I can handle defeat, but not when the performance isn’t there and, in my opinion, it wasn’t yesterday. Of course part of the problem is the fact that we are carrying a lot of injuries at the moment, but when that is the case you have to make sure you make the best of the resources available. In my opinion, Pardew didn’t do that yesterday and made his first real tactical balls up as Newcastle manager.
First off, the decision to include Steven Taylor in the starting line up was an absolute joke, not because it’s Steven Taylor before people start getting their knickers in a twist, but because his inclusion unsettled a defence that had been solid and had only conceded one goal in the previous three games. Never unsettle a settled defence as they say.
So we saw Steven Taylor at right-back, which meant that Danny Simpson was played at right midfield. This was another mistake in my book. Danny Simpson has done really well this season at right-back, but he is not a right midfielder.
In fairness, we actually don’t have a recognised right midfielder at the moment, but there were other options that could have been used, like playing Jonas out on the right, Lovenkrands or Ferguson on the left with a different striker up front to partner Best. It wouldn’t have been ideal, but it would have at least kept player in positions in which they have played before. Playing Danny Guthrie on the right (shudder) would have been another option that would have left the defence settled.
I just cannot get over how bad our right side was yesterday. Arteta was allowed the run of the park for the first goal, and that was after a warning shot from the Spaniard when Taylor backed off and backed off him and allowed him to run inside and have a shot at goal.
Those are my main gripes about the game yesterday. I understand that players have off days, and I understand that we are carrying a lot of injuries, and I understand that those two things can’t really be legislated for, but I just can’t see why there was a need to change the defence. I’m generally happy with Pardew and feel that he has improved us as a team, but for me he got it wrong yesterday.
Ah well……
Lovekrands was a particular let-down yesterday, the only real positives was seeing young Ferguson play and perform well and Besty striking again….
Surely there has to be a case for Steve Harper to get an England call-up at some point…oh wait, I forgot, he plays for us.
Moreno(Quote)
Forgot about Lovo, literally. Says it all about him yesterday i guess 😆
toonsy(Quote)
If only we could find another ‘Solano’ type player. He was a gem.
Jill(Quote)
At 1.30pm today two of the fiercest rivals go head to head in one of the most important games in the Premier League season so far. This game will define the title race for me and I for one will be hoping Man Utd come away victorious today.
If you are watching this game today, how about some match banter on the forum?
Thread is in ‘All other football’ and titled Liverpool vs. Man Utd.
Moreno(Quote)
That Izaguirre at Celtic reminds me of Solano, even though he is a left back, he has a lot of the same qualities and a great cross. Interestingly, if Celtic sell him, his Honduran club get a 30% sell on clause which will make them the richest club in Honduras by miles
Moreno(Quote)
“Since they beat us 2-1 at home, we have a score to settle with the Potters at the Hawthorns.”
Nice one Ed….. 🙄
toonsy(Quote)
Thanks, good to know. I’ll keep an eye out for him. I have never seen him play. But if you can compare him to Sol I hope we sign him!
Jill(Quote)
the dafty. He should stick to copying the tabloids….
Moreno(Quote)
Well, I’m off, going to try to sleep now. Haven’t been able to sleep for two days due to allergies and the medication I have to take makes me sleepless. Going to try to record the Man U game and watch it later. Bye for now.
Jill(Quote)
forget the injuries, if Barton was fit we would have had our first choice 11 out. I said yesterday Simpson and Taylor needed to work together and they didn’t, they were taken apart. Simpson had no positional sense in midfield, it was as if he wasn’t there. Taylor, well, i agree he gets it a bit worse than Williamson at times, but with a performance like that, basic stuff, can you blame people?
Simpson played in three positions yesterday and that pretty much summed us up, all over the place, I agree with toonsy, the key to getting a solid defence is playing together consistently, it was taken apart, and thereafter, so were we.
Our squad issues are there for everyone to see, lack of quality and depth. But yeah, Pardew got it all wrong yesterday, less is more Alan, Jonas on the right, with Ferguson on the left, no dramas and would have given us balance.
I don’t think we’ll be in a relegation battle, but the sooner we get these points the better as with Chelsea, Man U and Liverpool coming up, I don’t want to see us having to get points in our last few games.
I Love Mike(Quote)
Catch you later Jill
Sweet dreams 😉 x
toonsy(Quote)
I agree. I am very much of the opinion that you put round pegs in round holes. To be honest Joeys performances have been a testement to him, but a negative to the club because it has masked a very real flaw, a flaw which we have had for ages in that we have NO wingers. I dont think Jonas is a decent winger and he could be used as a CAM in a 3 pronged attack.
I think personally the defence shouldve been left as it was, Jonas filled in at RW being a right footed player and all, and Fergie shouldve played on the LW. I seems obvious we needed to have an extra body in the CM so I wouldve played Guthrie instead of McLovin.
