Rafa Benitez seemed extra composed after the 4-1 defeat against Manchester United after the game last night.
As he does often after games – he clinically analyzed what happened, and while we were good in the first 30 minutes, eventually the sheer class of the Manchester United team shone through.
With a scoreline of 4-1, it’s too easy to dismiss Newcastle’s effort yesterday, but the lads showed in that first half hour that we can be a good side.
We just need to extend that to the full 90 minutes and cut out the mistakes.
It was again some defensive frailty that let us down yesterday and no doubt Rafa will be working hard on that aspect of the game in training next week.
Hopefully, we can keep a clean sheet at home against Watford next Saturday, and a win would be exactly what the doctor ordered.
Rafa BenitezNewcastle UNited manager
Dwight Gayle looked menacing yesterday, and it was an excellent first-time strike from Dwight that put us ahead after 14 minutes – and that goal – his first of the season – should give the striker a lot of confidence.
We need a win on Saturday, and then we have a good chance of getting something at West Brom on Tuesday night – as the games come along thick and fast through the end of the year.
Here’s some of what Rafa said after the game yesterday:
“Even if we had scored the second goal, you know the game is not over when you are playing against a team with the quality of these players.”
“But it is a pity because we had the chances and we could have scored.”
“We could have scored again before we conceded the second goal.”
“I’m not really worried about that, I am worried about getting points for Newcastle United.”
“They are both very good teams and they are both doing well.” “They have very good players and they will be there.”
“We will see what happens because it is a very long race.”
“For us, the main thing is to take the positives of the first half and try to build from that.”
“For 30 minutes, even with their big names on the pitch, we were doing really well.”
“The big difference is that you can change players, and maybe the players coming from the bench are even better.”
“They have this situation, and we were unlucky because we made mistakes in the first half when we were doing really well.”
Here are the next 10 games we have in the league.
Date Fixture KO time
Sat 25 Nov Newcastle vs Watford 15:00
Tue 28 Nov West Brom vs Newcastle 20:00
Sat 2 Dec Chelsea vs Newcastle 12:30
Sat 9 Dec Newcastle vs Leicester 17:30
Wed 13 Dec Newcastle vs Everton 19:45
Sat 16 Dec Arsenal vs Newcastle 15:00
Sat 23 Dec West Ham vs Newcastle 15:00
Wed 27 Dec Newcastle vs Man City 19:45
Sat 30 Dec Newcastle vs Brighton 15:00
Mon 1 Jan Stoke vs Newcastle 15:00
Comments welcome.
110 comments so far
Essex Geordie Bill
Nov 19, 2017 at 3:08 PM
Comment #1Ed’s on a roll, keep up lads!
Apparently you lot in the NE are going to get some snow, who’s up for shoveling it off St James Park as in the days of yore? 🙂
Essex Geordie Bill
Nov 19, 2017 at 3:09 PM
Comment #2I do believe that Rafa ought to take a serious look at Adam and Ivan, come January especially if he isn’t going to get this semi mythical war chest.
Probably worth taken a chance with some of the younger players, especially when you see other youngsters playing for England, are ours that much worse.
Essex Geordie Bill
Nov 19, 2017 at 3:11 PM
Comment #3Think I’ll take a break until the Bus stops! 🙂
sing in the corner
Nov 19, 2017 at 3:14 PM
Comment #4BILL
I watched Arma struggle to make an impact out on the left wing for Bolton yesterday.
He has had some crappy loans that kid. Not a left winger by any stretch. He needs to be somewhere where he plays central, wether that’s off a target man or the more advanced striker. Otherwise he might as well be playing for the reserves here and an option off the bench in PL
Online Guy
Nov 19, 2017 at 3:15 PM
Comment #5Welshgeordie9
Take it easy mate. You will be amazed where you get the strength from on the day.
Essex Geordie Bill
Nov 19, 2017 at 3:16 PM
Comment #6I’ve just watched the “Irish Pug Song”, haven’t got a link but if you can find it, it’s bloody hilarious.
Essex Geordie Bill
Nov 19, 2017 at 3:24 PM
Comment #7SITC
So he ought to be given a real chance or be sold on, it would be kinder to him.
Sammy showed some good moves in that game, think he might have been worth persevering with?
Lindisfarne
Nov 19, 2017 at 3:26 PM
Comment #8Low lights and goals:
http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Features/2017/Nov/Goals-video-Manchester-United-v-Newcastle-United-Sat-18-Nov-2017.aspx
sing in the corner
Nov 19, 2017 at 3:27 PM
Comment #9Bill
Nah not for me mate (Sammy). The type of player who always just shows flashes, not enough consistency, sadly.
Essex Geordie Bill
Nov 19, 2017 at 3:37 PM
Comment #10SITC
Aye but it’s those flashes that often produce the winning goals, something we could do with now.
RUNAWAY777
Nov 19, 2017 at 3:54 PM
Comment #11Sammy was not a great player but i remember the goal he scored in injury time against wba my have been the last kick gave us 3 pints.
hibbit
Nov 19, 2017 at 3:56 PM
Comment #12welshgeordie9
sorry for your loss
stay strong
Bambams
Nov 19, 2017 at 3:56 PM
Comment #132 1/2 year contract for Agent Coleman
sing in the corner
Nov 19, 2017 at 4:05 PM
Comment #14Bambams
..with a brief to ensure safc are still in the EFL after that time
🙂
Bambams
Nov 19, 2017 at 4:10 PM
Comment #15Sing
I was never really bothered about them until that year we dropped and Fat Sam parading around the stadium pretending to rip his jacket off.
So happy they are struggling – and I know it’s not grown up behaviour but that’s how I feel these last couple of seasons.
