Newcastle should have won this game, but if you don’ take your chances you don’t get the cigar – so to speak.
The good news for Newcastle is that they pickled up their fifth clean sheet of the season this afternoon, after conceding seven goals in their last two games, but the bad news was they missed a number of chances and were blanked by an ordinary looking Swansea side.
Newcastle had a number of decent chances in the first half of this game, as both Demba Ba and Fabricio Coloccini hit the post in the first 45 minutes, but in the second half neither side could get a goal and the game ran out as a scoreless draw in front of just under 52,000 fans at St. James’ Park.
Newcastle now have just two points form their last five games, and are in a bit of a slump, after starting the season so well with 25 points from their first 11 games.
Before the game started there was a heart-warming tribute to the late Gary Speed, and his family joined the players and the supporters in a rendition of the hymn Bread of Heaven.
And as planned the supporters in the East Stand held up the number 11, which was Speed’s shirt number, in his six years on Tyneside.
Newcastle started this game in great style and there was only one team in it in the first 45 minutes, but Lady Luck again deserted Newcastle, and they just couldn’t get the ball into the back of the net.
On 25 minutes a Demba Ba shot was blocked by Ashley Williams after the stylish Davide Santon put over a dangerous center right across the face of goal.
Ba had Newcastle’s best chance of the first half, when he got the ball with his back to the goal, and then acrobatically volleyed the ball towards the goal, only to denied by a great save from Swansea’s Dutch International goalkeeper Michel Vorm.
Argentine International Jonas Gutierrez then went close as he put in a good shot after 44 minutes, but his effort was only just wide and at the half the score was 0-0 with Newcastle dominant.
And then on 46 minutes Ba went close again, but he put the ball just over the bar after a good cross from the right by Danny Simpson.
On 60 minutes Yohan Cabaye hit the ball into the side netting, and then former Newcastle winger Wayne Routledge did well to get the ball across the Newcastle penalty areas, but nobody was there to put the ball home.
And it was Demba Ba again after 67 minutes with a header that was well saved by Vorm, who looks a good goalkeeper, and two minutes later Newcastle should have had a free kick just outside the area.
Leon best was brought down after 69 minutes by Ashley Richards just outside the area, but Lee Mason simply waved play on, while TV replays showed it was a definite foul, but nothing was going for the Newcastle side this afternoon.
Shola Ameobi came on for Best shortly after the incident and the local lad went close on 72 minutes when he got to a nice through ball from Santon but hit the ball straight at Vorm.
But then Swansea should have gone ahead on 74 minutes, when Richards crossed the ball in for Geordie Danny Graham, and Sinclair was unmarked but amazingly hit the ball wide of the post – a let-off for Newcastle.
As the game was dying out Newcastle came forward to try to get all three points, and both Shola Ameobi and Demba Ba went close, but Newcastle just couldn’t get the winning goal, and it was a frustrating game for the Magpies.
There will be a lot of criticism because Newcastle didn’t win this game, but Newcastle will play a lot worse than this and come away with all 3 points in other games.
But once again, their luck was missing this afternoon, and if they had converted some of the chances they had in the first half, the lads could have come away with a fairly easy win.
Demba Ba could quite easily have had a hat trick today and again looked an excellent striker, and he definitely came at a good price.
But it’s still 2 points dropped, and now we must beat WBA on Wednesday night to beak this terrible run the lads are on at the moment, and then amke sure we get all 3 points at bottom of the league Bolton in the following game.
And it even looks like we’ll have to beat Liverpool at Anfield in the last game of the year, if we are to start climbing that league table again. 😀
And I’m only half kidding if we can go into that game with a back four of Simpson Coloccini Williamson and Santon.
Newcastle last won a game when we thrashed Everton 2-1 on on November 5th, and they are na bad run of 5 games at the moment (2 points), and w are being caught by teams beneath us, such as Stoke City, who have now won their last four league games.
Stoke have now gained 10 points on Newcastle in the last five games.
