40-year-old Kevin Kilbane, the former Sunderland player is now a pundit for BBC on Match of the Day 2, and he was full of praise for Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles after his brilliant performance for us yesterday at Swansea in the 1-0 win.
Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez has great trust in his captain, and he got in touch with Jamaal yesterday morning once he knew he couldn’t make the game yesterday morning.
Rafa told Jamaal to make sure all the players were ready for this game and produced on the field.
The lads did exactly that and carried out the game plan almost to perfection.
Even the Swansea manager Paul Clement said after the game that Newcastle were the better side in all departments of the match yesterday.
Rafa Benitez and Jamaal Lascelles
This is what Kevin said about the Newcastle captain on Match of the Day 2:
“Rafa rang him on the morning of the game to discuss things and make sure the players were right.”
“He was right at it from the get go in this game – immediately close to Tammy Abraham, getting himself into good central positions.”
“He just seemed to pick the flight of every ball and head it away from danger.”
“What I like about the goal-line clearance is that he gets it done and how often do you just see a defender turn and stop – not having the desire to get back on the line.”
“It’s world class defending to get himself back on the line. It’s class, absolutely class.”
“The resulting corner he gets himself into the right position and heads away again. He just had the desire to win everything.”
“And talk about winning everything in the air – the match-winning goal is a superb header. Brilliantly timed run into the area and a great header.”
“A great all-round performance from him today; superb.”
Do you think Kevin Kilbane thinks Jamaal had a good game yesterday?
🙂
Comments welcome.
96 comments so far
ronaldo aarons
Sep 11, 2017 at 4:56 PM
Comment #41I don’t think filled will make it with us I’m afraid. Armstrong I’ve only seen and read bits but he hasn’t exactly started off great although it is early days and he’s scored two so far at the top of my head. Tap in and penalty I think. He has played better with big Gary madine which I think tells a lot.
Is sterry on loan? I thought he is still with us. I like him but didn’t do too well in the cup game but it’s important to remember he had only just recently came back from a long injury and missed of the summer.
ronaldo aarons
Sep 11, 2017 at 4:57 PM
Comment #42Filled is gillead lol
Ron Knee
Sep 11, 2017 at 4:59 PM
Comment #43jesper
You won’t regret it!
The Merino deal:
http://www.themag.co.uk/2017/09/newcastle-fans-worrying-mikel-merino-permanent-deal-reminder-agreed-newcastle-united/
ronaldo aarons
Sep 11, 2017 at 5:05 PM
Comment #44Mark Douglas @MsiDouglas
·
20h
NUFC average age of their 4 teams so far is 24.6. Youngest of any PL club:
ronaldo aarons
Sep 11, 2017 at 5:09 PM
Comment #45With the merino deal, as far as I’m aware, once we hit the number of appearances agreed then Dortmund can’t do anything but accept the £6m after paying around £3 loan fee. The only thing that would concern me is if merino turns around and says no as I’m not sure we have agreed a deal with him for longer than this year. Personally, if Benitez isn’t staying after this year then I don’t see merino staying either.
Ron Knee
Sep 11, 2017 at 5:11 PM
Comment #46ronaldo
Douglas has another interesting statistic:
Our average possession across all four games is 40.9% – only Leicester have had less.
voodoo85
Sep 11, 2017 at 5:12 PM
Comment #47Some interesting stats on the Chronicle site:
Of the 20 sides in the top flight, Newcastle have fielded the youngest average side across the four games so far. Their average age is 24.8 – younger than Liverpool’s 25.1 and far less experienced than West Brom, who are the most experienced side with a cumulative age of 28.5.
Since March 2016 (when Benitez took over), Newcastle have sold 8 of their longest serving players. Those 8 players having served Newcastle for close to 70 seasons combined. The longest serving player is now 25-year-old Paul Dummett who only made his senior debut in January 2013
ronaldo aarons
Sep 11, 2017 at 5:22 PM
Comment #48Ron
Possession has never been a big thing for me but I swear v West Ham we were down as having less than 40% at one point which I could not believe. Look forward to playing Leicester though, nobody will want the ball!
Voodoo
I like dummett but who’d have thought he would be our longest serving player lol, reckon he’ll be here for life!
