Since the game against Blackburn on 1st March Newcastle have played extremely well except for just two halfs of football. The second half against Liverpool and the first half against Birmingham.
Kevin Keegan – training methods showing big dividends
Apart from those two halfs Newcastle have played solid attacking football for the other eight halfs we’ve played during our last 5 games against Blackburn (h), Liverpool (a), Birmingham(a), Fulham(h) and Spurs(a), and we have a good 7 points to show for it.
In fact, if we can play good attacking football for the full 90 minutes it’s hard to see how most teams can match us, because we play at such a high tempo and seem to be able to maintain that quite easily over the full 90 minutes, due to the improved fitness of our players under Kevin Keegan.
And the football is so good to watch it makes a bit of a mockery of our poor position in the league – but we’re pragmatists and we got where we are due to some terrible play, and we just cannot forget that. We deserve to be where we are because we’ve played so badly in the past, and with such little confidence.
But the way the lads have been playing in the last 3 games is reminding Newcastle fans of the way Kevin Keegan always plays the game – to win and always has the team going forward.
It doesn’t matter if we play the bottom of the league team at home or the top of the league team away, Kevin sets his team out and sends them into battle for all 3 points – he goes after the win in every game. He’ll never send out a team to get all 11 behind the ball as soon as the game kicks off – and good for him. 😀
Kevin’s been criticized for that but he’s also garnered an awful lot of genuine respect from other managers and seems so very well liked and admired in the game.
We think that’s the way the game was meant to be played and it’s the way Brazil have always played the game, and they have long been the salvation of attacking football throughout the years, and are so admired in world football.
There’s just no doubt that if Newcastle continue to play the way we’ve been playing over the last few games, we’ll soon attract many more fans to the club, who will love to watch the open attacking way Newcastle play the game.
That’s exactly what owner Mike Ashlkey wants to see, and he’s now getting that from his team, hopefully every week from now on. That has to continue against Reading on Saturday and we just must capture another 3 points in that game.
What do you think?
Comments very welcome.
13 comments so far
Marty
Apr 3, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Comment #1The way we are playing will attract new fans for sure n let`s hope it also can attract some BRAZILIAN style footballers that wanna play free flowing footie!!!
Think JUNINHO of lyon would be a good capture.
3 points please on Saturday is a must to keep the momentum going,YIPPEE
Leo
Apr 3, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Comment #2ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK, i think thats me first comment once again, other people are busy on the joey barton threat name throwing
Leo
Apr 3, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Comment #3oh ok 1 minute off first comment, i will take second place with good crac
keith hardy
Apr 3, 2008 at 11:20 AM
Comment #4attack is great..but we want to WIN something. Look what happened last time!!!
staffsmag
Apr 3, 2008 at 11:23 AM
Comment #5As Ron Manager would say ….. Ahh you know isn’t it ……… running with the ball, wasn’t it Ginola, Ferdinand, Shearer …… mmmmm attacking football ………. brilliant wasn’t it ! Long may it continue – welcome back King Kev
Vitorbarbosa
Apr 3, 2008 at 11:28 AM
Comment #6Yeah, I would love to see us attack, attack and attack and at the same time getting the result we wanted. 🙂
I don’t think we are playing at a high tempo. I think we slow it down a bit, more of possession football than direct football. We are direct when we want to attack but we know when to hold the ball, slow down the play instead of hack the ball up field to launch another attack.
I know, we already play better attacking football compared to Chelsea and Liverpool. It just that, we can’t defend as well as we wanted.
clinta
Apr 3, 2008 at 12:41 PM
Comment #7‘it’s hard to see how other teams can match us we play at such high a tempo’ yep, were definately getting carried away now, win all 6 games, now how can other teams match us… well they’ve managed to match us all season and we’ve played good recently in parts yes, but we’ve only had 2 wins on the trot, settle down ed and everyone else..
or you’ll all be bitterly disappointed all over again mid way through next season.
stjames
Apr 3, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Comment #8… Played extremely well/ … because we play at such a high tempo/ … it’s the way Brazil have always played the game/ … played solid attacking football.
I don’t know what you’re drinking ED. I’m drinking English Breakfast tea with a little cold milk and I see things differently. I didn’t see the Blackburn game but the HOME game against Fulham was decent and the Spurs game brilliant.
I don’t see the high tempo but our possession is much improved and so is our passing. The main components of our success in the last 2 games is Owen’s new role and the how our overall defending has improved. Owen is sheer class in his new position and the whole team is defending with heart, not just the back 4. How we closed down Spur’s was fantastic.
We still have a long way ahead of us and I’m sure we will enjoy every step with KK guiding us.
Bill F
Apr 3, 2008 at 2:23 PM
Comment #9Blimey, nice to see someone else pushing for Juninho.
The thing about a confident team is that they tend to keep the ball and dictate the play more. This is what we are seeing and it stems from hard work on the training ground. Result, more fluency and a better tempo to the overall play.
I don’t know where Sam went wrong but I reckon he lost it somewhere on the training ground which was surprising given his supposed ideas and beliefs.
Punk Skunk
Apr 3, 2008 at 6:50 PM
Comment #10How Bill F, i think it’s more to do with how KK gets onside with the lads, than how SA does!..
…KK just seems to know how to make players feel good about themselves, which is crucial!..
Bill F
Apr 3, 2008 at 11:47 PM
Comment #11Surely it’s what KK himself has been saying re. the training. They have been trying to work more as a team. Personality can only take you so far.
Having said that the last few managers apart from Sir Bob have been a fairly sad faced lot. That is before KK returned.
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Nov 14, 2023 at 6:07 PM
Comment #12[…] rápidos si eso implicaba mucho riesgo. PodrÃamos estar dirigiéndonos a los reinos del Newcastle de Keegan , los Spurs de Ardilles, o podrÃamos estar a punto de ver el Lincoln de principios de 06/07 […]
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Comment #13[…] rápidos si eso implicaba mucho riesgo. PodrÃamos estar dirigiéndonos a los reinos del Newcastle de Keegan , los Spurs de Ardilles, o podrÃamos estar a punto de ver el Lincoln de principios de 06/07 […]