Central midfield is an area of the team that Joe Kinnear will look to strengthen, as well as left back, when the January transfer window opens in 24 days time.
Chris Hughton discussing things with Joe Kinnear
Chris Hugton talked about our central midfield strength today:
“Central midfield is an area that we do need to strengthen,” “I think Geremi did well in there first half but apart from him, who can also play wide, we have Nicky Butt, Danny Guthrie and Joey Barton. Today in the second half we had three of the three out.”
Wonder why Chris didn’t mention Ignacio Gonzalez, who is our 4th central midfielder, who has an injured Achilles and is out until March.
That’s one reason we are short in central midfield because Joey Barton and Ignacio Gonzalez, who has hardly played at all since his arrival on loan from Valencia, are both long term injury victims.
And because of the lack of central midfielders we let ourselves down badly in the second half on Saturday, again conceding an injury time equalizer, and we can only imagine what the Newcastle dressing room was like after the game.
Chris added:
“Sometimes when you come to changing room in situations like this and you are bitterly disappointed, sometimes you don’t have to say too much, the players know themselves. They’re very aware, very angry and disappointed.”
“I would put us in the same group as seven or eight teams at the moment, striving to pull clear of the bottom three. We’re not doing it because we’re not winning enough games. But there is a confidence we can get the two or three wins on the bounce which will take us away from the bottom.”
It was a disappointing result on Saturday to say the least.
We saw the best of Newcastle in the first half and things were buzzing at half time when we were 2-0 up. But then we saw the worst in the second half, when we so weakly succombed to a poor Stoke City side.
We should have kept attacking in the second half, that’s where the tactics were woefully inadequate.
We’re dropping far too many points at home for comfort though, that’s for sure.
Comments welcome
66 comments so far
Stardust
Dec 8, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Comment #41Dave – totally agree mate – anyone who was at the ground would agree – anyone who disagrees simply was either not in the ground or too drunk to care
Richard
Dec 8, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Comment #42If people are going to try and criticise Taylor – at least provide a balanced view. Coloccini was at fault for both goals on Saturday and ppl are blaming Taylor??!!? Ridiculous.
neeraj
Dec 8, 2008 at 12:44 PM
Comment #43dave and stardust
when drifting to center back u mean
making the sidebe challenge????
how many chances developed from taylor’s flank if he was so out of position???
JonnyNufc
Dec 8, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Comment #44Cannot see the need for this endless blame of taylor…he made no mistakes yesterday.
Blaming him for the first goal is laughable.
And if he hadnt drifted inside at one point they would have scored a clear goal if not for his saving tackle.
The first goal was 100% colo, he just got outpaced and outmuscled by fuller, simple as that. No one else had an effect on him whatsoever.
It was also colo who let Faye drift right past him for the 2nd goal. Go watch the replays.
JonnyNufc
Dec 8, 2008 at 12:52 PM
Comment #45Anyone that blames taylor go here:
http://www.eplmatches.com/index.php/2008/12/06/newcastle-vs-stoke-city-highlights/
Watch the highlights.
You can see EASILY Taylor is NOWHERE NEAR fuller for the first goal.
For the 2nd you can see its Colo Marking faye before they put the free kick in, as he’s the only player standing on his own afterwards. Watch it.
JonnyNufc
Dec 8, 2008 at 12:55 PM
Comment #46Anyone that blames taylor go here:
http://www.eplmatches.com/index.php/2008/12/06/newcastle-vs-stoke-city-highlights
Watch the highlights.
The first is clearly all Colo & on the 2nd you can see its colo marking Faye. Watch right before the free kick happens whos marking who & watch whos left standing on his own right behind Faye following it.
Wake up to the fact that Colo has been making mistakes also, yes we paid 10 mill…but he has been far from perfect. He still needs to step up.
Sav
Dec 8, 2008 at 1:02 PM
Comment #47Thanks to Chris Hughton for his assessment on needing at least on quality CM. But we heard it all said before by Keegan in June and I seem to remember a first choice LB was also a priority target.
But then Dennis knows better….
Sav
Dec 8, 2008 at 1:06 PM
Comment #48Of our LB tagets, it seems Hearts fans are none too enamoured of Obua who has been both injured and indifferent for them, Vargas has been barracked by fans at Fiorentina and Marenque – well l no-one has heard of him before, so he’s a gamble at best.
Gateshead Mag.
Dec 8, 2008 at 1:12 PM
Comment #49Fletcher from Man United
Bullard from Fulham
Diaby from Arsenal
Ireland from Man City(unlikely, but if they buy kaka etc)
Arteta – Cahill from Everton
Geovanni from Hull
any of them we could do with.
Stardust
Dec 8, 2008 at 1:14 PM
Comment #50JonnyNufc
We who were there will tell you Taylor unsettled everyone – although the ultimate blame is JKs as he messed up the subs.
First goal was preventable if taylor had simply covered the pass instead of sliding whilst jogging on his backside.
The second Colo was positioned correctly. Taylor was too high and “if you watch the replays” you will see he is highsided and taken out of the game once more because of his positioning.
Colo was marking at the back and taylor in the middle – he was there to clear flick ons but was too high – end of.
JonnyNufc
Dec 8, 2008 at 2:07 PM
Comment #51You’re being clueless.
Both times Colo was marking the players, its as simple as that.
Its his responsibility to stop fuller from getting around him & to stop faye from getting to the ball first and having time to pull his leg back and swing.
Blaming taylor for the first goal is a complete joke. The guy was passing it into the goalmouth from just outside the post ffs, Taylor couldnt have done anything about it. He was running across from the right hand side and nearly made it.
The 2nd Colo stands still after the flick on and faye scores.