Ron Knee
Sep 11, 2017 at 5:26 PM
Comment #49ronaldo
It’ll be a stand-off!
lochinvar
Sep 11, 2017 at 5:27 PM
Comment #50Blimey – Dummett to be pensioned off at 25 , seems a bit harsh.
lochinvar
Sep 11, 2017 at 5:30 PM
Comment #51No wonder the Pundits are in a hurry to sweep up their earnings with contentious drivel.
With the development of A1 robots they’ll be out of work soon and the average IQ will improve dramatically. Come to think of it R2D2 would be an improvement on most of them now.
JackBall
Sep 11, 2017 at 5:31 PM
Comment #52Have not posted in a while: didn’t want to be brought down with all the gloom being spouted because of the lack of transfer activity. In truth, I was disappointed that we didn’t add one more player of starting quality and thought Rafa would get one in, but when he didn’t, I couldn’t bare to read all the prognostications that he was leaving. Amazing what a win could do – so reminiscent of last year: two loses and we were sh*t, followed by a nice win streak. Won’t be as easy to do as last season, but I can dream.
That was for my last two weeks, but for the future – does anyone have a preference in tonights game. Want Hudd to loose: a win would mean a great head start on securing safety, but a West Ham lose would put them in a deep hole.
bettyswallocks
Sep 11, 2017 at 5:48 PM
Comment #53Having read some of Jesper’s comments today about Rafa’s rigid formation and lack of flexibility within his formation, I have to concede he has a point. Rafa’s favoured formation is 4 2 3 1 which often morphs into a 4 4 1 1. The 4 4 2 formation is not Rafa’s favourite formation as we must all be aware by now, but he could definitely try changing the current formation to a more interesting one on an experimental basis now and again to prove that he has more than one string to his bow.
There are several options for Rafa to experiment with such as 4 3 3 and 3 4 3 is a formation I particularly like. However I honestly can’t see Rafa trying the 2 5 2 formation as that would leave us hopelessly exposed at the back and the 5 3 2 is just way too defensive to my mind. We probably will end up staying with the 4 2 3 1 for a while as long asRafa is around as it does appear to provide options within the actual formation and gets results.
Chancel be a fine thing
Sep 11, 2017 at 5:55 PM
Comment #54Lochinvar
Most fruit and veg have larger IQs than football pundits. I suspect even a lowly potato could have put a better effort in than Chris Sutton.
Ron Knee
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:04 PM
Comment #55#NUFC Under-23s Woodman; Sterry, Good, Gillesphey, Cameron; Barlaser, Shelvey; Roberts, L. Smith, Aarons; Charman.
Chancel be a fine thing
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:10 PM
Comment #56Jack
I would like west ham to win, to show that they weren’t such a bad side against us; it was because we were too good for them. If you employ ex-footballers desperate for attention and something to do, you’re not going get the most intelligent section of society. So when a team loose the first 3 they are bad, regardless of if they were playing all their matches away from home, or against ManU or put up a good show with 10 men or were playing useless relegation candidiates*. I was going to suggest sky save some money, which they could pass on to paying punters, by employing football journalists instead of ex-pros. If they really want stupid pundits who can’t read and write, they could get Lee Ryder much cheaper.
*this opinion is not my own
toontaff2
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:14 PM
Comment #57Chancel, they could get Jester to twitter on about formations, Jeremy to talk football finances and Bladeuser to just argue with them.
Chancel be a fine thing
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:15 PM
Comment #58toontaff
I’d pay good money to watch that. Sounds like the sort of chemistry needed for a great football show.
toontaff2
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:16 PM
Comment #59With Colin Murray, Micky Gray and Chris Iwelumo!
toontaff2
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:17 PM
Comment #60Jumpers for Goalposts?
Chancel be a fine thing
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:21 PM
Comment #61In other news, the Sunderland fan accused of hitting a Sheffield utd player with a bottle has been released without charge, after explaining he was aiming at a Sunderland player, but like his team was unable to hit the target.
hibbit
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:28 PM
Comment #62Chancel
LOL
toontaff2
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:36 PM
Comment #63nufc.co.uk starts coverageat 6.30pm apparently –
current message – Currently not broadcasting -video will play once broadcasting starts!
lochinvar
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:38 PM
Comment #64Chancel – wry smile , apparently the bottle landed in an empty stand so no one was injured
Pottsclock
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:40 PM
Comment #65He took one look at him and went “awe”
Chancel be a fine thing
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:57 PM
Comment #66Yes lochinvar, the culprit was identified after all 38 home fans were kept behind for a line up.
