How the **** was that only 1-0? - My thoughts on the game

We dominated for 75 mins, and they sat back for most of the game. I guess that's the reason it was difficult to break QPR down, because we had most possession and they just sat back, and playing passing football against this style is hard.

The ball just wouldn't drop for us...

... but then the greatest ****ing player scored a winner. **** Messi, Shola is better. Ronaldo can suck cock.

We played some good football, and Ba and Cisse linked up pretty well... unfortunately it looks like that doesn't matter anymore :S

Ratings -

Krul - 6.5 - Didn't have too much to do. A couple of good saves. Made some good claims though and settled our nerves.

Simpson - 7 - Provided a better than usual attacking threat, and did well defensively.

Colo - 8 - Dealt with Cisse and Taarabt pretty well, and his ability on the ball at the back was vital.

Willo - 8 - Solid performance, and I'm noticing that he's becoming more of a threat at set pieces.

Santon - 8 - Great performance. He got done by a few long passes, but apart from that he was awesome. He made some immense little stand tackles to stop QPR and set us off on our own attack.

Anita - 8 - Very good. Worked his ass cheeks off, played some great passes and he's becoming an extremely important part in our build up play. He redefines the words "box to box mid". He's always the furthest player forward when pressuring our opponents, and he manages to get back to our own box and defend. He has great stamina.

Jonas - 5.5 - Awful crossing, some awful passes. Some decent defensive work at times though. We should play either Bigi or Marv in his place.

Tiote - 8.5 - MOTM for me. Well he got his 5th booking, but I think he was immense today. Great defensive work, lovely composure at the back to get us out of a sticky patch, and he's looking like the player we had before. Some good passes to get us up the pitch also. He almost set up Cisse for a goal.

Perchinho - 7 - His passing wasn't up to it's usual standard today. But he defended well, and he was pretty effective in the air. Good performance.

Cisse - 7 - Good performance. Great skill on the deck, good movement, just couldn't quite nick a goal.

Ba - 6.5 - Sorry but for me, despite some good play, he was just ****ing greedy. He can **** off in January.

Obertan - 7 - I actually thought he was good today. Good tracking back with Pace, he got into some great positions, and put in a couple of decent balls. Good impact.

Shola - 7.5 - Best ****ing goal I've ever seen. Ever.

MOTM - Tiote for me.

Overall - We've been playing well recently, and 2 wins out of 4 wasn't really fair. I think we deserved results in all four.

We'll just have to battled through December, and hopefully we'll really start marching back up the table in late Jan/Early Feb, when Cabaye and Saylor are back, and hopefully we'll have a few new players in.

I think we can really achieve a steady top 10 finish, and push on next year. We have the foundations to do it, even if a few of our quality players are sold.

 

I think Marv looked decent also! I'd say Anita was MOTM though, Hes been outstanding recently

 

I thought Ba was very selfish with his play today
only started to look lively when Shola came on

 

Anita head and shoulders MOTM.

 

How the **** was that only 1-0?

simple mate, QPR are ****e and Newcastle are not much better
I feel sorry for the QPR fans that made the long journey up there today to watch that

 

To be fair you were poor but I could see what Redknapp is trying to do and that is making you guys difficult to beat. Can see both teams improving as the season goes on.

 

We are much better.

 

Typically naff all positivity for us from most pundits, and especially MacTissier on Soccer Saturday.

Contrary to your ratings he maintains Ba and Cisse can't play together on today's evidence and that on this showing Ba was the better footballer. If we lose him in January it'll be a "big blow"...

Whether that had any relevance on today's match is debatable but I think it might be time to stick with Shola and Marv, dropping Papiss and Jonas for the next few matches. Perhaps a rest and some amount of healthy frustration is what they need to sort out their form.

I personally really believe in Cisse and he will come good, although he could do with some support from Demba (who seems to be acting increasingly petchulant) – so that probably speaks volumes about their relationship.