Everythings easier in hindsight but I agree that this was probably Pardews first mistake. I just worry as to what has happened to Saylor and Willo? Willo in particular has been bad last few games and now he has Saylor back in competition I cant see it being long before he is dropped. It hink it would do him some good and I like the Saylor Collo partnership, but for me I think this is another position we need to look to strengthen in the summer. If we are to be successful be need a strong solid defence and Collo needs a top class partner at the back. I dont know who though!
raffo(Quote)
After Taylor’s performance yesterday I’d imagine that any chance of him getting anywhere near the first team will have vanished for a few games at least 😉
You just can’t keep backing off and backing off players. Forst game back, out of position? Bollocks, it’s basic stuff that he failed to do. Would he suddenly do it if he was inside the pitch a few yards? I don’t think so…..
toonsy(Quote)
raffo
Posted March 6, 2011 at 9:58 AM
“I like the Saylor Collo partnership”
The same partnership that we got relegated with?
toonsy(Quote)
Raffo
“Willo in particular has been bad last few games and now he has Saylor back in competition I cant see it being long before he is dropped”
Eh? What games have you been watching, he’s was outstanding in our last games against Blackburn and Birmingham. They need to stick together to form a good partnership, not chopping and changing
I Love Mike(Quote)
Just out of interest I have heard some WHam and Wolves ppl talking 3-4 more wins, what do people realistically think the safety net is in terms of points? It is still so tight from 6th down it is madness. I really think we need to win 5 games out of the 9 left
raffo(Quote)
42 points.
toonsy(Quote)
I Love Mike
Posted March 6, 2011 at 9:56 AM
That’s a brave statement considering we have taken only 6 points in the last 6 games. That’s not good at this time of the season.
toonsy
Posted March 6, 2011 at 10:03 AM
Only someone with an agenda would say that about Taylor. The guy was playing out of position and was up against one of the best midfielders in the league – not to mention one of the best left backs in the league too.
Pardew is the one to take responsibility for Taylors performance – at least he played. Some in our history have refused to play out of position…
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart – It doesn’t excuse the basics though does it? It’s ok though, he was playing out of position (in a position where he started his career!) which suddenly means that you don’t have to close down players…….
Absolutely shocking he was yesterday.
toonsy(Quote)
£40k a week defender my ****…….
Actually, my **** would probably do better. It would at least provide something for Arteta to get around 😉
toonsy(Quote)
Also, because I criticise Taylor I suddenly have an agenda 😆
I’m not allowed an opinion 😯
toonsy(Quote)
You cant come that Toonsy – 4 of the back 5 took us down, in fact mclovin, jonas, nolan also did.
All I am saying is that Willo cost £1 million and couldnt get a game at Pompey. Not taking anything away from the lad but I think CB is another position we need to get a class defender in there, someone like Alex from Chelski who is better than what we have but isnt playing that much
raffo(Quote)
toonsy
Posted March 6, 2011 at 10:17 AM
Carroll started his career at left back, does that mean he should be able to just slot in there and do a job?
It’s asolutely totally different. He was obviously backing away so much because he wasn’t used to the situation – he didn’t know what poaition to take up. It’s not like being in the centre. Ask David May… Fergie tried turning a PL winning centre back into a right back and he just couldn’t do it.
Totally and utterley different position.
Stuart79(Quote)
raffo
Posted March 6, 2011 at 10:21 AM
“All I am saying is that Willo cost £1 million and couldnt get a game at Pompey.”
And the stated reason that he wasn’t getting a game at Pompey was……….?
Something to do with finances, clauses, money, appearances… 😉
Is Williamson the long term answer? I never said he was, in fact i never mentioned him at all, but it still doesn’t take away the fact that I just don’t, and never have, rated Taylor. I think he gets away with a hell of a lot because he is a local (London, Greenwich 🙄 ) lad and yesterday he was god **** awful.
toonsy(Quote)
toonsy your **** is that big it could stop a bus from gettin past 😆
batty(Quote)
Stuart79
Posted March 6, 2011 at 10:27 AM
“Totally and utterley different position.”
But also a position where he has had some of his best games for us? Like Hull away? Everton away a couple of seasons ago?
Why can’t people say that he had a bad game yesterday? What does. Taylor have that makes him immune to any form of criticism in the eyes of some?
toonsy(Quote)
Batty – Exactly, and it would have been far more effective than Taylor 😉
toonsy(Quote)
and aye pompey couldnt afford to play williamson 😉
batty(Quote)
bad game all round yesterday apart from harper
batty(Quote)
Batty – I though Best was the best outfield player. Nolan put himself about but faded. Ferguson was good when he came on. Looked sharp.
Tiote was poor IMO. As was Taylor, Willo, Colo, Jose, Simpson.
toonsy(Quote)
well nolan and tiote could e missing for the wolves and man u games both on 9 yellows ,and i can see some cards in the game against stoke shitty
batty(Quote)
second rate manager…not good enough for newcastle united..but good enough and cheap for mike ashley..
laters
hitman(Quote)
Pardew is doing alright IMO. To be pulled up 15 games in for his first **** up aint bad I don’t think….
