Newcastle United are halfway there, it may not be their overall aim this season, but the Magpies are pretty much halfway to safety.
Given the course that this Premier League season has taken, it seems unlikely that it will take more than 40 points to secure survival.
Newcastle will have set their sights a little higher this campaign, but to achieve roughly half the points needed to stay in the division after 9 games, is a highly commendable accomplishment.
Their points total was increased to 19 after Yohan Cabaye scored his first goal for the club late in the game to give Newcastle a 1-0 win over a determined Wigan Athletic side. As first goals go, this was a pretty special one, Cabaye curling a first time shot into the top corner after Sylvain Marveaux had controlled a Ryan Taylor delivery before laying off a well placed pass for the former Lille man to score.
Wigan will perhaps feel they deserved a point from what was a committed and well organised display - and Newcastle will be the first to admit that they were far from the best- still it was a result that perfectly demonstrated just how far Alan Pardew's side have come in a very short space of time.
Last season Newcastle showed great fighting spirit to come from 2 goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw in the corresponding fixture against Wigan. This year it was a dose of quality, provided by Cabaye that handed them the victory.
The team spirit within the squad is still very much there, and it was evident in Cabaye's celebration, as Cabaye was mobbed by his teammates after he had initially run to celebrate the goal with the staff in the club dugout.
That has been the difference for Newcastle this season, they may have lost the leadership of the likes of Nolan and Barton, but they have gained quality through messrs Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Marveaux and Ba, while the team spirit still remains.
The end result, Newcastle can win games without playing particularly well, the Toon Army will be hoping they can do this on a regular basis and maintain their current rich vain of form.
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Monday, 17 October 2011
Smells like team spirit: Newcastle resilience earns point against stunned Spurs
Its a headline that has used before and is very cliched, but this overused, unintelligent play on the title of one of the most famous songs of the 90s has never been more apt.
Pundits and 'experts' alike were predicting defeat for Newcastle ahead of their clash with Harry Redknapp's Tottenham Hotspur side, the general consensus being that Spurs would have too much for a Newcastle side that has had to ride their luck at times in an impressive unbeaten streak.
It is a disappointing trend that exists throughout media circles that a large number of media personalities seem to be concerned with when Newcastle's unbeaten run will come to an end, rather than paying tribute to the fantastic work of Alan Pardew and his staff in guiding the team to their best start since the 1996/97. Others have been quick to credit the former West Ham boss, who gracefully bats away praise rather than embracing it.
The plaudits will keep on coming though if Newcastle continue to perform like they did on Sunday, as they silenced the doubters once more, twice coming from behind to level and snatch a well earned point against a Spurs outfit clearly brimming with confidence.
The contest had been a listless one up until the 39th minute, when Steven Taylor felled Emanuel Adebayor inside the area after Yohan Cabaye had uncharacteristically given the ball away inside his own half under pressure from Jake Livermore. Referee Lee Probert hesitated briefly, but eventually pointed to the spot, allowing Rafael Van Der Vaart to send compatriot Tim Krul the wrong way and slam home from 12 yards to give Tottenham a 1-0 lead at the break.
Rather than sucking the life out of Pardew's men, Newcastle fed off this setback, and responded almost instantly at the beginning of the 2nd half. The equaliser came from a familiar source - Demba Ba netting his 5th of the season following good work from Jonas Gutierrez - the Argentine weaving his way past Luka Modric and Kyle Walker before delivering a delightful cross for Ba to prod towards goal, Spurs keeper Brad Friedel did match to collect the ball but only managed to succeed in carrying the ball over the line after he was caught out of position by Gutierrez's well placed delivery.
The visitors reacted well to the leveller and took command of the game once more, but it was an inspired substitution by Redknapp that put Spurs back in front, Jermain Defoe finding half a yard of space to turn and lash home from just outside the box after the striker had replaced a tiring Van Der Vaart.
