Newcastle had to defend for their lives in that first half yesterday and we saw three excellent saves during that period from goalkeeper Karl Darlow.
We also saw the tackle of the game from young Jamaal Lascelles after just 11 minutes when Connor Whickham was straight through on goal.
Lascelles quickly tackled the former Sunderland striker with a sliding right-footed challenge that was perfectly timed to clear the ball and the danger – it was simply a wonderful tackle from the 22 year-old.
Fantastic sliding tackle from Jamaal Lascelles yesterday
On Match of the Day last night former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy talked about Jamaal and he´s been impressed with the young Newcastle center-back who has started six game since Rafa Benitez arrived at the club:
“I hadn’t seen too much of him and I think in the last few weeks he has really come to the fore.”
“Jamaal Lascelles is athletic, he is outspoken as well – which you don’t mind because it shows that he cares, good positional play.”
“There is a lot more to his game than that. He made the best tackle of the match , spots the danger and his speed gets him back and the timing – he goes to ground and if you don’t get the ball you are in trouble.”
“His distribution – I always like to see a defender who is willing to play it out.”
“He showed leadership qualities as well: pointing at people, shouting at them and organizing.”
“Second half Newcastle didn’t have as much defending to do, but he showed glimpses of his strength, his pace and his calmness.”
“The big question for me is ’Why the hell wasn’t he playing earlier?’ – because he does looks a really terrific player.”
He wasn´t playing earlier because Steve McClaren would have kept Coloccini – his captain – and Mbemba as first choices throughout the season – assuming they were available.
And we notice that Rafa isn´t too keen to rush Colo back into the team with Lascelles and Mbemba looking so good – and they are both in their very early twenties.
Jamaal when younger was tipped to become a future top England International and from what we´ve seen of him lately he´s exactly that.
And our two buys from Nottingham Forest, Jamaal and Karl Darlow have performed extremely well for us since Rafa joined the club.
They look like two top acquisitions for Newcastle and credit goes to both Englishmen, who seem to have tip-top temperaments for these big games.
Comments welcome.
131 comments so far
magscar
May 1, 2016 at 11:28 AM
Comment #41Only surprise about Marveaux and Obertran is it has been announced before last game – obviously whatever happens they were never going to play again.
Taylor is other senior player who is also out of contract in June and nothing announced – new contract offer if we go down or going if we stay up?
Mbabu is also out of contract so again waiting to see what happens?
Spoof
May 1, 2016 at 11:29 AM
Comment #42Jail, seriously, think about it, no spend, no hope, virtual dictatorship where the manager had no say, that is what it was when Charnley took over, it aint that now and it is defo for the better, surely the least he deserves is for us to calm down a tadge and be open minded, yes he has made ricks, but he is new to the job but with Rafa and what he could bring he has learnt rather quickly.
Lindisfarne
May 1, 2016 at 11:29 AM
Comment #43Sing in the corner
I was alluding to yesterdays victory being similar to sexual activity and the satisfaction attained.
Bambams
May 1, 2016 at 11:30 AM
Comment #44Ron Knee
Well put fella !
I am not the only one that worries about Ashley and how he runs our club
Jail for Ashley
May 1, 2016 at 11:30 AM
Comment #45Bambams,
I don’t either but surely if he was willing to get Rafa in he must realise that anything less will just put us back to square one.
magscar
May 1, 2016 at 11:30 AM
Comment #46Ron Knee
but does a good manager accept mediocre players?
Jib
May 1, 2016 at 11:30 AM
Comment #47Blackley and Brownlie
I couldn’t be bothered to slap you down yesterday I was too tired.
I never said anything about the deservedness of our yellows yesterday except that a ref normally in the case of Mbemba which was very early in the game would have given a finger wagging.
About 45 seconds after he gave M,bemba the card a Palace midfielder left Townsend writhing on the deck and Dean waved play on and I thought “here we go”.
Two yellows and a penalty against us – not even a caution for them – suggests imbalance to me.
Jail for Ashley
May 1, 2016 at 11:31 AM
Comment #48Spoof,
Put your spliff away go and have a lie down and come back on when you’re not high!
Spoof
May 1, 2016 at 11:32 AM
Comment #49@39
will you please stop sounding like my wife ……..lol
Hail Wor Ashley
May 1, 2016 at 11:32 AM
Comment #50Hope the players aren’t getting ahead of themselves like some on here, all the talk of summer spending has returned and which players, some of who are contributing to digging us out, they would bin.
jimmysmith
May 1, 2016 at 11:34 AM
Comment #51If we go down Charnley should be stripped to us undershorts, tarred, feathered and run out of town on a rail. The optimism has been born out of desperation, fatalism, denial, weariness and momentary relief, and is still as finely balanced as you might possibly bear. You can hardly say he’s done good job, we hang on to our EPL place by the skin of our teeth.
