Match Thread Newcastle United v Everton - Preview, Match Report and MotM Poll

[ToffeeTim]

We have defended badly in 5 out of our 7 games this season.

And I think Keane has been extremely good.

So it's not rocket science to work out who has been the weak link at the back. It's irrelevant how solid or secure you look if you make a big error every week. Unless we start keeping clean sheets, or only conceding 1, then we will continue to plummet down the table. That team should have been able to keep a clean sheet yesterday but individual errors cost us. Hopefully there are changes next week.

 

[BlueToff]

We have defended badly in 5 out of our 7 games this season.

And I think Keane has been extremely good.

So it's not rocket science to work out who has been the weak link at the back. It's irrelevant how solid or secure you look if you make a big error every week. Unless we start keeping clean sheets, or only conceding 1, then we will continue to plummet down the table. That team should have been able to keep a clean sheet yesterday but individual errors cost us. Hopefully there are changes next week.

tbf there have been two weak links

Mina has been iffy all season but was superb in that Brighton game - Pickford cost us the goal.

Keane has definitely solidified his spot in defence, him and Mina just don't work as a partnership and both look far better with someone quick alongside them.

 

[RomanReigns]

Carlo attempted to nullify the Newcastle threat with possession

Unfortunately having possession is pointless with this side because they don’t know how to be efficient with the ball and they cannot penetrate the opposition with any clever balls.

It was so easy for Newcastle to defend against us because we literally did not attack them and when we did they had 11 men behind the ball because Keane and Mina were playing passes to each other all game.

 

[Death]

Carlo attempted to nullify the Newcastle threat with possession

Unfortunately having possession is pointless with this side because they don’t know how to be efficient with the ball and they cannot penetrate the opposition with any clever balls.

It was so easy for Newcastle to defend against us because we literally did not attack them and when we did they had 11 men behind the ball because Keane and Mina were playing passes to each other all game.

yep they were waiting on Newcastle to come out. After 20 mins of them not we should have drastically changed the game plan but we didn’t.

 

[Zezti]

Should be Olsen, but maybe his good showing will make Pickford up his game. Hoping Coleman and James will be back.

 

[BlueToff]

Carlo attempted to nullify the Newcastle threat with possession

Unfortunately having possession is pointless with this side because they don’t know how to be efficient with the ball and they cannot penetrate the opposition with any clever balls.

It was so easy for Newcastle to defend against us because we literally did not attack them and when we did they had 11 men behind the ball because Keane and Mina were playing passes to each other all game.

The one thing our midfield could have offered yesterday going forward was Doucoure bursting from deep. However, the role he played basically meant that was impossible, as most of the time he was playing right-back

Really weird

 

[banno]

That was a game that I am surprised we actually scored in. Game game of nothing football.....lack of movement forcing plenty of sideways passing and a high percentage of back passing. Until the final 10 minutes it was a stroll in the park for Newcastle. They won't have many easier games or to rephrase 'comfortable'.

 

[RomanReigns]

The one thing our midfield could have offered yesterday going forward was Doucoure bursting from deep. However, the role he played basically meant that was impossible, as most of the time he was playing right-back

Really weird

Ye he had delph covering left back to allow nkounkou to get forward and doucoure covering right back to let Kenny get forward

This effectively meant in the attacking transition we were playing 451 with kenny and nkounkou as the wingers and siggy, Allan and gomes as the midfielders

The problem is they siggy and Gomes were not making any movements to give Kenny and nkounkou space on the wing to be effective. It was so easy for Newcastle to defend our 451 because there is no pace in that midfield

 

[Jamalio Danubio DiCanio]

Don’t really think it’s been a decent start now, tbh. A team that’s currently 13th can leapfrog us tomorrow. We turned a tremendous first 4 games into a run-of-the-mill start that everyone has got off to.

That's the issue after only a handful of games. A few poorer results makes you think things are worse than they are. And a couple of back to back wins makes teams think they are better than they are.

I would normally say that once you get 10 games into a season you sort of know what your potential aspirations for the league season could be. Are you fighting relegation, looking for Top 6 or maybe something higher? This season, due to the international break and potentially recent results, it feels like 8 games may be a good yardstick for teams to take stock and see where they lie.

Think the perception of how good or the bad the league start has been will weighted significantly on what happens in the United game (plus what happens between City v RS). It shouldn't be and I think realistic aspiration of a Top 6 challenge should change whether it's 3 points, 1 point or zero. But it will for a lot of people though

 

[Mitch Ward's Minder]

I've had time to reflect. On the face of it looking at our first 7 fixtures I think we would've expected to have 13 pts at this point anyway (probably assumed to lose to spurs and RS, draw palace and beat everyone else). So looking at it in that manner it's not so disappointing, but it is disappointing that we were in a position to exceed our expectations and have faltered. The last two games have just highlighted that we have a good team, but a bad squad. Hopefully getting rid of some of the deadwood is helping to identify the areas of concern more clearly now.
Take one game at a tie and lets see how we are after 10 games, hopefully on 20+ points.

 

[BlueToff]

Ye he had delph covering left back to allow nkounkou to get forward and doucoure covering right back to let Kenny get forward

This effectively meant in the attacking transition we were playing 451 with kenny and nkounkou as the wingers and siggy, Allan and gomes as the midfielders

The problem is they siggy and Gomes were not making any movements to give Kenny and nkounkou space on the wing to be effective. It was so easy for Newcastle to defend our 451 because there is no pace in that midfield

It would have made more sense to put Gomes in the right-back role in that instance.

He could actually use his range of passing from there and not have to burst forward - which he just seems incapable of doing atm.

Since the Brighton game we've totally negated Doucoure's best strength which is his ability to drive forward and join the attack.

He's a 5-goal a season player that we're not making the most of.

 

[RomanReigns]

You wonder why richarlison spends so much time on the floor

Now you know why

Only player in our squad that runs at defenders and has decent movement

 

[brieverton]

Pickford ?

I remember when the RS nursery team embarrassed us last season. They didn’t need their starting eleven.

Losing is one thing. Showing no drive or desire for 70 minutes until you’re 2-0 down is another.

No leadership, that's it. You can tell a lot in the opening 10 minutes, and it seemed to me all of them out there yesterday would have regarded getting a point as terrific, with the exception of DCL as he was so isolated.

Nobody was vocal, there were a lot of shrugged shoulders and a general "meh" attitude.

It seems like nobody wants to make a mistake of any sort going forward which only increased the likelihood of errors as we played with zero tempo and intensity.

When James plays, I think the players are not as fearful as in their mind he can be responsible for everything with Richy and DCL.

Yesterday was very frustrating as I still maintain we had enough amongst the players starting to get 3 points with the right attitude, let alone a draw.

 

[RomanReigns]

It would have made more sense to put Gomes in the right-back role in that instance.

He could actually use his range of passing from there and not have to burst forward - which he just seems incapable of doing atm.

Since the Brighton game we've totally negated Doucoure's best strength which is his ability to drive forward and join the attack.

He's a 5-goal a season player that we're not making the most of.

Yep should have been doucoure in gomes role

After Liverpool game I wouldn’t have even played Gomes I think Davies would have been a better option

 

[RomanReigns]

I would have liked to see 4411 with doucoure playing off Calvert Lewin and being more direct with long balls to them given their height and strength