Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has come out this morning and admitted that he is concerned that Newcastle are not picking up enough points, and we are now in 14th position but just 2 points above 4th bottom placed Wigan Athletic.
A dour looking Alan Pardew last night at craven Cottage
Newcastle have just one win in the last seven league games, and five defeats, and the win was against a 10 man Wigan side, and we face Manchester City on Saturday, so we’d be surprised if on our current form, we can get anything out of that game.
Alan Pardew admits to being worried by Newcastle’s recent slump in the Premier League:
“I’m worried in so much as we’re not picking up enough points.” “That’s pretty evident. Although the performances against Stoke, Wigan and now Fulham have been much improved – and certainly our attacking play today had a bit more fluency about it – it’s a worry that we haven’t got enough points on the board.”
“We need to concentrate on the next game, Manchester City at home, and try to pick up some points. We’ve got a tough run of games coming up, but we’ve put ourselves under pressure by losing the home games against Swansea and West Ham, they were particularly hurtful for us. We can’t turn back the clock though, that’s where it is.”
As we pointed out earlier this morning we are two points worse off then we were in our relegation season, so there’s a lot of concern about Newcastle’s current predicament, especially when we cannot beat mediocre sides like Fulham, whose win last night was their first one in eight games.
Next up is Manchester City on Saturday at St. James’ Park – that should be an easy one – not. 🙁
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28 comments so far
Jail for Ashley
Dec 11, 2012 at 9:47 AM
Comment #1Being stuffed full of sweet mince pies and Turkish delight (the kind with the icing sugar) until he literally explodes is too good for Ashley.
Tsunki
Dec 11, 2012 at 9:50 AM
Comment #2We are getting too desperate for a win, the high line is suicidal. We need to sew the defence up starting with ensuring santon and simmo stay put its a waste of time and costing us games them going forward, the risk/benefit swings wildly against us. People are focusing on the wrong players but the defense is all at sea and stretched stupidly – look how easy fulham had men back when we attacked.
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Dec 11, 2012 at 9:50 AM
Comment #3Sell the whole god d*mn team (just keep Benny) – starting with the defense!
…I’ll even drive them to the airport or pick them up; which ever is easiest 😉 We can take the Venga Bus, there is even room for Pards, MA and DL!
Tsunki
Dec 11, 2012 at 9:52 AM
Comment #4Jail ha ha I like that one because I detest turkish delight especially the proper stuff. Gah.
Rake
Dec 11, 2012 at 9:52 AM
Comment #5@ Tsunki ~
Too right plus if Obertan is fit i really believe we need his pace on the pitch especially if we are playing 4-4-3 which i doubt against City…
Transfer Sage
Dec 11, 2012 at 9:53 AM
Comment #6we just are not creating enough and relying too much on Ba and ben arfa to do something.
how many individual goals have we scored this season?
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/assists/_/league/eng.1/barclays-premier-league?cc=5739
this is the top 20 assists in the prem league this year.
We do not have a player featuring on there….ben arfa leads the way for us with 2 assists.
That shows we don’t look to create any where near enough.
Tsunki
Dec 11, 2012 at 9:53 AM
Comment #7Ok everyone hands in the air, start waving! Time to panic you heard it here!
sirtoongospel
Dec 11, 2012 at 9:54 AM
Comment #8I still cant believe the ground Cisse had to cover to get into scoring positions last night. Time after time he won the ball and played the first pass in our half, we went forward and he was the only one in the box!!!! I woud give anything to see the stats of ground covered from last nights game.
Anita was the same. Relentless. Defensively I thought Simmo did really well. It’s just going forward that we don’t get much. But if our midfield did their job we might not need an end product from full backs!
We need to change a few players for us to take a step in the right direction.
With Ba, saying the club are prepared to let him leave is daft. We can’t do anything about it! Also blaming his agents is wrong. The agent works for the player, and works to their instructions. Anything they do or say will be on Demba’s say so.
He wants a big pay day somewhere else. Let him have one. We need freshening up. But most importantly, we bought a striker for £9 million, gave him the number 9 shirt, he was a revelation, then all of a sudden, from pre season, he was moved out wide. What did Cisse do to warrant that decision?
