An awful firs half performance put the game beyond doubt before the interval although Newcastle very nearly, and against any odds, managed to salvage something from the match.
However if you start a game in the Premier League so poorly and give up three soft goals away from home then you’re going to struggle and ultimately that was our downfall. Alan Pardew will shoulder a lot of the blame but some of the players in that side, especially defensively, should take a good, hard look at themselves and ponder if they are doing even the basics correctly.
The home side grabbed the lead after just five minutes through on-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku who was on hand to apply the finish past Tim Krul who was left with little to no chance of stopping it.
Lukaku had a hand in the second goal also as Fabricio Coloccini and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa seemingly just ran away from the Belgian striker allowing him to tee up Ross Barklay who found the back of the net midway through the first half.
An awful defensive display was rounded off in some style on 37 minutes as Lukaku added a third after a long punt upfield from Tim Howard somehow eluded both Fabricio Coloccini and Tim Krul allowing the former Anderlecht man the privilege of dispatching the ball into an unguarded net.
Awful. Plain awful. All United could muster in return was a tame effort from Hatem Ben Arfa which Tim Howard comfortably pushed away and in truth the away side could probably count themselves rather fortunate to be just the three goals behind.
Half-time: Everton 3-0 Newcastle
A double change from Alan Pardew saw the hapless Hatem Ben Arfa and miserable Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa replaced by Yohan Cabaye and Mike Williamson respectively, and it was a double substitution which paid almost immediate dividends.
First Yoan Gouffran hit the inside of the post and moments later United managed to end Everton’s defensive robustness and score at Goodison Park in 687 minutes of Premier League action, and it wasn’t a bad goal either from Yohan Cabaye who beat Tim Howard with a screamer from outside the penalty area.
Loic Remy could have added another soon after but he was denied by Phil Jagielka before Cabaye wasted a chance from a free-kick by firing into the wall.
With time running out it looked as though Cabaye’s strike would prove to be merely a consolation, but in the closing seconds of normal time Mathieu Debuchy nodded the ball back to Loic Remy who prodded the ball home to make injury time very interesting indeed.
And the comeback was very nearly complete in stoppage time as Remy collected the ball on the edge of the penalty area before firing just over Tim Howard’s crossbar in what was to be the last real chance of the match.
Full-time: Everton 3-2 Newcastle
As I said at the start, if you give so much away so easily you’ll always struggle and that was the case here. I’m heartened by the second half performance which, in fairness, couldn’t have been any worse than the one witnessed in the first, but ultimately it meant nothing.
Unconfirmed reports surfaced after the match suggesting that Alan Pardew tendered his resignation although I wouldn’t know if it’s true and I very much doubt the people who started it all off know if it’s true either. However, much longer and I don’t think Alan Pardew will get the choice to leave.
Howay the lads!
Everton: Tim Howard, Leighton Baines, Sylvain Distin, Phil Jagielka, Seamus Coleman, Kevin Mirallas, James McCarthy, Gareth Barry, Leon Osman, Ross Barkley, Romelu Lukaku
Subs: Joel Robles, John Heitinga, Nikica Jelavic, Arouna Kone, Gerard Deulofeu, Steven Naismith, John Stones
Newcastle: Tim Krul; Mathieu Debuchy, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Fabricio Coloccini, Davide Santon; Vurnon Anita, Cheik Tiote, Moussa Sissoko; Yoan Gouffran, Loic Remy, Hatem Ben Arfa
Subs: Rob Elliot, Paul Dummett, Mike Williamson, Yohan Cabaye, Gabriel Obertan, Sammy Ameobi, Papiss Cisse
Attendance: 33,495
P.S: Apologies for the delay in getting this out. I’ve been working odd shifts starting at midnight!
Toonsy ,No worries mate ,you got work and the little un to think about we know.
Well it was a horror show first half and did nothing to ease my foul mood brought on by the cold from hell 👿 We did see an improvement 2nd half but then it’s hard not to in the circumstances. Where do we go from here ,god knows ,we simply cannot keep turning up for half a game only ,Pards has to instil some steel ,fight and fire into them . If he’s trying and failing then questions need asking as to his position imo. The players also have to take responsibility as they either can’t be bothered for him or are failing to understand his instructions ,either way it’s a major concern. They simply have to perform shedloads better at Cardiff ,it’s a long old trip for the locals down to wales and a repeat performance is not on .
