There’s a really good article out by NUFCSTATS, a Newcastle fan, a couple of days ago in EPLINDEX, where you get all the stats of both the players and the Premier league sides, and it points out the woeful creativity of Newcastle United this season.
Demba Ba’s handball goal at Reading the only one form set piece this season
If we eliminate the hand-ball goal that Demba Ba scored at Reading, Newcastle are the only side in the Premier League not to have scored from a set play this season.
And that’s so disappointing, because last summer, that was an area that manager Alan Pardew said he wanted to remedy by bringing in a goal scoring center-back, but that goal scoring center-back has yet to arrive on the banks of the River Tyne.
Maybe in January?
The two players who create more chances per game than any others in the Newcastle side are – not surprisingly – our two excellent French Internationals – Ben Arfa (1.9) and Yohan Cabaye (1.8), and the next player at Newcastle to create most chances in a game, is Vurnon Anita at 1.1, which is really surprising.
And when you see that Leighton Baines of Everton is top of the league in terms of chances created per game with 4.2 – Â even our top two chance creators are low down on the totem pole.
And that may be why a certain Papiss Cisse is struggling to score goals this season, as we see far too many time high balls lofted in the penalty box and we don’t have Andy Carroll any longer – so what’s the point.
Newcastle are 9th out of 20 Premier League teams in terms of total chances created, but Sunderland are much lower in that league table, and it’s not surprising, since they have real difficulty in scoring goals.
But even Sunderland may have cracked the code, after scoring 3 goals last weekend at Fulham in a good 3-1 win.
Not only are the results disappointing this season for Newcastle, but our overall play and ability to create good chances is also less than stellar.
But the good news has to be that there’s only one way to go – and that’s up.
That’s true – isn’t it? 😀
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217 comments so far
FatmanJoe
Nov 24, 2012 at 11:02 PM
Comment #201Hate west brom but can’t help but admire and cheer them on at the moment. Good on ’em! And what a season for Clarke!
And o Neil talking about quitting. Do we think the scum might be in real trouble at the moment?
BelfastMagpie
Nov 24, 2012 at 11:24 PM
Comment #202You killed the blog fatman.
Murderer..
FatmanJoe
Nov 24, 2012 at 11:31 PM
Comment #203I’ve done it twice in the same thread if you look earlier on.
I’m not proud of my actions and I apologise profusely.
(going for a third time…)
Gateshead-Mag
Nov 24, 2012 at 11:36 PM
Comment #204…………………..
Marty-Toon
Nov 25, 2012 at 12:06 AM
Comment #205Anyone see leighton baines play today?
One word,Quality
We could even learn from wigan today with their deliveries into the box,something we’ve been lacking too much this season.
stuart no9
Nov 25, 2012 at 1:35 AM
Comment #206hi tsunki- i’m back. sorry its late but more important issues developed. First, drooled over MOTD – then just in case pards dosnt get his finger out, checked out the opposition for next season on the football league show.
I see you were non too pleased however with my remark to your post @162. never before have i caused such a stir from such a short post. so bad, that it was followed by a string of childish comments and insults normally reserved for when one realizes that maybe his argument on whatever the subject they are discussing may be wearing thin,then a change of tactic is needed.
Your thoughts on unrealistic fans not typing their praise when it goes right is bazaar.over the years i have met many NUFC fans, however ,i have never met 1 who would not give the praise deserved for an individual display or a team performance, however the opposite applies when we should be doing better , players/ managers do get slated, its what comes with their £1000s in wages, and my £50 entrance every couple of weeks, the fans you say dont give credit when due, must reside closer to your vicinity.
Mister Tuff
Nov 25, 2012 at 2:24 AM
Comment #207Pardew statement to give Marveaux a boost (NOT).
AP was recently talking about Marveaux -part of his statement was :-
“He needs to be (a big player) because we are down to that sort of level where people like Sylvain are going to get a start.”
I wonder if Marveaux believes from this statement that he is a “purple” player -I suspect not. Pardew might of well said something along the lines of :-
“He needs to be (a big player) because we are now scraping the bottom of the barrel where people like Sylvain are going to get a start”.
Pardew has a history of making verbal gaffes going back many years -he talks to much sometimes -in areas he should avoid- but he just seems not to be able to control himself/his mouth.
The modern day managers of big clubs probably get sick of doing the daily PR briefing to satisfy the clamour for news by the press/fans -and probably put forward anything to satisfy the news requirement. Pardew should know when to shut up.
When Pardew declared in the summer that Ba was to play 90% of the games he started as centre forward/central position – I wonder what another centre forward named Cisse thought about this public declaration of who was going to be playing in “his position”. I should think it was probably not positive.
t00ntime
Nov 25, 2012 at 3:46 AM
Comment #208Mister Tuff, thats all taken out of context. Marveux knows he isn’t in a first 11 player atm cause we have better wingers. What AP meant (and probably what marveux thought) was: that because of injuries players who dont normally get a chance to prove them selves in the premier league now have the chance too.
If you look at our team over the last 2 seasons you would know (like marv does) that this is what he means. He said pretty much the same about perch and after a few games he proved himself and even became a fan favorite. Marveux knows that AP meant now is a great time to show your worth and maybe even keep the starting 11 place for good.
About Ba and Cisse. Both were brought in to by Strikers, right?
