Greenlizard0 Weekend Football Thread ** spoilers ** [30th Dec 2011 - 4th Jan 2012]

[Bigpig]

Not sure, there is something about him, i don't know, maybe he seems way to slow for a bombing forward and making it back in time kind of player. I'm not convinced and considering his lack of game time, even when playing Ryan Taylor there instead who was pretty damn awful and was a huge culprit for so many of the goals in the run of recent not particularly great results suggests the manager wasn't seeing much. Maybe its just match fitness, I really don't know.

It's hard to judge last night, take nothing away from Newcastle at all, most of the guys who got on the ball a lot were truly excellent, but I thought Nani/valencia looked particularly poor, and it's hard to tell how much of that was Santon how much was Guti and how much was themselves....... well and how much was Rooney getting the ball and failing to make a single decent pass to anyone at all

I remember Baz saying recently how pretty Liverpool were sitting as they how have an easier time than any other team, as in played more of the harder games than anyone else, but by my count Newcastle have played even more tough games than liverpool, more away games to the big teams and even nicked a few points in the past 8 games when most seasons that run of games might have been 7-8 losses on the bounce, and then won 3 more points last night that they absolutely deserved. Now one point behind Liverpool with for me less big games, even with Ba/Tiote unavailable they are in a very strong position to push on. Liverpool have their own player out for a decent amount of games. Can only really hope as a Newcastle fan that Ba/tiote's do utter crap at the ACN and come back as early as possible

Santon been having a knee problem since we sign him. From what I seen of him so far looks good on the ball.
Think Pardew only been playing taylor there because of it and his freekicks.

Its great to see Cabaye taking freekicks he was the deadball specialist at Lille and that's his second he has scored this season.

 

[No1newts]

Santon been having a knee problem since we sign him. From what I seen of him so far looks good on the ball.
Think Pardew only been playing taylor there because of it and his freekicks.

Its great to see Cabaye taking freekicks he was the deadball specialist at Lille and that's his second he has scored this season.

Yeah Santon had an injury and they have been easing him back in, seems to be doing ok from the first few glimpses of him though which is nice

We desperately need some players brought in though, thats not even considering the cup of nations, I expect us to drop off sharply when Ba and Tiote are away but if we can get the right players in (1 def, 1 mid, 1 striker) then we can cover for their absence and longer term kick on.

It just depends though on Cashley. I work with a lad who goes out drinking with the players and according to the players its a done deal with Tiote off to Chelsea which would be disapointing. If he lets Ba go as well we need to keep what we have and add to the squad but I don't have faith in Cashley backing us

 

[Bigpig]

Yeah Santon had an injury and they have been easing him back in, seems to be doing ok from the first few glimpses of him though which is nice

We desperately need some players brought in though, thats not even considering the cup of nations, I expect us to drop off sharply when Ba and Tiote are away but if we can get the right players in (1 def, 1 mid, 1 striker) then we can cover for their absence and longer term kick on.

It just depends though on Cashley. I work with a lad who goes out drinking with the players and according to the players its a done deal with Tiote off to Chelsea which would be disapointing. If he lets Ba go as well we need to keep what we have and add to the squad but I don't have faith in Cashley backing us

IMHO Would be silly for anyone to sign Tiote now? Would cost around 25mil and could be missing for around 6weeks? He always said he wants to stay for a few years then move to a bigger club. Does not want the move to soon. summer very likely

I think we safe with Ba. He would fail nearly all Medicals in a big money move?

 

[drunkenmaster]

Being missing for 6 weeks doesn't really make a difference, in terms of DM's Chelsea couldn't do better from this league and get a player already up to speed with this league's style nor as good. Well De jong is still very very good but can't see City giving him up to a rival, if at all.

Chelsea have two options, stick with what they've got, or buy a player, Tiote might be one of the best available.

As for Newcastle, ultimately don't get too attached to players, not because its Newcastle or you've got a owner who cashes in(something I don't believe at all) but because the most successful teams have never had and issue cashing in on good deals over sentimentality.

Arsenal at their best had no issue selling Overmars and Petit, Utd with Beckham, RVN. Look when Arsenal and Utd run into trouble, when they hold on to players at all costs, that they shouldn't.

