We were disappointed at the team Keegan picked yesterday because it seemed to display the fallacies of our former two managers Sam Allardyce and Glenn Roeder, by keeping the older experienced players in the team, even it meant playing them out of position, at the expense of the youngesters.
Kevin Keegan – don’t play Carr at left back
It was fully expected that Habib Beye would come straight in at right back for Stephen Carr and that Enrique would come back at left back since he had a good full game for the Spanish Under-21 side in midweek against France in Spain.
But no, rather than bring in Enrique he switched right back and right footed Carr to play at left back. And to prove out point seconds after the kickoff yesterday the ball was played back to Stephen on his left side and he put the ball immediately onto this right foot so he could clear it.
What is wrong with Jose Enrique?
Every time the boy has played he’s looked good yet both Sam and Kevin seem loathe to give the lad any games.
Then we had Alan Smith maintain his place up front when a fully fit Mark Viduka would have given us some heading ability. As it was Laursen won just every ball is the air yesterday, apart from Michael Owen’s well taken goal.
As it was Mark sat on the bench stony faced but surely he thought he could do a lot better than Smith out there. Smith may not be good enough for Newcastle other than to be a good utility player in the mold of Aaron Hughes. Good at most thinks but nor great at any.
And after praising Emre’s abilities to change game for the whole week Kevin had him on the bench until about 125 minutes to go, and he looked good when he first got on the field.
Kevin says we were bullied in defense yet he had Abdoulaye Faye, all 6’2†of him sitting on the bench. It will be the day when we see Abdoulaye bullied in defense, that’s for sure. Faye HAS to start with Taylor, or else Kevin should replace Butt with Faye, but this boy has to start every game from now on, either in defense or defensive midfield.
Finally, Given didn’t look too comfortable yesterday, and seemed at fault for the first goal. Harper came on and played well with two great saves within a minute around the 70th minute, to save us from further humiliation. It will be interesting to see who starts in goal in two weeks, if Given is fit again.
What do you think about this?
Please let us know – comments very welcome – just keep the language decent for the bairns.
48 comments so far
gloryhunter
Feb 10, 2008 at 11:32 AM
Comment #1It’s leadership on the field we need. Imagine having to shout at Butt to wake up and Smith to calm down. It will take one heck of a personality to get this type of respect. Woody could have done this.
Could Taylor do this? Make the lad captain regardless of his youth. Harden him up KK. We need someone to dominate the team out there.
We need a leader out there.
Dragoner
Feb 10, 2008 at 11:36 AM
Comment #2well at least givens poor season is being highlighted, he has been shocking
Frankieboy
Feb 10, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Comment #3Don’t understand it at all. Has Keegan been affected by the “ALLARDYCE SYNDROME”
What is it about this club that insists on playing people out of position.
This as I am sure most will agree should of been starting 11 yesterday.
Given/Harper
Beye
Cacapa
Taylor
Enrique
Milner
Faye
Emre
Duff ??? Cos Zog suspended
Owen/Smith/Viduka
Why start Barton or Carr ???
Is it Dementia ??? Cos i just do not understand and keep getting ridiculed by Makem relations
ruff ryders
Feb 10, 2008 at 11:40 AM
Comment #4how sh1t is carr n cacaper get fcukin rid of both of em SAP dat was where te game was lost with them 2 pussy’s
bri
Feb 10, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Comment #5I think the reason KK is playing people in the same way as BIG TWAT is KK seems to listen to a lot of what Steve round is telling him, one of BIG TWATS key members of staff. I listened to the KK phone in last week and KK said the only player we have to unlock a defence is Emre yet he still plays Baton and Butt. Steve round in my opinion has a lot to do with this
gloryhunter
Feb 10, 2008 at 11:56 AM
Comment #6We simply aren’t strong enough as a team to win a relegation dog fight. If we don’t start picking up lucky points we are going to struggle to stay up. Thank god those below us are so crap.
If you were a manager how much would you pay to buy Butt, Smith, or Barton? MA needs to accept that he is going to lose money on transfer fees. These players have it made. No matter how badly they perform, the dosh just flows in.
