Match Day Thread A very satisfying, comfortable and crucial win - My thoughts on the Swansea game

Not a brilliant performance, but a comfortable win over a potential relegation rival. Exactly the sort of win that makes you feel confident we'll stay up.

We barely gave Swansea a chance and made good use of our own possession despite not having a great amount of it.

Tactical masterclass from Rafa and his assistant.

Ratings -

Elliot - 6.5 - Some shakey moment where he was indecisive but some good saves.

Manquillo - 7 - Solid enough

Lascelles - 9 - Solid defensive display, saved a goal and scored the winner. Not a 10/10 performance, but you can't ask for much more. Captain fantastic.

Clark - 8 - Solid.

Gamez - 7.5 - Pleasantly surprised. His first game in ages and playing as a right footed left back out of position, he wasn't bad at all and looked reasonably threatening on the left.

Ritchie - 7 - Some moment of silliness, but made up for it with some hard work, great ball control and build up play and some fabulous deliveries.

Hayden - 5 - Not the greatest from him today.

Merino - 7 - Some good passing and beautiful ball control as always.

Murphy - 5 - Can't really be too critical. Don't know why he was played on the wing as he's clearly a CAM.

Perez - 4 - Stupid freekicks given many times and chances wasted.

Joselu - 7 - Some great attempts on goal and battled well against the Swansea defence when he had the chance.

Diame - 1 - Just stopped ****ing playing him he never offers anything when he comes on.

Atsu - 4 - Wasted good opportunities to get forward for a 2nd.

Gayle - n.a - Not enough time to make impact.

Benitez and Assistant - 9 - Spot on tactically.

MOTM - Lascelles - Sexual beast.

 

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Will post when I pop the little chap away.

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I quite like Gamez, seemed very calm and collected, was never really worried when he was on the ball.

Hayden & Perez were the weakest links by quite a bit. I really do not rate Perez one iota, he is very wasteful and greedy, when he broke free of the defence and smashed the ball directly into the keeper he could of passed, a smart player would of. He needs replacing in January and dropping.

 

I thought Perez did well in the second half, Gamez decent throughout.

 

Agree with Porn, thought Perez was fairly anonymous in the first half but came into the game a lot more in the second half. Didn't have an end product but was involved.

 

It has to be said, Lascelles is a fantastic captain. I love his comments here:

"I was mad at myself for letting Tammy Abraham get in that position (clear through on the keeper). Fortunately, I was able to get back and slide in before he hit it."

That is the mindset that makes a player great, he could take the praise and feel good about himself, instead he focuses on the mistake first and how he can improve his game. Really rate this lad and hope he is with us for a long time.

 

I think Joselu and Gayle would work better as a strikeforce as everytime he flicked a nice header on for Perez, Ayoze kept dropping deep whereas Gayle would sit on the shoulder and run on to the ball.

Joselu may be the best headerer of the ball I've seen at the club since Shearer or Ferdinand.

 

Aye, he is a real threat in the air

 

He's poor

 

Seriously???

The lad has just had a great game and you come out with that ****e??

Don't think I've ever seen a positive comment from you on here - why don't you just **** off and join all the other plastic fans supporting Chelsea, Man City, PSG etc where money isn't a concern

You're a ****ing embarrassment....

 

1 good game in how many? Hopefully it's a start and he carries on improving but lets not get carried away here

 

Carroll, surely?

 

very harsh on the keeper thought he would be about a 7 or 8

 

Ferdinand for me is the best header of the ball I've seen in my few years of watching and supporting the Toon. Shearer not that far behind. I'll wait a while before thinking of putting Joselu in that grouping.

Carroll was/is good but rarely fit long enough to show over a period of time, say like 3/4 weeks. Seriously he is good but doesn't play enough to merit being in top grouping.

 

Carroll is the best header of the ball I've ever seen in any club.

 

I really don't rate Hayden as a good player, but he does a job. It's not a day for being critical however as that was a ****ing outstanding performance from the team. In fact you'll struggle to give me an away performance I would describe as better. I remember us beating Swansea 3-0 at theirs, and that performance wasn't as good as this. They held possession all game and we countered well, but today we actually went toe to toe and outplayed them.

Merino was unbelievable again and him, and Hayden in fairness, worked their socks off to ensure our gameplan worked. The dive was embarrassing, but what a player Merino is.

What did we think of Renato Sanches? Showed some quality touches in the first 30 mins, then faded badly, fitness?

 

Good performance and another welcome 3 points, We are defensively solid and everyone of those players puts a shift in. Gone are the days when a Newcastle team folded.

 

He played 2 months of last season with a double hernia...... He's a leader

 

Great result! Joselu and Merino continue to defy critics by looking like great buys, Laescelles was outstanding and Elliott continues to show why he should be forst choice. I thought Merinosw "dive" was just him losinh his footing, he didn't appeal for a penalty it was the other guys the appealed, hopefully he won't be made a poster child for the diving bans.

Squad down to the bones and it showed in places - Hayden still not looking up the the Prem, Gayle looking half fit, and Atsu and Diame ballsing up chances to break and finish it at the end. Still for an injury hit anf thin squad, it was an excellent performance.

And Swansea....they weren't all that - "wonderkid" Renato Sanches showed exactly why he's ended up at Swansea, a few pretty flicks in the first half hour, then faded badly, Bony did little, and Tammy Abraham doesn't look like the finished product yet.