I suppose it makes a change from soft, and easy to beat and lacking in heart and desire, such was the lable of last season. Anyway I thought I would take a look at some stats from the last four games to see if these accusations are true.
Our first game saw us take on Southampton and we picked up 2 yellow cards and committed 9 fouls, we won 15 free kicks. Saints on the other hand collected 4 yellow cards committed 12 fouls and won 9 free kicks, so on the balance of play I would say we were the less physical on the day.
Our second game saw us take on Swansea where we picked up 1 yellow and a red card and committed 11 fouls and we won 13 free kicks. Swansea collected 2 yellows, one more than us and committed 8 fouls just 3 less than us and only won 9 free kicks. As for the red card for Janmaat, it was a pull back on Montero, hardly physical and we’ll see plenty of good right backs suffer at the hands of Montero this season, that much is for sure. I really can’t see much for Garry Monk to of complained about going by that set of stats.
Our third game was against Manchester united where we recieved 2 yellow cards, committed 11 fouls and won an impressive 19 free kicks. Manchester by comparison also got 2 yellows but committed 15 fouls, 4 more than us and won 11 free kicks. Again we were hardly the more aggressive side there.
Our last game was against Arsenal which is where the stats would have you believe it all went wrong. We all know Mitrovic got that quick red card for a studs up challenge, and it has divided opinion as to whether it was deserved or not. We also collected 6 yellows not helped by Arsenal players falling and rolling like a sniper had got them, despite miraculously getting up right as rain seconds after our player is booked. We committed 15 fouls and won 10 free kicks. Arsenal collected just 1 yellow despite the fact they carried out a fair few rash challenges themselves on the day. They also committed 8 fouls and won 15 free kicks . The general consensus seems to be that referee for the day Mariner had a bit of a mare in that he was inconsistent with his cards and free kicks and missed a certain penalty claim for Arsenal too. After the game Arsene Wenger accused the Newcastle players of being physical but even though the stats back that up, I would argue that the referee lost control was inconsistent so the true nature of the game was lost.
Overall I would say we aren’t particularly more physical than any other side out there. I just think sides are taken aback by our renewed committment which was sadly lacking last season in most if not all our playing staff. Such was the frustration of players last season when our form dipped, they ended up losing self control and discipline and we ended the season with a high tally of red and yellow cards respectively. I don’t see that frustration now, just a desire to not give up which is long over due. If other teams are upset because we no longer give up the ghost so quickly, then tough, I for one am glad we don’t intend to be this seasons whipping boys.
Do you think we are a dirty or overly physical side? Thoughts welcome as ever.
Kimtoon
If Milner plays the remaining matches of the qualifiers & the group stages in the euros he will overtake Gascoigne, Beardsley, Waddle, Keegan & Shearer
He’s already got more caps than Hoddle, Brooking & hilariously Stanley Matthews
CC(Quote)
I like Shelvey, Funny how he’s been overlooked so often
Almost as funny as Liverpool selling him & keeping Joe Allen
CC(Quote)
Dear me. This is a poor England side Hodgson. Will get found out once you play a proper team, like in the world cup.
DJG(Quote)
CC – yeah he’s another on my list who is pretty much guaranteed their place.
Sharpy17(Quote)
CC – yeah it was about £15m they paid for Allen & let Shelvey go for around £5m. It worked out that well they ended up getting Milner in on a free 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
Perspiration not inspiration the England way track back, go with your runners bollocks
even Bobby was guilty of it: Trevor Steven over John Barnes, Ray Wilkins over Glenn Hoddle & Mark fucking Hateley over Peter Beardsley
CC(Quote)
Clive’s squeezing himself everytime the ball goes anywhere near Rooney in the box
Calm down Clive he’ll never win a golden boot in a World Cup like Lineker or in the Euros like Shearer, He’ll never got a World Cup winners medal or have a goal ratio like Greaves, Hell never score a hat trick in a World Cup final like Hurst He’ll never score in 5 successive tournaments or have a goal ratio like Owen
2nd rate Neanderthal with Velcro hair
CC(Quote)
CC – thee most overrated English footballer of certainly my time mate – better CFs available & Rooney certainly wouldn’t be in my starting 11.
