Before this game yesterday between the Magpies and the Hammers, Newcastle couldn´t buy a win and West Ham were very difficult to beat.
But after Newcastle´s 2-1 win yesterday that was our first win in seven games and it was West Ham´s first defeat in ten games, but West Ham manager Slaven Bilic wasn´t grumbling too much at the result.
Slaven Bilic – no excuses from impressive West Ham manager
This is what the Croatian said after the game yesterday:
“We prepared for the game all week and had a good warm-up and everything, so I thought we were going to start better because we were the team that should have started with more confidence than them because we were up in the table, we were unbeaten for a number of games.”
“They have improved a lot recently, but still they were down and we were counting on the confidence to be on our side. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.”
“We have to give them credit, Newcastle, who started bright and good and everything, but definitely we helped them in that.”
“In the second half, we can talk about positive things. We can talk about good spirit, turning the game a little bit around, scoring a goal and then putting them under pressure and having a few chances at the end of the game.”
“We had a great chance to equalize. Also they had chances in the second half on the counter-attack as we took that risk, so we could have nicked a point and it wouldn’t be the first time.”
“But to be fair, we have to admit, unfortunately, that they were better and they deserved to beat us, they deserved three points especially with their performance in the first half.”
It´s not very often these days that Newcastle score two goals in the first 15 minutes of any game, but that´s what we did yesterday as Jonjo Shelby made an immediate impact at Newcastle.
Given how impressive we looked in yesterday´s game going forward, maybe we should have replaced Yohan Cabaye sooner than the two years it took to reinvest the £20M we got from PSG for the creative central midfielder?
New boy Jonjo Shelvey really looked the part yesterday on his debut and Dutch International Gini Wijnaldum was another star performer for the Magpies with his 9th goal of the season – all scored at St. James’ Park.
And we´ll not even mention Fab Coloccini, who was heavily criticized earlier this season, but had another great captain´s game for the club and made some outstanding blocks and clearances all afternoon.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
12 comments so far
will die for the toon army
Jan 17, 2016 at 7:58 AM
Comment #1Good man
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jan 17, 2016 at 8:02 AM
Comment #2The funny thing is Ed, that Colback was Cabs replacement. That was why some of us thought it wasn’t a good signing in the first place.
Colback should never have been his replacement. Then they tried to make up for it with De Jong who basically can do the same if we are the dominant team (which we rarely are)
Glad to see they have finally learned their lesson.
geordieboy83
Jan 17, 2016 at 8:03 AM
Comment #3At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, has anybody noticed that whenever we are winning there’s 5 minutes injury time but when we are chasing the game there’s only ever 2 or 3 seeks a bit strange to me
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jan 17, 2016 at 8:09 AM
Comment #4geordieboy…seeing as we almost never win then what cannot be that often 😉
firebug666
Jan 17, 2016 at 8:11 AM
Comment #5geordieboy83
I agree with you, I have also said for a long time now that the FA appear to have an axe to grind with our club. Probably the result of them shopping at SD.
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Jan 17, 2016 at 8:11 AM
Comment #6Great result
the atmosphere returning to SJP
Mom of match – I gave it to Colocinni got in some great nterceptions and blocks – playing like a man possesd.
Would of give it to Shelvey brilliant debut but faded last 10 15 minutes – due to lack of games – will get better.
Folowed by Wiljanum excellent box to box game great ball carry and got a great knack to be on the end of a move
Mitro had a decent game but has got to start putting the ball in the net.
The rest of team also put in a shift – Dummett getting better game by game .
Janmaat going forward excellent
Mbema steady game but awful backpass
Perez – lot better took his goal superbly – but faded second half
Elliot – Another couple of great blocks – Krul will find it hard to get back in.
Sissoko – don’t know what to make of him had a OK game but frustrating and does not like to tackle, tends to pull out.
Colback – had a better game today kept it simply but not a full-back when switched.
Saviet – looked rusty but got better as game went on
Goufron – did well when he came on
SUTTY1978
Jan 17, 2016 at 8:12 AM
Comment #7Geordieboy, you sound like a conspiracy theorist!
SUTTY1978
Jan 17, 2016 at 8:15 AM
Comment #8Sissoko did something yesterday I havent seen for a while, he won a header! For a big lad he does often seem like he’s scared of the ball hitting his bonce!
Blofal
Jan 17, 2016 at 8:24 AM
Comment #9Geordieboy you are right.
I guarantee you that if we were 3-0 up extra time would have been 2 minutes max.
Jack Root
Jan 17, 2016 at 8:29 AM
Comment #10Re Gomis- covered in last paragraph.
200Jack Root // Jan 14, 2016 at 9:26 PM
Financial Fair Play has and does affect us!
It was introduced in August 2013. One of the key areas that has been influential in buying players is the FFP regulations regarding Premier League wage bills. Basically, any club in the league with a wage bill of more than £52 million can only increase their wage bill by £4 million per year for the next 3 years. In our case additional corporate money can be used- the Wonga deal- but only by the amount added on top of a current deal and spread out over the terms of the current contract ( wef 8/2013) . What it means for NUFC is they can only actually increase their wage bill from somewhere between £80k-£100k per week for the 3 years until 8/2016.
Looking back. Departures of for example Perch, Harper and Simpson totalling around £70k per week enabled us to sign Remy on between £70-£80k per week. Following its introduction a number of clubs played a waiting game including us. Note that transfer fees aren’t/ weren’t taken into consideration just wages.
At the time clubs that did do a lot of trading got their top earners off their wage bill . This explains the mackems buying and selling an
entire squad. It appears that they actually decreased their wage bill in the process. Villa got rid of Richard Dunne and Darrent Bent’s entire wage bill In order to do new business. We didn’t have that but our top earners were the likes of Coloccini, Yanga-Mbiwa and Sissoko. It explains one of the reasons Sissoko and Gouffran were brought in 6 months early as other signings may not have been possible at all. Those two were initially signed on pre contract deals to come into force in the next window. A mix of FFP and our situation I am sure played a part in those 2 deals.
Swansea, Southampton, Norwich, the promoted teams were able to use the TV money much more freely as they could get their wage bill up to £52 million per year and actually afford to do so. It’s also allowed promoted clubs subsequently to play catch up and compete unlike in previous times – that was the Premier League’s intention and it has worked.
Maybe it explains the 2013 pre season at Newcastle. The Kinnear appointment made no sense. Our wage bill was at that time one of the largest below the top 5 clubs in the league and that is what arguably restricted transfer activity.
Think on this, in my opinion we had pretty much done a deal for Gomis when Dan Gosling came back from Crystal Palace. He was on £30k per week wages and that deal fell through.
It’s not a conspiracy theory Mag 52’.
SUTTY1978
Jan 17, 2016 at 8:35 AM
Comment #11Interesting post Jack.
goommy
Jan 17, 2016 at 2:57 PM
Comment #12Slaven is a real man. He’s right in everything.