Sam talked today about our last three games and the fact that 4 points is a poor return from them, when you consider the amount of chances we had in those games.
Sam Allardyce – Newcastle need to put games away
Sam talked today about this:
“We should have beaten Arsenal on the night and deserved to beat them, but didn’t – that’s the missing ruthless edge that we don’t have to our game at the minute.†“Birmingham was too much hard work to win that game based on the performance.â€
“It should have been out of Birmingham’s sight by half-time and wasn’t, and we had to wait until the last minute to win it.†“We have not got the ruthless edge at the moment, both in front of goal to finish a team off, and then the work ethic as a team to stop the opposition scoring when they have that spell.â€
“There are those little two areas that we have got to work really hard at balancing up, and if we do that, results will follow on a regular basis.†“Looking at Harry (Redknapp) at Portsmouth and David Moyes at Everton, they have gone into double figures undefeated.â€
“That is our real aim, going that length of time, because that breeds confidence more and more.”
Fulham have won only one of their last 14 league fixtures and have surrendered a lead late in games on several occasions. So Newcastle should have a good chance today, even if we are level or behind late in the game. We have an opportunity even then to come back and equalize or even score a winner. That will have not gone unnoticed in Sam’s preparation for this game.
Sam continued:
“It has been well publicized that if they had been playing 80 minutes, they would probably be in the top eight in the league.†“But the game is 90 minutes – or 95 minutes today – and you must go right to the very end.â€
“We all know there are more goals scored in the last 10 minutes of a game than any other time, and that’s because that’s when the fatigue kicks in and more mistakes happen.â€
“That’s when players have to really dig in and concentrate even more, and we have both shown some frailties in that area this season.†“It looks like it could be a high-scoring game based on the way both teams are playing at the moment.â€
“Both can score goals, but struggle to keep a clean sheet.”
Well, we have forecast a clean sheet for Newcastle today, and hope that doesn’t put some kind of spell on the team. 😀
But we are due a clean sheet and we just have to be solid at the back some time. We’ve played quite well in the last 3 games and we just have to win games like the game today, which are very winnable for us, at least on paper.
Comments welcome.
7 comments so far
Indian toon
Dec 15, 2007 at 12:01 PM
Comment #1this is what happens when u dont play player’s in their positions. play wingers instead of geremi and see the results instantly.
JoshI
Dec 15, 2007 at 12:03 PM
Comment #2“LITTLE two areas” i would say they are rather large areas of our game we need work on.
Cockney Magpie
Dec 15, 2007 at 1:36 PM
Comment #3Im really hoping to see a comfy victory today i have been craving one for a long time! none of this going behind early stuff i jus wanna c a nice 2-0 or 3-0 or something like that pleeeeeeeease!!!
Cockney Magpie
Dec 15, 2007 at 1:38 PM
Comment #4i must say indian toon is right, Geremi is the biggest pile of crap since Des Hamilton!
Dingo
Dec 15, 2007 at 1:56 PM
Comment #5“There are those little two areas that we have got to work really hard at balancing up, and if we do that, results will follow on a regular basis”….
Ok Sam but were you not just saying yesterday that….
“At home and away, our lack of clean sheets is a massive problem. It is both at St James’s Park and on the road. It is my Achilles heel.â€
and
“The away form is an Achilles heel as well”
thats pretty much our whole game according to the manager… It worries me a bit., having said that I have that same cocaine bravado Geordies are born with so 6 pointyos for crimbo please lads…. my stockings are out already.
howay
Big Sam Fan
Dec 15, 2007 at 2:05 PM
Comment #6Nah Des Hamilton had some class
leo
Dec 15, 2007 at 3:03 PM
Comment #7gonna keep this short becoz i just worked out that i can get on this site on my phone. Woopwoop. Sam is right tho, if we get ruthless we will win games easily