I don’t know why it’s the case, but the players are coming out and saying they must do better in the games coming up, but after losing five of our last six league games, isn’t that an obvious statement?
Vurnon Anita – staying positive
Vurnon Anita has been one of the few players who have played well over the last month or so, and he was again high up in our Man of the Match poll for Monday night, with only the mercurial Ben Arfa topping him in the poll.
And Vurnon cannot be used to playing for a team threatened by relegation, having spent all his time at Ajax, before joining Newcastle in the summer.
And the Dutch International had this to say when he was asked if the club needed to do better:
“Of course, because we want to win games and our game plan was to get our first away win of the season on Monday night.” “We worked hard for it but it didn’t happen.” “But we must keep our faith and work hard. It will come if we do that.”
“We won last week and we wanted to get our first away win but it didn’t happen. We must keep working hard to get that win. Fulham were sharper than us at set-plays.”
“We must work on that and go on to the next game.” “We started slowly in the first 30 minutes and Fulham were aggressive.” “After that we bossed the game, I think. We played well but we didn’t win.”
There will now be significant pressure in our home games, starting with the visit of Manchester City on Saturday, but if we are to take anything out of that game, we’ll have to see Newcastle play a lot better at the back, because the PL Champions have a lot of forwards who are only too capable of punishing defensive mistakes.
Something like a win will be needed to take Newcastle fans out of the thinking this could be another relegation fight – the second one in four seasons – and that’s a depressing thought.
We’ll hope for a surprise result on Saturday – to get us back on track and moving up the league table.
Let us know how you think the game will go on Saturday.
Comments welcome.
20 comments so far
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Dec 12, 2012 at 9:32 AM
Comment #1Fine Margins
Relegation or staying up looking at the season we went down this season and the year we came up – makes interesting reading. The stats for 16 games which we have played now
Season 2008-09 Relegated
Played Won Draw Lost F A Goal Dif Pts
16 3 7 6 19 24 -5 16
This Season
Played Won Draw Lost F A Goal Dif Pts
16 4 5 7 18 23 -5 17
Just about the same stats
won 1 more, lost 1 more, scored 1 less goal, conceded 1 less goal and have 1 more point
Season 2010-11 back in Premiership
Played Won Draw Lost F A Goal Dif Pts
16 5 3 6 24 21 -3 19
Yet aftyer 19 games half way through the season.
Year we were relegated and our first year back in the Premiership
Played 19
pts 22 both seasons
Take what you want out of statistics – its a narrow margin between staying up and going down.
To me if we can stay free of injuries to key players and Ashley puts his hands in his pockets and buys 3 or 4 players with a track record then we will be safe- hopefully
Indian Magpie
Dec 12, 2012 at 9:33 AM
Comment #2http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/12/12/fb-wall-arsenal-fcs-facebook-wall/
Transfer Sage
Dec 12, 2012 at 9:34 AM
Comment #3A relegation battle might not be fun but it will certainly be tense and full of emotion unlike mid table mediocrity
Les Grossman
Dec 12, 2012 at 9:41 AM
Comment #4I am usually very postive when it comes to future results, with me on here striking at the hearts of the pardew haters, exstolling nothing but faith in our team and asking for patience….
I Cant see us getting anything from our next 4 games 🙁
Worrying….
Faith is slipping, but think Pardew is the right man to turn it around….BUT only if he is backed by the Fat Controller!!!
Transfer Sage
Dec 12, 2012 at 9:44 AM
Comment #5Les
sure we can beat QPR…and arsenal just lost to Bradford…no reason we can’t get 6 points if we play well.
big IF though
Tsunki
Dec 12, 2012 at 9:44 AM
Comment #6All this talk of reality is nonsense – since when have reality and supporting nufc been compatible?
Jonas is being pegged back to cover santons runs forward, its a mutually hampering style. They should work out which half they are going to be forward or covering not switching constantly, and away games santon should stay back. There – said it.
Colo is a victim of trying to be everywhere for a poor defence. Why he was forward so much I don’t know, even though he was unlucky someone else should have been there – cabaye ha ha.
The flying FB thing causes us to collapse in midfield when they leave their positions empty and stroll back to watch the mayhem. I am sick of it, the whole team constantly collapses in the middle.
I hate life.
Tsunki
Dec 12, 2012 at 9:49 AM
Comment #7Indian – 🙂
proudtobageordie
Dec 12, 2012 at 9:55 AM
Comment #8Why dosn’t Pardew try this against City
Krul
Anita Perch,Colo,Jonas
Tiote Bigi
Orangutan hatem Santon
cisse
I think that is the best he has got apart from Ba. If he won’t sign new contract bench him and let Papiss loose to do what he does best. What do you think of the formation. Please comment
RonVanDam
Dec 12, 2012 at 9:57 AM
Comment #9Santon is our Bale
Play ben Arfa at CAM and Marvaux at left wing. Perch as a CB with Collo.
Willo and Jonas out.
Goal for this year is to survive. I hope we get 40 points by round 30. I dont want us to be caught in relegation battle all year.
If Pardew guides us out of relegation with reinforcements in Jan and we finish outside the top 12. I would like to see pardew sacked in summer.
Lew Davies
Dec 12, 2012 at 9:57 AM
Comment #10Les Grossman – what have you seen in Pardew that convinces you he is the right man.??
Both him and his coaches have failed abjectly to sort things out this season.
Our set plays, both attacking and defending are a joke, and have been all season.
Our tactics are the same week in week out. Hoof the ball long and hope for a touch of magic from Ba or HBA
His substitutions leave me scratching my head.
