I'd have expected this from Rafa. He at least openly stated that this is how he sees football when you play against sides much better than you. He was plain wrong but at least he was honest. Bruce has been telling us this wouldn't be his way. Yet he gets to the one game where its the proverbial free swing, the one game the fans have to look forward in a season where survival is the usual hope, and does that. Regardless of Ashley (which you're right is a mentality instilled), there is no excuses for Bruce in my opinion. We simply had to have a go and press the ball.
Ah yes, sorry yes we are Jerry and we are now dead. Thanks to Steve Bruce tying down Jerry on a platter, seasoning him and inviting Tom (Man C) to feast. He might as well have given Pep a nosh while he was on if was feeling that generous. I hate meek surrenders in anything in life. This is like my lass and the pickled onion jar all over again.
I agree. That first half was the worst football I've seen in the whole of Ashley's regime. Why we went away from the 442 of the previous two games staggers belief.
I'd put it on a par with the one we lost 1-0 against these under Rafa. Exactly the same thing, every man behind the ball, keep the score down. I'll never understand the theory of playing against a much better side, and going "have the ball, lets see if you can break us down". Man C players on both occasions would have been like... please log in to view this image I also don't get the tactics, reverting to the 5 at the back. I don't have a problem with those tactics. End of the day they've served him, Rafa and this group of players well. Why though play a different way leading up to the game bedding in a style, where we've defended well, then throw them all a curveball.
No question we should've played the same formation as previous games, 4-2-3-1. When you play 5-4-1, Man City just play 'between the lines'. It doesn't matter how many defenders you have, they'll just keep finding a way through. You're better off with 4-2-3-1 because there is less of a gap and you've at least got an outlet. Seeing Max pirouetting 20 yards from his own goal is just a MASSIVE facepalm and I'm sure Bruce had to see it and think "oh ****, what have I done?" Regardless of the owner being a massive turd, Newcastle should have a better identity than 9 at the back. It shouldn't be how we're defined. Be hard to beat by hard work and blood & thunder, not by simply packing the box with players. We should be hard to play against because of attacking effort. I'm not even talking about glorious attacking tiki taka crap - just be fast, be direct and WANT to score goals, not just stop them.
Also. Dwight ****ing Gayle. I've never hated a footballer as much in all my life as a Newcastle fan. And I've seen Marcelino, Pistone, Riviere, Boumsong and Cacapa.
Any Div 2 team drawn against City in the cup would have given it a better go than that. The Villa display was depressing and this was just plain demoralising.
2 stupid mistakes cost us yesterday so I'm not going to slate Bruce - you just can't account for those types of mistakes, Schar's push(es) for the penalty was completely unnecessary and blatant, Jesus wasn't making that header so why push him - he's 5 foot **** all and as strong as a gnat, just stand your ground and ease him under the cross. Then Gayle's miss - what can you say? That will be shown on FA Cup blooper reels for years to come, 6 yards out, middle of the goal, was surly easier to score that. Sterling's goal was a worldie mind, nothing we can do about that. Be interesting, if we'd got to 90 mins at 0-0 or 1-1 and taken it to extra time, to see if there would have been mass outcry etc. City are light years ahead of us but thought we did O.K. - they had all the possession but for all of it I remember 3/4 saves from Darlow. Thought it was very reminiscent of all of our last few performances under Rafa and Bruce vs City - sit in, be compact try and hit on the break. Didn't help ASM et al couldn't trap a bag of cement in the first half, the amount of times we miscued it straight back to them over and over was embarrassing, again as a coach there is nothing you can do to prepare for that - you work all week on shape, tactic etc and then we can't kick a ball straight, he must have been so disappointed. Changed it in the second half and we looked a lot better but again if we don't give away a peno we possibly could have sat in longer and tried to hold out but we were forced to chase the game and although we had the best chance in the game we couldn't take it, then typical of football they go down the other end and score effectively killing the game. Like I say 2 individual errors cost us the game but we didn't get thumped and embarrassed 5-0 like Burnley last Monday.
I doubt they could play between the lines given that our 4 in midfield were pretty much standing on the toes of the 5 in defence. It might have worked better if they were 10yds at least further forward. Yes, they might have found space, but at least the midfield would have been in their faces and pressing a bit further up the pitch. Noticeable we were able to suddenly do that 2nd half when we'd only made a tiny change to formation
None of it matters, we have a 1 in 100 chance against City if the ground is full. We have 0 in 100 behind closed doors. The chasm in class is absurd - and this wasn't even the best team in the league. By adding a Europa place to the Cup, the FA has made yet another mistake, because it removes any opportunity for a lesser team to win it. Last four winners are this years semi finalists. League dominance will kill the game in the end. Generations of fans aren't going to keep wanting this level of mediocrity, here or abroad. The "super league" will eventually happen, because teams like City will feel it is pointless rumbling through a 38 game season, but how it'll be structured and the long term effects will be interesting.
