Matt Ritchie had a good game yesterday for Newcastle and was one of our better players. His versatility was on display as he moved into central midfield when Jonjo Shelvey had to leave with a minor knock.
Matt spoke to NUFC TV after the game yesterday and, like the rest of the players who made comments, expressed disappointment with the result but optimism about the performance.
He spoke about our two latest record signings in Miguel Almiron and Joelinton a bit and how they should prove to be exciting going forward. He also spoke about the poor goal but took some consolation that it was preventable.
This is a little of what Matt said yesterday after the game:
“I thought we performed really well in spells, we got into some really good areas.
“The quality wasn’t quite there in the final third – speaking for myself, really, I feel I should have had a shot on one and there was one cross that I felt I should have done better with personally.
“We got into some good areas, created some in the final third – I thought Miguel and Joe were a real handful.
“Miggy was fantastic throughout the whole game and I’m sure that will excite everyone involved with the club, so there are certainly positives to take.
“Defensively we were very solid, very sound, and it’s just disappointing that the goal came from a little bit of sloppy play from us rather than outstanding play from Arsenal.
“Playing top teams with top players, you have to limit them to very little. We did that and they probably only had one or two shots on our goal.
“But at the top level, they take them and Aubameyang, a top striker, did that, so it’s frustrating. But we need to dust ourselves down and move on.”
We thought the performance was a good one yesterday and subsequent viewings, with emotion removed, makes that clear. Matty Ritchie played very well and Almiron and Joelinton caused Arsenal problems especially in the first half.
The boys lacked a bit of cutting edge in the final third but it was the first competitive match for Joelinton and Almiron together so they will only improve. We also thought that Isaac Hayden and Fabian Schar were excellent. There are a lot of positives to take from yesterday. We are glad the leaders of this team are putting an emphasis on that.
137 comments so far
Jail for Ashley
Aug 12, 2019 at 6:23 PM
Comment #1Question bloggers,
If your Balding chimpanzee suggested to you it would be a good idea to fill the petrol car with diesel as it saves money and you did to disastrous results, once fixed after a lot of time and effort from a very good mechanic and your balding chimpanzee said to you shall we start filling the car full of diesel again now that interfering mechanic is gone? Would you A: repeatedly slap the balding chimps head and send it back to the zoo or grin and nod inanely and give it a banana?
swemag
Aug 12, 2019 at 6:25 PM
Comment #2For people who can’t get off Jamaals back.
He was on his own against two Arsenal players, if he goes for Aubameyang Dummet is on his own with two Arsenal players. Using the same logic I guess you could blame Schar for being too high up the pitch and not being able to catch Aubameyang, Schar was completely lost on that play and can be seen chasing after Aubameyang. However, the criminal thing here is that with a back line playing like that you simply cannot lose the ball the way we lost it. Criminal.
Plodding Pudding Bruce
Aug 12, 2019 at 6:25 PM
Comment #3Now is it just me…. or was St Maximin a bit of a headless chicken.
Doesn’t seem to play with his head up looking for his own team. Similar to Ben Arfa.
Plodding Pudding Bruce
Aug 12, 2019 at 6:28 PM
Comment #4I’m not saying Ben Arfa was a headless chicken btw.
posada
Aug 12, 2019 at 6:32 PM
Comment #5Has anyone e mailed the Magpie Group.
How many members do they have.
Who decides their policy.
What is their strategy.
Who made the decision to call for a boycott. Is that decision recorded anywhere. Can we have it explained.
Silence.