KIMTOON(Quote)
is Marv carrying a knock?
mark(Quote)
Kim replied on the last thread
Hoping for a vast improvement at Cardiff though just know Bellamy will score against us the ****.
Just cant forget the first half so i cant appreciate the 2nd though how bloody good was Cabaye’s goal! Does he score **** goals ever? He could give Ryan Taylor a run for Amazing goals machine like.
Gouffran should be a nailed on starter. Remy out wide or center? I liked him out wide. Sammy & Dummett deserve a chance after that performance from our first team. Cisse or Ben Arfa being dropped who offers more to the team? Tough calls for pardew muhahaha
Santii(Quote)
Toonsy good read 😉 the 1st half was complete **** and for me all the defence have to hold their hands up, but special mention has to go to the CB’s and Mbiwa in particular made Bramble seem good, I also noticed that they seemed to have got away with very little said about them but Benny or Cisse seem to get a lot of stick
Big Dave(Quote)
Pardew will be with us for as long as he wants , under Ashley , and Ashley will never sell up.
We play defensive football with two at the back and complain when those two are exposed by superior numbers.
Our two full backs, Debuchy and Santon simply aren’t full backs, they are wingers who are better suited to play as wing backs. – Pardew never plays with wing backs so we should consider selling both,
Our only real full backs for right back are Raylor (out for the season) and Mbiwa. For left back we have Dummett and Haidara.
Our starting back four should be :
Mbiwa – Williamson – Colo – Dummett
We need to buy a quality right back.
Ben Arfa is a ‘luxury’ player and should only be played when the rest of the team is capable of allowing him to play as such.
sidekick(Quote)
@Sidekick
Debuchy was statistically the best fullback on the park last night offensively and defensively. In fact he was one of our best performers last night
Santii(Quote)
I read a comment the other day .it read would you trust kinnear and cashley to hire the right manager for this unbelievable club. I thought about and had to say NO. Better the devil you know?
chaddas(Quote)
Chaddas funny the same can be said about the owner 😉
Santii(Quote)
Santi
Like I have always posted, Debuchy is a good wing back and that is how he played last night.
An away game at Everton needed a full back to stay at the back – and that wasn’t Debuchy.
sidekick(Quote)
It would appear that NUFC is at the Nadir of it’s existence. 😆 😆
When there have been steady improvements since relegation.
Has Ashley not bought stability and moderation to the club. Has Pardew not established the best squad since SBR.
What exactly are people moaning about?
Premandup(Quote)
Thanks for that Toonsy. Appalling really, don’t want to talk about the first half any more. Encouraging signs in the second which make me think Pards hasn’t lost the dressing room. Let’s see how the next few games go otherwise we might all be calling for Kinnear 😆
What a cross then by Alexis Sanchez, right onto Fabregas’ head. I remember when we used to have people capable of crossing like that 😥
Newkie(Quote)
@Prem. well if you call a very fortunate win at QPR to keep us in the prem a ‘steady improvement’ then you must be easily pleased.
Ashley mentioned 20mil per season out of his own pocket, the wonga deal would get us a new player. Promises were made end of last season regarding plans being in place to get the right players..
SD share holders benefiting from free SD advertising (that would of stood empty anyway) 😛
Joe Kinnear…
There are plenty things to moan about, probably less things to be happy about.. 😀
mark(Quote)
Premandup – how about a 2nd season in a row pottering around the relegation places – no doubt after the next five league games we’ll be in them for sure
Pards has a good squad although not by his efforts – he clearly doesn’t know how to get a formation they can actually play in
SteveP(Quote)
Forster has looked decent again tonight. Real shame we couldn’t hold onto him and give Krul some actual competition as opposed to some backup like Elliot. Krul has looked very poor this season.
Newkie(Quote)
Sidekick
I guess we disagree on what a fullback/wingback is.
Prem
Fishing for bites look like you got some 😛
Newkie
He really isn’t that good but i guess would be decent back up but he has some ambition of his own i guess 😛 Sitting on Newcastle’s bench isnt everyone’s cup of tea. what a loser 😀
Santii(Quote)
I think the 16th place in the standings and the shocking performances have something to do with it Premand @10. Being beaten last season in the cups by mediocre lower division sides, continual excuse making from Pardew, the hiring of Kinnear as DoF. It goes on and on. It’s not that hard to understand peoples’ pessimism really.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
@SANTII
I wish he was fishing m8.