Pardew, quickly reacting to falling behind for the second time, made changes of his own in bringing on Hatem Ben Arfa and Shola Ameobi for Leon Best and Demba Ba. The switch in personnel again proved pivotal as Ben Arfa's pace and drive shifted the momentum back towards Newcastle, Friedel called into action twice, first from Cheick Tiote long range effort and then again from a well hit Ryan Taylor free-kick.
Friedel's heroics would prove to be to no avail however, as three minutes from time the American was beaten, substitute Ameobi latching on to Ryan Taylor's through ball to power home a beautiful left foot strike into the bottom corner of the net and send the St James' Park crowd into raptures.
The goal was a timely reminder for Ameobi's critics of how the striker tends to deliver when it matters for Newcastle. His double in the 5-1 demolition of Sunderland last season will always be fondly remembered, but many will be quick to forget his contribution during the Championship promotion campaign and his overall tally of 9 goals in all competitions last season. Say what you like about the much maligned forward, but when the chips have been down, Ameobi has often been there to save the day.
Another thing that was notable about Ameobi's late equaliser was the celebration, raucous and wonderful, it was a joy to watch. Ameobi found himself mobbed by his team mates who celebrated the goal as if it had just won Newcastle the FA Cup. It served as a clear indication of the team spirit within the Newcastle team and it gives me an excuse to put the following song at the bottom of this entry. Enjoy!
http://youtu.be/hTWKbfoikeg
Pundits and 'experts' alike were predicting defeat for Newcastle ahead of their clash with Harry Redknapp's Tottenham Hotspur side, the general consensus being that Spurs would have too much for a Newcastle side that has had to ride their luck at times in an impressive unbeaten streak.
It is a disappointing trend that exists throughout media circles that a large number of media personalities seem to be concerned with when Newcastle's unbeaten run will come to an end, rather than paying tribute to the fantastic work of Alan Pardew and his staff in guiding the team to their best start since the 1996/97. Others have been quick to credit the former West Ham boss, who gracefully bats away praise rather than embracing it.
The plaudits will keep on coming though if Newcastle continue to perform like they did on Sunday, as they silenced the doubters once more, twice coming from behind to level and snatch a well earned point against a Spurs outfit clearly brimming with confidence.
The contest had been a listless one up until the 39th minute, when Steven Taylor felled Emanuel Adebayor inside the area after Yohan Cabaye had uncharacteristically given the ball away inside his own half under pressure from Jake Livermore. Referee Lee Probert hesitated briefly, but eventually pointed to the spot, allowing Rafael Van Der Vaart to send compatriot Tim Krul the wrong way and slam home from 12 yards to give Tottenham a 1-0 lead at the break.
Rather than sucking the life out of Pardew's men, Newcastle fed off this setback, and responded almost instantly at the beginning of the 2nd half. The equaliser came from a familiar source - Demba Ba netting his 5th of the season following good work from Jonas Gutierrez - the Argentine weaving his way past Luka Modric and Kyle Walker before delivering a delightful cross for Ba to prod towards goal, Spurs keeper Brad Friedel did match to collect the ball but only managed to succeed in carrying the ball over the line after he was caught out of position by Gutierrez's well placed delivery.
The visitors reacted well to the leveller and took command of the game once more, but it was an inspired substitution by Redknapp that put Spurs back in front, Jermain Defoe finding half a yard of space to turn and lash home from just outside the box after the striker had replaced a tiring Van Der Vaart.
Pardew, quickly reacting to falling behind for the second time, made changes of his own in bringing on Hatem Ben Arfa and Shola Ameobi for Leon Best and Demba Ba. The switch in personnel again proved pivotal as Ben Arfa's pace and drive shifted the momentum back towards Newcastle, Friedel called into action twice, first from Cheick Tiote long range effort and then again from a well hit Ryan Taylor free-kick.
Friedel's heroics would prove to be to no avail however, as three minutes from time the American was beaten, substitute Ameobi latching on to Ryan Taylor's through ball to power home a beautiful left foot strike into the bottom corner of the net and send the St James' Park crowd into raptures.
