Pair of them tackled each other didn’t they? And didn’t Charlie head about twenty yards wide from a decent cross in the first half?
Sam Gallagher must be sitting in the stands wondering what the **** he has to do to get a chance himself.
I think that we can forget about academy lads getting a break under Hughes, Puel is the only manager to do that since Poch.
Been working all weekend and didnt see the game. Saw the result and saw Hughes remarks post game. I think one thing is clear here, our results have nothing at all to do with the opposition. We couldnt score goals on an open field. Its been getting that way since Puels reign and Hughes has failed to ignite any change at all. We appear to have taken Danny Ings down a couple of levels in a short space of time too. Whatever we are doing, however are doing it, whoever we are doing it too it isn't working. We are looking at a situation that has lasted almost three years and three managers. Its really not good. It isn't going to change with a bit of something here and something more there. It would have by now if that were the case.
Have you not noticed that every player who has joined us and in their first few matches look exciting, inventive, attack minded and adventurous soon gets that knocked out of them and they become cautious, play safe balls, become defence minded and dispirited. I have to draw the conclusion that our coaching is ****.
I saw fast open attacking football at St Mary's yesterday but unfortunately it was on the video screen before the game. I think making our players watch those goals might help them to understand what football is meant to be about. If there was a law that said if you pass backwards or behind a player more than 20 times in a game you will be shot we wouldn't have a player left alive FFS.
If I can take any positives out of yesterday it is that Wes is not as bad as I thought and Jack is better than the majority of fans thought and is a decent threat at set pieces as well.
I did get concerned when Rondon came on, because he was the first forward across the Bmouth and Newcastle games who might challenge Jack in the air (which is surely Jack's weakest area? - a pretty bad area to be a weak in, for a CB). I wasn't surprised that Vestergaard was sent to warm up the moment Rondon came up. As it happens, I shouldn't have been worried. It was only Newcastle, and it was only Rondon. Long would be proud of Rondon's first touch, by the way. Ultimately, so far, so good for Jack over these games. Two clean sheets, and barely a save for McCarthy to make. You can't complain at that. But at some point Jack will start to face tests in the air again - Deeney and Mitrovic, for example, next month. (As for Wes, I'm of course not surprised at his form over these two games. But then I am biased in his favour.)
Perhaps partnerships just click together and they cover each other's weaknesses. One partnership that definately doesn't work for me is Lemina and Romeu in CM together but i'm not critcising Mario, who played quite well yesterday.
I'm not sure if Lemina-Romeu is a partnership issue, or a Romeu-can't-play-in-a-4-4-2 issue. We've seen that Romeu (when on form) can work as one of the three CMs, and also as one of two deeper CMs when there is someone playing behind the striker (eg in a 4-2-3-1). But I just don't see Romeu fitting into a 4-4-2. He obviously doesn't offer anything going forward, so no forward thrust into the penalty box like you'll get with some CMs. Whilst at the start of the attacks, he isn't particularly adept at dropping in to collect the ball off the keeper (so many times yesterday when McCarthy had the ball, Romeu was stationary in the central circle - quite possibly with Shelvey in mind). So in that situation, you're asking a hell of a lot from Lemina. Pick the ball up to the start the move, release it forward/wide, then get forward to help get on the end of the move. Whereas with Lemina and PEH, they can interchange fairly well. For example, over the course of a game you will regularly see us switch as to which of them drop back to collect the ball. It doesn't help that Romeu has regressed so much since Puel left (although to be fair, he was alright yesterday - albeit only in context of the above).
I think that the coaching needs to be questioned. None of the attacking players look remotely threatening and a very poor team like Newcastle should have been brushed aside. We had the better chances yet still never looked like converting them. Redmond has come in for alot of criticism but he was our best player yesterday - even though his shooting is often wayward. I would have to say that we need to off-load Gabbi. He looked dreadful in the time he was given but the whole side generally looked inadept apart from the opening 10and closing 5 minutes f the first half and the point at which we had made the 3 substitutes. It now seems pretty clear that we are not going to progress under Hughes. He was the right appointment at the time and deserved a chance yet I don't feel that the progress is as significant as it should be. Fortunately, Cardiff, Fulham and Huddersfield look useless. I cannot see Newcastle going down but I think we are going to have a very stressful season. With regards to improvements, I think the club is now in need of a root and branch transformation. The directors need to consider their positions and I think any new appointments of both coaching or playing staff should no longer be taken by Les Reed. He has simply not been good enough. This was more than two points lost - it was the possibility to build up some momentum and self-belief. I just cannot see this being achieved with the current regime and would be loathed to see what further damage Reed could inflict is allowed to make further decisions.
I agree Newcastle were dreadful but whilst we play with 2 defensive minded central midfielders in a 4-4-2 at home to them we give ourselves next to no chance of winning. All that happens is that Ings drops deep to fill the void left by having no AMC on the pitch leaving austin on his own up front. The ball then gets crossed in to 1 player (austin) vrs 3 defenders. When it should be ings austin in the box and an AMC running in ie 3 vrs 3. This is one key reason why we never win a game.