Prem very much accepts stagnant to very slow progression..
mark(Quote)
The first half last night is possibly the worst I’ve seen us play. If not, I certainly can’t remember being so frustrated watching a toon game.
Lukaku had the ball in the back of the net after a minute – you would have thought that would have woke us up!. But nope, we just seemed like rabbits in the headlights. I know we banged on last week about leadership, but it was badly missing last night again for me like.
But further to that, it highlighted Pardews weaknesses as a manager. Firstly, I can’t understand why he stuck with Cisse all through his goal drought, only to drop him the day after he scored. Secondly, we were getting murdered from the first minute and 2-0 down after 25mins, yet he wanted til half time to change things.
People keep saying are the likes of Martinez better managers than Pardew? – I’d be interested know the head to head stats on Pardew v Martinez.
Colo and MYM seemed frightened to head the ball and certainly didnt want to go to battle with Lukau. Krul was very poor last night – and having just watched Frazer Forster have a cracking game for Celtic tonight, very frustrating.
Sissoko was poor I thought as well and it was another game of carrying Benny.
Good 2nd half display and Cabaye will take credit coz of his goals, but to me Williamson made the biggest difference of the 2.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Santi-I know, he always seems quite the clown with the ball at his feet. I think I just want an Englishman/Geordie to be good enough for the first team. 😥
I’m tiring of frenchies. The F.A can go and **** themselves for their criticisim of us as can the press, but I genuinely would like some English players to come in. Not even just that though, maybe some Spanish or Germans. I just don’t see this obsession with the French when they really aren’t that cheap- Italy is about to have a financial meltdown-lets raid their clubs!
Newkie(Quote)
Surely for the Cardiff game Pardew has to issue a challenge to his players to go out right from the start playing hard. We can’t stand around for a half. The amount of space we allowed Everton in their attacking half was unbelievable. We couldn’t touch them for long stretches. If that’s what happens when we play 4-5-1 and hang about in our own half we better try something else. I still think 4-3-1-2 is worth trying, even away from home. Benny doesn’t handle tight checking well, especially by a pacey fullback. He would have been better off in the middle from the start behind 2 strikers.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Thanks for the review Toonsy. Thought it was a nightmare but you’ve just confirmed it really happened. Well what can you say about the first half. Complete and utter dross. Nearly every player on that pitch should hang their heads in shame at that pathetic performance. What I don’t get is how so many supposed internationals can play so badly at the same time. School boy errors, lack of guts, just left me bewildered if they were really that bad or forcing such a pathetic performance to try and get Pardew the boot. Just inexplicable.
I don’t care who we get to replace that Charlatan Pardew but he has to go. Sick of hearing his excuses for his ineptness. Players look like a bunch of 11 strangers who’ve just met. He’s been the manager for nearly 3 years and every sngle one of them is worse than when they joined. Get rid of him and his pathetic bunch of so called coaches. What they spend their time coaching god knows cos it aint football related. Second half much better so hopefully the rolicking they got had an impact as well as the subs which he got right. We deserve much better than this.
Geordie Deb(Quote)
Pardew said after the game last night that he plans to make changes to the defence – and I agree with that because we look weak.
But I also hope he looks at Benny, because for me we can’t afford to carry him. He has 5 mins of brilliance and 85 mins of total annonimity.
I’d sooner he was used as an impact sub in the last 30mins, coz to me he’s not a 90min player.
I’d rather see a front 3 of:
Gouffran – Cisse – Remy
Sharpy17(Quote)
I genuinely think Sammy is good enough to be a good PL player and will be that with us he just needs the chance. Dummett is welsh but i believe grew up in Newcastle and is local. I think he has looked class in all of his first team games for us so far and he looks the most ready for first team action.
By all accounts we have been looking at Dutch players as well Anita and finnbogason. So i don’t think it is just the french league we go to its just that we got the best deals from that league for the best possible players at that time.
Santii(Quote)
Sharpy if Arfa was dropped i would prefer Sammi Remy Gouffran as i think they offer more to the team unit than the other two.
