Well done Newcastle - stalemate as far as the bottom group is concerned and another series of games out of the way; 'cos let's face it we are going to need three teams t perform worse than us for the rest of the season.
If Bony had been on pitch think he would have taken one of those chances. Unfortunately don't have time for Michu to get sharpness back. Certainly deserved a point but we gave away three goals. Though I think Chico was unlucky with penalty, wrong footed and bartley looked for the penalty. Other goals rubbish. How Ash did not mange to clear cross for second? Third worse again.
TBF Bony had quite a few chances and hadn't scored so ….. Agree on Chico but I'd give Ash a rest as soon as Bartley is fit.
Agree Valley. I thought take Dyer and Canas off for Michu and Shelvey. But to take Bony off well, the mind boggles. I'm sorry but Monk is noway near to be a manager especially a PL manager.
I'd sell him and chico and look buy Caulker whatever the price to play alongside Bartley next season.
Plastic is a wum poster . Twice as many shots as them , twice as many corners, still 4 points from relegation after facing another " harder team " Disappointed not to start Shelvey or Michu with either replacing the other as the other attacking midfielder at 55 minutes . Don't like Britton and Canas together , but it went well for awhile . Looking good in it's misery as a whole . Cheers
Typical Monk defence, extremely poor, they were all over the shop. We have been very fortunate with the way results have gone, it could be far worse. The team seems to be lacking in confidence and belief.
thats about the size of it but the result today was hugely dissapointing considering we were the better team in the 2nd and half of the 1st. our defending today for the goals was shocking but we have to take strength for the spirit and all the chances we created but again another good performance with nothing to show for it. today i feel more gutted than after any other game this season but i still believe we can stay up. ps Jack Army were superb today
Yep I am not sure our style of play or players are suited to a relegation battle. Tense games against teams around are tough for us, we play better against teams that like to play football. So I hoped and think we needed to nick some points against some of the better teams. Today was one game I thought we could and should have taken something. Teams around us will just defend and wait for us to make our usual defensive mistakes eg Crystal Palace & WB. But Hernadez again looked like he can find gaps and break defences, but good as Dyer, Rangel, Davies are final passes and crosses poor.
Really? apart from a dodgy first 20 mins and some poor defensive play we totally bossed it and were moving forward quickly and creating lots of chances (ok- maybe there is a lack of belief infront of goal). cant fault the spirit though and the boys gave their all today but football can be a cruel game sometimes
I thought we'd give them a game, but we are no longer solid at the back, and with our lack of cutting edge up front, it's why we are no longer winning. The shift put in today was good by all, maybe we can start both Michu and Bony on Tuesday. I'm of the opinion that come end of season, that our back line needs rebuilding. I want De Guzman, Tiendalli, Chico, Lita, all gone in the summer!......
Caulker - yes please But for me Chico has been consistently good all season. I'd prefer to go for two players with defensive presence in front of the back four .. as much as I love Leon he was anonymous today and Canas isn't the answer. We could do a lot worse than have Dyer and Routledge out wide and Pablo, Michu or Shelvey in attacking midfield and Bony up front as long as we shore up the defensive middle. Too often there is a huge space in the middle of the park with no white shirt in it.
Agree, we need a Roy Keane/Gareth Barry type player to sit in behind the defence to put their foot in when needed and to drive the team forward. We also need a new captain. Caulker and Bartley should be our two CBs next season, bugger the fancy dancy stuff, we need defenders that can defend as it is criminal that our best defender is Bony by a country mile.
Bartley doesn't have the quality required to play pl. Chiko is better, unless you're assuming we'll be relegated ofcourse...
Bartley looked impressive in the game against Everton until he got injured, and given the way he has played for Brum, maybe he is now ready to make the step up in the PL. Put it this way after the way Ash and the Ostrich alongside him defended today, he couldn't have done any worse.
