The Road To Amsterdam ArenA (UEFA Europa League 2013) - THE END

[McFaul 35]

Is the Portugese league any better than the Swiss league?...Basel are only one point clear of the side in second place in their league and they just knocked Spurs out. Can't see Basel's income being bigger than Spurs. This proves nowt, but Spurs are viewed as being a good side and as you in a way point out above, theres no fuckin way they should be getting beat off Basel. In the same way Spurs are viewed as a good side, Arsenal are viewed as shite, despite Arsenal having more of good chance of finishing 4th yet again, behind 2 sides where money is no object and manu, possibly where they should come in the natural order of things. Cup competitions are less predictable and Pardew had to be safety first last night due to Santon and Taylor's failure to keep things tight in Lisbon. Fulham beat Juventus on the way to their final, so did we in the champions league. In the end you can cherry pick loads of facts and stats but cup football makes little logic.

True enough.

[NJS 3978]

On the bright side I'm glad I didn't do something I was very tempted to do when we got through the last round - I had a real panic attack about the possibility of us getting to the final and having no chance of getting a ticket so I almost bought a hospitality package on uefa.com.

 

I told myself if we didn't make it it was likely that chelsea or spurs would so I could sell it on but decided to wait for at least getting to the semi.

 

 

 

 

[Slayer 3]

We are fucking woeful at delivering corners that give the opposing team any sort of fear.

Generally our final ball is not good enough. It improved a bit in the second half. Cabaye was poor.

 

Tactics understandable. Execution, questionable. I just think when Liverpool went out they caused their opposition a lot more bother. It was good however to see them on the ropes for a bit - they were flapping!

 

Cisse please try to stay on side man. Good effort tho.

 

In summary, these cunts were there for the taking. We were unlucky over there and fucked up with the two gifted goals.

 

 

[Kid Dynamite 5907]

The team of 1997 that beat Barcelona contained Barton, Watson, Beresford, Batty, Tomasson and Barnes. The bench contained Rush, Pinas, Peacock, Howey and Ketsbaia.

 

This massive club that should be spanking Champions League teams never existed. We challenged for the title in the days before oligarch owners and £100million sponsorship deals. It was nearer to being an even playing field and although we had some class players under Keegan we had some shite too that wouldn't get in our current team.

 

The likes of Krul, Cabaye, Jonas, Colo, Ben Arfa, Tiote and Cisse will join Pav, Nobby and Asprilla in the future as adopted Geordies. They give as much effort and passion as any of the home grown lads, more effort even when you look at the clip of Shola strolling around some games.

 

Benfica are the most in form team in Europe, unbeaten in 30 games in the league and one of the favourites to win the Europa League.

 

Am I fuck going to apologise for being proud of my team last night Stevie, they did the whole city proud. The sooner you accept we aren't the size of Man United, Barcelona or Juventus you will enjoy the ride a whole lot more. You're dangerously close to personifying the ridiculous stereotype the press spouts out about Geordies demanding unrealistic expectations from our team.

 

We have had a nightmare season with injuries and a lack of investment last summer. Regardless we currently have a cracking first XI and, for a change, players on the bench who can actually change a game. Oh, and we are turning a profit, soon to be a much bigger profit with the new tv deal and the biggest sponsorship deal in the clubs history. Add a decent striker this summer and we will

be challenging for Europe again next season.

 

The whole city is pulling in the right direction at the minute and you only need to look ten miles down the road to remember what sort of state we were in 4 or 5 years ago

[Slayer 3]

Put aside all the stats about Benfica being unbeaten etc just for a minute. We have played better teams this season and on evidence of what I witnessed yesterday they were there for the taking.

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 3204]

How do I ignore someone?

 

Settings manage ignore prefs.

 

Just done it myself.

[McFaul 35]

Dealing with the actual specifics of the game, two things I was pleased about were the two of the players who do my head in the most. I thought Danny Simpson and Jonas deserve a lot of praise. Neither hid, and neither gave it away very often, they were two players I was worried about. For me you needed Cabaye to have a top game, and he was shite, probably his worst game for the toon. His set pieces and general passing were absolutely abysmal which isn't like him. I think Sissoko has all the potential in the world, but sometimes he's a bit over keen to impress, and plays with his heart rather than his head. There's only so many times you can run past three players. I'm absolutely gutted, we were so close, HBA has scored much harder chances than the one at the end for 2-0, and when you look at Chelsea, Fenebahce and FC fuckin Basle, you have to say hand on heart this was an unbelievable chance for us to end the most ridiculous hoodoo, not only in English sport, but in world sport.