Santii(Quote)
Since Collo and Mbiwa are not heavyweight enough and Santon and Debuchy are not really defending well enough, I wonder if we should have tries three at the back. Like this
————————–Krul——————————
———-Mbiwa——Williamson—-Collo———-
Debuchy—————————————Santon-
——————Anita———Sissoko—————-
—HBA—————-Remy—————–Gouffran
Then everybody would be in their favoured position, with Williamson/Taylor just there to win everything in the middle and Collo can mop up and carry the ball out. Santon doesn’t have as much defending to do and so the wingers can double up more.
DJG(Quote)
Sharpy-I agree. Personally I would bring Dummet in and either switch Santon to see if he can defend or just try and persist with Debuchy and drop Santon. Neither of them can defend well anyway, Santon has always been quite average but has been glossed over because of he looks classy running forward. When Jonas doesn’t track with him and when Colo doesn’t cover for him-or has an appalling game-then he is completely lost.
I’d be tempted to go with
————–Remy————
-Remy—–Benny——–Goof
——–Cabaye-Anita——
Dummett-Colo-Mbiwa-Debuchy (Santon)
———-Krul
Keep Benny in again because of the magic he can do. He might not make a good number 10 but at least there he isn’t expected to defend and we can get away with him not tracking back. If he’s **** take him off, push cabs forward and put sissoko alongside anita, or just bring on Cisse for him.. For me Sissoko was pathetic against Everton so he’s lost his place in the side.
Newkie(Quote)
I don’t think Pardew would take the chance with a 3 man backfield DJG @25 mate. Santon especially, but Debuchy as well sometimes get caught too far up the pitch. Any decent attacking side would be drooling at the thought of breaking in on a back 3 with Willo in the middle. He’s decent on high balls but a pacey striker could destroy him.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Djg – I couldn’t agree more but for me would stick Anita out and put cabaye in.
Would give us loads of options from bench saylor cisse Anita tiote jonas obertan ameobis marveaux
Liam southern toon(Quote)
Who are you thinking for left wing in that formation you have @26 mate? You have Remy in there twice. I would love it if he has a football playing twin. 😀
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I think I would have to agree about sitting Santon. He has not improved defensively at all. Dummett could come in and do a better job. Then Haidara could offer competition when he is fit. Santon may have been a mistake and we definitely can’t afford Santon and Debuchy on the pitch at the same time.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Geordie two- but for away games would give us a good looking back line with debuchy and santon should have enough energy to bomb up and down same with dummett
Liam southern toon(Quote)
Newkie @26 ,Yes that’s what I was saying about Benny going behind the front two ,as you say he’s less of a liability defensively there.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Santii – he played Remy through the middle last night and he didnt look comfortable IMO – it may have just been **** service to him of course, but I thought Remy looked better in the 2nd half when he was moved over to the left flank. He also notched his 2 (nearly 3) against Hull from that position as well. I like Sammy, but graft wise I think Goof, Cisse and Remy would be more balanced for me I think.
——————- Krul —————-
Santon – Saylor – Colo – Dummett
—– Cabaye – Tiote – Anita ——
— Gouffran – Cisse – Remy —
That would be my line up like.
Sharpy17(Quote)
After the first half against Everton and the second half against Hull I just don’t think Pardew would dare risk a back 3 LST mate. He would be crucified if we got beat. Especially if Willo was slaughtered in the middle with a fast passing ground attack.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
When ever i think of three at the back i think of Napoli they (Walter Mazzarri) have had amazing success with it but they have Maggio (world class wing back) Mesto, Zuniga and a few other wingbacks that are all class. They are/have been the best counter attacking team in the world for a few years now. They rely heavily. They also have 3 of the slowest center backs around and sit deep as hell drawing opponents on to them.
They have continued this formation under Rafa and they are looking good despite tonight’s result.
Now i don’t think Pardew would have a clue how to play with 3 at the back but i would try and emulate Napoli
Santii(Quote)
G2, I have been very pleased at what I have seen of Dummett ,he defo deserves some starts now.
KIMTOON(Quote)
NEWKIE
‘Santon has always been quite average but has been glossed over because of he looks classy running forward’ Agree 100%. I also don’t prescribe to the idea that just because he is right-footed, we should drop Debuchy and play him at RB either. He might be just as bad defending at right-back and not as good going forward on the opposite side. That’s my guess anyway.
