Premier League Discussion 18-19th August

golsud wrote:

The-Frank-Tavern wrote:yawn yawn yawn newky v villa shite, otto may have a point you know

I don't think TVE's audiences are going up if they continue showing $h!t like Newcastle - Villa

agreed, especially as CdS viewing at 4 will now be non existant

Stan Collymore is a decent co-commentator IMHO.

Zack_thfc wrote:

Tweedle wrote:Were you at the game Zack?

Do you think Jol might now try and stick with Huddlestone in the middle a bit more? I'm a big fan of his

Wasn't at the game today, but watched it in a pub nearby...

Huddlestone was the key difference....We held onto possesion better and he added a touch more creativity in the middle, which enabled Jenas to do what his best at, and thats running with the ball, and getting at the end of a finishing moves (i.e his goal is a perfect example) and NOT trying to be a playmaker and coming deep...

When its Zokora and Jenas in the middle, he (Jenas) tends try be the playmaker and quite frankly he ain't...

Again Huddlestone was superb, he was a major diffrence in the middle and it made us not rash with our possesion like against everton...

Anyways, it was against Derby who were quite frankly very poor....so a long way to go yet...

Routledge also was a difference, givging natural width - Played pretty well, lacked a little bit of match sharpness understandably and was a bit lightweight, but his crossing was excellent and he made a couple of superb diagonal runs off the ball which went largely unnoticed, the space Chimbonda got to set up Malbranque's second goal was all from Routledge's run.

TS, what's Taarabt's natural position?

Attacking midfielder drifting in from the wing - could be our new Gazza

You like the look of him?

Taarabt is a great signing, i expect him to force his way into the first team a st the seaosn continues.

The Spurs fans I know were raving about him in the summer. Looks like he has a great touch, but I've barely seen him to be honest. Is he left footbed?

Tony Warner wasn't good enough for Millwall.

Fucking some Newcastle fans were booing them off after drawing with Villa in the 2nd game of the season.

Goat, they haven't scored there since Feb.

Sgoater1 wrote:Fucking some Newcastle fans were booing them off after drawing with Villa in the 2nd game of the season.

There fans are $h!t, they let out a huge moan at every bad pass. It must be horrible to play there.

I dont think people should have booed at all today, though some booing was clearly audible at the end of the game. I think it was probably directed more at the players than Allardyce and came generally because, as Waft says, we havent scored at home for so long and have played poorly during that period and beyond, so our fans havent had much to shout about for some time. The atmosphere during the game seemed very good and positive, so I guess it was more general discontent at seeing another display that lacked life and excitement.

I didnt think we played too badly, but we didnt create a lot. I personally thought all three of our midfielders were poor and didnt support or create enough. Smith ran a lot to little effect (to be fair to him, I thought he was much better last week and at least attempted to make some nice through balls then) and should have supported Viduka more; Geremi passed the ball well but didnt get very involved outside his own free kicks; and Butt is a waste of time. Geremi for Butt to spread the play more and N'Zogbia to add dynamism and pace further up the midfield.

Milner for me was man of the match, beating his man consistently on either flank and putting in some excellent balls - which is occasionally what lets him down. He looked like the only real provider of a goal today. Viduka battled well and did his job, made some nice lay-offs, but the ball didnt fall kindly in the box for him and he was isolated whilst we played too many long balls. He was often surrounded by Villa players. Martins had a good game, again he could have been more involved, though he was in a tough situation because he was the only one helping Viduka out in the centre against all Villas defenders - and in doing so he won more than his share of headers but we werent playing to his strengths, and it weakened our left side in that he did have to come in and battle. Owen shouldnt have been brought on for him - we werent creating, and so it removed perhaps the one player who could have scored with some magic, besides which Owen didnt look particularly fit and added nothing to the team but perhaps made us lose shape more. He barely touched the ball.

Basically, I think we have a very strong squad of players, and with a rejig of the first team once everyone is available (N'Zogbia pushed forward once Enrique is ready, Geremi to drop deeper, Solano or someone to replace Carr at right back), plus with one or two new buys (right back, maybe a versatile defender and/or a defensive midfielder) we will be in a good position. I just hope we play a proper game, rely on ability rather than physicality, and that we do keep our exciting and creative players in the first eleven.

L.r.d wrote:

Sgoater1 wrote:Fucking some Newcastle fans were booing them off after drawing with Villa in the 2nd game of the season.

There fans are $h!t, they let out a huge moan at every bad pass. It must be horrible to play there.

