There’s not much you can do about it when you meet a side much better that you are, other than to just take it on the chin and move on.
Joe Bugner fighting Mohammed Ali in the 1970s
That was basically the case on Saturday, when Spurs played the best they have played all season, and simply ripped apart the dodgy Newcastle defense with their fantastic pace and movement.
And we had that nonsense from the TV commentators after 35 minutes about damage control, whatever that is – but you always have to try to win – and then the comeback Newcastle achieved last February against the Gunners is always possible.
Damage control is we suppose when you give up the game and try to keep the score down – not really very positive.
It reminds us of when Joe Bugner fought 12 rounds with Mohammed Ali in the 1970s, one of the most courageous fighters who ever stepped into a ring, and Joe was pummeled for every single round .
Joe made no attempt at all to win the fight – even though he lost every round – and the American commentators were wondering why he didn’t try to knock Ali out – which was the only way he could win the fight because he was so far behind on points.
But of course Joe wasn’t thinking of winning the fight – only of surviving (damage control) – and then at the end he said well at least I wasn’t knocked out – as though that was some kind of victory.
And Alan Pardew is also taking it on the chin this morning, as he admits Tottenham were simply too good for our boys on Saturday:
“We will take it on the chin.” “We will take the embarrassment of the headlines on the chin and go to the next game.” “I said that to the players at half-time.”
“I’m proud of them in the second half, I really am.” “It would have been easy to buckle or point fingers at each other. We didn’t – we stood firm and stood together.”
“The second half was about not losing our heads and being disciplined. And we did that. That’s all we could do – the game was gone.”
“It was evident at 4-4-2 we could not cope with them. They were just too good.” “Sometimes that happens and unfortunately for us we’ve got a scoreline that we wouldn’t want.”
“On the positive side for us we were 4-0 down at half-time and could have lost our heads and been silly.” “We could have lost somebody to a sending off, we didn’t.”
“I can only think of Spurs having two attacks in the second half. We did better and we will take that to the next game.”
“We had no Cabaye and no Cheick Tiote and no Ryan Taylor. There was a big part of our midfield missing – and that was pretty evident.”
But the lads have to learn what they did wrong on Saturday, as there were so many wide open spaces in the Newcastle defense it looked like the Town Moor at times. 😀
Newcastle still have to play a lot of the lesser sides through the end of the season, and we can still shock ourselves as to how high up in the league we can finish.
After all we still have an outside chance of 4th place in the league and the other teams after that position – Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea – are having their own troubles this season.
Comments welcome.
109 comments so far
ilovetoon8788
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:17 AM
Comment #1ilovetoon8788 // Feb 13, 2012 at 11:16 AM
@monasnyr99 // Feb 13, 2012 at 11:06 AM
ilovetoon8788
To say being one point behind 4th place in mid-Feb has nothing to do with Pardew and all down to luck is laughable.
———
If Ba hadn’t been prolific, we would all be calling for Pardew’s head. Because Ba has basically kept Pardew in the job. He has almost 50% of our goals this season. If he wasn’t clinical in the very few attacks we have, our defence would be under tremendous pressure and eventually cracked in most of the games.
gorgonzola
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:18 AM
Comment #2“We had no Cabaye and no Cheick Tiote and no Ryan Taylor. There was a big part of our midfield missing – and that was pretty evident.”
and you didnt have HBA or ANY real attacking player to bring the ball to Cisse and BA…
But you had Perch to do nothing and Obertan to stand cozy to have Ekotto score a nice open goal well done…
Indian Magpie
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:19 AM
Comment #3Pardew’s subsitutions are awful -almost everytime.
he got sacked in most of his jobs is a testament to what i feel.
QPR, wolves, Arsenal, sunderland (i know, larsson should have been sent off and we should have had a penalty) we did not deserve to get anything out of.
I think
Indian Magpie
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:20 AM
Comment #4GORGONZOla
Regarding Comment # 2
did he not asy he had picked 2 many attacking players ?
Hypocrite
NottsGeordie
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:21 AM
Comment #524NottsGeordie // Feb 13, 2012 at 11:19 AM
Im disgusted by what im reading. Seriously.
People like Lynxie and ilovetoon8788 are the reason i dont post here anymore.
I remember having an argument with Solano in pre season. He was certain we were gonna do crap this season. Apparently i was blinded by my love for the club.
Then there was Ba. After TWO games people like these were saying Ba is useless, cant run, ramadam is a s*** excuse. Apparently i was blinded by the fact that he was good at west ham.