His refusal to drop Cisse at any price, even tho he has stank the prem out all season. (worst striker ever to wear the No9)
Wont play the players HE bought. (Marv, Amalf, Abeid, Ober etc)
Our lack of ability to pass and move, keep possession for more than a few seconds, derisory defending. All begs belief.
Pardew is out of his depth. Its obvious.
But he wont be sacked, even if (when) he takes us down.
The board want stability at all costs. Laughable and clueless.
Les Grossman
Dec 12, 2012 at 9:59 AM
Comment #11I can see QPR beating us if Im being honest on our current form!! Good Ol’ Arry will have them up for it, kinowing we are there for the taking!
Arsenal? No chance, their midfield is one of the best midfields in the league, their strikers are letting them down.
Our confidence is low, not helped by the so called booing fans and abusive ar5eholes who start slagging individuals off when we havent scored after 10mins of play!! (plenty of them on here)
if we get 1 point out of our next four games, I will be relatively happy!!
I am holding on to the HOPE that the Fat Controller, will stick his grubby little gambling hand into his pocket and sign the 3-4 quality players we need in January to put pressure on the ‘underperforming Blue chips’ and to push for a top 10 finish!!
However, if you were a good quality player, would you move to a club that looked like they were heading for a relegation battle, who have a tight wages ceiling???
I fear the worst, and I am NORMALLY one of the most positive fans out there!!
All my hopes and faith are based on the Fat Man doing the biz in January!!
Raktim Sharma
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:00 AM
Comment #12Toure, Aguero/Dzeko, Tevez, Silva, Miss Samir…and our problem is that our defence is a bit weak. And our midfield is a little lacking in fluidity, so our strike force is facing a little supply problem…and our wing play is a little non existent.
Stranger things happen in football, but should we win… the season is half way through and we are not yet decided on the best formation…the problem is partly Pardew himself and partly a weak defence….i think our midfield and strike just needs to be enforced properly, rather than reinforcements.
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:00 AM
Comment #13Do the majority on here think that our current team is not good enough to stay in the PL or better break the top 10 as was the mission statement this season?
…I seem to remember a poll on here about whether or not or team was better this season compared to last season and the majority said we were far better off this time around!
…BUT now Pardew can only save us if MA makes enough money available??? Is this know the general opinion or do people just charge opinion faster than I change underwear on here?
I am all for the notion that you take a stand until you take another one, but common! Performance are down and tactics are out the window – you could bring in three new players and that won’t change anything. Change has to come from within!
Arrogance is confidence’s evil twin…
Jail for Ashley
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:03 AM
Comment #14Charlie,
I think when you take into account your stats, in 2009 there had been a manager’s resignation a pending heart attack and serious fan unrest, with the same stats this season we are the most stable we have been in years with a manager not likely to resign or have a heart attack for eight years.
And Ed mentions two relegation battles in four years, I’d saywe were in danger of one in Mashley first season before KK arrived, so under the stewardship of Mike Ashley that to me is three relegation battles in five years.
Les Grossman
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:06 AM
Comment #15Lew Davies
Sacking the Manager and starting again….Really??
Tactics of hoofball??? havent seen much of that in the last 2 games?
Cisse worst number 9 ever?? Thats laughable, as I bet you were saying that second half of last season!!!
Marv/Abeid/Ober…..scouted and advised by Greame Carr, as he himself admitted!!
By, you talk some SH!TE!!!
The best quote yet…..cisse, worst number 9 ever…..
Well seeing your obviously a child…..
You dont remeber some of our past number 9’s…yet you absolutely show yourself up with that statement alone.
Lee Dodd
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:09 AM
Comment #16This season I have notice we just hoof the ball up the pitch and hope ba or cisse get it . We need to pass it more. Also we have to many little fellas this season. Marvaux – Anita – Ferguson etc we need a few 6ft taller guys .. Wewill get out of it but wehave to but some new quality first team players not 18 and 19 year olds for the future. Gael Bigirimana is looking as if he will be a crackin little player but you cant expect him to do a cabaye or a Tiote just yet !!!! We should have kept Best Guthrie and Lovenkrands as we sure well have needed tehre experience this season.
Lee Dodd
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:12 AM
Comment #17I always said how can we loose 3 first team squad players . Best Guthrie and Lovenkrands – Get Into europe Then Not Buy anyone to Bolster the squad !!!! what do we do Buy 1 Little Guy . Then two 18 year old guys and send one out on loan. What do we do ?? weaken the squad then complain as we have injurys and to many youngsters.
proudtobageordie
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:12 AM
Comment #18Lew Davies
What you have just said about Cisse you are obviousley talking bollocks and you should be a mackam. Cisse is a better all round striker than ba will ever be. The problem is pards licks ba’s arse and plays cisse out of position week in week out. Would ba score goals of the quality of cisse last year. NO. Cisse work rate is phonomanel ba is a lazy twat so come again in cisse worst number 9 eva.
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:13 AM
Comment #19Jail
Only our year in the Championship and last year if I recall we have hovered in the bottom seven or eight since Sir Bobby was sacked. Shame on Fat Freddy.
I hated him and the Hall’s in the end when they started their share schemes and bled the club dry.
Yeah off the field we are in a much better position, but I am worried if we get relegated this season then it will be a long haul back.
Lee Dodd
Dec 12, 2012 at 10:16 AM
Comment #20On The Subject of Cry Baby Ba Get Him Gone and get Carroll and That French Guy Instead . Or Shove ba on The Left Like last Season if he stays as Clearly Ba and Cisse cant Work Together . If he doesnt get a Game Every Game Pardew has to Go To Mothercare to Buy Him a New Rattle to throw out of his Pram !!! IGoing to be hard to get Out Of the Mess were in But We WILL.