NUFC v Fulham

[Guest alex]

I thonk everybody is missing the best part of the whole performance, Joey Barton's post match interview. An absolute masterclass. Amongst many highlights " a W is a W" and a magnificent use of "late doors". How any TV viewer could come away disapointed is a mystery to me

So, by actually going to the match I missed the best part of the game?

[NJS 4006]

did you ever see Bolton play?

 

Those of us with severe reservations about his appointment were "fooled" by the argument that with better players and more transfer funds it would be different. What he has done is taken good players down to a sub-Bolton level. This shows he only knows one way to play which is why my reservations have become stronger.

 

I do agree sacking him now would be pointless - but if I were Ashley or Mort I'd be scouring the football world for a replacement with a view to May at the very latest.

[Holden McGroin 5062]

did you ever see Bolton play?

 

Those of us with severe reservations about his appointment were "fooled" by the argument that with better players and more transfer funds it would be different. What he has done is taken good players down to a sub-Bolton level. This shows he only knows one way to play which is why my reservations have become stronger.

 

I do agree sacking him now would be pointless - but if I were Ashley or Mort I'd be scouring the football world for a replacement with a view to May at the very latest.

 

Exactly the way I feel.

[spongebob toonpants 3643]

I thonk everybody is missing the best part of the whole performance, Joey Barton's post match interview. An absolute masterclass. Amongst many highlights " a W is a W" and a magnificent use of "late doors". How any TV viewer could come away disapointed is a mystery to me

So, by actually going to the match I missed the best part of the game?

 

 

Schoolboy error

[Guest alex]

I think the point has already been made before but most people who were happy with Allardyce getting the job also thought he'd be working with a tight budget under Shepherd given the amount of money we had spent in previous seasons and, in particular, the amount Souness had wasted. I'm still for giving him time or I would want an outstanding replacement. The likes of Mark Hughes would represent a sideways step imo.

[Guest alex]

I thonk everybody is missing the best part of the whole performance, Joey Barton's post match interview. An absolute masterclass. Amongst many highlights " a W is a W" and a magnificent use of "late doors". How any TV viewer could come away disapointed is a mystery to me

So, by actually going to the match I missed the best part of the game?

 

 

Schoolboy error

Canny weekend though.

[sammynb 2934]

did you ever see Bolton play?

 

Those of us with severe reservations about his appointment were "fooled" by the argument that with better players and more transfer funds it would be different. What he has done is taken good players down to a sub-Bolton level. This shows he only knows one way to play which is why my reservations have become stronger.

 

I do agree sacking him now would be pointless - but if I were Ashley or Mort I'd be scouring the football world for a replacement with a view to May at the very latest.

 

Exactly the way I feel.

Disagree do it now before January if Mort can get in a first choice manager.

I just don't want to see him waste more money on the dross he seems to want.

[Dr Gloom 20149]

we are playing horrible football at the moment like, possibly the worst brand in the league. but then, most people were happy to accept that when big sam came in.

 

as long as it gets results. do we care? i think i do. i'm not one of those who the knobbers on sky reckon would rather see the toon lose 5-4 than win 1-0. i don't mind us grafting out the odd ugly win, but sam has got us playing a depressingly dull brand of football.

 

i don't think you would hear too many complaints if we were sniffing around the top 6 but people are going to get impatient watching mind numbingly dull football as long as there's no improvement on last year's results.

[Guest alex]

I think it's possibly just teething problems but I think people expected us to be tight at the back under Allardyce which we haven't been. It's that coupled with the lack of decent football that's pissed people off. That said, Bolton were never that great defensively when you look at the amount of goals conceded. They were effective though and we aren't yet.

[Happy Face 29]

we are playing horrible football at the moment like, possibly the worst brand in the league. but then, most people were happy to accept that when big sam came in.

 

as long as it gets results. do we care? i think i do. i'm not one of those who the knobbers on sky reckon would rather see the toon lose 5-4 than win 1-0. i don't mind us grafting out the odd ugly win, but sam has got us playing a depressingly dull brand of football.

 

i don't think you would hear too many complaints if we were sniffing around the top 6 but people are going to get impatient watching mind numbingly dull football as long as there's no improvement on last year's results.

