In a second successive performance in which Newcastle were pummeled for much of the second half, manager Sam Allardyce has made it clear it’s the team’s defensive performance that let the side down.
Newcastle did get the first goal and it was a tremendous effort from Oba Martins, who controlled the ball beautifully between the two static City central defenders, and then coolly lobbed it over the advancing Hart. A good start but unfortunately it didn’t last.
Let’s see what happened after Oba’s goal and what Big Sam had to say after the game.
Sam Allardyce – must get Newcastle’s defensive play improved – heard that before?
After conceding the first goal City began to attack more freely and before the break had leveled with a sloppy goal the defense gave away to Petrov. The Bulgarian doesn’t miss too many chances, especially when offered up on a plate, like this one was. The second half was much like Tuesday night at the Emirates, when the opposition raised their game, scored twice, and we couldn’t live with them.
Are we really fit enough? We seemed to drop off the pace in the second half, and certainly lack pace both in midfield and at the back.
Big Sam told nufc.co.uk after the game:
“We committed defensive suicide.†“All our defenders have to do is clear the ball back up the pitch for Mpenza’s goal and we just didn’t.†“After that, they contained us and played on the break, which was exactly what I had asked my players to do.â€
“We got ourselves into a position to win the game thanks to Oba’s great goal and we could’ve won it if we had contained Man City.†“As it is their second goal less than two minutes after half-time has killed us because after that they have sat deep and made it hard for us.”
Newcastle will now need to improve on their away form following 3 successive away defeats, 6 goals conceded and only one scored.
Sam went on:
“Our away form has begun to slip a little.†“We won at Bolton on the first day of the season and then drew at Middlesbrough which was a game we should have won having led twice.â€
“But then we lost at Derby, Arsenal and now Manchester City so we’ve got to put it right.”
Our next home game next Sunday against Everton is now going to be a bit of a crunch game. Having suffered these two successive defeats, during which we were outplayed and beaten by better sides in Arsenal and Man City, a win will be desperately needed and anything less than that will only bring more doom to Tyneside.
There’s no doubt Sam will be under some pressure this coming week – because we now have had two successive defeats so we must continue our good home form next Sunday. The next away game is at Reading on Saturday 27th October 3pm KO, but before that we have two home games. They are against Everton next Sunday, 7th October KO 3PM and then Tottenham on Monday 22nd October, KO 3pm.
Two wins and 6 points from these two home games will need to be the goal and a priority. Then we trust we can do a lot better at Reading, but they are always a tough team to play away.
Comments and opinions are always welcome.
57 comments so far
Jerry
Sep 30, 2007 at 10:47 AM
Comment #41When Arsene Wenger first joined Arsenal they finished THIRD on joint points with Newcastle. His first season! In the previous season Arsenal had finished THIRTEENTH! I bet he too had billions to spend and a hundred million years to build Rome! Utter nonsense!
Keep making exxcuses for Allardyce and keep enjoying mediocrity and losses to Derby County!
How long should it take a Manager to assess and know that his team that he is building lacks serious creativity and that all his sales were loppsided although we needed defensive players.
You think we should give him more time, am sure we will and then in a few months’ time you will come back here screaming for his head and then what? How many more months would we have waited?
I will be honest, if a Manager came to be and said I want to buy Alan Smith, I will lose confidence in him immediately. Clearly such a manager is not a good judge of even a moderately good player!
Jamie
Sep 30, 2007 at 10:53 AM
Comment #42Alan Smith is either a striker and Central Midfielder, this right sided lark aint his position, yes he will give his all, but the final product wont be as good. He is ONLY playing there because at the moment needs must. I would prefer Geremi right side with Smith Center, buts that just MO. I’m a big fan of Smithy and I’m sure Sam will get the best out of him as his track record at Bolton Suggests.
I will take a few examples – Kevin Nolan, Gary Speed, Ivan Campo, Nicky Hunt, Diouf, need I go on?
Callum
Sep 30, 2007 at 1:07 PM
Comment #43Jerry – Arsene Wenger is in a different league to Sam Allerdyce so theres no point comparing the two and that was 10 years ago, the premier league is much more competitive now.
Also who else out there (Not that i want allerdyce to leave/be sacked) that can come in and make us a championship winning team over night? (I say over night because thats obviously what you want) Done thinking? Exactly theres no one out there and dont bother saying Mourinho because he has said he wants to manage in Italy or Spain.
Bottom line is – If you want success you need to back the current manager and let him do his job especially when you look at what he achieved at Bolton when you let him build a team.
apan
Sep 30, 2007 at 1:08 PM
Comment #44To Jerry
Rolando Bianchi (£8.8million)
Valeri Bojinov (undisc.)
Vedran Corluka (undisc.)
Elano (£8million)
Gelson Fernandes (undisc.)
Javi Garrido (£1.5million)
Geovanni (free)
Martin Petrov (£4.7million) = est 40 million quid
Joey Barton (£5.8million)
Bernardo Corradi (loan)
Paul Dickov (loan)
Sylvain Distin (free)
Stephen Jordan (free)
Danny Mills (loan)
Trevor Sinclair (free)
Hatem Trabelsi (released)
Nicky Weaver (free)
COUNT URSELF ARSEHOLE!~
the perfect example of a fickle newcastle united fan who wants instant success, go support man ure or chelski then they already a ready build team since last decade, we in the other hand been around for 14 years yet we are have become the top 4 teams before for a 7-8 years before our downfall
ur in dreamland ffs this is reality, just because ur winning games in FM or any manager games that doesnt mean ur that good esp since u like to hit the reset button if u lose idiot
apan
Sep 30, 2007 at 1:10 PM
Comment #45we doesnt have our first team yet and only 10 games in hand ur already whining, good keep chantin sack the board and sack the manager like u always did (the only time u appeared as a newcastle fan)
Jerry
Sep 30, 2007 at 1:24 PM
Comment #46Apan
You have clearly demonstrated u belong to the psychiatric unit!
