Newcastle manager Chris Hughton was not pleased with the Newcastle display at West Brom this afternoon, when we were hammered 3-1, with the score hardly representative of how much better West Brom were.
Chris Hughton – we were not good enough
Newcastle had one of those days when they just didn’t turn up, in spite of talk during the week that the team would be going all out for a win, after a very decent point at home to Chelsea.
But it was yet another very poor performance in an up and down season for the Magpies, when we don’t seem to bother against the weaker sides in the league, and that’s starting to cost us an awful lot of points – we now have 2 points from the last 15.
Chris told Sky Sports after the game this afternoon:
“We wasn’t good enough today, we made fundamental mistakes for the goals, it was probably 35 minutes into that first half before we got a decent period of play where I thought we were good enough on the ball.”
“What we were able to do, we were able to restrict their goalscoring opportunities but we added to our own downfall on all three goals.”
“What these do, they play a system and they’ve got very good footballers in that system and you know that there are going to be periods of the game where you are going to have to concede that they will have possession of the ball.”
“But you need to have a good enough shape that can cope with that and that means going through periods where you restrict the opportunities they have but you then take your chances.”
“Now we had chances, the game became an open game, we could have had goals but at that stage they had already scored two goals and had already had the lion’s share of possession, particularly in the first half.”
And after being quite solid in defense at the beginning of the season we’re starting to collapse a bit with our second away defeat in a row, and 8 goals conceded.
Chris seems well aware of that, as he continued:
“It’s not like us, we’re on the back of two away defeats where we’ve conceded goals, it hadn’t been like us to concede the type of goals that we have but we have got to make sure we learn from this one.
“If there was an example of how unforgiving this league is then it is today and we have got to make sure we learn from that.”
Today was just not good enough and we have to hope it’s a one off, and Newcastle can take this as a big turning point in their season – as happened last season – when we had successive defeats at Nottingham Forest and Scunthorpe United, and then went on a 7 game winning streak.
Hope springs eternal.
17 comments so far
bill
Dec 5, 2010 at 6:34 PM
Comment #1We looked like prime relegation candidates.
Geordiedoonsooth
Dec 5, 2010 at 6:38 PM
Comment #2CH needs a GOOD assitant now or is MA waiting until January & then replace him with Martin O’Neil
bentoon
Dec 5, 2010 at 6:48 PM
Comment #3As if MA would pay O’Neils wages. We need to keep CH.
Howay The Lads
Dec 5, 2010 at 6:59 PM
Comment #4Not looking good, but thank God we have Nolan & Barton back!
Carroll, Nolan, Tiote & Carroll will decide our season.
Keep them fit and firing and we can finish mid-table.
If they get injured lots then it will be very tough
transfer tony
Dec 5, 2010 at 7:03 PM
Comment #5Theres no way we are finishing mid table. Its all about survival!
jimiley
Dec 5, 2010 at 7:20 PM
Comment #6Its been up and down for the first ten games but its been downhill all the way after we beat Arsenal. Still reckon we are going in the right direction Ed?
Prediction: Hoots will not be manager by the end of January.
I am NOT calling for his head but this anal owner of ours gives the manager no money, undermines him with a short crap contract and then expects him to work wonders. He is easily the worst owner in living memory. The fat man will get rid of Hoots because he is not a miracle worker. I am one of the ten thousand who will not go back until he has gone. (Av gate 42,000 and will decrease much more) I used to commute from London and attend away matches but this owner is just taking the …. out of the fans. Its one thing being a loyal fan but quite another being treated like a prat
chuck
Dec 5, 2010 at 7:22 PM
Comment #7Hey look at the side we had to put out !
Look injuries will take their toll and without a Nolan Joey, we are fairly ordinary.
Which is no excuse for the pathetic effort put out, reminded me of some of the games of our relegation season.
Hopefully this is not going to be a repeat performance.
One thing it highlights is a strong squad is needed and i`m afraid our bench is not of sufficient quality.
With Ben Arfa, Gosling, Barton, Nolan out, we have to rely on players who are inconsistent.
We could still use a number of replacements and it`s time to get rid of the deadwood and replace them with a bit of quality.
Thats if we want to secure a permanent role in this division.
I just can`t face contemplating another season in the second tier !
As for getting rid of CH and replacing him with MO`N. gotta be joking, guy spent a fortune at Villa, resulting in no more than a mediocre side.
Had some success at Celtic, but also outspent everyonne in the league.
And if you cant win something in Scotland as manager of Celtic, you should`nt be there in the first place.
CH is the perfect manager for Ashley, does`nt cost much, has created a side that in general punches above their weight, has made some astute buys, costing well below the players real value.