DJG(Quote)
That should say they rely heavily on their midfield destroyers of Inler and Dzemaili (Behrami as well) to break up play and play out wide or to Hamsik their playmaker.
Santii(Quote)
Ashley can’t get around hiring a good experienced manager with foreign experience as far as I can tell. Otherwise it’s more of the same. 16th place and more excuses. His attempts so far have been pathetic. Shearer with 8 games left and no managerial experience? What a joke. Hire a top manager (Keegan) and lie to him and then get sued. Why don’t we just bring in Kinnear’s granny and get it over with?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I’d also be employing a defensive coach after what I saw last night!.
Stuart Pearce is out of work at the moment so I’d be giving him a call. That would be my preferred option, but we’d end up with someone like Lawrie fucking Sanchez or someone like that I reckon!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy don’t talk bad about the messiah in my presence he is god like where I’m from 😀
Santii(Quote)
Aye Kimtoon @36. Dummett has showed well so far and Santon has struggled in many games over the last 2 seasons. I can’t see that Santon deserves his starting place now. He should have to compete well to get it back.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Shocking to see Bolton in 23rd place in the Championship. Talk about a fall from grace.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2-Thanks for pointing that out 😆 Remy is our best player and two of him would be nice, but for the left wing I would have Sammeobi because I think he has shown enough to grab a start. Marv doesn’t have the engine for wing duty, Jonas doesn’t have the ability, and Obertan, well, no thanks.
Kim-exactly. I think behind a front 2 we might be a little overwhelmed in midfield if none of them put themselves about and we’d be really narrow. But who knows. Benny is someone who can win us a game if he is on form so he needs to be in the side, but equally his frailties need to be addressed. Sometimes we have managed to get graft out of him but he doesn’t seem willing to put in a shift on a weekly basis-which is a shame for someone who wants to win the Ballon d’Or!!!!!!!!!
DJG-Aye I agree, I’ve said a lot he shouldn’t be moved over to the right for the sake of his right foot given he’s been trained as a left back. He’s only played a handful of times but he looks confused when he runs forward and his crossing has never been his strong point so offensively it doesn’t make that much difference. His tackling is ok, so maybe that would improve, his problem is his positional sense and moving onto the right won’t change that at all in my view.
I don’t think we’ll be unearthing a new gem, it really is just a toss up between who better (or less ****) than him or Debuchy. Jury is still out I think.
Newkie(Quote)
Santii – who?, Sanchez? – are you in Wimbletoon like mate?
Sharpy17(Quote)
Lol No Northern Ireland 😀 He done wonders with our National team 😛
Santii(Quote)
I would have to agree about that Newkie mate @44. Sammeobi has earned a chance, as has Dummett. As it stands we get caught out if we push forward and overwhelmed if we sit back. Not a great pair of alternatives.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Our long ball movement out to the wings has never been very impressive. It’s not one of our strengths, any more than crossing and corners are. Our best moves have been coming from Anita through Gouffran and Remy. When Benny is on his game he can threaten but it’s useless to expect him to defend or bring the ball 30 or 40 yards down the wing. It’s his play around the box and his shot and last pass that we need most from him. Push him up the field or forget about him. A cautious defensive game is not his style or strength and never will be.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
wasn’t Santon originally a RW anyway ,which would make him more a wingback than a fullback .
KIMTOON(Quote)
Whatever he was Santon is not progressing with us, any more than Sissoko and Mbiwa are Kimtoon mate. We (or Pardew) have a knack for bringing the worst out in players. Debuchy has slipped as well.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Santii – to be fair, I reckon he could certainly improve things and would be more capable of working with Pardew, JFK and Ashley. Stu Pearce would probably kick **** out of them 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
G2-In one match (albeit against lower league) Dummet and Sammy showed a real sense of a “partnership” which we haven’t had on the left wing since Jonas and Enrique, possibly Jonas and Raylor. I don’t think Santon and Jonas ever hit it off to be honest.
Kim-I think he was as a very young player, but as far as I’m aware he wasn’t played there “professionally”-although I could be wrong. To be fair, Carroll was played as a CB and Tayls was played as a CF when they were young, it happens all the time. But maybe Santon could just be played on the wing himself, his defending hasn’t improved that much, although it’s concentration he really seems to lack.
Newkie(Quote)
Geordie – Maldini certainly had high praise for Santon after Harps game like.