If you can get way above market value for Tiote that is really the only thing that matters.

You got WAY above market value for Carroll, ditched some other overpaid dross and brought in some real quality. If you can get more than Tiote is worth from a desperate club, do so.

It's football, there is ALWAYS another great option, finding it isn't easy but its always there. There is always another great player coming through and always more players.

Then you have your simple player side of it, if they get an offer from a bigger club willing to pay them much more, it's not always smart to not let them go.

I mean would any Newcastle players take Carroll staying for the same wage Liverpool were offering him over 35mil, no chance.

Even more so if Newcastle can get back to profitability, plus move up the table and start getting improved shirt/sponsorship deals then the team can genuinely start paying better wages for better players. I'd take a manager who wants to set it right asap and grow strongly for the future than one of the dozens of clubs across all the leagues that spend now on the idea they will break even later...... because the vast majority of those clubs fall flat on their faces and end up in huge debt and big trouble.

 

[DiCe!]

Superb stuff,

It annoys me when people say what a disaster D3, L3 is at this stage. Most Spurs fans will be delighted with th same statistics (bar the GD) this season thus far. The expectancy is so much different. In the past, Man Utd have been given too much respect and teams tend to sit deep but no team has a right to win any game. Their complacency may be their achilles heel.

No team more than spurs gave utd to much respect.

I still expect utd to beat us, As I do with every team, Im not used to winning.
I think us just strengthening in every area has seen us leap frog teams that have tried to spend big and failed (Liverpool) rest on what they had (UTD) and then Arsenal with Wenger just getting it wrong imo, They could be such a force but he is to stubborn.

 

[The Running Man]

Man utd getting outclassed from barcelona has made them worse. Fergie in on a quest to rebuild to compete with them, by buying ashley young phil jones isnt doing it. Their midfield is weak, its not 1999 ryan giggs wont do it

This season is definitely showing the complacent a real lesson.

That's what i said pre season. i asked, if barca buy fable and sanchez and we buy young and Jones/ de gea...then are we really closing throw gap on barcs. of course the usual fergie huggers insisted that we were very good and that of course our signings were el fantastico.

its been obvious that we have been off form for ages and ultimately the player / personnel side of the business has not been fixed.

times up fergie , you lose.

 

[DanH84]

You're sat here complaining about it on an Internet forum,with no power to do anything. While he is the most successful British manager of all time, on a 6 million a year salary, in charge of one f the greatest clubs in the world.

It's an odd form of losing that he's doing.

 

[Stewy]

What I don't understand from the 'Fergie out' people is... we're 2nd in the league carrying some truly chronically average players.

 

[DiCe!]

Not to forget a load of injuries, Any club with that many would strggle, and yet they are still 2nd.

 

[drunkenmaster]

That's what i said pre season. i asked, if barca buy fable and sanchez and we buy young and Jones/ de gea...then are we really closing throw gap on barcs. of course the usual fergie huggers insisted that we were very good and that of course our signings were el fantastico.

its been obvious that we have been off form for ages and ultimately the player / personnel side of the business has not been fixed.

times up fergie , you lose.

You're trying to argue several different points and come up with only you were right.

What did you want to do, not buy a keeper and only get central midfielders? From recollection most Utd fans on here were begging for central midfielders to be signed, which doesn't mean they were happy with Jones/Young/De gea alone. Those 3 are better than signing no one, and all three required really with the people you lost. The fact that you needed some central midfielder on top of the signings you made doesn't make those signings bad, just not enough.

De Gea has been fine, Jones actually has more potential as a DM than a CB if you ask me, and if you ever sort out defensive injuries maybe he will play there more. Cleverley being injured has screwed you and there aren't a huge number of long term central midfielders to go after. Sneijder on stupid stupid money for a big fee, for an old and vastly over rated player.

Also, don't rule out your lovely little Rooney and his 100-150k a week more than he should have got..... thats 3 new players worth of decent quality signings right there.

 

[drunkenmaster]

Not to forget a load of injuries, Any club with that many would strggle, and yet they are still 2nd.

