To be fair though we have only scored more than 1 goal in 3 games this season. So if we go behind most finds would think we have no chance of winning. Plus when you have to watch him going solo when we do go behind then for some fans this would get to them. However my issue isn't when we go behind it is when we go ahead and play 11 men behind the ball.
Agree, its more the style of play making the fans quiet atm than a lack of belief although I did think it was particularly quiet vs Man U tbh. There's really not much to get fans off their seats at present. But we don't have any kind of flair player to excite atm so what can you do. Think the biggest cheer on Wednesday was Atsu meggin Pogba tbh.
We don't go ahead much though. We play each game to not lose in the hope that we nick a goal. Our tactics are SUPER defensive and very VERY predictable. We can all probably predict what will happen in most games. There is no tactical genius in doing the same thing over and over again. Look we are not bottom of the league but soon I believe we will be. With no investment and no new players the fans will be on the players backs and Rafa basically has had enough. Rafa's body language is clear. He is not happy. The players do not look happy. The fans are not happy. Not much to look forward to again this year I am afraid.
Worse than that we are white dog **** cos we are stale, falling to pieces and no one remembers us anymore.
Typical deluded Toon fan. All the time the fans, the media, and everyone goes on about consistency. As soon as we manage to achieve consistency there's always someone who finds something to complain about!!!
He's right. The low ebb means the slightest bit of adversity and the fans down tools. Its sad really because you could sense the fans were really up for the Man U game, they just needed something to get behind. The players didn't match their enthusiasm and the quality was enough to turn anyone off. Who wants to watch Christian Atsu fail to produce any end product out of 1534 goes?
This, for the current season anyway. I love Ritchie, he was quality in the championship and is a great professional, but his crossing and set pieces have been absolutely awful.
Would prefer to get two good wingers in and move Ritchie to the No10 slot - think he'd fit far better in the middle, good engine and decent short passing - just struggles to get quality crosses in regularly
Now here’s the puzzler.... At away games the fans never down tools or get on the players back. A lot of away fans aren’t actually season ticket holders... they just know folk with lots of points. True story.
Probably Atsu to be fair looking at his end product the other night. I don't believe that lad was on Chelsea's books. He can't have been. He is absolute garbage.
Christian Atsu has played in 27 Premier League matches, has not scored and has not provided a single assist. That really does take some doing!
If you couple that with Kenedy's "0 passes" against Cardiff earlier in the season, we really do just have headless chickens on the flanks!
All our wingers are ****. Some can take a man on but can't cross, others can't take the man on but can cross. All signed by Rafa and all are ****e. Why have Rondon up top when we need wingers who can basically do a Gillespie - get down the line and cross the ball in.
Gillespie isn’t a good example. He was a headless chicken most of the time. His time at NUFC is summed up with one great game, Barcelona at home, and getting filled in by Shearer. But I agree with the sentiment about wingers. For the quality and the purchasing by Rafa have copied and pasted below a relevant comment from Dr Ed’s blog which I essentially agree with. Penultimate paragraph deals with purchased players. “He can’t help it if they don’t follow instructions. It’s not his fault if they can’t trap a ball on the day. Or if their passes go wildly astray. Then again, neither is it to his credit if a player goes on a great run, beats three defenders and smashes it into the top corner. Yes, he can make alterations during a game tactically. He can make substitutions that might work or backfire. But once those players are on that pitch, all his work all week can unravel because they make a shocking pass and give it away. Can’t trap a ball and give it away. Make a stupid foul and give it away. Have a shot that misses by yards. Get caught out of position, leaving holes in the defence. Take the Watford game. One up and looking pretty comfortable. They get the ball on their right wing. Their player feints to play it more than once, but instead of getting a tackle in, or preventing the cross, Ritchie stands off him,keaving him every chance to cross it. He does exactly that. Their striker is unmarked in the six yard box. Free header – 1-1. Does Rafa coach them that way? Hell no. These are Individual errors. He can’t do anything about that. The better the player, the more the ability to follow instructions. You get what you pay for. Joselu cost five million. Rondon is only really worth just over twice that, but the difference is there to see. Murphy looked brilliant against Championship defenders, but struggles now. Atsu, six million. Good at taking players on, but final product missing. Kenedy looked great last season, but for whatever reason, his confidence has taken a beating. Trying the same tricks and runs that came off last season, just not working because he’s not getting it right. Coaching ends when they cross the line mate. It’s all down to the individual then and they’re the ones getting it wrong”
No he wasn't - I couldn't think of another right winger who would get past his man. Not sure why Nobby failed me here. The argument against this is Atsu/Murphy as he bought the 2 left wingers for a combined £18M at the same time. Why not by the better quality winger there and then? With regards to Atsu in particular we had him on loan for the whole of the Championship season so Rafa should know whether or not his commands/coaching is working.