Sharpy17(Quote)
NEWKIE
Yeah I agree mate, he’s one of those weird players who doesn’t look in their natural position to me. If he was a bit different he would be a winger or if he was a bit better positionally and could hit a ball he would be a striker. He ain’t a LB if you ask me, you watch a good LB like Baines, Evra they are chalk and cheese to Santon. Even watch Dummett play there, he looks like a left-back. When Santon plays there he looks awkward defensively. I think it was Ollie Bernard said ‘Santon needs to take the touch back onto his right foot and cut inside when going forward. I used to have a split- second to control it and hit it with my left foot up the line’. By the time Santon sorts his feet out the second is gone.
DJG(Quote)
Just thought I’d look at “whoscored” which some people are fans of. Newcastle are:
+ Strengths
Attacking down the wings
Strong
Creating scoring chances
Strong
Aerial duels
Strong
And our best player in terms of ratings is Debuchy 😯 😆
Newkie(Quote)
I wish Pardew had played Curtis Good against Leeds last week. He looked really solid against Morecombe but was hard to really judge against such a lower league team. Against Leeds it may have gave a better idea whether he’s ready for that step up to the first team squad yet or not.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy @53 does Maldini watch every game Santon plays mate? I just think he doesn’t fit the role of LB the way it’s played in the Prem. He doesn’t recover quickly enough when we turn the ball over and seems to be lost tracking back often. His mistakes were often covered up when Jonas played in front of him and still had some pace but now Santon just looks exposed far too often. Mirallas was destroying him until he got a knock.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Newkie honestly if you look at stats for each game Debuchy is head and shoulders above our other defenders in offensive and defensive stats.
This site is pretty good but goes faster on my phone for some reason get the four four two stats app
Santii(Quote)
For me we have some problems with some player in this team.
If we start from back, Santon is a problem because for me a lot of time he is completely out of position as a left back. And I don’t know if he has made one good cross since he is here. So give a chance to Dummett and see what happened it can’t be worse.
Mbiwa and Colo was really poor last night but difficult to change because for me Willo isn’t enough good and he has received a lot of criticism in this blog. Debuchy played a good game against everton.
After other problem is Sissoko, he never was considered as a big player who can play as No10 in France I don’t know why Pardew rated him so high? Just because he is powerful..? I think he deserves a lot of criticism this season because he was not so good especially when he plays high in the pitch.
Gouffran is not so good in the wing, because he is like jonas, forward he doesn’t bring enough. I will continue with Remy in the wing, he is better.
And make a turnover between Cisse and Gouffran upfront.
And for Benny, I would like to see him play always in the right wing or behind a striker, but he has never been good defensively so it’s not now that will change. So I would give him a run of games behind a striker.
I don’t understand why he plays in the left yesterday? Because Pardew was afraid of Baines…? Baines is not messi please…I told before the game, the biggest threat is Lukaku, maybe Pard has not mention Lukaku before the game..
But the most important is the way we start a game, do we start a game to sit deep and wait what happened, or we start high putting pressure with the intention to win a game?
Every time we sit deep after 20 minutes we often 2-0 down? Look last year big games and this year Man City and Everton…
I do really believe we have some good players, but they are good if we have the ball and dominate the game (like Benny, Cabaye, Remy..) otherwise they look so poor..
HBA39(Quote)
DJG-Yeah exactly mate, Dummet has come from nowhere but he just naturally looks comfortable there, but Santon has never quite seemed that. Once he gets up and running he looks ok, but that’s the thing, he rarely seems to spark any counter attack himself by getting stuck in and then running off with it, it usually takes someone else to get the ball and then pass it to him in a decent amount of space before he can set off on his run. That’s why he always seems to be three or four metres ahead of the “defensive line”
He’s still very young and he has talent and he has had some good performances for us, but with Dummet and Haidara breathing down his neck he is going to need to seriously improve to keep that spot.
Newkie(Quote)
GEORDIETWO
I like your point about does Maldini watch how LB’s play in the prem. 🙂 Also this whole letting the ball bounce first thing!!?? Is this a South American or French thing or something. **** me you are taught at school as a defender no to let the ball bounce and go back up, that is a basic in the English game going right down the football pyramid down to Sunday Morning games. Collo and Mbiwa what the hell are you doing. I think Pardew said it was ‘disturbing’ at times.