It has ruined our football, we have no thrust, no focal point, and no direction. Let’s be honest, the manager has bottled it because he can’t handle Demba Ba
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Dec 11, 2012 at 9:56 AM
Comment #9Tsunki…I’ll even drive ‘panic’ to the airport…
89Norcal
Dec 11, 2012 at 9:58 AM
Comment #10Pardew has obviously improved our play vastly over the last 2 games, most evident last night vs Fulham at Craven Cottage where we usually get hammered now.
The 433 was wonderful, and the 442 we switched too wasn’t bad either..but if we are going to use Simmo THAT much for chance creation via crosses, let’s get him some crossing practice please!!
Simmo was ragged by the end of it because he was constantly sprinting forward.
And Jonas, why did it take you 89 MINUTES to show that wonderful skill you displayed the first few seasons you played for us? Ffs he was curling them with the outside boot for fun towards the end!
89Norcal
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:00 AM
Comment #11@Tsunki
YES! very few people are acknowledging the defense outside of Williamson. We are so chaotic at times, and the 2nd goal we conceded was just awful.
WWYCD
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:00 AM
Comment #1266 points to play for and we are on 17 hate to say it lads but doesn’t look like we are going to win the league this year
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:03 AM
Comment #13Yo…who cares! ;D
sirtoongospel
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:05 AM
Comment #144-3-3? He started the game 4-5-1, the most negative set up we could have put out. Cisse and HBA in OUR half constantly, having to perform miracles to try and get forward and create for us. Cheick should get a rocket up his arse, get his anger back, and let him protect the back 4. The rest should be encouraged to attack. We could easily put other teams on the back foot, but we never do. Surely the board must see that we need 3 top players in January?
Sakho, Sissoko and Remy please.
WWYCD
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:06 AM
Comment #15jesper
Haha better than talking about relegation surely?
Transfer Sage
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:07 AM
Comment #16tsunki
Fulham had their right back getting forwardto support well though and he also got back.
I think it’s more that we get stretched too easily….players don’t seem to cover when somebody else gets forward…tiote is a DM…if a full back attacks he needs to make sure he is in a position to cover that side.
Dannyo
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:08 AM
Comment #17@WWYCD
You just messed up my day.
So dissapointed now. Next season then!
Transfer Sage
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:09 AM
Comment #18norcal
Williamson wasn’t the only bad defender like people made out.
Colo was at fault last night too….even the basic of picking up your man and getting in a good position to deal with the free kick for the 2nd goal….thats basic errors/
89Norcal
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:10 AM
Comment #19sirtoongospel,
was it? Jonas seemed too high for it to be a 451, and why would cisse or ba play further back?
We switched to add more men in midfield iirc, because fulham were successfully bossing us around, like many other midtable clubs, we just get muscled in there.
Conaldo (The Wizard...Also Bestest Friends With Paul Scharner)
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:10 AM
Comment #20Our high line killed us last night. How many times did we lose the ball near their box, then Fulham lobbed it forward to rodallega and he was through. Although I agree that some of our attacking play was very good last night. The build up to Ben arfa’s goal was very good. We held the ball for about 4 minutes just patientl building up to the goal. I have seen enough the last 3 games to know we should e fine, but we could really do with some points right now…
WWYCD
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:11 AM
Comment #21Dannyo
Its what am here for…tbf we might just win the league next year and get promotion 🙁
Jail for Ashley
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:12 AM
Comment #22Jimiley,
Don’t worry if Pards takes us down he will bring us back up, like he did with Charlton before getting pumped.
89Norcal
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:13 AM
Comment #23Transfer Sage
Ya that’s what I’m talking about on the 2nd goal, Colo phased himself out by being behind Rodallega and Tiote didn’t bother to take it on really. The first one that brushed off Willo was just unlucky.
But I remember seeing Willo jog beside Berbatov in the penalty box and literally just spectate Dimitar as he ran towards goal. I was shocked at how poor he was in the 2nd half.
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:15 AM
Comment #24With my pessimistic leanings
We’re in a Relegation Battle
Perm any 3 from the bottom seven:
Newcastle
Southampton
Aston Villa
Wigan
Sunderland
Reading
QPR
Played 5 out of the six below us
1 win
3 draws
1 loss
6 points out of 18
Nufc-83
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:29 AM
Comment #25sirtoongospel // Dec 11, 2012 at 9:04 AM
The people who are banging on about what a great team we have, and pardew has ruined them, etc etc, have they really looked at the team?