Play the kids KK and get ready for next season.
chris_toon
Feb 10, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Comment #7emre come on with 125 mins to go :-S how starnge lol bein a 90 min game 😀
eX FILES UNITED
Feb 10, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Comment #8OK my team if all are FIT:
Harper
Beye
Taylor
Faye
Enrique
Milner
Emre
Butt
Duff
Viduka
Owen/Martins
Bench: Given, Zog, Smith Cacapa, Owen/Martins
We also have some great young players coming through…may be time to give them a chance!!!
We are FAST becoming (if not already) the laughing stock of the Premier/english football.
We really need to get back to basics, give or young players a go, look maybe we need to give the whole reserve team there debut in the first team, couldn’t be any fookin worse, COULD THEY???!!!!
King Kev is back and MIKE ASHLEY has BILLIONS, WHY, WHY, WHY didn’t we sign any decent players, well that is because of Sheppard, Souness, ALLARDYCE!!! OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WE still have dead wood at our club AMEOBI, CARR, SMITH, BUTT!!!
DO PLAYERS TRANSFER TO NEWCASTLE BECAUSE OF THE BIG BUCKS, FOR A FOOKIN HOLIDAY OR WHAT!!!!!!!!?????? THAT IS MY CURRENT QUESTION!!!!!!!!!!!
NO FOOKING HEART SOME OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MY FIRM BELIEF IS KK AND HIS STAFF WILL GET IT RIGHT, BUT MAYBE IT IS TIME FOR MR ALAN SHEARERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!
HA’WAY THE (FOOKIN) LADS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dragoner
Feb 10, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Comment #9look how good diarra is playing for portsmouth, to think there were idiots on here saying “he aint good enough for newcastle united” LOL
Frankieboy
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:01 PM
Comment #10Definateky get rid of chubby Carr but can’t see any problem with cacapa.He is not the strongest (bodily on the ball) defender around and when he has made mistakes he seems to get hammered for it. More importantly when he is good he is very good. Would you swop him for Bramble !!
How many completed passes did Barton Make in yeserdays game??
jim G
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:01 PM
Comment #11I am from Edinburgh and attend all home games
I said after Souness left that the club was in freefall and it is dont think we are safe this season we are not and what worries me is we lose goals and dont score them recipe for disaster
The club is wrong from the top get off the terraces Ashley and lead from the front no point bringing a heavy crew on board if the ship is sinking why bring in KK a great guy who didnt like the game 3 years ago well he aint going to like it now Your manager choice was vital and you got it wrong there must be someone out there instead of the usual names after all who heard of Jose M or Arsen W before thet came here
You are running out of chances here but hey you can sell and move on and we are left with the Mess
No investment of any consequence in 2 transfer windows says it all
We will survive this season but get it sorted out and it starts now
eX FILES UNITED
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:04 PM
Comment #12If any players is unhappy or talks about leaving/ not wanting to play for newcastle, then BYE FOOKIN BYE, we shouldn’t keep them, cash in and give a young guy a go, why should we have players that don’t give there all to the cause for NUFC…. come on, CARR, SMITH, BUTT, BARTON, AMEOBI, ZOGS, even GIVEN AT TIMES, why keep them if all they do is winge and fookin moan!!!!!!!!
FOOK THEM OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!
JP from Gibraltar
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Comment #13Given as I said last night has dipped in form ever since that Harewood tackle a year or so back. Harper should have earned his spot with his two great saves. Given looks like an amature when he lets low balls pass him with ease. I am not saying it only because of yesterday, he´s been really incosistant for a while now. He has always been excellent for us since that horiffic tackle by Harewood.
Eve
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Comment #14Ed,you know when a ball gets deflected and goes in, sending it away from the injured keeper, hows that Given’s fault. But I guess when times are down, lets blame the keeper.
Butt..not good enough,
Smith..NOT good enough.
Carr..What the hell??
Barton..we should have conceded like 3 penalties if there was a half a decent ref on the field.
Man U, Liverpool and Blackburn coming up. Can’t wait.
gloryhunter
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Comment #15Could it be that the reason we have such woosies at the club is because Big Al’s dominant personality pervaded for so long. Has his leaving created the leadership gap.
