Caporegime
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 33,188
It's got nothing to do with Ba, people really need to remember that 99.9% of everything you read in the press is made up bullcrap. Ba was playing exceptionally well last year, he wasn't scoring with Cisse in the team, so what, he had plenty of chances, but his all around game was excellent. Most players would prefer to be scoring less in a winning team than scoring loads in a losing team.... otherwise every striker would be playing in league 2 
Cisse played upfront loads... he just lost all form and can't hit a barn door. He spends HUGE portions of EVERY game in positions he can score from, being played in behind... more lately he's been playing wide right, but still gets in goal scoring positions. His best chance against City was something he'd simply have burried last year and can't this year... Ba playing more as a striker hasn't changed his inability to hit a target.
I do find fans funny though, you're complaining Guti is crap in the middle of a 4-3-3, Newts complains that Newcastle suck because they are playing in a 4-4-2. You're saying Cisse's problem is Ba being played upfront.... I can safely say all the above is not true.
Firstly Newcastle have played 4-3-3 loads this year, just with Cisse playing wide, and not being very good there, and they've played 4-4-2, with Cisse being upfront, with Cisse not being very good there, and they've played 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 with Cisse in the team and Ba not(Europe, cup, substitutions) with Cisse as the main striker and Cisse hasn't been very good there. Cisse is in bad form, simple as that, and Ba is hitting the target so Pards has pushed Ba upfront again this year because what other choice do they have, hence a third striker being important.
Last year, Newcastle had success with both 4-3-3 AND 4-4-2, Gutierez was played both wide left, and in the middle 3 last year and was good in both positions.
Gutierez and Cisse have been in bad form this year, regardless of position. The defence in general has been injured and frequently changed meaning its been very difficult for them to establish form.
As for strengthening, yes, every team needs to strengthen, but if you JUST broke even, then spend £5mil a piece on 3 players, plus 40k a week(2 mil a year each), you move into making a loss. You could still have had poor form and injuries and still dropped out of Europe.
Expectations are wrong from the fans, thats it. Look up clubs who get into Europe and can't afford to spend 80mil + on wages.... Europe almost every single time hurts league performance. You've had europe + injuries to every key position, there is no team in the world whose league form wouldn't have tanked, and even worse when your highest scoring striker has a poor season.
I've said before, Newcastle, if you don't want the fast track to Leed's style relegation and bankruptcy(which you were already WELL on the way to before Ashley saved you), be sensible, you'll hit Europe one year, and drop out frequently the next year. The team, squad, players get more used to playing more games, the squad gets stronger and better over time, the manager gets more experience and eventually you'll stay in Europe most seasons. That is what teams can expect without spending 100mil to strengthen a squad, if you spent 100mil to strengthen odd's on you'd be utterly screwed like Newcastle before Ashley took over, Leeds, everyone else who has chased Europe with money they can't afford.
You'll likely drop out of Europe, get Cabaye back, Cisse will bag a few goals or someone else will come in and do well instead and you'll be miles away from relegation at the end of the season.
Is there a fundamental reason Newcastle should be the only team to not struggle in the league when they have an extra 8-15 games to play than teams around them?
You can spend a few years going up and down the TABLE, while building up some cash, and a squad, some youth, and depth and quality, then push for consistent top 6 finishes. Or you can spend money, pray and end up like 9/10 teams that make the stupid push for Europe, and going up and down the LEAGUES instead.
Be sensible, be happy, you've got the base of an excellent squad, with some excellent players and the chance of Newcastle getting where they did last year, and maintaining that every year was ridiculous.
At this stage last season you'd played 16 league games, and 3 cup game. This year you've played 17 league games 1 cup game and 8 european games. So 19 vs 26, or well more than a third more games, but also with far more travel, you travel earlier, spend more time in new places, sleeping worse, training worse, etc, etc, which all takes its toll, its almost 40% more games in a short space of time.
Cisse played upfront loads... he just lost all form and can't hit a barn door. He spends HUGE portions of EVERY game in positions he can score from, being played in behind... more lately he's been playing wide right, but still gets in goal scoring positions. His best chance against City was something he'd simply have burried last year and can't this year... Ba playing more as a striker hasn't changed his inability to hit a target.
I do find fans funny though, you're complaining Guti is crap in the middle of a 4-3-3, Newts complains that Newcastle suck because they are playing in a 4-4-2. You're saying Cisse's problem is Ba being played upfront.... I can safely say all the above is not true.
Firstly Newcastle have played 4-3-3 loads this year, just with Cisse playing wide, and not being very good there, and they've played 4-4-2, with Cisse being upfront, with Cisse not being very good there, and they've played 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 with Cisse in the team and Ba not(Europe, cup, substitutions) with Cisse as the main striker and Cisse hasn't been very good there. Cisse is in bad form, simple as that, and Ba is hitting the target so Pards has pushed Ba upfront again this year because what other choice do they have, hence a third striker being important.
Last year, Newcastle had success with both 4-3-3 AND 4-4-2, Gutierez was played both wide left, and in the middle 3 last year and was good in both positions.
Gutierez and Cisse have been in bad form this year, regardless of position. The defence in general has been injured and frequently changed meaning its been very difficult for them to establish form.
As for strengthening, yes, every team needs to strengthen, but if you JUST broke even, then spend £5mil a piece on 3 players, plus 40k a week(2 mil a year each), you move into making a loss. You could still have had poor form and injuries and still dropped out of Europe.
Expectations are wrong from the fans, thats it. Look up clubs who get into Europe and can't afford to spend 80mil + on wages.... Europe almost every single time hurts league performance. You've had europe + injuries to every key position, there is no team in the world whose league form wouldn't have tanked, and even worse when your highest scoring striker has a poor season.
I've said before, Newcastle, if you don't want the fast track to Leed's style relegation and bankruptcy(which you were already WELL on the way to before Ashley saved you), be sensible, you'll hit Europe one year, and drop out frequently the next year. The team, squad, players get more used to playing more games, the squad gets stronger and better over time, the manager gets more experience and eventually you'll stay in Europe most seasons. That is what teams can expect without spending 100mil to strengthen a squad, if you spent 100mil to strengthen odd's on you'd be utterly screwed like Newcastle before Ashley took over, Leeds, everyone else who has chased Europe with money they can't afford.
You'll likely drop out of Europe, get Cabaye back, Cisse will bag a few goals or someone else will come in and do well instead and you'll be miles away from relegation at the end of the season.
Is there a fundamental reason Newcastle should be the only team to not struggle in the league when they have an extra 8-15 games to play than teams around them?
You can spend a few years going up and down the TABLE, while building up some cash, and a squad, some youth, and depth and quality, then push for consistent top 6 finishes. Or you can spend money, pray and end up like 9/10 teams that make the stupid push for Europe, and going up and down the LEAGUES instead.
Be sensible, be happy, you've got the base of an excellent squad, with some excellent players and the chance of Newcastle getting where they did last year, and maintaining that every year was ridiculous.
At this stage last season you'd played 16 league games, and 3 cup game. This year you've played 17 league games 1 cup game and 8 european games. So 19 vs 26, or well more than a third more games, but also with far more travel, you travel earlier, spend more time in new places, sleeping worse, training worse, etc, etc, which all takes its toll, its almost 40% more games in a short space of time.
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