Their, and we dont really. One or two players - Butt, for instance - play so many bad passes that they deserve to be jeered every time they make one. We still tend to support the team well, we do have passionate fans, and like I say we were very positive today until the end, but I would accept that we can get on our teams back too easily. Thats a product of years underachieving and of too much dour, lifeless football, but I think we should try and curb our impatience for a while under the new manager. We do like good football though - I dont really accept the idea that its a myth that Newcastle fans want good football more than anything - if results do come first, then I certainly think that our fans, more than most, want to see exciting play and will be much more ready to pounce on the team after a bad result if they havent been playing nice football for a period beforehand.

waft the hapless youth wrote:Goat, they haven't scored there since Feb.

Yeah but this is a new season, with a new manager and nw players, they should be given a chance without being booed straight away.

Mark Noble is some prospect. I can see him being courted by the very best in the land. Except for Arsenal, because he's British and they have their token British player already in Theo.

Good penalty, but regardless he's a very intelligent and capable player with a wide range of skills. I'd like to see him in the England squad. But McClaren's a dipshit. Noble and Derbyshire are well worth a call up.

Spuds battered Derby, who were more concerned with increasing their fouls conceded statistic than with passing the ball. Crock of $h!t team, relegated already. Will sell their prospect in January. This year's Watford. What impressed me about the Spuds performance was the willingness to use width as a means of finding space. Too many clubs barely use the wings at all. The simplicity of playing narrow when defending but wide when attacking is lost on so many managers. In to go out, as Martin O Neill said repeatedly after the England game against the Argies in 2002.

@Rog

Your being a bit unfair on Derby i saw them on Wed and they were well organised, closed down well and kept their shape throught the game. Now granted they didnt do any of those things against Spurs and paid the price for it. However, i saw enough in the game against us that if they can bring in 3 or 4 players they will have a chance of staying up. They were $h!t today but i dont think you can judge them just off this result and say they are already relegated and will be this years watford.

They actually look a lot worse off than Watford, who at least had Marlon King. Any side playing Andy Todd CM must be expected to go down.

They're worse than Watford - They've only got Giles barnes, and at a push, Gary Teale, to be creative.
Watford had Young, Bouazza, King (better than Earnshaw) and Tommy Smith - later on they got Priskin & Rinaldi too. They also had a far superior 'keeper, DeMerit is a better CB than anything Derby has got, Derby don't have a potentian goalscoring CM like the Hornets had in Damien Francis - and to top it off, Darius Henderson >>> Steve Howard in the battle of the lumbering frontmen.

Pretty much safe to say that on paper at least, Derby are much worse than Watford were.

we all know derby are going straight back down its just who will join them

TeamJenas™ wrote:They're worse than Watford - They've only got Giles barnes, and at a push, Gary Teale, to be creative.
Watford had Young, Bouazza, King (better than Earnshaw) and Tommy Smith - later on they got Priskin & Rinaldi too. They also had a far superior 'keeper, DeMerit is a better CB than anything Derby has got, Derby don't have a potentian goalscoring CM like the Hornets had in Damien Francis - and to top it off, Darius Henderson >>> Steve Howard in the battle of the lumbering frontmen.

Pretty much safe to say that on paper at least, Derby are much worse than Watford were.

Pearson, and Jones arnt bad either alongside Teale and Barnes, whilst Oakley isnt a bad box to box mid so they are not totally without creativity. But its clear they need to buy and Davies is apparently working on it. They are not as bad as watford and from watching them live on wednesday i know they have the ability if the right buys are made to have a chance at staying up.

Sgoater1 wrote:Fucking some Newcastle fans were booing them off after drawing with Villa in the 2nd game of the season.

I think i missed that.

Was quite audible on MOTD and football 1st, Kimmy.

Good to have you back

You're so right on Frog Birds, BTW - when I went to my cousins wedding in South Paris about 3 years ago, and then was going around the place, I was cursing the fact the fact that my French was so limited.

TeamJenas wrote:Was quite audible on MOTD and football 1st, Kimmy.

Good to have you back

You're so right on Frog Birds, BTW - when I went to my cousins wedding in South Paris about 3 years ago, and then was going around the place, I was cursing the fact the fact that my French was so limited.

Why the f@ck didn't i hear it?! I heard a collective sigh because we didn't get the result we wanted, that's it. Fact.

I have to say that, on my stream, I thought I could hear a little booing at the end of the match. But it sounded like it came from a very half-hearted minority, and I agree that I think it was more frustration at another game not scoring and not really threatening or exciting, rather than anger or a form of complaint.

Speaking about width, I thought Villa used width relatively well yesterday. We had more of the play than they did, but they were very effective on the break, would find a man with clearances, spread the ball quickly and soon be down the other end.

What's the probable Chelsea line up today?

I've heard Mikel and Lampard could start together?

What's the news on Terry and Carvalho also?

The main player I'm worried about is Joe Cole

Vamos Citeh

Tevez will never be the same for United

I see a 1-1 here...

I predict Kasper Schmeichel will have a bad game today.

Deano Ashton wrote:Tevez will never be the same for United

He's only had one game.