The goal was a timely reminder for Ameobi's critics of how the striker tends to deliver when it matters for Newcastle. His double in the 5-1 demolition of Sunderland last season will always be fondly remembered, but many will be quick to forget his contribution during the Championship promotion campaign and his overall tally of 9 goals in all competitions last season. Say what you like about the much maligned forward, but when the chips have been down, Ameobi has often been there to save the day.
Another thing that was notable about Ameobi's late equaliser was the celebration, raucous and wonderful, it was a joy to watch. Ameobi found himself mobbed by his team mates who celebrated the goal as if it had just won Newcastle the FA Cup. It served as a clear indication of the team spirit within the Newcastle team and it gives me an excuse to put the following song at the bottom of this entry. Enjoy!
http://youtu.be/hTWKbfoikeg
Thursday, 6 October 2011
The great Mike Ashley debate: Visionary or Mr. Burns in a black and white shirt?
The international break is a time for reflection, a time for players, managers and fans alike to really analyse the start to the season, what has gone well and, more commonly, what has gone wrong.
Because, lets face it, nobody really cares about another English major tournament campaign that is destined to end in defeat on penalties to Germany, Portugal, France, Italy etc. etc. Do they? Well some might but I certainly don't. Therefore, with that in mind, lets have a debate about Newcastle, everything has gone so well on the pitch that there isn't really much to discuss there, however, its never a bad time to have a chat about our owner, our sturdy, cold-hearted rock Mr. Mike Ashley.
Judging from the countless number of arguments I've read, listened or been a part of, I've come to the conclusion that there are two ways in which Mike Ashley is viewed among Newcastle fans and among neutrals. The points and reasoning behind both are laid out below.
Mike Ashley: Saviour of Newcastle United and more recently, football genius.
A few months ago, uttering that sentence may have seen me committed to an asylum of some description, but now the notion that Mike Ashley's is in fact to Newcastle United's benefit doesn't seem so crazy anymore.
Lets begin with perhaps the most boring aspect of football, finances. Ashley purchased Newcastle United via his company St James Holdings for approximately £134 million. Following this Ashley then had to invest £100 million into the club just to ensure its financial security, according to a 2010 BBC documentary. Further reports have suggested that Ashley has ploughed over £200 million into the club since his tenure at the top began. Former Chairman Chris Mort alluded to the perilous state of Newcastle's accounts back in 2007, stating that the club was on the brink of collapse before Ashley stepped in.
This is hardly surprising, you only need to look at the ridiculous transfer fees and wages paid out by Freddy Shepherd during his time as principal owner of the club - as he attempted to buy Newcastle's way back to the top by signing the likes of Kluivert, Owen, Emre, Martins, Butt, Duff etc, following the equally ridiculous decision to sack Sir Bobby Robson - to understand that Newcastle's finances were akin to those of a University student after freshers week.
1-0 to Ashley then? Well if the Buckinghamshire businessman had taken the opportunity to examine the club's books before purchasing the club and undertake due diligence he may have saved himself £200m. Still the point remains that without Ashley's intervention, the club could well have been on its way to becoming Leeds United mkII.
A well earned point to Ashley in that case, he of course will lose many through because of relegation, and the Keegan and Kinnear sagas, but lets not trouble ourselves with such horrible business just yet, let us focus on the good stuff.
Finances? Check. Now on to playing staff and Ashley certainly gets some credit here, right? Gone is the deadwood, Owen, Viduka, Martins and the rest all said their goodbyes following relegation while the likes of Nolan, Carroll and Enrique helped steer Newcastle back to the summit of English football in one season. The same squad was able to help the club avoid relegation comfortably, while the signings of Cheick Tiote and Hatem Ben Arfa for under £10 million added much needed depth and quality.
All this achieved despite a mid-season managerial change, Alan Pardew replacing Chris Hughton as I'm sure you all know. Ashley was even able to make those beloved balance sheets look even prettier by turning a £35m profit on Andy Carroll thanks to Liverpool's seemingly madcap new owners.
