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George Caulkin's new piece


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That's the thing.

 

I havent seen any Rafa out or Rafa is clueless like we had seen with McClaren etc.  I have just seen that Colback, Anita and Dummett are fucking gash and are making mistakes now constantly.  Colback's v Blackburn, being very costly.

 

Apparently that's sufficient to invoke ire from the rafanatics :D

 

I don't see any harm in anyone having an opinion on any of this as long as they remain behind the team. Booing as ever is counter productive though. As well as tweeting players negative shit. Venting your spleen isn't an issue in my view, as long as you're not adversely affecting the team's morale.

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I don't get riled up by people criticising online, it's more that I just really can't understand why anyone would want to. Things are going fucking brilliantly by any standards, but especially in the context of the recent history of the club. We're flying, we've got a top manager and a squad of players who, seemingly to a man, are completely motivated to play for us. It's just mind boggling to me that people would appear to take such relish in criticising things rather than enjoying these good days.

 

Colback's not great but he tries his best every time he plays, and whether people like it or not he has actually played a part in getting to the top of the league - he's done a decent job most of the times he's played this season in my opinion, albeit helped significantly by playing next to Shelvey. It's not his fault he's here, and it's certainly not Rafa's, and he'll be replaced at the earliest opportunity, but while he's here and part of a squad that is pulling towards promotion I just can't understand the vitriol.

 

What does annoy me is our support at SJP - there's more and more huffing and puffing... it's something that has been there to some degree for as long as I can remember, but while you could understand it at times when we had players who clearly couldn't be arsed, playing for incompetent managers, it just doesn't make any sense at the moment with the team doing so well.

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I don't get riled up by people criticising online, it's more that I just really can't understand why anyone would want to. Things are going fucking brilliantly by any standards, but especially in the context of the recent history of the club. We're flying, we've got a top manager and a squad of players who, seemingly to a man, are completely motivated to play for us. It's just mind boggling to me that people would appear to take such relish in criticising things rather than enjoying these good days.

 

Colback's not great but he tries his best every time he plays, and whether people like it or not he has actually played a part in getting to the top of the league - he's done a decent job most of the times he's played this season in my opinion, albeit helped significantly by playing next to Shelvey. It's not his fault he's here, and it's certainly not Rafa's, and he'll be replaced at the earliest opportunity, but while he's here and part of a squad that is pulling towards promotion I just can't understand the vitriol.

 

What does annoy me is our support at SJP - there's more and more huffing and puffing... it's something that has been there to some degree for as long as I can remember, but while you could understand it at times when we had players who clearly couldn't be arsed, playing for incompetent managers, it just doesn't make any sense at the moment with the team doing so well.

 

For the first point, maybe think of it more in terms of expectation. I honestly think many people agree with your assertion that the club is in a better position, with a better manager, than we've seen for some time. Which is probably why puzzlement is coming in that we're struggling to break teams down and win convincingly albeit without our best player. The last few weeks have been an unpleasant reality check and not everyone deals with such things by looking forward optimistically. Some people need to work through it by criticising the mistakes - and to be fair, Rafa has not adapted a system that has failed us on a couple of occasions now. He will have his reasons for this, but until these reasons become 'self evident', people are going to become unsettled (especially given that the Colback - Anita axis has been tried and has failed so many times in the past). If he was changing it up and we were losing I think we could all agree that experimenting with formations has a price. But we all know that the strategy he employed against Blackburn doesn't work with the players he used.

 

For the second point, I can only suggest that it will take some time for the mentality of fans to change. Remember how shit it's been and how little fucks were given about us for the last decade. You've mentioned it was justified previously and isn't now, but it'll take time for that to work its way through.

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I don't get riled up by people criticising online, it's more that I just really can't understand why anyone would want to. Things are going fucking brilliantly by any standards, but especially in the context of the recent history of the club. We're flying, we've got a top manager and a squad of players who, seemingly to a man, are completely motivated to play for us. It's just mind boggling to me that people would appear to take such relish in criticising things rather than enjoying these good days.

