Season 2011-12 Fan Articles

From my seat: Newcastle (A)

By Ken   Buckley  ::  05/11/2011   24 Comments (»Last) We don?t seem to be playing with any confidence or belief as we create chances yet spurn them and switch off at most inappropriate moments.

We seemed comfortable from the off but within 5 mins Newcastle had a corner and Guthrie had a shot as our defence seemed at sixes and sevens. Yet just a little later at the other end Saha flicked on a Drenthe cross beautifully into the path of Coleman, who was to go on and have the kind of game that can only be called a ?stinker?, he had the goal to aim at yet managed to miss-hit his shot to the extent of affording the hosts a throw in near the corner flag.

That feeling of this is not looking like our day was creeping up. Still within the first 10 mins and, when a cross came in that seemed no more than destined for the arms of Howard, Heitinga inexplicably threw a foot at it and diverted the ball into his own net. Now that really was either Howard or Heitinga?s fault, did Howard call? Did Heitinga ignore him? We will never know... but it was still incompetence on a big scale at this level of football. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. I think he shot the lot of us as we stood open mouthed at the cock-up.

We gathered ourselves and Drenthe was being his usual wild card self by giving the ball away in a dangerous position one moment then fashioning a couple of good chances the next. First a good cross for Rodwell to get a good header in and produced a good save then he set up Osman for a shot but it lacked venom and went straight to the keeper.

Then a good long ball over the top from Jags (I think it was meant not a hoof) put Saha clear and he beat the offside trap but alas composure was not on his agenda and instead of the kind of finish you would expect from the experienced Frenchman he did the schoolboy trick of rushing things and with one almighty wellie managed to clear the height of the goal and the width; best described as ?Woeful?. Would you believe he was put in again and this time hopelessly screwed wide? I was now feeling sorry for him! We were creating but final third expertise was just non-existent.

Just on the half hour after being on top, Newcastle attacked down the left and Hibbert put in a good tackle putting the ball out for a throw. Taylor took it long. Rodwell headed clear but only back to Taylor who was afforded the time to chest it down and hit a pearler from some 25 yds that arced over Howard and troubled the net. Hell of a goal ? but what a blow to us.

Fair play to the players, they tried to respond, as did the assembled faithful who were more than generous with their support. As the half concluded, Saha hit a post (it was not his day) then Taylor hit our bar with what looked like a cross gone wrong and then an injury to a Newcastle player saw Gosling enter the fray to much booing from his former admirers. Neville went down and was replaced by Distin with Heitinga moving into Neville?s position somewhere in midfield.

Injury time was now being played when we won a corner and Drenthe whipped in a fast swinging ball that Rodwell met full on with his head and the keeper had no chance. Half-time and 2-1 down looked better than 2-0 but we could have been in front ? or just as easily been further behind, such was the nature of the game. Drenthe summed it up with a first half performance that was both encouraging and depressing.

Second half and no changes. The first moment of note came when a shout for a penalty went up. It seems the claim was for a Gosling handball but only Saha appealed so I can?t really comment as I saw nothing except a deflection wide from a Saha attempt.

As the half progressed, the hosts started to look jaded and we certainly had chances from decent build-up but that final third was once again our Achilles heel.

We started to make changes on the hour mark when Cahill replaced Heitinga who had played as though he wished he was somewhere else today. I thought Coleman should have been subbed too but a look at the bench reveals the awful truth we have no one better, now that is not encouraging.

Cahill started lively and looked to want to put some fire into those players on the park who just were not fully up to it today. Perhaps they tried a bit harder but the joined-up stuff with a creditable finish was non-existent. The rest of the half was played out with Everton in the main dominating until the final third and then it was all uncultured swipes at the ball, one pass too many, or just poor passing.

With ten to go our problems were well and truly brought home when the option was taken to replace Hibbert with McFadden and move the woeful Coleman to right back. You won?t need me to tell you that it didn?t work. Still time for Drenthe to get a stupid booking and us having run out of ideas started to tire and the game ended with Newcastle on top.

MotM ? Difficult but I would share it between Jags and Hibbo as the only two players to be at least consistent throughout.
br />Overall, a disappointing performance and not unexpected in many ways as the inability to add to the squad and losing players such as Arteta and Pienaar seems to me to be having an effect on the players who we have got. I am afraid that it is now all about money because as it is obvious to every man and his dog that the club is not in a position to afford the manager the wherewithal to strengthen the squad in a way that befits ?The best of the rest? and this duly rubs off on all connected in any way with the club and today?s team, bench and performance will only reinforce this.

The next game home to Wolves becomes very important in terms of the players being fired up and willing to give it a good go despite our lack of quality as well as a home crowd willing to get right behind the team as three points from this fixture has become essential. We can?t keep saying, "We start slowly but pick up after Christmas"... because, one season, we won?t.

Still the break now until we face Wolves and who knows... that game might be our launch pad. Ever optimistic, see you there.
UP THE BLUES

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