The side has since been further revamped, Nolan, Barton and Enrique all following Carroll out of the door, replaced by French international Yohan Cabaye, along with Gabriel Obertan, Sylvain Marveaux, Demba Ba and Davide Santon. Yet in spite of such a drastic overhaul Newcastle sit 4th in the table after the first seven games and are still unbeaten, keeping in mind that the club has made a £35.25m profit in transfer business since January. Pardew deserves a lot of the credit as do the players of course, but for many there is only one possible explanation, Mike Ashley is not only our financial saviour but is also, much more importantly, a genius.
While many people buy into to this opinion of Michael James Wallace Ashley, a large percentage of Newcastle fans see him in an entirely different light. Ladies and gentleman let me introduce you to ....
Evil Mike Ashley: Dictator, Grinch and general nasty man
My futile attempts at humour aside, it can be said without any shred of doubt that there are many members of the Toon Army that wholeheartedly despise Mike Ashley for what has occurred at Newcastle United under his stewardship.
They have fair reason to of course, as if the ignominy of relegation in 2009 wasn't enough, Ashley has also continually to manage to alienate fans and club legends alike. The hiring of Kevin Keegan was in hindsight a mistake, and from a purely business perspective you have to sack someone who refuses to toe the party line. However, Ashley and his advisors much surely have known that Keegan is and has never been that kind of individual. When hiring someone of Kevin Keegan's ilk, you are employing someone who is passionate about the game of football and - as everyone who has seen that infamous interview will know - someone who is not afraid to speak their mind. The mistake was not specifically employing Keegan, the mistake was that Ashley and his staff catastrophically mishandled one of the biggest personalities in English football.
Sacking KeeganKinnear, a dash of Chris Hughton and of course another club legend, Alan Shearer. Shearer's appointment had Newcastle riding on the crest of a wave for a brief period but it wasn't enough. Despite relegation from the Premier League Shearer showed the desire to stay for the fight and re-build the side. Ashley failed to agree a deal to keep Shearer at the club, thus alienating a Newcastle United great, again.
While Chris Hughton became the unlikely hero as he guided Newcastle back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, many of those vehemently against Ashley and his regime would argue that the Newcastle owner deserves little to no credit for Hughton's quiet revolution which was the result of Hughton and the players clubbing together in an admirable show of team spirit. Indeed, the Newcastle hierarchy showed little determination in planning for life in the Championship, to the contrary, Ashley appeared pre-occupied with his fruitless search to find a buyer for the club.
Ashley shelved his plans to sell the club following Newcastle's return to the Premier League, and quickly found the time to mistreat another of football's good guys by sacking Chris Hughton.
The decision to replace Hughton with Alan Pardew is quickly beginning to look one of Ashley's shrewder moves. Still, while Newcastle have made a successful start to the season on a shoestring budget, the overriding opinion of many observers is that the sale of key players such as Jose Enrique and Andy Carroll highlights a distinct lack of ambition and desire to move the club forward. The sale of the likes of Enrique and Carroll has fueled skepticism among numbers of fans that any player who quickly becomes a success at the club will be sold on at the nearest juncture.
On the whole, the predominant view among Mike Ashley detractors is that the ambition, heart and soul has been sucked from the club in a cold hearted and ruthless manner. It is a viewpoint that is furthered by Ashley's desire to advertise his sportswear company, Sports Direct, all over St James Park. Advertising your business is all well and good, but not when it extends to renaming the stadium sportsdirect.com@St James Park, revamping the club sign on the East Stand with fresh new Sports Direct and Puma logos adjacent to it and painting Sports Direct in gargantuan lettering on the roof of the Gallowgate End.
The defacement of Newcastle's footballing cathedral is a slap in the face to pretty much every single Newcastle United fan, and for many Newcastle fans, advertising a business that is supposed to be an entirely separate entity represents everything that is wrong with the Ashley regime. It is regime that knows everything about how to run a business, but it is also one that knows little about how to run a football club and shows little sensitivity to the feelings of football fans. Perhaps Mike Ashley is lucky that football has essentially become a business, but it doesn't change the fact that hoards of Newcastle fans would like to see him leave the North East as soon as possible.