But there were still some positives to take out of this game, such as young Davide Santon looks a very good player in the making, and he’s probably a starter in the side now at left back.
And it was good to see both 19 year-olds Haris Vuckic and Mehdi Abeid on the bench, and Haris came on after 82 minutes, and 19 year-old Sammy Ameobi also came on after 71 minutes for Leon Best.
We just didn’t have the luck today and that happens sometimes, and yes – it’s so frustrating.
But let’s try to keep the faith – our boys can start climbing the league again in the games ahead – we’re sure of that.
Howay The Lads!!
Newcastle United (4-4-2): Krul; Simpson, Coloccini, Perch, Santon; Obertan (Sa Ameobi 82), Cabaye, Tiote (Vuckic 82), Gutierrez; Ba, Best (Sa. Ameobi 71). Subs: Harper (gk), Williamson, Ben Arfa, Abeid.
Swansea City (4-3-3): Vorm; Richards, Williams, Caulker, Taylor; Allen, Gower (Agustien 46), Britton; Routledge, Graham, Sinclair (Dyer 77). Subs: Dobbie, Monk, Lita, Moore, Tremmel.
Referee: Lee Mason
Att: 51,767
30 comments so far
davis_toons
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:29 PM
Comment #1We lack of a deadly player on the field today..NO.9? or a deadly WINGER?
Brutooon
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:30 PM
Comment #2the reason we dropped two points is because of JAMES PERCH. He bring Bad Luck to the side !!!
Get rid of James Perch and we will be unbeaten like before !!!
davis_toons
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:30 PM
Comment #3We needed Shearer. A deadly lethal Striker who can head as well.
davis_toons
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:31 PM
Comment #4Steven Taylor got tobe back to do some brave heading as well.
Benry
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:32 PM
Comment #5@ Brutoon noooo surely not, it can’t be James Perch! look how well he played today against the mighty swansea! rofl
nufcburty
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:32 PM
Comment #62.. please tell me you’re joking you superstitious guy!
davis_toons
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:32 PM
Comment #7James Perch did ok, quite ok, did intercepted a move.
Ben_W
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:34 PM
Comment #8@Brutoon you joking?
toonbrother
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:35 PM
Comment #9Swansea are a good side away from home yet we completely annihilated them for the first 80 minutes before pardew started making substitutions
Brutooon
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:36 PM
Comment #10James Perch did well? The reason he “did well” is that Collocini is playing/covering him. James Perch trying to do several “xabi alonso long pass” – didn’t make any success thought…..
Playing James Perch is the reason we got only 2 points out of 5 games. James Perch = Jinx
davis_toons
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:38 PM
Comment #11Someone mention Torres for Chieck. Thats quite fine but an exchange would be ok. NO tranfers fee .. money shld be spend.
Remember Micheal OWEN ….No.10?
Surly not a repeat
We’ll only spend on a DM.
Ben_W
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:38 PM
Comment #12Come on man, don’t be a fool! He played well today, there was a time where Sinclair was through and both saylor and willo would have been to slow to catch him but perch stopped the chance and played bloody well. Don’t be ignorant about him, he isn’t jinxing us for crying out loud! we weren’t clinical enough today, simple as. You can’t blame a defender for us not scoring in a play he had nothing to do with!
nufcburty
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:39 PM
Comment #13Brutooon, just shut up.
i think we were weak on the left with Gutierez.. notice obertan looked a real threat on the right, I think Ben Arfa should of come on the left wing.. Santon put Jonas to shame on going forward today.
supporter
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:39 PM
Comment #14somebody has to explain me, Ben Arfa can bring to Newcastle much more than Best, Shola, Sammy, Guti or Obertan. Anyway he is not playing so is it because he is not fit ? he is not training ?
I would suspect he has not recover his pace.Ben Arfa needs to be physically at his best to perform fantastically. Is it the reason ?
davis_toons
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:41 PM
Comment #15Alonso long pass wasnt too succeful. But for the current team is fair enough.
We need to SPEND and on the Right Players. min 2 for sure now.
