- Good defenders, including a natural leader in Jamaal Lascelles. Total contrast to Coloccini's so called leadership of the last few years - Good coaching from a manager who genuinely knows his ****. - Poorer forwards in this league.
This...you could really see it today. Full backs not left isolated Lacelles and Clark looker proper good together. Lacelles is doing a great job as capitan.
Coaching meaning good organisation. Judge over the long term though. Remember the spell under Pards when we went 11 games unbeaten. We looked rock solid.
Coaching..!But we have dropped a division and lets just say they are not as quick and clinical.....Sorry...but dont get me wrong its ****ing great and a credit to the players and coaching staff.
Sels has looked very solid for the last few games, but has basically had **** all to do; but still he seems to command his box well and be assured on taking crosses and corners in a way that Krul never really was. Clark looked good to day, but I think Hayden's a massive reason why we're conceedingly less, as he shields the back 4 perfectly...just hope Rafa is seeing this as isn't tempted to let the ginge back into the team for the next match.
We have a good midfield for a start, who retain possession fairly well. Secondly unlike previous seasons where we had tiny Coloccini and someone like Mbemba who is afraid to aerially challenge, we were getting obliterated by physical forwards. Jamaal is a bit of a unit, and considering the calibre of strikers has diminished, he's come into his element. There's also been a lack of quality wide players against us. Knockhaert looked dangerous, but that's about it, so our fullbacks haven't really been attacked. I think our playing style has probably facilitated this as well. Sels has impressed in terms of his distribution and calmness on the ball. He's a Palmer, though. Very continental in that any shot straight at him gets beaten away, but overall he seems to have great composure and seems an asset to the team.
I think part of it is also that Rafa has come up with the really radical idea that a defender's job is to defend. This isn't a dig at Pardew, Carver or MacClaren. It's a trait of modern football that more and more managers try and get clever with defenders. However, defenders are simple beasts. They do best when their instructions are simple. If someone in a different colour shirt has the ball near you - tackle him. If someone in a different colour shirt has the ball but isn't near you - stand next to someone else in a different colour shirt, and let someone else tackle the one with the ball. If you end up with the ball - don't panic, just give it to someone else in the same colour shirt who can play football. If you end up with the ball and can't see anyone else in the same colour shirt on the pitch - kick it towards someone else in the same colour shirt in the stands. If you end up at the wrong end of the pitch for a set piece - don't fall into the trap of thinking you have been promoted to the level of footballer. Just hit the ball hard towards the goal with whatever part of your body is closest to the ball.
It's unsettling. We all know the rules of being a Newcastle supporter: losing 4-3 is the best result we can hope for, because it keeps us in our place but is at least entertaining. Can't be done with 6-0 wins, we might actually start to expect success from our club (which of course is a right only bestowed upon the chosen few).
I agree we need a longer period to judge. However that Pardew spell we had virtually no injuries or suspensions so it was our best team out there every match. Rafa has been getting the clean sheets whilst mixing up the players
This is true Rafa has been allowed a squad which has been unheard of under any manager during this regime. Perhaps we'll discover we get less injuries and suspensions by having an actual squad.