 

I understand Pardew's desire to keep it at 0-0 till he could bring his more creative players on, but I'm sorry like not one shot at home in the first half isn't good enough in front of 52,000 people. There has to be a happy medium when you play like that, and we didn't find it, Cisse's mis-control was as good as it got attacking wise first half.

 

I'm not in love with Pardew as much as many are on here. He's a manipulative man, him coming out and saying "we had no more to give", well I'm sorry like he's wrong, he's saying it so he gives himself a degree of subtle self praise. "I did my job, faak aww ewwse I could've faaklin weww dannn!", he's wrong, we should've been more positive in the first half, and their keeper, how many saves has he had to make? Be honest, they fuckin shit themselves when we went at them between for 10 or 15 minutes. is that all we had to give? I'm sorry I don't agree. I hate being a miserable cunt, vbecause I'm not by nature, but it's tinged with sadness for me because we could've done more, as good as Benfica are, they genuinely ARE NOT THAT GOOD, it's such a monumental opportunity that could've rewritten the history books that we've passed up.

[Rayvin 4964]

The team of 1997 that beat Barcelona contained Barton, Watson, Beresford, Batty, Tomasson and Barnes. The bench contained Rush, Pinas, Peacock, Howey and Ketsbaia.

 

This massive club that should be spanking Champions League teams never existed. We challenged for the title in the days before oligarch owners and £100million sponsorship deals. It was nearer to being an even playing field and although we had some class players under Keegan we had some shite too that wouldn't get in our current team.

 

The likes of Krul, Cabaye, Jonas, Colo, Ben Arfa, Tiote and Cisse will join Pav, Nobby and Asprilla in the future as adopted Geordies. They give as much effort and passion as any of the home grown lads, more effort even when you look at the clip of Shola strolling around some games.

 

Benfica are the most in form team in Europe, unbeaten in 30 games in the league and one of the favourites to win the Europa League.

 

Am I fuck going to apologise for being proud of my team last night Stevie, they did the whole city proud. The sooner you accept we aren't the size of Man United, Barcelona or Juventus you will enjoy the ride a whole lot more. You're dangerously close to personifying the ridiculous stereotype the press spouts out about Geordies demanding unrealistic expectations from our team.

 

We have had a nightmare season with injuries and a lack of investment last summer. Regardless we currently have a cracking first XI and, for a change, players on the bench who can actually change a game. Oh, and we are turning a profit, soon to be a much bigger profit with the new tv deal and the biggest sponsorship deal in the clubs history. Add a decent striker this summer and we will

be challenging for Europe again next season.

 

The whole city is pulling in the right direction at the minute and you only need to look ten miles down the road to remember what sort of state we were in 4 or 5 years ago

 

Good post, would agree with all of it.

[Slayer 3]

Agree with McFaul. No shots in the first half is horrendous and inexcusable.

[Kid Dynamite 5907]

The plan first half was not to concede. We succeeded. We also scored a goal that was disallowed

[Slayer 3]

Why do all fans clap and cheer with excitement when we win a corner. We always do fuck all with them. Can anyone help me understand please?

[Kid Dynamite 5907]

Are you CTs alter ego?

[McFaul 35]

Benfica are the most in form team in Europe, unbeaten in 30 games in the league and one of the favourites to win the Europa League.

 

Am I fuck going to apologise for being proud of my team last night Stevie, they did the whole city proud. The sooner you accept we aren't the size of Man United, Barcelona or Juventus you will enjoy the ride a whole lot more. You're dangerously close to personifying the ridiculous stereotype the press spouts out about Geordies demanding unrealistic expectations from our team.

 

 

They're unbeaten in 30 games yet Celtic put them out of the Champions League. If they played in the Premier League they'd lose within three games I'm telling you that now.