The bottom line is. No matter how good things are going some people will always look to the negative. And then when you’re not as wrong and negative as they are they say you’re just deluded.
Saka_Bartoon
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:21 AM
Comment #6No Matter what the scores there is always Next Time.. Howay The Lads
Indian Magpie
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:21 AM
Comment #7pardew for me has and always will be a hypocrite, all the best to him regarding NUFC
Eternal NUFC supporter
Rotonda heights
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:22 AM
Comment #8I think CH and Pardew are both typical English managers. Enough said.
Surely whoever the manager is, the first objective must be to get your best 11 players on the pitch, regardless of playing your favourites over someone you don’t like.
Not only is Pardew being stubborn, but there’s a spitefulness creeping in as well there.
I just wish Pardew could be flexible on occasions. If you haven’t got a plan B, learn one and quickly and put personal issues and prejudices aside for the greater good.
If 442 is his bible and not working some days, try a 433 with your best players like below when available and maybe drop wingers.
Krul
Tavernier Colo Taylor Santon
Guthrie Tiote Cabaye
HBA Cisse BA
gorgonzola
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:22 AM
Comment #9See now lads comments like these show he is ignorant and everything you may say about him falls flat on its face.
Proud second half ….they took the gas of the pedal in all honesty we could not score a single goal i cant call that admirable.
In fact with nothing to lose HBA could have come on but glad he didn’t he will be used as a scape goat at 4:0 down he could not be our savior and the doubters will say see he lost the ball again…forgetting
Simpson
Obertan
Perch
Willo
Whats could have been worse and I for one would not put it pass Pardew if HBA DID start and we where 2:0 down he would sub him for Perch…
I put my hand into the fire on that one…
ilovetoon8788
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:24 AM
Comment #10@NottsGeordie
If you are very cosy and refuse to look at the negatives. You won’t know what to improve. To constantly improve, you need to find the negatives so that you can always push forward.
It’s people like you, who always want to hear the good stuffs and wear your rainbow-tinted glass.
If you don’t want to post here, you can go set up your own site, purely dedicated to praising our club with zero discussions. Bye.
gorgonzola
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:26 AM
Comment #11Rotonda
“If 442 is his bible and not working some days, try a 433 with your best players like below when available and maybe drop wingers.
Krul
Tavernier Colo Taylor Santon
Guthrie Tiote Cabaye
HBA Cisse BA”
veryy well said…
Its EXACTLY how we should play Wolves but we wont ….Coming from a defeat Pardew the chicken he is will play a stale 442 again….
Indian Magpie
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:26 AM
Comment #12i for 1 think our comeback against ARSENAl was all down to NOLAN and BARTON, and it had nothing to do with PARDEW (Pardon who ;))
NottsGeordie
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:27 AM
Comment #13OMFG I cant believe what im hearing. ilovetoon you dumb sh!t.
“Its only because Ba is scoring”. No fcuking sh!t you moron. Its the players on the pitch course its them that will ultimately decied where we finish. Did it ever occur to you that Pardew cant run on the pitch and score himself cus it seems like thats what you want from him.
A managers job is to get the best out of the players he has and to bring in good players. Has he failed? No.
We’d be first in the league and you’d be saying “its all down to the players”. NO FCUKING SH!T! You probably expect us to finish top 10 with some league 1 players. Yeah thats what a real manager would do.
ilovetoon8788
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:28 AM
Comment #14the 4-4 draw was purely down to Barton. He was playing with volcanic fire in his belly, and it just rubbed onto the rest of the 10 players and Arsenal just bottled it.
euanpolo
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:28 AM
Comment #15Yes, let’s get rid of Pardew so we can get relegated again. People got annoyed with Robson because we finished only 5th and then after a so-so start to 04/05 season he got sacked and a number of fans were happy to see him go. Look what happened after that. Pardew is not quite Sir Bobby but if you people who want rid of him have your way it will be the same end result. We’ll go through a string of poor managers again with a new one practicallly every season and eventually we will go down again. We’re 6th in the league yet one poor result has put everything out of perspective for the idiots.
Meeks135
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:28 AM
Comment #16Ilovetoon8788
I agree that Ba has half our goals this season, stats don’t lie and he is an awesome finisher. My point is: Surely his record has been helped by the football we have been playing to give him the chances, the passes, the crosses and the through balls to score these goals!