Sharpy17(Quote)
cc@82 you forget “he’ll never score 5 goals in an international like Supermac”.
Munich Mag(Quote)
must say that having watched germany play for years, this english team really are a laborious lot…two poor teams on show… ?
Munich Mag(Quote)
CC@82, Nailed it mate, well said, Rooney and Walcott, Delph and Milner just some of the reasons I’m not arsed about England. We are just mind numbingly boring to watch nowadays.
kimtoon(Quote)
The day Rooney retires from internationals I will rejoice .
kimtoon(Quote)
Munich
He certainly should have considering the matches we’ve played against Andorra, San Marino, Lichtenstein, Trinidad & Tobago etc. during his time in the side
Overrated *****
CC(Quote)
BTW im not keen on getting complimentary about Owen but he did it against the big boys when it mattered
Rooney never has or will
CC(Quote)
Ha, Harry Kane showing Rooney how to do it.
kimtoon(Quote)
Shaw may as well have put the bloke on the floor and sat on him. How did the ref not give the Swiss a free kick?! Haha
Shamrock(Quote)
Meh, Roo scores
kimtoon(Quote)
Fair play Wazza. Well done lad.
Shamrock(Quote)
Yeah England legend 😯 🙄
Sharpy17(Quote)
AOC an Arsenal player goes in with a wreckless high footed challenge and doesn’t even get a yellow card … got to love consistency in refereeing 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
Credit to Rooney – 50 goals is a big achievement. But when they displayed the teams he’s got them against – well I suppose he has no influence over who they play. But then they showed in which games he got them – 1, yes ONE in a World Cup finals and only 4 in the Euros finals.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Stirling worth 50mil my **** played like a fifty Bob player and ox played ***** Milner is past this level of footy,Delph is never England class just as well he went off did himself a favour,Smalling and Shaw played well,anyway I don’t know why I watch them haven’t got a lot of time for the England team,England record holder I cannot stand the hair plant git
icedog(Quote)
Well glad we’ve just committed to airstrikes on ARGOS like. Been tekin the **** for donkeys.
Rodzilla(Quote)
…send the fucking boys in.
Rodzilla(Quote)
All opinions on this blog have nothing to do with David Coverdale (who used to play castanets for Whitesnake).
Rodzilla(Quote)
Absolute bollocks.
Rodzilla(Quote)
Last night I dreamt Arsene Wenger asked me to buy him beans on toast while I was on the shop run. He took the ****, asking for a lasagne-style combo …”weeth meltid beans and cheees”. ****.
Rodzilla(Quote)
What Rooney is is an anti-1966 and anti-1996. When there was hope, a dream of a World Cup or Euro. When Shearer was what an England fan looked up to. Now Rooney has the record against Belarus and Malta.
Shame. *****. Rooney.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
As I said. 50 goals against – Weelstonya, Krapistan and Ebola, and a buxom girl from Luxembourg.
Look at who Wayne has scored against.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
ERIC I did notice he has never scored against a real good defence ITALY
icedog(Quote)
To be fair to Rooney, his international record is almost like for like with Messi – in arguably a weaker team.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Fair to Rooney – what for? Hasn’t played well for England since 2004.
georgio(Quote)
Georgio – granted, but he’s still notched 50 goals and you could well argue that England haven’t played well in that time, not just Rooney.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Would I have been happy if he had left Everton to Join us. Of Course. My only concern re England is we have a better win rate without him than with him.
Premandup(Quote)
Prem – I said last night that he wouldn’t be in my starting 11 and I stand by that. But that doesn’t mean the lad shouldn’t get credit for what he has achieved.
I feel sorry for him a bit to be honest. I think Man Utd have ****** him round a bit, move him round to accommodate other players. I think that has definitely affected his game.
Sharpy17(Quote)
CC @ 81 Quite right. If my failing memory serves me right England were on the way home from Mexico until Bobby brought in Beardsley and they then went on to the final to be beaten by the hand of god. All managers have the weakness of picking people on their reputations rather than current form. Look how long Billy Wright played and captained England. They only decided to drop him when Wolves put him in the reserves. Look at NUFC and Sissoko. Not a bad player Sissoko but certainly droppable or substituted.
