Fans Comment
Jim Hourigan

Decisions, Decisions...
26 February 2006

How do we react to this defeat at Newcastle? Well, knee-jerk reactions are not helpful... neither is blind loyalty. Perhaps we need to analyse the performance from a pure footballing perspective and then see where we're going. Here's my analysis:

1. Most of those who played did adequately on an individual level with a couple of exceptions.
    
2. We had a number of chances from set pieces — headers.
    
3. Apart from one free-kick, we did not hit the target and trouble Given unduly.
    
4. We did not get behind their back four with any consistency or threat.
    
5. No pace in any position to threaten the barcodes.

Now my tactical analysis:

1. We set out to avoid defeat and as usual looked to pinch a goal — works fine until we go behind... then what? No ideas, no alternatives other than hump the ball forward.
    
2. As the game wore on, our back four dropped deeper and deeper because of its chronic lack of pace in the middle; this leads to an even greater reliance on long aimless balls.
    
3. As we go deeper the barcodes' younger legs began to draw the midfield out of position and the game got stretched. They began to use the space more creatively and we had three units working separately.
    
4. As soon as the first goal went in, nobody in the team had the personality / character to influence our tempo. Stubbs might have done this years ago but he so scared of being caught out for pace that he's so far behind the midfield his impact is negligible.

Now the issues:

1. Ferrari pushed us up and has pace. His influence started our run (first 6 games); Stubbs makes us defend too deep and we can't support the forwards. Weir's legs and age show more and more as the season goes on — these two are useful against teams that hump the ball down the middle and have no speed up front — shouldn't give them many games!!!!
    
2. Youth and exuberance are no match for experience but at times youth needs its head to kick-start things - Royle, Harvey, Ball, Jeffers, Rooney etc etc. What do we do? Put Carsley on when we are losing — no pace; not fit; a destroyer instead of giving someone fresh a chance — Vidarsson?
    
3. Entertainment — don't make me laugh. I pay over £500 for a season ticket plus about half the away matches. How many times have we been entertained? How many times do we come off saying what a good performance? How many times this season have we scored more than one goal? I was there on both occasions... both??? — and we're almost in March!!!
    
4. Where are we going? Well, I've been going man and boy for 40+ years; of course I want to see them win... but above all else? At the expense of any semblance of tactics other than don't get beat? I'm genuinely not sure. You can't stop supporting; you don't lose the passion but you do get dispirited when you can't see progress other than stopping losing. We don't draw games because we can't come back from a goal down. I don't blame the players; I actually think DM has no game plan beyond don't concede. Him and Irvine don't seem to be able to set out a team to attack and win a game; he sets out not to lose a game and then hopes.

Is this a knee jerk reaction to one defeat? I don't think so; I believe its an honest reflection on the situation and very sadly an appraisal of our lack of tactical nous.

So where to? Well sacking the manager isn't always the answer. I actually think the solution lies in getting some more imaginative coaching at the club — is Moyes brave enough to admit this? Is Billy Liar able to see it and do something about it? We have a better squad, player for player, than we've had for a few years but the tactics are all wrong and that can only be sorted out in one area of the club.

Like I said: decisions, decisions...

Jim Hourigan


Responses:
Wow! Some great though gone into that, Mr Hourigan. It's hard for me to fault much of what you say. — The Editor

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