As for your point that Pards has no tactical knowledge, this is just crazy. People have rightly pointed out our league position, better defensive record, more fluid midfield (when all fit). Without a manager organising, motiviating, teaching and praising our players this would not have happend.
Please stop bringing fear with needless comments about luck and not dominating games, it was a big loss to a very good team on fire, this happens so lets all move on and enjoy the good times at NUFC like any sane fan would.
nufc1984
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:30 AM
Comment #17I dont often post on here, but reading some of these comments is hilarious! you lot are the most deluded bunch I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. you do realise that only two seasons ago we were playing championship football right? And now u expect us to play like Barcelona? Hmm.. Heres a thought, at the moment taking into consideration last seasons league position we can’t attract Barcelona type players, so this season is about improving league position weather that be through luck, fluke scrappy 1-0 etc. Then we attract better players and so on. Pards can only work with what he’s got, which through injury to Taylor is a shaky backline and some slightly chronic wingers who cant cross the ball for toffee. But we are still in 6th. A point off 4th. Even If we finish 7th it’s an achievement. We can improve the squad with better players and with better players comes better football so stop being so negative and predicting this massive fall down the table and finishing below scum etc and just enjoy the fact were on our way back up the table!!
NottsGeordie
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:30 AM
Comment #18Gorgonzola
Didnt we beat Man U playing 442? Wait, arent we 6th in the league by playing 442?
Indian Magpie
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:31 AM
Comment #19Meeks135
Forget about our defensive record mate we have a GD of (0), Zero, check the table our defense is about 9-10thish
NottsGeordie
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:33 AM
Comment #20Well said nufc1984
ilovetoon8788
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:33 AM
Comment #21@Meeks135 // Feb 13, 2012 at 11:28 AM
Ilovetoon8788
I agree that Ba has half our goals this season, stats don’t lie and he is an awesome finisher. My point is: Surely his record has been helped by the football we have been playing to give him the chances, the passes, the crosses and the through balls to score these goals!
As for your point that Pards has no tactical knowledge, this is just crazy. People have rightly pointed out our league position, better defensive record, more fluid midfield (when all fit). Without a manager organising, motiviating, teaching and praising our players this would not have happend.
Please stop bringing fear with needless comments about luck and not dominating games, it was a big loss to a very good team on fire, this happens so lets all move on and enjoy the good times at NUFC like any sane fan would.
——
You just further emphasized my point. You mentioned chances, the passes and crosses to score the goals Ba did. Yes, with the VERY FEW real attacks we have in the games, Ba scores.
And about the big loss, seriously, i don’t care about the Spurs game and the result. They are in a different league at the moment from us. It wasn’t even 3rd vs 5th.
My point is, for our club to be truly in Europe you need a manager with BOTH motivational skills AND tactical knowledge. Pardew has 1 but lacks the other.
If not for Ba’s goals, we won’t be sitting where we are at the moment and half of you would be calling for Pardew’s head.
Jonny
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:33 AM
Comment #22Watching the ACON final last night and i have to say i was one very proud NUFC fan watching Cheik Tiote. The guy was unbelievable and it has shown how much we have missed him more than any other player. Can’t wait to have the monster back in the middle of the park.
ginkoh
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:34 AM
Comment #23Typical Newcastle fans, I still remember countless critics to SBR when he’s here too (too old ,too direct ,he’s not one to take us to next step , just like that)Why just can’t enjoy the game ? We’re on up and developing and we’re above our expectation this season, aren’t we ? You’re all too perfectionist you know ?
Where we are if no Ba ? Where Arsenal are if no RVP ? You can say millions of ‘if’ but football is team game. No individual player can win it. Just 1-2 bad result cannot ruin our fantastic season.
NottsGeordie
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:34 AM
Comment #24ilovetoon
What would be happy with then?
alex84
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:34 AM
Comment #25I have read now for a while all the debating about HBA, I must say im seeing both sides to the argument, Pardew has done a very good job along with Carver and co, results wise,(isnt that what its important?) but football wise im not a massive fan when we have possession it is very direct hence why we have not seen Cabaye at his best as he is by passed, first thought get into the front man(very british FA coaching) effective when works but when it doesnt there is no plan b, BUT why if were guna play that style are we buying the likes of cabaye, marv,hba, santon, i think if we go back to the days of pards at west ham then id say this is what were guna have to get used to,
on the HBA subject, its a tad unfair for what he is being critised for, not tracking back,giving the ball away, well id say…jonas gives the ball away has played poorly for a while, but still plays every week, obertan has done nada! Raylor is solid but wont create, HBA is attack minded simple as that, why would we want him defending, thats not his play, why try and change his play when he can create something out of nothing, im afraid wants defensive minded wingers which is ok for if we want mediocre but if we want the next level to complete with the elite then we need quality, i for one can see HBA leaving and coming back to haunt us playing for someonelike arsenal. such a shame. oh and id be pissed if my chance came when i had best and ameobi to play up top with, look what he did at home against qpr, changed the game, man city, man united. pardew doesnt no how to play him, simple.