Eplmatches.com go look up the goals again.
chuck
Dec 8, 2008 at 2:08 PM
Comment #52Veloso
Diarra
Moutinho
Appiah
Alonso
And for Tom Toon = Topal
There you go Joe, just give the list to Dennis.
Tom_Toon
Dec 8, 2008 at 2:10 PM
Comment #53Chuck – We have no chance in any of those players except for Topal and Appiah.
chuck
Dec 8, 2008 at 2:21 PM
Comment #54Tom Toon
Oh yee of little faith, who knows unless we try.
Yeah I see you are lobbying for Topal, well perhaps we may get him , If he is as good as you think , Great!
J Tudor
Dec 8, 2008 at 2:28 PM
Comment #55The simple fact is that the 2 stoke goal scorers were both Taylors men. I aggree with stardust the defence goes down hill as soon as taylor is in there. We’ve had a bad defence for years and most of the flops we’ve had at centre back have played alongside mr taylor and you’s lot talk about taylor as a scapegoat. Now he seems to be making a class act like colo look like a poor player. When the argie leaaves who’s the next centre half who’s not good enough to play next to taylor (maldini, nesta)? Should never have sold Abdulaye Faye he would have been good next to colo.
JonnyNufc
Dec 8, 2008 at 2:42 PM
Comment #56What in the hell are you looking at??
Seriously ?
Go watch the goals ffs, the 2nd goal was taylors man was it? Are you blind?????????
Colocinni CAN be class, but stop deluding yourselves to his performances.
Blaming that first goal on taylor makes you look a complete tw.t
As i said, fuller pulled the ball back from near the post right into the goalmouth ffs.
No defender would have been able to do sht about it.
Sort yourselves out. Morons.
JonnyNufc
Dec 8, 2008 at 2:44 PM
Comment #57Next game it will be, oh taylors appearance on the bench has clearly distracted colocinni, we need to just drop the lad all together blah blah blah.
Taylors done a FINE job in the England u21’s, pearce rates him very highly.
Both he and Colo have made mistakes this season, its that simple. They’ve needed games together to click.
Bassong & Beye are the only two to have been consistantly sturdy so far.
J Tudor
Dec 8, 2008 at 3:04 PM
Comment #58It’s no surprise that since Taylor has been out our defence has been playing better. I can clearly see that jonny will be roling out the same old ‘wasn’t taylors fault’ rubbish for years to come until a manager comes in and decides that yes he’s 100% yes he’s got a geordie accent yes he gives you the odd blood and thunder challenge but bottom line, not good enough!! would he still be here if he was spanish or french I very much doubt it, would have been let go along time ago.
Shola Ameobi
Dec 8, 2008 at 3:11 PM
Comment #59I was at the game, and taylor clearly disrupted the back 4. When Bassong and Collo where playing together in the first half, stoke didnt get a sniff. Then Taylor comes on and cant decide whether he wants to be playing right back or CB. You could see every time stoke attacked Collo was having to check where Taylor was becouse half the time he was hovering in positions which Collo had been occupying for the first half.
Taylor isnt totally to blame though. Kinnear messed up the midfield and the defence with his half time shuffle. Its beyond me why he didnt just stick capaca in the holding role when Danny came off, Jonas looked lost in the middle, and beye looked lost on the right. Dissapointing considering they where beating stokes left siders at will in the first half.
Ive been saying since he got here Joes use for subs in appauling for a PL manager. Every game he makes at least 1 questionable change, and whenever we go up im sure his general theory is to stick 10 men behind the ball and just let the other team attack and hope they dont score. Doesn’t work Joe. Doesn’t work.
Oh wait, Joe got us a point against Chelsea. He must be an awesome manager afterall……. yeah right.
Stardust
Dec 8, 2008 at 3:39 PM
Comment #60Shola Ameobi – great post – one man watches a two second highlight (even then ignores the facts and responsibilities players have to each other) and chooses to support taylor.
I think your assesment is bang on. As poor as taylor is, and as unsettling he is to play with the blame for this one is with JK – we dominated the whole first half we were playing the ball beautifully from the back and up through the pitch.
JK has to take these 2 points lost as his responsibility.
Taylor should besent out on loan till he learns to play the game properly.
TOONADDICT
Dec 8, 2008 at 3:53 PM
Comment #61all you who are blaming everything on taylor get a fukin life because he didnt play full game he played right back which is not even his right position and hes been out injured plus he is a good centre back and people are only sayin that cos they worship coloccini well wherewas he for stoke first and second….. nowt to do with taylor he is a good centre back!!!
nightfall
Dec 8, 2008 at 4:53 PM
Comment #62Gateshead Mag. – no not fletcher…he also needs great players around him (same as with smith)..he’d suck in our team…
Richard
Dec 8, 2008 at 5:16 PM
Comment #63Ha ha ha ha – laughable comments from the anti-Taylor brigade. Jump off that little bandwagon you’ve got going on and try and look at the facts OBJECTIVELY. Then post again.
wigaz
Dec 8, 2008 at 7:15 PM
Comment #64I think we should go for Scott Brown from celtic, he’s box to box strong in the tackle and would strengthen our mid without a doubt. We should go for Appiah on a free too. Two good buys to go in to first team Get bridge as well sorted there’s £12m spent.
Brown £6m
Bridge £6m
======Given======
Beye==Colo=Bassong=Bridge
Jonas==Brown==Appiah=Zog=
===Viduka====Oba=====
Only missed Owen coz i think he will leave. Sorry to say hope he doesn’t but think he will.
Stardust
Dec 8, 2008 at 7:28 PM
Comment #65TOONADDICT and Richard – Take it youve never played.
Richard
Dec 8, 2008 at 7:58 PM
Comment #66Ummmm – yes I have. Judging by your ludicrous statements I’m guessing you don’t have much of a clue about football?