AP wanted to play ba and cisse as a partnership as soon as he bought cisse. Due to certain things he changed formations a few times and Ba was left on the wing. The fact that AP said that a striker willl be playing as a striker is quite normal if you ask me… Cisse wont be angry because when he signed Ba was our striker so cisse knew he wud be partnerd with him or fight for a place with him. ATM ba is onform at rightfully starting, if cisse starts scoring i’m sure we will play with both upfront.
Both ur statements of pardew not shutting up early enough are out of context and stupid.
We have bigger problems to sort out than a manger who some fans dont listen too propely…
O and imo if we cud starting making more chances Ba and Cisse upfront could work. The real problem is lack of chances(again imo)
89Norcal
Nov 25, 2012 at 4:19 AM
Comment #209t00ntime
well said, there hasn’t really been an abundance of chances for our strikers, who are clinical enough to turn half chances into goals consistently.
Looking forward to the game, this is a real chance to turn things around. Hopefully Jonas comes back to life, he has been mostly impotent all season.
Mister Tuff
Nov 25, 2012 at 4:34 AM
Comment #210t00ntime @#208
thanks for responding.
Firstly I do not think the contents of my post are taken out of context and stupid.
My main purpose was to highlight the verbal gaffes by Pardew – he is well known for this -from his West Ham days onwards – slagging off West ham fans -recorded by newspaper at their training ground -I believe he later was sent on a PR course. Another famous one was saying one player had been “raped” by another -this was on Match of the Day. So no argument about those.
Whilst it is certainly in order for the manager to say to a player they need to work harder or do this or that in order to progress privately – getting the phraseology wrong in a public article is not up to standard and can be construed in a way in which it may not have been meant.
I have no doubt Marveaux knows how far down the pecking order he is -well if he didn’t he certainly knows now. We all hear about how players are affected by confidence -can you honestly say that if this was said about you your confidence level would not diminish.
Unless Cisse is played in a central position (as centre forward) – he becomes somewhat redundant – he is a top class finisher – he needs a perfect ball from someone else -to be able to finish. I think that Ba and Cisse could play together -but thats down to coaching I suppose.
Anyway – I’m off now.
jimmysmith
Nov 25, 2012 at 5:04 AM
Comment #211He does seem to be babbling away a bit recently, to be fair to Mr Tuff.
davis_toons
Nov 25, 2012 at 5:14 AM
Comment #212Whatever the style of football for now, we got to win a team like Soton. There are all championship players and settling in a upper league. Got to win it somehow. No excuses please. Be it home or away with our current available team of players.
davis_toons
Nov 25, 2012 at 5:18 AM
Comment #213With millions of Dollars spend, a Draw will not be a good results! Unless, what we saw was good performance, good football by the team, be it long ball short ball.
cyprus
Nov 25, 2012 at 7:38 AM
Comment #214Extremely interesting article on stats, with this conclusion:
“Although Newcastle United currently find themselves in 12th place in the Barclay’s Premier League, they are not as different as many believe than the team that finished 5th last season. ”
I think the naked eye could see this, if we don’t wear blinders. Even last year we bossed very few games. Only, then, we were deadly in attack. My conclusion: if we don’t want to experience a nasty adventure (won’t mention the word), we need luck, return to form of the man up front and to buy AT LEAST 2 ‘game changing’ Aguero-style players, who are immediately ready (a big ask) in January. Reality is, we ain’t good enough lads. We have some brilliant players but somehow not a cohesive team. This game must be viewed in cup-final mode, because it is! Players must work hard for 90+ minutes and they must realise that they’re no better than the opposition. A must win, against supposedly the weakest possible competition and a clear relegation candidate…
jonobbad
Nov 25, 2012 at 7:52 AM
Comment #215Lmao@ tsunki, love the fact he insults someone for having something better to do.
Wish all the regular ‘only my opinion is right because it’s positive’ would change the tune.
Love the toon but I’d say at least 40% of the squad is not good enough.
I feel like it’s 2009 again. We are playing utter crap
jeff
Nov 25, 2012 at 8:25 AM
Comment #216would like to see this:
krul
simpson perch saylor santon
anita tiote
obertan marveaux sameobi
ba
catchy in norway
Nov 25, 2012 at 8:52 AM
Comment #217Good morning ppl
Tunski , the trouble with having low expectations is you allow them to get lower, you settle for less , when in life we all want a little more
Ppl think January is coming and all will be solved will be solved with a few signings ,
A few obstacles in the way I that therioy
1, all the good players will still be needed by there clubs because of there league or cup competition there in, clubs do not get rid of good players in jan unless the money is right,
2, the money, sure it’s there , but going on what has been said and done in the past , I find it hard to think that lambass will suddenly say , ( example) hey lile, in the summer we offered you 4 million for debuchy and you wanted 6, but now it’s jan 2013 you wanna do that deal now? We offer u 5, they will come back and say yeh but we value him at 8 now ,
Other clubs see where our problem lies, and will hold out for top fees, just like he did with AC
I don’t think lambass is about to make a fool ov himself
3, other clubs bidding on the few good players available, will also force the price high
How many players do we need ?
As it stands right now, I’d say between 3-5
Good players , ones that will be ready for first team football , some how I just don’t see that happening
If we do get these players, how will this change Pardews philosophy on how the game is played?
I believe that is the bigger problem, we play negative football , we have since he got here so why would he change his beliefs ?
So 2 things need to change , lambass’s policy on buying and Pardews philosophy on how the game is played ,
Both wont because of there stubborn natures
Hey but may be I’m just seeing it wrong