Indian Magpie
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:35 AM
Comment #26i think all3 NUFC subsitutions on saturady were down right Pathetic
ilovetoon8788
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:36 AM
Comment #27@nufc1984 // Feb 13, 2012 at 11:30 AM
I dont often post on here, but reading some of these comments is hilarious! you lot are the most deluded bunch I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. you do realise that only two seasons ago we were playing championship football right? And now u expect us to play like Barcelona?
————–
Who the heck is wanting us to play like Barcelona? If we are truly 6th on merit, we would be dominating the lower half of the table team at home atleast. Does that happen? No.
Norwich and the likes of Blackburn, come, play us off the park, but Krul keeps them at bay and for some reason they can’t finish.
And we have 1 or 2 attacks and Ba puts the ball in the net. And we suck every energy away from them and hold on to our lead and win. That’s not a 6th place team. We are there purely down to luck and Ba.
Meeks135
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:37 AM
Comment #28Indian Magpie
Last time I checked 0 isn’t negative and this can be misinterpreted by results like the 5-0, 5-2. Results that don’t happen often and only cost us 3 points. I wouldn’t care if we had a badly minus goal difference at the end of the season if we were in 6th. I would be over the moon considering the rollercoaster ride of the last 2-3 seasons.
Let’s not pick holes in goal difference and other things that don’t really matter apart from our league position, which is amazing right now.
ilovetoon8788
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:39 AM
Comment #29@NottsGeordie // Feb 13, 2012 at 11:27 AM
OMFG I cant believe what im hearing. ilovetoon you dumb sh!t.
“Its only because Ba is scoring”. No fcuking sh!t you moron. Its the players on the pitch course its them that will ultimately decied where we finish. Did it ever occur to you that Pardew cant run on the pitch and score himself cus it seems like thats what you want from him.
A managers job is to get the best out of the players he has and to bring in good players. Has he failed? No.
We’d be first in the league and you’d be saying “its all down to the players”. NO FCUKING SH!T! You probably expect us to finish top 10 with some league 1 players. Yeah thats what a real manager would do.
—-
Resorting to personal insults to get your point across? Shows how weak your arguments are?
Yes players win the game. And of course Pardew can’t run onto the pitch and score? What the hell are you on about? Your post has no content and the only point i can see is insulting me. The rest look gibberish.
nufc1984
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:40 AM
Comment #30Where would we be without ba? everyone said where would man utd be without Ronaldo! and guess what, other players step up to the plate. Every club in the world has one player they rely on to score goals, u could say where would they be without that goalscorer but it achieves nothing by guessing. Weak argument and a total joke of a comment!! pards is still best thing to happen to our club since sbr or would u prefer those ol great tacticians like gullit or souness?
Rotonda heights
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:41 AM
Comment #31Sadly we are stuck with pardew and everyone knows the score on that because no one but JFK will work for Ashley.
Doesn’t mean we have to like it. Allardyce once got Bolton to 6th playing the god awful stuff we do. We are bottom of the fair play league, we play a negative high line and long ball football and worry more about the othert ema than imposing ourselves on the opposition.
But hey even fat Sam occasionally changed from 442 to 451 and even played Okocha. Can’t believe I’m saying anything good about allardyce. Point being I watch football for entertainment and the Manu game apart, we have scraped through very luckily in some games like away at Wolves.
Wenger, Harry, etc play the game the right way, we don’t.
Benny won 5 league titles in France, must be doing something right. What’s pardew won, oh yeah the Johnson Painter trophy.
NottsGeordie
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:42 AM
Comment #32ilovetoon
Still waiting for my reply to post 13.
And if Man U were really 2nd in the league they wouldnt get beat 3-0 by us.
Also you’re refusing to answer my question. What would you be happy with?
monasnyr99
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:43 AM
Comment #33NottsGeordie // Feb 13, 2012 at 11:30 AM
Gorgonzola
Didnt we beat Man U playing 442? Wait, arent we 6th in the league by playing 442?