Mind you, unless it’s Mourinho I guess some won’t be happy…
toonsy(Quote)
🙄 aye i agree toonsy
batty(Quote)
pardew was the cheap option for ashley,theres tons of better managers out..
Mourinho 🙄
hitman(Quote)
hitman we know that ,but he isnt doing a bad job seeing the injurys and with the gatesheed judas fckin off
batty(Quote)
clueless was on a roll of 2 points in 5 games ,wouldnt like too think where we would be now
batty(Quote)
Toonsy, I agree Pardew got his tactics wrong yesterday unfortunately. He should have left the defence as it was and made the changes in midfield… Simpson isn’t a right midfielder. At the same time, one would still expect Steven Taylor to perform better at right back, I mean he may be a centre half but RB position isn’t completely foreign to him…..Arteta one of the best left sided midfielders in the league…hmmm…. Everton couldn’t play Arteta on the right side cos Jose would have put him in his back pocket….bad day yesterday unfortunately…hopefully a one off, cos we don’t want to be losing our momentum at this stage of the season, especially when other clubs seem to be putting a run together..
Munich Mag(Quote)
hitman where have you been anyway ,on your jobseekers course 🙂
batty(Quote)
batty,i hope a manu player snaps both his legs the day like..
the sooner we hit 45 points the better i will feel,were only 6 points above the drop zone..
hitman(Quote)
😆 aye batty..nar m8 up too my eyes doing the house out,fkin sick as a chip m8.
hitman(Quote)
aye hitman and his neck ,
batty(Quote)
Wots the story on Jose’s injury…hopefully not too bad… Thank goodness for the 2 week break, gives us a chance to get our walking wounded back fit again..
Munich Mag(Quote)
New thread up 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
quote from Ed’s… “Ireland said in a radio interview yesterday that he expects to be out for another month, and wants to return to Villa in the summer to prove a point to Houllier. A total ****** who should have been sent packing when he failed his medical, but the club panicked, when they sold you know who”…..
did anyone else hear this interview with Ireland….is he really out for another month ? Cannot believe it to be honest, but if it’s true it’s all a bit of a shambles !
Munich Mag(Quote)
Munich – If he said that I would expect that it would have got more coverage than just the one comment on deluded.com 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
toonsy…thats what I thought, cannot find this interview anywhere. Still a bit of a shambles that we have taken a bloke who has been injured for 6 weeks….hope the insurance is paying his not insignificant salary !
Munich Mag(Quote)
there are some strange comments on Ed’s blog aren’t there …?
Munich Mag(Quote)
Munich – It’s just on add place to be that is which is a shame as Ed is such a lovely bloke. He has put a link up for this place, and changed it when asked straight away. Most importantly his links don’t try and penalise a site, unlike links on some other Newcastle blogs that I won’t mention 😀
toonsy(Quote)
Toonsy, Ed seems like a nice bloke, and he turns over a lot of articles, as he’s also put a link up to this site hats off to him imo, well done to him…
Some of the posts on there however are just wacky, but I suppose that’s what blogs are for !… 🙄
Munich Mag(Quote)
😆
toonsy(Quote)
We’ve got all that to come when this place gets on Newsnow 😆
toonsy(Quote)
just between you and me toonsy….don’t want to look like a wazzock….but what’s “Newsnow”….?
Munich Mag(Quote)
http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/Football/Premier+League/Newcastle+United
Have a look. It’s pretty self-explanatory. Basically it’s just a collection of feeds on different news subjects.
toonsy(Quote)
‘wazzock’ and ‘pillock’
2 of my favourites!
Moreno(Quote)
Moreno….what about …..”Drongo”….also a good one…courtesy of Crocodile Dundee….as in “he’s a bit of a drongo..”…!
Munich Mag(Quote)
Well he tried it, it didn’t work. Lets move on to the next game. I personally don’t think ‘injuries’ is a total excuse like. It is very worrying if we have to rely on Joey Barton all the time. Best’s freekick tho was a belter! Unlucky nobody tapped it in.
DJG(Quote)
Toonsy…when does your eminent blog get the big invite to Newsnow…what is the criteria ?
Munich Mag(Quote)
Munich – It meets all the criteria already.
Basically I tried just after the blog opened as it usually takes them months to get round to evaluating the site and by that time there would have been some history built up so they could see that this place was here to stay and wasn’t going to just disappear.
As it happens they got through the list straight away and said no as we hadn’t been running long enough, which is fair do’s I guess. They did evaluate the site though and checked the content for standard and technical specs and we passed all that so it’s just matter of applying again. I’ll probably apply this week again to be fair.
toonsy(Quote)
go for it big man…..
Munich Mag(Quote)