My own personal view
It is my opinion that Newcastle fans will eventually get their wish. Newcastle United is nothing but a business to Mike Ashley and I fully believe he intends to balance the club's books before attempting to sell the club and turn a profit on his investment. In the mean time the Newcastle faithful will have to do what they have done so well over the years and stick it out for the long haul. This is a task that should be much easier given the way that Alan Pardew's side are currently performing, indeed the Toon Army should be thankful that one of Ashley's decisions appears to have been for the better of the club. In Pardew they have a manager who has the ability to get the best out of his players and has guided the club to its best start in 17 years, the longer Newcastle's form continues, the more the fans will be able to forget about Ashley's ever controversial presence at the club.
Because, lets face it, nobody really cares about another English major tournament campaign that is destined to end in defeat on penalties to Germany, Portugal, France, Italy etc. etc. Do they? Well some might but I certainly don't. Therefore, with that in mind, lets have a debate about Newcastle, everything has gone so well on the pitch that there isn't really much to discuss there, however, its never a bad time to have a chat about our owner, our sturdy, cold-hearted rock Mr. Mike Ashley.
Judging from the countless number of arguments I've read, listened or been a part of, I've come to the conclusion that there are two ways in which Mike Ashley is viewed among Newcastle fans and among neutrals. The points and reasoning behind both are laid out below.
Mike Ashley: Saviour of Newcastle United and more recently, football genius.
A few months ago, uttering that sentence may have seen me committed to an asylum of some description, but now the notion that Mike Ashley's is in fact to Newcastle United's benefit doesn't seem so crazy anymore.
Lets begin with perhaps the most boring aspect of football, finances. Ashley purchased Newcastle United via his company St James Holdings for approximately £134 million. Following this Ashley then had to invest £100 million into the club just to ensure its financial security, according to a 2010 BBC documentary. Further reports have suggested that Ashley has ploughed over £200 million into the club since his tenure at the top began. Former Chairman Chris Mort alluded to the perilous state of Newcastle's accounts back in 2007, stating that the club was on the brink of collapse before Ashley stepped in.
This is hardly surprising, you only need to look at the ridiculous transfer fees and wages paid out by Freddy Shepherd during his time as principal owner of the club - as he attempted to buy Newcastle's way back to the top by signing the likes of Kluivert, Owen, Emre, Martins, Butt, Duff etc, following the equally ridiculous decision to sack Sir Bobby Robson - to understand that Newcastle's finances were akin to those of a University student after freshers week.
1-0 to Ashley then? Well if the Buckinghamshire businessman had taken the opportunity to examine the club's books before purchasing the club and undertake due diligence he may have saved himself £200m. Still the point remains that without Ashley's intervention, the club could well have been on its way to becoming Leeds United mkII.
A well earned point to Ashley in that case, he of course will lose many through because of relegation, and the Keegan and Kinnear sagas, but lets not trouble ourselves with such horrible business just yet, let us focus on the good stuff.
Finances? Check. Now on to playing staff and Ashley certainly gets some credit here, right? Gone is the deadwood, Owen, Viduka, Martins and the rest all said their goodbyes following relegation while the likes of Nolan, Carroll and Enrique helped steer Newcastle back to the summit of English football in one season. The same squad was able to help the club avoid relegation comfortably, while the signings of Cheick Tiote and Hatem Ben Arfa for under £10 million added much needed depth and quality.
All this achieved despite a mid-season managerial change, Alan Pardew replacing Chris Hughton as I'm sure you all know. Ashley was even able to make those beloved balance sheets look even prettier by turning a £35m profit on Andy Carroll thanks to Liverpool's seemingly madcap new owners.
While many people buy into to this opinion of Michael James Wallace Ashley, a large percentage of Newcastle fans see him in an entirely different light. Ladies and gentleman let me introduce you to ....
