Greenlizard0 Weekend Football Thread ** spoilers ** [11th - 16th September 2015]

[drunkenmaster]

Further to the weekends debacle against Man U..


Cant be right can it?

No, for one thing you conceded 2 or more goals 9 times in 04/05 in the league alone, you conceded 3 or more goals only once. So he meant 3 or more goals in the second message, still makes it bad for Rodgers but not quite as damning.


Liverpool's defence has been absolutely dire under Rodgers, the difference in the year they finished second was Suarez, Sturridge and Sterling. They conceded 50 goals while 7 of the top 11 conceded less than them. That year of the 6 times they conceded 3 or more in the league they won 3, drew 2 and lost one of those games. Comparatively last year they conceded 3 or more 7 times and lost each time.

Another way to look at it with Sturridge/Suarez in 13/14 they scored 3 or more goals 21 times, in 14/15 they scored 3 or more goals 5 times.

 

[drunkenmaster]

I'm normally the most negative, whining ******* when it comes to Newcastle.

So that said, I actually think we have had a decent enough start to the season and we are playing better than last year. I see the potential and being fair we've had a tough start to the season and being realistic 3-4 points was a best case scenario.

The 2 problems remain for Newcastle though that they didn't address despite spending nearly 50 million. Colocini, how is that muppet still playing football in the EPL? It is beyond me as he is completely ****, we should have went for another good CB but we missed the boat. A striker, we need a good striker who scored regularly, why we didn't go balls to the wall to get Austin is beyond me.

Despite the above I see some promise, we could do worse than let Dummet try and play his way into the team at the expense of Colocini. Our big test is Watford and other "poorer" teams who are coming up, we need 7-10 points from the next 4 games or it will be a bad, bad year. But once again the recruitment team only have themselves to blame, we have signed luxury players when the spine needed addressed.

I might be missing something but in the two games you got points Coloccini was just about your best player on the pitch. However Aside from Southampton you've barely threatened the goal. From what I can tell 1 or 2 shots on target from Obertan against Swansea, 3 shots on target from Janmaat last night, none of which were really threatening and no shots on target against Utd or Arsenal.

Newcastle were allowed to have possession with West Ham somewhat retreating deep into their own half looking to win it back in their own third and counter when they got the ball. You didn't look even slightly threatening with the ball but when West Ham had the ball you didn't look remotely capable of containing West Ham. If/when all other teams just sit back against Newcastle then catch them on the break I don't see what they are going to do. An extremely rash right back, not great CB's, useless central mid. The issue is some times you can't afford to sit back and attempt to counter because conceding possession means allowing the other team the chance to score. Chelsea did this because they believed in their defence, other teams can do this against Newcastle for the opposite reason, they don't believe in Newcastle's offence.

I don't see where their goals are going to come from and I can't see who is going to prevent being caught on the counter.

 

[Fulax]

We had plenty of possession last night but with Cisse up front we looked toothless. He tries but just can't play that way. We looked much more dangerous when De Jong came on, got close to Cisse, and took some of that responsibility off him. That isn't Wijnaldum's game, so if we're going to play him behind the striker rather than De Jong we need someone who can actually hold on to the ball - i.e. Mitrovic or Perez.

Colo hasn't been too bad, apart from the odd brainless moment - he just lacks pace (understatement, I know). Mbemba is a good partner for him. We need to get the balance right with our full-backs. They both love to get forward but need to be more disciplined - i.e. when one is bombing on, the other stays back - otherwise we'll keep getting caught out on the counter. Colback also needs to learn not chase the ball like an idiot - he's always out of position.

At least we didn't get anyone sent off.

 

[drunkenmaster]

You had possession because West Ham were walking you into counter attacks, possession itself is meaningless. I actually thought De Jong looked pretty terrible. He was weak on and off the ball, incredibly slow to react, had a couple of really pathetically bad passes and his shot was way off target before a deflection. His movement was generally decent and it looked like he was trying to do the right things, but failing pretty badly with them. I mean he looks like he needs games and no injuries for a while, but I wasn't impressed with the performance.

I just can't see where the goals will come from, where the quality to break down defences is or where the quality in defence/central mid is to stop other teams scoring.

If Carver had been in charge the whole season or if the three who went down last year weren't exactly as terrible as they were, Newcastle would have been relegated last year. This year the three promoted teams don't seem anywhere near as bad as those who went down and of those around Newcastle, 2 are severely under performing compared to both their squad quality and last years form.

Austin would have been a good decision, someone you desperately need(not him specifically but a decent striker), not really sure what is going on with him. Makes me wonder if QPR gave him daft wages, no clause for a big reduction when relegated and no one was offering to match or beat those wages so he stayed.

 

[Andybtsn]

Mark Noble is one of the most underrated players in the EPL, every time I see him he puts in such a shift, he was all over the place last night (in a good way) and has always been technically very good. He seems to have been around forever too but is still only 28?!

 

[Fulax]

I'm well aware that we had so much possession last night because West Ham let us. I'm also well aware that possession itself is meaningless. That doesn't change the fact that McClaren wants us to play possession rather than long balls or that we look toothless with Cisse up front because he isn't suited to that system.

I agree that De Jong didn't play particularly well. My point was that the the role he was playing made us look more dangerous as a team (it's all relative) and is something we need when Cisse plays up front.