ChicagoToon1
Aug 12, 2019 at 6:33 PM
Comment #6Hello Neil,
I don’t mean this aggressively by any means, but I disagree regarding Schar. I thought he had a poor game. Misplaced just about every pass he tried and then instead of keeping it simple as the game wore on it wasn’t working, he doubled down and kept trying to overcomplicate it with poor results. Overall, I think if people were being honest even with a Rafa led team, they could accept a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal. Its just disappointing result given it was a weakened Arsenal team and had our subs been better we maybe even could have rescued a point.
swemag
Aug 12, 2019 at 6:38 PM
Comment #7@ Chicago ? Agreed on Schar. I though the had a poor game. He was also too high up the pitch on their goal, I am not blaming him for that, but with a three man back line you have to wonder how wise it is to be above the opponents fastest attacker as a defender.
Rotonda heights
Aug 12, 2019 at 6:47 PM
Comment #8Jail
I imagine bills son gives it a banana.
Very good analogy there.
hibbit
Aug 12, 2019 at 6:51 PM
Comment #9looks like Matt Ritchie is desperate for that new and improved contract, all of a sudden he’s the go to guy for a regime supporting statement,
9
Aug 12, 2019 at 6:53 PM
Comment #10Arsenal B team v NUFC 1st team: two very poor outfits. Main difference, throughout the 90 minutes, was passing: Arsenal kept the ball for ages, though doing very very little with it. Once we got it we repeatedly gave it away almost immediately due to shocking passing (that’s where their goal came from). I know we never laid a glove on them attack-wise, which is quite demoralising (they only kept one clean sheet away from home in the whole of last season- wow, what does that say about us?), but not being able to keep possession was terrible. Can we hope it was just a one-off?
hibbit
Aug 12, 2019 at 6:54 PM
Comment #11posada
have you Emailed them and not got a reply ???????
beermonkey
Aug 12, 2019 at 6:57 PM
Comment #12banana banana banana
posada
if you that interested email them yourself you must have an account
the guys involved have answered you multiple times
your making out they got something to hide
Bobbybee
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:07 PM
Comment #13Hibbett, that ugly twat is not me. Who the f**k do you think you are? That’s not my seat either. You sad individual. You’ve never met me. You have no idea what I look like. Yet you pluck some random picture from 47.5k people and claim its me? I actually used to think of you as one of the better posters, is it any wonder I don’t bother any more? This blog has gone downhill rapidly and you’ve just confirmed how far.
Bills Son Is Back
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:16 PM
Comment #14Schar needs to be careful he doesn’t buy into the hype he has been getting.
As Sweemag pointed out, he was (and not for the first time in the game) far too far up the pitch when the ball was up to PEA.
Yes he had a couple of great runs and goals last season but he is one of three CB’s, not a 6th midfielder.
If he goes on a run one of the mids has to drop back to cover or teams will allow Schar to run with ball and exploit the space behind him.
This is exactly what the oppo did with Santon, he’d go way into their half get shown into the middle of the pitch because he was all right foot, lose the ball and it was hit straight into the wing space he’d left.
Tiote struggled a bit in his second season because he believed the hype plus he got sussed on how he turned with the ball – teams closed him down with two men as soon as he received the ball and he lost it time and again.
Schar is good, but if he thinks he is better than he actually is he’ll get found out this season.
giimps
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:17 PM
Comment #15Martoon
Position 14th
Points 42
League cup 3rd round
FA Cup 5th round
Player of the season Hayden
Top goal scorer. Joelinton
No of goals 11
Cheers for your hard work by the way
Reilly
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:17 PM
Comment #16OT.Im building an 80’s movie collection,anyone remember any good movies from the time.
Jib
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:19 PM
Comment #17Trading Places
giimps
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:19 PM
Comment #18Surely that is down to coaching from Bruce ,if schar goes on a wander, whoever is closest drops in, after all he does score on occasion and not every team will have pace enough o exploit the space if he loses it ?
Jib
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:20 PM
Comment #19The Blues Brothers
Reilly
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:22 PM
Comment #20Got them jib.
Jib
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:22 PM
Comment #21Dragnet
Reilly
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:23 PM
Comment #22Got it.