Evil Mike Ashley: Dictator, Grinch and general nasty man
My futile attempts at humour aside, it can be said without any shred of doubt that there are many members of the Toon Army that wholeheartedly despise Mike Ashley for what has occurred at Newcastle United under his stewardship.
They have fair reason to of course, as if the ignominy of relegation in 2009 wasn't enough, Ashley has also continually to manage to alienate fans and club legends alike. The hiring of Kevin Keegan was in hindsight a mistake, and from a purely business perspective you have to sack someone who refuses to toe the party line. However, Ashley and his advisors much surely have known that Keegan is and has never been that kind of individual. When hiring someone of Kevin Keegan's ilk, you are employing someone who is passionate about the game of football and - as everyone who has seen that infamous interview will know - someone who is not afraid to speak their mind. The mistake was not specifically employing Keegan, the mistake was that Ashley and his staff catastrophically mishandled one of the biggest personalities in English football.
Sacking KeeganKinnear, a dash of Chris Hughton and of course another club legend, Alan Shearer. Shearer's appointment had Newcastle riding on the crest of a wave for a brief period but it wasn't enough. Despite relegation from the Premier League Shearer showed the desire to stay for the fight and re-build the side. Ashley failed to agree a deal to keep Shearer at the club, thus alienating a Newcastle United great, again.
While Chris Hughton became the unlikely hero as he guided Newcastle back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, many of those vehemently against Ashley and his regime would argue that the Newcastle owner deserves little to no credit for Hughton's quiet revolution which was the result of Hughton and the players clubbing together in an admirable show of team spirit. Indeed, the Newcastle hierarchy showed little determination in planning for life in the Championship, to the contrary, Ashley appeared pre-occupied with his fruitless search to find a buyer for the club.
Ashley shelved his plans to sell the club following Newcastle's return to the Premier League, and quickly found the time to mistreat another of football's good guys by sacking Chris Hughton.
The decision to replace Hughton with Alan Pardew is quickly beginning to look one of Ashley's shrewder moves. Still, while Newcastle have made a successful start to the season on a shoestring budget, the overriding opinion of many observers is that the sale of key players such as Jose Enrique and Andy Carroll highlights a distinct lack of ambition and desire to move the club forward. The sale of the likes of Enrique and Carroll has fueled skepticism among numbers of fans that any player who quickly becomes a success at the club will be sold on at the nearest juncture.
On the whole, the predominant view among Mike Ashley detractors is that the ambition, heart and soul has been sucked from the club in a cold hearted and ruthless manner. It is a viewpoint that is furthered by Ashley's desire to advertise his sportswear company, Sports Direct, all over St James Park. Advertising your business is all well and good, but not when it extends to renaming the stadium sportsdirect.com@St James Park, revamping the club sign on the East Stand with fresh new Sports Direct and Puma logos adjacent to it and painting Sports Direct in gargantuan lettering on the roof of the Gallowgate End.
The defacement of Newcastle's footballing cathedral is a slap in the face to pretty much every single Newcastle United fan, and for many Newcastle fans, advertising a business that is supposed to be an entirely separate entity represents everything that is wrong with the Ashley regime. It is regime that knows everything about how to run a business, but it is also one that knows little about how to run a football club and shows little sensitivity to the feelings of football fans. Perhaps Mike Ashley is lucky that football has essentially become a business, but it doesn't change the fact that hoards of Newcastle fans would like to see him leave the North East as soon as possible.
My own personal view
It is my opinion that Newcastle fans will eventually get their wish. Newcastle United is nothing but a business to Mike Ashley and I fully believe he intends to balance the club's books before attempting to sell the club and turn a profit on his investment. In the mean time the Newcastle faithful will have to do what they have done so well over the years and stick it out for the long haul. This is a task that should be much easier given the way that Alan Pardew's side are currently performing, indeed the Toon Army should be thankful that one of Ashley's decisions appears to have been for the better of the club. In Pardew they have a manager who has the ability to get the best out of his players and has guided the club to its best start in 17 years, the longer Newcastle's form continues, the more the fans will be able to forget about Ashley's ever controversial presence at the club.
