Yorkshireman Alan Smith has certainly been talking this week and he talked again to the Evening Chronicle this afternoon. It’s good to have players fully communicating and Alan seems a good lad who’s totally committed to the Newcastle cause. He’s talking a whole load of common sense and it’s good he’s speaking out, so some of the news boys know what’s expected from them tomorrow.
Of course we know talk is cheap, but we’ll see tomorrow how much progress the team has made in this last week. The attitude tomorrow will be all important, and with Blackburn haven been soundly beaten 4-0 on Wednesday evening by Aston Villa, an early goal would be a nice start in tomorrow’s game.
Alan Smith – has talked to the press a lot this week
Alan told the Evening Chronicle today:
“The best form of defence is attack.†Once you get a few bad results a bit of negativity does creep in. When you concede goals everyone tends to go on the counter-attack and not want to go forward as much because they are worried about what is happening at the back.â€
“Everybody has spoken about the talent in the dressing room but it doesn’t match up to our position in the league table.†“We have to get back to the mentality we had at the start of the season.†“We have good players at the club who can take us back where we belong.â€
Blackburn will be up for the game tomorrow, you can be sure of that, because Mark Hughes will have prepared his players thoroughly, after Wednesday’s big disappointment. And it may be that the first goal will be all important tomorrow, since both teams are probably fairly low on confidence.
Alan continued:
“Any game in the Premier League is now a difficult fixture – home or away.†“Our reaction to what happened against Liverpool is going to be vital in tomorrow’s game.†“We have to stand up and be counted. And in the next few weeks and months people will see that.â€
“I’ve been in situations like this before at Leeds when you have success and then disappointment.†“I was relegated with Leeds but I’m sure players in United’s dressing room will never let that happen.â€
“A win tomorrow will put us back in top half of the table and suddenly you are looking in the other direction – that’s how quickly football can change.†“The manager has no power once we cross the white line.†“It’s down to us. We are a good team and to be in the top half or top six is where we want to be.â€
“We started the season well and then we have caused our own problems through individual errors.†“I’ve heard people say it is our defense, but it is up to the whole team to defend as a unit all over the pitch,â€
There has been talk about rifts developing in the squad this week, but we think that’s been created in the media. It’s just the popular press trying their best to make a bad situation that little bit worse. But Sam has a great record of getting his players behind him, and we think it’s nothing more than the press in action again, trying to disrupt things.
There’s nothing wrong with the team spirit at Newcastle, nothing at all. What we have to do though, is cut out the silly mistakes at the back. But there’s nothing much you can do to stop goals like Steven Gerrard scored last Saturday. If we let a goal like that in then so be it, but it will be important to make Blackburn work very hard for whatever goals they get tomorrow, if any.
If we can do that – we have to be in with a chance of winning the game. Well that’s what we are hoping, in any case. 😀
Comments always welcome.
5 comments so far
Dirk
Nov 30, 2007 at 6:29 PM
Comment #1so far smith is the only player to make sense, he may have been bashed by every newcastle fan bu looking at him play and he likes to go on and attack and push and force every1 forward no1 else in the team seems commited to running forwards or rushing back to help out other than smith. perhaps that is y sma always plays him.
Toon Al
Nov 30, 2007 at 6:43 PM
Comment #2i’ve really enjoyed todays articles.
i feel that a win tomorrow, no matter how it comes about will be a huge boost for the club, enough to take us through a hard game an a very possible loss against arsenal. we have a game in hand on west ham, and if we win that we’re in the top half of the table, even being there changes an outlook on a team so hopefully it’l boost us a bit.
i hope smith is given a chance in an attacking role, because i feel he is wasted in defensive midfield. he can be a quality attacker, and i feel one of the only reasons he has been put at DM is because of his grit and determination to break up play. like he says attack is the best form of defence, but if we can be attacking then defending from the front with the commitment that alan puts in, surley its a good thing, i stand by my 4-2-3-1 formation on one of my other comments today and feel him running off viduka tomorrow with james and charlie on the wings is the best way to go about things.
i feel newcastle have a good squad at the moment but we’re stuck in a rut, a win will boost us and hopefully set us up for wednesdays game with a bit of confidence
briss
Nov 30, 2007 at 6:47 PM
Comment #3Good point Dirk. Also i think with Milner in the midfield helps out allot with our attacking he can make things happen with descent support around him to make threatening runs down the wing
Leo
Nov 30, 2007 at 11:07 PM
Comment #4that is a point, smith doesnt shy away from getting forward as long as he is given the right position. the only game he didnt was when he played defencive central midfield
Greg B
Dec 1, 2007 at 1:03 AM
Comment #5Another thing we have to cut out is getting on Allardyce’s back and giving the team stick like the last home game!!
Fair enough, we are all entitled to our opinions but booing and slagging of the manager and players in front of the nation is not only stupid but also can only have a negative effect on team spirit and moral (whats left of it anyway!).
Fair do’s we were shit against Portsmouth and even more so against Liverpool but negative vibes from the stands will only cause negativity on the pitch – lets get behind the lads and the manager today at Ewood, those who are comming along get behind the team, give them a boost, after all the press keep saying we are the ‘best fans in the world’, lets prove it, starting at Blackburn today.