Good players can play, and play well, with good players but whether they have any desire to is a different problem.

One last thing I would say though on that is that why is it such a problem when Newcastle's strikers aren't BOTH scoring at the same time and not a problem for other teams?
How many striking partnerships genuinely EXIST never mind WORK together seamlessly in the modern Premier League?

As long as someone is scoring the goals it matters not one bloody bit!

 

Anita put in yet another great display and the way he is playing his name should be 1st on the team sheet. Ba is looking very greedy whenever he is around the box and needs to bring others players in play instead of trying to score with every attempt. His free kicks were woeful.
Obertan looked a lot better today and his pace at chasing back when QPR broke was impressive. Looks more comfortable cutting in from the left than on the right wing.
Best thing about the week-end though- we are still above the Mackems.

 

We may have 'dominated' but the quality of crossing was abysmal. We didn't seem to have a plan B either. If it hadn't been for that piece of Shola magic, it'd have been 0-0 and we'd be in hot water. Watching us without Cabaye is a depressing sight

 

Are demba and papiss friends off the pitch ? Or has anyone heard of a bust up between them ?

 

Perhaps there unhealthy competition with each other on the pitch effects there friendship! If i was Pappiss I'd march over Dembas house with the goal of the season award pop it on his table and pop me feet up!

 

Pardew commented on this rumour the other week and said they get on well. I have my doubts.

 

I differ on ratings slightly. I'd give all four defenders a 7, they were never really tested as QPR only wanted a draw. Maybe a 7.5 for Santon because some of his attacking play was good. Tiote was prob an 8 for me but probably did just shade Anita for the MOTM. Perch was a 6 for me as was Demba. Neither at their best, Both were sloppy in possession. Demba's free kicks were ****.

Anita was good on set pieces bar the right sided corners. Those sliced balls were poor and he'd be better off getting whip on it like the other side. Definitely our dead ball man though.

I thought Jonas did ok today and he'd have got a 7 from me. How Cisse managed to misjudge that wonderful cross he put in I'll never understand. Both subs were 7.5 for me and were really good. Cisse a 7 though, general play was tidy and had little to work with.

We still miss Benni and Cabaye badly in terms of creativity. Its ripped the creative heart out of the team, we haven't got the squad to cope with the loss of both at the same time. We will just be a team of grafters until the new year. I think we'll need to use Obertan to impact games and he is much better on the left. At home I'd drop Perch and play Marveaux in the creative central role.

 

Always been a big fan of Jonas who wears his heart on his sleeve, but I'm afraid I thought he had his worst game for us today.

 

Only thing I'd complain on is he has stopped feeding the ball into the strikers from wide as he used to. Those little slide rule passes from the wing have disappeared since he has moved back. I thought he worked hard today, got Santon into the game and put two or three decent balls in. I think our two strikers are some of the worst I've seen in black and white in terms of making something of crosses.

I didn't think he was great but solid enough, tactically gave us a solid look down that side which is what I think Pardew was after. I thought he was subbed at the right time and Obertan was bright. Each to their own though.

Have to say I think Pardew had a good day at the office today.

 

Just seemed a bit jaded to me at times. The amount of work he does seems to be taking it's toll a bit. Maybe a rest will do him the world of good.

Oba looked really good as soon as he came on and it looked as if he was going to produce a goal right from the start.

No complaints about Pards today.

 

Found the above quote quite funny because only a 5 days ago you disagreed with my thread about Ba being selfish, you said this:-

Like I was trying to get across on my thread about Ba. He's greedy and gifts possession to opposition by trying to look good by shooting from anywhere and holding onto the ball too long. pleased you now have seen what I've been seeing all season!

Never let the nostalgia of goals cloud your judgement on a players overall contribution to a team. For all the good Ba does for the team by scoring goals, he takes it straight back by hampering our attacking build up play with anything else he does, 75% of the time. We'd have played much better this season if not for Ba

 

To be fair everyone got your point on Ba mate, some just disagree with you

 

_