Groucho(Quote)
Groucho – the hand of God was only the quarter final!
Sharpy – my feelings on Rooney stem from some very very ordinary performances for England. Hasn’t improved in 10 years in my mind.
Greaves was the best with 44 in 57 apps.
georgio(Quote)
Greaves, most of his goals in friendlies.
Premandup(Quote)
Georgio – no arguments mate, would never claim his the best – like I say, he wouldn’t even be in my team. But it’s still one hell of an achievement, whether we like/rate him or not.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Lineker has been the best England forward of my time.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Lineker & Shearer for me. Rooney is probably the hardest working of those mentioned and probably contributes most with his all round game.
Premandup(Quote)
Prem: in friendlies. In tournaments he goes missing. He is always first in line for the photo though.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It’s a right pisser that after an international break we get Monday night football 👿
Sharpy17(Quote)
I don’t really mind Rooney, I just think he is completely over-hyped and hit his peak at 19-20. That’s not his fault, it is more the press making him out to be the English Messi or Ronaldo when he obviously isn’t.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Shamrock. just to let you know that there is an article ready to send when you need it.
Premandup(Quote)
Eric – Messi for Argentina is 105 games and 49 goals. Ronaldo is 122 games and 55 goals. Rooney is 107 games and 50 goals.
He isn’t the club player that Ron or Messi is, but those stats stand him on par with them at international level.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Enough Rooney 🙄
georgio(Quote)
Prem – most of the games were friendlies then. Hardly any competitive games til the finals.
georgio(Quote)
Article sent as I’m off out for some time.
Premandup(Quote)
Georgio Many thanks. Blame my poor memory.
Groucho(Quote)
What about the upcoming match? It appears Carroll is fit. We won’t have Mito. Cisse up front then? I would think so. What formation? I don’t think one up front does it for us. Our counter can be decent but it is very limited as well play it. The break out should involve four or five players, so not just a long ball and some wasted hold up play or a wasted shot. More thought required or we will be playing from behind again as usual.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Now for the hard questions. Are 2 points enough at this time of the season? Is 19th satisfactory? According to Charnley it is apparently. Slow but steady progress? In which direction? Far too little of the dead wood was cleared out. Now we have players like Gouffy and Obertan still in the club. Not to mention players like Willo. It’s not nearly good enough for a Prem team. Look at the standings, then look at the upcoming matches Lee.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
In my opinion the only English CMs actually better than Colback are Carrick and Shelvey. In my opinion Colback is undroppable at this time, he is the most consistent and could be a piece of a quality team at Newcastle. I wont put Anita ahead of him, and id use him and Tioté as sub to close games.
Cholo A. Sall(Quote)
Have you all noticed we never seem to get any surprise wins? Wins people thought we wouldn’t get? West Ham away would be a surprise win for me. But will it happen? I can’t see it, but I hope I’m wrong. We’re going to need some of those surprise wins to finish above 14th or 15th this season as well as wins against weaker sides. It has to happen or we’re in trouble again this season.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
At this time with Mitrovic and Dummett out here is my best line up:
———————–Krul———————
-Janmaat-Taylor-Colo-Mbemba-
—————–Gini-Colback————–
——Sissoko——SdJ——Thauvin–
———————Ayoze———————-
Subs: Darlow, Lascelles, Dummett, Tioté, Anita, Aarons, Cissé
Cholo A. Sall(Quote)
What about the core of the team? The spine? Is Krul getting enough competition? His distribution remains poor. And our CB state is weak as we all know. We can field some decent MF’s but our strike force is horribly thin as well. And this is the side that’s going to finish in the top 10 thanks to Lee? Not likely…..
GeordieTwo(Quote)
SdJ’s fitness is poor Cholo mate. I’m not sure he should start yet. He has little pace and he’s missed so much footy with us. A huge disappointment. Gini should be played further forward to my way of thinking. Perez must put some muscle on to be successful in the Prem.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
G2- His fitness is an issue, but not his lack of pace, as long as we play on his feet he can slow it down and creates spaces, and he can score. But the even more suitable line up would the same 4231/433 but this offensive animation:
———–Gini–Colback——–
-Thauvin–Sissoko–Ayoze-
——————-SdJ—————-
SdJ playing as False 9 and linking with others especially Sissoko back to the goal, and create space for Ayoze Thauvin.