Oh for a new owner to take us away from relegation concerns.
bladeuser
Nov 19, 2017 at 4:16 PM
Comment #16Just proves most of you know sod all about football / strikers
All our strikers are useless to bang average championship dross and that includes who some of you think should be given a chance or not been shipped out
Sammy and Tony and arma
You get what you pay for 99% of the time
You pay 6 mil you get nothing you pay 30mil you get players like salah etc the team is still a few losses from being in the crap again and out top manager is not helping I don’t give a toss if you think the sun shines out his ass your the ones who know bugger all you just see somebody’s past achievements
Get real rafa has made mistakes and they are getting worse
Just my opinion so to some of you nerds don’t spit your black and white dummy out
ASH OUT
Essex Geordie Bill
Nov 19, 2017 at 4:23 PM
Comment #17bladeuser
You might not realize it but your posts really brighten up my day, you are without a doubt the Frankie Boyle of the blog.
🙂
sing in the corner
Nov 19, 2017 at 4:26 PM
Comment #18Bambams
Yeah 3 losses took the wind oot of our sails, but looking at the table this year… We are fortunate that there are a canny few teams in a far worse state than us. I don’t think 40 points will be needed to stay up this time. A bit of surgery in January will see us finish just below mid IMO.
Wonder if Rafa can go back in for Jovetic having said ‘I told ya so’?
Average_Contents
Nov 19, 2017 at 4:30 PM
Comment #19bladeabuser
I wonder how many bites you’ll get after that. Brilliant input yet again.
Bravo.
martoon
Nov 19, 2017 at 4:32 PM
Comment #20AncientC
“martoon, rather strange how you quite rightly suggest the HMRC investigation as to being relevant, but you then go on to conclude the relevance of that investigation is made up fairy stories. I guess some people cannot be trusted to be impartial because of their blind hatred of Ashley, that must be it.”
That’s not what I said at all. I said the HMRC investigation is about payments to agents being passed on to players without paying tax. From that people are saying there are all sorts of fiddles in the book – I’m saying that is not a natural presumption just because you don’t like Ashley! The books are looked at by auditors any way.
Rotonda heights
Nov 19, 2017 at 4:45 PM
Comment #21Bladeuser,
Did you sue the charm school? You do come across as a very aggressive individual without seeming to have much of a grasp of the social graces and niceties and your people skills seem to be non – existent.
Lukaku 75M, Joselu 5M
Pogba 90M, Hayden 2.5M
Everyone sees this and knows we have sub par strikers at this level so at best your point is moot and at worst plain ridiculous. Aim your vitriol at Ashley, not a manager who has a championship squad to contend with. Reactionary, slow brain, quick fists syndrome always comes to mind reading your posts as reasoned debate appears to be a different country to you.
Jib
Nov 19, 2017 at 4:57 PM
Comment #22Watching Andy Carroll getting the
bad treatment he is , off this excuse
of a ref in the Watford/WHU game.
Something occurs to me
The PL is now indisputably the best
league in the world with class players
from all 4 corners.
Yet
We still have this crap cadre of only English refs
Time to get the best refs from around the world involved methinks
No accusations of regional bias or vendettas against certain players
Other sports do it why does PL footy persist with these dodgy refs
Optimistic Panda
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:03 PM
Comment #23Jib
That isn’t a bad shout
jane
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:04 PM
Comment #24would have been one of the quickest sending offs if Carroll had gone after 6 seconds. should have at least got a yellow. seems refs think they should be lenient if the misdemeanor is early as with Kompany yesterday.
Jib
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:05 PM
Comment #25Andre Marriner could go on exchange to
La Liga . He’d get slaughtered in Spain.
Jail for Ashley
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:12 PM
Comment #26I think a Watford win is better for us in the bigger picture, would be good if that bottom three never picked up another point all season.
jane
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:16 PM
Comment #27with you on that one Jail
Jib
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:17 PM
Comment #28But but what about poor David ?
Bambams
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:22 PM
Comment #29On this performance it will be a long season foe West Ham.
Bambams
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:23 PM
Comment #30For*
Jib
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:24 PM
Comment #31That Brazilian Richarlison does it again
posada
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:26 PM
Comment #32Bladeuser
So, that’s you well and truly put in your place by the blogs resident Consultant Psychologist, Dr Rotonda Heights.
He’s not fully qualified, but he did once read a book.
Ketsbaia9
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:27 PM
Comment #33Can’t see us beating Watford. Will be a hard game.
Managed to get Champ Man 97/98 season on. That’s when we went downhill. See the link:
https://www.myabandonware.com/game/championship-manager-season-97-98-2db/play-2db
I think we need to aim for 5 wins in the next 10 games.
Ketsbaia9
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:31 PM
Comment #34Dalglish ruined our squad. Bringing in players like John Barnes and Ian Rush was a joke.
Ketsbaia9
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:36 PM
Comment #35Des Hamilton, Brian Pinas, Andy Griffin etc. That was a poor squad.
c-dog
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:40 PM
Comment #36This starting Joselu nonsense has to stop. Without question the worst first choice center forward in the league.
Frank pingles come sock
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:42 PM
Comment #37That’s the period I was at Newcastle in the reserves / borderline first team
From 1996-2001
Frank pingles come sock
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:43 PM
Comment #38Ralph Keidel , Paul Brayson , Paul Barrett , Jimmy Crawford , Peter Keen, Paul Dalglish , Paddy Kelly !! Etc
Frank pingles come sock
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:46 PM
Comment #39Des scored one of the best goals at St James park when Solano made his debut for reserves – top corner 30 yards. Other than that he was garbage !
Ketsbaia9
Nov 19, 2017 at 5:49 PM
Comment #40Yeah same here, that’s why I transferred to Wolves in 2000.