I still can’t work out what Terry McClown actually does. KK needs an asskicker next to him, not an asslicker.
We really have to toughen up over the next few months.
eX FILES UNITED
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Comment #16JOEY BARTON (JUST SACK THE FOOKER HEY)
NEWCASTLE midfielder Joey Barton could be in trouble again after allegedly throwing a punch at Aston Villa’s Shaun Maloney yesterday.
Barton tangled with the Villa midfielder in the 13th minute of Toon’s 4-1 hammering at Villa Park.
There were later claims that Barton had caught the player in the face.
THANK YOU VERY FOOKIN MUCH MR ALLARDYCE YOU GIT!!!!
Frankieboy
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Comment #17Agree KK will get it right, just hope we are still in the big league when he does turn things around.
Steve Round is living off the reputation of being McLarens gofa arse lickin stooge.
Remember this is Allardyces team still and no matter how hard KK tries it proves you cannot make a silk purse out of a sows ear as the saying goes
Still at least these days they are playing facing the opposition goal (some of the time)
Hadrian
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Comment #18*faye wasnt played as he’d only been back for a couple of days .
*enrique wasnt played as there is obv something wrong with him, the guy who bought him didnt even play him .
*beye was thrown in so carr could move over to LB since zoggy was out .
*viduka didnt play as he’s not match fit .
*emre is always considered a luxury away from home , exept when he doesnt play…?
cant slate kev when we dont know any of the circumstances , rest assured he wont be putting his faith in some of those players any more .
nightfall
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:09 PM
Comment #19i can’t understand how can kev be that stupid…he gets 3+ million/year for that?…oh come on… that goes for some players also…smith, butt, barton, etc etc etc etc…they get few millions/year for what?…i bet my balls few of us could play better…
so…overpaid/overrated manager & waaaaaay overpaid/overrated “players”..no wonder we’re a joke…looks like our team’s iq is 60….overall…
gloryhunter
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:10 PM
Comment #20@Hadrian. Too true mate. We can’t ‘sack’ players without giving them a hefty payoff. We can’t sell them or replace them until the next window opens. We have to use what we’ve got.
Dragoner
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:10 PM
Comment #21eve get real, given is a good shot stopper but crap at everything else.
Dragoner
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:11 PM
Comment #22and even his shot stopping ability is being questioned after his performances this season
i think every team that plays us now knows that if you put given under the slightest bit of pressure he will kick the ball out of play, or make some kind of mistake 9 times out of 10
eX FILES UNITED
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:11 PM
Comment #23KK NEEDS TO HARDEN THE FOOK UP AND GET SHEARER AS HIS CO MANAGER NOT ASSISTANT, no EQUAL Co MANAGERS!!!!!
THOUGHTS on that idea
Frankieboy
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:12 PM
Comment #24Hadrian
Enrique played full 90 for Spain U21s during week so is there only something wrong with him on a Saturday as it was with Owen
Frankieboy
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:16 PM
Comment #25Think Shearer should serve his time as No2 for now to get required experience.
Mind you see the change when he is influencing the dressing room week in week out.Have said it all along
George
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:16 PM
Comment #26What i can not understand about yesterdays team selection was the following.
1, KK said that Emre was the only player we have on the books capable of opening a defence, yet he leaves him on the bench for 75 minutes too long.
2, Carr is too slow to catch cold is right footed, yet Enrique was on the bench who is a natural left footer and a lot quicker than old man Carr.
3, Joey Barton is 99% certain to be jailed in the summer, no one will want to buy him, his temper is not under control, look at the punch yesterday, i will be surprised if the FA do not give NUFC a call about it. Plus he is not playing anyway like he is alleged he can, so why persist with him.
4, What has happened to Mark Viduka, KK says he is great and a good foil for Michael Owen then drops him after one game. Did anybody notice the expression on his face throughout the game. If a picture could tell a story that was speaking loudly.
5, Damian Duff. What can you say. He has not hit the heights that brought him here, He has no pace left in him and can not take on defenders anymore. Look at the problems he and Carr were getting into because neither had the guts to clear a ball properly, and they cost us a couple of goals.