 

Colback's not great but he tries his best every time he plays, and whether people like it or not he has actually played a part in getting to the top of the league - he's done a decent job most of the times he's played this season in my opinion, albeit helped significantly by playing next to Shelvey. It's not his fault he's here, and it's certainly not Rafa's, and he'll be replaced at the earliest opportunity, but while he's here and part of a squad that is pulling towards promotion I just can't understand the vitriol.

 

What does annoy me is our support at SJP - there's more and more huffing and puffing... it's something that has been there to some degree for as long as I can remember, but while you could understand it at times when we had players who clearly couldn't be arsed, playing for incompetent managers, it just doesn't make any sense at the moment with the team doing so well.

The crowd's as bad as it's ever been especially considering the circumstances. I suppose it's even worse for me seeing I've been away from it for a few years. There's so many there that blatantly don't give a fuck or are just expecting something unrealistic. Almost feels like I'm supporting a new club. Even the kids that try and make an effort are fucking clueless when it comes down to it. Maybe I'm just too stuck in my ways.
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The crowd's as bad as it's ever been especially considering the circumstances. I suppose it's even worse for me seeing I've been away from it for a few years. There's so many there that blatantly don't give a fuck or are just expecting something unrealistic. Almost feels like I'm supporting a new club. Even the kids that try and make an effort are fucking clueless when it comes down to it. Maybe I'm just too stuck in my ways.

 

Maybe that's Ashley's real legacy here.

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Colback's been fucking awful imo. Not sure he tries his best either. Runs around a lot but hides plenty when we've got possession.

 

I thought he was terrible for hiding last year but I've though he's been better in that respect this season. It helps that he just needs to find Shelvey and that's his job done, not to mention it's a poorer league, but I think he's done that job OK to be fair to him. I don't rate him as a player at all but I really don't think he's let us down for the most part this season.

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The crowd's as bad as it's ever been especially considering the circumstances. I suppose it's even worse for me seeing I've been away from it for a few years. There's so many there that blatantly don't give a fuck or are just expecting something unrealistic. Almost feels like I'm supporting a new club. Even the kids that try and make an effort are fucking clueless when it comes down to it. Maybe I'm just too stuck in my ways.

I totally agree. The people who treat it as a day out in town seem to be the majority now.

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The problem with Colback is more that him and Hayden are a shocking partnership (especially when we have a left winger who isn't exactly flying down the flank).  Colback has been adequate when paired with Shelvey because they clearly compliment each other more.  Hayden is a lot better than Colback but in this division, used in his right way, Colback is fine.

Unfortunately we've found out to our cost in the last few games, that we don't have adequate cover for Shelvey.  Actually I think this has been evident throughout the season because generally in the games we've lost, Shelvey hasn't been able to dictate and we've needed another option that we haven't had.  Which is another reason why people have wanted to see us play another striker.

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The problem with Colback is more that him and Hayden are a shocking partnership (especially when we have a left winger who isn't exactly flying down the flank).  Colback has been adequate when paired with Shelvey because they clearly compliment each other more.  Hayden is a lot better than Colback but in this division, used in his right way, Colback is fine.

Unfortunately we've found out to our cost in the last few games, that we don't have adequate cover for Shelvey.  Actually I think this has been evident throughout the season because generally in the games we've lost, Shelvey hasn't been able to dictate and we've needed another option that we haven't had.  Which is another reason why people have wanted to see us play another striker.

 

Spot on imo. It's a bit like when Nicky Butt was struggling - iirc especially in his first season he was playing alongside other defensively minded (or just shite) players and he often ended up feeling the onus to pass forward and create things, which was never his game, and often giving the ball away. Not saying for a second that Colback is anywhere near the same class as Butt, but at this level I think he can do (and mostly has been doing) a decent enough job for us, provided Shelvey is playing alongside him and Hayden is not available. That's not to say I wouldn't be extremely disappointed to see him still at Newcastle next August if we go up.