WWSBRD
May 1, 2016 at 11:35 AM
Comment #52Spoof
So ur happy to ignore the Carver hiring, Jonas sacking, McClaren hiring then long drawn out sacking, 2 relegation fights, poor transfer dealings (1 of which his boss had to step in to complete after weeks of Charnley trying) and cost cutting because Rafa, against all good judgement, offered to take on this sinking ship? Nar am alright not giving the over promoted tea boy credit
Jail for Ashley
May 1, 2016 at 11:36 AM
Comment #53Churnley has not spoken in public. Only made computer generated statements and stood like a rabbit in the headlights as we hurtled down the table. Had we managed a point against Bournemouth we’d have been on 24 points now and saying Mclaren will be a good manager for the Championship. Good management would have replaced Mclaren after those four defeats in Dec/January if not after the Chelsea debacle.
Rotonda heights
May 1, 2016 at 11:36 AM
Comment #54yes
it was quite funny seeing AP try and shift the blame yet again when he was quite happy to lap up his 8 year deal.
how does AP explain his latest spectacular fall from grace, ie to 16th place with the likes of cabaye, zaha, bolasie, puncheon, Dann, whickham etc and his own people in his own backyard.
magscar
May 1, 2016 at 11:37 AM
Comment #55Spoof
Not sure how Charnley racks up on financial negotiations( no real info) but retaining him with even limited say on football side would be a massive mistake/
Also not sure how the structure might look if Benitez stays but Ashley may want the comfort blanket of still having Charnley around for now. Depends I suppose on what changes Benitez wants for an ongoing project. Whatever happens I suspect that Carr’s overall influence will be dramatically curtailed and whether he would accept a reduced role.
Slank
May 1, 2016 at 11:37 AM
Comment #56magscar @ 41
Because of their relative ages I believe Saylor has no future at the club whereas Mbabu has.
The club must have been encouraged by the recent performances of the relatively young defensive pairing of Mbemba and Lascelles which I’m sure will work in favour for Mbabu.
Rotonda heights
May 1, 2016 at 11:37 AM
Comment #57oh yeah, science was against me and the grass was the wrong type of green.
BandB
May 1, 2016 at 11:38 AM
Comment #58HWA
That’s very true.
In the past, the fans starting to feel slightly less nervous has been a good barometer that the players are thinking they can relax too.
A complacent no-show from them against Villa and we are deeper in the clarts than ever.
Bambams
May 1, 2016 at 11:39 AM
Comment #59Jail
It’s Ashley ….He has already made it clear ‘they’ have spent all the money.
I like most on here, hope lessons have been learnt but I still have reservations that Ash will change.
Mid table security is all he wants, I can’t see Rafa accepting this.
We need to stay up first.
Spoof
May 1, 2016 at 11:40 AM
Comment #60Jail
seriously, I knew I would get grief, understandably, now due to luck or good skills we are as fans are in a better mood than what we were before Penfold took over, for all we know he may be the quite assassin who has hoodwinked Ashley into believing that more gains could be had with a bit of ambition for the football team, non of us know why Ashley changed his spending policy or why he did not prevent Rafa from taking over, but it did happen and like him or loath him Penfold is the prime suspect !
wolfshead@toon
May 1, 2016 at 11:41 AM
Comment #61jail
very true it also suggested he is scared of him prob ran full pelt for the coach after the interview
Hail Wor Ashley
May 1, 2016 at 11:41 AM
Comment #62Mbemba needs to learn not to freeze when 1 vs 1 and there’s space behind him. Think every yellow he’s had come from this weakness.
Rotonda heights
May 1, 2016 at 11:42 AM
Comment #63i have a really sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that defoe’s desperate diving in the 94th minute may be absolutely crucial. ruined what otherwise was the perfect day. stupid defending but everyone knows defoe dives, why put a hand anywhere near him.
magscar
May 1, 2016 at 11:43 AM
Comment #64Slank@56
If the worst happens Taylor may be offered a contract extension ( ala Collo) to cover us in Champiomship – not my choice but circumstances may dictate.