 

As for me thinking we're as big as Manchester United and Barcelona, of course we're not, but what we are as a club is massive underachievers in every single regard. Not long before Ashley took over we used to secure the same sort of sponsorship deals and have the same sort of turnover as Liverpool, and were well above Tottenham in every regard. You're only a few years younger than me, but you still might not remember The Fall and Rise of Reggie Perrin. He made his millions by selling rubbish he didn't care about how cheap things were, how nasty he were, as long as he made a profit. Mike Ashley is the same, he has about as much class as Reggie fuckin Perrin. We made more money 12 years ago than we do now, because we're very much under valued. What sort of arsehole tries to dampen fans expectations of where we should be as a club. Under Shepherd we were the third richest club in this country, we were bullish, we had a reputation, we were scared of no one, now we're told to have no expectations. Our reputation as a club is average, when we GENUINELY had the opportunity to be a massive club.

 

We'll always be shite, we'll never make enough money, and we'll always be downtrodden losers while people accept we're not this or we're not that. Why aren't we? A good marketing policy should see Newcastle AT THE VERY LEAST on a par with Tottenham, and we're just not, you can't blame anyone for that other than the people at the club who do the deals, and represent the public image they're trying to portray. If you can't see that you're a fuckin spakka.

[Slayer 3]

If Shepherd continued we would have gone bankrupt for sure. And it's what Arry will do to QPR

[Kid Dynamite 5907]

I answered most of your points in my original post. Fuckin spakka

[McFaul 35]

The plan first half was not to concede. We succeeded. We also scored a goal that was disallowed

The plan involved not having a shot at goal in 55 minutes? Fucking great plan that, we should try it more often.

[Kid Dynamite 5907]

If Shepherd continued we would have gone bankrupt for sure. And it's what Arry will do to QPR

 

I can't say I hark for the days of £130kpw Owen and £70kpw Luque tbf. Duff, Viduka, Butt, Parker etc. our buying policy consisted of buying players the big teams didnt want any more

[Kid Dynamite 5907]

 

The plan involved not having a shot at goal in 55 minutes? Fucking great plan that, we should try it more often.

 

You realise CT is the only other person in here who agrees with you?

[McFaul 35]

You realise CT is the only other person in here who agrees with you?

Each of my posts I've made since last night someone has actually said "I agree with you". Are you blind as well as stupid? I don't care who agrees with me, I know I'm right, we didn't give enough. I'm not saying it was shite, but all this pride bollocks is ridiculous. We're Newcastle United, not some little club on an European adventure. Despite Ashley we're still in Europe's 20 richest clubs, do you think Anzhi or Metalist would've been proud at going out against us? I don't and both of them played better at St James' in the games against us than we did. Edited April 12, 2013 by McFaul

[Kid Dynamite 5907]

Are you blind as well as stupid? I don't care who agrees with me, I know I'm right

 

And therein lies your downfall on and off this board

[McFaul 35]

And therein lies your downfall on and off this board

Oh shut up you complete fanny, as if someone like you is qualified to say something like that

 

You haven't got the conviction in your views to even put a decent argument forward.

[ChezGiven 0]

Will people please stop saying Pardews tactics were spot on.

 

We didn't win!!!!!!

 

So if you dont beat Barcelona, you're tactics are wrong?

[ChezGiven 0]

I was praying that we didnt score an early goal. Anyone who thinks that going into an early lead last night would have been good for us hasnt understood a single fucking thing about their experiences at St James park.

 

In fact 2-0 up at half time would have been the most dangerous score as it would have guaranteed Williamson would have had his arse handed to him in the second half. At 1-3 on aggregate early goals against a dangerous attack will lead this team into to a 'backs to the wall' second half, i dont think you have to have watched us that much to know that.

 

Pardew was about 2 centimetres away from getting it absolutely spot on. Thats the distance between where Ben Arfa hit the ball and where he needed to hit it for it to go lower and slightly to the side of the keeper. Small margins indeed.

[Rayvin 4964]

So then, we would have been playing Fenerbahce. It is a bit disappointing like, we could have taken them (although beating Lazio is no mean feat). However, we'd almost certainly get Chelsea in the final...

[Rayvin 4964]

 

In fact 2-0 up at half time would have been the most dangerous score as it would have guaranteed Williamson would have had his arse handed to him in the second half. At 1-3 on aggregate early goals against a dangerous attack will lead this team into to a 'backs to the wall' second half, i dont think you have to have watched us that much to know that.

 

 

This is my take on it also. As it was Williamson was relatively untroubled.