Edited by Dickie
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Spot on imo. It's a bit like when Nicky Butt was struggling - iirc especially in his first season he was playing alongside other defensively minded (or just shite) players and he often ended up feeling the onus to pass forward and create things, which was never his game, and often giving the ball away. Not saying for a second that Colback is anywhere near the same class as Butt, but at this level I think he can do (and mostly has been doing) a decent enough job for us, provided Shelvey is playing alongside him and Hayden is not available. That's not to say I wouldn't be extremely disappointed to see him still at Newcastle next August if we go up.

 

To be honest i'd be disappointed if Colback was the go-to partner for Shelvey after the January window shuts. He's fine, like you say, but he's surely not going to be part of the Premier League squad should we go up in May?

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Nicky Butt never hid.

True, and he was in a completely different league to Colback, even when he was past his best when he was here. It's just that these last few games have reminded of Butt's predicament when he was struggling to do a job that wasn't really capable of. Coincidentally Butt was also heavily criticised at the time. For the record seeing one of our players hiding is one of the things that is guaranteed to wind me up (Dyer and Jenas spring to mind) but when I've seen him this season Colback hasn't really been guilty of that imo.

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Not sure... he's local and 'gets the fans'. That seems to count for a lot with club PR departments if nothing else.

 

That's what Mitrovic is for. ;)

 

He's starting in the Birmingham game. :MITRO:

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To be honest i'd be disappointed if Colback was the go-to partner for Shelvey after the January window shuts. He's fine, like you say, but he's surely not going to be part of the Premier League squad should we go up in May?

I think it's been clear that Hayden is the go to partner for Shelvey.  Colback has mainly been the backup for Hayden which is fine for me this season.  He's not a premier league quality player though.

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I think it's been clear that Hayden is the go to partner for Shelvey.  Colback has mainly been the backup for Hayden which is fine for me this season.  He's not a premier league quality player though.

 

I guess,though mostly I just want Jack Colback away from the 1st team entirely.

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True, and he was in a completely different league to Colback, even when he was past his best when he was here. It's just that these last few games have reminded of Butt's predicament when he was struggling to do a job that wasn't really capable of. Coincidentally Butt was also heavily criticised at the time. For the record seeing one of our players hiding is one of the things that is guaranteed to wind me up (Dyer and Jenas spring to mind) but when I've seen him this season Colback hasn't really been guilty of that imo.

Would probably agree on the whole with DK's assessment although I think it's a fairly easy role to play when he's alongside Shelvey in CM and the other players he has alongside him. Dyer's a funny one to bring up though as Colback will never do 10% of what he did for NUFC.

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I guess,though mostly I just want Jack Colback away from the 1st team entirely.

Ideally but my heart doesn't exactly sink when he's paired with Shelvey.  I'd rather see a motivated Tiote played ahead of him but it doesn't seem like that's an option.  Wasn't Mbemba supposed to be able to play as a defensive midfielder?

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Would probably agree on the whole with DK's assessment although I think it's a fairly easy role to play when he's alongside Shelvey in CM and the other players he has alongside him. Dyer's a funny one to bring up though as Colback will never do 10% of what he did for NUFC.

I agree with all of that but I think Dickie has a point that Dyer at times hid.  When he didn't he was so far beyond what Colback is it's like a different sport.  But he was a cunt at times too.

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Ideally but my heart doesn't exactly sink when he's paired with Shelvey.  I'd rather see a motivated Tiote played ahead of him but it doesn't seem like that's an option.  Wasn't Mbemba supposed to be able to play as a defensive midfielder?

I claw at my eyes whenever I see that Ginger bellend on the teamsheet. Tiote is surely off in the window? 

 

I'm not a fan of playing Centre backs in midfield, it often seems to be a suggestion of Centre Backs who're more comfortable on the ball, to push them forward a bit. It was said of Colo and Bramble. I'd much rather just play an actual DM there.

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Would probably agree on the whole with DK's assessment although I think it's a fairly easy role to play when he's alongside Shelvey in CM and the other players he has alongside him. Dyer's a funny one to bring up though as Colback will never do 10% of what he did for NUFC.

I agree on that as well - they were just the first two names that sprang to mind as examples of players who went missing when it suited them. Dyer a totally different kettle of fish as a player

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