—————————————————————————-
NottsGeordie: According to ilovetoon8788 its all down to Lady Luck, nothing to do with Parderw etc etc, I think we might have a undercover mackem in here, hes got to be.
At the beginning of the season I think most of us would have thought 9th/10th would be a successful season and any talk of europa league spot would have been mentioned by deluded fans. I’m not saying Pardew is the second coming but we have a very good English manager in my opinion and can’t understand why people would criticise on what he has done SO FAR….We were played off the park on Saturday by probably the most exciting attacking team in the league, but it was just a matter of a few weeks ago we hammered Man U and everything in the garden was rosy, some people need to get a grip.
NottsGeordie
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:45 AM
Comment #34Haha ilovetoon that response was pathetic. Everything in that post was correct but you ignore it because i name called you. Sorry 😀
Meeks135
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:46 AM
Comment #35Ilovetoon
You just further emphasized my point. You mentioned chances, the passes and crosses to score the goals Ba did. Yes, with the VERY FEW real attacks we have in the games, Ba scores.
And about the big loss, seriously, i don’t care about the Spurs game and the result. They are in a different league at the moment from us. It wasn’t even 3rd vs 5th.
My point is, for our club to be truly in Europe you need a manager with BOTH motivational skills AND tactical knowledge. Pardew has 1 but lacks the other.
If not for Ba’s goals, we won’t be sitting where we are at the moment and half of you would be calling for Pardew’s head.
————–
But you are jsut repeating yourself here. Ba puts away the chaces he gets -great. With our strikers being clinical it allows us to concentrate on shoring up the back, retaining posession and not conceding goals – something we were doing very well until Saylor broke! You cannot say that Pards had nothing to do with our unbeaten start or good defensive record. he set us up to play like that and without the injuries I think we would have more points and it would be thanks to the players AND PArds.
As far as Eurpoe goes:
1) We aren’t there yet so to extrapolate what we may need is a bit hocus pocus for my liking.
2) How high are your expectations? We were a Championship side not so long ago, be happy with the run we are on and what Pards, the players and the owner has given us! If Europe comes it is something I am sure the board and management are preparing for.
Yes Ba’s goals are important, I 100% agree but it isn’t the only factor in our team being placed so highly in the league
ilovetoon8788
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:46 AM
Comment #36@NottsGeordie // Feb 13, 2012 at 11:42 AM
Your argument is pathetic. You are basing on a single result when the rest of us are discussing our season as a whole so far.
We did great that match and am proud of that result. Going by your logic of argument, you can also bring up Blackburn win against Manchester.
And it’s not the matter of being happy. Just a discussing of our season so far. Pointing out Pardew’s incredible luck and how Demba Ba has got us so far.
I’m happy as long as i’m supporting this club regardless of where it finishes. Your point of all these?
Rotonda heights
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:46 AM
Comment #37Ginkoh
SBR was never direct and had us playing carpet football. To compare him to pardew is ridiculous.
Indian Magpie
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:48 AM
Comment #382 of our Goals against MAN U came as a result of hoofball, sam allardyce could have done that
ilovetoon8788
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:48 AM
Comment #39@Meeks135 // Feb 13, 2012 at 11:46 AM
All your points are moot. Ba’s goals has been extremely important in us getting the wins we needs and is probably the only factor in our team being placed so high up. And of course, our Tim Krul.
In some games, if not for Krul being that damn good. We’d be leaking goals.
SuperShearer
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:50 AM
Comment #40Wow, some of the comments today make me really very sad for the support of this club. Yesterday was a very bad day at the office, we looked out classed in every area of the pitch and a lack of attacking ideas. But it is one game in a season that has seen us otherwise FAR exceed ours or anyone else’s expectations. Pardew put his hands up and said “it’s my fault”….there are not many managers that would do that. Spurs, hate them as I do, are currently a more successful club than us, like it or not that is the God’s honest truth of it. They are essentially challenging for the league at the moment, we are not. They have spent big on important players, we have spent wisely on cracking players, a few of whom were missing yesterday. Some of the criticism leveled at the team this morning makes me so sad. Pardew and the team will analyse where it went wrong and look to fix those problems, but he doesn’t need to point it all out in a press conference and essentially give a guide book on how to beat us in the future. Not since Bobby Robson was in charge have I been this excited about The Toon and no amount of negas on here will change my mind.