Gillingham v Newcastle United - Capital One Cup- Official Matchday/Buildup Thread

Defensively we looked sound and Colo looked classy again. Told my nephew (who plays CB) to keep an eye on him. Pointed him out when the goal went in so missed it ..... nob.
Nephew was well impressed with Haidara as was I, he and Aarons linked up well down the left.
I found obertan as frustrating as ever, I just wanna shake him and convince him he has got the ability to play but he seems devoid of confidence, open your legs and run at people Man!!! That being said the Gillingham fans around me thought he was our best player and seemed genuinely impressed.

I cant argue other posts. We didn't do anything bad but didn't do much too good either. We have no killer instinct or urgency about us. Passing ball around patiently and Barca we're not. We should be playing with a higher tempo and try to open teams up with some pace. If we don't create we're not gonna score.

Haidara MOTM for me

 

35 million!!!! jeez the Prem's gone mad.

 

This .

 

3 games in and zero goals scored by a Newcastle player.
Not happy about this one bit.

 

If we do not win against Palace at the weekend we are in for a relegation fight all season. Fact. Teams that cant score in the Premier League inevitably end up being relegated. We Cant Score!!!! Fact.

 

Jesus wept, we've made a solid start to the season and there is talk of relegation plus loads of other negative views. We've played two PL games and one league cup match Maybe settle down a little? No doubt we look a little weak in the front line. However we have to accept we've brought in strikers and attacking midfielders from leagues where the game is played at a different level of physicality and speed. It will take time for them to get up to speed and adapt. Striker wise, none of those brought in have been of guaranteed high quality. We are hoping at present that Riviere comes off. We really should have brought in a top class striker who knows the league. The problem with that as always is they cost money and we are not the most attractive proposition out there.

I have not seen anything I didn't really expect, bar our solid defensive displays!

 

But it's not just 3 games, is it? As per the other stats out there, it's the entire of 2014 where we have more or less been the worst team to watch in England. No goals, no direction, no tactics, no attacking, it's been awful. What we have seen is a bit of gusto and effort that tends to come from new players, but typically no immediate return because they're all learning. Yes, that's the clubs recruitment policy, but some absolute basics were missing AGAIN against lowly Gills. As I've said countless times, the tactic of Pardew seems to be little more than defending, then giving it to a creative player. He's worked on cutting out the long ball/retaining position, but not causing any harm with it. We're still very pedestrian, have been for as long as I can remember. We've only ever been good to watch when players have stepped up and put in a shift, be it Cabaye, Ba, Remy, there's never any consistency about our play, a style that makes you think "ah, yes, I'm watching Newcastle".

 

A lass at work, who is a manu fan, hit the nail on the head today for me. We where talking about both our clubs problems and it was apparent that if it was not for the fact that we both talk a lot about each others players then she wouldnt know hardly any of our players.

For example, she could only name 5 of our players. Now she is an avid football fan. But in the past it was a case that she could name the whole squad. We have a team full of relatively unheard footballers in the modern game. We have no superstars, no England quality players and no well known talents.

Manu are in a similar position in that in the past any man, woman and dog would be able to name most of their players. but now not so. Because they have not in recent years bought world class players.

Meh, im bored. Pardew out!

 

Highlights available here

 

Nah, well wide of the mark for me. That's a Sky journalist comment, the sort of thing a flake like Jim White or, worse, Kirsty Gallagher would say. Southampton came up and blew the PL away with Lambert, Lallana, Shaw, they then bought the likes of Lovren and seemed to do well. Arsenal have continued to do well with players like Koscielny, Wilshere, Ramsey, Giroud, and so on - they're a club who have never invested in superstars, rather created them. Even Man City have recently bought the likes of Fernandinho, Fernando. They've paid money, sure, but they're not household names. Spurs have bought and used to great effect Eric Dier.

 

Considering the history of the Premier League and the old Division One I am pretty sure that there has never been a team that has not scored a goal, FACT. You could in theory go through the season scoring only an average of one goal per game and still be in a very comfortable position if you are capable of keeping clean sheets and defending from midfield in depth, is it a worry yes indeed however it is still only 2 games gone.

 

Relax. We've only had two league games. We've had this problem before. I still think we'll get in a class striker in.

Anyway, we'll score against palace. And will be in 4 points from 3 games.

 

Personally I think there are very obvious reasons for the 2 periods. They are different though. In the first period (i.e. the 2nd half of last season), we ripped out the heartbeat of the team who our entire tactical ideas were centred around, and our star front man didn't play as much for a variety of reasons (injury, suspension, not fancying it). In the first half the season we did not have the same problems so it would appear these are clear indicators to our problems.

In the 2nd period, i.e. the 3 paltry games this season including one Cup game where 5 changes were made, we have a raft of new players trying to learn the league. Seems pretty straight forward to me. That is not excusing the managers limitations but there is little to be gained by going over that because he is and will remain in charge as far as we can tell.

Maybe if we are not going to get a better manager, we need to stop handicapping him so much. For instance maybe instead of sitting on our hands for two windows letting a baffoon handle our transfers (some cynics would say deliberately i.e. the "agreed" patsy), why not change over the squad gradually to lessen the impact. Even if the promised land was delivered and we got a better manager, I still wouldn't want them handicapped like our current one. Basically whereas there is quite clearly issues I can't see any end to them. We just don't have that kind of ambition. Maybe if we keep this team together for a while we can build something better - there's a laugh.

I'm just back from sunning myself on a Spanish island so I'm kind of non too bothered by all the immediate drama or our ongoing need to make things complicated/unambitious.

 

We've scored in a third of our 2014 league games. Pathetic

 

My post was a point of fact. Not opinion. The fact is she cant name the players. The fact is that we dont have superstar players. etc........

Fail to see how you didnt get my point!

 

The lack of goals is a serious problem. But I do see goals in cabella, De Jong and Riverre may get a couple.

But we do not have an out and out goal threat who is in the right place to put the goals away. Maybe Cisse might be the man when fit in the new system. He is a poacher and he should get service from the new creative players.

If we can get HBA fit and playing, with the the afformentioned players we should be able to create chances for him.,.....

Or not!

 

You said that not having superstar players is the reason we're not performing, which isn't a fact? It's an opinion, hers and yours, apparently, and one that I think is wrong therefore "wide of the mark".

 

This is worrying.
Speaking to the Gills fans at work and they said, without irony "well you had your second string attack out there", they were shocked when I told them we didnt

 

Is there a link to the highlights?

 

Please show me in my post where I said "Not having superstar players is the reason we're not performing". I am struggling to see that sentance anywhere in my post!