 

I'd say we're sniffing, but not going so far as to piss on them yet. We're only 5 points off fiifth pace with games against Derby and Wigan coming up.

 

People are still vehemently complaining.

[Dr Gloom 20149]

hard to disagree with too much in this except the bit about smith playing in midfield.

 

Ugly Newcastle bank on rich festive feasts among the poor

 

Mike Adamson at Craven Cottage

Monday December 17, 2007

The Guardian

 

The reporter from the Newcastle Evening Chronicle claimed it was the worst match he had seen in 30 years of covering the Magpies. Supporters joked that the TV in the dugout belonging to Fulham's manager, Lawrie Sanchez, would have been better used showing Strictly Come Dancing rather than the game.

 

The 5-5 draw between teams of young boys and girls at half-time was far more enjoyable than the main event. Yet none of that could shorten the smile on the face of the Newcastle manager, Sam Allardyce, at the end. This was Newcastle's first away clean sheet since November 2006, and Joey Barton's injury-time penalty - converted after a foul on Alan Smith by Elliot Omozusi on his 19th birthday - was his team's second consecutive last-minute winner following the victory over Birmingham City.

 

With fixtures against the league's bottom two clubs, Derby County and Wigan Athletic, next up, suddenly December looks capable of bringing plenty of festive cheer to Newcastle.

 

"Winning late on shows the commitment we have," said Barton. "We keep battling and we kept a clean sheet, which we've been setting out all week to do. The lads have shown great togetherness and everyone loves playing with each other."

 

They may love playing together, but it is clear not all of them love playing where they are positioned by Allardyce. The willing James Milner provided one dangerous cross, but on the left he is less of a threat than he would be on the right - Fulham's Hameur Bouazza repeatedly showed the advantage of reaching the byline before crossing rather than having to cut back inside on to a favoured foot.

 

Charles N'Zogbia, too, is wasted at left-back, from where his incisive runs and crosses begin too deep. And Smith is surely better suited to a role in midfield or out wide rather than lone striker.

 

Obafemi Martins and Mark Viduka are out-and-out centre-forwards, yet they are resigned to restrictive roles on the right flank and the bench respectively.

 

The ongoing injuries to Michael Owen and Damien Duff have reduced his options, of course, but Allardyce is trying to adapt the players to his formation, rather than mould his style to suit the talents at his disposal. Newcastle's only chances in this game emanated either from set-pieces or long balls, the latter a strange tactic given that Smith, the tallest of their three forwards, is shorter than the smallest of Fulham's four defenders.

 

Allardyce is not one to apologise for winning ugly, perhaps understandably so given the previous flimsiness of his side. "You can't always win pretty but we were effective," he said.

 

What Sanchez would give for his team to be effective. Fulham's season has been a case of better to have led and lost than never to have led at all, but rarely did they look like taking a lead to lose here. Still, the concession of a late goal was all too familiar - this was the ninth they have given up in the last 11 minutes of matches, a statistic that has cost 12 points and lowered them into the relegation zone - and fans chanted for Sanchez's dismissal at half- and full-time.

 

"I believe I'm the man to get us out of this situation," he responded defiantly. If Sanchez is to keep his job, Fulham will have to perform better in the second half of the season than they do in the second half of games.

[Wavey Davey 0]

This is one of them games where you don't care about the performance, just the result.

 

Like for example the midweek fixtures against tundra-dwelling opposition in the UEFA cup who you've already got an 3-0 aggregate advantage over, or a shitty January slugfest against Wimbledon that we would get so many moons ago.

 

You fuck off over there, you get your result, you brave the conditions and fuck off back.

 

And when it's all that you can do at the time, then its a job well done.

[Ally 0]

Exactly, come May we'll look back on the Fulham game and see it as a good result and an important clean sheet. The fact it was a dull game will be soon forgotten.

[NJS 4006]

we are playing horrible football at the moment like, possibly the worst brand in the league. but then, most people were happy to accept that when big sam came in.