The fact he is out of contract but not mentioned as released means something if only HE just might be needed in next 2 games whereas the others definitely not.
wolfshead@toon
May 1, 2016 at 11:45 AM
Comment #65rotonda still in love with mikey
Ron Knee
May 1, 2016 at 11:47 AM
Comment #66magscar@46
Good point, but perhaps he’d consider Moyes or Rodgers as suitable replacements. Perhaps one of them could be induced to take the Ashley shilling.
magscar
May 1, 2016 at 11:48 AM
Comment #67Bambams
Only point about “the money” he simply may have been talking about that profit in the accounts to June 2015.
If we stay up I don’t doubt there will be fresh money – how much? who knows but hopefully enough to keep Benitez smiling 🙂
Spoof
May 1, 2016 at 11:49 AM
Comment #68WWSBRD
Of course I am not happy with the truths that you speak, but is it feasible for someone to go in and demand instant changes or would it be more effective to gain confidence and try to change the structure in time.
magscar
as I said, and this is just fictious as we don’t know, but I was assuming that if Rafa stayed on then he would be in total control.
catchy in norway
May 1, 2016 at 11:49 AM
Comment #69well done the whole team yesterday
4 top players for me.
Darlow, best performance in the shirt for the club, growing in confidence with every game.
Anita, another good show by the little fella, actually supports the winger and defends, something Jaanmat could learn from him.
Townsend, worked hard throughout , super free kick,
Lascelles, turning into a beast, strong and composed, A LEADER
Blackley and Brownlie
May 1, 2016 at 11:50 AM
Comment #70Jib
Stop digging, mate. Too tired yesterday!
You were slagging of Mike Dean: fact.
You cited three decisions to support your case: fact
All three decisions Dean got right: nobody is seriously arguing otherwise. Just because Mbemba wags his finger and says it’s the first one, and it occurs very early in the game, it does not mean it’s not a cynical foul worthy of a booking.
If you want to make a serious point about how bad your thought Dean was, cite decisions Dean got wrong (not ones he got right) and show that the majority of those decisions favoured Palace. But please don’t slag me for pointing out the crassness of your post that cites all the decisions he got right.
Bambams
May 1, 2016 at 11:50 AM
Comment #71Just read on newsnow newcastle that Marv and Obertan have left the club. Contracts paid up.
Suggests Henri Savait is no where near good enough for a place on the bench.
We ain’t done too well with most of our french players (Gouffran Riviere Savait Cabella Thauvin )
Millions wasted
Jail for Ashley
May 1, 2016 at 11:50 AM
Comment #72Spoof,
Seriously mate? Mclaren was on a three year deal with eight years optional, the very real and still very real threat of relegation brought Rafa in, not a change of policy. Money was spent last season because we hadn’t bought a player for 18 months previously. Big money was spent this season as an investment in profit not the team. Hence only one defender being brought into one of the worst PL defences.
magscar
May 1, 2016 at 11:52 AM
Comment #73Ron Knee
But would taking the Ashley shilling not subsequently deny them the tag of “good manager” – if one believes they are currently worthy of the label. The jury on here is out on them so I don’t want to get embroiled in discussion at this precipitous stage of season 🙂
BandB
May 1, 2016 at 11:53 AM
Comment #74The signing of Rafa, whatever the motives, has raised the stakes like never before.
The genie is out of the bottle. Many fans believe the Messiah they believe would never come has arrived, whether they are wrong or right.
If that hope is crushed for narrow book-balancing reasons and Rafa leaves, there’s going to be some explaining to do to a pretty hostile audience.
Jail for Ashley
May 1, 2016 at 11:54 AM
Comment #75Can’t understand why you’d pay players to leave especially when Obertan could probably do a job in the Championship as could have Willo?
WWSBRD
May 1, 2016 at 11:54 AM
Comment #76Spoof so u want to give him credit because he might eventually do something to prove he deserves it?
Accept it bud he’s another failure and absolutely deserves to be replaced with someone who can actually do the job he is employed to do
Ron Knee
May 1, 2016 at 11:57 AM
Comment #77magscar
I meant ‘good’ manager as perceived by Ashley. Let’s hope this is no more than hypothetical!
magscar
May 1, 2016 at 11:58 AM
Comment #78Jail
Obertan’s contract is up in June I dont think there was any pay off for either of them just an early announcement making it clear no new one was on offer.
hibbitt
May 1, 2016 at 11:59 AM
Comment #79BandB
if Rafa walks or is pushed a lot will walk with him could very well be the biggest exodus of fans ever seen at this club
magscar
May 1, 2016 at 11:59 AM
Comment #80Ron Knee
Agreed 🙂