I think with Janmaat he makes a pass and then runs forward 10-15 yards without looking at the player who he has passed the ball to, 3/4 times he knocked it in to a player which was tight 50/50 and ran forward 10-15 yards and the ball came away with a Leicester player with Janmaat out of position about 20 yards behind play. It didn't happen once this was a few times watch him play he needs to make sure a Newcastle player has 100% chance of getting the ball to play back to him before he moves out of position and gambling on him getting the return pass. But I'm sure Rafa would have noticed this also but anyway good luck I think with Rafa you will do well.
I know we lost, but some of the stats of the night were quite impressive for us actually. We had more shots and more shots on target than the league leaders. We also had 50% possession. They scored with their only shot on target. In my mind Colback did ok at left back. And we weren't exactly raped, as was mooted earlier in the thread. It's the start of a reversal of our fortunes - I'm convinced of that I tell ya!
Agreed. Chelsea, ManU, ManC, Arsenal, Spurs, sick of them. Great to see a club showing them it`s not all about money. Passion matters.
You were 100 times better than last year. I watched that game in a pub with a newcastle fan and found it embassing as I couldn't find anything positive for you A year on you gave us a game and if we did get away with a penalty it balances out last year whan we played liverpool and they got a penalty when then ball hit morgan in the face. It is the luck you get at the top and not at the bottom. The commentator said when Newcastle concede they can fold. Perhaps under the wally with the brolly but not under rafa. I thought you looked more a cohesive unit than you have all season. I hope you get the rub of the green against mackams .Play like that and i'm sure you''ll win it. Good luck
I have watched Leicester a lot this season and if you could not beat them the way they played today you will never beat them
Marginal improvement but I thought we still had the same old problems tonight. Hopeless in front of goal, some awful passing for much of the time, and certain players just not giving enough effort. Leicester wanted it more and that got them the win imho. I'm not too downbeat considering we were playing the league leaders (Leicester were excellent when not in possession and good on the counter attack) and because it's really too early to expect any significant change brought about by Rafa. I still worry about a lot of these players, though, and whether the quality is there.
One of the best midfielders in Europe right now. An absolute machine. We were poor tonight, but our pressing and determination and solid defending saw us through. You looked pretty solid too and more organised which must be encouraging for you. Win v the Mackems and that confidence boost will see you to safety I reckon. Good luck chaps
Janmaat has a huge fault in his game. He plays a speculate pass, either pumps it hard into someone or flicks it anywhere in the general direction of a newcastle shirt then just gets on his bike and bombs forward, regardless if we're still in possession or not. Combine that with Sissokos lapse attitude to going with his man defensively has probably cost us 10-15 goals this season alone, even more last season. Kante 10/10. Makalele reborn. Not really sure what's with Mitro... he's playing too far back. If Cissé was fit I don't think Mitro would play at all. Sure, his hold up play is better, but at least Cissé puts himself where he gets chances, something none of the other strikers seem to have. Not sure what Doumbia is doing or not doing in training to be so far down the pecking order. We've seen everything Mitro and Riviere can't do, how about throwing a hail mary on Doumbia? Also ... taking Perez off for us killed the game effectively. de Jong and Mitro move in slow motion. Honestly, we ought to be playing De Jong off Perez. De Jong is decent in the air and Perez can play ahead of him and actually get in front of goal. As decent as our passing was...we were playing in front of Leicester all night, as we have been playing in front of teams all bloody season. One positive for me was Gini actually did well further back in midfield, his distribution was tidy and he did his job of getting back. Makes you wonder what the point is of playing Anita.
Well, that was that I suppose.We were playing the league leaders so I guess it was too much to hope we got something from the game. Positives; we looked like more of a team who had some sort of gameplan. Yes that gameplan was to not concede, but at least it was a plan, and we almost executed it for once. We looked a bit devoid of ideas when going forward though as usual, we attacked with hope rather than with purpose. Like we were hoping something would happen, rather than trying to make it happen.It looked better when Townsend came on, at least he was trying to get behind them and cross. But so many players get the ball in the last third with their backs to goal and then have to pass backwards. Nobody makes runs into their box, we look like a team devoid of confidence who are trying not to make a mistake rather than trying to make things happen. Luckily we dont have to play teams like Leicester till the end of the season. Negatives; Sissoko looks like a player that has forgotten how to go past people, Wijnaldum looks lost, Shelvey always looks like he is looking for the wonder pass and Mitrovic looks slow. Even though Rafa only had 3 days withthe team I could see some improvement, but I`m worried that we dont have the players available that will allow us to score goals. Sunday is massive for us now. We have to win somehow or it may be curtains for the season. Lets get behind the team like crazy for Sunday and we may sneak a result but we have to have some sort of threat down the left as well. At the moment all the teams we play know if they can snuff out Janmaat going down the right then they have stopped our only supply line of goals. That needs to change somehow. HOPE!!!!
Morning Lads My take, for what it's worth - you've improved hugely on the last couple of times that we have played you - that's almost certainly down to the discipline that Rafa Benitez is alrready infusing ... you do however need to push on from an encouraging performance. Benitez had obviously done his homework on us and for large parts of the agme you nullified the parts of our game that have got us to where we are - but it would be harsh to judge us solely on that peformance - I suspect Rafa's first priority was containment whilst then hoping to nick one. Different people see games differently - certainly reading some of the comments on here - personally I thought Perez played very well for you and caused us problems every time he got the ball - just needs more of an end product - what is obvious is a lack of confidence and of players taking individual responsibility - epitomised by Mitrovic laying the ball off to de Jong rather than doing what strikers are paid for... that is something that Rafa will work on for sure .. Overall I think we shaded it ... the goal was a marvellous piece of individual skill ,,, yes Vardy's leg might have been offside in the build-up but from where the lino was looking the defenders body would have at least seemed level if not playing him onside .. sometimes you get the rub of the green with those sometimes you don't ... e.g Aguerro was clearly offside when scoring against us at the Etihad (not that it mattered on the day) ... the worst decisions I've seen were for your 'friends' at Swansea, where Jermaine Defoe arguably scored the first off-side hat-trick in footballing history I didn't think it was a penalty - because I don't think there was any intent - Big Wes just did what he has done all season- throwing his body on the line to block - the ball was really travelling and only the slo-mo effect makes it look like he 'moved his arm to the ball' ... On the two incidents I'm obviously biased ... I would be wouldn't I? With Benitez's organisational and tactical skills, I think you have an excellent chance of now pulling clear ... the wekend's game is going to be fascinating watching ...
We looked inept but at least we looked interested. We stayed interested even after we went a goal down. Overall, not a good performance but perhaps good enough to be the best team in the bottom four.
please log in to view this image Arm is not by the body and was rising, and you can not tell me that is a natural position... FINALLY rule number one of a defender is "NEVER turn your back on the ball" Penalty all day every day - I'm a qualified coach and ref so I understand the difficulty in giving it though... and if there is one team I would not begrudge this decision this year it is the foxes. Hope they win the league!
