Oh Lawro...how we love the!

Brighton v Newcastle (1715 GMT)
Senegal's early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations is happy days for Newcastle because it means Demba Ba and Papiss Demba Cisse will be back with them a lot earlier than anyone expected.

The Magpies had a few problems at the other end when they conceded so many goals in quick succession in their defeat by Fulham on Saturday but their collapse started when they conceded a penalty that never was, and I think it was a blip rather than a sign of any defensive issues. We know how well organised they are at the back.

Lawro's prediction: 1-1

Love it when he doesn't think we will win....love it.

 

Last time he predicted 1-1 away from home we lost 5-2

 

So the defensive lapse was due to missing Ba? Nothing to do with Tiote (ACoN) and Taylor (injury) missing from the starting line up alongside Cabaye and Colo starting to look tired like they need a rest........obviously Ba!!

 

What if Ba was playing and instead of being 1-0 up at half time we were maybe 3-0 up! Would we have conceded all those goals then? Probably not.

 

What if the referee hadn't given that dubious penalty and given Fulham a foothold in the game they never deserved?

 

An equally moot point! What if Santon had been sent off as he should have been!

 

Dubious penalty didn't help, but being 3-0 up, how would that have stopped us being ripped apart and our lack of pace at the back being exposed? With no pace if we are playing a high defensive line we have to be more co-ordinated and look for the offside.

 

[video=youtube;a1Y73sPHKxw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw[/video]

 

If we extrapolate stats from previous first half humilitaions, I can tell you that the numbers would not look good and Fulham would be unlikely to have clawed back the deficet. A lack of confidence would ultimately have been their downfall. Our match against Arsenal (for example) is a rarity and only really happened because of a sending off.

 

A high line we would never have played had we not needed to try to get back into the game and I'm now worried we're engaged in a circular argument.

 

Lol! I always thought that was a hamster......

 

It's ok.... He doesn't get it. The main flaw in what both of us is saying is that our points are moot. At the end of the day, we had that team out and it lost. That is that.

 

So you are in agreement with Lawro? We dominated the first half so you'd assume their confidence would be low but they came out and attacked us, we weren't able to cope with it.

 

I typed in dramatic squirrel

 

Should'a just gone with the cat
[video=youtube;plWnm7UpsXk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plWnm7UpsXk[/video]

at least i think its a cat

 

Considering our recent history in the FA cup I would take 1-1 right now.

 

http://youtu.be/cuxJUTGSU-U

or shocked hamster