Jonny
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:41 PM
Comment #16@9 before the game, Swansea had the worst away record in England!! haha, i know what you mean though, they keep the ball and frustrate the hell out of you!
Brutooon
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:43 PM
Comment #17Perch bring Jinx to the team eventhough he did play well
We need to push our Non-Jinx Centre Back back to the team because the more Perch played – the more we lose points
More Perch Time = More Lose or Draw
Ben_W
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:45 PM
Comment #18Hmm just out of curiousity where would people like HBA to play? As we all agree we need a new striker, but our current strikers are keeping HBA out of the team, so surely that’d just push him lower down the list? Would like to see him in an attacking CM role to see how he fared. He always seems to work hard to get the ball
Ruddy Marveaux-lous
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:45 PM
Comment #19Brutoon, were you used as a doorstop as a child?
supporter
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:46 PM
Comment #20the match was poor in my opinion, no real tactic, not a lot of ball s for Ba who is a gréât striker. Pardew dosent seem to have a good tactic except to ask the midfiel to kick long ball for 2 string and tall forward, that is it. This is poor and not spectaculaire to watch.
davis_toons
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:49 PM
Comment #21Wingers Needed to be more attacking, creative to score …as well.
Steve_48
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:50 PM
Comment #22Bruntoon – which game were you watching?
Perch helpde to keep the sheets clean – come on man give him a break – he’s a yourger player and gains MASSIVE confidence from playing along side the likes of Colo, a great reader of the game.
Perch is exposed when HE has to take the lead and not play second fiddle like he did today.
Credit where it’s due I could have played in goal today given the resoliance of our defence.
hatem or love him
Dec 17, 2011 at 5:59 PM
Comment #23Santon played amazingly good today, can’t wait till he’s really settled and up to the physicality side of it. His runs and crosses were spot on today MOTM!
stk85
Dec 17, 2011 at 6:43 PM
Comment #24hatem or love him, nice name!
i see all the nutters are out tonight.
i thought perch played really well, he tracked his man, put in some good tackles and passes, solid performance. and he plays for nufc, so lets no lambast him or say he’s a jinx, u make ur own luck in this game and hee’s obviously been working very hard.
ba and shola showed somee amazing sskills, as did jonas and santon,, and those two will become great together.
really disappointed with cabaye’s set pieces. really quite poor.
was a really good performance with no cutting edge, or even luck, but we keep on making chances and getting it in the right area.
i’d like to see mbiwa and giroud come in and that is all
stk85
Dec 17, 2011 at 6:46 PM
Comment #25actually, sorry i reviuse my statement: good performance until we started playing bloody hoofball! thought we’d sacked allardyce??!
nice to see haris vuckic getting game time
toon tom
Dec 17, 2011 at 7:02 PM
Comment #26how can anyone say it was a poor game today, when was the last time time we dominated a team like that, swansea were awful, theres no pleasing some people, yes we should of won, but we could of fielded another striker today, tim krul had nowt to do
TooNArMy0
Dec 17, 2011 at 7:03 PM
Comment #27HBA will leave in summer if not in january because of the di**head AP sh**
hotdog
Dec 17, 2011 at 7:07 PM
Comment #28#24 Cheers bud saves me typing all that out as you have the exact same thoughts as me:-)
Im guessing that was Speedo’s lad with his grandad, brave lad eh well done kidda!
ash1001
Dec 17, 2011 at 8:03 PM
Comment #29Will not complain about effort, but frustrated by one or two things:-
The inability to deliver a good ball into the box.
Corners going straight to the defender.
Lack of strength from the wingers at times.
AP’s inability to chase the pattern of play, i.e introducing HBA – whats the point of him sitting on the bench, even more so when he takes of 2 and brings on Shola and Sammy, who were like for like but incapable of changing the game.
Sorry AP this one is laid at your door, for poor tactics, also please stop using the press to sell our players, you continually fuel the fire with your comments.
hatem or love him
Dec 17, 2011 at 8:46 PM
Comment #30stk85 thanks mate 8)