Tactically in terms of pressing approach, it was very different from the 2-1 win and 2-2 draw. It was a mirror image of the tactics from the 1-0 home defeat under Rafa. Basically defence against attack, keep the score down. Stupid and we would never have gotten to 90 mins playing the tactics of the first half. Your chances of getting a point or more playing that way is virtually zero. Again the 2nd half approach tells you why the 1st half was all wrong. The sad thing is by half time you've already given them a leg up. It was stupid from Schar but its also extremely common when you adopt these tactics. You end up under such strain mentally and physically, eventually someone cracks. Then its a long road back. Don't get me wrong you might get spanked once in a while by trying to get in their face and having a go. Its a QF though, you've got to have a go. I look at it simplistically. Out of 36 games against Man C, Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs over three seasons, we've won more points actually pressing the ball in a defensive shape than not pressing the ball in an ultra defensive shape. I honestly can't see an argument for employing the latter. Its literally never worked for us! I will say that is unless that was just a case of players not following instruction. Bruce has told them to press but they haven't and have froze, bottling it. But they don't seem the type.
always been the same... 1st time I saw him was at palace and he missed about 5 sitters in the game..... he's ****e... and Bruce thinks he's good
True - but at least we could've given it a better go (certainly 1st half) - funnily enough was having exactly the same discussion earlier regarding the whole gulf/chasm in class thing. Given the whole "I want it now" approach of much of society, I can't see future fans wanting to put up with mediocrity - I think we'll very soon end up with a European wide league akin to the NFL where franchises play in cities. Lower leagues will simply be part time and / or feeder clubs - possibly using the Farm system they use in the US If the likes of Liverpool / Man City etc disappear off into this league it might make what's left a bit more enjoyable for the rest of us
This is not only wrong, its actually pretty much the worst attitude to have in my opinion. There is never a game where its 11 v 11 in professional terms where its futile. Nevermind a PL side v another PL side. Sorry that is just over representing the chasm in class. Don't get me wrong its extremely difficult, but if the fans, coaches, manager and players all unite, believe and have a go its possible regardless of having fans there. Otherwise how have we had Villa get to finals or Lincoln dumping out PL teams. There is always a chance. However if you sit back and wait to be picked off, I agree it is ****ing futile! Don't get me wrong, I'm with you on the grounds of a lack of competition and rules not being set to curb the developing chasm.
I think the difference is that after a long lockdown with no football and now the games coming thick and fast players are knackered and can't do it as well as before and we put out a strong lineup. Rose and ASM on the left, in particular, couldn't get near them at all! St Max looked shagged and Rose was consistently 15-20 yards to far away from his man. Carroll isn't the striker to do that up top on his own either - maybe Joelinton or Muto would have been a better shout to be pressing their CB's but Otamendi and Laporte were picking the long balls up with no pressure and playing simple balls back in to their midfielders the majority of the game. Thought Hayden and more so Longstaff did it well in the middle pushing on and the CB's stepped up well when it was played through the lines behind the midfield on several occasions. Don't have the players to step up another 10 yards as we'd be caught with the through balls and again they only managed 4 shots on target, 2 of which went in, so it could have been a lot worse than it was lots of teams have conceded 4+ goals to City this season and created as little as us. Like I say though bar a stupid penalty - 100% Schar's fault, you can not blame anyone else, as for him being fatigued that was his first start and he's shown why he is 4th/5th choice now - and a glorious missed chance it could have been totally different. Personally I'd have gone slightly differently and switched it after 15-20 mins to push ASM up top to play with Carroll and look to use his pace to get in behind them from the flick on's and knock downs and also to give both CB's something to think about and then Miggy in the middle of the 2 CM's in a 5-3-2 to allow them to shuffle across the pitch in front of the back 5 more easily.
See I can't see that at all with Hayden and Longstaff. That was the main problem for me. We had those two, Almiron and ASM sat right in front of our defence. The midfield was so deep its like comedy schoolboy stuff (we got taught this doesn't work in junior football). The problem is it gets worse because then that your ball up to Carroll has to be incredibly accurate. Ours were not only not accurate enough, the quality was so poor at times they were kicking it to the wrong side of the pitch. Longstaff certainly improved massively in the 2nd half, Hayden less so, at getting out from on top of the defence and actually pressing the ball. He still couldn't pass the ****ing ball like Longstaff! Its such a simple thing and simple thing to coach too. Its the same as the spacing you allow between fellow defenders. The same can be said for maintaining space between the defence, midfield and attack. The change for me is the one made at half time. Press the ball and get out from on top of your defence. It has to be everyone of course, not only the midfield. The starting point though is where the midfield set their stall out. Setting it out right in front of the defence, which I assume they were instructed to, is a tried and tested failure of a plan when trying to win a game of football. I understand people worry about space between lines horizontally and vertically. That is not a reason to set out in a shape which you know ends in failure. You can easily sit Hayden deeper as he normally does but ask your other midfielders to press, asking Hayden too only when it comes into certain zones. What you can't do against teams like that is just be a sitting duck. I'd have to disagree on Schar too. I have seen this so man times under Rafa, and throughout time watching football. The player making the individual error gets the blame. When actually sitting there inviting pressure forces someone to crack. Its just not possible to do it, the level of discipline required is beyond even the best players. We have average PL players, they can't do it. It was of course a silly push, but you have to keep it in context and we were taking an almighty battering minute after minute due to a poor tactical approach. I accept fitness may be waning though. Perhaps more personnel changes were necessary but obviously we are limited in that regard.
Bruce had no chance of avoiding bring botted . if he's gone for it and lost people would have said he was idiot for trying to out play city ... he was ****ed either way unless they won and that was never going to happen because they are a Ferrari and we are a duplo car
Has Pouchy made a single post today without directly or indirectly referencing Rafa. #stillobsessedwithrafa