JamesToon
Sep 11, 2017 at 7:01 PM
Comment #67Really enjoying the way we are playing at the moment. Good football isn’t just what you do on the ball, its what you do off the ball as well, we are very good without it and being organised narrow and compact. And when we get the ball we are very effective.
I’d compare us to athletico in style, counter pressing, we don’t press all the way to the keep, but we compact the middle and force teams out wide, we’re good at winning the ball back in the middle and counter attacking at speed.
Football fans are almost conditioned to think that good football is just tippy tappy 70% possession all out attack, why isn’t good football considering pressing and organisation? Okay im not saying the likes of pulis and allardyce play pretty football, its pretty ugly and almost hoof and hope. We don’t play long ball, we play direct, theres a massive difference.
Another thing as well, its been a long time since ive seen a squad who work for each other so much, put in 100% every week, rafa has built a young squad with no big egos, who are all hungry to prove themselves, whether theyre prem quality or not, you cant deny their effort levels.
JackBall
Sep 11, 2017 at 7:11 PM
Comment #68Shelvey almost scored from 70 yards out
Ron Knee
Sep 11, 2017 at 7:13 PM
Comment #69No picture – missed the goal!
dig-n-dig22
Sep 11, 2017 at 7:44 PM
Comment #70After watching C. Pal go down 1 0 to Burnley yesterday, I still thought they would be good enough to avoid the drop but now DeBoa has been sacked and Hodgson’s appointment said to be imminent Inow think they are nailed on for one of the bottom three slots
Tsunki
Sep 11, 2017 at 7:53 PM
Comment #71Is everybody fiddling on trying to find the cast button? 🙂 Don’t adjust your set it’s half time!
toontaff2
Sep 11, 2017 at 7:56 PM
Comment #72Ron, me too, but seen second!
Think NUFC said there were ‘technical glitches’!
Chancel be a fine thing
Sep 11, 2017 at 8:01 PM
Comment #73Just read this regarding the Mane sending off:
According to FIFA, serious foul play, which Mané was sent off for, is defined as: a player is guilty of serious foul play if he uses excessive force or brutality against an opponent when challenging for the ball when it is in play. Any player who lunges at an opponent when challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force and endangering the safety of an opponent, is guilty of serious foul play.
Ron Knee
Sep 11, 2017 at 8:01 PM
Comment #74toontaff
Missed both goals, then the picture came back!
Essex Geordie Bill
Sep 11, 2017 at 8:33 PM
Comment #75Doing this on my iphone so please excuse grammar. Wasnt one of englands goals scored with a raised foot just missing the gk
Nufc-83
Sep 11, 2017 at 8:44 PM
Comment #76After me going on about Aaron’s today he had a bit of a shocker for the u23 and has been brought off.
Fernandez looks like a real star in the making. Early days for him but he has a lot of class in possession.
sing in the corner
Sep 11, 2017 at 8:46 PM
Comment #77Silence at West Ham..
lochinvar
Sep 11, 2017 at 8:48 PM
Comment #78Chancel – now Dermot ” I used to feel I was important” Gallacher is up in ams over the Ritchie incident saying it should have been a straight red – rather forgetting that the Ref on the day and in the match saw it as it was – an attempt to bring the ball down by an attacking player with a defender arriving from the side – rather different to the Mane incident but apparently it was the blood that made the difference in the decision making.
Now Kloppity wants the FA to reduce Manes ban to one game on appeal.
What – just like they did with Mitro when there was no blood ?
Farce springs to mind.
Chancel be a fine thing
Sep 11, 2017 at 8:58 PM
Comment #79The article below is where the quote came from, it even mentions the Mbemba incident!!!
https://www.footballwhispers.com/blog/referees-inconsistency-endangering-players?utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=nufc-index
Lindisfarne
Sep 11, 2017 at 9:59 PM
Comment #80hello?