Created unity in the dressing room etc., who needs a big name re-tread ?
There are some pretty good non big name managers in the league, @, Wigan, Bolton, W/Brom and Stoke and CH fit`s right in as one of those up and comers.
Shot Bru
Dec 5, 2010 at 7:37 PM
Comment #84-4-2 doesn’t work for us…Carroll is a better player up front on his own with someone like Nolan, Barton or HBA(who won’t play for us again) playing behind him. West Brom always had a spare man in the middle of the pitch as playing Ameobi in a 442 is akin to playing with 10 men, lazy fecker that he is, when will we ever get rid of him! We need 2 wide men who can cross a ball, unlike routledge and jonas. They provide no ammunition for Carroll whatsoever.
hanz_MLY
Dec 5, 2010 at 7:48 PM
Comment #9arghhh .. Please, God, please save Newcastle United this season … Can’t bear the pain till Jan ’11!
To CH, wake up or you’re out! Same goes to some players! Really must do something right & the results soon!
Jarra
Dec 5, 2010 at 7:57 PM
Comment #10I have just got back from the match and it was cold and a very miserable effort.
The team seemed to have lost the spirit that was clearly visable earlier on, worrying?????
Obviously we are not at panic stations yet, however the future depends on one man and one man only.
ASHLEY a penny for your thoughts I don’t think he will let us go down as one of his options could be to sell the club and obviously better off in the premiership to do that.
Is he going to back CH as we do need to buy and for me a Robbie Keane would be someone worth a thought.
Does he want CH as long term manager again the signs are to me that he is not sure and certainly not helping him with a suitable assistant.
So one man alone will decide our destiny and my gut feeling is he wants us to survive with as little spending of his money then sell.
Your thoughts?
jimiley
Dec 5, 2010 at 7:58 PM
Comment #11Chuck
Ben Arfa is history and if he does come back for the last half dozen games, do you really expect him to make a massive impact. Forget him. he will not be signed. Fat man says no.
jimiley
Dec 5, 2010 at 8:02 PM
Comment #12Jarra
Hoots survival chances are on a par with an inmate at Auschwitz. The fat man will spend nowt. Why should he change when he has spent nowt for three years. He spends nowt on the manager and gives the manager nowt to spend. Now consider where we will be in May.
Shot Bru
Dec 5, 2010 at 8:04 PM
Comment #13jimiley, you’re right Ben Arfa will never play for us again….or for any other premiership team for that matter. Forgive me if i repeat myself but my previous comment didn’t come up. Playing 442 with Ameobi is like playing with 10 men…he is too lazy, when will we ever get rid of him! In fact carroll is a better player leading the line on his own..pity we don’t have wide men who can beat their man and cross a ball unlike the hapless Jonas and Routledge!
paul0407
Dec 5, 2010 at 8:21 PM
Comment #14Think you guys may be wrong about Ben Arfa, i reckon he may want to come and play for us fans even if it is just till end of the season. Agree with previous posys with jonas and routledge, wayne lacks confidence where as jonas is simply CRAP. Shola, what can i say, never really looks interested. Dont want to slag the lad off but think it is time to walk away and drop a division. My main concern is Guthrie, why must we be made to watch this league 1 player ruin our limited attacks by giving the ball away, turning backwards in possesion and being 5 yards off the pace. would rather Smith started to be honest!!! Rant over lets try to get behind the lads and CH and hope MA allows a bit tinkering next month.
jimiley
Dec 5, 2010 at 8:27 PM
Comment #15Shotbru,
The worst player has to be Smudger but he hardly gets a game. The worst regular is Jonas. cannot cross, cannot shoot but he can give the ball away really well. He runs up blind alleys and then falls over like Michelin man at the first hint of a challenge. Three and a half sommersaults with piked entry.
Dennis Twice
Dec 5, 2010 at 10:34 PM
Comment #16I love Newcastle go go go!
Sav
Dec 6, 2010 at 12:50 AM
Comment #17It has all been there to see in previous matches, even some of the ones we’ve scraped through.
Di Matteo had our number and a lot of fullbacks now have Jonas taped.
The most worrying thing was how effectively they dealt with ‘unplayable’ Andy Carroll. They played him like Grandad’s fiddle today. If other teams start to cotton on to us before Xmas, its going to be a long second half of the season.
Seeing Smith come on and slap straight into a really crude, late lunge for which he was rightly carded just depressed me today. When Hoots says, “What these do, they play a system and they’ve got very good footballers in that system and you know that there are going to be periods of the game where you are going to have to concede that they will have possession of the ball.” WTF? They are mostly journeymen signed for peanuts and paid buttons. How about practicing some control and passing the ball on Monday? We were embarrassed.