 

as long as it gets results. do we care? i think i do. i'm not one of those who the knobbers on sky reckon would rather see the toon lose 5-4 than win 1-0. i don't mind us grafting out the odd ugly win, but sam has got us playing a depressingly dull brand of football.

 

i don't think you would hear too many complaints if we were sniffing around the top 6 but people are going to get impatient watching mind numbingly dull football as long as there's no improvement on last year's results.

 

I'd say we're sniffing, but not going so far as to piss on them yet. We're only 5 points off fiifth pace with games against Derby and Wigan coming up.

 

People are still vehemently complaining.

 

Sorry to repeat the point from earlier but after those two games the fixtures get infinitely harder. I'd be very surprised if we're in such a promising position at the end of Jamuary on current form.

[Happy Face 29]

we are playing horrible football at the moment like, possibly the worst brand in the league. but then, most people were happy to accept that when big sam came in.

 

as long as it gets results. do we care? i think i do. i'm not one of those who the knobbers on sky reckon would rather see the toon lose 5-4 than win 1-0. i don't mind us grafting out the odd ugly win, but sam has got us playing a depressingly dull brand of football.

 

i don't think you would hear too many complaints if we were sniffing around the top 6 but people are going to get impatient watching mind numbingly dull football as long as there's no improvement on last year's results.

 

I'd say we're sniffing, but not going so far as to piss on them yet. We're only 5 points off fiifth pace with games against Derby and Wigan coming up.

 

People are still vehemently complaining.

 

Sorry to repeat the point from earlier but after those two games the fixtures get infinitely harder. I'd be very surprised if we're in such a promising position at the end of Jamuary on current form.

 

And again you're talking about where we might be, I'm talking about where we ARE.

[NJS 4006]

we are playing horrible football at the moment like, possibly the worst brand in the league. but then, most people were happy to accept that when big sam came in.

 

as long as it gets results. do we care? i think i do. i'm not one of those who the knobbers on sky reckon would rather see the toon lose 5-4 than win 1-0. i don't mind us grafting out the odd ugly win, but sam has got us playing a depressingly dull brand of football.

 

i don't think you would hear too many complaints if we were sniffing around the top 6 but people are going to get impatient watching mind numbingly dull football as long as there's no improvement on last year's results.

 

I'd say we're sniffing, but not going so far as to piss on them yet. We're only 5 points off fiifth pace with games against Derby and Wigan coming up.

 

People are still vehemently complaining.

 

Sorry to repeat the point from earlier but after those two games the fixtures get infinitely harder. I'd be very surprised if we're in such a promising position at the end of Jamuary on current form.

 

And again you're talking about where we might be, I'm talking about where we ARE.

 

 

We ARE 10th - 5 points of 5th - I'm going to take a stand here and say that depsite what people say about not caring where we finish this year that if this was the end of the season I'd find this position combined with the quality of the football to be completely unacceptable. Emphasis on the combination. If we were higher and drab that's okay, likewise entertaining and mid-table - both give hope for the future.

 

If that makes me unrealistic and kneejerk then I don't care.

[Guest alex]

It's not where you start, it's where you finish.

[Happy Face 29]

It's not where you start, it's where you finish.

 

"You never count your money, when you're sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done."

[Guest alex]

It's not where you start, it's where you finish.

 

"You never count your money, when you're sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done."

I knew you'd know it.

[sammynb 2934]

It's not where you start, it's where you finish.

 

"You never count your money, when you're sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done."

Fuck some days I wish you'd just fold'em!

 

Forget all this attractive football shite, we haven't played attractive football consistantly since SBR took the team to third.

How are people going to react when at home against Derby Allardyce sets his team to stiffle the opposition?

[Dr Gloom 20149]

It's not where you start, it's where you finish.

 

"You never count your money, when you're sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done."

Fuck some days I wish you'd just fold'em!

 

Forget all this attractive football shite, we haven't played attractive football consistantly since SBR took the team to third.

How are people going to react when at home against Derby Allardyce sets his team to stiffle the opposition?

 

"we have to stop the opposition playing" etc

[Happy Face 29]

It's not where you start, it's where you finish.

 

"You never count your money, when you're sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done."

I knew you'd know it.