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Rapid reaction: Newcastle ride luck to Molineux victory
Another weekend, another victory for Newcastle United, Alan Pardew's men continued their superb unbeaten run as they came away from Molineux with a 2-1 win over Mick McCarthy's Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The visitors made a shaky start to proceedings, as Wolves enjoyed most of the early running. However, the Magpies quickly grew into the game and took the lead in the 18th minute when Demba Ba glanced home a near post header from Yohan Cabaye's well placed corner.
Cabaye has been in sterling form since joining from French side Lille, and it was another good outing from the French international, as he and central midfield partner Cheick Tiote controlled the game for much of the 1st half.
Newcastle doubled their lead just over 20 minutes later thanks to a spectacular solo goal from Jonas Gutierrez. The Argentine, who has just signed a new four year contract with the club, evaded the challenges of several Wolves' defenders before slotting home beautifully with his a left footed strike into the bottom corner of the net.
The visitors' commanding lead remained in tact until the 88th minute when Steven Fletcher headed home at the far post from Adam Hammil's cross. Controversy followed as Kevin Doyle looked have snatched a dramatic equaliser for the home side when he poked home Matt Jarvis' knock back, however the linesman adjudged that the ball was out of play when Jarvis made contact.
That decision denied Wolves' what would have been a hard earned point, and the home fans will feel aggrieved not to have taken something from the game as they were also denied a penalty when Referee Mark Halsey ruled that Steven Taylor's foul on Jamie O'Hara occurred outside the 18 yard box.
A draw would not have been overly harsh on Newcastle, as their 2nd half performance was in marked contrast to their 1st half display. Pardew's charges sought to protect their comfortable advantage and did so with consummate ease for the majority of the final 45 minutes. Wolves continued to press however, and Newcastle's resistance began to wilt, forcing Goalkeeper Tim Krul to make a number of smart saves before Fletcher finally managed to beat the Dutchman.
Despite this it would not be unfair to say that Newcastle were worthy of their win. They dominated most facets of the game in the first 45, Ba and strike partner Leon Best causing the Wolves defence plenty of problems with their hold up play and movement off the ball. Cabaye and Tiote seem to have formed a highly formidable partnership in the centre of midfield, while the back four defended well up until the frantic spell of Wolves pressure in the dying minutes.
The disappointing factors in Newcastle's performance stemmed from their 2nd half tactics and substitutions, although the Magpies had chances to kill the game off they never actively seemed to search for the third goal that would have ended the game as a contest. On the contrary Newcastle seemed content to sit back and invite Wolves to attack their goal.
The changes made by Pardew also proved to be questionable, the introduction of Peter Lovenkrands added nothing to Newcastle's attacking threat while Danny Guthrie was also brought on late in the game but made no impact as Wolves continued to throw caution to wind in attack.
Pardew's substitutions were questionable, not for the players he did bring on, but for the players he chose to leave on the bench, specifically Hatem Ben Arfa and Sylvain Marveaux. The French duo offer the Magpies more options going forward. Both are able to play on either side of midfield, while Ben Arfa is also comfortable playing in the hole just behind a main striker.
Deploying the former Marseille man in this position could have aided Newcastle's cause in two areas. Firstly it would have enabled them to maintain their attacking impetus, and secondly it would have handed them the luxury of an extra man in midfield to protect against the threat posed by the home side.
Fans will debate Pardew's tactical decisions at length, while analysts and so called experts will argue over the questionable decisions made by Halsey and his assistants ad naseum. In spite of all of this there can be no doubt that Newcastle's start to the season has been nothing short of sensational, the Toon are enjoying their best start to a season for 17 years and are vitally still unbeaten after the first 7 games of the campaign.
Pre-season skepticism has been washed away by a wave of optimism, the most exciting aspect of Newcastle's start to the season is that there is still room for Pardew's side to improve. If those improvements are made then it could be a very enjoyable campaign on Tyneside.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)