I can't see Cabaye staying (to answer your question). In all fairness he's the kind of player who in the correct set-up with quality players around him could look like a £20-£30m player and at a champions league club I think he would do. He's not in the league of a Modric/Ozil/Fabregas though and I'm not convinced he's who Arsenal need but hey ho - I actually think it was just a move to unsettle him as we were never going to accept less than £15m. At Newcastle he has varied a lot, was ace in his first season but blew hot and cold last year. Main issue is that we wont replace him, or if we do it will be either with someone much worse or a player who will take 6 months to settle - and we can't afford that! I don't blame him for wanting to leave but the timing of Arsenals bid and the reaction of the player in not carrying on with match preparation does leave a sour taste. Would it have affected the result? No almost certainly not. I do think it has some bearing on exactly how disjointed we looked and played but a loss was always on the cards even with perfect preparation and Cabaye in the team. I just hate the way Arsene felt it was an appropriate time to unsettle a player, it could pretty much have been any manager of a top club about any player at a non-top club and its not how business should be conducted but its not against the rules and will happen more in the next few weeks I guess. First time I can think of it happening just before a game though. Anyhoo, as regards the result I think the West Ham game is massive for us. If we win then the start to the season will have genuinely been alright, if we draw its looking ominous and if we lose I may drown my sorrows in a pond rather than a pint glass. Joking. Sort of. Another season of us lot griping about which team is worse rather than which team is better?
Alberts Chip Shop laughed at me last week when I said that Newcastle should concentrate on shoring up there leaky defence. ''We've got 2 french internationals was his reply!!!'' Had a look at the stats for yesterdays game and neither Collocini or Taylor (who shouldn't have gone off IMHO) made a single tackle the whole game. I know Man City is going to be a hard team to get a result from but if you set your stall out like they did last night and with a piss poor defence then a hammering was all that could be achieved. I'm not mocking them as much as they would us but only suggesting that a forward/winger are the last positions that need to be on Kinnears shopping list.
Probably right this ^. Our result was worse but the play was better. A better indication will be the next 3/4 games for both of us. Someone (might have been Albert) said it was the nature of the defeat and the lack of team effort that got to him. That reminded me of us under MON where half of them couldn`t be arsed. Also, it seems that in Taylor they have their very own Cattermole. We are trying to strengthen and improve. Whether it works or not remains to be seen but I doubt there will be any lack of effort. If the mags go the same way as we did under MON they are in real trouble imo as I don`t think Pardew or Joke have the abilities to do anything about it.
It's not the result but the manner of the result. We bossed the game for most of it and were undone by 1 school boy error. Newcastle started with a 4-3-3 v Man City!! No wonder they got stuffed.
A lad (mag) I work with just walked into the office and said "I thought we played well last night - they were too good for us" - Now whilst I agree with the second part of his statement - where did he see that they played well!!
Indeedy. A mag defeat is never a subject of sorrow Unless we're in a relegation dogfight and they're playing another contender for the drop
We're relegated and Di Canio is going to sacked according to some gutter press. We have used up all of our luck for the season according to another report - I can;t see where we had any luck at the weekend and, according to everyone in the game, luck evens itself out over a season - so how can we have used all of our luck??? Southampton at the weekend, MK Dons next week (which I am gutted I can't go to - am recording in the studio next Tuesday night) and Palace the weekend after - no such thing as an easy game but all three of those are winnable (as was Saturday I know) - let's see where we are after that
"post's" - having a 'Mag moment' there were you? if you're going to resort to grammar policing at least get your own posts sorted first, eh.... yer ****ing bellend.
Losing at home to Fulham is far worse than losing away to City. Not taking into account performances. We should have taken something from our game and didn't. Newcastle did what was expected of them.