 

Only thanks to Wyclef Jean

[sammynb 2934]

It's not where you start, it's where you finish.

 

"You never count your money, when you're sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done."

Fuck some days I wish you'd just fold'em!

 

Forget all this attractive football shite, we haven't played attractive football consistantly since SBR took the team to third.

How are people going to react when at home against Derby Allardyce sets his team to stiffle the opposition?

 

"we have to stop the opposition playing" etc

Yeah, yeah we know all that but I want to know why, when we've got a team full of premier league, albeit average, players and they've got nothing but the scrapings of a championship team that finished 6th.

It's not as if it needs to be a headless chicken race.

[David Kelly 1117]

hard to disagree with too much in this except the bit about smith playing in midfield.

 

Ugly Newcastle bank on rich festive feasts among the poor

 

Mike Adamson at Craven Cottage

Monday December 17, 2007

The Guardian

 

The reporter from the Newcastle Evening Chronicle claimed it was the worst match he had seen in 30 years of covering the Magpies. Supporters joked that the TV in the dugout belonging to Fulham's manager, Lawrie Sanchez, would have been better used showing Strictly Come Dancing rather than the game.

 

The 5-5 draw between teams of young boys and girls at half-time was far more enjoyable than the main event. Yet none of that could shorten the smile on the face of the Newcastle manager, Sam Allardyce, at the end. This was Newcastle's first away clean sheet since November 2006, and Joey Barton's injury-time penalty - converted after a foul on Alan Smith by Elliot Omozusi on his 19th birthday - was his team's second consecutive last-minute winner following the victory over Birmingham City.

 

With fixtures against the league's bottom two clubs, Derby County and Wigan Athletic, next up, suddenly December looks capable of bringing plenty of festive cheer to Newcastle.

 

"Winning late on shows the commitment we have," said Barton. "We keep battling and we kept a clean sheet, which we've been setting out all week to do. The lads have shown great togetherness and everyone loves playing with each other."

 

They may love playing together, but it is clear not all of them love playing where they are positioned by Allardyce. The willing James Milner provided one dangerous cross, but on the left he is less of a threat than he would be on the right - Fulham's Hameur Bouazza repeatedly showed the advantage of reaching the byline before crossing rather than having to cut back inside on to a favoured foot.

 

Charles N'Zogbia, too, is wasted at left-back, from where his incisive runs and crosses begin too deep. And Smith is surely better suited to a role in midfield or out wide rather than lone striker.

 

Obafemi Martins and Mark Viduka are out-and-out centre-forwards, yet they are resigned to restrictive roles on the right flank and the bench respectively.

 

The ongoing injuries to Michael Owen and Damien Duff have reduced his options, of course, but Allardyce is trying to adapt the players to his formation, rather than mould his style to suit the talents at his disposal. Newcastle's only chances in this game emanated either from set-pieces or long balls, the latter a strange tactic given that Smith, the tallest of their three forwards, is shorter than the smallest of Fulham's four defenders.

 

Allardyce is not one to apologise for winning ugly, perhaps understandably so given the previous flimsiness of his side. "You can't always win pretty but we were effective," he said.

 

What Sanchez would give for his team to be effective. Fulham's season has been a case of better to have led and lost than never to have led at all, but rarely did they look like taking a lead to lose here. Still, the concession of a late goal was all too familiar - this was the ninth they have given up in the last 11 minutes of matches, a statistic that has cost 12 points and lowered them into the relegation zone - and fans chanted for Sanchez's dismissal at half- and full-time.

 

"I believe I'm the man to get us out of this situation," he responded defiantly. If Sanchez is to keep his job, Fulham will have to perform better in the second half of the season than they do in the second half of games.

This is a very interesting point. I've got nothing against us playing a 4-3-3 but doing it with the wrong players in the wrong positions makes no sense at all.

I actually do think we have a number of players who could make the formation work but they aren't playing where the need to.

N'Zogbia should be left wing and Milner should be on the right. It's not rocket science but Allardyce seems to be dead against it for some reason.

[sammynb 2934]

It's not rocket science but Allardyce seems to be dead against it for some reason.

He hasn't had enough time obviously.