Jib
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:24 PM
Comment #23Roxanne
Paully
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:26 PM
Comment #24Martoon,
Final Position: 18
Final Number of Points: 35
League Cup Round: 4
FA Cup Round: 4
Player of the Season (Blog): S. Longstaff
Top Goal Scorer: Joelinton
No of Goals for Top Goal Scorer: 12
beermonkey
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:27 PM
Comment #25the life of brian
apocalypse now
both 1979 but thats close they would have come out on video in the 80s if your looking for a grey area
beermonkey
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:28 PM
Comment #26jib
roxanne really
weird science
Jib
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:29 PM
Comment #27Ferris Bueller
Bill and Ted
Blade Runner
Die Hard
Raging Bull
Reilly
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:30 PM
Comment #28Got them,not roxanne tho. 😆
Reilly
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:31 PM
Comment #29Ive just gettin air wolf the movie. 😆
Jib
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:32 PM
Comment #30I liked Roxanne
you could double it up with Depardieu’s – Cyrano
Mag52
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:34 PM
Comment #31Jail.
What is it with you ?
The balding chimp analogy – presumably another reference to Ashley employing an inferior manager in place of Rafa. (Incidently filling a car with diesel would be more expensive than with petrol).
Rafa’s gone. Most of us regret it, but it’s a fact of life. He’s not coming back. We have a new manager, and supporters of NUFC will be hoping for some decent results under him from what is a stronger squad.
Much as we would have liked the money spent on the new players to have been spent under manager Rafa, it wasn’t to be. Why ever he left, he’s gone. Move on for goodness sake and give the new guy at least as long as we gave Rafa ( 10 games before our first win last season remember) before getting on his back.
Essex Geordie Bill
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:36 PM
Comment #32Martoon,
Final Position: 11
Final Number of Points: 50
League Cup Round: Final (win)
FA Cup Round: 4
Player of the Season (Blog): Shelvey
Top Goal Scorer: Muto
No of Goals for Top Goal Scorer: 14
If Muto gets enough games I reckon he could be our ‘Fox in the Box,’ it’s a gamble but I have a bit of a gut feeling about him.
As for us winning the league cup, well we are due something!
beermonkey
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:37 PM
Comment #33reilly
i will stop after this
raider of the lost ark
inner space
back to the future
germlins
the goonies
poltergeist
e.t
misfits of science
nightmare on elm street
and stand up
eddie murphy delirious
robin williams live at the met
beermonkey
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:38 PM
Comment #34essex
how did u find shorham by sea
Jib
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:38 PM
Comment #35Jean de Florette is good as well
as is
La Vie est un long fleuve tranquille (Life Is a Long Quiet River)
Genjikai
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:40 PM
Comment #36posada
Aug 12, 2019 at 6:32 PM
Comment #5
Has anyone e mailed the Magpie Group.
How many members do they have.
Who decides their policy.
What is their strategy.
Who made the decision to call for a boycott. Is that decision recorded anywhere. Can we have it explained.
Silence.
Have you emailed them?
I know you havnt.
Reilly
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:40 PM
Comment #37Cheers lads.
Jib
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:40 PM
Comment #38beermonkey
essex
how did u find shorham by sea
Turn left at Worthing
😛
posada
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:41 PM
Comment #39beermonkey
Aug 12, 2019 at 6:57 PM
Comment #12
banana banana banana
posada
if you that interested email them yourself you must have an account
the guys involved have answered you multiple times
your making out they got something to hide
**********************************************************
I’ve asked several times and received no answer on here.
Who are they.
How many members.
How do they decide policy.
Who made the decision to call for a boycott.
Jail for Ashley
Aug 12, 2019 at 7:41 PM
Comment #40Mag52,
The balding chimp was Chumpley and the analogy describes the way we made glaring mistakes, seemingly fixed them and then went back to doing exactly the same mistakes, nothing at all to do with Rafa. Oh and btw yes, I do think Bruce is a far inferior manager as it happens.