DJG(Quote)
Good comments HBA39 @59. We don’t look like a team who can sit deep and counter attack. We have to get on the ball higher up the field and turn it over before it gets into our half as with the second half against Everton. A great defending team we are not. Play to our strengths Pardew or risk more disasters.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Santii-but surely you don’t think he’s been our best defender do you? Against Everton then yes, best of a very poor bunch. The hysteria he got vs City may have been a bit too much as well, but defensively he still looks very shaky to me and has done in each of our other games-although again he didn’t exactly have inspiring company.
Simmo was the league’s best right back satistically in the 2011-12 year wasn’t he? I remember people frothing at the mouth when that was brought up. Obviously not true but just goes to show like 😆
Newkie(Quote)
DJG@61-Aye, Willo is the leaving breathing proof of the English football pyramid. Fair play to him he does as he was told, arm round the striker and smash the ball back up field with your forehead 😆
Newkie(Quote)
Spot on DJG @61. Colo looked even more uncomfortable with high balls in the Everton game than he usually does and that’s saying something. Mbiwa just seemed to be out of sorts in general, often out of position with Colo looking for him and then trying to defend by himself. What a mess. You wouldn’t expect it from fairly experienced defenders. Is it something about the way we train? And why hasn’t Saylor had his head torn off for his on field antics? He just looks completely out of control far too often. Are our coaches afraid to have a go at the players?
GeordieTwo(Quote)
That describes Willo to a T Newkie mate @64. 😆 Get your arm on the forward or lean on him or crash into him. Then thump the ball up the field and turn it over. Still when you are watching what we watched in the first half yesterday it was almost a relief to see him come on.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
leaving-living. Christ my spelling is **** today.
Newkie(Quote)
Newkie
I don’t think he is our best defender but i think he has been our best defender this season so far and he is far better than people give him credit for.
Simpson was are most consistent player for 3 years (unless he played united :D) I cant even remember that in 2011-2012 i only remember the amount of goal line clearances he made for us 😛 (against united so many times) I never really got why people got on his back we had so many scape goats back then 😀 Its funny how people are crying out for Williamson, Perch and Simpson type players these days…
Hindsight’s a ***** i guess 😎
Santii(Quote)
G2-Aye. I wasn’t pleased to see him come on and I am someone who actually defends his uses, but fair play we looked a lot tighter when he came on. Even with his heading and hoofing we managed to edge possession and passing stats in the second half, and in the match overall. Food for thought for other fixtures? Unlikely, but the next time we’re up against Lukaku or Benteke it might be worth remembering.
Newkie(Quote)
Newkie ignore that first “(unless he played united 😀 )”
Lol fail
Santii(Quote)
Santii – I always liked Simmo and said at the time we’d regret letting him go. He’s having a cracking start at QPR – wish he was still with us!.
I wish we had of signed Steven Caulker in the summer as well though. Don’t think we were ever in for him and £8m seemed a bit steep, but in my opinion he’s the CB we are missing at the moment.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Santi-Fair enough mate. On what I have seen and their performance per game I suppose I would give it to Dummet so that says something. I still don’t think Colo has been as poor as Debuchy overall-the problem is he has much higher expectations on him because he is a seasoned pro and our captain.
Santii-the scapegoating really is incredible. All fans do it but over the last 4-5 years I think we have really taken the ****, just my opinion.
Newkie(Quote)
Why people were slating Simmo is because forward he was so bad and his decision to always try to put a cross from 35 yards was so stupid because we always loose the ball, this things make people crazy.
But defensively he was really good, he handle players with pace much better than Debuchy even if he is not quicker than Debuchy. It means that he has more defensive abilities than Debuchy.
HBA39(Quote)
Newkie i think Dummett deserves a start in the PL his performances have been fantastic when he has been given the chance so if he isn’t rewarded for playing well then why should he. Same thing for Sammy as well.
I can see a few scapegoats being made already this season.
@sharpy
Lots of good things said about him at spurs and they were raging they let him go (next England CB) if that is the case he will triple in value. Yanga Mbiwa is our long term replacement for Colo he is an amazing player. Don’t know why people have wrote him off after one bad performance in which Colo probably played worse than him. Need Good out on loan again cause he looked good in the C1 cup wasted in the reserves like.
Santii(Quote)
Cardiff next, should be an easier game for us ?
stem(Quote)