blogs KK he keeps telling us howshit Pards etc is and tells us how good a job Jabba is doing , hows he doing such a good job when he has Pards and JFK running the show
Big Dave(Quote)
Appointing KK was always going to end in tears at some stage imo because he’s that kind of character. But agree with Roy-in reality the bad decision was appointing him and then going over his head/behind his back to sign Wise and other players, not actually appointing him in the first place.
I don’t recall people wanting KK either it just sort of happened. I wanted Sam out not just because of his style but because he irritates me to a point, maybe that’s how most people feel about Pardew-I just can’t stand him in interviews. I did want Shearer in for the last few games though because naively I thought that he might at least inspire/motivate the lads, even if he couldn’t tactically out think his opponents. As it happened we were as pathetic on the last day of the season as we had been all season.
Newkie(Quote)
Woah, look out, Big Dave has spotted a Jabba lover 😯 boy are they in for a battering 😆 😆
Aussie Magpie Fan(Quote)
@bigdave
Other than mike ashley hiring the wrong people, i don’t really see what he has done wrong.
He has tried to hire the right people but he has said himself that he doesn’t know enough about football to do that.
The abuse he gets is way over the top and mostly unjustified.
KK(Quote)
Appointing dennis wise was a bad choice but the logic makes perfect sense. All big clubs need a director of football. The old english way of giving all the power to managers doesn’t work anymore.
KK(Quote)
@KK
Completely agree.
Other than playing the wrong players in the wrong position, what has Pardew done wrong?
He has tried to play free-flowing football but has said himself that he doesn’t know enough about the continental style to do that.
Fielding Taylor or Ameobi were bad choices, but the logic makes perfect sense. All successful clubs need their local identity.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Ashley did listen to the fans. Why else would he hire two of the biggest nufc legends to manage the club?
The problem from the start was he should have hired sbr either as manager or director of football. Keegan, shearer, wise, joe kinnear, pardew have all been bad choices but you could (wrongly) justify those choices.
KK(Quote)
@Solanostrumpet
I don’t hate pardew. I would have no problem if he was in charge when we were in the championship or that first season back.
I just think we’ve got to a level where the quality of players is better than the quality of coaches and manager. It should always be the other way around. If chris hughton was in charge i might be saying the same thing.
I actually think it’s good that pardew tries players in different positions. You never really know how they’ll do and it could spur them onto new heights (bale).
I also don’t think pardew sets out to play hoofball. He has a pass an move style but i think he struggles to implement it (perhaps thats down to coaching?).
I don’t agree that we need a local boy to get our identity. It’s about instiling that local mentality into the players. Sure it helps if they’re local but only if they are good enough. Just look at david beckham and his love for man utd. He was born in london and even when he went to real madrid he still wanted to play for man utd.
KK(Quote)
Pardew is walking on the edge. He always will because it will only take 2 maybe 3 defeats with poor performances before people want him out.
I want him gone now as i think he’s taken us as far as he can. We won’t break into the top 6 with him but we could with a different manager.
KK(Quote)
@KK
I know, that post was just in jest.
This is very much the inane debate that has rampaged over summer. I had thought the appointment of JFK had quietened the fans that wanted Pardew out.
Pardew is an ok manager. Not as bad as some on here say. He will get us between 7th and 12th each year depending on injuries.
It’s not “can we get better?”
It’s “will Ashley get better?”
I don’t know why this discussion is still going on.
Neither side is going to change their mind on this one.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
KK – you make some good points. Maybe a few too many of them but largely good sense. I’m not sure where you get that about his pass and move style. He’s said that a few times but when you go a whole season or so without it (we were rightly accused of hoofball last year) you start to doubt. For me he’s a negative and reactive manager. Sets the team up to nullify the opposition and if it goes pear shaped he panics. All that stuff about HBA having to track back and defend. That’s what good defenders do. HBA should be hovering on the half way line when we’re defending.
He’s deadly there and useless at defending.
georgio(Quote)
@Georgio
That would allow Baines to cause havoc when we play Everton though 😕
Unless we are playing 4-4-1-1 or something – where he is one of the two up front, then HBA will always have to track back. Otherwise we will just be outnumbered every single time surely.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
agry kk . when haven t the ball hba must keep careful on winger ..And he do it very well last season when available and much better this year..
But we Can t focus on him on defence ..hba must doing lesser dffort for defending and keep focus and all energy for attak and creat danger skills and for scoring goals..
We must not demand ben arfa or remy defending madnessly …only if top big clubs comes of course… 🙄
djebs9(Quote)
ST – remember last season at Goodison. We played Marv on the right and although he tracked back Baines and Peinaar tore us apart all first half. Would Baines tear forward if Hatem was hanging around behind him?
georgio(Quote)
Baines tears forward against every team in the league, so yes.
Just because Baines is running forward, doesn’t mean he can’t also go back.
Midfielders have to defend. It may not be his strong point, but it’s more about the presence so that teams don’t have free reign of our wings.
(I think last year also was a combo of Perch/Marv – very weak defensively against Baines/Pienaar who were linking up amazingly).
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Benny should track back because he is also the spark for many of our counter attacks. He doesn’t have to be stood still waiting for the pass to happen, he can help get it back and then either build the counter attack himself or make himself available to whoever grabs the ball. He shouldn’t just be parked on the halfway line. The only reason I would consider doing that is because Cisse is either offside or incapable of pulling off a pass to a team mate running past him. If we had a decent link up player up top we could easily have him on the halfway line ready to recieve and pass it to Remy/Sissoko/Benny who would all be charging past the opposition’s midfield.
I’m not expecting that much from him in terms of defending but he should still put a shift in. I think Benny recognises he is a more complete player than he was when he arrived and his fitness seems to have improved, he seems to be able to handle a full 90 minutes now which is good news because I’m not sure Debuchy can handle speed merchants.
Newkie(Quote)
That why i whant 4 3 1 2 “hatam” free playmaker just behind two striker like remy and goufran..
Pards can try vs hull …but i dont belive he do it… 🙄
I just Thanks god for 4 3 3 now be back..ouf 😳 we can enjoy it….
djebs9(Quote)
@Newkie
I think the person who sums up “not expecting much from him defensively but he should still put a shift in” – Laurent Robert.
Bobby used to fume at him when he didn’t track back and Robert was absolutely useless at it!
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Just reminded me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsMeHHIZOB4
😆
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Thanks solano..ko like left lennox punch ❗
djebs9(Quote)
Solano- Robert wasn’t lazy, he was just standing around up the pitch in anticipation of a free kick that would come our way 😆
All those type of players need to do is at least track runners and narrow options, I’m not expecting them to fly in with inch perfect tackles but every player should be expected to hassle an opponent, imo.
Quality vid, Robert had a cannon for a foot like 😆
Newkie(Quote)
Just heard DiCanio has been sacked is that right?
3hourswasted(Quote)