McClaren has said after the game that Siem De Jong’s missed chance when he had a free header six yards from goal and missed – was the defining moment of the game tonight.
Newcastle – as many had predicted – failed to beat bottom of the table Aston Villa at home – because it´s a game we were expected to win.
It was a decent enough display by the lads in atocious conditions, but we missed our chances to win it and it was therefore an extremely disappointing result after two previous wins against stronger teams in Liverpool and Tottenham
Steve McClaren – yes he missed a sitter alright
Since Aston Villa could even have won the game at the end but for another terrific save from that man Rob Elliot – Steve will take the point, but he knows we have to win these games against clubs beneath us in the league table.
This is what McClaren said after the game:
“It was the defining moment in the game,” “Two minutes later they go and equalise so it’s frustrating, definitely.” “It was an absolutely decisive moment.”
“If we make it 2-0 we win the game.” “We should win that game with those chances but over the last three games we have taken seven games and I’m happy with that.”
“Even in the last two games we’ve picked up four points and I’d have taken that, too.”
“There were two good chances for Gini Wijnaldum and Ayoze Perez.” “Another day and you take those chances. They were difficult, difficult conditions.”
“I’d say that was a battling point and two points lost. I just saw three clear-cut chances. I’m proud of the players – they kept going forward and forward.”
Siem is starting to run out of chances and he still looks short of pace and missing chances like this is not helpful to anybody.
We cannot blame the conditions too much either – they were the same for both sides – and that sounds too much like an excuse.
The bottom line is that this is a game we should have won – and for whatever reason we failed to do so.
It´s really as simple as that.
Let´s see if we can make up for this loss of 2 points with a win at home to Everton next Saturday.
Comments welcome.
8 comments so far
cyprus
Dec 19, 2015 at 9:24 PM
Comment #1Seven out of nine points can’t be bad. They were fighting for their lives and before the pitch was ruined we were all over them.
SDJ should have scored but I won’t criticise any of them. They tried in sxxxe conditions, which evened the playing field.
cyprus
Dec 19, 2015 at 9:26 PM
Comment #2Had predicted this draw.
First half was embarrassingly easy. Should’ve won it but that’s football.
martoon
Dec 19, 2015 at 9:27 PM
Comment #3I am disappointed with the result but I suspect the pitch was a great leveller. The players certainly tried and on another day SDJ’s header goes in and we win comfortably. As I say disappointing but not the end of the world – if you had offered most of us 7 points from the last 3 games then I think we’d have taken it!
manxpie
Dec 19, 2015 at 9:29 PM
Comment #4good to see he goes for wins as well especially with those useless subs that are there for no reason! 🙂
angelswithdirtyfaces
Dec 19, 2015 at 9:30 PM
Comment #5“Siem is starting to run out of chances”
No he isn’t. Every striker 9 or 10 has a varied % of misses – nobody converts all their chances. He’s beginning to get really EPL match fit and has a good influence on players around him.
manxpie
Dec 19, 2015 at 9:32 PM
Comment #6is van gaal now the wally without a brolly ?
arpeco19
Dec 20, 2015 at 7:40 AM
Comment #7No it didn’t, Janmaats defending cost us 3 points again!!!!!!!
The overrated Frenchman
Dec 20, 2015 at 8:55 AM
Comment #8What a crock. Bemoaning missed chances is the classic fall-back of a manager out of his depth. The bottom line is Swansea win and we spend Christmas in the bottom three. Where we deserve to be to be honest. Something needs to change. People need to go. Charnley Carr and McClaren would be a start.