Cholo A. Sall(Quote)
G2- Ayoze has what it takes to be succesfull, and I have no doubts he’ll get better/stronger as long as he keeps playing.
Cholo A. Sall(Quote)
On Rooney: he could of catch Ronaldo and Messi but he has been wasted by Man U at some point, he seems to hast lost his killer touch and his drive, looks like a different player since 2011
Cholo A. Sall(Quote)
One question: do people agree with me that Mbemba Williamson could form a solid Cb partership? Why not with Colo DM with Colback?
Cholo A. Sall(Quote)
Roy Hodgson will get something inf he plays with Carrick Colback and Shelvey
Cholo A. Sall(Quote)
Cholo – sorry mate but I disagree on 2 counts. I actually think that Colback has had a very poor start to the season. I expect him to improve, but he’d be dropped if I could get my formation in place mate.
The 2nd thing is that I don’t believe Willo could form a good partnership with anyone – he’s out of his depth in the PL regardless who’s alongside him.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Prem just logged in. Will take a look and post it tonight unless you want it to go up in morning?
Shamrock(Quote)
I thought Williamson & Yanga Mbiwa had the makings of a good partnership before Pardew needlessly broke it up after we beat Chelsea & Spurs
CC(Quote)
Sharpy- I agree that Colback is much better than but its simple, him and Anita cant play together and we let go the CM who seemed to form the best CL chesmistry in Abeid. So now our weakest position is the DM who good on the ball and able to have impact défensively. So I see Gini play deeper with Colback with SdJ, or I see Colo being quality DM. Tioté seems to have lost it
Cholo A. Sall(Quote)
CC- Willo MyM was a decent partnership, in my opinion Mbemba is the is 3 times better than Mym and is the long term Colo replacement, our future Cb duo might become Lascelles Mbemba, but short term Mbemba can play well with Willo or Taylor
Cholo A. Sall(Quote)
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=acyrologia&sa=X&biw=1280&bih=913&tbm=isch&imgil=2sqUvLbNEBnpoM%253A%253BCV5tkPcRI6yxcM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Frogerowengreen.wordpress.com%25252F2014%25252F10%25252F29%25252Facyrologia%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=2sqUvLbNEBnpoM%253A%252CCV5tkPcRI6yxcM%252C_&usg=__Mr2WprSfYafg8CLSi7gzpiMujGU%3D&ved=0CDYQyjdqFQoTCLTZhKyL7McCFekW2wodsD4C8A&ei=okTxVbSAAemt7Aaw_YiADw#imgrc=2sqUvLbNEBnpoM%3A&usg=__Mr2WprSfYafg8CLSi7gzpiMujGU%3D
For Eric
Premandup(Quote)
Cholo – you must have seen more in Abied than I did mate. He did ok when he played, but he was no better than say Guthrie when he was a bit part player for us.
I’m not sure Tiote has lost it, he’s been injured a very long time. But I agree that DCM needs strengthening as only Tiote is natural to that position at the moment.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy – Tiote’s gone backwards at a rate of knots mate. Half the player we first signed. He slows the game, holds the ball too long then passes sideways. Still leaves a heavy foot in tackles too and said he wanted to leave a year ago.. Personally I prefer Anita in that role for all his size limitations and I thought we should have kept Abeid.
georgio(Quote)
I thought abeid looked like a decent player in the making. As you say perhaps merely a Gosling, but perhaps a bit more
Premandup(Quote)
He wasn’t a natural DCM player though – box to box we have Gini, Sissoko & Colback – would he have got in ahead of any of those?
Sharpy17(Quote)
No probably not.
Premandup(Quote)
I just think if we are looking to improve on Tiote, we should be looking at a midfielder who can really pass a football. Someone like Shelvey, Carrick or dare I say Cabaye 😯
Sharpy17(Quote)
I liked Abeid but it’s fair to say he would of slipped down the playing order so inevitable he’d leave. I also agree with Georgio about Tiote, he does slow the game down it was noticeable when he came on for Anita recently, when neets went off we lost all our rhythm .
kimtoon(Quote)