I readily admit that Pardew is making huge mistakes. We set up so defensive bacause everyone can see that with Williamson we are there to be torn apart. We all knew we needed 2 defenders in the Summer. Plus a striker and another midfielder. They never arrived. It was only a matter of time before Tayls got hurt, and Willo couldnt get in any other Prem squad never mind team.
But looking at us now, Krul is a great keeper, Santon has given everything this season and looks good, HBA and Anita have tried their hardest in midfield and the 2 lads up top have tried their hardest. Would love to see the distance covered by Cisse last night, I would bet he ran further than Tiote, which is ridiculous.
So that leaves:-
Simpson – decent defender, but so poor going forward.
Colo – has been brilliant but not the same since Liverpool game. He needs help!!!
Tiote – What has happened? He looks scared to tackle. When he plays well, we play well. But it looks to me as though he has been stopped from playing his game. I would rather he was suspended for 10 games a season and flat out for the rest than watch him like this.
Cabaye – was slightly out of form, and now injured, but we have missed him and we need him back if we are to become a good side.
Jonas – his legs have gone. Sorry to say it but he is so slow, and so ponderous on the ball. I watched Anita get the ball out of tight areas time and time again last night. Jonas had twice as much time and was collared constantly. The winning free kicks thing is not worth mentioning because we can’t win a bloody header!!!
From all of the above though, none even compare to Williamson. He is a joke of a defender. Slowest in the Prem, can’t track, can’t pick up, and lately he can’t jump. His defending last night (and not for the goal) against Rodallega made me nearly spew. He actually tried to run away from him!!! I couldn’t believe what I was watching.
We need 5 players in to improve our team. If we buy a top CM player (which we need to because of the ACON) then that will be a start. A CB is a must, just someone mobile, quick and who is aggressive in the air. Doesn’t have to be 6’8?, just someone who will attack whatever comes into the box.
And we need a pacy forward. These Remy rumours persist, and lets be honest, regardless of Demba leaving/staying, we need another good forward.
If he doesnt invest in JAnuary I have to say we are sunk. It suits the team to play to Cisse’s strengths, and we havent done it once this season. I have stuck up for Pardew but last night was a joke. And we only had Cabaye and Tayls missing. No excuses. We arent good enough. We deserve better, and January is crucial for us to get out of this mess.
Best post of the day easily well done sir.
woolerbill
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:38 AM
Comment #26Well I have to say I told you so, we doom and gloomers predicted this position and were got at. Well I also said if we didn’t have more than 20 points at Xmas we could go down, if it’s not par dew to go, we must spend big January to stay up.
south coast toon
Dec 11, 2012 at 10:41 AM
Comment #27i think fulam looked the better side last night, how many men were in there box defending when we slowly attacked, lobbing the ball was never going to work for us,shots from outside the area worked, we did quite a few good moves, but they just seem to walk through us to often with no pressure or tackles,tiote should have been sold is my opion this morning he can play better than that blindfolded surely, he gave the ball away to many times last night, and looked like he didnt want the ball.ben arfa was our best player by a mile and should have stayed on as lets be honest we had a better chance of winning that game last night with him on the pitch than we do against city,it is time to worry because when players like tiote are going missing its not a good side,we musnt get our hopes up for jan as i think we missed the boat in the summer f signings.we were in that game last night and we could of won ,but not with cisse were he was and the gaps at the back, and subing your best player pardews panicking under the pressure he needs to grow a pair and put it back to how it was last season or not play ba and cisse, we all got to get behind them all big time and hope they can sort this out and get a bloody cb or 2 in at least.sorry if i sound negi but that was our best chance of 3 points for a while and even with boarding up the training ground there were 4 or five who could of done alot better.the force is still strong in this one
toontillidie
Dec 11, 2012 at 11:57 AM
Comment #28again we get our asses handed to us on a plate sloppy defending and costly mistakes from midfield cost us i would have gone with a 442
Krul
Simmo – perchino – Colo – santon
Marvs – anita – Tiote – HBA
Ba – Cisse
rather than play an attacking game i would have played a free flowing game with the wingers being called into play we know HBA and Marvs have pace and skills on the ball Come on Alan sort em out get em to get thair act together and gel as a team and not play like a bunch of sunday Footballers.