Rolando Bianchi (£8.8million) +
Elano (£8million) +
Javi Garrido (£1.5million) +
Martin Petrov (£4.7million) –
Joey Barton (£5.8million) = £40million????????????? The rest free or undisclosed?
🙁
Only a sub-human would come up with maths like that!
Alex K
Sep 30, 2007 at 1:39 PM
Comment #47Oh dear Jerry you are a deluded man. I expect you were one of those calling for the sacking of Robson after five games because we didn’t have the best start to the season. Building a team takes time. Alex Furguson had a shocking start to his first season at Manchester United and fickle fans like yourself were calling for his job, look how much success he has had since.
Jerry
Sep 30, 2007 at 2:16 PM
Comment #48It is more of delusion to think every day that the next day will bring success.
Wake up man.
Incidentally, Sir Alex won a trophy in his first season with Man U.
Boater
Sep 30, 2007 at 3:30 PM
Comment #49I am pretty fed up with the results these days… I still say that apart from the first half against bolton we have been flattering to deceive when we have notched a result, but on this pont I agree you have to allow time for the manager to acclimatise. The real worry is the fact that we have become a footballing side which is reduced to attempting to contain the other team for 90 mins.. even extending laughably to Derby.. the midfield is an inverted arc shape… on account of having 3 (no less) defensive workers in their…. the sole player who has a creative role is Milner and to be honest he has looked like a 1st division player a lot this season…to think that the Allardyce system relies on him ALONE as our spark or link helps put some context on recent matches. We are fast moving away from the (most recent) positive era of Bobby Robson’s 4-4-2 with everyone knowing their job…. a midfield of robert, speed, dyer, solano… containing pace, nouse, tactical awareness and most crucially – accurate passing and crossing. The whole ‘you have to give him time’ chipperness of fans on here is almost as familiar in recent times as a milner or geremi cross which fails to beat the first defender. I can’t escape the thought myself that Allardyce was Fat Freds last chronic decision on behalf of the club…. I wonder if he is still laughing at the idea of Erikkson for toon manager?
nightfall
Sep 30, 2007 at 3:33 PM
Comment #50yes…sam spent only 10 mio… but he should never spent 6 mio on smith who’s playing on the right wing…we should just stick with solano…
apan
Sep 30, 2007 at 3:43 PM
Comment #51The £40 million Sven was given to spend helped turn Manchester City into a team by Thaksin and Sven Goran spend roughly almost near that, its not the exact amout but rough calculation…..undisclosed fee yes but all the press and reliable sources in the world sayin its nearly, so its either all newspaper journalist, newspaper reporter and me belong to the psychiatric unit or u
the point is here is really the exact amount but rather the fact that spend triple the amout that we spend this season! get the point?
if only we could keep solano & other players who wants to move to a bigger city, but then again thats football
apan
Sep 30, 2007 at 3:44 PM
Comment #52is really not the exact amount (typo error) sorry for that
Jerry
Sep 30, 2007 at 6:48 PM
Comment #53Boater
You are spot on! I was willing to give Allardyce a chance, but the way things are going am not too sure.
He keeps saying things like we should have booted the ball up the field, we should have contained them etc.
And your point about Milner is very valid. He tries his best and I like him a lot but maybe he isnt ready yet to shoulder a regular place in the NUFC first team.
david bulman
Oct 1, 2007 at 1:01 PM
Comment #54i agree with yancey.i definetly dont like the midfield of butt geremi and smith,no creativity at all,geremi should not have been made captain and smith no right winger,dives into far too much tackles,we are unlucky with injuries and sam deserves his chance and patience.judge the team when we have a fully fit team and see what team we play and how we play then.be interesting to see who makes way for barton and duff,we need these two playing and would like these in a 4-4-2 team.we look better at the back but dont agree we have made a great start,we beat a bad bolton team,but only drew to middlesborough and were shocking against derby,torn apart by city and arsenal,we have two tough games coming up with everton and spurs and need to try pick up at least 4 points from these.hopefully we can get back on track and players fit,would like to see enrique play a bit more but sam protecting him well.
magpie_boy
Oct 1, 2007 at 1:57 PM
Comment #55GUyz i still dont know why BS didnt play Emre and N’zogbia needs to play in the midfield and let enrigue play in the defense and steven taylor dissappointed me alot he didnt play well or maybe coz he is not been playing alot of games but to me the problem is really in the midfield rather in defense coz we are lost alot of the balls in the midfield and if you look how geremi plays he has very good and nice crosses but he is a bit slow with his passing and butt he is not a creator rather a destroyer alan smith same he loves to tackle so we can say a destroyer too.For those who watched the game did you see how emre played with his touches he needs to play,
magpie_boy
Oct 1, 2007 at 2:03 PM
Comment #56believe me guyz if emre would play and N’zogbia in the midfield we would play much better and shy given in the post harper i dont feel comfortable when he is in the post.
David M
Oct 1, 2007 at 4:34 PM
Comment #57Is my old memory playing tricks on me or do I recall that when the great Sir Bobby took over it took HIM quite a while before we were sorted out from the chaotic previous regime(s) of Dalglish and Gullit (wrecking bastards both)? Remember Diego Gavillan? Clarence Acuna? Stopgap players. We didn’t finish 3rd 4th or 5th in Bobby’s first season did we? The same is true of Sam. He’s had to take over from arguably two of the most disastrous managers in the last 20 years in Roeder (nice but out of his depth) and that Scottish bastard who utterly destroyed a good club and who’s very name goads me into a fury. Give Sam a bit of time! Can’t believe how impatient some people are!