It was the very best and very worst of Newcastle United on display today. Some lightening counter attacks and first time finishing by Isak to carve through the third best team in the land with absolute ease. Then the defensive blunders, frailty at set pieces and disorganisation that saw them hanging on for dear life at the end. Wednesday is a big test.
Greenlizard0 Premier League Football Thread ** spoilers ** [21st - 23rd February 2025]
- Thread starter explicit4u
- Start date
Newcastle is is absolutely unplayable or absolutely ****. There is is no in-between.
You couldn’t get a better half of football in the first half. You also couldn’t get a worse bit of football in the second half!!
Our whole season has been like that. Not to good for the ole health!!
You couldn’t get a better half of football in the first half. You also couldn’t get a worse bit of football in the second half!!
Our whole season has been like that. Not to good for the ole health!!
There has been occasions where they have ripped through teams, scoring 3 or 4 goals in 20 breathless minutes or less. There's only really Liverpool and City at home that has been able to do that sort of thing with the regularity Newcastle have over the past couple of years. Would be amazing if they could pair that with some competent defending and game management consistently.
Although sides that consistently perform like that win league titles and the rest end up in a close fight for places 3 to 8
Although sides that consistently perform like that win league titles and the rest end up in a close fight for places 3 to 8
7-8 games these season we racked up 3-4 goals. Some against very good teams and defences. Forest for example one of the best defensive units in the league and we’ve knocked 7 past them this season. We also knocked 3 past Liverpool.There has been occasions where they have ripped through teams, scoring 3 or 4 goals in 20 breathless minutes or less. There's only really Liverpool and City at home that has been able to do that sort of thing with the regularity Newcastle have over the past couple of years. Would be amazing if they could pair that with some competent defending and game management consistently.
Although sides that consistently perform like that win league titles and the rest end up in a close fight for places 3 to 8
There has been some awsome defensive displays. Our CB pairing this season are 32 and 34 years old and they have played nearly every game. They are also paired with two young fullbacks.
What you’re seeing is lack of competition and back up. Our hands have been tied in the past 3 windows. We should have good funds available in the summer without selling.
We are in a final, still in the FA cup and challenging for Champions league.
Soldato
- Joined
- 2 Feb 2010
- Posts
- 11,636
- Location
- Crowmarsh
I still don't say the league is done and dusted. Although I have to say yesterday felt like a significant moment. Liverpool are obviously strong favourites, but arsenal are capable of stringing wins together. Things can change quickly in football. Not counting my chickens just yet.
Liverpool lose to Newcastle and Arsenal win next 2 brings it to a 5 point gap.
We must all not forget that manu lost an 8 point lead with 6 to go (yes I will not miss any opportunity to mention this)
Caporegime
- Joined
- 22 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 29,400
- Location
- Boston, Lincolnshire
Arsenal are missing their best players. They are not catching you up. League is all sewn up now.
If Arsenal had Saka fit I would give them an outside chance but if they had Saka fit I don't think there would be such a large gap currently. All these "what ifs" are predicated on the idea that things will change drastically for two teams in opposite ways. Liverpool have stumbled a little and Arsenal haven't stepped up and shown they can take advantage. Peak City would have just ground out the results to overtake Liverpool this season. Arsenal aren't close to that.
I hope so but stuff like what I mentioned can happen.
As I think you said in the other thread, we're potentially a Salah shaped injury from total disaster given our reliance on him.
Not sure City would be 'ahead' in other circumstances yet either tbh, we can still reach 97 points. We don't look as convincing as our previous teams that hit those totals though I'll grant you
You're currently on track for 90 points if you maintain your avg. points per game. I think that unless Salah gets injured in the very immediate future you would be fine as well. You have a good buffer, Arsenal are dropping points and things generally wind down towards the end of the season for a lot of teams once there is little to play for.
Dale Johnson's weekly VAR review is out and he's got a detailed explanation on what happened regarding Everton's non penalty.
www.espn.com
Long story short, it's what I speculated below. VAR got involved because the ref gave the foul against Maguire, not De Ligt and when then reviewing the De Ligt challenge it's starting from a point of a penalty not being awarded making it far harder to now give the penalty. VAR for subjective calls is a complete and waste of time.
Why the VAR cancelled Everton's penalty vs. Man United, and what exactly happened
Why Everton's overturned penalty against Manchester United is not as straightforward as you might think, plus a possible penalty for Aston Villa against Chelsea and red cards for Myles Lewis-Skelly and Illia Zabarnyi.
Long story short, it's what I speculated below. VAR got involved because the ref gave the foul against Maguire, not De Ligt and when then reviewing the De Ligt challenge it's starting from a point of a penalty not being awarded making it far harder to now give the penalty. VAR for subjective calls is a complete and waste of time.
To be fair, I'm glad it wasn't given because despite the shirt pull, it didn't justify Young's legs to suddenly jump up and backwards to the point his body is parallel to the floor.
Honestly, had he been holding the ribbon and dressed in a sparkly leotard, you could have been excused for thinking he was taking part in rhythmic gymnastics.
Honestly, had he been holding the ribbon and dressed in a sparkly leotard, you could have been excused for thinking he was taking part in rhythmic gymnastics.
The shirt pull is to gain an advantage, there's no legitimate reason for him to grab the shirt, its the same with all the arm pulling/arm on shoulder/hugging at corners that goes on, there's no legitimate reason for any of it, so stop whining you get called on it.....
All the arm pulling, arm on shoulder and hugging that doesn't get called up as a foul (rightfully so because ever corner would result in a penalty)? Ultimately Young went to ground too easily and if that had been a United player, I would be calling them out for it also. I appreciate judging a penalty based on if the contact truly impedes a player will be subjective, but there's far too many instances of players going to ground far too easily to buy a penalty because there's a higher chance of their team scoring from one versus the position they're in.
Re the first question, this obviously wasn't a corner however VAR will look at potential fouls from corners if a player has a genuine chance of winning the ball.
As for the wider point, I'll start criticising forwards for going to ground too easily the moment officials start awarding fouls when they stay on their feet. The only consideration a ref should have when deciding whether something is a foul is the action of the defender, not the reaction of the forward. Unfortunately we know that this isn't the case so of course forwards will go down when they could stay on their feet. They'd be mad not to and only disadvantaging themselves. We saw it in the recent Everton - Liverpool game when Gakpo was being pulled back by an Everton player already on a booking. If he goes down (and I don't think anybody would have criticised him as it was a must more obvious foul than this) then Everton are down to 10 men. He instead he stays on his feet, clearly impeded but the ref plays on.
Yes there's an issue with players trying to cheat however officials refusal to award fouls when players stay on their feet contributes just as much to Young doing what he did.
As I said, it's subjective and impossible to judge as a binary decision unlike offside. I agree there's times I've seen players being too honest, stumbling after a challenge and staying on their feet. Yet there's the opposite end of the spectrum of throwing themselves to the ground. Sterling vs Denmark would be a good example
A good ref should be able to call foul even if you try to stay up. The problem is that a penalty is awarded for denying a goal scoring opportunity so if you're impeded illegally but still get a shot away it no longer qualifies as a penalty. Madness.
I don't disagree however the best way to eradicate diving is for officials to focus more on the challenge made by the defender and less on the reaction of the forward. Sadly I've been making this point since the Germany 1-5 England game 24 years ago when Michael Owen was carrying a German CB on his shoulders while trying to get a shot away and the ref played on and I don't think it'll ever change.