Arsenal, crap, Chelsea, crap, Liverpool can't score, Spurs, potentially joint second, and even City throwing away semi easy points for no apparent reason.

Utd aren't second because they are brilliant, but because everyone else sucks. Fair enough, if everyone else sucks do Utd need to be THAT good, well to win the league, yes, to win the champs league, yes, to come top 3 easily in this league....... not really.

 

[Bigpig]

Even more so if Newcastle can get back to profitability, plus move up the table and start getting improved shirt/sponsorship deals then the team can genuinely start paying better wages for better players. I'd take a manager who wants to set it right asap and grow strongly for the future than one of the dozens of clubs across all the leagues that spend now on the idea they will break even later...... because the vast majority of those clubs fall flat on their faces and end up in huge debt and big trouble.

Think we are due to break even this April without taking transfers into account. New 2 year shirt deals with virgin and puma have been signed this season. When he took over Newcastle had a long deals with the money already spent.

When Mike bought the club I believe he give Newcastle an interest free loan to pay off the 80million loan we already had which the interest was killing us. Not to mention us still owning a lot of money on unpaid transfer fee's

After the whole Dennis Wise blip he has really put the club back on the right track.

Where the Newcastle board are failing is their communication with the fans. There is none.

 

[The Running Man]

What I don't understand from the 'Fergie out' people is... we're 2nd in the league carrying some truly chronically average players.

Its not the results. its our performances that appall me. its not like we out played the Toon and went down to a last minute offside goal is it?

We have a lot of decent players, we just play them wrong. We drop our star striker, then bench and fine the other one - which btw hurt the team more than it did say...Rooney.

We play nani, valencia, Rafael etc Jones smelling consistently out of position? And expect it just to work. Because we are man u.

When keene saw our teamsheet on Saturday i bet he had the easiest team talk ever, probably went something like : if your ever going to beat man utd today the day lads. they put an unfit rb into center midfield, dropped their best player and named a bench that evn I've never heard of, i know we're bottom but these guys are taking the easiest****..

Or something like that.

 

[DiCe!]

Arsenal, crap, Chelsea, crap, Liverpool can't score, Spurs, potentially joint second, and even City throwing away semi easy points for no apparent reason.

Utd aren't second because they are brilliant, but because everyone else sucks. Fair enough, if everyone else sucks do Utd need to be THAT good, well to win the league, yes, to win the champs league, yes, to come top 3 easily in this league....... not really.

No doubt, But still got to admit they have an awful lot of injuries, not that I think Fergie has got it right, lots of players being played out of position and all that jazz.

 

[The Running Man]

Drunken master, just no. Name some other top 6 keepers who get dropped every third or fourth game due to repeated mistakes. i don't expect a keeper to save everything i just hope he doesn't attack low crosses with his legs kicking the ball straight to a basel forward.

and sure lindegaard could have possibly a stronger wrist but that's not as catastrophic as failing to deal with crosses and getting 5 holed repeatedly.

 

[Jano]

On current form De Gea is certainly not top 6 keeper quality. Surprised anyones having a pop at Lindegaard after last night, there wasn't a thing he could do on any of the goals.

And Gomes.

 

[MooMoo444]

Just saw Tim Howards goal, proper quality

 

[DiCe!]

Ahhh Gomes, I love the bloke, If only he could grow a pair, fight for his spot and prove he is a good keeper. Needs to stop the howlers, but i doubt there is a better keeper in the league for making wonder saves. When he doesnt have time to think he is incredible

 

[Shamikebab]

On current form De Gea is certainly not top 6 keeper quality. Surprised anyones having a pop at Lindegaard after last night, there wasn't a thing he could do on any of the goals.

We don't know what the communication situation was for the third goal, it could quite possibly be Lindegaards fault if he didn't call for it.

There was a dodgy kick and punch in the game as well that fortunately we weren't punished for. I don't think he looked any better than De Gea last night.

 

[Jano]

Not sure how much communication can come in to play on the third, it was such a poor decision from Jones. What he was doing trying to head that I will never know.

Maybe Van Der Sar will come out of retirement and save their bacon.