Whats going on in KKs mind picking this lot as it is TOO much like SA is still picking the team.
eX FILES UNITED
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:19 PM
Comment #27Hadrian (re 17)
*you say faye didn’t play as he has only been back a few days…if so why did beye play?? He plays for the same country buddy!!!
*Enrique is too young…that is only point as there is no reports to say he is injured, previous joke for a manager didn’t play him cause there was a rift there!!
*Beye thrown in so Carr could move to LB ???Are you for fookin real? ENRIQUE is our LB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*Viduke you say is not match fit, maybe the truest statement from you ok!! BUT why not bring him on with 30- 40 minutes left to play??????????
*Emre is a wonder kid at time and a no hoper at other times, but I am sure he would have played better than BUTT, SMITH AND BARTON, Espeacially BARTON!!!!!!!!!!
WAKE UP Hadrian
Eve
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:20 PM
Comment #28Dragoner..so you ignore his saves that have kept us in it, tight??
When times are down we blame..the keeper. I’m not saying he’s been outstanding but he’s not been bad either.
(This is almost as bad as the Reddan-v-Stringer. )
scott9
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Comment #29we really really do need some players in the summer once again its gonna be a we need 8-9 players job we have been linked with downing this morning i no alot of people dont rate him but i think he would fit into keegans team.
players we could do with signing
van buyten 3m
top class cb 10m
downing 7m
arshevin 7m
scott brwon 9m
toulalon 8m
shorey 5m
ahston 10m
49m
outs
cacapa 2m
butt 2.5m
nzogbia swap for song with arsenal i only say this cause he wants to leave
shola 3.5m
smith 5m
carr 1m
ramage 1m
= 15m
that would mean ashley would need to get 34m out his pocket im not sure he will bring that money out i think he might just go for youngsters but i hope he proves me wrong
gloryhunter
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Comment #30You can shuffle the cards as much as you like but you can only play the hand you’ve got.
Dragoner
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:27 PM
Comment #31eve, the bottom line is harper deserves a shot as he is a very good keeper and given makes too many mistakes nowadays.
eX FILES UNITED
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:28 PM
Comment #32SWAP ZOGS FOR BERBATOV AT TOTHENHAM, FOOK YEAH HE LOVES NEWCASTLE GET THAT DEAL DONE, SHEARER COULD MAKE THIS HAPPEN BERBATOV LOVES AND IDOLISES BIG AL
scott9
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:33 PM
Comment #33files united tootenham wouldnt do it and berbatov would not come as much as he might like newcastle im sure he would prefer to go to man utd or chelsea
greek toon
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:35 PM
Comment #34Eve, are you Mrs Given?
Eve
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:40 PM
Comment #35Of course I am, God forbid I defend a player, clearly that means I want to screw them.
It’s getting more then a wee bit annoying.
Bill F
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:54 PM
Comment #36I will be surprised if we see much more of Given in the team after yesterday. KK would have to be an idiot to play him with an injury or the possibilty of one. And come next season regardless of what league we are in I think we will have a new GK or one of the youngsters (Krul most likely) will step up. I expect to see Harper see out the season. Having said that if KK keeps playing the same team we might as well have a monkey in goal for the cover he will get.
nightfall
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:55 PM
Comment #37kevin said he’ll bring only 3-4 new players in this summer..and he also said we have a very small squad, so i guess if we bring only 3-4 players in, noone will leave… well…looks like next season will be the same… same shit every year…with same shitty players and good hearted, but dumb manager…
Tom Cairns
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Comment #38Does anyone else think that this title is a bit stupid? No person in their right mind would ever pick a side that they didnt think was the strongest for that game and those situations. But its not like he can come out and justify to us every players involvement/non-involvement.
Rich
Feb 10, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Comment #39should be….
Given
Enrique
Taylor
Faye
Beye
Duff
Emre
Barton
Milner
Viduka
Martins
We need a right mid desperately
rob
Feb 10, 2008 at 2:42 PM
Comment #40given buger off i have said it for years look at the stats since he came in 97 choose harper mabey it will take time cos he needs more games to get back in fourm